Page 33 of A First for the Playboy Dragon

Before he could say anything, Juliet jumped out of bed and fled to the bathroom. A second later, he heard her retching intothe toilet. He followed her, then knelt down next to her, pulled her hair back from her face, and waited it out, unable to do anything else. When Juliet finally sat back, her face white as a sheet, he helped her to her feet and over to the sink.

“Rinse your mouth out, you’ll feel better,” he said, turning on the tap. “Then we’ll get you back into bed. You must have picked up a bug.”

Juliet looked over at him miserably, “Maybe…” she said, then rushed back to the toilet.

When it was over this time, he picked her up off the floor and carried her back to the bed. “Close your eyes and rest for a few minutes,” he said. “I’m going to get you some water. Maybe that will help.”

Juliet was sound asleep, her hair spread out across the pillow when he came back. He stood watching her for a few minutes, then set the water down next to her and crawled back into bed. She shifted into his arms but didn’t wake up, and he was relieved to see some color back in her cheeks. Frustrated that he’d been powerless to help her, that there had been nothing that he could have done, the weight of their bond settled on him, and for the first time, he wondered if he’d made a mistake.

Telling himself that he was being dramatic, Juliet just had a touch of the flu, he closed his eyes and forced himself to go to sleep. He woke the next morning to the smell of coffee and opened his eyes to find Juliet’s side of the bed empty; disappointed, he threw back the covers. She was in the kitchen, a mixing bowl in her hands, humming to herself as she stirred something. He stood watching her for a second, all the doubts he’d had the night before disappearing.

“You look like you’re feeling better,” he said. “I was afraid you’d come down with something.”

Juliet looked a little guilty. “I feel fine this morning. In fact, I’m starving,” she said. “How do waffles, bacon, and eggs sound for breakfast?”

“Like a feast,” he said. “What can I do to help?”

“Not a thing, I’m almost done,” she said. “There’s fresh coffee in the pot.”

After breakfast, he took Juliet back to bed and made love to her slowly, relishing every moment they spent together. “I have to meet with Max again this morning,” he said when they were curled up together. “Do you want to come with me or stay here?”

Juliet stretched like a cat. “I think I’ll stay here and take a nap,” she said. “Will you be gone long?”

“I hope not, but if I don’t get going soon, I’ll never go,” he said, giving her a kiss. “I’m going to have one of my men come over and keep an eye on you while I’m gone. Don’t be alarmed if you see a strange man sitting on the porch.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary?” she asked. “I’m sure I’ll be fine here alone.”

“I’m not taking any chances with you,” Harrison said. “Just humor me, okay?”

“If it makes you happy, then it’s fine with me,” she said, smiling at him. I just want this whole thing to be over.”

“Me too, sweetheart,” he said. “But it won’t be long. I can feel it, they’re going to make a move soon.”

Juliet shivered, “Promise me that you’ll be careful,” she said. “You’re a target too, Harrison. Without you the island wouldn’t be protected.”

He leaned down and kissed her. “I will be, I promise,” he said. “I’ll see you later.”

***Juliet***

Juliet lay in bed for a few minutes after Harrison left, trying to decide if she wanted to take a nap, then got out of bed instead, the thought of a strange man sitting on the porch while she slept slightly unnerving. After a long shower, she got dressed then wandered into the kitchen and reached for the coffee pot, but stopped herself and put her hand over her still flat belly. It was hard to believe that Marie could know before she did, but her nausea the night before was a sign that she might be right, and she opened the refrigerator to get some juice instead.

Sipping the juice, she walked over to the window and watched as a burly man came stomping down the path to the cabin, climbed the ladder, and sat down with a thud in one of the chairs. It felt weird to have a bodyguard, but she pushed through her discomfort, deciding that the best way to get over it was to introduce herself, then the man wouldn’t be a stranger. Leaving the juice behind, she walked over to the front door and eased it open, rehearsing in her head what she was going to say.

The man was mumbling to himself. “Stupid assignment, what am I, some kind of babysitter?” he said. “Next he’ll be asking me to change someone’s diapers. Ten years of training for what, to sit on a porch all day and do nothing? It’s a good thing I love my job…Harrison has gone too far this time, though…”

She started to retreat back into the cabin but changed her mind and slowly opened the door. The man jumped when he saw her, and a guilty look appeared on his face. “Shit, how long have you been standing there?” he asked, jumping to his feet. “I was just talking to myself, I didn’t mean any…”

“That’s okay, I understand. This isn’t exactly the most exciting assignment,” she said. “I’m sorry you got stuck with it.”

“Harrison made it pretty clear how important you are to him,” he said. “I was just blowing off some steam.”

“I’m Juliet,” she said, holding out her hand. “Thank you for looking out for me, my brother…well, he’s…”

“Hooked up with pretty bad people,” the man said, shaking her hand. “I’m Tom, by the way, Harrison and I have been together since the Seals.”

“Is it against the rules for you to come in and have some coffee?” she asked. “I’ll even put on a fresh pot.”

“That’s mighty kind of you, but Harrison wants me out here keeping an eye on things,” he said. “If your brother makes it into the house, then I’ve failed.”

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