Four Weeks Ago…

Pretending to be his twin brother was something Jason Lennox was very good at.

Even now, as he sat in his brother’s office, no one had suspected he wasn’t Matthew. Not the security guard who greeted him this morning as he entered the lobby. Not the people in the elevator who had given him nervous nods. Not even some of the long-time employees of Lennox Corp. People mixed him and Matthew up all the time, so acting like his cool, more aloof twin was just a matter of switching his personality.

No one could tell them apart, not even their parents or sister, though as they grew older and developed their own separate interests and personalities, people started to notice the difference. Matthew was inclined to stay in his room and finish his homework—even on a Friday night,—while he preferred the company of his friends. Matthew was more serious, which is why he was chosen to be CEO of Lennox Corporation when their mother retired. But he wasn’t resentful or anything. He didn’t want that responsibility. He preferred running the Lennox Foundation and working in the blackstone mines in his dragon form. His inner dragon loved nothing more than being free. And he couldn’t do that if he was stuck in board meetings all day.

Still, despite their differing personalities, the two were as close as anyone could be. Jason would do anything for Matthew. Pretending to be him for the day to help save his twin’s reputation and the family company was easy enough.

While he couldn’t analyze spreadsheets and stock reports like his brother, he could get by for just a day. When the staff looked at him in his immaculate suit and tie, hair groomed back perfectly and a cool expression on his face, it was easy to fool them into believing he was Matthew. Easiest gig in the world.

The phone on the desk rang, and he quickly picked it up. “Matthew Lennox,” Jason answered.

“It’s me.” Matthew.

“Oh good.” The tension fell from his shoulders and put his feet up on the large oak desk. “What’s happening? She’s okay, right?”

And this was the reason he was pretending to be his twin. Matthew’s mate, Catherine, had been injured following an attack by a pride of lions who had been trying to kill her. Matthew was able to save her in time, but she’d been badly hurt. He couldn’t leave her side, which is why Jason had to stand in for him at work. He just hoped she would pull through because it would destroy Matthew if anything happened to her, plus, Jason happened to actually like Catherine. She was a good person.

“Yeah … she’s stable,” Matthew said.

“So, what’s wrong?” Jason asked, sensing his twin’s distress.

“Well, you see … it turns out Catherine has family. A sister. We met and things didn’t go too well. She blames me for what happened and she’s trying to take her away.”

“Fuck, no!” Jason swiveled the leather chair around and got to his feet. “She can’t do that. What do we gotta do to stop her?”

“That’s why I called. She left the hospital to grab some things from her hotel room and is coming back soon. You have to delay her somehow.”

“And how am I going to do that?”

“I don’t know, just … pretend to be me. Intercept her at the lobby and tell her you’re sorry about today and that you just want to talk to her. Charm her. Make her think like you’re on her side and that you’re not trying to stop her. We just need some time to get into Catherine’s room so I can talk to her.”

“Ah,” Jason said with a nod. “Gotcha.”

“Oh and by the way—shit!” Matthew cursed. “Sorry, Jason, I gotta go.”

And so an hour and a half later, he arrived at the lobby of The Ritz Ski Resort, just thirty miles out of Blackstone town. He sat in one of the wingback chairs, nursing a whiskey as he scanned the area for … what was her name? Christina. Matthew had forgotten to tell him what this Christina looked like. He supposed if she was related to Catherine, they would look alike. Would she be pretty? Jason let out a snort. Who cares? If she was trying to take Catherine away, then Jason would do whatever it took to stop her. Even if she looked like the Wicked Witch of the West, he would do his best to charm her, at the very least, distract her long enough for Matthew to convince Catherine they were mates and make her stay with him forever.

He let out another snort and swirled the crystal glass in his hand before taking another sip. Not that he wasn’t happy for his twin. Matthew was finally getting that stick out of his ass, and that was all thanks to Catherine. Dragons rarely found mates, after all. Matthew’s dragon not only recognized Catherine as his mate, but also confirmed a legend from their mom’s side of the family.

