by Julia Mills
It was all she could do to keep from gaping at the opulence before her. There were chandeliers as far as her eyes could see, glittering like diamonds against the silver and white ceiling. Marble columns strategically placed around the perimeter of what she counted to be at least ten separate alcoves stood at attention like palace guards protecting the groups of patrons who sat either at delicately adorned tables sipping morning tea, or in the more informal settees. A splash of pink decorated every tabletop as a light, fresh fragrance from the bright fuchsia flowers kissed the air around her.
Kat’s heels lightly tapped the geometrically patterned marble floor as she made her way to the front desk. A cute young woman with short brown hair whose nametag read Cecily looked up and smiled as Kat approached.
“Checking in?” the younger woman asked with a thick British accent.
“Yes. The name’s Romalesky.”
“Katarina?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
It took only a few moments for Cecily to confirm Kat’s reservation, secure her credit card, and hand over the key to her suite, but as she was waiting—Kat couldn’t help but feel as though someone was watching her. Looking over her shoulder, first one way and then the other, she saw only hotel patrons enjoying their stay. No one looked out of place or seemed to be paying an inordinate amount of attention to her. Shrugging, she returned her attention to the clerk.
“Enjoy your stay, Miss Romalesky. The bellman will be waiting in your suite with your belongings.”
“Thank you, Cecily.”
Kat entered the first mahogany paneled elevator, ‘lift’ as Cecily had called it, she came to. As the doors closed, she shoved her key into the slot as she’d been instructed and let out a deep sigh of relief. The slow upward motion helped to soothe her increasing anxiety. She took another deep breath and leaned back, letting her eyes slide shut for just a moment. It was the first time she’d been alone in nearly fourteen hours.
Not that Kat was a hermit or a recluse like the man who was quickly dominating her every thought, it was nothing like that. She enjoyed being around people. Had always loved the comradery of friends and had a blast chatting with the people at Roma Tech. Goodness knew she could talk to anyone and had on many occasions struck up a conversation with another shopper at the grocery store over whatever product they were both looking at.
But this was not the Piggly Wiggly and she wasn’t in Texas anymore. This was real life and she was about to enter the race with the big dogs. Correction, the biggest dog of them all, the one that not only won every race, but also owned the racetrack. The future of her company, the one her father had built from a workshop in the back of their garage to one with its shares traded on the NYSE, was at stake. The one she saved from bankruptcy after both her father and mother were killed in an unexplained single car accident on a clear fall night would be sold to the highest bidder if she failed. The one that had the only interactive graphic chip with artificial intelligence capabilities in the world would fall to the wayside if KI declined. It all depended on her ability to convince an elusive billionaire, who to the best of her knowledge never did partnerships—only believed in takeovers— to take a chance on her. It was all more than a little daunting.
It was only one more evening’s preparation, one more night’s sleep, and one short car ride before she came face to face with the Viktor Katsaros. Kat was not afraid to admit she was nervous, maybe even a little scared. Saying a silent prayer for guidance, she exited the elevator and found herself standing right in the middle of the most imposing entrance hall she’d ever seen…and she’d been in the Texas Governor’s mansion. As if that wasn’t enough, she looked out into a gorgeous expanse of living space she knew damn good and well was bigger than her house and was sure she was in the wrong place. Her perusal was cut short when the sound of someone clearing their throat had her spinning on her heels.
“Pardon me, ma’am. (Which sounded more like mum than ma’am.) Didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Jordan, your steward. Let me take your coat and then you can tell me where you’d like your belongings.”
Taking a step back as Jordan took his first step towards her, Kat asked, “Are you sure this is my room? I think there must be some mistake. This looks more like a…well…I guess I’m not sure what it looks like, but I know it’s a lot more than the suite I booked online.”
Pulling a card from his uniform pocket, Jordan carefully followed his finger over every word Kat could see printed on the paper before he looked up, smiled, and announced, “No mistake at all, ma’am. The Royal Penthouse has been reserved for Katarina Romalesky, who judging from the picture I have here, is you.” He turned the registration card so she could see that it did indeed have her picture from the Roma Tech brochure on it.
