by J P Sayle
Silent, watchful jewelled eyes stared in accusation. Connor glanced at the giant cat basket he’d bought, padded out with soft silky material to make amends. “Aww, come on. Please stop looking at me like that. Haven’t I apologised a hundred times already? And I’ve sworn a blood oath never to make you get on a boat again?” Not thinking about what would happen if he lost his job, he smiled at her.
A huffed exhale passed his lips when all Morgana did was turn her nose up in the air and look out the doors behind her. “Fine. Have it your way. I’m going to get ready. I’m going to Nick and Aaden’s for dinner. If you want to join me, then you can.” Getting nothing, he hesitated for a moment before shrugging in defeat and leaving the kitchen.
Morgana
Morgana turned her head towards Connor as he left the room. If he thought he’d fooled her with that promise of never getting on the boat again, he could think again. But he was right; she’d never get back on that bloody godawful torture chamber, not for all the fish in the sea. No. And if he thought buying her some pretty, soft blankets made up for what he’d done to her, then he had another think coming.
She laid her head on her paws, listening to the sounds above her head and thinking about her conversations with Max and Princess, two guardian cats with so much more experience than her. Though she was loath to admit she needed their help, they had been more than happy to share with her that Connor’s soul mate had arrived on the island, in the shape of Ellie, Brody’s friend. Her whiskers twitched at her good fortune that Ellie would be coming for dinner tonight.
She chortled at Connor asking her to attend as if she were his dinner partner. It tickled her pink he would be so considerate, even after the cold shoulder she’d given him. It didn’t matter if he’d invited her or not, though. She’d planned on going anyway. She wanted to meet Ellie and see his reaction to Connor.
This was her first foray into being a guardian, and she wanted to get the full effect. Though she was a little concerned when both Max and Princess laughed at her eagerness and her assertion things would so quickly slot together. Then she would be on her merry way. She wasn’t sure why it gave her hackles a workout. That and the fact that the king was not responding to her left her with a queasy stomach.
With thoughts of the king, she laid her head on her paws. Where had Christina disappeared to? She’d been missing for days, Max had explained, remarking how Christina hadn’t returned to the office where she’d been working for Martin either. What had happened after Brody and Nick cemented their soul mate bond?
Being forced out of the palace and unable to return until Connor and Ellie had bonded had left her out of the loop. With the other guardians going silent on her, she was clueless as to what was happening. None of it helped the situation. For centuries she’d had pride of place by the king’s side, only to be cast aside for one comment. Her fur bristled at the injustice.
The king needed to get a grip on his feelings before he wrecked everything.
“The king doesn’t need to get a grip on anything. You need to keep your nose out of my business, Morgana, unless you want it chopped off.” The angry growl faded as quickly as it came.
“Please, my nose has been up in your business since you were nothing but a snot-nosed child. You forget I’ve existed far longer than you and know more than—” She froze, realising her mistake too late.
“What do you know, Morgana?” The quiet demand sent chills down her spine.
Knowing she was unable to answer, she left the question hanging between them. Her patience outlasted the king’s. When she felt him pull out of her mind, she released a sigh of relief. Dear gods, what was I thinking blurting stuff out like that? The fates will have my guts for garters at this rate!
Connor finished his shower and dried off. He stepped into his bedroom and went straight for the large, oak triple wardrobes that were part of the bedroom set his mother bought for his eighteenth birthday. The solid oak glowed under the ceiling light as he searched for something to wear.
Would the others dress up? A finger made its way between his lips before he could think about it. His eyes narrowed on his choices while he chewed on his fingernail.
Nick wasn’t the formal kind, so Connor disregarded his suits. An old form-fitting pair of whitewashed jeans caught his eye. Not overthinking it, he tossed them onto the bed along with a wine-coloured, cashmere jumper.
Dressed, Connor glanced in the mirror and made a mental note to ask if Nick or Aaden could recommend a barber or hairdresser so that he could get a trim. His fair hair had a mind of its own, and regardless of the style, it tended to be a bit floppy, especially if not cut regularly. Fingers worked on styling his hair while his gaze went to the tiny lines around his eyes and mouth.
