“It’s all clear,” Hanish said, opening the door.
JoJo stood and nodded at him then closed her book, brushing past him into the hallway. She was irritated he had left her in the safe room, and she was even more irritated with herself for staying. “I am going to let Tor sleep in the basement tonight. I have a baby monitor to keep track of him.”
“I’m sorry about the safety drill. It couldn’t be helped.”
She turned to him and frowned, walking closer until she was standing inside his personal space. She placed the closed book under her arm and pursed her lips. “In all my years as a nanny, I have never, and I mean never, been treated that way. Next time you have a safety drill, I would prefer you treat me with the respect I deserve. And I also noticed that neither you or any of your brothers were in the safe room. So I don’t know how effective the safety drill possibly could have been.”
“We were practicing our combat preparation.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe we are going to be invaded by enemy combatants?” She was beginning to think that maybe Hanish had post-traumatic stress from his years in the military, and it was causing him to act erratically.
“You have to be prepared for everything,” he said. “Especially as a father.”
“There’s being prepared, and there’s being over prepared,” she said pointedly.
“I understand why you’re concerned. You must think I’m insane, and I completely understand why. The truth is, I haven’t been one hundred percent honest with you. But I really would like to be. Now that I know what I know, I can be.”
She took a step back. “What are you getting at?” The conversation was making her more and more uncomfortable. They were standing in the hallway of his basement between the safe room and the basement bowling alley. She could hear balls rolling down the lanes and cracking when someone got a strike. A whooping sound came from beyond the open door. She glanced inside to find Raiden grinning at himself and pumping his fist.
Hanish closed the door and frowned. “I would like to ask you to meet with me in private. Tomorrow. We can discuss our arrangements.”
“Have you decided against keeping me on?”
“No. But I know it’s still a question for you. There are some things that need to be said before we can proceed with our professional relationship.”
“Such as?”
“We’ll discuss it tomorrow. I’ve arranged for Everly to watch Tor. We’ll drop him off at the Flame house in the morning.”
“And then what?”
Hanish sighed. “Then we will have the time and space to discuss the situation.”
“What situation?”
“This situation,” Hanish said, growing more irritated.
“I’m not sure what you mean.” JoJo actually did know what he meant. It was obvious that they were both attracted to each other, and they did not get along. It was a horrific combination to have in a professional relationship. But she wanted to hear him say it.
“We need to discuss our working relationship. Now that I have decided to keep you on, I need to know your decision.”
“I can tell you now,” she said with a sigh.
“I would prefer you wait until tomorrow. I have some things that I must share with you.”
“Very well.” She gripped her book under her arm and the baby monitor in her other hand. “I will speak with you in the morning, then.” She turned on her heel and hurried up the stairs. On the first floor, she found Zephyr in the living room with his nose deep in a book. He glanced up when he saw her and nodded, his serious expression not changing in the least.
“Good night,” he said.
“Good night to you,” she said as she turned to go to her room.
“Hanish is a good man,” Zephyr said to her back.
Turning to him, she raised her eyebrows. She leaned in, interested to hear what he had to say.
“Oh?” she asked, more defensively than she meant to.
“Hanish is my… brother, but he is also my best friend and greatest ally. We trust each other implicitly.”
“I understand why he listens to you. But I’m afraid I don’t understand what you get out of the relationship.”
“On the surface, Hanish may seem mercurial and demanding. But in many ways, that has made him an extremely successful captain. He makes decisions on the fly, and nine times out of ten, they prove to be successful. He is unendingly loyal to those he loves, and he gets the same loyalty in return. He has never failed a single member of his family and crew in all of the years we’ve served in the military together. We’ve had great successes, and he has willingly and enthusiastically shared the praise and glory with the rest of us.”
And he’s extremely handsome. JoJo gritted her teeth and squeezed her eyes closed in disapproval of her inner thoughts.
“He is a good man to work for,” Zephyr continued. “And I daresay whatever woman finally wins his heart will be immensely happy.”
“Oh? What about Tor’s mother?”
“Tor’s mother was a surrogate. There was never a romantic relationship. But he loved her and had nothing but the deepest respect for her, as we all did.”
“Why are you talking about romantic relationships with me? I am the nanny. It’s none of my business.”
“I just thought I would share. There’s no reason.”
“Uh-huh,” JoJo said.
Zephyr went back to his book and stopped communicating.
JoJo frowned and turned away. Is my attraction to Captain Hanish so obvious that even Zephyr can see it?
She hated to think that she was being so transparent. She’d done everything in her power to disguise her feelings and to be professional. In her room, she laid her head on her pillow, and Zephyr’s words played through her mind. Any woman who wins his heart will be immensely happy. She’d been butting heads with Hanish Storm from day one. But Zephyr’s words rang true. Maybe if they stopped competing with each other and began to work together, things would be different.
