Dragon in the Rough (Elders Enterprises Book 1) Read Free Page A

purse, trying to find her keys. Once she found them, she unlocked her door and stepped inside. A familiar sensation washed over her. The feeling of being watched. At first it had freaked Katie out, but now that she had become accustomed to it, she actually found it comforting.
                  It had been a month since she had come home to this feeling. She had spent days searching her home for bugs or cameras, but found none, so she tried closing her curtains. Still, the feeling stayed. Now, she liked the feeling of it. Katie shook her head. She knew that it sounded crazy, but it made her feel more at home.
                  Katie closed her door and made her way over to the kitchen table where she unloaded her stuff. She then turned on her heel and crossed the room to the refrigerator, yanking the door open and pulling out a bottle of wine. She quickly poured herself a glass, downed it and poured another. She then turned and headed toward her room. Katie stopped briefly by her bathroom door but shook her head. She could just take one in the morning, it would help wake her up.
     
                  She walked over and set her glass of wine on her nightstand before she stripped off her clothes, climbing into bed and propping herself up against her headboard. As she finished her second glass of wine, Katie felt a pang of loneliness roll through her. She wished so badly that she had someone in her life. She really did not care if it was family, friends, or even a lover, she just wanted someone that she could spend time with. To relax and laugh with about the small things. Someone to hold her when she had a bad day.
                  “That is never going to happen with the lifestyle you live,” Katie said to herself. If she truly wanted to have someone in her life then it would mean that she would have to cut back on work. That was not an option for her. She had made herself a promise years ago to do her part, to hunt down the criminals in this world. Sure, there were probably many others that could do it, but Katie wanted to do it herself. She needed to know that there was some good in the world. That she helped to make it a better place.
                  Katie laughed at the thought as she rolled over and turned off her lamp. The last thought that ran through Katie’s head before she fell asleep was Paul. Starting tomorrow, she would go after him with everything she had. She would not allow herself to fail again. Paul was hers for the taking and nothing was going to stop her.
     
    ***
     
     
                  Paul knew the moment that Katie fell into a deep sleep. He held the rock tightly in his left hand and reached out with his mind to connect with Katie. He was surprised when their minds fully connected. The rock was only supposed to give him access to her thoughts, not link their minds together. He started to get the feeling that something more was at play. Was Katie a dragon? Could she be his mate? Paul did not know but the way things were going, he was willing to bet that the answer was yes to both questions. The true question he had to ask himself was if he was truly ready for what was about to happen. He thought no, but did not want to stop. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes and let his mind meld with Katie’s.
                  When Paul opened his eyes again, he was standing in the middle of a foyer. It took him a moment to realize where he was. He looked up at a spiraling staircase as a long ago yearning swept over him. He knew this home like the back of his hand. He had lived here once with his family, had helped decorate the little pink bedroom that was at the top of the stairs. Paul shook his head. He could not allow himself to go down that road. Not now. He would not allow the heartbreak of the memories that threatened to break through.
                  Paul took a long, slow breath to calm himself down. He took a step