Guardian of His Heart [Guardian 2] (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove)

by Lacey Denair

  Corbin James had once again been drawn into service, this time to build a three-bedroom home on the ranch. The model was referred to as a farm style with wraparound porch and a large, sunny kitchen where a round oak table would hold court. It was almost finished. Saber hadn’t told anyone who the house was being built for, not even Ty.

  Saber dug out his shotgun and went to find Crusty. He found him out riding in one of the pastures. Telling the men which steers to cull out for selling, they were all working hard when Saber rode up to Crusty, easing Caesar, his dappled Percheron stallion, to stand beside Crusty’s gelding. “We need to talk,” Saber said with his game face on.

  Crusty gave his boss that “eye.” He always did when he didn’t understand what the hell his boss was talking about. “Okay. Hey, Jake, take over for me here. I gotta talk with the man.”

  “I understand there is an event that will need addressing in the near future. One caused by you and a lady named Tymara,” Saber said quietly.

  “How’d you know about that? She just told me a couple weeks ago.” Crusty looked positively green around the gills.

  “What are your intentions, sir? Are you going to make an honest woman of Tymara?” Saber tried not to smile.

  “Huh? What the hell are you talkin’ about, boss?”

  “Are you going to marry the lady? Or am I going to have to use this shotgun on you. I believe it is the American way of doing things. Personally, I prefer swords.” Saber looked at the gun.

  “Boss, I’m too old to git married. You know that. What would I do with a wife and kid?”

  “Go home to them every evening. Love them, let them love you. Be happy and not lonely for the first time in years,” Saber said while looking directly at Crusty. The man was indeed in his late fifties, but he looked much younger, with blond hair, blue eyes, and at six foot two inches and weighing in at two hundred twenty-five pounds of ranch-hardened muscle. He was all in all a fine looking man.

  “What makes you think I’m lonely?” Crusty said. He was trying to be offended. But then his eyes got bigger when he noticed the shotgun in Saber’s lap. “Hey now, you wouldn’t really use that shotgun on me now would ya, boss? Truth be known, I really like Tymara a lot, and she is a right pretty lady, but marriage? Me?” Crusty said. When he suddenly realized perhaps his boss was serious, he continued.

  “Why, she wouldn’t marry me anyways. I ain’t got nothin’ to give her, and she’s too much of a looker for that. Besides, Saber, you know I’m in my late fifties. A kid? Why, I’d be too old to play with ’em when he got bigger. I thought about it, sure, but Tymara? She’s too good for me, and I know it,” Crusty said sadly.

  “Did you know that when you mate and bond with a dragon you live as long as they do? You would probably get a few years younger physically. Have you asked the good lady what she wants? If she is of the mind I think she is, you may just be surprised. We dragons look at a person inside, not what’s on the outside. Give her a chance. Call her. All right? Then let me know her answer.”

  With that, Saber rode back toward the barn and his twins. He had some serious playtime to make up.

  After sitting there for a while thinking it over, Benjamin “Crusty” Knowles got out his cell phone before he lost his nerve. He hit the number on speed dial and waited.

  “Hello? Is that you, my darling Benjamin?”

  “Yeah, it’s me. I need to ask you a few things.”

  “Ask away.”

  “Would you…Would you be interested in maybe gittin’ hitched?”

  “I’m sorry?”

  Crusty’s heart shattered.

  “Ben, what does ‘hitched’ mean?”

  Oh, let me try this again, Crusty thought. “It means, oh hell.” He sighed and then said, “I don’t know how to say this, and I ain’t no good at beatin’ around the bush. So here it is. I ain’t got a thing to give you but my heart if you want it. Tymara Crestmont, would you marry me?”

  “Yes, Ben,” Tymara said slowly. “I accept your heart and your proposal of marriage. I love you, too.”

  “Oh Gods! I knew you’d say no. I just knew it. But Saber just had to go interfere. I’ll hang up now and stop botherin’—what did you say?”

  “I said yes.” He could hear her smile through the phone.

  “Really? No shit? Don’t play with me now, Tymara. Are you sure?”

  “Yes, Ben, I’m sure.”

  “Okay, I’m gonna hang up now.” Crusty got down from his horse with his cell phone still in his hand, looking at it, and fainted dead away.

  Chapter Fourteen

  A wedding was held at the Saber Ranch one month later.

  The bride’s clothes, along with those of her family and friends, were shipped to the ranch along with many presents, including two cribs.

  Tymara had been released from service as a royal guard as soon as her delicate condition was diagnosed, caution being taken to insure the young one’s health. After many phone calls, it was decided by the couple she would be moving in and living with her soon-to-be husband. Their farmhouse would be complete by the time they got back from their honeymoon. Ty, Kelley, and Tymara had been furniture shopping, so the two men knew how to furnish it the minute it was done. They wanted everything to be in and perfect for the couple and babes. Once again, Kelley went a little nuts buying clothes and toys, as the doctor had determined she was carrying a boy and a girl.

