by J P Sayle
At the end of her explanation, Morgana gave him a moment to digest. Would he ever be able to get his head around all this? Where the hell had he moved to? Middle Earth?
Flopping back against the mattress, his head full, he shut his eyes. No amount of blocking what Morgana had said worked. It wormed its way through into his reality, and a part of him acknowledged that she was telling the truth. While another part wanted to argue he needed to be admitted into a mental health facility because he was having a breakdown.
“How many times do I have to tell you this is real.” The target of his disquiet growled inside his mind. He kept his eyes closed and ignored her. Who knew that his worries about work would be superseded by a talking cat?
Morgana
Releasing an inward sigh, Morgana stared at Connor as he lay on the bed, pretending she wasn’t there. Had she rushed things? She had wanted to encourage Connor to wake Ellie and get down to business so that the bond would cement them together.
“I told you, Morgana. You can’t interfere and push,” Max grumbled.
“Why can’t I? You did.”
“And look what happened to me! Don’t you get it? Mess with fate, and you’ll get your backside kicked from here to eternity.”
She froze. Did Max know about her past? Could he see what she had done?
The very idea had her blocking Max from her mind. Her worry was increasing when he managed to push at the wards in her mind. The ease with which he used his power to show her he could still read her left her shaking. What if he found out about Christina?
“Find out what, Morgana? What aren’t you telling me?”
“Don’t pry, Max. It’s none of your business, and if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave it alone.”
“You think that after everything the little witch put Princess and me through, I’d leave it alone?”
The threat had her hackles rise. “Listen here, you little snot-nosed arse. I have been around more years than you can count. What I know could ruin all of us if revealed. So keep your nose out of my head,” she huffed.
A loud growl was followed by silence as Max eased out of her mind. Her head sank onto her paws, and her jewel eyes gleamed with worry. It will all be okay. The lack of conviction left her sighing and closing her eyes on what could happen if Christina was set free of her binds.
Ellie
A sense something wasn’t quite right had Ellie stir and twist under the cover. His legs encountered difficulty in moving while his eyes fluttered open. He groaned at the brightness of the light pouring into the room. His gaze swept the unfamiliar place. Where the hell was he?
His mind flooded with images of the previous night, and he stuck his head into the pillow, hiding his heated cheeks. He was in Connor’s spare bedroom. With no memory of how he’d come to be in bed, he lifted the duvet. Dressed. He was still dressed.
How was he still in his clothes?
His foggy mind cleared, and his eyes widened, making him wince.
He rubbed at his face, wishing like anything he could go back and undo what he could now remember. Okay, Daddy. The words, uttered in a tipsy haze of tiredness, now choked him. Could I have been any more obvious? What had Connor thought? Crap.
How awkward was this going to be? Did he get up and explain that it had been a joke and nothing more? Did he ignore it and pretend he couldn’t remember?
The harder he thought about it, the more his temple throbbed with pain. A groan left his mouth just as there was a tap at the door. He held still, his lungs screaming when he forgot to release a breath. Convinced Connor had heard him, he floundered. Should he answer?
“Ellie, are you awake?”
The quiet question that came through the door got Ellie moving. A resigned sigh was his only response as he crawled out of bed a rumpled mess. His clothes, he noted, looked like he’d left them in the dryer for two weeks before deciding to take them out and fold them. It seemed creases were a new look for him.
Running a hand through his bed hair, he opened the door. Air evaporated from the room, and the scent of expensive aftershave wafted around him. The smell was as intoxicating as the man towering over him with a look of concern on his gorgeous face.
It took him a second to notice that Connor was carrying a tray filled with food and a glass of orange juice. Ellie licked his lips and didn’t fail to see how Connor’s gaze latched onto his mouth. A stirring inside his belly spread down and played havoc with his tight trousers. Shifting back a step, he made room for Connor to step into the room.
“You made breakfast for me?” He wished he’d kept his mouth shut at the stupidity of his obvious question when Connor grinned at him.
