Dragon’s Forbidden Mate (Dragons Secret Society Book 2) Read online

  Adam looked back over to where Vivian was sitting. “I hope you’re right. Lucas Davenport has to be getting a little desperate by now,” he said.

  “Vivian will be on a plane to her next shoot tomorrow morning, somewhere in South Dakota if I remember right,” Daniel said, then turned away, clearly done with the conversation.

  ***Vivian***

  Vivian sank into the chair in the terminal, wishing her flight hadn’t been delayed and hoping that the boarding call would come soon. She’d tried to time her arrival at the airport so she’d just make the plane, but a delay meant that she was going to have wait, and the longer she waited, the more likely she was to get caught.

  Her publisher, Darren Wilkens, had been chasing her for weeks, insisting on a face-to-face meeting to discuss her latest project. But she’d been putting him off, using one excuse after another to explain why she couldn’t meet with him. Of course, none of them had been the truth; if she’d told the truth, that would have been the end of her job, and she wasn’t quite ready for that.

  In a last-minute attempt to meet her, the stubborn man had insisted on coming to the airport, and she could see him lurking by the gate, craning his neck, searching through the crowd. He was standing right by the boarding gate, and she knew she’d never make it past him unless she did something fast.

  Then it hit her, a simple way to get Darren out of the way just long enough to for her to get on the plane. Pulling out her phone, she called the airport and asked them to page him, knowing that he’d have to go to one of the orange courtesy phones in the terminal.

  To her relief, just as his name was paged, her group was called for boarding. She got to her feet, ready to sprint for the gate, but Darren didn’t move, just kept searching the crowd. His name had been called three times before he finally walked away in search of an orange courtesy phone, and she was able to head for the gate.

  Her eyes darting between Darren’s retreating back and the gate, she was horrified when he suddenly turned around and headed back for the gate. She was standing right out in the open now and knew that the minute he saw her, he’d recognize her. Panicked, she looked around and did the only thing she could think of.

  Grabbing the man standing next to her, she pulled his head down and kissed him. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Darren go striding by but she didn’t let go of the stranger, afraid he’d turn around again. Suddenly, she realized that the stranger was kissing her back, that what had started out as just her lips pressed against his had changed.

  Her body began to hum with pleasure and before she could stop him, the man had dipped his tongue into her mouth. The explosion of desire that erupted inside her was enough to bring her back to her senses, and she pushed him away, her mind already searching for something to explain the kiss.

  But when she looked up at him, an apology on her lips, it was to find Adam Carlson smiling down at her, a curious look on his face. “I never imagined you as the type of woman who’d kiss a stranger in an airport, but I’m not complaining,” he said.

  Vivian wanted to sink into the floor as she felt the heat creeping up her cheeks, but then she saw Darren headed back to the gate. “Are you on this flight?” she asked, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her face to his chest to hide it.

  He stood with his arms by his sides for a minute, then wrapped them around her. “Yes,” he said, his voice sounding strange.

  “Good, then let’s get on,” she said, barely lifting her head until they were at the gate and she could hand over her ticket.

  As soon as she was past the flight attendant, she flew down the hallway and onto the plane, leaving Adam staring after her. Wishing she could hide in the bathroom until the flight took off, she found her seat, her face flaming, her body throbbing.

  Only a few minutes later, Adam came strolling down the aisle, his eyes searching the passengers then finally settling on her. “Scoot over; I hate the window seat,” he said.

  “You can’t sit here; these are assigned seats,” she shot back.

  Adam narrowed his eyes at her. “I took care of that; now scoot over.”

  Reluctantly, she unbuckled her seat belt and moved over, then glued her eyes to the window and wouldn’t look at him. It felt childish, but the last thing she wanted to do was explain her strange behavior to Adam Carlson; he might tell her father what she was up to, and then there would be hell to pay.

  “It’s a long flight to Miami; that should give you plenty of time to explain what that was all about back there,” he said. When she didn’t respond, he added, “Have it your way, but from what I heard, you’re supposed to be on your way to South Dakota, not Miami.”

  That caught her attention, made her turn and look at him, the implied threat working just like he’d known it would. Sighing, she said, “I’m a grown woman. I can do whatever I want to. Maybe my plans changed; did you ever think of that?”

  Adam studied her for a second, making her heart pound in her chest. “I could believe that if you hadn’t just kissed me then run away like someone was chasing you,” he said, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest.

  Vivian knew that she was trapped, that she was going to have to tell him something, but luckily the flight attendants began their safety speech, giving her a few minutes to come up with an explanation. Then the plane took off, the noise of the engines making quiet conversation impossible.

  Finally, though, it got quiet in the plane, and she couldn’t avoid answering Adam. “It really wasn’t that big of a deal. I was just trying to avoid my publisher, Darren,” she answered truthfully.

  Chapter Three

  ***Adam***

  “You must have really wanted to avoid him if you were willing to kiss a stranger like that,” Adam said, detecting the truth but knowing that she wasn’t telling him everything.

  “I panicked,” she said, shrugging her shoulders.