“But there has to have been some mix up. I reserved the Junior Suite. Let me call down to the front desk and I’m sure Cecily will get it all worked out.”
Kat stepped to the glass-topped table where the phone sat and picked up the receiver as Jordan continued reading. “Your Junior Suite has been upgraded to the Royal Penthouse with the compliments of the hotel owner.”
Receiver still in hand, Kat spun around and asked, “The owner? But…wait…” She narrowed her eyes before continuing, “Who owns this hotel?”
With great pride, Jordan stood tall and proclaimed, “We were recently acquired by Katsaros Industries. The best for all of us if I’m not speaking out of turn, ma’am.”
“As in Viktor Katsaros?” She asked the question even though she knew the answer.
“Yes, ma’am. He also had that beautiful bouquet of flowers and basket of gourmet edibles delivered just for your arrival.” The steward beamed with pride as he pointed into the sitting area.
Following Jordan’s direction, Kat couldn’t help but gasp at the biggest, most beautiful floral arrangement she’d ever seen sitting beside an equally enormous elegantly woven basket filled to the brim with enough food to feed Yogi, Boo Boo, the Ranger, and any other stragglers who happened through the forest. Had it not been for the phone cord she’d wrapped tightly around her midsection during the last few confusing seconds, Kat had no doubt she would’ve fallen on her butt from surprise.
Why is Viktor Katsaros sending me gifts? Aren’t I supposed to be courting him? In a purely professional manner, of course.
Trying to act like she received expensive gifts in the course of her daily dealings all the time, Kat unwound herself from the phone cord and took off her jacket. She decided to go with the flow, at least until her meeting the next day with whom she was now thinking of as the infamous Mr. K.
She’d almost forgotten Jordan was in the room until he once again cleared his throat and looked down at her baggage. Putting on her best professional smile, Kat sucked it up and said, “Right. You need to know where to put all that luggage. How about the master suite and I’ll follow you so I know where it is, okay? A girl could get lost in a place like this.”
She was rewarded with the steward’s chuckle as he bowed. “Yes, ma’am, Miss Romalesky, as you wish.” Jordan rose up already holding her suitcases and headed into the palatial living area.
A quick right turn had them ascending what could only be described as a grand staircase. She followed the slow winding of the stairs, running her hands along the smooth mahogany railing and wondering exactly what Katsaros was up to.
It was no surprise to find the second floor just as beautifully appointed and completely decadent as the first floor. There were four bedrooms with linens so soft she had to believe they were woven by fairies and the same number of bathrooms decked out in honey onyx and Skyros marble. She only knew the details because Jordan had talked nonstop, giving her detail after detail of her lavish accommodations.
Finally, after returning to the first floor and shown the kitchen, guest bath, and wine pantry, Jordan headed for the door/elevator. One push of the button and the door slid open, the young steward stepped inside, bowed, and said, “Please call if you need anything, anything a
t all, Miss Romalesky. Enjoy your stay.”
Before she could answer, he inserted his card in the slot she knew was on the panel inside the lift, the doors closed, and she was blessedly alone. It wasn’t that Jordan was a bad steward. In fact, he was incredibly helpful and extremely likable…but Kat was beat. She needed time to think, to take in all she’d seen since arriving at the Corinthia.
Looking at her watch, she was shocked to see she’d only been in the hotel for a little over thirty minutes. It seemed like forever. Between the feeling of being watched and then the whole accommodation fiasco, not to mention the sleepless night before and her inability to nap on the plane, Kat was spent.
“I should be studying the proposal or deciding what suit to wear tomorrow. At the very least I should unpack my clothes so they don’t look like I slept in them, but I think I’m gonna take a long hot bubble bath and then a nap. I’m sure I won’t be sleeping tonight anyway and I’m about to drop.”
