Nick’s lips twitch, offering me a smile, and a hint of fang. “You’re welcome, kitten.”
As the elevator doors open, Grant swoops me up in his arms and carries me through the entryway toward my bedroom.
“What are you doing? Put me down, Grant!”
Nick stays in the entryway as Grant carries me off, shaking his head as he watches us disappear down the hall.
Grant stops in front of my room and gently places me back on my feet. “Go change, Kelly. When you’re done meet me back in the living room.” He reaches down and brushed his lips against mine. He expects me to pull away, but I didn’t.
“Are you all right?” My changed demeanor puzzles him.
“Yes, Grant. I’m fine. I’ll go change and meet you in the living room.” I turn the knob to my bedroom door and left him standing in the hall.
I know Grant stood in front of the closed door for a moment. He senses something has changed between us after I struggled with the power surge in the dining room.
I change and then head into the living room. The sound of my bare feet on the marble floor disappears as I step foot onto the carpeted floor. Grant stands and takes a step towards me. I changed into black yoga pants and a dark blue oversized cotton t-shirt. The shoulder slouched just enough to show the strap of my black lace bra.
Grant has taken the time to change out of his suit and stands in front of me wearing a black t-shirt and very worn jeans.
The bell sounds as the elevator doors open. Instinctively, Grant step in front of me. I don’t think he was expecting anyone this evening and prepares to protect me at all costs.
“This way.” Nick’s voice grows closer as he leads Fredo through the entryway.
“Mr. Cooper, I brought you your dinner.” He raises the tray of food up to show Grant. “Where would you like it?”
Grant turns to me. “Are you hungry, mo chroi?”
I notice his words became more polished. The hint of Ireland has faded. “I am.” Nodding to him. “Could we eat in here? I would like to enjoy the view.”
He turns in a circle, assessing the room. “Fredo, leave the tray over there on the coffee table. We can take it from here.” He stepped toward his chef and pats him on the arm. “Thank you for all your efforts this evening.”
Nick steps toward Fredo. “Come on, Fredo. Let’s leave these two to relax and enjoy the food.”
Fredo wants to say more to Grant. Most likely wants to ask what had happened in the dining room that caused us to leave. But he knows better than to argue. “Enjoy!”
Nick guides Fredo back to the elevator, leaving Grant and I alone.
“Mmm. This smell delicious.” I lift the silver dome from one plate. “I haven’t had ravioli with a white cream sauce before.” I pick up the plate along with a fork and napkin and plant myself at the far end of the sofa. Grant follows my lead and does the same.
I cut a ravioli pocket in half and realize it isn’t stuffed with traditional white cheese or beef. This has flecks of green onion mixed into crab meat. Putting a bite on my fork, I glide it through the sauce before I pop it into my mouth.
I moan. “Oh, my god. This is FANTASTIC.” The sauce is buttery and has a hint of shallots. It is a perfect combination. I pop another bite in my mouth, bite after bite until my plate is clean.
Grant is watching every move I made. I finish my meal in just a few minutes and frown.
“What it is, mo chroi?”
“I am so hungry.” I study the empty plate. “I must have eaten a pound of pasta and my stomach is growling for more.”
“Your body is trying to refuel. You emitted a lot of energy downstairs.” He tilts his head. “Do you know what’s happening to you? The power surges?”
I place the plate down on the floor before curling up into a tight ball. “No. Not really.” My forehead bumps against my knees. “It’s always sort of been there.” I peer up at Grant, deciding how much to tell him. “I can remember getting mad at Joe when I was little.”
My eyes travel to the panoramic view of the hotel lights. “He would turn my light off at night just before I would go to sleep. We would argue about keeping the light on, but he would turn the light off and close my bedroom door telling me to go to sleep.” A faint smile appears on my lips. “I didn’t like the dark.” I glance over at Grant. “I still don’t.” I stare back out the glass window. “I would sit up, not leaving my bed and be able to will the light to turn back on.”