She groaned and turned off her bedside lamp. What was she thinking? Hanish was her boss and nothing more. All this talk of relationships was ridiculous. She needed to get those thoughts out of her head immediately before they got her into trouble.
Since she wasn’t going to leave Tor and Hanish, she had to accept the fact that she would be staying. And she had to accept the fact that she was attracted to her boss. The only solution was to get her hormones under control and put it all out of her mind. If Hanish was attracted to her, she could never let it develop. Getting involved with an employer would blacklist her for the rest of her career. No mother would ever hire her again. And the chances of Hanish and her living happily ever after were slim to none. It was only lust that had drawn them together. It couldn’t be counted on to last.
Chapter 9
Hanish had dressed in a casual suit in the festive shade of burgundy with exquisite tailoring and immaculate finishes. He’d told JoJo to dress for a daytime party, as he planned to take her out to lunch in a well-regarded restaurant at a winery. They would spend the rest of the afternoon sampling wine across the countryside.
“Will you be leaving soon, Captain?” Zephyr asked, walking through the door.
“As soon as I figure out how to put on these cuff links.” He fiddled with the little pieces of gold jewelry.
“If I may.” Zephyr held out his hand.
Hanish let his friend attach the cuff links. Then he examined himself in the mirror and straightened his tie.
“That is a very interesting color choice,” Zephyr observed.
“I like to make a statement,” Hanish said.
Zephyr raised an eyebrow. “Indeed.”
“I asked JoJo to meet me downstairs with Tor ready for an overnight stay with Everly,” Hanish said.
“Are you sure this is wise?”
“What do you mean?”
“Do you believe it is wise to tell her the truth of who we are?” Zephyr asked. “JoJo is
an intelligent and well-educated woman. However, her reaction to the truth is indeterminable.”
“You studied her personality. You know her background. How do you think she would react?” Hanish asked his friend.
“Even after running the variables through our systems, there is no real way of knowing. Believe it or not, much of a person’s personality and belief systems are not available on the Internet. There could be many things about JoJo that we don’t know or understand. Some of those could be the determining factors that influence her ultimate reaction. This could even come down to how she’s feeling in that moment. Humans are unpredictable creatures. And I would hate for you to lose your opportunity at finding your mate because you moved too soon.”
“What do you suggest I do?”
Zephyr tapped a finger on his chin. “I think the most reasonable course of action would be to tell her about your feelings for her. Then at least one big secret would be out in the open. If she admits her feelings for you, you can proceed with the relationship from there. But opening with ‘I’m a dragon from an alien planet’ may be a bit too much for her to accept.”
“You’re right. She already thinks I’m insane after the supposed security drill last night.” Hanish examined himself one last time and ran his hands over his suit jacket to smooth out the nonexistent wrinkles. “Well, I’m ready.” He winked at himself in the mirror before turning on his heel and leaving the room. He thought about Zephyr’s advice as he walked down the hall and descended the stairs. Hanish couldn’t tell JoJo the truth about his origins, but he could tell her the truth about his feelings. Unfortunately, that part was much harder.
The truth about his origins was just a story about his crew and his home, not his own personal feelings. And he wasn’t quite sure he was ready to open up. He wished he could just tell her that he was a dragon and she was his mate. Straightforward. Simple. Just a matter of logic. But now his feelings were involved, and he would have to think about how to express exactly what he felt in human terms.
Hanish was not a man who was easily at a loss for words. He had been told he had quite a bit of charisma and an innate ability to inspire others. But he had never been in love before, and that was completely new territory for him. He had never met another woman or even another man who could match him as JoJo could. She definitely knew her own mind and was a leader in her own right. She might even have been a stronger leader than he was. Keeping tiny humans in line took a tremendous amount of personal will.
He trotted down the stairs and found JoJo in a light-blue sundress that was cinched at the waist. The sweetheart neckline gave just a hint of the delicious curves of her bosoms. She wore her hair down in soft brown waves. She’d taken off her thick glasses and wore a different style of makeup that brought out the beauty of her features rather than attempting to hide them.
He was stunned silent and stopped in his tracks. Gulping, he loosened his collar. He searched for words but couldn’t come up with anything to say. It was as if he’d been struck dumb and his mind had gone blank. But it only took him a moment to recover before he was able to face the magnificent creature who stood before him, holding his son in her creamy white arms.
“You look lovely today.” Hanish moved close to her and kissed his son on the forehead. “Everything is prepared for Tor to spend the night, and you packed a bag?”
“Yes,” she said in her deep British accent. “Though I don’t understand why meeting to discuss my position should take so long. Or why you insisted I dress up. Is there something you’re not telling me?”
“I just thought that since we’ll be raising my son together, it would be good for us to take some time to get to know each other. We should understand each other better as people. Don’t you think?”
“Spending so much time together is rather unusual. I’ve never had another client ask to do anything like that.”
