The Manx Cat Guardians Boxed Set

by J P Sayle

“I think we should start over, don’t you? Get to know each other a little. Do you want to tell me a little about yourself?”

  A wariness that hadn’t been in Ellie’s expression before and his sudden interest in the glass he was holding made Connor fidget in the chair. What had he said to put that expression on Ellie’s face? Only wanting them to talk about themselves a little, Connor waited. Another minute passed, and still Ellie didn’t answer.

  “Is it a problem, Ellie? Don’t you like to talk about yourself? You seem a little uncomfortable, if you don’t mind me saying.”

  A small sigh was followed by Ellie dragging his gaze to Connor’s.

  “I’m not good at talking about stuff in my past,” Ellie shrugged. “It’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just complicated. And I have no clue where to start that won’t have you running out the door,” Ellie whispered, his eyes pleading for patience and something more.

  As understanding dawned, Connor placed his cup on the coffee table. He got up and went to Ellie and lifted him off the chair. He switched their positions and sat with Ellie now on his lap, careful not to get covered in the juice Ellie was still clutching in his hand. Ellie’s body stiffened, then melted against him. The ball of fear knotting his stomach eased a fraction as Ellie laid his head against his chest. The rightness of that move left Connor choking back his emotions.

  He brought Ellie closer and nuzzled the top of his head. Silky strands of hair tickled his cheek as he sat in silence and waited for Ellie to find the courage to say what was on his mind.

  “I’ve had a Daddy before.”

  Those words cut at Connor’s control, and jealousy burned at the back of his throat. But he said nothing, his arms tightening to let Ellie know he was his now, whether they’d spoken about it or not. He wanted there to be no mistaking. Once they started on this journey together, Ellie would be his forever. Hadn’t that been what Morgana had explained?

  When Ellie remained quiet, Connor nudged him. “I’m not sure this silence quite constitutes a conversation, sweetheart. Tell me how you met your Daddy and how you knew it was something you wanted.”

  Instant regret filled him as Ellie fired forward. His juice splashed them both as he bolted off Connor’s lap.

  “Why do you need to know that shit? It’s nobody’s business,” Ellie shouted at him, his whole body trembling.

  The fear written over his face got Connor up off the chair, his hands lifted. “It’s okay. You don’t need to talk about it. I’m sorry for upsetting you.” Even though he regretted asking the questions, a part of him wanted to demand that Ellie explain what had got him so upset. At an impasse, they stared at each other, and Connor was at a loss how to break the tension that now filled the room.

  Willing himself to keep his voice even, he asked, “Do you want me to go?” It was the last thing he wanted, but Ellie’s agitation was growing, and his eyes darted around the room as if seeking an escape.

  “Yes… yes, maybe it’s best you go.”

  Defeat and teary eyes implored him to do the exact opposite. Connor hesitated, not sure that Ellie knew what he wanted. And as much as he craved to push, he also did not want to make matters worse and push Ellie further away.

  A step closer took him to within arms reach. His hands flexed at his sides as Ellie’s glittering eyes never wavered from him. Enough with this shit.

  Connor took the final step and slowly drew Ellie into his arms, after taking the glass Ellie held and putting it down. The resistance he felt lasted a second before Ellie snuggled into his body. Warmth wove through him when Ellie wrapped his arms around his waist and held on tight.

  “I’ve got you. I’m sorry I’ve pushed too fast for you. We can go at your pace. I promise I’ll let you lead. This is important to me, Ellie. The Daddy in me wants to demand you talk, but I’m a man who has learnt that I can’t always let that side of me take charge.”

  A hiccupped sob, the only response, ripped at his control. Inhaling a few deep breaths, Connor kept himself in check. He’ll talk to me. He will.

  Sure that if he held on another moment, he’d weaken his resolve and break his promise, Connor released Ellie and stepped away from temptation. “I’m going to head home now. But would you like to do something tomorrow with it being Saturday?” A flare of hope that he’d not ruined things sprang up in his chest at Ellie’s tiny nod and shy smile.

  “Yeah, I’d like that. Shit, I’ve got to work in the morning. We are open for business Monday, and the office isn’t finished yet,” Ellie said, crestfallen.