With a glance at the shelf behind, Connor turned to grab the face cream a friend had recommended. It was supposed to help delay the signs of ageing. Not that he felt forty-two years old, but sometimes, like now, his face decided to tell him differently.
What did it matter? It wasn’t like he had anyone to impress, and no one is even remotely interested in me, only my money.
Not wanting to go back down that rabbit hole, he diverted his attention to his discarded towel, hanging it up on the heated stainless steel towel rail by his side. With a glance to check he hadn’t left a mess, he strolled out the bathroom and went downstairs. The clock on the wall showed he had a few minutes to kill, so he went to search through his wine rack.
When he saw Morgana was standing by the door at the bottom of the stairs, as if waiting to leave, he stopped midstep, brow arching. “You’re coming with me, then?” When all she did was raise her brow at him in response, he hid a smile and went to find a bottle of wine.
A rifle through the wine rack revealed a bottle of Barolo, which he was sure would accompany whatever Aaden cooked. He prayed it was Aaden cooking and not Nick. He couldn’t even boil an egg.
Why hadn’t he asked before accepting? An expletive his mother wouldn’t have approved of echoed in the kitchen. Eyes rolling at his childish behaviour, he reminded himself that he had M&S-ready meals in the freezer if he needed something to eat later. He grabbed his door keys and strolled out the door.
Morgana dived outside, not waiting for him. She skipped off toward Aaden’s without giving him a backward glance. What was with her tonight? He locked up, pocketed his keys, and followed Morgana.
He gave the moonlight sky a passing thought, remembering it would be daylight saving in a few weeks.
His lips tilted up. A five-minute walk and he could be at the beach to take an evening stroll. It had been one of the major selling points of the house. As a kid, the seaside was one of his favourite places. But from where they lived, it was a two-hour drive to the nearest beach. For the most part, as he got older, he couldn’t be bothered spending hours stuck in motorway traffic, just for a little sea air. An excited shiver raced up his spine as he thought how he’d never have to do that again.
With a wide grin on his face, he rapped on Aaden’s door. Where had Morgana disappeared to? He searched the darkness and found nothing. The sound of the door opening drew his attention.
“Hey, great to see you’re on time. It seems Ellie is running a little behind.” Nick ushered Connor in, still talking after he’d snatched the wine out of his hand. “Brody just texted to say they are leaving now, so they should be about twenty minutes.”
Following Nick, Connor listened and scratched his head. Why was Nick rambling? He only got that way when he was nervous. Connor laid his hand on his forearm, “Are you okay?”
Nick flashed him a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Yeah, I’m fine. You’ll be pleased to know Aaden is cooking tonight.”
Connor let Nick divert him, for now. “What, you mean I’m not going to have to tolerate your penchant for burning water?” He chuckled when Nick’s smile turned genuine.
“Whatever, man,” Nick said, flipping him the bird.
Already having been shown around Aaden’s home
, Connor followed Nick to the kitchen, beautiful scents assailing him. He inhaled deeply, his mouth watering. “Aaden, please tell me that’s your special Thai curry.”
“Hey.” Aaden chuckled, giving him a nod. “I’d hate to wipe that smile off your face.” His attention went back to the pot he was stirring, so Connor followed Nick’s lead and sat at the large table.
Aaden spoke over his shoulder, “Greg will be down shortly. He was a little late coming home from work, and as you heard, Ellie was running a little behind when Brody went to collect him. The others will be here shortly.”
The polished wood of the table distracted him, so he gave an absent nod to Aaden while his gaze moved to Nick. “This has your name written all over it. It’s gorgeous, as is the kitchen.” Connor had seen the kitchen briefly the day after he arrived. At the time he’d been too knackered and hadn’t noticed all the gorgeous details of Nick’s craftsmanship.
