Taming the Dragon by Kendra Leigh Castle Page A

to clasp Morgan’s.
The instant she did, Tess felt a sizzle up her arm so bright and hot that she
jerked, startled. Morgan’s hand clamped hard around hers, though her expression
stayed warm and welcoming.
    “I’m glad you’re here, actually. I think you’re exactly who
I’ve been waiting for.”
    Tess’s mind started to fog up, but she fought against it,
gritting her teeth.
    Morgan Le Fay? Like the sorceress in
Arthurian legend? Who did this chick think she was kidding?
    With a great deal of effort, Tess, pulled her hand away.
Morgan, or whatever her real name was, looked strangely pleased. She gave a
small nod.
    “Good. You’ll need that backbone if you’re going to deal with
him.”
    “Sorry, what?” Tess asked. That strange energy in the shop only
seemed to intensify. She glanced around uneasily, half expecting the stuff on
the shelves to start moving. Morgan laughed, and the soft sound of amusement was
genuine. That, more than anything, began to settle Tess’s nerves.
    “You need work. I have a job. That’s why you’re here.”
    “A job,” Tess said. As weird as this woman was, the prospect of
income went a long way toward banishing any lingering fear. “How do you know I
need a job?”
    Morgan waved a hand. “You wouldn’t believe me. Yet. Wicked
Little Things deals in the magical, the maligned and the misunderstood. The man
I need your help with is all three. You’re the first who’s been suited to this
task, so...I imagine you’ll come out in one piece.”
    Tess lifted her brows, feeling that strange fog trying to creep
into her thoughts again, making her want to do nothing more than nod and smile.
What was that?
    “You imagine? Just what kind of a
job is this? I don’t know what you’re looking for, but I’m just a starving
artist. I don’t do dangerous. Or kinky. Or violent.”
    Morgan’s grin was as sharp as a blade. “This isn’t about your
body...Though that will work in your favor,” she added with a quick, assessing
look at Tess’s figure. “It’s a small task, Tess McGarry.”
    Tess blinked, startled at Morgan’s casual use of her full name.
Had she told her when Morgan introduced herself? She must have...but somehow,
she didn’t think so.
    “If it’s so small then why don’t you do it yourself?”
    Morgan lifted her shoulders in an elegant little shrug. “He
doesn’t like me. He doesn’t really like anyone, in
fact. If I tried to deliver—return, really— this particular item, it would
go...poorly.”
    Tess made a soft noise. “This job doesn’t sound all that
promising, Ms. Le Fay.”
    “Morgan,” Morgan corrected her, gentle but firm. “And the job
itself is a promise. One I made a long time ago.
It’s time for him to stop hiding and remember what he is, but he’s a stubborn
beast. Kaden will never go without a push. You’re the right one to give it to
him. Beauty, ferocity, and of course, music—his kind adores music, you know—all
in one rather reluctant package. It’s you. It’s time.”
    The words made Tess’s stomach flutter strangely.
    “I don’t—”
    “You’ll be handsomely rewarded, of course,” Morgan said,
cutting Tess off smoothly. “All you have to do is give Kaden St. George his
necklace. It is, as I said, a small task...for the right person. Can you really
afford to be so picky?”
    Tess stared at Morgan, wondering why she was seriously
considering this task. The whole deal was weird. There had to be more. She
couldn’t do...whatever this was. She was just a singer. Well, she was trying to
be. And a waitress. Or, well, she had been. No job ever seemed to be a fit for
her. Until, according to this strange woman, now.
    And really, Morgan was right. One look at her checking account
and anyone would know she had very little left to lose. She had no family to
catch her, no friends who were any better off than she was. Maybe it was time to
take a leap of faith.
    All around her, the air thrummed.
    “Okay,” Tess said, the word