Into the paranormal world: Even an old dog can learn new tricks.
At over four hundred years of age, Xavier Agueda has all but given up hope of finding his beloved, his soul mate. Then Detective Owen Hanson comes to the vampire’s estate to question Xavier’s coven leader’s partner. Owen’s blood calls to him like nothing he’s scented before. When his leader learns that Owen may be his beloved, he helps Xavier plan to meet him again. It takes a couple of weeks, but finally they schedule a BBQ at a mutual friend’s home, giving him the opportunity to see Owen again.
Can Xavier convince Owen to accept the attentions of a man? And if so, how will Owen react to learning vampires exist?
Reader Advisory: This story is best read as part of a series. Sequel to: A Bite of Fulfillment
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Changing Owen’s Mind
Copyright © 2013 Charlie Richards
ISBN: 978-1-77111-619-0
Cover art by Scott Carpenter
All rights reserved. Except for use in any review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher.
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Changing Owen’s Mind
A Paranormal’s Love: Book Three
By
Charlie Richards
To all the police officers out there who work so hard to keep us safe.
Chapter One
Detective Owen Hanson gripped the steering wheel, his knuckles turning white, for several seconds. Looking at his buddy’s home, he frowned, trying to figure out why the hell he’d agreed to this invitation.
When fellow detective Catlin Hill had told him this BBQ wasn’t buddies from the force but a group of other men he knew, Owen had balked. Only Catlin’s cajoling about him spending the evening alone had gotten him to change his mind. At least Nate would drop by later, so he only had to manage alone for a few hours before his son showed up.
Deciding he really didn’t want his buddy to find him out here ruminating in his truck, Owen shoved the door open. He cringed upon hearing the loud groan of metal rubbing metal, reminding him that he’d once again forgotten to WD-40 the hinge. He shook his head at himself and climbed out. Reaching back in, Owen snagged the twelve pack, then closed up the truck and headed around the side of the house.
Owen pushed the gate open and stepped into Catlin’s backyard. He immediately spotted Catlin’s partner, Gallo Ricci, a slender African American, trying to open the sliding door with his shoulder, his hands occupied with six empty beer bottles, three in each hand.
“Hey, Gallo,” Owen called, jogging toward him. “Let me get that for ya.”
Gallo grinned, his blue eyes lighting. “Hey, Owen. When did you get here?”
Returning the other man’s smile, Owen opened the door as he replied, “Just got here.” He held up his cardboard box. “Cooler or sink tonight?”
“Sink,” Gallo replied. “And thanks,” he added, stepping inside.
Owen followed, closing the door behind them. After pulling out half the beer and sticking it in the ice filling the sink, he set the box on the floor. “Got a bunch of thirsty guests?” he asked, nodding toward the bag of glass on the floor nearby.
Snickering, Gallo nodded. “Oh, yeah. These guys like their beer almost as much as my old biker gang.”
“Huh. Hope they don’t get too rowdy,” he muttered.
“Oh, don’t worry.” Gallo immediately became serious. “They’re all good guys.”
Owen glanced out the window at the nearly dozen men sitting, laughing, or…holy shit! Is that pair openly making out? His jaw dropped as a brawny dark-haired man took the slender auburn haired dude who’d been sitting between his legs and actually sat him onto his lap. He deepened the kiss and slid his hands under the smaller man’s shirt.
He swallowed hard at the sight and his cock thickened in his jeans.
“Mmm, they are hot together, huh?”
Owen tore his gaze away from the kissing men, his cheeks flaming, and looked at Gallo. The slender guy grinned knowingly at him. Opening and closing his mouth like a fish, Owen didn’t know what to say.
Grinning, Gallo patted his arm. “Relax, not all of them are that…demonstrative.” He shrugged. “Toni and Peter could never be called shy.”
Not knowing what to say, Owen grabbed a beer, popped it open, and took a swig, trying to cool his suddenly heated blood.
Except, that’s when he saw him—the man from the mansion—and Owen’s pulse sped up. He just caught himself before he reached down and adjusted his cock, which had started to plump when he’d spotted the men making out, and now—after seeing him—had thickened the rest of the way.
He knew from experience he didn’t have a prayer of willing his erection away. When Owen had first seen the man—whose name he still didn’t know—the whole reason for visiting the mansion’s owner, Adalric Bachmeier, had flown right out of his head. For the first time in his life, he found himself wanting to act on the attraction he felt for a man.
Fortunately, it’d been a simple matter to verify that Seth Goodwin wasn’t being held against his will. Owen had been able to clear it up and get out of there quickly. If he’d known these would be Catlin’s buddies, he never would have agreed to come.
Realizing he couldn’t get out of it now—he’d never hear the end of it from Catlin if he left—Owen swallowed hard, vowed to stay detached, and headed out to the deck. He strolled over to his friend, who manned the grill.
“Hey, Catlin,” Owen greeted.