Their mother, Riva, told them of a saying from the Sinclair family: the one who knows you from your twin is your soul mate. And it seemed Matthew had indeed found his. Jason wouldn’t have believed it if he hadn’t seen it himself. Despite seeing them side-by-side, Catherine didn’t believe they were twins. In fact, she said they looked different in her eyes. Jason had found her cute, even flirted with her, but backed off quickly when it became obvious Matthew’s dragon had already staked its claim.

Good for him. Having a mate was something his brother needed. Someone to lean on during the tough times, and of course, have cute little dragonlings who would carry on the family name. If he had to name one reason to be glad about not being the heir to Lennox Corp., it would be that he was free. Free to do whatever he wanted. And whomever he wanted. In fact—he was antsy now. He hoped this wouldn’t take too long, because all he wanted was to head over to The Den and find some friendly company for the evening. Someone new and exciting. There was nothing like the thrill of the chase, the feel of a gorgeous woman in his bed. And—

The glass in his hand dropped with a soft thud, spilling the amber contents onto plush, white carpet. But he didn’t notice it; in fact, the entire room seemed to quiet down as he stared ahead. His heart began to hammer against his rib cage.

She walked into the lobby of The Ritz like she was a queen, like she owned it. Dressed in a white wool coat, stiletto heels, and wearing a cool expression on her beautiful face. A very familiar face.

“Goddamn Matthew.” His brother had conveniently forgotten to mention something of importance. Christina wasn’t just Catherine’s sister. She was her twin. But even though they were the spitting image of each other, there was something about her that was different and he couldn’t stop staring. She turned her head and ice-blue eyes stared right back at him and in that moment, his heart stopped beating. Everything slowed down and froze.

Mine.

Huh? Jason shook his head.

It was suddenly noisy in the lobby again and time went back to normal speed. But she was still staring at him, and for just a brief second he saw that cool mask disappear. She had seemed surprised to see him, flustered even. Of course she was, he told himself. She and Matthew had met earlier and had a nasty confrontation. As her cool demeanor returned, she turned away and began to walk toward the doors.

Shit! Can’t let her get away! Jason shot to his feet, threw a couple of bills on the table, and strode after Christina. She was standing by the door, hands on her hips, an impatient look on her face.

“Uhm, Christina,” he called as he stopped in front of her. “I’m glad I caught up with you.”

She looked up at him, those light-blue eyes pinning him with a frosty gaze. “Excuse me?”

“Look, I came here to apologize. For this morning?” God, he sounded like an idiot. He really should have gotten more details from Matthew.

“What are you talking about? Do I know you?” she asked with a frown. Her accent was posh and elegant, very different from her sister’s.

Was this chick on something? “We met this morning and—”

“You must have mistaken me for someone else,” she said, then looked away impatiently.

“Wait, you don’t know me?” he asked.

She turned back toward him, her gaze perusing him from head to toe. “I don’t think so.”

Oh no.

Oh hell no.

Jason’s heart sped up again. There’s got to be some mistake. “Listen, Christina. I—”

“Please don’t address me in such a familiar tone,” she snapped. “I told you, I’m not who you think I am.”

“Christina…Archer?”

Her eyes narrowed to slits. “It’s Stavros,” she corrected. “So, obviously, I’m not who you’re looking for.” She began to walk away from him and headed out the front door.

Mine.

“Shut the fuck up!” he growled at his inner dragon. No, there was some mistake. Christina whatever her name was, was not his mate. He didn’t want a mate. He didn’t need a mate. His life was perfectly fine the way it was. Drinking and having fun, and fucking any woman he wanted. “Shit!” As much as he wanted to run in the opposite direction, he’d promised Matthew he would keep her away from the hospital.

As he walked out of the hotel lobby, he told himself there had to be a reasonable explanation. Christina and Catherine shared DNA. Yeah, that was it. It didn’t mean Christina was his mate. It couldn’t, because otherwise, karma was really kicking his ass.

The frigid night air hit his face, but he shrugged it off. He was a shifter, after all, and his own dragon fire could melt all the snow on the mountains. Glancing around, he saw Christina huddled under a heat lamp, arms around herself, and her head glancing up and down the driveway of The Ritz. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked over to her.

“Are you following me?” she asked.

“Look, if you’d just let me explain—”

“I told you … Wait.” Her eyes lit up in recognition. “I think I know who you are.”

