“I'm mastering Stairway to Heaven.”
“Your rock music can wait for another time. House business is the priority,” Cato chided.
“Just get down here, Aiden,” Kian said, looking over his shoulder.
“Fine, I'm on my way,” Aiden said, his hologram popping.
Dax and Aiden arrived in the basement a moment later, and they sat around the computer terminals.
“What is this all about?” Aiden asked, rolling back the sleeves to reveal his many tattoos.
“Kian believes that the new nanny is his mate.”
“Mate?” Dax asked. “We can mate with the humans?”
“We might be able to mate with Dragon Souls,” Cato corrected. “Kian believes Everly is one, and his fated.”
“Your fated one?” Aiden said, growing interested.
“If she is my fated, then there could be mates for all of us here.”
“I want to find my mate. The females are so tiny and curvy. They make my dick hard just looking at them,” Dax said.
“You must remain calm,” Cato said.
“How can I stay calm when I'm surrounded by billions of delicious human females, with their soft curves and warm little bodies?” Dax growled.
“Because you must,” Cato said.
“These humans are small and luscious,” Aiden said. “Everly is an appealing example of their kind.”
“Don’t you look at her,” Kian growled.
“If Everly is Kian’s mate, then we will know that all of us can find mates here on Earth.”
“I can't stop thinking about the human females,” Dax admitted. “My dragon wants to mate. He’s tired of being cooped up. Can I go look for one now?”
“We must keep a low profile among the humans,” Kian said.
“Finding we can mate with humans doesn't solve the problem of the vampires. There is a local coven who is active in the human population. But Bethi’s ability to analyze their activities is limited,” Cato said.
“We will go on a reconnaissance mission to investigate,” Kian said.
“Anything to get out of the house,” Dax said.
“It feels like a million years since I sliced a vampire,” Aiden said.
“Any new information we can glean from a reconnaissance mission will help us determine the best course of action,” said Cato.
“We need to understand these modern vampires. They seem different from the ones we knew a million years ago. But they are still dangerous to humans and Dragon Souls. It is our responsibility to be their guardians,” Kian said.
Chapter 6
Everly spent her day caring for the baby. Ember really was the sweetest thing she had ever had the pleasure of knowing. Ember had a cute, chubby baby face, bright blue eyes, and black curls that reminded Everly of Kian.
Ember was the spitting image of her father, and Everly’s growing affection for the child had the disadvantageous effect of causing her kindling attraction to Kian to swell. Every time she looked at Ember, it made her think of Kian. His dreamy blue eyes. His male model face, his strong, square jaw. The look of determination and force of will in his eyes that let her know that he was capable of anything.
He was a man who was used to being listened to. It made her respond in a way she had never expected. Her ex-husband had been a different kind of person. As she rocked Ember in her swing, Everly closed her eyes tightly and tried not to think about it.
Comparing Kian to her ex was like comparing a Rottweiler to a Chihuahua. It just didn't seem right. Ember swung back and forth in the swing, clapping and cooing happily.
Kian appeared in the doorframe. He gazed down at Everly with that quizzical expression that made her feel like he was examining her. She flushed under the heat of his gaze and told herself he was just an intense man. It didn't mean anything. It didn't mean that he wanted her.
“We are preparing dinner. You can get to know the other males who are living here.”
“I'll be down right away.”
He nodded once and left the room. Everly looked over at Ember and raised her eyebrows at the baby. Ember cooed and gummed her fist.
“I'm going to be living with four handsome men. You're used to it, Ember. I just don't know if I can handle all of that hotness.” Ember cooed. “You right, sweetheart. How bad could it be? It's not like I'm starting to feel all tingly and gooey every time I see Kian.”
Ember giggled and slapped the tray of her swing.
“He couldn't possibly be attracted to me,” Everly said, responding to the baby. “Look at me. I'm frumpy and plain. And he is… Anything but.”
Ember made a sharp sound of disapproval, but Everly shook her head.
“I know he isn’t attracted to me. It's just my mind playing tricks on me because I'm so lonely. I have you to take care of now, Ember. Everything is going to be just fine. I’m happy.”
She picked up Ember from the swing and carried her down the stairs to the living room. The mansion was decorated with classic furnishings with a modern touch. It looked as if it had all been purchased together, right off the showroom floor. Everything was in its place and was quite lovely, but there was something about the home that seemed as if it didn't really belong to the men who lived in it. There were no personal touches or family photos.
She supposed that four handsome bachelors living alone together didn't really think of such things — at least, that's what she told herself. She was becoming more and more curious about why the four men were living together in this colossal mansion in the first place. And she hoped that she would get more answers at dinner tonight.
She walked into the kitchen and found the men standing around the counter having a verbal sparring match. Kian cleared his throat and the other three men turned to look at her. Ember made a high-pitched noise and clapped her hands together.
“Everly,” Kian said. “We were just talking about you.”
