Page 16 of A First for the Playboy Dragon

You just have to be careful, keep things on the friend level, he told himself. No more kissing, no more hugging, you have to treat her like she’s one of the guys. It shouldn’t be that hard; Juliet had made it more than clear that she wasn’t going to sleep with him, and now that he knew why, he wasn’t going to push her. Thinking about what happened to her ignited his protective instincts instantly, and the urge to avenge her washed over him, another warning sign, and he let out a groan.

“You’re an idiot, Harrison,” he said out loud. “You’re tempting fate, boy, you’d better back off while you can.”

But he knew he’d be there to meet Juliet in a few hours and probably kiss her again. What he refused to acknowledge was that the island could have anything to do with what was happening between them. He wasn’t going to go that far, even in his head. He was still in control of his life, still able to make his own choices, and he wasn’t going to fall in love, it would only end in heartache for someone.

***Juliet***

Juliet had just finished braiding her hair when her phone began to ring in the living room. Her heart sank; only one person could be calling her and he was the last person she wanted to talk to right then. She was so torn between helping her brother and her growing feelings for Harrison that she’d barely slept the night before, and the last thing she needed was one of Joe’s guilt trips. It was an impossible situation, the first time she’d truly had to choose between her brother and her own happiness, and she wished now that she’d had the guts to tell Harrison everything the night before.

With a sigh, she picked up her phone and answered the call, knowing it wouldn’t do any good to ignore it. “Did you get it yet?” her brother asked without even greeting her. “Mr. Adaloni is getting impatient, Juliet.”

“Well, hello to you too,” she said, slightly annoyed. “I’m doing just fine, thanks.”

“Well, I’m not, they’re putting a lot of pressure on me here,” Joe said. “One of Mr. Adaloni’s men almost broke my arm the other day, so excuse me for skipping the niceties. I’m fighting for my life, in case you forgot.”

“How could I forget? That’s all I can think about,” she shot back. “I’m doing my best, Joe. I told you it might take a couple of days; Mr. Adaloni is just going to have to be patient.”

“He’s not a very patient man, and he takes it out on me when he gets annoyed,” Joe said, but then the line went silent. “Oh, no, he’s right here, and he wants to talk to you. Please don’t make him mad, Juliet, he’ll make me pay for it afterward. I can’t take any more broken bones.”

Before she could say a word, a deep male voice came on the line. “Young lady, the pictures you sent were very useful, but they weren’t enough. We need those security plans,” Mr. Adaloni said. “I thought you understood how important this is. We must take possession of the island. It is imperative for my business. Without it, there could be grave consequences. I hope we understand one another now.”

“Yes, sir,” she said, her voice shaking. “I understand, I really do, but…”

“I will not accept failure,” Mr. Adaloni said, his voice suddenly hard. “Get the plans immediately, or there will be repercussions.”

There was a clatter on the other end. “Juliet, you have to do this for me,” Joe said, back on the phone. “I’m too young to die, and you know that you’re in danger too. If you don’t cooperate, he’ll kill you too.”

She’d been so worried about her brother, so distracted by Harrison that it had never occurred to her that she might be in danger, and a shiver ran through her. Even if she did what he asked, Mr. Adaloni might see her as a liability, and he might want to get her out of the way. Suddenly, her brother’s problem had truly become hers, and she was more frightened than she’d ever been before. Her life was now at risk as well.

A surge of anger rushed through her. “Joe, I’m scared,” she said, her voice trembling. “Do you think he’s going to kill me?”

“I didn’t mean he was going to kill you,” her brother quickly said. “That wasn’t what I meant, really, Juliet. You’re safe as long as you do what he asks, I promise.”

“Are you sure?” she asked. “What if he kills you? Then he’ll have to kill me too. I know all about him and what he’s doing.”

“Juliet, that’s not going to happen if you just do what you’re supposed to do,” Joe said, his voice full of impatience. “Sleep with the guy and get the plans, it’s that simple. I’ll expect to hear from you tomorrow morning. Send the information to the email address I gave you.”

The line went dead, she pulled the phone away from her ear and then sat staring at it for a long time, trying to get the pounding of her heart to slow. She’d been scared for Joe before, but now she was frightened for herself. Something deep down told her that no matter what she did, this wasn’t going to end well. It had been a stupid mistake to agree to come to the island in the first place. She should have seen the way it would turn out, should have known that anything involving her brother would end in disaster.

After setting down the phone, she got shakily to her feet and began to pace around her tiny living room, the decision she had to make suddenly the most important one she’d ever made. She’d always thought that she’d do anything for her brother, but faced with the possibility of dying for his mistakes; that resolve was slipping away, but the idea that she could be partly responsible for his death made her feel a little sick.

A knock on the door made her jump and let out a little cry of alarm, but she realized that it was just Harrison picking her up for their hike. “I’ll be right there,” she called, hoping her voice wasn’t shaking like the rest of her. “Just give me a minute or two.”

Without waiting for a response, she ran to the bathroom, splashed cold water on her face, then took several deep breathsand looked at herself in the mirror, telling herself to calm down. She needed time to think, needed time to make a decision. She couldn’t let Harrison see how upset she was. He would back her into a corner, make her tell him what was wrong.

Taking one more deep breath, she squared her shoulders, put a smile on her face, and went to answer the door. “Sorry about that,” she said, letting Harrison into the cabin. “I wasn’t quite ready.”

CHAPTER 11

***HARRISON***

It would have taken a blind man not to notice that something was wrong with Juliet, Harrison thought as he followed her into the cabin. Her cheeks were flushed, her pulse was pounding, and her hands were shaking as she gathered her things for the hike. It had been a couple of days since he’d seen her this flustered around him, and he wondered if she was having second thoughts too, a thought that filled him with a cold feeling of disappointment even though he’d been thinking the same thing.

He didn’t want to fall in love, didn’t want the responsibility, didn’t want the heartache, didn’t want the pain that seemed to go along with it. Max’s words had gotten to him, made him stop and think about what he was doing, and now he could see clearly that backing away from Juliet was the smartest thing to do for both of them. He’d let his attraction to her get out of control, let it blur the lines he never crossed, and if he wasn’t careful, he’d end up like the rest of his friends, tied to a woman, his happiness dependent on hers.

“Sorry to keep you waiting. I’m finally ready,” Juliet said, breaking into his thoughts, and he looked over at her. “Where are we going?”

The answer was on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn’t quite form the words. He was too distracted by the sight of her shapely legs no longer covered by the baggy shorts. Instead, she’d put on a pair of hiking shorts that not only revealed her legs but fit snugly over her butt and hips, making his hands itch to touch her. Barely able to hold back a groan as he was flooded with desire and the creature inside him began to awaken, he had to take a deep breath to get control.

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