The thought of her sleeping in his house, under his roof, sent sparks surging through his bloodstream. His cock was hard, which was fucking crazy while he was sitting here in the Bluebonnet Café, surrounded by half the town.
She leaned in and took a sip of her tea. Even after all these years, Kellan couldn't get used to the iced tea they drank in Texas, but right now, all he could think about was the way her full lips looked. She licked over her bottom lip with just the tip of her tongue.
He wanted to inhale her vanilla-honey scent as he licked across that bottom lip, and he wanted to taste the sweet tea on her tongue. Kellan wanted that creamy skin laid bare for him.
Dammit. The dainty wicker seat creaked as he shifted. God, what am I going to do if we eat together every night? I’ll have a permanently hard cock.
“Is something wrong?” she asked.
“Nope. I’m good. You want to see the house?” He had to get up and move away from her. Another second of staring at her big brown eyes and he was going to have to kiss her. And then he’d lose a nanny, and probably scare the hell out of her too.
“Sure,” she said. She gathered up her purse.
“Where’s your car? My house is a little far to walk in this heat.”
She bit down on her lip as her cheeks burned a dark pink. “I don’t have one anymore.”
How does a teacher not have a car? Maybe she has some debt to pay off. Come to think of it, she doesn’t seem to have any luggage either.
Now that did set off alarm bells in Kellan’s mind. There were plenty of places in the world where people didn’t drive cars. But Texas wasn’t one of them.
“I’m sorry to be so blunt, but why don’t you have a car?”
“I um... I left my ex-boyfriend. I came here on a bus.” Her voice cracked as she spoke. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay.” The shifter in him longed to comfort her. But if she was going to be around his kid, and in his home, Kellan had to know the truth. “Take your time.”
She dropped her voice to a whisper. “He was abusive. I wanted to leave for a long time. But I couldn’t. He was the deputy prosecutor in town. His uncle was the local judge, and his aunt was the elected sheriff. Everyone in town thought they were the perfect family.”
She covered her mouth with her hand. “I left. I left my phone. And my car. And all my clothes.”
He believed her. He was far from a mind-reader, but her distress was genuine.
Kellan was already imagining paying this asshole a visit. A little bit of fire-breathing would have this jerk pissing his pants, which was less than he deserved. A witch had once called Kellan a monster, but a dragon shifter would never have abused his mate. Fury rose in his bloodstream.
He coughed to cover his anger. If he wasn’t careful, his eyes would start to turn yellow. “That’s fine. You’re welcome to ride with me. We don’t have any cabs here, but my friend Brennan, the one who’s the sheriff, would be happy to drive you if you don’t want to get in my car.”
A small smile crossed her face. “If I’m going to live with you, then surely I can ride with you.”
“Good point.” Kellan left a big tip for the staff at the café. As they exited, he had to physically put his hand behind his back to keep from touching her. This was not a date. And the sooner his body got the message, the better.
6
Clara
Clara clutched the handle as she closed the door to Kellan’s car. What the heck is going on with me? Her mind told her that she should be afraid of getting in a stranger’s car. But she’d just accepted a job with this man. To live in his house. As she’d told him, getting into his car should be a breeze.
But even though she should have been scared, she wasn’t.
Something about Kellan put her at ease.
Kellan’s Mercedes was pristine. “I can’t tell you have a five-year-old,” Clara said, glancing into the backseat. There were no food wrappers, bits of crayon or half-full thermos bottles. All of those things had been present in the cars of her Kindergarten students when their parents picked them up.
“Oh, I drive the Land Rover when he’s with me,” Kellan said. “I keep this one clean for when I have meetings in Dallas.”
Land Rover? She could buy a house in Mississippi for the cost of a Land Rover. “You have two cars?”
“Yeah,” he said.
So he was wealthy. She’d figured he was, from the cut of his suit and the Mercedes, but it sounded like he was far richer than she’d thought.
He drove them carefully through the town, pointing out the library, the schools, the grocery store, and the sheriff’s department with pride in his voice.
He pointed at the restaurant that sat on the bank of the water. “And there’s the lake. Declan loves the lake, and he loves to eat at The Catfish House.” Then he took a deep breath. “Listen, Declan is rough. And he’s very sturdy. There’s a genetic condition that makes his bones heavy, so do not let him jump on you, and don’t try to catch him. Quinn, the doctor, will back me up on this.”
“Poor Declan. Is he okay?”
“He’s fine. There aren’t any other health consequences to his condition. He’s just stronger than other kids, and it’s been hard on him.”
“I can’t just let him fall if I can help it.”
“Please do. I promise he’ll be fine. I’m not saying to let him do dangerous stuff if you can prevent it, but if you see him jumping off the top of the refrigerator, don’t try to break his fall.”
“Does he get on the refrigerator often?” Clara turned to stare at Kellan as he drove. He even looked good in profile.
Kellan looked at her with a roguish grin. “Define often.”
Clara squared her shoulders. “No matter how rowdy he is, it won’t be harder than a classroom full of twenty children.”
