Kiss Of The Blue Dragon

Kiss Of The Blue Dragon
Julie Beard

Mills & Boon Silhouette
Angel Baker isn't your ordinary twenty-second-century gal. Just ask mom.Instead of joining the family fortune-telling business, Angel's busy saving the world. And dating? Why bother when she's got Humphrey Bogart, her sweettalking robot.Welcome to Chicago circa 2100. The legal system is in shambles, robots are a woman's best friend, and kung fu fighting Retribution Specialists like Angel bring justice to criminals who've slipped through the cracks.So when dear old Mom is kidnapped, it's up to Angel to save her. But when her search leads her into a bizarre underworld where human life is measured in dollars, she'll be put to the ultimate test–forced to use her hidden psychic powers and rely on the help of a stubborn detective who has her reconsidering falling for a living, breathing man.

Praise for USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Beard

“Wildly inventive, fun and fast moving. I absolutely loved it!”

—USA TODAY bestselling author Mary Alice Monroe on Kiss of the Blue Dragon

“Beard knows how to make the pages fly through your fingers, not only with suspense, but also with sizzling passion and exhilarating adventure. A master of the craft, she creates memorable characters and magical stories.”

—Kathe Robin, Romantic Times

“Julie Beard is one of the few writers who takes the concept of love and passion right to the brink! Keep up the wonderful writing, Julie. I’m a fan for life!”

—A Romance Review

“Julie Beard writes intelligent romances brimming with emotion and sensuality.”

—New York Times bestselling author Joan Johnston

“There is a magical quality to Julie Beard’s writing.”

—Heart to Heart

Dear Reader,

Enter the high-stakes world of Silhouette Bombshell, where the heroine takes charge and never gives up—whether she’s standing up for herself, saving her friends from grave danger or daring to go where no woman has gone before. A Silhouette Bombshell heroine has smarts, persistence and an indomitable spirit, qualities that will get her in and out of trouble in an exciting adventure that will also bring her a man worth having…if she wants him!

Meet Angel Baker, public avenger, twenty-second-century woman and the heroine of USA TODAY bestselling author Julie Beard’s story, Kiss of the Blue Dragon. Angel’s job gets personal when her mother is kidnapped, and the search leads Angel into Chicago’s criminal underworld, where she crosses paths with one very stubborn detective!

Join the highly trained women of ATHENA FORCE on the hunt for a killer, with Alias, by Amy J. Fetzer, the latest in this exhilarating twelve-book continuity series. She’s lived a lie for four years to protect her son—but her friend’s death brings Darcy Steele out of hiding to find out whom she can trust….

Explore a richly fantastic world in Evelyn Vaughn’s A.K.A. Goddess, the story of a woman whose special calling pits her against a powerful group of men and their leader, her former lover.

And finally, nights are hot in Urban Legend by Erica Orloff. A mysterious nightclub owner stalks her lover’s killers while avoiding the sharp eyes of a rugged cop, lest he learn her own dark secret—she’s a vampire….

It’s a month to sink your teeth into! Please send your comments and suggestions to me c/o Silhouette Books, 233 Broadway, Suite 1001, New York, NY 10279.

Sincerely,

Natashya Wilson

Associate Senior Editor, Silhouette Bombshell

Kiss of the Blue Dragon

Julie Beard

www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)

JULIE BEARD

is the USA TODAY bestselling author of nearly a dozen historical novels who, with this action-adventure novel, makes a no-holds-barred debut in contemporary fiction worthy of a Bombshell heroine. She loves kickboxing, debating politics and being walked by her Basenji dogs. She lives in the Midwest with her husband and two children, one of whom was adopted from China. Julie is a former television reporter and college journalism instructor who has penned a critically acclaimed “how to” book for romance writers.

To my son, Connor, for having the spiritual insight

and fortitude to make his parents go halfway around the

world to China to adopt his sister, Madeline Jing.

I adore you both.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank the following people for the support and help they gave me when I wrote this book:

Master David Blevins at Blue Wave Martial Arts Center, Shirl and Jim Henke, Amy Berkower and Jodi Reamer at Writers House, and especially Julie Barrett at Harlequin Silhouette. Without Julie’s vision and enthusiasm, this book would never have been conceived, much less written. Thank you all!

Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13