  Adam studied her for a second and could tell that she was nervous. “But that still doesn’t explain why you were avoiding him,” he said, not planning on letting up until he had the entire truth.

  It took her a second to answer. “We had creative differences,” she said.

  “I see: creative differences,” he repeated. “I heard that you take pictures of shelter animals or something like that; doesn’t seem like there’s much room for creative differences.”

  He could tell that he’d stumped her but decided to wait and let her make the next move. She stared out the window for a long time, then turned in her seat and studied his face. “Will you promise not to tell anyone if I tell you the truth?”

  “That’s a big promise to ask for,” he said, not quite sure what he was agreeing to.

  “It’s the only way I’m going to tell you,” she said, crossing her arms over her chest and sticking out her chin.

  The urge to kiss her hit him like a tidal wave, and he had to grip the arms of his seat to keep from pulling her into his arms. Unable to stop himself, he said, “Okay, I promise.”

  Vivian smiled at him in relief, making his heart begin to pound in his chest, and a thrill shoot through him. She reached under the seat, pulled the backpack she’d been carrying onto her lap, dug around inside, then handed him a glossy magazine.

  There was a page marked with a paperclip, and the magazine opened to it easily when he turned the pages. The pictures that greeted him were both shocking and breathtaking, if you looked past their grizzly content.

  For a moment, he almost felt like he was standing in the African desert, the beheaded remains of a heard of rhinoceros scattered around him. He quickly scanned the article but took his time with the pictures, trying to decide what it was about them that stirred him so much.

  “These pictures are both incredible and horrible,” he said. “I can’t decide which.”

  Vivian nodded. “And it was even worse in person,” she said, shocking him.

  He looked over at her to see if she was kidding, but her face was serious. “You took these pictures?”
he asked, scanning the article again. “It says here that the photographer is named Vince Briceson.”

  Vivian didn’t answer, letting him think about his question, so he asked again, “You took these pictures?” but this time it sounded more like a statement than a question. Then he asked, “How?”

  “That’s a long story,” she said, settling back in her seat with a sigh. “One I haven’t told anyone in the family.”

  “Well, we have hours to kill before we get to Miami, so start talking,” Adam said, not sure why, but apprehensive about what she was going to tell him and wishing that he hadn’t promised not to tell anyone.

  Vivian took a deep breath, looked over at him, and asked, “You promise not to tell anyone, right?”

  Knowing that he wasn’t going to hear anymore without the promise, he said, “I promise not to tell anyone.”

  “A few years ago, I went to Africa on a photo shoot for a small travel magazine. The trip was sponsored by one of the local guide companies and supposed to be the trip of a lifetime, a way to entice readers to book a trip. But as it turned out, the trip was the trip of a lifetime, but not in a good way,” Vivian said, then shivered a little.

  Adam reached up and adjusted the air so it wasn’t blowing right on her, then waited for her to continue. “Our guide had no idea what he was doing or where we were supposed to go, and before the first day was over, he had us horribly lost. Then the next morning, we woke up to find a flat tire on the Jeep, and he admitted that he’d taken out the spare to make more room for luggage.”

  “So, you were lost and stranded,” Adam encouraged when she stopped talking and looked out the window.

  “In the middle of Africa, with a man who had no business being a guide, but we were desperate, so when he said that he knew the way back, we followed him. We took as much food and water as we could carry and set off that night, but somewhere in the darkness, we took a wrong turn and headed deeper into the desert. We’d been walking all night when we saw the light of a fire burning in the distance. We were sure that we’d found our rescue, so the guide approached the camp, but before he’d gotten two steps in, we heard the sound of a gunshot, and he fell to the ground.”

  Adam felt her shiver and wished for a moment he didn’t have to hear the rest of her story. But then she went on. “We scattered and ran for cover, but they came after us and shot everyone. The only reason they didn’t find me was because I found a little depression under a rock and covered myself with dirt. I spent an entire day hiding there, afraid to move until it got dark.”

  Adam looked at her in shock. “Why haven’t you told anyone about this?” he asked.

  “Oh, I did, but not until I’d waited until dark and taken pictures of it all. The bodies lying on the ground, the carcasses of the slaughtered animals, all of it,” she said, taking several deep breaths to calm herself. “I managed to find my way back to civilization, and before I left the country, I left copies of the pictures with the American consulate, then I sent a set to that magazine using a fake name.”

  “Why the fake name?” he asked.

  Vivian shrugged. “I was scared,” she said. “I know it sounds stupid, but I was afraid those men would come after me.”

  Adam thought about that for a second, then said, “So, your publisher thinks you’re someone else; that explains why you’re avoiding him. What it doesn’t explain is where you’re going now. I have a feeling it has nothing to do with shelter animals.”

  ***Vivian***

  Vivian was silent for a minute, trying to decide exactly what to tell Adam. “Since that first story broke, I’ve been working for the magazine with the journalist that wrote the story. He does the writing, and I take the pictures; we’ve managed to shut down several poaching operations and expose some major polluters.”

  Adam sat silently for a few minutes, absorbing what she’d just told him, then asked, “Can I assume that those other stories were just as dangerous as this one?”