  The entire surrounding area attended the wedding. They all arrived early to watch as family and friends of the bride flew in. Literally. Everyone was thrilled to watch as dragon after dragon of different colors arrived, all bellowing and blowing fire in honor of the couple, as was tradition. Even a royal-blue dragon with emerald-green eyes arrived, surrounded by ten other dragons. To make the humans comfortable, the dragons tromped around to the back of Saber’s house, where they put on robes after shifting until they could get dressed.

  It was a lighthearted affair, precisely what everyone needed. After cleaning it and making it shine, an extremely serious-looking Saber walked behind Crusty and Tymara down the aisle and stood behind the couple, with shotgun in hand as they exchanged their vows. Everyone laughed and thought it was great, even the newlyweds. Of course, as soon as the two were pronounced man and wife, Saber had a huge smile, and he was the first to hug and congratulate the newly married twosome.

  The celebration continued well into the night even after the “kids” departed for their honeymoon. Saber had surprised them with what he called “a paid vacation” for Crusty. He sent them to the Bahamas for as long as they wanted to stay.

  Frederico and Kelley walked around the ranch, exercising the tradition started by Ty and Saber when they first moved in, every evening taking their walk. They had helped with the completion of Tymara and Crusty’s house, visited with everyone, and played with the children. Soon there would be seven children running around the ranch. Saber had already hired a few more men to take up the slack around the place as two or three people were always busy keeping tabs on the little ones.

  Everyone was happy for them, and they promised to be there when the king and his consort took their vows.

  The only low point in the entire visit was someone had shot Slayer. The big bull had gotten upset with all the new noise going on and simply ran through his pasture fence, ending up a couple of ranches over. Somewhere along the way he met up with someone who had no sense of humor. After Ty bribed Slayer with biscuits and the stiff brush, they got him home. Kelley, wearing a pair of old coveralls and a shower cap, retrieved the bullet and tended to the wound until the vet could arrive. By the time Dr. Bill Wesson got there, they had things well in hand. After the bull was given a shot of antibiotics by the good doctor, he pronounced Slayer to be healthy once more. The doctor looked at Kelley’s strange outfit, got into his truck, and drove back down the bumpy driveway, shaking his head and grumbling something about city slickers.

  Kelley started to climb back over the fence only to be “bull-snotted” by the hairy ma
mmoth. It was Slayer’s way of saying “I like you,” or so Ty said. Kelley was glad he wore the shower cap, as snot flew everywhere.

  Two months went by, finding Frederico and Kelley back home in Saibina. They were beginning to realize they did have things in common. They enjoyed each other’s company. They both adored bubble baths and cognac. Kelley compromised on the music issue, as he was a great deal more flexible in that area than his mate.

  The first time the king took Kelley to the opera, the wild redhead found he actually did enjoy it. They both loved seafood.

  They liked to take long walks in the evenings when the weather allowed. When the weather grew cold and snow covered the ground, Frederico was astonished when Kelley got him to make snow angels. The king had a grand time when, after sneaking up on them, he and Kelley launched snowballs at the guards, only to end up with a fight on their hands. The king felt so young and alive! His mate brought out the best in him.

  Frederico usually had the ability to calm his fiery mate, except of course when it was aimed at him. He didn’t mind. He still loved fighting with his mate. Kelley was right. Make-up sex was fantastic!

  Frederico sat on his bed one evening, listening to soft music while the snow fell on the windowsills outside and he read his book. Kelley walked in, looking at him with that grin as he took his shoes and socks off. Once they hit the floor, Kelley started dancing to the music the king was listening to. He danced slowly, oh so slowly around the room, letting his body go with the beauty of it. He danced over to the bed and let his shirt slide off his shoulders. Then he weaved and swayed his way back to the chair, sitting just to the other side of the bed, dropped his pants, and stepped out of them. He looked at Frederico the whole time with his small smile, gracefully winding his hands this way and that to the beat of the music. He slowly danced over to the bed, taking the band from his hair, and started to slide across the comforter, when the king suddenly reached out and grabbed him around the waist. Kelley gave out a muted squawk but let his mate capture him.

  “Why do you torment me so, my love? You know I cannot resist you when you dance for me.”

  “Maybe that’s why I do it,” Kelley said with hooded lids. “Maybe you have something I want. Something I need.”

  “And what would that be my mate?”

  “That third leg of yours. Now gimme!” Kelley started pulling the king’s robe off, only to happily discover he was naked under it. “Oh yeah, there it is! Gimme, gimme, gimme now!”

  “You are very impatient tonight. Why, may I ask? What got your motor fired up?”

  “I was thinking of you all day today. You know how you affect me, king, baby. You do it on purpose, too.”

  “I did nothing. What exactly are you referring to? Tell me, or I will not give you what you want.” Frederico was such a liar at times.

  “You were stroking me at dinner, were you not?”