“I propose we find a new way of doing things,” he said. “Maybe it isn’t customary. But perhaps it could be better.”
“I am open to experimentation,” JoJo said.
Hanish winked. “As am I.”
He saw a blush rise in her cheeks, and her eyes flitted over his form. He could tell she found him attractive and could smell the hint of desire rising off her body. No matter how much she tried to suppress it, it was there.
A sly smile crept over his lips. He took Tor from her hands and put him in his baby carrier. Taking the baby carrier in one hand and the overnight bags in the other, he walked with JoJo outside. She loaded Tor into the car while he loaded everything else in the trunk of his SUV.
Once they both climbed into the front seats, he turned some music on the stereo. “This is Aria and Aiden. They’re magnificent, aren’t they?”
She smiled. “They truly are talented. There is something about the music that gives me a chill. I can’t explain it.”
“I think it has that effect on many people. That’s why we thought it was important for them to do the tour.”
“We?” JoJo asked.
“The House of Flames and the House of Storms are somewhat of a unit. We aren’t exactly family, but we’re close.”
“I was beginning to sense that.”
“We were all in the military together. And we now all work in national security. It isn’t a bond of blood, but a bond of loyalty. We have all vowed to protect the people of Earth from all who would oppress them.”
“The people of Earth?” JoJo asked.
“It’s a figure of speech.”
“It’s admirable. It’s too bad more people don’t feel that way.”
He felt a rising sense of pride that she might admire him. He let out a deep sigh and accelerated down the road. He was more excited about the day than he had been since awakening on Earth. He had no idea how he was going to keep from telling her the truth now that he knew she was his mate. Hanish was a decorated officer and a well-loved captain, but subterfuge had never been his greatest skill.
Chapter 10
Hanish followed JoJo onto the wine tour bus and couldn’t help but notice how lovely her figure looked in the blue sundress. Her usual attire and severe manner disguised the beautiful, curvy woman she hid underneath. By the time they’d finished their meal together, he was beginning to see a softer side of her. He found it curious that she seemed a bit hung up on making the right decisions at every moment. She was a strong woman who knew her own mind, but he could tell that it was hard for her to relax and let go. In their conversation, he had seen behind the mask and was beginning to understand that there were other reasons for her constant need for control.
The vulnerability behind the façade of power and propriety made him feel more attracted to her. He felt as though he knew her better. He knew her weak spots and the chinks in her armor. It made him want to protect her—give her space to let go and to feel safe and free. If he could do anything for her, it would be that.
It must have been difficult for her to spend her entire life feeling as though she must live up to some arbitrary expectations of what was proper and professional. Hanish had had his share of run-ins with authority, especially as a brash and impulsive young captain. But in the end, he had always been able to show the wisdom of his unorthodox methods. And that was why he had lasted for so long as a leader.
He sat beside JoJo on a bus that began to pull off the road toward the next winery. He was beginning to understand why he and JoJo were meant for each other. She had something that he lacked, and he had something that she lacked as well. They were more complete together than they were alone. Sometimes he had to be reminded to slow down and take heed, to think about the proper course of action and what other people might think. Zephyr served him in that way to some extent, but he thought of things from the perspective of cold, hard logic. JoJo was more concerned about people, and Hanish truly appreciated that.
When they got off the bus at the next winery, their group was given a brief tour and told about the specialties. They sat in the cellar, sipping
glasses of merlot and port.
“This one has woodsy undertones. This one is leathery. This one has a bright, floral flavor,” the host told them, pointing to the different bottles.
Hanish tasted all the human wines and couldn’t tell the difference between them. JoJo seemed to have a knack for identifying the flavors as well as a full grasp of the language of wines. As they were left to sample their glasses, Hanish downed an entire cup of the woodsy-flavored merlot.
“You aren’t supposed to drink the whole glass,” JoJo informed him.
“Whyever not?”
“You’re just supposed to sip it, swish it around in your mouth, and then spit it out.”
“Why would I spit out wine?” he asked.
“You don’t want to get drunk.”
“Why wouldn’t I want to get drunk? This is a wine tour. Is that not the point?”
“I suppose it could be.” She laughed, lifting her own wine glass. He had seen other humans clink their glasses together, so he did that with her. She smiled and sipped, this time not spitting it out. “I’m afraid we’re going to pass out before dinner.”
“Human wine doesn’t affect me that much.”
“I’m beginning to think you’re already drunk.”
“It’s just a running joke we have about civilians,” Hanish said. “Sometimes I let it slip out when I’m not being careful.”
“Oh, is that it?” JoJo laughed.
He could tell she was starting to loosen up, and that made him feel unbelievably happy. He wasn’t entirely sure why, but her happiness was infectious for him. He could smell it and feel it under his skin. It was like a bubbling giddiness that rose from deep inside him, swept over his shoulders, and into his brain. It overwhelmed his entire being.
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