A spark of hope lit up in Jason, and he ignored his dragon’s protests.

“You’re the new driver that the car company sent,” she said. “The dispatcher said she’d be sending someone new, since my driver was called away.”

“Yeah?” Driver?

The expression on her face turned from anger to relief. “Oh, that must be it.” She frowned. “I wish you’d identified yourself sooner. Don’t you have ID or something?”

“I … lost it,” he said. Okay, so she thought he was a limo driver. He’d take that. After all, mate or not (and definitely not), he had a job to do. He couldn’t let Matthew down. “Uhm, so yeah, where’d you want to go?”

“To Blackstone Hospital,” she said, placing her hands on her hips. “Well?”

He didn’t realize he’d been staring at her. How could he not? Standing this close to her, he could see how smooth and like porcelain her skin was. Her cheeks were pink from the heat of the lamp and her blue eyes shone like crystal. There was just something about her that made him want to stare for hours.

“Right,” he cleared his throat. “I’ll get the car.”

Jason walked across the parking lot, then climbed into his jacked up Chevy Silverado. Shit, if he knew he’d be playing chauffeur, he would have taken one of the company cars. At least his truck looked shiny and new. Not exactly something a limo company would have, but he’d just have to come up with some excuse.

He maneuvered the truck to the driveway, slipped out, and walked around to open the door for Christina.

“This is the car?” she asked, raising a delicate brow.

He nodded toward the road, which was icy and covered in snow. “That’s why they sent me,” he said. Good save. “Look lady, if you want a fancy limo or something, you can wait until morning. But in these conditions, you’ll need my truck.”

She hesitated for a moment. “Fine.” She climbed up, though the truck was so high, it was a feat in her skinny stilettos and tight skirt suit, though she managed it with grace. Jason tried not to stare at the perfectly-formed ass as she got inside. With a cheeky grin and a tip of an imaginary hat, he closed the door and walked over to the driver’s side.

Okay, gotta think about how to keep her away, Jason thought as he slipped back into the vehicle. He glanced at the rearview mirror. Christina was staring outside, her face drawn into a worried expression. Of course she was anxious. Her twin sister had been shot and fighting for her life. If that had happened to Matthew, he’d be worried too. He wished he could reach out and smooth that wrinkle between her eyebrows.

“Ahem.” Christina was staring back at him.

“Right,” he said, regaining his composure. “Let’s go.”

“So,” he began. “Why’d you choose to stay here if you needed to go to the hospital? Seems so far away.”

She let out an impatient sigh. “My assistant made the reservation. She said that with the tourist season in Blackstone, all the hotels in the area were booked up.”

“Ah, I see. And why’d you come all the way to Blackstone?”

“It’s a private matter,” she replied. “And I’d prefer to keep it that way.” She looked away, crossing her arms, and looked out the window.

“Sorry,” he murmured. There was no way this cold, stuck-up human was his mate, unless fate really did hate him. Okay, no more small talk. But, he needed a plan.

An idea popped into his head. She wasn’t going to like it, but she probably wasn’t going to like anything he came up with.

He continued along the main highway down the mountain. It was late enough that it was practically deserted. No other car had passed their way. Thanks to his shifter sight, he spotted a smaller road in the distance veering off gently. He made the detour, glancing up at the rearview mirror, but Christina stared down at her phone, fingers tapping on the screen rapidly. With a frustrated sigh, she put the phone back into her purse.

“Everything okay?” he asked.

“Yes. I mean, no.” She shook her head. “I just lost reception on my phone. I was replying to my father. Anyway…” She frowned and looked around. “I don’t recall leaving the main road when we drove up here before.”

“It’s a shortcut,” he said. “Don’t worry about it.”

He drove for a couple of minutes, hoping the road wouldn’t end soon. The problem was these types of mountain roads usually ventured off into private property or a dead-end. Either way, they would have to turn back. He needed another excuse to stall.

Then, inspiration hit him. He began to ease his foot off the gas, allowed the car slow to a stop then turned the ignition off.

“Uh-oh,” he feigned.

“Uh-oh?” Christina said. “What do you mean, uh-oh?”

“Well, this hasn’t happened in a long while.” He pretended to turn the key in the ignition several times.

