Emerald [Pyrate's Treasure 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) Read online

  Pyrate's Treasure 2

  Emerald

  Past trauma has kept Emerald Pyrate hiding from the world on Pyrate Island for eight years. She has built a comfortable life working for the resort and writing her children's stories, which she makes no effort to try and publish. Then her mate arrives on the island and the wolf's attraction overrules her fear of humans.

  Literary agent Nick Christopher discovered the most amazing children's author, but she refuses to come to his office to meet. When he arrives on Pyrate Island, he meets Emerald and quickly realizes he wants her, not just as an author to represent to the publishing community, but also as the woman in his life.

  Will Emerald be able to overcome her past to leave her beloved island? If she cannot, will her mate leave her behind to go back to New York? Or will their love give her the strength to face the world again?

  Genre: Contemporary, Paranormal, Vampires/Werewolves

  Length: 22,492 words

  EMERALD

  Pyrate’s Treasure 2

  Cooper McKenzie

  EROTIC ROMANCE

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

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  A SIREN PUBLISHING BOOK

  IMPRINT: Erotic Romance

  EMERALD

  Copyright © 2012 by Cooper McKenzie

  E-book ISBN: 978-1-61926-734-3

  First E-book Publication: June 2012

  Cover design by Jinger Heaston

  All cover art and logo copyright © 2012 by Siren Publishing, Inc.

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED: This literary work may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, including electronic or photographic reproduction, in whole or in part, without express written permission.

  All characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is strictly coincidental.

  PUBLISHER

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  Letter to Readers

  Dear Readers,

  If you have purchased this copy of Emerald by Cooper McKenzie from BookStrand.com or its official distributors, thank you. Also, thank you for not sharing your copy of this book.

  Regarding E-book Piracy

  This book is copyrighted intellectual property. No other individual or group has resale rights, auction rights, membership rights, sharing rights, or any kind of rights to sell or to give away a copy of this book.

  The author and the publisher work very hard to bring our paying readers high-quality reading entertainment.

  This is Cooper McKenzie’s livelihood. It’s fair and simple. Please respect Ms. McKenzie’s right to earn a living from her work.

  Amanda Hilton, Publisher

  www.SirenPublishing.com

  www.BookStrand.com

  DEDICATION

  For Lena, Erin, Kelley and the crew at Siren. Thanks for all your hard work!!!

  EMERALD

  Pyrate’s Treasure 2

  COOPER MCKENZIE

  Copyright © 2012

  Chapter 1

  “What the hell do you mean she refused the meeting?” Nick Christopher stared over his paper-covered desk at his assistant in disbelief.

  Surely, Brittney, his assistant of the last three days, was mistaken. How could a young, never-been-published author turn down a meeting with him? Especially a meeting that could change her entire future? Was she insane?

  Taking a deep breath to calm the nearly out of control rage that simmered too close to the surface these days, Nick fought to settle himself. He looked from his wide-eyed assistant, who appeared ready to bolt and not stop running until she was hiding under her bed in her apartment, to the corner of his desk. The six manuscripts he’d printed out were the most unique series of children’s stories he had read in his ten years of being in the publishing business.

  “Doesn’t she realize she could be bigger than R.L. Stine? Bigger than Stephenie Meyer? Maybe even J. K. Rowling?”

  Brittney looked at the computer tablet in her arm. “Her e-mail says, quote, ‘while I am flattered at your interest in my work, I do not travel. If you want to meet me in person, you will have to come here,’ unquote.”

  “And where is she?” Nick pushed his chair back and stood then began to pace the space behind his desk.

  “Pyrate Island, North Carolina.”

  Nick frowned as he searched his memory. “Never heard of it.”

  Brittney took a deep breath before answering. “It’s an island off the coast. Seems to be an adult-only resort.”

  “Okay, well, if that’s what she wants, that’s what she’ll get. I want her signature on a representation contract.” Nick paused in his pacing. “Clear my schedule for Monday. Get me a flight to the closest airport to this Pyrate Island for Sunday with return Monday afternoon. Arrange for a rental car and a hotel for Sunday night. Then contact Miss Emerald Pyrate and schedule a meeting for Monday morning. Oh, and make sure I have all the paperwork in my briefcase before I leave for this Pyrate Island.”

  “Yes, sir,” Brittany squeaked as she scribbled on her tablet. When she finished, she scurried from his office like a mouse having seen a hungry cat.

  Throwing himself back into his chair, Nick reached for the phone. Dialing the number for human resources, he waited for the director to pick up. “Toni, this girl you sent me is a mouse. I need a tiger. You have to find me someone with some backbone. Yeah, I know, but there has to be someone out there who won’t run or cower the second I raise my voice.”