She could tell Kellan didn’t think so, but she wasn’t going to argue with him about his own kid. She’d just have to prove to him that she was competent at working with kids, even his boisterous son. They kept driving for about ten more minutes. As they passed through Cedar Lake, the stores grew less frequent and the landscape turned to fields that featured hay bales and grazing cows.
Then they pulled up to a mansion. That wasn’t an exaggeration. It had to be at least ten-thousand square feet and there was a gate in front.
“Everything really is bigger in Texas,” she said. Then she covered her mouth with her hands. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry.”
The gate swung open and Kellan pulled into the circular drive. “Why are you sorry? It’s true.”
“The size of your house is not my business.”
“Sure it is,” he said. “You’re going to be living here.” He hopped out of the car and came around to her side. He opened the door, but he didn’t touch her or try to help her out.
Clara stepped out onto the concrete and gazed up at the house. It was a tan stucco, with hints of Spanish style. She followed Kellan around in awe for the house tour, which included a room and bathroom for her, and her own mini-kitchen with a breakfast area.
The tour ended at a massive backyard which included a pool with an actual lazy river that circled half the yard. On the other side of the yard were a trampoline, rock-climbing wall, and jungle gym.
“I tried to give Declan as many physical outlets as I can,” Kellan said.
He had more amenities in his yard than most hotels she’d been to, but she wasn’t going to comment. “I’ll enjoy playing with him here.”
“I’m so glad to hear that,” he said.
Kellan’s voice was full of enthusiasm. Clara had been teaching Kindergarten for four years, and she often encountered parents who were too overwhelmed or too stressed out to find out what their kids really needed. At least Kellan was in tune with his son's needs, which would make her job easier.
Clara turned to face him, and in the sunlight, his blue eyes were almost aqua. A hint of stubble showed on his strong jawline, as if he’d shaved very early this morning. How
would it feel under my palm? My mouth?
Shocked at her own brazen thoughts, she took a step back and stumbled. Get a grip, Clara. You are not here to seduce your brand new boss. She’d spent the last year in misery after her own bad judgment told her to date and move in with her ex. She wasn’t eager to repeat that.
And she needed to keep this job. Without Kellan’s job offer, she’d be sleeping on a park bench tonight.
Kellan’s strong hand shot out to catch Clara before she tumbled down the steps that led to the pool. His hand was warm where it wrapped around her wrist, and just as strong as she’d expected. He held on until she was standing upright again, but as soon as she was steady, he let go.
Her stomach fluttered and heat flooded her veins. With her other hand, she touched the spot where Kellan’s fingers had wrapped around her wrist. It was a far cry from the last time a man had touched her wrist, when her ex had squeezed so tight, her bones ground together.
Her body might have been responding to Kellan, and her mind might not have perceived him as a threat, but her fear told her there was no way she should even be thinking about getting involved with a man like that, not after what she’d been through with her ex.
“I’m not even wearing heels,” she said as they walked back inside.
A crooked smile passed over Kellan’s face. “Speaking of shoes,” he said, “I noticed you didn't have any bags.”
“Oh.” Any lingering arousal evaporated.
“You don’t have to explain,” he said. He pulled out his wallet and handed her four hundred-dollar bills. “You can take the BMW SUV as yours while you’re here. We don’t have a lot of clothing stores in Cedar Lake, but there are a few. Get whatever you need.” He crossed over to a drawer in his expansive kitchen and pulled out a key fob.
“You don’t have to do that,” she told him.
“At the risk of sounding really awful, I have a lot of money. I won’t miss it. If it makes your life easier, then take it. And you’ll need a car to drive Declan around.”
“Well.” This was not the experience she’d had with wealthy people. When she was little, her mom cleaned houses in Jackson, and the homeowners, who were not nearly as wealthy as Kellan, had always been miserly with their payments. “Thank you.”
“I have to get back to work. And rescue Liam. By now, Declan will have dismantled his office.”
She watched him walk away. His broad shoulders stretched at his white dress-shirt. His butt was firm inside those tailored pants. She fanned herself. The Texas heat wasn’t the only thing making her flush.
7
Kellan
Clara walked out with Kellan. He hated leaving her alone – she looked lost, standing there in his doorway, and she seemed a little overwhelmed.
He was used to the reactions to his house. Texas was littered with sprawling estates, but his was the only one of this size in Cedar Lake.
Unlike the myths about actual dragons liking treasure, the shifters he’d grown up with didn’t care much about material things, Just as Kellan didn’t care much about his wealth. It was useful, but the main reason he held onto it was for protection.
If the witches ever found him here, then he could hire some of the more evolved vampires to help him. They responded to money just about as much as blood, and they were easily bribed. None of them lived in Texas, but he knew several covens in Maine that would be willing to help.
Kellan felt a little bad for lying to Clara about who he really was, and who Declan was.
Every single day Kellan experienced a little bit of cognitive dissonance. He got up, he got dressed up like a successful human, and mostly pushed away the side of himself that longed to fly and hunt. On good days, he felt grateful. On bad days, he felt robbed of the life he should have had.
He should have been standing on a rolling green hill, under a misty sky, looking out at untamed land. Every time he put on that suit, he killed a little bit of himself. But it had to be done. As far as he knew, they were the only shifters who’d left their natural homes to live a completely human life.