“What’s going on?” she asked, her voice rising.

“It’s nothing, don’t worry,” he reassured her, opening the door and sliding out.

“Don’t worry? I—”

He shut the door before she could protest further. She really wasn’t going to like this.

Jason walked to the front of the truck and lifted up the hood. Christina couldn’t see him, so he stood there, pretending to look into the engine and trying to come up with some excuse. Finally, he put the hood down and hopped back into the truck.

“Well?” Christina asked, her eyes narrowed at him.

He shook his head. “The engine’s shot.”

“What do you mean? It was just fine a while ago.”

“Yeah, well, cars are funny like that,” he said, mentally crossing his fingers and hoping she didn’t know shit about engines. “Must be the cold weather. Wasn’t expecting it and the, uh, driver before me didn’t fill up the antifreeze.”

“Well, what are you going to do about it?” she asked. “Did you call your dispatcher? Your boss?”

“Yeah, about that…” He held up his phone. “No reception either. You have any luck with yours?”

Christina grabbed her phone from her purse and tapped on the screen. “Ugh. No.”

“Well then,” he said, settling into the seat. “I guess we’ll have to wait.”

“Excuse me? Wait here?” He could practically see the steam coming out from her ears. If she wasn’t human, she would have made a great dragon. “We’re in the middle of nowhere! Shouldn’t we get help?”

“Lady, it’s freezing out there.” He pointed to her stilettos. “Are you going to be walking around dark mountain roads in those?”

“I…I…” Her face turned red. “Then what are you going to do?”

“You think I’m going out there?” he looked back at her incredulously and shook his head. “We’ll stay here. When my dispatcher doesn’t hear from us in an hour or two, she’ll send someone to check. Don’t worry,” he reassured her. “This happens occasionally. We have systems in place for every eventuality.” He reclined the seat, closed his eyes, and relaxed. “We just have to wait it out.”

He heard her make an irritated huffing sound, then a resigned sigh. She shuffled around and when he turned to glance back at her, she had settled against the corner of the backseat, her coat draped over her, and legs tucked underneath. For a moment, Jason felt a surge of desire, watching her beautiful, peaceful face. He ignored it and closed his eyes.

Jason woke up later, jolted from sleep by the sound of something…chattering? Jason sat up, rubbed his eyes, and looked back.

Christina was lying down on the backseat. Her wool coat was draped over her like a blanket, but it was too short. Even curled up, her legs stuck out. The temperature must have dropped significantly in the last three hours, but he didn’t notice because his shifter biology kept him warm.

His dragon roared in anger. Damn animal. Still, an ache pressed into his gut, seeing her cold and knowing it was his fault. She could get sick, if she wasn’t already. Fuck, he cursed inwardly. Without thinking, he slipped out the driver’s side and climbed into the backseat.

Jason nudged her over then draped her legs over his lap. “Jesus,” he muttered. Her shapely legs were ice-cold. He glanced at her face to check on her, but she didn’t wake up. In fact, she let out a sigh and moved lower, pressing her ass against his sides and curling her legs over his lap, seeking his warmth. He let out a groan as his cock stood at attention and adjusted his pants. He had to ignore the desire clawing at him because there was no way he was going to give in to it.

* * *

Jason wasn’t sure how long they’d been in the car, but by the time he opened his eyes, there was light outside. But that wasn’t what sent his senses into overdrive. No, it was the warm, soft body pressed up against him and the delicious, sweet scent that was threatening to overwhelm him.

His body stiffened and he looked down. A warm cheek lay against his chest, soft tendrils of blonde hair covering him. Quiet snores came from pink, parted lips. Even asleep, Christina was gorgeous, her face peaceful and calm.

They somehow must have shifted positions in the night, because he was now on his back and Christina was draped over him. She snuggled deeply against him, seeking his warmth.

He thought he groaned inwardly, but he must have done it loudly enough to wake her up. Her eyes flew open. Light-blue pools blinked up at him contentedly, but as she seemed to realize where she was, her expression changed as quick as lightning.

Christina scrambled to her knees, gathering her wool coot against her chest like a shield, and scooted to the other end of the seat. She looked furious. Her eyes blazed like hot blue flames and her face flushed. “What … how … how dare you!”