“Well, it’s actually closer to lunchtime, and yes, I thought you might be hungry.”
How the hell could it be early lunchtime? Ellie glanced at his wristwatch…well, crap. A sudden thought had him pat at his pockets. His gaze moved to Connor. “Do you know where my phone is? I have a date at one o’clock, and I’m going to be late at this point.” He wasn’t sure if it was the mention of a date that caused Connor’s shoulders to droop and a distinct expression of disappointment to cross his face, or maybe it was just because he had to leave?
“I’m not sure. Is it in your coat?” Connor offered, his gaze having moved down Ellie’s body.
A flush of heat crept over Connor’s cheekbones, and Ellie spent a moment considering what had caused it until he remembered his body’s reaction a moment ago. His hand moved and hovered over his groin when Connor spoke, making him freeze.
“Please don’t hide from me.” The husky demand was at complete odds with the look of uncertainty he wasn’t quick enough to mask.
”Yes, Daddy” sat on the tip of his tongue, but Ellie bit it back with effort. His hands moved back to his sides, and he stood tall, doing as he was told, even when he had no clue why.
“Do you want to eat this breakfast before you leave, or do you need to get to your date?” The word “date” was spat out like it was distasteful to Connor, and Ellie’s brows disappeared under his messy fringe. Was Connor jealous? No, he couldn’t be, could he?
His head tilting, Ellie regarded Connor. Had he mentioned his date was with Gemma? His mind searched for what he’d said. Not sure if he had, he wasn’t sure if he should specify his date was with a friend. The matter was taken out of his hands when Connor moved past him and placed the tray on the small table tucked under the window.
“I’ll leave this here.” Saying nothing else, he spun around and left the room, his posture stiff. He didn’t look back as he closed the door behind him.
A groan escaped as Ellie sank onto the bed and eyed the door. When his mind started conjuring ten thousand different scenarios of how that situation could have ended differently. None of which was with Connor leaving. His cock bucked against the tight confines of his trousers. “Stop that. It’s not up to you,” he muttered with disgust.
He looked at the tray when his mouth became dry. Shrugging, he got up and drank down the juice. When he caught movement coming from next door, his gaze was drawn out the window. Brody came out of Aaden’s with a determined stride.
What’s his problem? Ellie’s knuckles whitened on the glass as Brody marched towards Connor’s door.
Why was he coming here? It suddenly occurred to him how late it was, and he groaned. He dumped the glass back on the tray and ran to the door. Brody in protective mode could be a real arse to anyone. When he reached the top of the stairs, he shouted for Connor.
“Connor, Brody is coming, and he looks a little pissed. I’m not sure why, so I’m just gonna grab my stuff and head out. He promised me a lift anyway.” Already at the door, he grabbed his coat from a peg by the door. “I’ll see you around,” he finished as he dashed out the door, not sure if Connor had heard him or not.
Breathless and with heaving chest, he halted in front of Brody. “Morning,”
A finger jabbed at him. “Don’t you morning me. It’s nearly lunchtime,” Brody g
round out before he stopped and his gaze travelled over Ellie. A look of alarm washed over his face.
A bubble of laughter rose, and before Ellie could think better of it, he giggled. “You should see your face.”
“Never mind my face. What the hell happened to your clothes. The creases in those would have you competing for the title of the world’s most crumpled man.”
Ellie’s giggles increased when Brody didn’t see the funny side of the state of his clothes.
“I know. I fell asleep in my clothes. Too much wine and sleepless nights.” Realising his mistake, he slammed his mouth shut.
Brody’s brow rose and pinched together. “Why aren’t you sleeping? Is there something you’re not telling me? No, I take that back. I know there is something you’re not telling me. For months I’ve known something was off. I just hoped you’d tell me without me having to badger you.”
Hurt and something Ellie couldn’t define slipped into Brody’s tone. Ellie hunched, then remembered this man had been his saviour in too many ways to count and deserved his honesty.