Everly gulped. The other three men were just as masculine and handsome as Kian. They all had different qualities of their own. But each was more stunning than the last, with Kian being the most stunning of all. They smiled at her and gave her that animalistic look that Kian sometimes leveled at her. It made her hot and damp, and slightly uncomfortable.
“It's nice to meet you, Everly,” said the broad-shouldered man she had been introduced to earlier as Dax.
She set Ember in the high chair and took Dax’s hand. He shook it awkwardly. His grip on her hand was a strong as steel, but the look in his face was amiable and kind.
“You too,” he said.
“It’s nice to meet you again. I’m Aiden if you didn’t remember,” said the one with the wavy black hair.
He flashed his blue eyes and gave her an appraising look, and she felt naked under it. He sniffed, his nostrils flaring.
“It's nice to meet you again, Aiden.”
“We’ve met twice already,” Cato said.
His eyes were darker blue than Kian's and he looked at her as if he were analyzing all of her features and every curve. He smiled, but the smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
Kian told them all that dinner would be ready soon and pulled a roasted chicken out of the oven.
“I didn't know you could cook,” Everly said, sitting down at the kitchen table that looked out the window at the sprawling backyard.
“It is a new skill I recently acquired,” Kian said.
He brought the roasted chicken and potatoes and set it on the long, dark wood kitchen table. He sat at the head of the table beside Ember in her high chair. The other three men slid into their seats and began dishing up their food.
After Everly had taken a bite of Kian’s succulent chicken, she gathered the courage to ask the question that had been at the back of her mind since she had arrived at the mansion.
“I don't mean to pry, but what are you all doing living here together?” she asked. “Are you a sports team? Or male models?”
Cato scoffed, and Aiden sat up straighter, tilting his chin, and
Dax began laughing. Kian drummed his fingers on the table and shot them all a dark look.
“We are what you might call… business associates,” Kian informed her.
“Business associates?” she said skeptically. “I suppose that makes sense. What kind of business are you in?”
“It's confidential. All you need to know is that we are involved in national security.”
“Oh,” Everly said with surprise.
She didn't realize that they were law enforcement. A shudder went down her spine and fear grew in her belly.
“Are you spies?”
“Like I said, it's confidential. But it's nothing you need to worry about. This house is fortified.”
“Okay,” she said, looking down at her plate. “I'll take your word for it.”
She took another bite of chicken and groaned at the tender, juicy flavor. It was cooked just right, and she couldn't believe that a man who was so masculine and commanding was also such a good cook. She forked a bit of buttery potato and popped it in her mouth. It was just as good as the chicken.
Dax started a conversation about his favorite sports team. Apparently, he was a big fan of football, basketball, baseball and hockey, with soccer and rugby coming in a close second. He tried to convince the others to play a game of basketball with him on the court in the backyard.
“No thanks,” Aiden said, flipping through his iPod. “I have music to listen to.”
“And I have technical research to do,” Cato said, scrolling through his cellphone.
“You two are so boring,” Dax said.
“Maybe if you used your brain once in a while, you wouldn't be so bored,” said Aiden.
“I do use my brain,” said Dax.
“When was the last time you changed your clothes?” Aiden asked him.
“I change all the time.”
“Your taste is definitely lacking,” Aiden said.
Aiden looked like a rock star, in all black with dark eyelashes and tattoos running up his arms, while Dax looked like a typical beach bum, in board shorts and flip-flops. Both were cute, just in different ways.
“Could we please not have the same bickering conversation in front of our new housemate,” Kian said. “You're giving her a very bad impression.”
“It's fine,” Everly said. “I want to understand your interests.”
“Well,” Kian started. “Cato is the technician of the group. Dax is our tactical offi…our athlete. Aiden as our cultural expert.”
“And what are you?” she asked.
“I am the leader,” Kian said. “I make the tough decisions.”
Everly felt nervous as all the men looked at her with the same desirous gaze.
“While you're here with us, I want you to feel safe.”
“I do feel safe,” she lied.
Something about the way these men looked at her made her feel something that was…not necessarily safe. But not necessarily unsafe either. It was something closer to turned the hell on.
She had the strangest feeling that they were all attracted to her, but knew that couldn't be true. These men could have their choice of any woman they wanted. They were attractive, rich, and intelligent. She was just an ordinary nobody who had just been through a nasty divorce and had lost her first baby. What could any of these men want with a girl like her? Especially Kian, the leader of them all.
They had an important, high-level security job with the government. That meant that they were not only rich, built, gorgeous and intelligent, but they were also heroes. Just the idea made her flush.
“I want you to focus on taking care of Ember. We will take care of everything else.”
“I am awfully grateful that you hired me,” she said.
“Early tomorrow morning we have a mission. You will be in the mansion alone, but we will take every precaution to keep you safe here. The mansion has excellent security. You will be all right here.”
“You're leaving me?” she asked, her tone more desperate than she wanted it to be.
Something at the mention of leaving her and the baby alone just made her feel nervous. She didn't want them to leave. Most of all, she didn't want Kian to leave.
