Dragon Warrior (Midnight Bay)

New York Times
and
USA Today
bestselling author

JANET CHAPMAN

“No one is better at tugging on the heartstrings
and the funny bone!”

—
Romantic Times

Praise for
MOONLIGHT WARRIOR
,
the first book in her thrilling new Midnight Bay
paranormal romance series

“Plenty of good humor. . . . Lovable characters, a sweet romance, and the grouchy troublemaker dragon combine for a delightful read.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“A warmhearted tale of love and magic. . . . Full of warmth, danger, and romantic passion.”

—
Romantic Times

“Will knock your socks off. . . . A must read. . . . I couldn’t put it down.”

—
Winter Haven News Chief

“A magically believable story brimming with imaginative scenarios and unforgettable characters.”

—SingleTitles.com

“A charming tale with sympathetic and quirky characters. . . . Great fun.”

—A Romance Review

“Chapman’s romantic fantasy is a sweet and silly mythical mélange with a dark magic center. . . . Brimming with interesting, well-crafted characters.”

—Reader to Reader

Praise for the charming Highlander series

A HIGHLANDER CHRISTMAS

“Romantic and magical. . . . Chapman dishes up all the passion and tender love she’s known for.”

—
Romantic Times

“A humorous plotline, self-deprecating characters, and a decided dose of enchantment make this a warm read for the season.”

—
BookPage

“Filled with poignant realism interwoven with the enchanting magic of the holiday season. . . . Will charm and delight readers.”

—Single Titles

“An extraordinary seasonal story full of laughter, romance, and magic.”

—Fresh Fiction

SECRETS OF THE HIGHLANDER

“Liberally spiced with mystery, this story has warmth and genuine love that make it the perfect antidote for stress.”

—
Romantic Times

ONLY WITH A HIGHLANDER

“A mystical, magical book if there ever was one. . . . A perfect 10!”

—Romance Reviews Today

“Chapman’s amazing ability to meld rich characterization with passion and romantic adventure is unmatched and unforgettable.”

—
Romantic Times

TEMPTING THE HIGHLANDER

“Chapman breathes such life and warmth into her characters, each story is impossible to put down.”

—
Romantic Times

WEDDING THE HIGHLANDER

“A series that just keeps getting better. . . . This is Chapman’s most emotional, touching, and powerful novel to date.”

—
Romantic Times

“Exciting. . . . Janet Chapman writes a refreshingly entertaining novel.”

—The Best Reviews

And for her latest enthralling contemporary romance . . .

TEMPT ME IF YOU CAN

“Hidden secrets, passion, and a dash of danger all work in perfect harmony to create an outstanding read!”

—
Romantic Times

“An absolute joy! Books like this are the reason I like to read in the first place.”

—Fresh Fiction

“Janet Chapman at her very best. The characters are likeable and believable, and the villain is truly vile. . . . One of the best romance stories—with a hint of mystery—you’ll read this year.”

—Reader to Reader

These titles are also available as eBooks

Also by Janet Chapman

Tempt Me If You Can
A Highlander Christmas
Moonlight Warrior
The Man Must Marry
Secrets of the Highlander
The Stranger in Her Bed
The Seduction of His Wife
The Seductive Impostor
Tempting the Highlander
The Dangerous Protector
Only with a Highlander
Charming the Highlander
Loving the Highlander
Wedding the Highlander

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2010 by Janet Chapman

All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form whatsoever. For information address Pocket Books Subsidiary Rights Department, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10020

First Pocket Star Books paperback edition February 2011

POCKET STAR BOOKS and colophon are registered trademarks of Simon & Schuster, Inc.

The Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event contact the Simon & Schuster Speakers Bureau at 1-866-248-3049 or visit our website at
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.

Cover design by Craig White

Manufactured in the United States of America

10   9   8   7   6   5   4   3   2   1

ISBN 978-1-4391-5989-7
ISBN 978-1-4391-9050-0 (ebook)

Chapter One

F
ully aware that she was losing the argument from sheer absurdity, Maddy crossed her arms under her breasts and lifted her chin, determined to go down fighting. “You take that back right this minute! Refusing to have anything to do with another man named Billy does
not
make me a chicken.”

Eve Gregor—her supposedly very best friend—rolled her eyes. “I’m not implying you’re a chicken, he is. And his name is
William
.” She suddenly shot Maddy an eager grin. “But I’ll give you a manicure if you come over to supper tonight and call him Billy to his face. Or Bill. Or even Willy.” Eve leaned on the counter, obviously warming to the idea. “And I’ll throw in a pedicure if you wear your short shorts.”

Maddy dropped her arms to her sides in surprise. “Are you forgetting that he threatened to
spank
me if I ever wore those shorts again? Right after he walked up,
stark naked
, and kissed me in front of half the men in town? I don’t care if he is Kenzie’s friend; William Killkenny is an uncouth, outrageous, lecherous brute.”

Eve dismissed Maddy’s concern with a laugh as she walked from behind the counter. “William wouldn’t really spank you; he was just blustering because your short shorts had been driving him crazy with lust all week.”

“But I hadn’t even
met
him before he walked out of that library carrying your mother, so how in hell could I have been driving him crazy with lust?”

Eve started rearranging the shrunken supply of bread and pastries on the table of her woodstove shop and bakery, and shrugged. “There must have been two dozen men who showed up to help rebuild our house and barn, so it’s possible you simply didn’t notice William.” She glanced over her shoulder and smiled. “But the men all sure as hell noticed you and Susan.”

Maddy pounced on the chance to change the subject. “Speaking of Susan, nobody’s seen her since last Wednesday. I checked at the bank, but she never showed up for work on Monday, after her vacation. So I drove to her house last night, just to make sure she wasn’t lying in a pool of blood at the bottom of her stairs, and the place looked as if she hadn’t been there in days. All her plants were wilted, and there was a package from Victoria’s Secret on her doorstep that was still soaked from the rainstorm we had three nights ago. I think we should file a missing person report or at least talk to the sheriff. What if something terrible happened to her?”

When Eve said nothing, Maddy straightened the sign on the banana bread with a frown, wondering why her friend didn’t appear at all concerned about their friend. “I’m beginning to see why Susan feels so desperate to have a man of her own,” Maddy continued. “She’s been missing for six days, and nobody even noticed. Can you imagine being that alone in the world?” She nudged Eve with her hip. “I know she acted bitchy toward you when you moved back to Midnight Bay, but how can you not be worried about her?”

“Because not only do I know that Susan is on a mountain in western Maine, I also happen to know that she’s up there with Hamish MacKeage.”

Maddy slapped her hand to her chest in surprise. “Susan ran off with
Hamish
?”

Eve nodded. “I guessed as much when they both turned up missing last Wednesday, so I asked Robbie MacBain to check it out when he went home. He called Thursday evening and told me to quit worrying, because he’d spotted the two of them at an old cabin he owns up on West Shoulder Ridge.”

“Susan ran off with
Hamish
?” Maddy repeated, utterly shocked—and downright appalled. “Why, that no-good rotten witch! I can’t believe she managed to hook her claws in one of those sexy, seemingly intelligent MacKeage men.”