One hour and two glasses of wine later, Kat poured herself into the massive king sized bed with million thread count Egyptian cotton sheets. As she drifted off to sleep, the heavily accented voice that had become her obsession called to her.
“There you are, se agapó. It seems like forever since we last met.”
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“You have got to be out of your bloody mind. You want me to ask that woman out on a date?” Maddox bellowed. “Are you daft?”
The mad dragon threw his hands in the air and stared at one of his oldest friends and three of the men he thought of as surrogate sons like they each had three heads. It was obvious Kayne, the son of Lugh, the Celtic God of the Sun, as well as a Guardsman, had been visiting his dad in the sun too long, or maybe his complete loss of sense was from living in Hell as a hellhound for a hundred years. Kayne may have worked hard to catch up with modern times with his speech and actions but the old boy undoubtedly had a screw loose somewhere. And love had made the O’Reilly boys soft in the head. That’s just all there was to it. In the last few months, all three had found their mates and were blissfully mated.
Blech…
He’d seen them all fall like lambs led to the slaughter. Whipped by a woman and being lead around by the nose. It was enough to make a grown dragon cry. There was absolutely no way he was going to go act like a bumbling teenager barely out of short pants and ask Calysta St. Kroix out on a date. A date? What the hell was that anyway?
His four brethren were sitting around the table in the little cottage he was occupying while staying at the lair, hell bent on coaching him on the way to approach his mate. He’d known something was up when they’d all four appeared at his door with pizza, beer, and MacAllan 36. These boys didn’t spring for the good hooch unless it was bad news or a party…and this was most definitely not a party.
“You’ve got to do something besides growl at her or run away when she’s within a hundred yards. I know Calysta and she’s gonna get fed up with your mangy ass before she really gets to know you if you keep acting like that,” Royce said just before taking a huge bite of pizza.
Maddox thought he’d been granted a few moments peace while the middle O’Reilly brother chewed, but Rory, the youngest of the brothers, quickly added, “If you know, she knows, and I’m sure she’s wondering what’s going on with you. You have to get a move on, old man. Your woman’s waiting.”
Groaning into his hands, Maddox scratched at his stubble, trying to come up with a means of escape. Unfortunately, Kayne was sitting in front of the kitchen door, Rian by the front door, and Rory was standing in front of the sliding glass patio doors. The mad dragon was trapped and growing more irritated by the minute.
Bastards knew I’d run…
How could this be happening? He’d lived over two hundred years without a mate. What in all that was holy made the Universe think he needed a woman in his life now? And of all the creatures under the sun, a witch? No, wait, not just a witch…the Grande Priestess, the witchiest witch there ever was.
Well, hell, now I sound like a children’s song.
Thinking about the topic of their conversation, Maddox had to admit, at least to himself, that Calysta was pretty enough. The Goddess made sure her carnation on earth was the fairest in the land. His mate had beautiful, long, strawberry-blonde curls that just tickled the crest of her perfectly rounded bum, emerald eyes that shone so bright he felt as if he was falling into them with every look, skin resembling the finest porcelain, lips that begged to be kissed, and a body with curves that made his palms itch and his mouth water.
She was not too tall and not too short, just the right height. There was no doubt she would fit perfectly with his arms across her shoulders, pressed against his side, or writhing from pleasure in his bed. But it was her voice that drew him to her and her voice that still called to him in every dream, waking or asleep. It was just smoky enough to be sexy, lively enough to be feminine, and melodious enough to calm both man and beast. For the first time in decades, the mad dragon felt calm just from the sound of Calysta’s voice.
“Hey, asshole. Wake up. I’m trying to help you out here.” Kayne rapped him on the shoulder and added, “Time’s a wastin’. You’re sure as hell not gettin’ any younger.”
Jumping to his feet, he turned on the demi-god like a rattlesnake turns on a mouse and roared, “What the fuck do you know? You’re not mated. You’re older than I am. What the hell am I even listening to you for anyway?”
