The Dragon CEO's Assistant is out now! Celebrate the release with author Jenn Burke & Dreamspinner Press! Find out more about this Dreamspun Beyond paranormal romance and read an exclusive excerpt today!
Flying with Dragons
By Jenn Burke
This excerpt is what happens when you engage a friend to help you win your beloved back. Aidan asked Jasper for help with wooing Nassim, and Jasper subsequently got Nassim’s brother, Fazl, involved. And that led to…well, read on.
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AIDAN awoke to a message indicator on his phone. His heart jumped. Maybe Rye had finally gotten back to him. Maybe he’d be able to get answers about his past. Maybe he’d be able to lay Nassim’s suspicions to rest.
Disappointment crashed through him as he realized he’d received a text message, not a Facebook one.
This is Fazl Kader, Nassim’s brother. I’m sending a car for you at 2 p.m. at Tuninas. Be ready.
Vague much? Aidan frowned as he typed out a reply. Be ready for what?
For the car.
“Great. Very helpful.” He tossed the phone onto the bed.
By the time 1:00 p.m. rolled around, Aidan was a bundle of nerves. It didn’t help that Nassim was MIA.
He’d disappeared just before noon with no notice, and an email arrived shortly after to let Aidan know he’d be out for the rest of the afternoon but should return by five to give him a ride back to the apartment.
So whatever Fazl had planned didn’t include Nassim, and that made Aidan want to bite his nails to
the quick. Was this some sort of draconic retaliation for the truths Aidan hadn’t shared with Nassim? Did they even care that Aidan didn’t know the truth himself?
The buzz of his phone at 1:58 made Aidan jump.
“The car’s here,” Jasper said.
Stay or go?
“Aidan?”
He huffed a breath. “I’ll be right there.”
He expected to find a somber town car at the curb. What he got was a stretch Hummer in bright pearl
white. From what he knew of Fazl, it fit the dragon to a T. Another surprise was the fact that Fazl himself was already in the back seat when the female driver opened the door. Aidan hesitated.
Fazl scowled. “Oh merry gods, I’m not going to eat you. Get in.” He waved at Aidan to enter.
Wondering if this was a mistake despite Fazl’s assurance, Aidan climbed inside. “I thought you were
sending a car for me.”
“I did. I just happened to be in it too.” Fazl turned his attention to the driver. “As we discussed, Nesrin.
I’ll put the privacy screen up now.”
“Yes sir.”
A black screen rose between the driver and the passenger area. Aidan wondered if it was soundproof. Probably. Would the driver stop the car if he screamed?
You’re being ridiculous.
“Where are we going?”
“To the family estate.”
Oh shit. “Am I on… on trial, or something?”
“What? No. Where would you get an idea like that?”
Aidan crossed his arms. “I don’t know, maybe the vague texts and mysterious plans?”
Fazl groaned. “I was aiming for anticipation, not fear.”
“You failed.”
“So I see. My apologies. No need to worry, Aidan. This should be an enjoyable afternoon.”
“Should be?”
Fazl squinted. “You’re not afraid of heights, are you?”
WHEN the Hummer pulled up to the family estate and Aidan got out, the first thing he saw was a pair of
black dragons twining through the air. They were high enough that he couldn’t make out any details, but there was no denying the beauty of the sight. One was slightly smaller than the other, but they were both as dark as a storm cloud, except when the sun hit them. Then the iridescence of their scales became obvious. Rainbows slid across their hides in a dazzling, enthralling display.
“Beautiful,” Aidan whispered.
Fazl came around the rear of the Hummer to join Aidan. “That’s Nassim and Inas.”
“How can you tell?”
“I know my family, no matter what form they’re in.” He nudged Aidan’s shoulder with his own. “Come
inside, where we can talk without you being distracted.”
“Huh?” Aidan blinked at Fazl.
“Exactly,” Fazl chuckled. He led Aidan away from the Hummer with a gentle hand on his elbow, and
Aidan didn’t protest.
Inas’s study was much the same as Aidan remembered it. It had an unused air about it, which made
sense since Inas was still confined to her dragon form. It would be months yet before she’d be able to reclaim her human space. Fazl released Aidan’s arm and moved around to the other side of the large wooden desk, where he rummaged through the drawers with intent. Finally he straightened with a triumphant look, holding a….
Aidan frowned. “Is that a measuring tape?”
“Yep.” Fazl came back around the desk and tugged Aidan’s arms from his sides. “Hold them out, like—
yeah, that’s it. Stay still.”
“What are you doing?”
“Measuring you.”
Aidan rolled his eyes. “I can see that. Why?”
“I need to make sure we’ve got a flight harness in your size.”
“A—what?”
“Flight harness. You want to go flying with Nassim, don’t you?”
“I didn’t even know it was an option.”
“It is.”
“You know he isn’t, uh.” Aidan cleared his throat. “He’s not happy with me right now.”
“I love my brother,” Fazl said as he wrapped the tape around Aidan’s chest. “He’s a good, strong, loyal,
caring, wonderful dragon. But he’s an idiot.” He straightened. “We’ve gear and a harness that will fit you.”
“Great.” Wait—flying. In the air. On a dragon. “Uh, hold on just a second. How safe is this?”
“Eh.” Fazl tilted his head back and forth. “We don’t do it all that often, but it’s safe enough.” He waggled his brows. “You ready to piss off Nassim?”
“I thought the whole idea of this was… I don’t know, bonding or something.”
“Oh, it is. But first we’re going to poke the dragon a bit.”
Aidan watched Fazl for a moment, but his grin never wavered. “Why do I get the feeling that whatever
happens, you’re going to enjoy the hell out of it?”
“Because I will.” Fazl clapped his back. “C’mon, let’s get you suited up.”
The Dragon CEO's Assistant by Jenn Burke
Series: Golden Kingdom #2
Release Date: October 29, 2019
Subgenre: LGBTQ+ Paranormal Romance
Synopsis for The Dragon CEO's Assistant:
The heart remembers.
When Aidan Bishop staggers out of the woods, naked and suffering from amnesia, he needs to relearn who he is and where he fits in the world.
His boss, nearly five-hundred-year-old dragon Nassim, head of a successful tech company, hurries to claim his wayward assistant and guide him back into the life he disappeared from. As they get to know each other again, Aidan wonders if their relationship went deeper than employer and employee. But Nassim isn’t telling, and Aidan has a secret of his own… even if he doesn’t know it yet.
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Author Bio:
Jenn Burke has loved out-of-this-world romance since she first read about heroes and heroines kicking butt and falling in love as a preteen. Now that she’s an author, she couldn’t be happier to bring adventure, romance, and sexy times to her readers.
Jenn is the author of a number of paranormal and science fiction romance titles, including the critically acclaimed Chaos Station science fiction romance series (authored with Kelly Jensen) from Carina Press.
She’s been called a pocket-sized and puntastic Canadian on social media, and she’ll happily own that label. Jenn lives just outside of Ottawa, Ontario, with her husband and two kids, plus two dogs named after video game characters…because her geekiness knows no bounds.
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