“There is a lot to say, but I think here is not the place to talk about it. I also have a date.” Brody’s eyebrows wagged the moment he said the word date, and Ellie gave him a haughty glare as he continued, “In about an hour. And at this rate, I’m gonna be late, so can you drop me home now?”
“I can, and that will give you plenty of time to fill me in on what’s bothering you.”
“Did anyone ever tell you you’re like a dog with a bloody bone sometimes,” Ellie accused as he stomped past Brody towards his car.
“That may be the case, but you’re just as bad,” Brody stated matter-of-factly as he followed him.
The drive to the house was far quicker with Ellie spending the whole time explaining about Seb and their relationship.
“Are you telling me the fucker has been stalking you and you never thought to mention it to me?” In his rage, Brody’s angry growl hardly made any sense.
He could practically see steam coming out of Brody’s ears. His flushed face and vice-like grip on the steering wheel gave Ellie a moment of fear. What if Brody crashed the car? That was not beyond the realm of possibility, and Ellie rushed on to explain and try to pretend it wasn’t as bad as it was.
“He is struggling to let go. He doesn’t get why I don’t want the life he had mapped out for us. It was too restrictive. I wanted him to be my Daddy, but—” As soon as the word ”Daddy” left his mouth, the car veered into oncoming traffic, but Brody quickly scrambled to correct it.
Heart pounding, Ellie gripped the ‘oh fuck bar’ and screeched, “What the fuck are you trying to do? Get us killed?”
“Don’t start with me. I’m not the one who just announced that Seb is a Daddy. Seriously, how am I supposed to react to that?”
With a huff, Ellie twisted towards Brody and pointed. “You were the one who demanded I talk about my crap. It’s not my fault you’re boring.” He sniggered the last part when Brody glanced sideways and shot him a disbelieving glare.
“I’m not boring. This is just something I didn’t expect, is all,” Brody stated before turning his attention back to the road.
“Whatever. I’m into Daddy kink, so what—“
“Too much information. Please shut up now,” Brody whined, interrupting him.
Ellie rushed to explain the rest, breathing a sigh of relief when they made it back to his house in one piece and Brody parked in the drive.
Brody twisted towards him once the car stopped. “On a serious note, has Seb been in touch since you got here? Do I need to talk to some of my colleagues back on the force and ask them to keep an eye on him?”
There was a genuine concern in the offer, so Ellie reached across the car and touched Brody’s arm. Squeezing, he smiled at him. “Thank you, but no. I don’t think he knows I’m here. If it gets any worse, I promise I’ll let you know.”
“You’d better, or I’ll kick your arse, or better yet. I’ll get Aaden to kick it. He’s much better at it than me,” Brody joked with him, and Ellie could tell he was trying to lighten the mood.
With a final promise to tell him if things got worse, Ellie hopped out of the car and waved Brody off. His wrist buzzed, so he swiped at the screen and read the text. Typing out a quick response to Gemma, he let himself into the house and ran for the stairs. He dropped his coat onto the bannister while he stripped, taking the stairs two at a time. His next stop was the bathroom, where he showered in quick time. In his bedroom, he grabbed a random outfit.
Dressed and standing outside his front door waiting for the taxi to pick him up, he took a deep breath and let his mind go where it had avoided wandering since he left Connor’s. The man was a conundrum, and Ellie was desperate to figure him out. The part that needed unravelling first was whether or not he was a Daddy. Something told Ellie he was. The question was did Ellie want another Daddy after Seb’s clingy behaviour? Clingy? That’s a bit of an understatement.
His eyes rolled heavenward, a sigh lost into the wind that picked up as the taxi pulled up in front of him.
Let it go. With that idea wanting to take control, he kept his mind occupied with the scenery as the taxi took him to Douglas.
Connor
Connor listened with half an ear as Nick explained what he was designing for the house that he and Brody were purchasing together. The irked feeling from the day before, when Ellie had run out of his home without even a goodbye, wouldn’t let go. Did he run away because I’d been too pushy?
“Are you listening to me?” Nick demanded and pulled Connor from his thoughts.