After Kellan’s parents were murdered, Liam, Quinn, Brennan and Kellan had made a pact. They’d go to America. And they’d do the most human things they could think of. And they’d make money, and they’d plan their revenge.
Declan’s arrival had put their plans on hold.
One day, when Declan was grown, the five of them would return home. Kellan could hold on until that day came.
As soon as Kellan had a break at the office, he called Brennan and filled him in. As expected, he had to give Kellan a hard time.
“You let a stranger into your house. With the kid. What in the ever-loving fuck are you thinking, Kellan?”
“She’s not a threat.”
“What if she’s a fucking witch?”
Kellan leaned back in his plush office chair. “They can’t cloak themselves from us. You know that.”
“Newsflash. That was thirteen years ago. You haven’t seen a single witch since then. We’ve changed. What makes you think they haven’t?”
“Well, because we’ve changed our behavior. Not our fucking supernatural skill abilities. And you know I keep in touch with the vampires in Montreal. They’d have let me know.”
Brennan snorted. “Vampires. Right. You’re too trusting. You’d think you’d be the most suspicious out of all of us.”
“Just run the background check.”
“Okay, asshole. But don’t come crying to me when she turns out to be a demon or a succubus.”
Kellan hung up without saying goodbye.
Clara was human. He was sure of that. Brennan had every right to be pissed off. When Kellan’s parents were murdered, Brennan gave up his life to come with him. He could have stayed in Ireland.
When he and Declan got home that evening, Clara was wearing a different outfit. She had on a teal sundress that looked great with her fair skin and red hair. It was fitted at her waist, and showed off her lithe body.
“Did you cook?” Kellan asked. “I forgot to tell you. We have a chef that handles all the evening meals. Today’s his day off, but he leaves labeled meals in the refrigerator.”
“I saw those,” she said. “But I like cooking.” She lifted the lid off the pot. “Pork chops and mashed potatoes.” She pointed to her dress. “I bought some clothes too. So thank you again.”
She’d also set the table, something he and Declan never did. Even if they had the rest of the family over, they grabbed their food right off the grill and ate it. They saved their table manners for when they were with humans.
“I really appreciate this, but don’t feel like you have to cook if the chef’s not here.” The last thing Kellan wanted was to take advantage of someone who was down on her luck.
“I really do enjoy it,” she said.
“Thank you, Miss Clara.” Declan attached himself to her leg. “It smells good.”
They all carried the food out to the patio to enjoy the cooler night air. Clara sat across from Kellan. While Declan jabbered about his day, Kellan’s eyes were drawn to Clara. Even the slope of her collar bone was feminine. He wanted to peel the straps of her dress down and lick across her creamy neck. And just as he’d predicted, he sat through another meal with Clara with a rock hard cock.
Each night after that was much the same. Clara would work with Declan all day while Kellan was at work, frequently texting him to keep him updated when Declan successfully navigated a day at the park. She also took him to the library, the movie theater, and the grocery store, and once a week she took him to Dallas to a museum, the zoo, or an aquarium.
Every time she met a family in town with kids close to Declan’s age, she introduced herself, and asked if the family was willing to try a playdate. Even the ones with kids who’d been kicked around by Declan before were willing to try again, thanks to Clara’s influence and supervision.
She’d even asked if she could have people over during the day for him to play with. With a few minor mishaps, t
he playdates were much more successful than they had in the past.
Before Kellan knew it, three weeks had gone by.
“How’s Mary Poppins?” Brennan probed as the four brothers took a speed boat out on Cedar Lake to a small island where no one ever congregated because of the snakes. It was the best way for true privacy. They could fish without poles, and they could swim without worrying about how long they’d been under the surface.
“She’s amazing,” Kellan said.
“Are you fucking her?” Brennan asked.
Kellan punched him in the arm. “No. Don’t be disrespectful.”
“I don’t remember you telling us to be respectful when you were sleeping with Declan’s mother,” Liam said.
“Or any of the other humans you hooked up with over the years,” Quinn added. “Didn’t you say you were done sleeping with humans?”
“Oh my God. Yes, I said that. Because it’s true. I haven’t slept with her.”
“Her background check came back clean,” Brennan said. “Not that you bothered to ask.”
Oh shit. Kellan had forgotten. “I figured you’d tell me if there was a red flag.”
“Right. I have a feeling you didn’t really care what it said. Because you think she’s hot.”
“She is hot,” Liam said.
Kellan glared at him. “Don’t be a dick.”
“We’ll meet you at the island,” Quinn said, as he and Liam dove into the lake. Kellan kept his hands on the wheel of the boat.
Under the water, Kellan saw them both shift fully into their dragon forms. Under the water was one of the few places where they could still shift. When they first got to Texas, they’d tried flying low a few times, but now with the prevalence of drones, there was no way it was safe.
Brennan crossed his arms. “So yeah. Your nanny’s human.” He wrinkled his nose. “I can tell by the scent of her on your clothes. But you’ve got your head so far up your ass you can’t tell what’s what.”
Billionaire Dragon's Nanny (Irish Dragon Shifter Brothers Book 1) Page 3