Catlin turned away from the dark-haired guy he spoke to and grinned at him. “Hey, Owen. You made it.” Catlin’s gaze drifted to the drink he held and he lifted a brow and teased, “You’re not on call, are you?”
Owen snorted. “Tomorrow is my day off, but you of all people know we’re always on call.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Catlin returned. He took a step sideways and waved toward the guy he’d been speaking to. “This is an old friend of mine.” He lifted a brow and scowled at the man. “He works way too much and doesn’t take enough time to relax, so this BBQ is long overdue, isn’t it.”
“Indeed,” the guy said.
Owen bit back a sigh as he recognized the man. Of course. If he was here, naturally, Adalric would be here, too. “Hello, Mr. Bachmeier. Good to see you again.”
Adalric gave him a thin-lipped smile that, surprisingly, reached his eyes. “Detective Hanson. Catlin mentioned you might be dropping by. I won’t ask how you know him.”
“Right. Small world,” Owen replied, accepting Adalric’s hand. “Your, uh, lover adjusting well to Santa Fe’s heat?”
Nodding, Adalric replied, “Heat doesn’t bother him at all. He used to be a firefighter. Now he spends most of his time working in the gardens with Xavier.” The guy shrugged. “He seems to love it.”
“Oh, yeah? To each his own, I guess.” Owen took a swig o
f his beer, thinking about his own sad, barren flowerbeds. He had a couple shrubs that had come with the house, but the dead and dying flowers had been the first to go. Now he weeded once a month, without fail. His attention snagged on the name he didn’t know. “Who’s Xavier?”
Adalric smiled. “My gardener. Allow me to introduce you to him.”
Owen found the man’s hand on his shoulder, guiding him firmly away from the grill. Only one thing registered—he was heading toward him. The man who pushed all his buttons without even saying a word—Owen wanted to run his broad, calloused hands all over his lean, distinguished body. Just thinking it made his dick pulse against his fly.
He glanced over his shoulder at Catlin, lifting his brows, beseeching his friend for an escape. Instead, Catlin lifted the tongs and said, “You got another ten minutes before the burgers are done. Go for it.”
His buddy either misunderstood his expression or he blithely ignored it. Owen guessed the latter, since Catlin knew he was in the closet—deep in the closet—with his back against the wall. Catlin had caught him ogling a young cop’s chest when they’d been boxing at the gym. Owen had thought he’d been subtle watching the other guy, but Catlin had come and whispered, “Watch it. I know Todd’s new, but I’ve already heard he’s a homophobic asshole.” Then he’d walked away.
They’d never talked about the incident, but it was a week later when Catlin had invited him over for a BBQ and introduced him to his partner. Owen admitted he was gay and in the closet and had no plans to change that anytime soon. He was an old dog that didn’t plan to learn new tricks. This guy—Xavier?—was testing his resolve like no one ever had.
Shoring up his courage, Owen watched Seth grin up at Adalric. The man sported a look of lust that was unmistakable. Adalric chuckled and all but purred, “Those are thoughts better left for later, darling.”
Seth’s eyes narrowed and for just a second, something passed between the two men, as if they were sharing a private conversation as only lovers could. An odd sensation shot through Owen, one that took him a second to recognize, longing.
“You remember Detective Hanson, don’t you, Seth?” Adalric’s question drew Owen out of his odd mental evaluation.
Seth rose and held out his hand. “Glad to see you under better circumstances, Detective.”
“Owen, please,” he replied, taking his hand. “And I’m glad you seem to be doing so well.” After what Seth had told him he’d gone through in the hospital with amnesia, Owen knew there was far more to that story, but it wasn’t his business.
“Me, too.” Seth grinned at Adalric and added, “Couldn’t be happier.”
“Geez, all this sappiness is enough to make anyone sick,” piped up the lean man sitting on the bigger guy’s lap that he’d spotted from the kitchen window. Which man was Toni and which was Peter? The man snickered and quipped, “Get a room.”
Seth snorted. “Like you have any room to talk,” he retorted as he waved a hand toward them, referring to how they embraced. “At least all our hands are visible.”
“Jealous much?” the man quipped back. “Besides, we just have great sex together. It’s not like we’re in love or anything.”
Owen swallowed hard, fighting a flush at their comfortable banter. He stared at the nearly empty beer in his hand and swallowed the last couple gulps, trying to ignore everything else said.
“Hey, have you met Xavier?” Seth asked, redrawing Owen’s attention. The man glanced toward the sexy man Owen had been doing his best to ignore and said, “He has a son, too. I bet you can swap war stories.”
Seeing no way out without being completely rude, Owen offered his hand to Xavier. “Nice to meet you.”
Owen thought Xavier hesitated just a second to take his hand, but then the guy’s lean calloused fingers slid against his own as he took his hand and murmured, “Likewise.”
The husky quality to Xavier’s voice, his firm hold on Owen’s hand, and the intense light in Xavier’s dark eyes all combined to practically boil the blood flowing through Owen’s veins. Never had he wanted to pull a man close and claim his mouth, ravage him, and give in to his urges.