  Hanging up, Nick turned to his computer. He pulled up the Internet and started learning everything he could about Pyrate Island and the elusive Miss Emerald Pyrate who lived there. He needed all his ducks in a row before he met this woman who was crazy enough to refuse to come to him for what could be a multimillion-dollar meeting that could make them both a fortune.

  A half hour later, he swore as he closed down his computer. Before he informed Brittney of the changes he needed in his travel arrangements, he collapsed back in his chair and took several deep breaths to calm himself once again. The island was too isolated for him to stay just long to get Emerald Pyrate’s signature on a representation contract. The resort only booked guests for Friday to Sunday or Sunday to Friday stays.

  Several adult magazines had articles talking about Pyrate Island as a sexual paradise. Maybe it was time to take the vacation he had been promising himself for the last six months. He could even w
rite the trip off as a business expense since he would be meeting with a potential client. If he met a woman and got laid while he was there, that would just be a well-deserved bonus. It had been a long, sexless winter, and it was beginning to affect his temperament.

  * * * *

  “How do you expect to meet your mate if you refuse to leave the island?”

  Emerald squeaked in surprise. Looking up from her computer, she stared at her cousin Silver. It took a moment to make sense of his words, but when she did, she frowned at his odd choice of conversation openers.

  “Who says I want to meet my mate? Maybe I just want to spend my days working here, baking cookies for the guests, and writing my stories. Why would I need a mate to do that?”

  Though she wanted to find her mate as her sister had just weeks earlier, she realized that unless he came to the island, she would never meet him. She had not left the island since the day after graduating from high school. The day after two classmates she had thought were friends had almost raped her.

  They had been drunk on illegally obtained rum and decided they both wanted to have sex with her in celebration. It had taken everything in her to keep from shifting and exposing the Pyrate family secret. She had gotten away from them, but instead of going back to the house where they stayed while in high school, she went to the dock and hid on the ferry. She had never told anyone about that night. The next day when she returned to Pyrate Island, she vowed to remain on the island where she was safe and could avoid humans as much as possible.

  She returned to the present when Silver stepped into her closet-sized office in the visitor’s center. He nudged the door closed then rested one hip on the corner of her desk. Then he watched her closely as she turned back to her computer and tried to focus on her work as the resort’s reservation clerk.

  “You are so full of shit,” he said after nearly a minute of increasingly tense silence. “Every shape-shifter dreams of the day they meet and claim their mate. If you keep hiding from life, from the world, you may never meet him.”

  Emerald stopped typing, but did not look away from the computer screen. “And if I don’t meet him, then I won’t get hurt or die,” she whispered so softly she hoped he did not hear her.

  But, of course, he did. “What the hell does that mean?”

  “Never mind.”

  “No, but we’ll talk about it later. Oh, by the way, I have a guest coming on the Sunday ferry who will be staying at the house.”

  Emerald swiveled in her chair to stare at her cousin. “A guest? Staying at the house? Who is it?”

  “A businessman from New York City. Grandfather agreed he could stay at the house since the cottages are full up. He’ll be using Goldie’s room since she’s moved in with Caleb.”

  Since she and Goldie shared a bathroom, a shiver of unease flashed through her. Would she be able to share her private space with a stranger?

  “I guess that means I’ll have to clean the bathroom before he gets here, huh?”

  “Yeah, that might be a good idea. Just don’t forget to hide the sex toys you’ve got stored under the sink.” Silver stood and opened her office door. His laughter faded away as he walked out and pulled the door shut.

  Emerald’s eyes went wide. Her cheeks heated with embarrassment as she swiveled in her chair and stared at the closed door. “How the hell does he know about those?”

  * * * *

  “Sir? You need to wake up. We’ve arrived.”

  Nick started awake. Opening his eyes, he looked around, momentarily disoriented. He was sitting on a bench in the corner of a room though he could not remember where the room was.

  “Sir? Are you all right?” the old man standing front of him asked. Nick looked at the man and spotted the name Tesla embroidered on his shirt.

  Nick arched his back to stretch then stood. The old man stepped back, giving him room. “I’m fine, thanks. Didn’t realize how tired I was,” he said. Lifting his arms over his head, he stretched fully then turned his upper body left and right, wincing as several vertebrae loudly popped and adjusted themselves. “Where are we?”

  “Pyrate Island, sir.”

  As soon as the man announced the destination, Nick’s memory kicked in. Pyrate Island, North Carolina. Emerald Pyrate. The best children’s adventure stories he’d come across ever.

