“I have a home, at least for the next twelve hours. I need to finish getting my stuff down here.”
“Is it a lot of stuff,” she didn’t like how he stressed that word, “you need to finish getting?”
“No.”
“Is it packed up and ready to go?”
“Yeah, I just need to get my bathroom items, computer, and plants. Oh, and the last two bags of my clothes and shoes.”
“Is that it?” he asked, casting a bit of his own sarcasm her way.
“Yep. So, you can put me down and let me finish up. I don’t want them throwing my things on the street in the morning.”
“They’d do that?”
“Yes, if the Sheriff comes and my things are still here.”
“Barbarians.”
“Business, baby.”
He smiled. “I like how you call me baby.”
“I didn’t call you baby, it was just an expression.”
He gave her a wicked wink. “If that’s what you need to make your slip up of affection toward me work, then delight in it, but I know the truth.”
“Ooh! For real, put me down. I’ve got to finish up, and you’re burning my window of time with this nonsense.”
Sighing, he said, “I’ll readjust you to ride on my back as you direct me to your condo.”
“No, go home. I’ve got this. It’s my mess to clean up.”
“It’s our mess, and I’m the only one able to do any cleaning tonight.” He swung her around like she was his ballroom dance partner to position her on his back. “Which way to your place?”
The set of his shoulders clearly conveyed that she wouldn’t be getting rid of him anytime soon.
“Geez, you’re stubborn.”
“Thank you.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“Dear one, anything you say to me is a compliment.”
“Ooh—you’re exasperating!”
“Wait until I show you the ways.”
“Stop it, Mac, I mean it or I start yelling for help.”
His deep chuckle filled the elevator as they entered.
Three more hours of packing, cleaning, fighting with Mac to let her do things and she was back downstairs in his sports car too pooped to protest. It was well past her normal bedtime, her body had given up and gone into a dull numb humming of blunt pain, and she needed a hot bath to remove grit and grime from all the moving and doing of the evening.
“I’ll get Danny to take care of getting both your vans over to the house in the morning.”
“We haven’t discussed this yet. I’m tired, but I can afford to find a hotel for the night.”
“Why, Bronwyn, why?” Frustration directed at her filled the small space of the selfish excuse for transportation known as a sports car.
It had taken both vans to get all her stuff inside, but he’d moved everything she said down without the least bit of complaint. It was hard staying angry with him for his earlier behavior.
“Before I forget, you left these at home earlier.”
She caught herself staring at how the muscles in his lower arm flexed and moved under his bronze skin as he reached over and under her car seat to pull out her purse and that pretentious portfolio she’d bought to impress clients. For a moment, she wished he’d planted another kiss on her, but instead, she settled for reuniting with her lost purse. As was her habit when she misplaced things, Bronwyn opened the purse to check to see if everything was there.
Stuffed beside her wallet was a thick envelope. She looked over at Mac who was back in his seat. He returned her look with warmth in his eyes. Emotion that had been held at bay all afternoon and evening rumbled up, making her stomach growl. That and the fact that she hadn’t eaten today.
Instead of prolonging the suspense, she snatched the envelope out of her purse, turned it over to see a strong, clear, neat masculine script covering that side. Reading his words hit her deep down in an area never before accessed. Blinking back more tears, she sat for a second and then relented.
“You didn’t have to do this, any of it, but you did.” Feeling the intimacy of the moment, Bronwyn flung caution to the wind. “Come here.” She opened her arms to receive the large man in the small space as he leaned in to hug her.
This time it was she who initiated the kiss. Meeting the pleasure of his lips as his body heat encapsulated her was the homecoming she might have always been searching for. This was right. Not because of the money, but because when she needed someone the most, he was the one who’d been there, refusing to leave.
Pulling back before the kiss became inappropriate for the parking garage, he said, “We need to get your foot checked out.”
“Buzz kill. You really took the sugar out of that piece of cake. How do you know I was finished with you?” At this level of tired, all hope of manners was gone to be replaced with raw honesty.
“I hope you’re never finished with me,” he said, voice dripping with sexiness,” but right now, you need to be checked out by a doctor. I can sense pain radiating through your body. That’s not something I’ll tolerate where you’re concerned. I don’t want to chance it by waiting until the morning to make sure you’re all right.”
“Okay, but I don’t think any of the Urgent Care centers are still open at this time of night. I’m too tired to go to the emergency room.” Her yawn came at the right moment for emphasis.
“How quickly you forget the resources I have access to. I’m taking you home where my friend, who’s a doctor, is going to meet us. He’ll give you an exam and let us know what you need.”
12
Bronwyn
“Hairline fractures? But, it doesn’t feel broken.” She couldn’t believe it. Her foot and ankle were broken in three places.
“That’s because you continued to use it after the first fracture began. The others splintered out from the stress point of the first. You also forget the power of adrenaline. Trust me, when it wears off, you’re going to know your foot and ankle have been fractured.” Continuing to look at her with intense interest as he had during his examination, he added, “Stay put and take the pain meds I’m leaving here for you. Mac will see to it that your prescription is filled, but you need to take them now before the pain gets to be unbearable.”