I stretch out my legs across the couch. Grant moves closer to me, picking up my feet and placing them in his lap. I pull away from him, but he stops me.
“Be still mo chroi.” He massages the arch of one foot.
As much as I don’t enjoy being told what to do, I allow him to give me this small comfort. His hands are strong, but he is careful with me. He wants to comfort me, not hurt me.
“How is this? Too much pressure, mo chroi?”
My eyes remain closed. “No, it’s good.” I am oddly content as he massages a knotted muscle just behind my ankle.
“Good.” He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “Mo chroi?
I open one eye and peek at him under my lashes. “Hmm?”
“We have turned your life upside down…” Grant takes my other foot and begins rubbing.
“If your father hadn’t complicated things… I would have still come for you. Maybe not as forceful, but I would have come.”
I push back into the sofa. “So, you are telling me my life was never mine. I will never be able to choose my path… where I live or work? Who I date?”
Grant’s hands tighten.
“OUCH. Hey! That hurt.” He squeezes my foot hard, and I try to pull my foot from him, but he does not release it.
“My apologies. I didn’t mean to hurt ya.” Grant lifts both of my feet and slides closer to me. “The thought of someone else being with ya…” He shakes his head. “Have ya?”
My face tenses. “Have I what?”
“Have ya… been with another?” His piercing green eyes hold my gaze, forcing me to respond.
“Are you asking me if I’m a virgin?” I fight to free myself from his grasp. “You’re kidding me, right?”
“No, mo chroi. I’m not.” His voice softens.
“I won’t discuss this with you, Grant.”
We both sit on the sofa and stare at one another, waiting for the other to flinch. Grant did not take his eyes off of me when he calls out. “Nick!”
Moments later, Nick appears. “Yeah, boss?”
Grant continues watching me, waiting for a reaction. “Nick. Is our Kelly a virgin?”
Nick opens and close his mouth like a fish out of water. “Wait. What?”
“You heard me, Nicholas. Do not make me repeat myself.” Grant’s low voice sounds more like a growl.
Nick glances at me. “Kitten?”
Grant twists his head to address Nick. “Answer me.”
I lift an eyebrow and shrug at Nick.
“Well… Yeah, I think so.” He looks at me again and then back at Grant.
“You think so?” Grant raises his eyebrows. “You are responsible for the safety of my mate and you can’t tell me if she’s been with someone?”
“Oh, for the love of all that is holy… I’m a virgin! Happy now?” I stand intending to leave the room, but Grant quickly wraps his arms around my waist.
“Let go of me.” I demand quietly.
“No, not when you are so angry with me.” He stands from behind and holds me close to him. “I’m sorry, mo chroi. The thought of someone else…” He slides his lips across my shoulder. “I did not mean to anger you. Forgive me?”
Jaw clinched, I open and close my hands. How dare he presume this was any of his business. My glare must have answered his question because he looks to Nick for help.
Nick awkwardly stands in the room, turning to face the window. “Do you still need me boss?”
“Yes, actually.” Grant pulls me around to face him. “Mo chroi, we need to
understand these abilities of yours. We can teach ya to be in control of it.”
I feel like a tornado picked me up and flung me around the room. Between the power surge in the dining room and the emotional tug of war with Grant, all I want was to go back to my room.
“Fine.”
“No argument?” Grant tries to suppress a smile.
I shake my head. “I’m tired of fighting you, Grant. I’m tired of all of it. If that’s what you want? Fine.” I am running out of steam. “Can I go to my room?”
“Yes. We’ll walk you back to your room.” Grant gently guides me to the hallway, Nick in tow.
We walk down the long hallway without a word until we stand in front of my bedroom. “Get some rest, mo chroi. Nick will come and get you in the morning after breakfast. The two of you can work on your training.”
“Fine.” I look at Nick. “See you in the morning.”
“Good night, Kitten.”
I look at Grant with tired eyes. “Good night.” I walk into my room and close the door.
Grant
I swipe my forehead and exhale. “That ended well.”
Nick gives me a side glance as we both head toward my office. “You think so, boss?”
