“I’m wonderful. I’m so sorry to hear about your Aunt Rose. She was such a loving and kind woman.” Rocky said that she had been. “Devon, you remember me telling you about the child that saved me from harm? You must have only been about ten or so, weren’t you? Had it not been for you, I would have shifted and gotten myself into more trouble.”
“This must be a good story. One that I’d love to hear, but I’m starving, Anna, and I’d really like to get back to the restaurant and finish putting in my order.” Kelly smiled at Rocky. “I’m sorry to have scared you. But any friend of Anna’s is a definite friend of mine. I know that Devon can be a big bully. You should have known him when I first figured out who he was to me. A nasty disposition, and he invited my family here to be with me when I got hurt. I don’t think he’ll ever do that again.”
They were soon out the door and down the street at the restaurant that she usually passed when she was out. The smells coming from the inside of the place made her mouth water and her belly growl. No one said a word as they were seated, but she felt underdressed and embarrassed once again. That was never a good combination. It made her snappish.
Connor put his hand over her mouth when she turned to him. He took her hand into his and leaned close to her ear. It was too much—his hot breaths on her skin made her want to hit him and strip him at the same time. It took him telling her twice that she could dress herself before she understood what he was saying.
“I can’t do that. I can do a lot of shit, but not that.” He told her that she could, because she was his mate. “I’m not your mate.”
“Just trust me on this one. I know that you feel embarrassed, Roxanna. Just think of something you’d like to be wearing and—not my blood, if you please. That will get us tossed out, and I’m suddenly very hungry. Aren’t you?” The nip at her earlobe had her body on fire then. When he leaned away, looking at her face, she wanted to beg him to kiss her. But someone handed her a menu, and she hid behind it. “Think of something pretty—as beautiful as you are.”
The outfit was something that she’d been thinking about for a long time. Not really just a pair of pants, but it was like a body suit that gathered at the waist like a paper bag, and had a cute tie there. The long pants were black and white striped, and only made her seem taller, she imagined. The long sleeved black top had an opening in the back that she thought was sexy. Not that she’d been going for sexy, but it was the first thing she’d thought of in the way of something that she wanted to wear.
“Wow, babe. You looked fantastic.” She nodded at Connor, not sure if he was teasing her or not. When he kissed her on the mouth once and leaned back to look at the menu, she could only stare at the words printed on hers. “I’ll order for you if you’d like.”
Whether she answered him or not, she didn’t know. But when the waitress came to take her order, Connor was true to his word. Not only did he get her a nice salad, but also a thick steak with all the trimmings. She was so grateful to him that she could have sobbed.
“Rocky, are you coming back to stay with Connor soon?” Rocky told Lady Anna that she didn’t know what she was doing. “You should see the house, love. It’s beautifully decorated, right out of the eighteen hundreds. The house that he purchased had been haunted for a while, I was told, and he got it in order with the inhabitants that were staying there right away.”
“I love old houses.” Kelly told her that she’d be thrilled then. “That’s not to say that I don’t like a few modern things. I do like an indoor bathroom, but growing up in my aunt’s house, outdoors was all she had.”
“I’ve been having some fun looking for things to decorate the bedrooms with. Not so much the furniture, that’s all done, but curtains. I don’t care for them myself. And from being in your home, I can see that you don’t either. But it was pointed out to me that not everyone has the same tastes as I do when it comes to privacy.” Connor never let go of her hand until the food arrived. “Is there anything in your house that you’d like to take back with us when we go?”
“No. None of it is mine anyway. It was there when I moved in after Aunt Rose was killed.” She cut into her steak, marveling at the fact that she’d not been given a steak knife to do it, but a simple butter knife. “Her home was burnt to the ground with her in it when she was killed.”
“I’m so sorry.” She was too, and bit into the steak. Moaning, she felt rather than heard Connor moan with her. Looking at him, Rocky could see the hunger on his face. She was sure that it wasn’t for the meal that was in front of him, either. “You keep that up and we’ll never be able to eat here again. Me taking you on this table will get us in so much trouble. But it will be the best sex either of us has ever had. I promise.”
Rocky picked up her fork and knife. She had no idea if she ate it all or just stared at it. By the time she was ready to face anyone at the table again, her meal had been cleared away and her body was still on fire. Whatever he did now, going back to her place or taking her to his home, she was on board with just about anything that he wanted to do to her. Or with her.
The conversation was light when she tuned back into it. They were talking about the holidays coming up, as well as the new baby dragons that were growing at an alarming rate. Devon said it was because they’d been smart enough to ask for help, and that was why they were so healthy.
Paying attention to them all speaking was nearly impossible to do. They talked to each other, around one another as well, and argued about who had interrupted who last. They were loud yet friendly. Scary when they looked mad, yet understanding when they might be going too far. Rocky had never met people that loved to argue as much as these people did.
“Are you all dragons?” She didn’t know where that question came from, but she told them she was sorry. “I was just thinking about a million things when that one made its way to my mouth. I’m so sorry.”