“How long before I can resume my normal activities. I’m pretty active on my feet.”
“At least a day or two if you allow Mac here to do the rehab exercises I’ve given him to do with you.”
“Rehab exercises?”
She didn’t miss the looks the doctor gave Mac. He reminded her of Mac in a lot of ways. It was evident they had a lot in common. When he refocused on her, his expression attempted to veil a lot of unspoken questions. Bronwyn didn’t know why he wasn’t asking them. She had nothing to hide. Instead, he resumed his consummate bedside manner.
“Yes, I’d like for you to rest for a day or so and then Mac will help you rehabilitate your ankle to keep the range of motion and enhance the healing process.”
“Okay, but what about walking on it. I have work to do this week.”
“What type of work are we talking about?” the doctor asked.
“I’m a personal concierge, and I have a client who’s hosting a poker night on Friday. I need to pick up and deliver the party items, poker table, and decorations.”
“Yeah, things like that are off the list of activities you can do for at least two weeks.”
“Two weeks? I can’t run a business without being able to move for two weeks.”
“Do you want to be able to walk without a permanent limp or pain for the rest of your life?” he asked.
“Yes.” She looked at Mac who was staring her down to cooperate.
“Then I suggest you value your health over your business for a few weeks to heal properly. Stay in bed for a day or so and then give yourself time to regain your strength.” Looking over to Mac, he directed his attention to him as the doctor said, “I’ll come back by on Sunday to see how she’s progress
ing.” Then as if they spoke a secret language, the man added, “Congratulations, well met on finding your greatest treasure.”
Mac nodded unleashing an enormous boastful grin. Bronwyn was itching to know what he’d found but refrained from asking. It was O-dark-thirty, but she managed to keep some of her manners in check. After a few more instructions, the doctor packed up his state-of-the-art lab and portable x-ray equipment.
Both of the men were huge. The doctor was almost as tall as Mac, and they seemed to have a deep friendship. Bronwyn was thankful for him coming over to see her so late at night and tried, in vain, to pay him for his visit. After he’d set her foot in a soft cast and given her pain meds to control the pain for a few days he was gone, Mac walked him out to the front door.
Thankfully, she’d managed to bathe herself before the doctor made it or else she’d feel icky with a cast on a dirty foot and ankle. Bronwyn tried to adjust herself on the sofa only to realize how awkward her new boot was going to make things.
Mac came back into the room to stand beside the sofa, peering down at her.
“The doctor wants you to get plenty of rest. I’m going to take a shower, then I’ll be back to get you.”
Feeling like a burden on how much she’d commandeered his day and night already, Bronwyn tried to redeem a little bit of the time she was taken up.
“Mac, thank you again for everything tonight… and today. I don’t know how I would have gotten out of there without you. It’s been a long day, and I’ve taken up enough of your time. I’m good and going to get some rest if you don’t mind me sleeping on your sofa. You do you. I’ll be fine.” Then with a stab at being cheery, she added, “See you in the morning.”
“Did you hit your head on something?” He was clearly not happy with her at the moment. “There’s no way I’m going to leave you down here by yourself. Let me inform you on how this is going down. After I grab a shower, I’m going to come back and take you to our bed. Yes, our bed, and no I’m not crazy. You’ll rest in that bed. If you don’t wish for me to share the bed with you, I’ll sleep on the floor or chair next to you, but where you are, that’s where I’ll be. Got it?”
“You’re serious?”
“Yes, I haven’t changed my mind from earlier today. I want you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re mine.”
“I’m not an object. You don’t and can’t own me, Mac. I don’t understand why I have to tell a grown man this, but here we are just the same.”
It was as if she spoke to the wind for all the good it did. Mac continued his train of thought. “I’m yours, forever. Are you going to reject me again like you did today?”
“Wait? What the hell, reject you? Um, buddy, how about you switch that around? You’re the one who rejected me. You’re the one who stopped and shut down on me. You hurt me.” She was heaving with the force of the words as they’d poured out of her. “I was open and trusting that you meant what you said and you stopped without reason.”
He ran a hand through his thick mane and stopped to look back at her. “That’s what you think? That I rejected you?” Bending down on knees, he came close. “I’d never reject you. From the moment I saw you, I knew you were my mate. If you accept me, I want to be yours as well.”
Again, tears threatened to spill as his words hit that place only they had the ability to find deep within her. “I don’t understand what you mean by that. What is a mate? I’m not going to lie, I’m green when it comes to all the ways folks couple up nowadays.”
He laughed. “You sound old when you say things like that.”
“I guess I have an old spirit, but I do know I want loyalty and commitment. You’re the only man I was willing to, you know, offer myself to like I did today. When you stopped, it hurt, deeply.”
“I didn’t know, nor did I ever mean to hurt you. Please forgive me, Bronwyn?”
He laid his head down on the sofa in the space between her side and arm. No words came as she ran her free hand through his soft, thick locks. For a second it sounded like he rumbled the sofa with soft, deep sighs.
“Bronwyn, there’s something I need to share with you. I imagine it will be… difficult to process. This part of me that I’m going to share with you is part of the reason I stopped earlier. You deserve to know this about me before bonding with me.”
