Free Tempting the Dragon by Karen Whiddon Page A

before—but this felt different. As if someone or something was watching her, hearing every breath, feeling every stuttering pulse of her heart. Her necklace even felt warm, but that could have been because of her rising bodily heat. Now every nerve ending along her skin came alive as she waited, wondering what she was supposed to do.
    When she finally fell asleep, she saw his face again. Rance. In her dream, she reached for him as he came in for a kiss. The instant their lips touched, she knew...
    Because she shied away from the knowledge, she’d startled awake again. This time, her clock read five-thirty, which meant she could get up and shower.
    Once she was dressed, she snagged a cup of coffee and carried it out to the front porch like she always did. Settling in the large wooden swing, she took a sip and watched the sky lighten as the sun readied itself to come up over the horizon.
    Today, she fully expected Rance Sleighter to make an appearance. Her entire body heated as she pondered what she’d do if he tried to kiss her. And then, she wondered if she’d be disappointed if he didn’t.
    Inside the house, all was silent and still. Her entire family still slept. Her mother, Amber, didn’t believe in getting up before sunrise and Pearl and Sapphire were teenagers. Enough said.
    This morning in addition to opening up Dogs Off Leash, she’d be helping out her mom by opening their store, Jewels and Essence. Over the weekend Amber and Opal had each taken turns, since they’d given their healthy-oil classes to twenty-two attendees who’d signed up in advance. That part of the business had really taken off. While interest in aromatherapy had blossomed worldwide, Jade had a feeling the popularity of theirs had a bit to do with the way the townspeople believed she had magic.
    Opal and Amber weren’t bothered by this. In fact, they capitalized on it whenever they could. Pearl and Sapph rolled their eyes and giggled whenever the topic of magic came up.
    It appeared the only one bothered by the rumors and gossip was Jade, the so-called sexy witch. When she’d first learned of the tales of her sexual prowess, she’d been mortified. And then, the embarrassment had settled into a simmering anger, which made her retreat from any attempts at dating. Of course, it didn’t help that she’d recently turned twenty-nine and, with thirty looming on the horizon, was more than ready to settle down and have a family. With the ridiculous expectation looming over her, all any of the men in this town were interested in was seeing if it was true.
    Recently, she’d signed up for an online dating service and was careful only to go out with men from one of the neighboring towns, where they’d have no idea who she was. So far, while she hadn’t met anyone she couldn’t resist, none of the men she’d dated had any preconceived ideas about her. That had been a relief.
    She yawned and checked her watch. Time to finish her coffee and get inside and eat. Her first clients would be dropping off their dogs at 6:00 a.m. sharp.
    When she’d decided to open Dogs Off Leash, her mother and grandmother had scoffed. Her aunt and uncle had rolled their eyes and her sisters couldn’t have cared less. Only Grandpa Sam had clapped her on the back and told her he thought she had a fine idea. Since Grandpa rarely spoke to anyone since the dementia had taken hold of him, Jade considered his words a high compliment.
    In the year and a half since her doggy day care had been open, business had been brisk and increasing in increments. She’d taken her profits and reinvested in the business, adding on to the fenced dog play areas and hiring additional staff.
    Even better, she loved her business. Every morning she greeted the day with a smile on her face, eager to get to work. Raised as a child without pets, she adored being around the dogs, often sitting on the floor and rolling around with them. Even Sapph had taken to stopping by to play, much to the