Page 1 of A First for the Playboy Dragon

PROLOGUE

Harrison watched as the boat disappeared into the distance, then turned to look over at Max, who was shaking his head and had a frown on his face. “This is going to shake things up in the clan,” he said, then hesitated for a second. “But that’s not what you are thinking about, is it?”

“The clan will be fine. Cameron taking over will actually be a good thing once everyone calms down,” Max said. “It’s the two of us I’m worried about. We’re marked men, Harrison, the clock is ticking. It’s only a matter of time before the island gets us both. If I were you, I’d run away as fast as I could.”

“Hey, let’s not get carried away here,” he said, a little alarmed. “You’re giving the island way more power than it has. Even if some of the things you say happened did happen, and I’m not admitting they did, a lot of what’s been going on around here can be explained easily enough. You need better security, Max. This island is wide open to anyone who wants to land a small boat on a beach or in a cove. Half your problems could be eliminated if we can put a stop to that alone.”

Max studied him for a second, then let out a long sigh. “You can ignore it all you want, it won’t change anything. I tried butit didn’t work,” he finally said. “But if you want to talk security, fine with me. You’re right; we do have a problem.”

“Not another problem already. We’ve barely recovered from the last one,” Mateo said, joining them. “And now that it’s over, Max, you and I need to have a long talk. Apparently, you forgot to tell me a few things about you and your friends.”

Harrison could feel the tension between the two men and wanted nothing to do with it. He was there to do a job, not to get involved in the ongoing feud between them. “Maybe that discussion can wait until we’ve addressed the security problems around here. I dropped everything when you called, and since I’m here, I’d like to get started right away,” he said. “It may take some time to come up with a security plan. There are a lot of weaknesses on the island and it’s not going to be easy to figure out a way to defend them all.”

“I wasn’t a fan of having security on the island at first, but I don’t think we have much choice now all that publicity has only made things worse,” Mateo said. “I assume you remember what we discussed when we met in Bermuda?”

“No cameras except in the marina, no permanent changes to the island, I got it,” he said. “I’ll need at least two weeks to put something comprehensive together, but I’ve already got a few ideas, so it could be sooner.”

“You were supposed to be here for a two-week vacation anyway,” Max said, a frown on his face. “Did you forget?”

“No, I didn’t forget, but what’s wrong with mixing a little business with pleasure?” he asked, grinning at him. “There are some beautiful women on the island. I plan to take full advantage of my time here, don’t you worry.”

Max stared at him. “Didn’t you listen to anything I said?” he asked. “If I were you, I’d stay away from women while you’re here, or you’ll be next.”

He snorted, couldn’t help himself. “That’s not going to happen. Love isn’t for me. The women I’m with know that from the very beginning,” he said. “I’m not fool enough to let one of them catch me, so you can just save your warnings for someone else.”

Mateo and Max exchanged glances. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” Max said, then shrugged his shoulders. I might as well start planning your wedding right now.”

CHAPTER 1

***HARRISON***

Harrison lay with his eyes closed, listening to the breeze off the ocean rustle the palm trees around him, more relaxed than he should be since he was supposed to be working. Rousting himself, he sat up and stretched, then looked over at the woman stretched out on a beach chair next to him, her luscious body on display in the string bikini, enjoying the wave of lust that washed over him. She opened her eyes and looked over at him. A slow smile spread across her face, and he knew that she was reading his mind.

“I hate to leave you, but I have a few things to do before dinner tonight,” he said, anticipation shooting through him at the prospect of finally getting Claudia into his bed. “My place at eight o’clock.”

“I’ll be there,” she purred, her eyes filled with raw desire. “And I’ll bring dessert.”

He groaned when need raced through him, images of the night to come filling his mind, and he had to force them away before he could breathe properly. Getting to his feet, he grabbed her hand, pulled her out of the chair and into his arms, then slammed his mouth down on hers. He kissed her until they bothwanted more, then gently pushed her away, knowing he couldn’t finish what he’d started until later that night.

“We’ve played this game long enough,” he said. “A man can only take so much before he loses control.”

“Promises, promises,” Claudia purred, stepping over to him and running her hands up and down his chest, then a little lower, making him gasp. “This better not all be talk. I would hate to be disappointed.”

“I’ve never had any complaints before,” he said, grinning at her. “And I don’t plan to start now.”

He left Claudia with a smile on his face and anticipation thundering through his blood, made his way back to the village and then down to the marina, wondering why he was still wasting his time meeting every guest that arrived on the island. After the first couple of days, he’d learned all he needed to and had seen right away that the marina wasn’t their problem, but it had given Max and Mateo so much reassurance that he’d kept going.

Standing at the top of the dock, he scanned the surrounding area, then found a place in the shade to wait, deciding this would be the last time he’d come down to meet the new guests. If Max still wanted someone here, he’d assign one of his men the task. It was taking too much of his time, time he should have been spending putting together a security plan for the island.

After two weeks, he should have more done, should have made more progress figuring out how to secure the island. Instead, he’d lost his focus, something that rarely happened to him. Claudia popped into his mind, quickly followed by Samantha from the week before, and a little smile spread across his face. With those two around, it wasn’t surprising that he’d gotten distracted.

But he hadn’t come here to satisfy his sex drive, he could do that anywhere. He’d come to the island to help his friend out,and he needed to get his focus back where it belonged. It wasn’t like he hadn’t made any progress, he’d walked every inch of the beach, made detailed maps of every cove and inlet, and shot plenty of drone footage of the entire island. Now he just had to take what he had and use it to put together a plan, the thing he was best at, and he felt the usual surge of excitement when he let his brain shift into protective mode.

The sound of an engine broke into his thoughts, and he forced himself to focus on the boat slowly coming toward the dock, but a second later, he recognized the captain and let himself relax. If Montgomery was behind the wheel, there wasn’t anything to worry about, and he thought about leaving then but stayed where he was, just out of sight in the trees. There was still another boat to come in, and if this was his last time coming down to the marina, he’d stay until the job was completed.

With a renewed sense of purpose, he watched the boat slide into the slip, not the least bit surprised to see a dock hand standing there ready to catch the line. Montgomery ran the marina like a well-oiled machine, something he respected, and as an added bonus, he really liked the man. As soon as the boat was secured, Montgomery cut the engines and then began unloading his passenger’s luggage, handing it to the young man. Shaking his head, he watched as one bag after another was piled up next to the boat and couldn’t help but become a little curious about who it all belonged to.

It had to be a woman, he decided, as the last bag was placed on the pile, and she had to be rich, probably a little spoiled, and used to getting her way. He knew the type well, he had grown up around women just like that; she might be coming out of a nasty divorce, looking for some companionship, or out to shock her daddy by going a little crazy on vacation. But when the woman finally stepped out of the boat, she was none of those things. In fact, she was the complete opposite.

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