  The surge of pleasure at seeing how disappointed Ellie appeared had Connor quickly reassuring him. “What about you ring me when you’ve finished for the day, and we can go and find something to do after that. Maybe go out for dinner?”

  “Okay, I think that would work.”

  Ellie searched in his pocket, pulled out his phone, and offered it to Connor. Bemused, he took it and said, “Err, what do you want me to do with this?”

  “Put your number in it, you dodo.” Ellie giggled.

  Connor’s brow rose, and a threat shone out of his eyes at Ellie, “You wouldn’t be giving me cheek, now would you?”

  “What if I was? What are you gonna do about it?” Ellie bit his lip, and Connor got the distinct impression he wasn’t sure if he should have asked that particular question.

  The phone in his hand was ignored as he bent to whisper in Ellie’s ear, “I’d pull your pants down and spank your naked bottom like the naughty little boy you are. And if you took your punishment like a good boy, I’d reward you.”

  A hitch in Ellie’s breathing and a full-body shudder were enough to have Connor smirk as he pulled back. His eyes roamed down Ellie’s body to his arousal he wasn’t able to hide. It took all his effort to concentrate on putting his number into Ellie’s phone. Once he’d done that, he rang his mobile to store Ellie’s number before handing his phone back. Their fingers brushed together. The yearning that never seemed too far away rose and gripped him in a chokehold.

  His teeth ground together, and he forced himself to release his hand. “I’m gonna head home. I’ll see you tomorrow. Sleep well, my sweet boy.” With that, Connor rushed out the door. He didn’t dare look back at the open doorway as he got into his car.

  Bungled into a mess of knots, his stomach complained when he glanced in the rear-view mirror and saw how forlorn Ellie looked standing framed in the hall light. “Leave. Leave now.”

  An angry edge in his voice had him switch on the engine and drive into the road. He made sure not to look in the mirror again. His heart beat a staccato against his breastbone, and his temples throbbed. He was not happy with the decision.

  “It’s for the best. Ellie has to be able to talk to me, and until that happens, everything else has to wait.” As he spoke aloud, he wasn’t sure who he was trying to convince, because it wasn’t him, that was for sure.

  On the endless drive home, he worked on how he could find out more information about Ellie. He indicated and turned into the cul-de-sac. The lights in Aaden’s lounge drew his attention. Could he ask Brody? Would Ellie’s friend spill the beans?

  Don’t be daft. Friends don’t do that. Even as he thought it, Connor was exiting the car and walking towards Aaden’s front door. He knocked on the door, but then it hit how late it was. Shit. Too late now. Plastering a smile on his face, Connor tried to come up with a valid excuse for why he was outside Aaden’s front door at nearly eleven o’clock at night.

  The door opened before he could come up with a genuine excuse. Aaden smiled at him, his brow lifting. “Hey, Connor, you all right?”

  “Aaden, sorry for the lateness, I… emm… was… err… ah shit,” he groaned in defeat, his shoulders tensing with each stumbled word. “Sorry. Is Brody up and awake?”

  A shout came from inside the house, “Yeah, I’m up. Come in, Connor.”

  Aaden gave him a shrug, his dark onyx eyes gleaming with humour. “There’s your answer.”

  Positive that this was
not going to go well, Connor stood tall and attempted to walk with a confidence he wasn’t feeling in the slightest. He walked behind Aaden as he led him into the lounge. Brody was sprawled on the leather couch, and Grey lay on the rug in front of the blazing fire with Max and Brad’s cat, Princess, curled up in front of him.

  When Aaden indicated for him to sit, Connor took the seat next to Brody.

  “What’s up, Connor?”

  Not sure if he was grateful Brody had got straight to the point, Connor licked at his lips. “I’ve just been to see Ellie, and I upset him.”

  Connor got no further as Brody had gone from utterly relaxed to shooting off the sofa and standing over the top of him, glaring.

  “What did you do to him?” Steel ran through each bitten-out word Brody spoke.

  A sense of preservation filled Connor as he raised his hands to ward off the irate man breathing over the top of him. “Please, I… crap. Give me a sec, okay? I’m new to all this, and when you find out you have a soul mate and that your cat can talk to you, it makes you a little stupid.” The sudden silence and stillness of every occupant in the room were all it took for Connor to realise everything Morgana had said was accurate.