“What?” he asked nonchalantly. “I came back here because you were cold and put your legs over me. You were the one who wanted to cuddle.”

He didn’t think it was possible, but she got even redder. “I did not!”

Jason shrugged. “Hey, nothing happened. Are you embarrassed or something?” He pointed to a wet spot on his shirt. “You don’t have to worry, babe. What’s a little drool between friends?”

She let out an indignant sound and looked like she was about to claw his eyes out, when a tapping sound on the window made them both freeze. Jason turned around and saw a uniformed figure outside the car. Recognizing who it was, he immediately opened the door.

“Hey, Cole,” he greeted.

Deputy Police Chief Cole Carson gave him a strange look. “Mornin’, Jason,” he greeted. Cole was two years ahead of Jason in high school, but they both played on the football team for Blackstone High. Cole had been the star quarterback and would have gone pro if they allowed shifters in the leagues. Instead, he went military, then came back to join Blackstone P.D. “Is everything okay here?” He leaned down, and when his eyes landed on Christina, gave her a nod. “Mornin’, ma’am.”

Jason’s dragon nearly ripped out of him, wanting to tear Cole apart for even looking at Christina. Cole’s bear hadn’t missed it, based on his now-glowing eyes. Jason could feel the dominant creature inside Cole roaring to get out, ready for a fight.

Cole stepped back. “Jesus, buddy, quit it!”

Jason reared his dragon back, willing it to calm down. Cole didn’t stand a chance against him, but this was insane. His dragon was never a violent creature. He shook his head. “Sorry, man, I’m just a little disoriented.”

Cole’s eyes returned to normal. “Car trouble?”

“Yeah, just … something with the engine.”

“Officer,” Christina said in a sweet voice. “Thank God you found us. I thought we would have frozen to death before we got rescued.”

“Seems mighty unusual, you getting stuck out here.”

Shit. It was obvious Cole knew something was up. “Yeah, well, you never know how these things go,” Jason quickly added.

Cole raised a brow, but said nothing. “Can I give you both a ride?”

“Oh, that would be wonderful, Officer…”

“Carson. Deputy Police Chief Cole Carson.”

“Deputy Carson,” Christina said as she slipped on her heels and yanked the door lever open. “Do you think you could take me to Blackstone Hospital?”

“Uhm, that’s not really my—”

“Oh please?” She gave him a megawatt smile. “I’d really appreciate it” Her voice became breathy. “It’s an emergency. I have to check and see if my sister is out of her coma.”

Jason realized what she was doing and his fingers nearly ripped into the leather seats of his truck, but he stopped himself before he could do any damage. He’d just had them redone a month ago. Besides, the only thing that would sate his dragon now was punching Cole’s face in. Poor fool, he convinced himself. He couldn’t see she was only flirting with him to get what she wanted.

“Well, I am going into town,” Cole said. “Let me pull my car over. You really shouldn’t be walking around in the ice and snow in those heels.” With a tip of his hat, he turned back toward the cruiser. When he was gone, Christina scrambled out of the truck and slammed the door hard.

“Goddamnit,” Jason cursed as he followed after her. She was already walking toward the police car when he grabbed her arm. “Christina, wait—”

“Don’t touch me,” she said, jerking away. “Something’s going on here. I can feel it.” Her eyes narrowed at him. “You’re not a driver, are you?”

Damn. Gorgeous and smart. He was even more turned on. He put on a smile and gave her a wink. “What do you think?”

Her expression turned to controlled fury. “Frankly, I don’t care. After today, I’ll never see this stupid little town ever again. Don’t even think of getting into that car with me or I’ll tell Deputy Carson what you did and have him arrest you for impersonating my driver. I hope I never see you again!” She whipped around, yanked the door to the police car open and stepped inside. “He says he has to wait here for someone,” he heard her say to Cole. “We can go, Deputy.”

Jason watched the black-and-white pull away from them. Shit. Hopefully Matthew had worked things out with Catherine. He kicked a stone as he walked back to his truck. He should just go home and forget what happened last night, and forget about Christina Stavros. But, as the engine of his truck roared to life, he found himself driving back to town. Have to make sure Matthew’s got his girl, he told himself. Yeah, that was it.