Fortunately, he got his head on straight before it happened. Clearing his throat, he pulled his hand away and frowned at Seth. Time for a little distraction. “How’d you know I have a son?”
Seth shrugged. “Catlin said that’s why he postponed the BBQ a week.”
They’d postponed the BBQ because of his schedule? Why the hell would they do that? “Oh, uh, yeah. He’s having some trouble with…” Owen shook his head and waved a hand. “It doesn’t matter.”
His son had finally gotten his head out of his ass and left the witch he’d been living with. Owen couldn’t figure out why Nate had stuck it out so long. Stubborn, just like his old man, he thought fondly.
“I’m gonna find the john, then get another beer. Anyone want a refill?” Seth asked, stepping away.
Remembering his empty beer, and liking the opportunity to get away from the sexy man next to him, Owen offered, “Oh, I could—”
“Nonsense,” Seth cut him off. “Have a seat and take a load off,” he insisted, pointing at his vacated chair. “I won’t be but a minute.”
“Uh, yeah, sure, then I’ll take a beer,” Owen said uncertainly.
“Me, too,” Xavier said. “Thanks, Seth.”
Owen took a seat, trying to figure out if he’d been set up.
Chapter Two
Xavier practically vibrated with need. At four hundred twenty-seven years of age, he never expected to feel this level of lust again. However, the second he’d scented Owen’s blood a couple weeks before, he could think of nothing but seducing the man and bonding them for the rest of their days.
When he’d walked Seth through the house to the study, never had Xavier expected that on the other side of the door was his future. The one man Fate had made just for him. At his age, he’d given up on the idea of someday meeting his beloved.
Having to wait two weeks just to see him again had been torture.
The mixture of tension and arousal seeping from Owen concerned Xavier. It told him that even though Owen was attracted to him, he fought it. When he’d arrived at Catlin’s home, the detective had told Xavier that Owen was deep in the closet. Just how difficult would it be to get him out? Or if he managed to bond with the man, would his lover hide their relationship?
One thing at a time.
Xavier needed to get his human to relax, so he asked, “Is your son okay? I’ve ended a few relationships in my day and it’s rarely easy.”
Watching Owen frown and fiddle with the label on his empty beer bottle, Xavier allowed himself a few seconds to check the man out. He guessed his height around five foot ten with a nicely muscled build. He had thick, dark gray hair cut short, and green eyes. The man obviously worked out to keep his body in shape, although his age was catching up with him, starting with a slight bulge of a belly and age spots on his hands. Still, Xavier would love to feel those hands on his skin, touching him, holding him.
Owen sighed and replied, “In my opinion, and I’m sure I’m biased, I thought my son, Nate, stuck it out far longer than he should have. The woman, Diana, seemed to think it was her job to control everything about his life. If he wasn’t at work, she wanted to know where he was and what he was doing, and if she didn’t approve, she let him know.”
Grimacing, Xavier replied, “Damn. I’ve met a few of those people in my life. Do you think this break will stick?” Once in a controlling relationship, sometimes it was hard to get out and took several tries before it actually worked.
“Oh, yeah,” Owen replied, actually smiling with relief. His whole body seemed to be relaxing, which was exactly what Xavier wanted. “This isn’t the first time they’ve split, but this is the first time he’s actually moved everything out and gotten his own place. Before, he’d sleep on my couch for a couple nights before making up.”
Xavier smiled, although he couldn’t allow it to get too big.
No point in revealing his fangs right away and scaring Owen off just as he’d gotten him started talking. “I’m glad to hear that. It’s hard to see your child struggling and unhappy, no matter what age they get to be.”
“That’s true.” Owen cocked a knee and placed his arm on it. “So, what about you? Seth said you have a son?”
Nodding, Xavier thought quickly about how much to say. His last son would be ninety-seven that year. Would it be harder for Owen to accept vampires or come out of the closet, he mused.
Xavier finally answered, “I do. He’s married now and has a couple kids of his own.” In truth, Will had found his beloved in a vampire named Celine, and together they had seven kids spread out over fifty years. He’d always considered Will lucky because he’d found his beloved so young and they fit so well together.
“Wow, grandkids, huh?” That seemed to relax Owen even more. “How many?”
In truth, he had one hundred and twelve grandkids, but he couldn’t admit that, yet. Instead, he answered, “Will and Celine have seven kids.”
“Seven! Damn! Just imagining the number of diapers that would be blows my mind,” Owen replied, his eyes widening.
Xavier chuckled, amused by his beloved’s sense of humor.
“Do you see them often?”
“No,” he admitted. “They live in Seattle now.” He actually didn’t anticipate seeing any of his children again before he passed. That was why he’d valued Seth’s surprising friendship so much.
Thinking about Seth, Xavier frowned and glanced around. “Hey, I want that beer and I’m not sure what happened to Seth. Probably waylaid for a quickie by Adalric,” he mused, smirking. “Want me to get you one?” he asked, rising.
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