“Yes, I’m listening. You were talking about the new design for a kitchen in the house you’re buying with Brody.” He kept his fingers crossed that Nick hadn’t changed the topic while he’d zoned out.
With a sniff, Nick carried on explaining about his choice of wood, and Connor released a small sigh. With more effort than it should have required, he listened to Nick and made sure not to let his mind wander back to Ellie.
Who was his date with? Was it with a boyfriend?
His teeth ground together when he realised no amount of effort kept him from thinking about Ellie. “Is Ellie dating anyone right now?” he blurted out.
Nick halted midsentence to stare at him like he’d lost his mind. “What? Why are you asking me that?”
Heat rose so fast Connor was sure he was now a beautiful shade of red. He glanced down at the kitchen table, fiddling with the cup sitting by his hand.
“No reason. It’s just he mentioned going on a date yesterday,” he answered far too quickly, doing his best to conceal his deep-seated need to know the answer.
The night of tossing and turning while trying not to be annoyed at the very idea of Ellie on a date with someone that wasn’t him had left him with a headache and, apparently, no filter on his brain. Don’t forget a cat that communicates with humans!
He was more than grateful when Nick spoke and distracted him from thoughts of Morgana.
“Why the interest in who Ellie is dating?”
Connor glanced at Nick, who kept his gaze firmly fixed on Connor, a spark of mischief in his eyes. Squirming at the obvious question on Nick’s pretty face, Connor groaned and buried his face in his hands in defeat.
The pain increased in his throbbing temples. He rubbed at his brow before answering. “I like him.” He shrugged, doing his best to keep his feelings under control and out of his voice. “I just wanted to know if I should ask him out or if he is already dating someone.”
Nick chuckled. “At least this time you’ve picked someone half-decent—”
Connor blustered over the top of him, “Hey, we’ll have less of that. Don’t talk about Ellie in that way. He is—” Not sure what he was, Connor struggled to find the right word.
A hand gripped his, and Connor realised he had lowered his gaze and was staring at the table. He flipped his hand over, and Nick took hold of his palm and squeezed, making him glance up.
�
��He’s single. His date yesterday was with Gemma, Greg’s best friend and the lady I’m creating a kitchen for at the moment.”
Air burst out of Connor’s chest with such speed it would have been embarrassing if not for the relief pouring through him.
“Wow, you like him, hey?”
Saucer-like eyes stared at him as he looked up, and he responded without thought, “He calls to me in a way I can’t explain. I feel this deep connection right in my chest.” Connor let go of Nick’s hand and stood. His hands raked through his hair. “I don’t know how to explain it.”
“Did it feel like a bolt of lightning had struck you and removed all thoughts about anyone but Ellie? Do you feel your world will never be the same unless he is a part of it?” Nick asked.
A ball of fear stuck in the back of Connor’s throat. The conversation he’d pushed out of his mind rushed forward. Nick’s response rang through him and left him shaking with certainty that he hadn’t lost his mind and that what Morgana had said about Nick might be right.
Not sure how to even start a conversation about talking cats, Connor roamed back and forth across the kitchen tiles. He was desperate to find a way to ask what Nick knew about his strange cat.
Coming to a halt, Connor swung round and eyed Nick. “Who is Christina?” The question had the colour drain from Nick’s tanned face.
“Why… do… you ask?”
The stuttered response caused the meal Connor hadn’t long eaten to take a journey back up his throat. He swallowed and coughed, asking again, “Who is Christina?” An urgency filled him, needing to get the answer. “Please, I need to know.”
A loud sigh was buried in Nick’s hands as he leant forward and hid his face. Connor’s heart rate took flight. With shaky legs, he walked back to the table, sat, and tugged on Nick’s hands, “Please tell me what she is?” His phrasing of the question got Nick to reveal his face, his wide-eyed expression hinting that Connor had hit on something.
“She’s a—witch.”
The word hung in the air as he took a deep breath and then released it. His world tilted on its axis with that one word. How could it be real?
