Page 26 of A First for the Playboy Dragon

Suddenly overwhelmed by the kaleidoscope of images, she fought to take a deep breath, a part of her wondering if any of it really happened, or if what she’d experienced had just been a dream. She jumped when the front door closed and pulled the blankets up to her chin when she heard Harrison’s footsteps coming toward the bedroom, a blush already spreading across her cheeks.

When he appeared in the doorway, his robe belted loosely around his waist, his chest exposed where the edges of the fabric didn’t meet, her heart gave a huge lurch, and she was filled with familiar warmth. Harrison stopped, then casually leaned against the doorframe and studied her, a pleased smile on his face.Desire began to race through her blood in response to the look in his eyes.

“I was looking forward to waking up with you, but I think this might be better,” he said, the smile slowly turning to a grin. “Especially since I know that you’re naked under those covers.”

She gasped, reality slamming into her when she realized what she’d done and what she was supposed to do. Guilt tore through her and she couldn’t take a deep breath for a few seconds, but she finally managed to suck in a ragged breath. Concern replaced the desire in Harrison’s eyes, and he rushed over to the bed, sat down next to her, then pulled her into his arms.

“It’s okay, sweetheart, the island sent us back to my cabin,” he said. “You’re safe, everything is fine. I know last night was a lot to process. You must be a little overwhelmed. Just try to take deep breaths, it will help clear your head.”

Warmth and comfort washed over her, blocking out the other emotions, but she knew that she had to tell Harrison everything. “You don’t understand, it’s not that,” she said. “There’s something I have to tell you, and it might ruin everything. I should have told you sooner.”

Harrison reached up and stroked her cheek. “There’s nothing you can tell me that will change how I feel about you,” he said. “That’s the beauty of bonding. I can only stay mad at you for so long.”

“I’m afraid that you’re going to hate me,” she said. “I know I hate myself.”

He studied her for a second. “Hate is a really strong word,” he said. “This must be serious.”

She took a deep breath and opened her mouth to ruin the best thing that had ever happened to her, but before she could, there was a frantic knock on the door. Harrison tried to ignore it, but the knocking started up again almost instantly. “I’d better gosee who that is,” he said. “I guess the village didn’t disappear last night, they felt those earthquakes too, and Max is really pissed off at me.”

“You’d better go see who it is then,” she said, almost relieved to get a reprieve.

Harrison had a worried look on his face when he came back to the bedroom after a short conversation at the door. “I have to go give Max a hand down at the dock. The pier came unhooked during the earthquake last night, and it’s floating in the middle of the bay.”

“Oh, no, that’s terrible,” she said. “Is there something I can do to help?”

“You could wait right there for me until I get back,” Harrison said, grinning at her. “I kind of like the idea of you waiting for me naked in bed.”

A blush spread up her cheeks. “Harrison, I can’t just sit here and wait for you like this,” she said, slightly breathless. “I should come with you and help.”

He walked over to the bed and sank down next to her. “I’d just be worrying about you the whole time,” he said, reaching out and pulling her into his arms. “I haven’t quite recovered from almost losing you last night. I don’t know how long this will take, but I’m sure you can find something safe to do for the day.”

“If that’s what you want, then that’s what I’ll do this time,” she said, grinning up at him. “But if you need me for anything, you’d better let me know.”

“That’s a deal,” he said, giving her a kiss. “I should get going, not that I want to. Make yourself at home, have some breakfast, take a shower, whatever you want. Later we’re going to talk about you moving in here with me for the rest of your trip.”

When Harrison was gone, she stayed in bed, fighting off the guilt that radiated through her, then finally got up, put on her clothes from the day before, and left the cabin, wondering ifshe’d still be welcome after she told him the truth. After a shower in her own cabin, she felt a little calmer, but her stomach still churned with guilt and apprehension, and she knew that she’d never make it through the day without something to distract her.

Deciding that the village was the best place to start, she started to gather a few things for the day and saw her phone lying on the table. She picked it up and turned it on, her heart sinking when she saw ten messages from her brother, but she turned it off again and set it down on the desk, a new wave of guilt erupting inside her. Harrison would help, she knew that he would. Once he got over being mad at her, he’d do what he was best at and save her brother. At least that’s what she told herself as she walked away from the phone.

CHAPTER 17

***HARRISON***

Harrison didn’t miss the feeling of relief that hit him when he walked away from the cabin. He’d told Juliet the truth; nothing was going to change the way he felt about her, but he wasn’t ready for more problems. He just wanted to enjoy the first flush of their love before they had to share it with the real world. It didn’t seem too much to ask, not considering what they’d been through.

“Mateo is waiting for us down at the dock,” Charlie said. “Max and Montgomery are both out on the boats, and the rest of the crew is working with the retrieval team, so he’s in charge on shore. He can explain everything better, but I guess someone has to go down and hook the pier back up when they get it back.”

“I’ll need my scuba gear,” he said. “It’s in my office at the community center. If you could grab it for me that would be great. I can find Mateo on my own.”

“Sure thing, Mr. Parker,” Charlie said. “I’ll head right over there.”

“Thanks, Charlie,” he said. “And it’s Harrison, no need to be so formal.”

“Yes, sir,” he said, then grinned. “Sorry, I can’t help myself.”

He just shook his head. “It’s okay,” he said. “Have you ever thought about joining the military?”

Mateo was waiting for him at the end of the dock, but he took a second to survey the damage the earthquake had done, cringing when he saw the broken parts of the dock and several boats laying dangerously on their sides. Pushing the guilt aside, reminding himself that he couldn’t have known this was going to happen, he carefully made his way across the damaged walkway.

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