  Vivian nodded. “But I’ve never even come close to getting caught, so it’s no big deal.”

  “Then why haven’t you told anyone? Why are you still taking pictures under a false name?” he asked.

  Vivian didn’t even bother to answer his question since the answer was obvious, so he said, “No one would let you take these pictures if they knew who you really were; that’s why you were avoiding your publisher.”

  She nodded. “I’ve met him a couple of times, posing as Vince’s assistant, but if he knew the truth, I doubt he’d let me continue.”

  Then Adam said the one thing she was hoping he wouldn’t say: “And I’m not sure he isn’t right about that. This is dangerous stuff, Vivian.”

  “You think I don’t know that? But I’m always very careful,” she said. “No one expects it to be me taking those pictures, and it gives me a little freedom.”

  Adam groaned. “But it’s only a matter of time before you get caught, Vivian, and these aren’t the kind of people who’ll show any mercy. I’m afraid to ask why you’re going to Miami.”

  Vivian turned and looked back out the window, trying to decide how much to tell him. “You might as well spill it; I’m not leaving you alone until you do,” he said.

  It was her turn to sigh. “We think we’ve found a company dumping trash into the ocean illegally.”

  When he just continued to stare at her, she went on. “Lucas Davenport owns several of the largest trash companies in the United States; they’ve shown record profits for the last two years, which caught Darren’s attention. After some digging and a little inside information, we learned that he’s been dumping at least half of the trash into the ocean.”

  “How is that possible? I mean, wouldn’t someone notice?” Adam asked, and she could see that he wasn’t happy with what she’d told him.

  “We’re not exactly sure how he’s doing it but we do know that he’s hauling the trash just into international waters, then dumping it. No one knows when or how he’s doing it, but satellite photos show huge floating islands of garbage and they’re moving toward the Caribbean Islands,” she explained.

  He narrowed his eyes at her. “And what exactly are you supposed to be photographing?”

  “The ships dumping the garbage?” she answered quietly.

  “I see, and if no one knows when or how he’s doing it, how exactly do you plan on doing that?” he asked, his voice full of tension.

  “Well, that’s what I have to figure out,” she said.

  “What?” Adam practically erupted out of his seat. “Do you have any idea how dangerous Lucas Davenport is? This isn’t just some poacher or third-world polluter we’re talking about, Vivian.”

  The other passengers were beginning to look at them. “Shhh, people are looking at us,” she said.

  “Vivian, it’s too dangerous to be messing with a man like Lucas Davenport,” he said, his voice quiet but hard. “He won’t hesitate to kill you if he catches you, especially if money is involved.”

  She looked over at Adam, realizing that he knew more about Lucas Davenport than she’d thought. “What do you know about him? You sound like you know something.”

  Adam was silent for a second, and she knew that he was choosing his words carefully. “I’ve never met him myself, but I’ve heard enough about him to know that he’s not the kind of man you want to be messing with.”

  She’d already been warned about Lucas, but she wasn’t going to back down. “This story could make my career. I have to do it,” she said, stubbornly.

  “You mean Vince’s career,” he said, unable to hide the annoyance in his voice.

  “No, my career. When this is over, I’m going to tell Darren the truth; after this, it won’t matter. I’ll get hired, woman or not,” she said, her voice full of conviction.

  “If you live that long,” Adam said. “I’m tempted to call Daniel and your dad and tell them what you’re up to.”

  “You promised,” she said, her voice coming out louder than she wanted, then she got cont
rol of herself. “Call them if you want, but I’m going to do this.”

  Chapter Four

  ***Adam***

  Adam started to ask her if she knew anything about the man she was about to tangle with but knew that the information she needed wasn’t going to be available from an internet search. And judging by the look on her face, it wouldn’t have mattered anyway.

  “Exactly what is your plan?” he asked, instead.

  Vivian studied him for a second, clearly trying to decide if she should share her plans, then took a deep breath and said, “Lucas is hosting a huge fundraiser at a beachside mansion in Miami. Darren got me in. We’ve got an inside contact there; I’m supposed to meet with him and see what else I can uncover.”

  Adam didn’t like the sound of that. “So, you’re going to go down there and start poking around? That doesn’t sound much like taking pictures to me.”

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve done a little investigating,” she said, her eyes flashing with anger. “I can take care of myself.”

  Adam sighed; they were back to that. Then he made a decision. “I’m going with you.”

  Vivian turned in her seat and looked at him, her eyes big. “What? You can’t.”

  “I can, and I will, otherwise I’m going to have to call your dad and Daniel. I don’t think you understand who you’re messing with. I’d call that publisher of yours and give him a piece of my mind too if I could,” Adam said, thinking he’d left no room for argument.

  But Vivian wasn’t giving up that easily. “You can’t,” she said, triumph in her voice. “I only have one ticket.”

  Adam held out his hand. “Let me see the ticket.”

  Vivian dug it out of her bag and handed it to him, that look still on her face. It only took him a few seconds to find what he was looking for. He pointed to the place in the invitation he’d been looking for and waited while she read it.