“You're just being a foolish girl,” Everly chided herself inside her mind. She had no right to cling to him like that. “There is no chance that he is attracted to you. You're just kidding yourself because you're lonely and you just got divorced. You need to get over it and do your job.”
“I'm here to make your life easier and to take care of baby Ember. Whatever you need, I'm here for you,” she said instead.
“You are clearly the right person for that job,” he said, gazing down at her.
The look in his eyes made her feel like she was melting into her chair. How was she supposed to convince herself he wasn't attracted to her when he kept looking at her like that? She was going to have to get a serious grip. Otherwise, this job was going to be torture every single day.
Chapter 7
After dinner, Kian carried Ember upstairs with Everly. He stood so close to her at the door of the nursery that she could feel the heat of his body radiating off him. They went into the baby’s room and changed, bathed, and put Ember down to sleep together.
Everly watched the look in Kian’s eyes as he gazed down at his daughter in her crib. Longing surged through her. He was such a good father. He loved his daughter so very much.
“What happened to Ember's mother?” she asked softly as they stepped out of the room and turned off the light.
“It's a long story,” he said, his eyes casting down.
“I'm sorry,” she said, reaching out instinctively to touch his shoulder.
He looked down at her hand. A low growl rumbled at the back of his throat. His eyes flashed. She snatched her hand back, feeling that she had overstepped her bounds. Maybe she shouldn't have touched him like that when discussing Ember's mother.
“She died,” he said.
“Oh, I'm so sorry,” she said. “That must be so hard for you, to have lost the love of your life.”
He sighed deeply and looked away.
“I didn’t mean to pry,” she said, biting her lip.
She was just so curious. Her growing attraction for the man couldn't be denied. And it made her want to know what had happened Ember’s mother.
“She and I were never mated,” he said.
She felt even more confused than before. What did he mean by “mated”? It was a very strange way of putting things.
“She was somewhat of a surrogate,” he said.
“A surrogate?” she asked, touching her fingers to her lips.
“Yes. It was important to me that our family line continue. I had not found my mate yet, so I employed a surrogate to give me a child. She died shortly after the birth.”
She could tell the subject was painful for him, but she desperately wanted to understand. She kept having fantasies about them together, as ridiculous as it was. She really couldn't help herself.
“I had deep respect for Ember's mother. But we were never together like mates.”
“I see.”
“She sacrificed herself for the greater good.”
“It must be painful to think about.”
“It feels like a million years ago and a million miles away,” he said.
“I know how that can be,” she said. “I lost my child last year, but it feels like a lifetime ago. She’d be about Ember’s age now. Tragedy has a way of changing everything. But I hope that I can move on. I hope the same for you.” She wanted to reach out to him so much her heart hurt.
“You're a very thoughtful woman,” he said, leveling his hot gaze on her. His nostrils flared as he breathed in the air.
“Well, thank you for walking me to my room,” she said, growing nervous. If he kept looking at her like that, she might be tempted to throw her arms around his neck and kiss him.
“Goodnight then,” he said.
She slipped inside, feeling her body heat from the loo
k in his eyes. She stood on the other side of the door with her back against the wood. She gritted her teeth and growled at herself, slapping her palm to her forehead.
“How could you possibly think that man is attracted to you, Everly?” she demanded of herself, storming through the room. “He is gorgeous, and you are just... blah.”
She turned to the mirror, observing her voluptuous curves. They had grown during the pregnancy, and she still hadn't lost them. Her plain dark blonde hair fell around her shoulders in a shapeless mass. Her pale skin was dotted with freckles. She was short and plump and plain, she decided. How could a man as gorgeous as Kian possibly be interested in her? Her ex-husband’s cruel words played inside her mind. She growled at herself again.
“You need to believe in yourself,” she said. “You're worth everything and more. Why wouldn't he be attracted to you? You’re a good woman and you deserve the best.”
She nodded at herself in the mirror, setting her jaw. But she knew that it was all just talk. Deep down, she didn't feel like she deserved it. She felt like she deserved to be back where she was a day ago, scraping by, and living in a borrowed room.
She let out a deep sigh and collapsed on the bed, staring at the ceiling. She couldn't believe how comfortable the bed was and how beautiful her room was. Her life had changed in the blink of an eye, and she couldn't quite accept it.
Everly got ready for bed and set Ember's baby monitor on her night stand. She climbed under the covers, turned off the bedside lamp, and pulled the cozy comforter up over her shoulder. Things were definitely turning up for her. Aside from the great job, the comfortable bed, and the beautiful home, she had Kian in her life.
As much as she told herself to stop thinking there was any chance they could be together, she couldn't stop. There was just something about him that felt so right. If she could get an affirmation that he really was attracted to her, then maybe, just maybe, there was hope for them.
She drifted off to sleep, her head filled with dreams of her and Kian. Her and Kian having dinner together. Her and Kian shopping. Her and Kian on a ski trip. Her and Kian making love. Her and Kian having their own children. Her and Kian raising baby Ember and half a dozen other babies in the mansion.