Wood was an element Nick could do anything with, and the beautiful curves and design of the table showed what he was capable of creating. “I don’t know how I forget how great you are at this until I see a piece of your work, and then your talent just blinds me.” He caught the faint blush covering Nick’s cheeks at his compliment.
“Hey, what was that for?” he hissed, rubbing at his now throbbing arm. The strength behind Nick’s punch belied his small stature.
“Shut up, man. You’re making me blush,” Nick moaned, sitting back on the bench next to him, “Come on, catch me up. It feels like forever since we talked properly. And before you say it, a couple of texts don’t count.”
Resigned to the inquisition coming his way, Connor gratefully accepted the glass of wine Aaden offered him, taking a sip before answering question after question. The hope Nick would eventually get tired of peppering him with demands for every detail quickly faded. Feeling a little desperate and tipsy from having finished his glass of wine on an empty stomach, he gave Aaden a “please save me” glance.
“Nick, let Connor fucking have a moment, will you?” Aaden asked with humour dancing in his dark eyes.
Nick hunched back against the bench, rolling his eyes at Aaden. “I’m just trying to catch up. If Connor hadn’t dated that prick Andy, then I wouldn’t be in this predicament.” Nick growled, giving Connor a look that any teacher would have been proud of, making him feel about two inches tall.
He lifted his hand in a sign of surrender. “I promise I’ll listen to you next time I plan to date someone. Not that I think I’ll bother with d—” The words died on his lips when he heard the sound of footsteps coming from the hall. Looking over towards the doorway, he met a pair of stunning silver eyes that looked like liquid metal, the impact rocking him to his very core.
Air, where had all the air gone? His chest heaved, and white spots formed in front of his eyes, but he never broke eye contact with the stunning creation staring at him. Breathless and reeling, he lowered his glass to the table with trembling fingers. The sound of glass hitting wood jerked him from the trance. Great gulps of air filled his lungs as he sucked in breath after breath, praying it would stop him from passing out.
The tiny, flamboyant munchkin screamed “boy” to his inner Daddy. Jaw aching with the restraint of holding himself back, he watched the man with utter fascination.
His blinding smile encompassed all the occupants of the room. Lean hips swayed seductively as the man moved into the kitchen and towards the breakfast bar. The room seemed to shrink right before Connor’s eyes. A sweet-smelling scent overshadowed the fragrant curry and made Connor’s mouth water anew.
His palms tingled with the need to touch, so he balled his fists in his lap. Pulse thundering in his ears, he never heard what Nick said. The litany in his head overshadowed everything else. Please let him be single. Please let him be single.
Ellie
With one sweeping glance of the kitchen, Ellie’s knees nearly buckled. He didn’t pay any attention to the beautiful cabinets, gleaming marble, and heavenly scents of curry. It took all his energy to act normal. His eyes met and held the striking almond doe eyes attached to the most stunning man he’d ever encountered. And that was saying a lot, considering the gorgeous men in the room. He didn’t notice any of them; his gaze fixed onto the handsome man sitting next to Nick at the large wooden table.
Not sure what to do, Ellie gave a provocative smile to the room. Hips swaying, he walked to the breakfast bar, in desperate need of something he could hold on to keep him upright. Ungluing his tongue from the roof of his mouth, he prayed he would be able to speak naturally.
“Hi, sorry we’re late. My bad. I was running around for this one,” he said, pointing over his shoulder at Brody. “I’ve been getting office supplies, and Gemma distracted me.”
With effort, he kept his gaze from wandering back to the man sitting silently at the table. The deep intensity of his stare did strange things to Ellie’s body. His inner boy wanted to go and crawl into his lap and let him take away all his worries. No, I don’t, do I?
There was something that screamed “Daddy” to Ellie. He struggled to think past the need. Aware of the tense silence growing in the room, he gave Aaden a big smile and tried to lighten the atmosphere.
“Hey, big boy, what are you feeding us tonight? Brody has raved about your cooking all the way here—”
“Aw, shut up, Ellie, or we’ll never hear the end of it. Aaden has a big enough head without you making it worse,” Brody groused, though the big grin on his face had them all laughing.