Shoving his chair to the side, the mad dragon stomped to the refrigerator, grabbed a beer, and stepped to the side before leaning against the kitchen counter. He could see his brethren staring at him, could hear the buzz of their mindspeak and thought about telling them to all get the hell out but knew it wouldn’t do any good. Opening his beer, he took a long drink then watched out of the corner of his eye as Rian, the oldest of the O’Reilly brothers and the Leader of the Blue Thunder Clan, walked towards him.
Preparing for what was to come, Maddox blew out a long-suffering breath and shook his head. He was just about to tell the Dragon Leader to bugger off when Rian said, “Before you tell me to go to hell, just listen. I know what a pain in the ass you are and you know what a pain in the ass you are. That’s one of the reasons why you retreated all those years ago. But don’t you think the Universe knows what She’s doing? Isn’t it you who’s always preaching ‘The Universe doesn’t make mistakes’?”
Rian stepped forward, opened the fridge, took out a beer, and stepped back before continuing. As he spoke he opened the bottle. “The Almighty knew it would take the strongest, most stubborn, most magical, most understanding and kind woman on the planet to deal with your foul humor and lookie there, Calysta appeared.”
Lookie? Really?
Maddox needed time alone in the worst way. He needed to think, to figure out how the hell he, of all people, was going to handle having a mate. He thought about flying off to his mountain. A few weeks of solitude would do him good, but what if Rory was right. It would be a miracle since the little jackass didn’t have a clue most of the time, but stranger things had happened. What if Calysta did know? What if she was waiting on him to make the first move? If that was the case, he’d already disappointed the one person in all the world who was made just for him.
Way to go, Maddox…
Lost in thought, Maddox nearly dropped his beer when Rory tapped on his shoulder.
“Jumpy, old man?” The youngest O’Reilly brother chuckled.
“I was thinkin’,” Maddox grumbled.
Shaking his head, Rory leaned his shoulder against the refrigerator. “I know you’re freaking out, but you’ve got to get over it and make your move.”
Kayne and Royce joined the conversation with the demi god putting his hands up in surrender and chuckling. “I know you think I don’t know what I’m talking about but I’ve seen a lot of couples get mated, and I know one thing for sure…time waits
for no man.”
“Kayne’s right, Maddox. You gotta get your shit together and get over there. Talk to her. I swear, it’s easier than you think.” Royce was grinning from ear-to-ear, making the mad dragon wonder exactly what he wasn’t saying.
“I know there’s something you’re not telling me. I can feel it in my bones. You assholes are up to something. I just can’t figure out what.” Maddox growled, took a long swallow of his beer, and then tossed the empty bottle in the trash. Leveling his stare at each of them, he promised, “But I’ll figure it out and then I’m gonna kick your asses. That’s a guarantee.”
It took the better part of the next hour to get Rian, Royce, Rory, and Kayne to shut up and leave. He finally had to promise to take the early morning training class of the new Guardsmen just to get them out the door. Taking out the trash, the mad dragon looked at the cloudless sky and once again wished he was back on his mountain. Up there, away from civilization, he could call his dragon and take flight whenever he liked. Flying helped him think, make sense out of things that simply seemed ludicrous everywhere else. It was the thing he missed most about being back with a clan. Well, that and his solitude.
Deciding to take a walk, Maddox headed for one of the smaller lakes at the back of the lair. It was quiet enough there for him to think and as close to the wilderness of his home as he could get for the time being. Walking through the woods, he listened to the cicadas, the beautiful song of the nightingale, and the mating call of a male tawny owl. A few minutes later, the mad dragon actually smiled when he heard the female owl’s reply. In nature, unlike his world, everything was simple.
Even the flippin’ birds are havin’ a go at it…
He replayed his ‘ambush’ from earlier in the evening. Knew the guys had his best interests at heart but couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something they weren’t telling him, something he needed to know. It was possible Calysta had already decided to ignore their mating. She had been wed before, had a grown daughter and an entire nation of witches to govern. What the hell would she want with a crazy old dragon like him?