  “Oh that. Yes, I seem to remember something about that. All right, come here and behave.” The good king could always hope his mate would behave. As Kelley would say, “or not.”

  The king let go of his little mate to get the red oil from the night table. Just when he released Kelley, he took off across the room.

  “Where are you going? I thought you wanted this,” the king asked.

  Holding up his cock and shaking it at Kelley, Frederico looked up at his mate, confused.

  “I do, over here.” Kelley pointed where he stood next to the wall.

  Frederico was missing something. Why was Kelley over there? “Oooohh.”

  The king got up and wandered over to his mate. “Over here? Are you sure?”

  “Oh yeah, king, baby. You ever had wall sex?”

  “That would be a no.” The large man looked down at his love with a raised eyebrow.

  “Geez, you’ve never done anything fun, have you? They didn’t let you out much as a kid did they, baby?” Kelley gave Frederico that grin.

  The redhead jumped up onto the king, wrapped his legs around his waist, and held on with his hands locked together behind Frederico’s neck. “I’m ready, now gimme.”

  The king just shook his head and walked over to the wall, placing Kelley’s back against it. He had set the oil down on a chest of drawers close-by, so he slid over and grabbed it. As he started stretching Kelley, the imp in his arms started yelling. “I love that oil. Please tell me we’ll never run out! Oh yeah, more, more, more,” Kelley said as his voice got lower and lower. Frederico was running his fingers in and out, adding more as he went. He really enjoyed stretching his love, and it could have something to do with Kelley’s reaction. When he pulled his fingers out, his mate moaned at the loss. The king hiked his little mate up a bit then lined himself up. He let Kelley slide down just a bit right down around his cock. Oh Gods, that felt good. The angle was incredible!

  Kelley’s eyes were heavy lidded, and his mouth hung half-open, but he never quit talking. “Fuck me, baby. Fuck me, king baby. Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh hell yeah!” Pushing himself up and down all he could, Frederico was really into it now. His dragon was pushing hard, too. Roaring in his ears! The unruly beast was at it again. He wanted out now! The king was sliding Kelley up and slamming him back down on that big cock of his. Up down, up down. Every time he slammed back down, his dragon roared and Kelley screamed. The hot vise kept sucking him in more and more. His balls were so tight against his body now, it was downright painful, but he wasn’t going to quit. The king kept pulling his love and ramming him back down, and suddenly Kelley’s head hit the wall so hard he just knew that had to hurt. “Oh Gods, baby,” Kelley screamed at the top of his lungs and shot white ropes of cum everywhere. It landed all over Frederico, even in his mouth. He loved it as he tasted his mate. So good, sweet melons. He closed his eyes, trying to relax, but he couldn’t. He was just too amped up. He leaned forward to kiss Kelley, who looked like he was raising up to plant a lip-lock on his mate, but at the last second the redheaded devil rose up more and sunk his canines right into the juncture between the king’s shoulder and neck. Kelley bit for all he was worth, and Frederico screamed. He dragon roared, and they both came so hard the king knew his balls would never recover! Kelley pulled his teeth from his mate, licked the wound closed, and kissed the mating mark he had just given his beloved. They both leaned against the wall until they caught some semblance of their breaths, dragging in air as hard as they could. The panting, gasping, and dizziness finally passed just enough for Frederico to carry Kelley to the bed. They fell in together in one lump.

  When they came back to earth, Kelley turned, pushing his back into his mate’s big chest, turned his head, and looked into the eyes of the man he loved.

  “Do you think everything will be okay? Can we just live in peace now?” Kelley asked quietly.

  “Not to worry, little one. All is well as long as you stay by my side. With you there next to me, it doesn’t matter what comes our way. We will still have each other. Of this I have no doubt.”

  Frederico held him in his big arms and drifted off to sleep.

  Kelley looked up at his large mate, smiled, and cuddled in. Yes, all was well. He finally had his dragon. He would always stay with his king, watching over him, staying vigilant, guarding his heart.

  THE END

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  My works to date:

  The Guardian Pug and Guardian of His Heart

  I am now retired and free to realize my dream of writing. I have always enjoyed everything paranormal and characters that are just a bit out of the norm. People who aren’t quite perfect but make everyone’s lives around them more interesting.

  Living in the Valley of the Sun in Arizona, I tend to do things very early in the morning outside then spend the rest of my day writing. I can always be found leaning over my laptop and enjoying the process of creating characters who are fun, colorful, and a little eccentric, like myself.

  I love to let my imagination run away with me, envisioning other worlds and the beings on them. Sometimes, though, it’s
more challenging to keep my mind focused on earth and wonder about the world around us and what really is out there, among us in plain sight.

  I hope you enjoy my books, and thank you for your interest in them. I’m always happy to hear feedback, so I look forward to hearing from you at laceydenair@yahoo.com.

  Lacey

  For all titles by Lacey Denair, please visit

  www.bookstrand.com/lacey-denair

  Siren Publishing, Inc.

  www.SirenPublishing.com