Her breath caught in her throat. Feigning courage, she didn’t possess, Bronwyn spoke as clearly as she could. “Sure, I’m listening.”
“This is something I need to show you more than tell. It’ll be better if I show you first. Then, I’ll answer any questions you have about it, promise.” He raised his head to look her in the eyes. “Please, promise me you’ll give me a chance before you make any decisions on what I’m going to share with you, please?”
Nervous laughter turned into soft giggles as she tried in vain to remain the vision of strength. “Boy, please. I’m from the streets. There’s not too much you can spring on me that would make me run for the hills. I’m good.” Then to strengthen her ability to be here for him like he’d been for her all night, she added, “Mac, we’re good, promise.”
Rising to his feet and picking her up, he headed to the back of the house to go outside. She held on used to being carted around by him by now. Outside, he took her to the area by the fire pit. It was dark out except for a half moon. She waited for him to place her in a chair.
Once she was seated, he stood and said, “Watch everything I do from here on. Once I’m done, we can talk. All I ask is that you wait and allow me to work with you to process what I’m about to share with you.”
“Okay, now you are starting to scare me a little. Please don’t tell me you’re one of those little gray aliens with the big eyes. They always freak me out when I see them.”
“Haha—not a gray alien, but not what you’re expecting either.”
“Shoot—then quit stalling and show me. The suspense is killing me.” She forgot her foot and tried to yank it up to hug only to be met with a shooting pain within the soft cast.
“Stay still. I’ll get your pain meds.”
She waved him back from going to the house. “Nope, we do this now, before pain meds mess with my ability to comprehend.”
“Gotcha.”
He looked over at the dark fire pit and spewed out a thin stream of fire so hot it was blue. The end of the stream hit the middle of the fire pit with precision, igniting the contents within. Bronwyn could see the results of what had just happened, but how, was taking time to make the connection with her logical brain. Whatever it was and how he did it was cool.
“You still with me?” he asked.
“Yep, still breathing. That was cool. You got more?”
“You could say that is an understatement.”
“Well then, get to sharing. I’m going to be fading fast in a few minutes. I’ve been ignoring Mr. Sandman’s calling my name for a few hours now.”
That got a hearty laugh out of him.
“Right, well nothing left to do but get to it then.”
She watched as he stepped back into the open area of the lawn. The firelight from the pit and the moon were enough for her to see him with a good amount of clarity. Propped up and determined to handle whatever he threw her way, Bronwyn watched as the man she was falling for moved and contracted until he grew into a… Dragon!
Spine stiff, eyes bugged and body humming with life-invigorating electricity, Bronwyn was transfixed by the sight. It was out of the dreams too many to count that she’d had all her life of a majestic slate blue Dragon. More beautiful and way larger than in any of her dreams, Mac, leaped taking to the sky with an ancient grace. Her mouth fell open as she watched him soar high. The thumping sounds his large wings made against the air tickled her ears with excitement.
Bronwyn blinked and even pinched herself a few times as he made circles above, doing aerial loops and turns that might as well be air ballet. This couldn’t be. How could this be? Her fondest dreams that she’d chase
d for as long as she could remember were playing themselves out here tonight. Times at the orphanage when she wanted to run away, hide, or disappear, the dreams would come to save her. She’d dream of riding her Dragon high about the problems of the world. Her Dragon was strong, could and would protect her from any hurt, harm, or danger, and she loved him. That she’d always been certain of. Bronwyn was in love with her Dragon. Remembering to breathe here and there, she watched, wishing she could stand and run beneath him in joy.
As if sensing her mounting excitement, Mac landed in a graceful descent in the same open area of the lawn. Bronwyn had to stop herself a few times from jumping up to meet him. Through the glistening fractals of tears, she could see life-bending magic swirling around him, putting everything, including his clothes, back into the man she knew as Mac. When he came close, tears of joy ran down her face without restraint.
“Dear one, are you, all right?” he asked, kneeling close to wipe the tears from her face. Too emotional to speak, her head bobbed in a nod fueled by her vigorous excitement. “Aw, my dear one, did I frighten you?”
“No,” she managed to get out. “You’re my Dragon. You’re real… and here right now.” She clasped his face between her hands. “You’ve been in my dreams forever.”
He searched her face for a long moment, allowing her words to sink in.
“You’re not afraid of what and who I am?” he asked, still hesitant.
“Of course not! You’re my beautiful Dragon.”
“You realize you called me your beautiful Dragon, correct?” She nodded again. “Good, that means I can call you my beautiful mate then. I told you I’m yours. I always have been. Based on your dreams, it seems my Dragon has been finding you in the dream realm for years.”
“Yes, and I’m so… oh, I can’t put what this means into words. It’s, no, you’re an actual dream come true.”
“Flattery will get you everything. Keep talking to me like this and I’ll lasso the stars and the moon for you.”
Without thought or permission, Bronwyn brought her face close and planted a firm kiss on his lips. When she released him, she whispered, “I’ve loved you all my life, my Dragon. Are you able to do the same for me?”
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