“You can always find somewhere else to live,” Aaden offered.
The banter back and forth continued, even when the others all arrived to join them. With everyone squashed around the table, Ellie noticed the comradery between them all.
The jovial chatter allowed him to relax. He had the perfect position opposite Connor, allowing him to stare under his lowered lashes without it being too obvious.
A sense that Connor was also checking him out was confirmed when Ellie glanced up and caught his almond eyes staring intently back at him.
“What brought you to the island, Connor?” He wanted to bite his tongue off at how husky his voice sounded. The searching look Brody threw in his direction said he’d not missed it either.
With a “mind your own business” glare at Brody, Ellie moved his attention back to Connor. He willed him to talk, wanting to know more about the man who got his pulse leaping crazily.
He was riveted to Connor as he laid his fork down and wiped his full lips with a napkin. Want vibrated through Ellie at the idea of replacing the napkin with his mouth. He would keep Daddy clean. He blinked slowly as the thought registered a second later.
Connor is not my Daddy. Fuck, he might not even be into Daddy kink.
The urge to argue with himself had Ellie miss Connor’s answer. Heat rode up his face as he tilted his head. “Sorry, I was daydreaming for a moment. What was that?”
“Connor, you’ll have to get used to Ellie’s mind wandering off,” Brody joked while poking Ellie in the ribs.
“That’s right. Poke fun at me,” Ellie ground out, turning to face Brody after rubbing his ribs. “I think you forget that’s what you love about me—”
“Now, children, shall we stop before we get to the name-calling stage,” Aaden interrupted.
A shiver raced down Ellie’s spine at Connor’s rich, vibrant laugh. He glanced back at Connor, whose face glowed, his eyes drawing Ellie into their depth until they were all he saw. His breath backed up in his lungs. Time stopped for a moment but was restarted by Greg and Nick bickering at the end of the table.
The conversation got diverted, along with Connor’s answer, leaving Ellie unsure how to go back and ask the questions he wanted to know the answers to. Did Connor have a boyfriend? Did he like kink? Would he be interested in being a Daddy?
Pleaseeeee.
The conversation turned to the office and the work still required to do. He contributed, but his gaze was repeatedly drawn to the quiet man sitting
opposite.
When the meal was finished and they moved into the lounge for coffee, he found himself sitting on a sofa next to Connor. The heat of his leg pressed against Ellie’s was maddening. The weight of his trousers felt too heavy against his skin, and Ellie was desperate to take them off.
Ideas of being naked and kneeling in front of Connor drove Ellie to clench his thighs, his body reacting to the endless images his mind conjured. A year of nothing but his hand for company seemed to crash over him. Waves of longing for what he’d had before Seb had become so overbearing reared their head and wanted him to pay attention to them.
Working on not getting caught up in that feeling of longing to belong to someone who would treasure him, he jerked when a ginger-haired cat landed in his lap.
“Ooh, you little bugger,” he screeched as claws sank into his erection. The pain and awkwardness of the moment quickly diminished his arousal. That was until a large hand scooped in to take the cat from his lap and made contact with his crotch. His teeth sank into his lower lip to stop the moan from leaving his mouth, and his gaze locked with Connor’s as he froze. Given how acutely he felt the back of the hand pressed against his crotch, he was sure Connor noticed how his cock bucked in appreciation.
Almond eyes darkened before Connor’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he slowly pulled back with the cat in his hands.
“I’m sorry about that,” he said, holding up the cat. His voice deepened. “Morgana doesn’t normally bother with people. She must like you.” A pink hue rode high on Connor’s cheekbones when the cat growled at him.
Uncertain if Connor was apologising for the cat or the touch, Ellie gave a wry smile. “It’s all fine. I’m sure there is no damage to the crown jewels.” The minute the words left his mouth, he slapped a hand over his mouth, the heat draining from his face. Shit, why did I say that?