“I do. She said everything was fine now.” We stride toward my office door and enter the room.
“Okay.” Nick fails to hide the smirk.
“Is there something you would like to say? Perhaps you disagree?” I fall into my oversized leather executive chair.
“Boss, Kitten said ‘fine’ three times. That doesn’t mean she’s fine. She’s a little angry, I think. But what do I know?” Nick crosses his ankles after leaning against the doorjamb.
“I don’t think I understand. She says 'fine’ but what it really means is she’s not ‘fine’. Is that what you just said?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m sayin’.” He weighs his words. “A long time ago, my ma told me that when a woman says they're “fine” it means they are done with you. Kitten is done arguing with you, boss.”
“Arguing? We weren’t arguing!” I lean up and place my arms on my desk.
“Okay. What were ya talkin’ about?”
“We were talking about how I would have come for her regardless of Joe’s actions. She’s mine.” My eyes narrow.
“And asking her if she was a virgin… isn’t cause enough to be angry with you?” Nick shakes his head. “Boss. Sometimes you're oblivious.” Pushing himself off the wall, he moves to sit in front of me.
I stare blankly at Nick. “I would kill anyone who has touched her.” My voice is low. “I protect what’s mine.”
“Boss, did you ask her how she felt about being claimed by you? Have you asked her how she feels about any of this?”
“No. I suppose I haven’t.” Leaning back in my chair, I run my fingers through my hair. “Why can’t she just do what I tell her to do? It would make it so much easier.” Exasperated, I sigh. “Now what?”
“Talk to her. Ask her how she feels. You say she’s your mate, but I don’t see you taking any initiative to ensure she’s happy.” Nick slaps his hands together. “Seems my work here is done.”
Nick smiles at me. “I can tell she has feelings for ya. You just need to treat her like a woman instead of a possession.”
“Thank you, Nick. I don’t know if there is anyone else in my charge who speaks to me the way you do.” I hang my head. “Help me fix this with her. Please.”
Nick nods. “I’ll talk to her while she and I work tomorrow morning.”
“Good. Thank you.” I look down at my desk calendar. “I have a meeting tomorrow morning with Alex to discuss the council. Afterwards, I’ll come find you and Kelly.”
“Get some rest boss.” Nick turns and leaves me alone with my thoughts.
Chapter 19
Kelly
I had a restless night. I am in the bathroom staring at the circles under my eyes when I hear a soft knock and then my bedroom door opening.
“Kelly?” My friend’s soft voice calls out to me.
“Coming, Sofia.” One last glimpse at my tired eyes and then I stride out of the ensuite to greet my friend.
“I brought breakfast. I thought we could share some time alone.” Sofia raises an eyebrow. “Without being bothered by vampires.”
This makes me smile. “Thank you.” I give Sofia a quick hug and reach for a cup. “Can I pour you some coffee?”
“Yes, please.” Sofia sits down at the little table as I pour two cups of steaming coffee.
“Thank you for doing this. I need the caffeine.” I sit down and face Sofia.
“You look tired, my friend. Are you all right?” Sofia lifts her cup to her lips and takes a sip.
“Yeah, I am fine.” I shake my head. “No. That’s not true. I’m not fine. I spent the evening with Grant.”
“Tell me. What happened?”
“Well, it started out nice enough.” I pause and sip my coffee.
“And?”
“Every time Grant opens his mouth; I just seem to become angrier with him.”
Sofia smirks. “And this surprises you? You know he is a difficult man, Kelly. But you also know how important you are to him, right?”
“That’s just it. He tells me 'you’re mine, mo chroi’,” I say with an exaggerated Irish accent. “I’ve claimed you and you belong to me!”
My Grant impression causes Sofia to giggle. “Oh my, you’ve got his accent down.” She laughs. “So, tell me why this is a bad thing. I know you like him, Kelly.”
Sofia tilts her head in question, “don’t you?”