  “Morgana is a guardian cat?” Greg asked, his gaze was fixed on the two cats in front of him.

  “Yes, though I’m still figuring out what that means,” Connor explained to the room, though he wasn’t sure if anyone was listening when Aaden got up and picked up Max.

  “Why didn’t you say something about this.” Though Aaden spoke aloud, Connor got the impression he was only doing this for his benefit. How was he supposed to fathom out what Max’s response was to Aaden when he masked his expression?

  What is this about? His gaze narrowed on Aaden where he stood, his face now showing no emotion.

  “Does anyone want to tell me what this is all about.” Connor directed the question at Aaden and Max, “Because I’m getting the impression that you’re talking and I’m not going to like what you’re discussing.” It felt like he was having an out-of-body experience talking about Max as if he were a person. It was plain weird, and no matter how many times Morgana had done it to him, he still hadn’t adjusted his head to it fully. Talking cats, yeah, like that was easy to explain.

  “You’ll get used to it,” a voice he didn’t recognise rumbled through his mind. Firing up off the chair, Connor barrelled into Brody, making him stagger. His eyes flew to Max, “Are you talking to me?” His voice shook, but he kept himself from looking away from the bicoloured eyes that gave him a knowing stare.

  “Of course it was me. Who else could it—”

  “It could have been me, though I am female,” whispered a voice that wasn’t Morgana’s.

  Connor clutched at his head, and his gaze flew frantically around the room, “What is this? Are you trying to send me over the edge? How many of you can talk to me like this?”

  The confusion on the faces of the men in the room had Connor growling. “How don’t you know what I’m talking about? I can hear Max, and I’m assuming Princess in my head.” With a glance at Princess, she confirmed his suspicion with a nod of her feline head. This is too much!

  “Will someone please explain how I can hear three cats? Cats, I might add, that shouldn’t be able to hear my thoughts and talk to me. I thought it was bad enough with just one. Now I have three that can hear me. Shit the bed!”

  “I hope not. That wouldn’t be very nice, I’m sure,” Princess said.

  Connor groaned in frustration, viciously raking a hand through his hair. The bite of pain told him he wasn’t dreaming or having an out-of-body experience. This shit was real. Exhaling, he gave the three men all looking at him with varying degrees of concern a glare. “Someone start talking, or I’m going to lose my shit.”

  “What is it with you and shit?” Princess asked on a giggle.

  Connor rolled his eyes at her and walked back to the chair, “Well, come on, tell me what I’ve got myself into.”

  Ellie

  The office door in front of Ellie swung open to reveal Aaden. He gave the other man a smile of welcome, only for it to drop when all he got was a blank expression. What was his problem? It sure as hell couldn’t be him as he hadn’t seen very much of Aaden since the night before, after he’d left to go home. The man’s remoteness, along with Greg’s, was a concern when the office was so close to opening.

  His eyebrows scrunched together. Maybe they’d argued?

  A second later, the door opened again, and Brody strolled in, but instead of looking at Ellie, he kept his gaze down. What on earth was going on?

  All weekend Ellie sensed something was off, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what it was. Aaden, Greg, Nick, and heck even Brody were avoiding being anywhere he was. It had been an uncomfortable weekend in the office when everyone was together. Now it was Monday, the office was officially open for business, and everyone had faces like a slapped arse. All Ellie wanted to do was give them a punch in the gob and tell them to get over themselves. Seriously, what was wrong with people. It was supposed to be a happy occasion, not a bloody wake.

  If that wasn’t bad enough, Connor had gone all weird too. They had spent Saturday evening having dinner in a pizza and pasta place that Nick had recommended. The food, as Nick had promised, was delicious. Ellie had thought it was a date, getting his expectations up and hoping he’d at least get a goodnight kiss. But had he? No. Connor had been a perfect gentleman, walking him to the door and seeing he got safely inside. Then he’d squeezed his hand before leaving.

  Who, in this day and age, held a person’s hand and thought that was an appropriate way to end a date?