  It had taken much longer than expected to clear his desk and calendar so he could travel to the obscure North Carolina island for a week. He now had five days to convince the eccentric writer that he was the best man to represent her incredibly vivid and well-written stories to the publishing world. He had ended up spending all night driving down from Manhattan. He had gotten lost twice along the way but had arrived at the eastern coast marina just in time to board the ferry. He barely remembered the ferry leaving the dock before he collapsed in the corner, and then nothing.

  “Everyone else has departed the ferry,” Tesla said as Nick picked up his briefcase. The old man then led the way out of the lounge and toward the front of the boat. “Your luggage will be on the dock. If you go just up the road to that first building on the left, they’ll get you checked in.”

  “Thank you. Can you tell me where I can find a Miss Emerald Pyrate?”

  “Emerald? Why would you want to see Emerald?” The old man’s friendly demeanor chilled, suspicion entering his voice.

  “I have business to discuss with her.”

  All of the sudden, Nick wondered if this trip had been such a good idea. After all, it was not imperative that he meet the woman. Meeting authors before he signed them was just one of the quirks that set him apart from other agents. It helped him decide whether he wanted to add them to his client list or not. He preferred working with writers he liked personally as well as professionally. It also made it easier for him to tout them to publishing companies when they were a face in his memory and not just a name on a page.

  “Uh-huh,” the old man replied coolly, not looking happy. Instead of answering Nick’s question, he guided Nick off the boat. “Enjoy your stay on Pyrate Island, sir.”

  As he headed to his lone carry-on suitcase sitting on the dock, he wondered if everyone on this island was as odd as Tesla and this Emerald woman. Picking up his suitcase, he followed Tesla’s directions to the small building with the large “Check-In Here” sign posted on the roof.

  He climbed the handful of steps to the building’s covered front porch with a sigh. A black-haired man rose from a rocking chair near the front door as he reached the top step. Nick vaguely remembered seeing him on the ferry, but had not met him before he’d fallen asleep.

  “Mr. Christopher?”

  “Yes, I’m Nick Christopher.”

  The man stepped forward with a smile as he offered his hand. “Silver Pyrate. I’m Emerald’s cousin. If you’ll come with me, I’ll show you the way to the house.”

  Putting down his suitcase, Nick shook the man’s hand. “When can I meet Emerald?”

  Silver looked uncomfortable for a second before bending to pick up his suitcase. “Oh, you’ll meet her soon enough. In the meantime, let’s get you settled.”

  “Ooookay,” Nick said.

  He frowned as he compared Tesla’s reaction to his asking about seeing Emerald Pyrate to Silver’s. Something was going on, though he could not be sure what. He decided to bide his time. He would not push tonight since he was still a little brain-fuzzed from his two-hour nap, but if he had not met the woman by tomorrow at noon, he would demand someone give him a ride back to the mainland and his car.

  “So tell me about this place. I’ve never heard of it before,” Nick said as he followed the other man around the porch to the side of the building to a two-seater golf cart.

  Silver put the suitcase in the back and then slid into the driver’s seat. Nick settled next to him. He held his briefcase to his chest with one arm and grabbed the side rail of the cart with the other. As Silver drove sedately through town, he gave what sounded like a well-rehearsed speech about the history of th
e island.

  Nick looked around, amazed at the colorfully painted buildings that made up what appeared to be the commercial district of the island. He made note of the various places to eat and have a beer. If he was going to take full advantage of this forced stay, he would be out and about as much as possible when he wasn’t working with Emerald.

  Watching a group of tight, toned laughing women wearing less than he’d seen on a woman in a long time crossed the road in front of the cart, his cock twitched with interest. Yep, he would have to take advantage of all the island had to offer while he was here.

  The shops gave way to a series of small cottages. His hold tightened on the cart when Silver suddenly turned and headed up a wide path toward a ginormous, almost Gothic-looking stone mansion that seemed completely out of place on the island. This place belonged on a cliff overlooking the ocean in a 1950s British vampire movie.

  “Oh, wow,” he said as Silver stopped the golf cart near the front steps.

  “Yeah, we never did figure out how the stones came to be on the island, but this house was built in the mid-nineteenth century,” Silver said, turning off the cart and climbing out. “This is the family home, so we don’t have room or maid service. Feel free to help yourself to anything you find in the kitchen.”

  Nick followed Silver across the patio to the front door. Once inside, he found the interior of the house was not decorated in the same Gothic décor as the exterior. Instead, the entryway was as bright and colorful as the buildings on the island.