I reach for a bagel and smear cream cheese across both halves. I didn’t want to answer Sofia. The fact is, I do like him. The problem, I have no say in my current predicament. Joe takes my plans to finish high school and live on my own from me the moment he signed my life over to Finn Bailey. Actually, that wasn’t true. My life changed over six months ago. Grant had claimed me as his, changing the course of my life forever.
“Well? You haven’t said no yet. Should I assume you have feelings for him?”
Rolling my eyes, I put my bagel down and walk to the panoramic view of the strip. The streets were quiet in the morning. All the party goers were sleeping off hangovers most likely. Without facing my friend, I nod.
“Kelly, you need to answer me. Use your words, girl!”
I lean my forehead against the glass window and close my eyes. “Yes, there’s something there. I just… I just need some space.” Turning to face Sofia, I slide down to the floor and sit against the glass.
“All of my plans, have been taken from me.” Pulling my knees to my chest, I rest my head. It is easier to talk about it if I don’t have to look Sofia in the eye.
“Did you know he had Nick watching me like a bodyguard for the last six months?”
Sofia’s light footsteps cross the room. She sits in front of me. “I knew.”
I look up at my friend. “And you thought it was okay for them to stalk me like they did?”
Sighing, Sofia says, “I’ve known them both for decades. I also know that Master Grant is a good man who only wants to protect you.”
“Decades? That can’t be possible, you can’t be much older than I am.”
“Kelly, I became Grant’s servant in 1943. He saved me from starving on the streets.”
“But… wait, you are not a vampire. How is this possible?” My mouth went dry.
“Just like you, I swore my loyalty to him and share the blood bond.”
I shared a blood bond with Grant. Why didn’t I ask more questions about the bond? I open and close my fists. Grant knew what he was doing. He was bonding us together… forever? I should be furious with him. I close my eyes and exhale a long breath. It was my fault for not asking more questions. I would have known if he was lying to me. This is my fault.
“It’s not so bad, Kelly.” Sofia bit her bottom lip and shrugged. “We are stronger, faster and will stay young for a very long time.”
&n
bsp; “Yeah. That’s great news.” I flatly respond. This time it wasn’t all Grant’s fault. I had to take some blame. All I thought about at the time was pledging my loyalty to gain an opportunity to escape.
I wasn’t sure if subconsciously I put myself in this position because I may not have wanted to leave. I have been more at home here with this supernatural, what? Family? I didn’t know how to classify the people I find myself with. I knew that they were growing on me, including Grant.
There is a knock at the door. “Come in.” I holler.
Nick pops his head through the doorway and smiles. “Are you decent?”
Both Sofia and I push ourselves up from the carpeted floor and stand. “Yes, come in.”
Nick walks through the door and smile at Sofia. “Hi.”
Sofia blushes. “Good morning.” She smiles at him as she walks to the table to clear the breakfast tray she had brought.
“Good morning, Kitten. You ready to get to work?”
“Self-defense this morning, right?”
“We’ll do some of that too. But we need to concentrate on harnessing your power surges, yeah?”
“I guess.” I shrug. “I mean, I don’t even know why I do that. I’m not sure I can tell you anything.”
“That’s okay. We’ll figure it out together.” He looks back over to Sofia and winks. “I’ll see ya later, yeah?”
Sofia smiles and nods at Nick. “Yes, I’ll see you tonight.”
“Be ready for me.” He wraps his arm around Kelly’s shoulder. “Come on, Kitten, it’s time to go.”
We head out in the hallway, and I follow behind Nick. “I’m a little unsure about what we are doing, Nick. Not the self-defense part, I get that and hope to prove to you both I can handle myself. What I’m unsure of here are the sparks I can’t control.”
He slows down and walks beside me. “I am too. But we’ll figure it out together, okay?” He smiles. “The biggest thing is we figure out what your triggers are and then we’ll figure out how to harness and control it.” Nick pushes the button for the elevator, and we step in. “I don’t see a way to do it other than getting it to happen again.”
Paid in Full: Kelly Kennedy Series (Book One) Page 16