“No need to be. We’re all dragons, with the exception of you. At home most of them are as well, except for a few. The staff is a mixture of dragons and other creatures. We have pack that runs all over our adjoining lands that help us when we need them. We take care that the town is taken care of as well, and they don’t mind us being dragons at all.” Rocky asked Devon if they’d always had a good relationship with the town. “Yes. When the castle was built, long before you were born, the town wasn’t around. I’m only the second male to live in the castle that has been in my family. My sire, a horrid and terrible murderer, was killed when I was a child.”
“When a dragon is born, you see, they sort of magically know that there is either male or female needed to repopulate. I’ve read up so much on dragons that I feel like I could tell you anything that you wish to know.” Rocky asked Kelly how she’d met Devon. “It sounds so much more romantic than it was. I came here on a trip—one of a lifetime, I thought. It did turn out to be that, but only because I met Devon’s grandmother.”
Everyone laughed, and so did Rocky. When Kelly didn’t look like she was going to continue the story, Devon spoke up. It was funny to see the big man so embarrassed at what he’d done to Kelly to get her to come and be his mate.
“I was a brute. The first thing I did to her was treat her like she was nothing to me but a burden. I am very old, and had decided that I’d never find my mate. Then when she came along, I nearly fucked that up for me and her. I called her family here, which was the worst thing I’d ever done, and after that, we had to work together to get them back to the States and to leave us alone.” Anna told him to tell her about the sister. “Imagine the most stubborn person you know, and you’d not even imagine a small percentage of what this woman was. She only heard what she wanted to hear, and would drive you crazy if she got something into her mind that she wanted. I don’t know how anyone could stand to be around that for very long.”
They each told of something that the sister had done. Even Kelly told on her sister. Rocky was glad that she’d never met
the women, including Kelly’s mom, or she might well have bashed their heads in too. Just as Kelly had been tempted to do.
As they were leaving the restaurant after putting handfuls of cash on the table, they went to the hotel that they were all staying in. Anna explained why they were here; it was that they were all afraid of knocking something over in her place, as it was so small. Rocky turned to Connor as the rest of them were still talking.
“If your offer still holds, I’d like to go back to live with you. The only thing I ask it that you don’t rush me into anything. I’m not used to large open areas any more than you are tiny little spaces. Okay?” Connor kissed her again, on the nose this time. “You keep that up and you might just get laid, buddy.”
“I hope so.” Connor smiled at her. “I do love you, Roxanna. Very much so. And I will be honored if you come to live in our home.”
~*~
Connor was nervous. While the others had been to his home before, Roxanna hadn’t. He wanted it to be perfect for her. For it to reflect not just his tastes, but hers as well. In other words, he wanted her to love it so much that she never wanted to leave him.
“Hello, miss. My, but you’re a beautiful little thing, aren’t you?” Connor introduced Duncan to Roxanna. “I know you. You’re that ghost talker that helps all the people that comes round to see her. You sure are a lot prettier than I was told about. Connor, how’d you link your sorry butt to someone like this?”
“I’m the luckiest man on earth, that’s how.” He hugged Roxanna to him. “This is Newt, who I guess you know. That’s Louis. He was the butler here a long time ago. The man standing there in the coveralls and the hat is Archie. Archie used to take care of the lawns. Had himself an entire crew to help him with the job, too.”
“It’s very nice to meet you all. I usually go by Rocky. Connor insists that I don’t look a thing like the man who played Rocky in the movies.” They all got the reference. Connor had been showing them movies and getting them up to this century on a few things. “I’m to understand that you have another person living here. April?”
“Yeah, that’s her. She’s been a good deal better on the ears since she had a talking to by Devon. Also, we’re all trying to find her family so that she can move on.” Duncan looked over his shoulder. “She’s a good deal prettier too since she’s come out of her room.”
April was beautiful. He’d never seen her when she wasn’t wailing or screaming at him. Also, her face had always been full of tears. Connor introduced April to Roxanna. The pretty curtsy brought back a great many memories from when he’d been around during the time period that April had come from.
“Welcome home, missus. I do hope that you’ll stay. This crew needs a lady’s touch on how to look and act like men.” April giggled. “We’ve been reading your books, sir. I hope you don’t mind. But it’s so fun to read to someone again.”
“How do you turn the pages? I’m sorry, that was very rude of me.” April told Roxanna that it had taken them a few tries to get it right. Then she told her how they managed the pages. “So you just blow the pages forward. That’s wonderful. I’m so glad to hear that you’re getting things done that you wish. If you ever need help with one of the books, just yell. We’d be more than glad to help you out.”
Showing Roxanna around the house was fun for him. He could see that she was enjoying each of the rooms, and when they entered the kitchen, she left him there for the counter. He watched her touching things that he only had because they were required to make people not think about how long he’d been around. Nor that he didn’t eat at home all that much.
“You could set my entire place into this one room. I love this so much.” He asked her if she cooked. “Hell no. I can eat, but cooking I leave to people with the last name of McDonalds or Wendy.”