  On a huffed sigh, Ellie got up and went to the kitchen to grab a drink. He took out a Pepsi and took a swig from the bottle. The bubbly liquid sat on his tongue before he swallowed. Enjoying the sweet flavour, he took another drink and promptly choked on it.

  “Why are you here hiding when you should be out there working?” Aaden demanded as he pointed out the door angrily.

  Ellie spluttered and coughed when the drink went down the wrong hole. His eyes watering, he placed the bottle on the side and stared at Aaden in disbelief. “I was not hiding! I’m taking a five-minute break. I’ve been here for”—he checked his watch—“four hours, which is more than can be said for you.” His foot tapped at the ground. His hands made their way to his hips.

  “Who do you think you’re talking to in that tone?”

  “You, that’s who. I’ve worked my arse off for the past couple of weeks without a day off, I might add. I worked all weekend to get this office ready, while you and Brody did a disappearing act that David Copperfield would have been proud of,” Ellie ground out through gritted teeth. Heat suffused his face at the anger rolling off Aaden’s tense body.

  “What the fuck is all this? I can hear the pair of you in my office.”

  Ellie’s head fired round to Brody, who stood in the doorway, glaring at the pair of them. He jabbed Aaden in the chest. “Ask him. All I was doing was having a drink, taking a five-minute break, which I’m legally entitled to,” Ellie added for good measure when all Aaden did was push his chest against Ellie’s finger.

  A moment later, Ellie found his view blocked by Brody’s shoulders.

  “Aaden, what the fuck, man? He’s entitled to have a break.” The bite to Brody’s voice was enough to appease Ellie.

  He rubbed at the back of his neck. A sense that there was more going on wouldn’t leave him alone. Peering around Brody’s shoulder, he caught a look passing over Aaden’s face while he was staring at Brody. In the position Ellie was in he couldn’t see Brody’s face, so he wasn’t sure what Aaden was trying to convey.

  Ellie’s hands balled at his sides as his foot stamped at the carpet. “Will someone tell me why everyone is acting like aliens have abducted them and left me with replacements that have had a personality change?”

  The laughter that followed, though not wholly unexpected, still got Ellie’s go
at. He slapped Brody on his arm and stomped out of the kitchen to his desk. Fuck ‘em. They could both jump into the nearest sea and drown themselves for all he cared.

  Continuing to have an internal rant, Ellie ignored both men, who two minutes later sidled up to his desk with sheepish expressions. His lips twitched while he struggled to keep his mirth in check. “What?”

  “I’m sorry. I’ve just got a lot on my plate, and I shouldn’t have taken it out on you, Ellie,” Aaden offered with a smile of apology.

  “Yeah, things have got a little tense. You know with the official opening for business. We’re sorry. We appreciate all the hard work you’ve put in to get the office open. How about you go and grab some lunch, and I’ll transfer your phone to mine?” Brody said.

  An odd feeling that they were trying to pull the wool over his eyes about something settled heavily in the pit of Ellie’s stomach. He got up slowly, eyeing both men. With a nod, he went to grab his coat. Out of the office, he eyed the door before walking down the stairs. The peculiar sensation just wouldn’t ease up. What the fuck is going on with everyone?

  Brody

  As soon as the door shut behind Ellie, Brody eyed Aaden. “What’s got into you? We made a pact not to let on about what was going on with Connor, so instead you act like a complete dick to Ellie? What’s that about?”

  When Aaden yanked his hair back from his face, the overhead lights caught the dark strands and made them gleam. There was frustration etched into his face. Brody worried his lip between his teeth.

  “I’m out of sorts. I have this feeling like things are about to blow up in our faces. And for some reason, I’m convinced it’s connected to Ellie. I lost it there for a minute. Fuck, I’ve been doing my best to keep from saying anything. But every time he looks at me with that vulnerable smile of his, I want to confess,” he ground out.

  “Don’t you think I feel the same. But taking your anger out on Ellie is not the way forward. Do you want him to hand in his notice?”

  “What! He wouldn’t do that, would he? Fuck, he’s like a workhorse. There is no way I want him to leave. We wouldn’t even be opening for business without him,” Aaden said with an edge of worry in his voice that hadn’t been there a minute ago.