He loved her so much. She wasn’t as caustic as she had been. She could be again; of that he had no doubt. But she was smiling a good deal more than she had before. Even giggling about things that he’d say to her. It was like he had a different person with him. And Connor loved them both very much.
Showing her the rest of the house had to wait until later, as they had company. Today they were going to hire a cook and the rest of the staff. Anna had helped him out on that by lining up the ones she thought they should bring on board. Also, they would need to fill out the rest of the house with linens and other things that the faeries who had helped him didn’t know what he wanted.
“I’d like to go and see Davidson. I think I need to punch him in the face a few times.” Randal, the faerie that had been assigned to Roxanna, looked shocked. “I’m only kidding. I do want to yell at him for a few minutes, but I can wait on that to make sure that he’s all right. While we’re not best friends, I was concerned for him.”
“How about we do that tomorrow then? I have a few things in town that have to be taken care of with you. And then there are the things that I have to show you that are in the cellar. Besides a very nice wine collection.” Roxanna said that was fine with her, she was kind of beat anyway. “All right. Also, Randal will help you with names of people that you’ve not met yet in town. They knew that you were coming, so be prepared to be treated like you are a long lost sister.”
“How many of these women are going to be pissed off because I’m here to take away their fun with you?” He didn’t embarrass easily, but Roxanna could do it faster than anyone. More frequently too. “I’m assuming from the look on your face that they’ll all be pissy. I’m able to take them on if I need to.”
“I’ve never done a thing with the other women around here.” He laughed when she did. Connor realized that his voice had gone up, and that he was a little loud too. “You know better than that. I’m going to have to take you to task if you keep that up.”
“Good.” When she walked away, it took Newt to tell him to close his mouth before he brought his thoughts back to the task at hand. Looking at the young boy, he thought of something.
“You told me that she was old. I assumed that Roxanna was a little old woman with silver hair. Why did you tell me that?” Newt said that everyone seemed old to him, even though in age he was much older. “I guess so. How’s the reading going? Is April helping you along?”
“Newt is a good student. I’m enjoying myself too.” April looked around. “Have you found out anything about my family? I have to tell you, sir. I do feel much better being out of the room. But I’d very much like to be with them. I think you can understand that more now, can’t you?”
“I can, and I’m looking still. I was told that there was a Bible around the town somewhere that was kept by the overseer of all the lands here. I’m looking to see who might have it. If so, then it will more than likely have a name in it that we can do a search on. That will help in narrowing down where your husband and child might have gone after leaving here.” April asked him if he minded looking for her. “No. As you pointed out, I can now understand better how much you’d like to be with your family. And I want you to have them with you.”
“Bible? You’re looking for a Bible hereabouts?” Archie started nodding when he told him what he was looking for. “I don’t know that I’d call it a Bible myself, but it does have the dates of marriage and births in it. Deaths too, when we were told about them. I can have a looksee for it if you want. I know that I had to report all that nonsense to this here fellow that was keeping track of such things.”
“I’d appreciate that, Archie. Once we get it we might be able to figure out a few other people’s lives that used to live around here.” Archie said he’d get onto that now. “Thank you. You let me know when you find it, and I’ll see about getting it for us.”
Archie said he’d be back soon, and left them there. There was so much hope on April’s face that he wanted to caution her about getting too excited. But she seemed to understand.
“I know that it might not have anything other than a years’ w
orth of useless information, and perhaps not even my family at all. But to think that others can be helped with this is something that I’ll be able to live with. Even if, as I said, it doesn’t mention me or my family, I might be able to find someone that knew them well enough to tell me where to search. Thank you for this.” Connor told her that it was his pleasure. “I don’t mean just for this, but for everything. Getting me out of that room, it’s done so much for me. I feel—well, not alive again, but I do feel better than before. You’re a good man.”
“Thank you so much, April. Whatever we find out, I wish you well in the future. Also, you’re welcome to stay here for as long as you wish. Even bringing your family back here would be all right with Roxanna and me.” She nodded, looking very shy. “All right then. As soon as I hear from Archie, we’ll see what we can do for you.”
As he made his way to find Roxanna, he thought of all the things that he had yet to do. Like making love to his mate. Making his mate scream out his name. The list was endless. But he would wait until she was ready. Connor only hoped that it was soon. He didn’t know how much longer he could wait on her.
Finding her in the office, he saw that she was talking to a ghost. It wasn’t until she looked at him that he thought that she might want him close to her. Just moving inside of the room, he could see that he had a pink blanket in his hands. Asking if he was all right, the man shook his head.
“We were headed to the hospital when a car came out of nowhere and hit us. I know that I’m dead—I know that. But I can’t seem to find out anything about my wife and new baby. I’m not asking you to change anything. But please, can you tell me if they made it or not?” Connor picked up the phone as he asked questions of the man. “The accident happened out on the main road into the little town. We’d been visiting friends when Carla, that’s my wife, her water broke. I wasn’t speeding. I know that bad things can happen when you’re hurrying.”
Connor: House of Wilkshire ― Paranormal Dragon Shifter Romance Page 5
