“I will love you to the ends of time.”She didn’t move when he took a step forward.“There are things that you should know about making love to a dragon.Other than the fact that you’ll have a dragon on your body once we do.We bite and drink blood from each other.It’s the vampire in me that makes me want to drink from you, and I want you to drink from me as well.It won’t hurt you.If it did, I would never hurt you again.But it’s a good way for us to bond.”
He took another two steps toward her and was glad when she took one toward him.“I’m nervous, as I said.I don’t want you to be displeased with me.”He told her that wasn’t possible because they loved one another.“I hope you’re right.”
“I know that I am.I will love you for all time and would never hurt you at all.”She nodded, and he was close enough that he could see her lashes as they fluttered over her cheeks.“You’re beautiful, have I told you that?The most beautiful creature that I’ve ever seen.”
“You make me want to be a better person, too.I don’t feel like I’m evil or anything, but I do wantto be a better mother and wife to you.”He said that she was doing well already and that he couldn’t have asked for anything more from her.“Are you going to kiss me?”
“Would you like that?”She nodded.“Then I will do as you wish.I love you, Olivia Walsh.Before I forget again, we’re married in the eyes of the law.Mom had someone at the office make it happen.We can still get married later if you wish, but that will be entirely up to you.Now for that kiss.”
He pulled her into his arms and held her for a couple of breaths before he leaned in to take her mouth.He tried to be gentle with her, not wanting to scare or hurt her, but once she opened her mouth to him, he pulled her body flush with his and took all that she offered.
She tasted just as he thought that she would, like honeysuckle and cream.He wrapped his arms around her waist and held her to him as he deepened the kiss.She was giving all that he gave her and was happy for that.She didn’t seem the least bit afraid of him, and he was never going to make her feel like she had to be afraid of him in his life.
Pulling back when he heard someone coming toward them, he had to hold her steady for a few minutes so that she’d not fall over.When Thatcher came into the room, he must have sensed something was different because he apologized to them for interrupting.He might not have known what he interrupted, but his cheeks were pink from it.
“Nothing is going on.I was just telling your mother about me being part vampire.You should remember that when you get your room fixed up the way you wish.It’ll be your room, and you can invite me in or not.That will be totally up to you.”He said he’d want him in there if he needed anything.“Completely understandable.But like I said, you’ll have to invite me in.”
Sidney was getting better at sign language, but he couldn’t read it as fast as they could speak it.Sometimes they’d talk without him being able to understand, and he was all right with that as well.They had their own link, and he would never intrude in on that.He loved that they had their own time together.
“I came down to ask if you’d mind if we went to get Chinese together tonight.I’ve been craving egg rolls since yesterday.And some fried dumplings wouldn’t be something I’d pass up either.”Sidney said that sounded great to him, but it would be up to his mom.“She’s always up for Chinese.She said that it’s the food of the gods.”
The three of them were still laughing as they made their way out the door.He thought it funny that Olivia loved Chinese as much as he did.They even liked hot sour soup together.Last time he’d had it, he had to fight her for the last bit of it.She’d won just as he knew she would, but it was close there for a while.They were headed out the door when his cell phone rang.Answering it as he got into the car, he was dismayed to find the old Mayor calling him.
“I heard tell that you’re running for mayor in the next election.”He said that he wasn’t; his brother, Melbourne, was.“Then I guess I should call him.What’s this about?Did someone tell you that I’m not working as hard as I should?This job takes a great deal out of a man.I’m doing the best that I can.”
“I’m sure that you think you are, Mr.Mayor, but maybe it’s time for some younger blood to take over and see how they can get things done.”He said again it was a hard job to do.“As I said, you’ll have to talk to Melbourne about it.I know he has all of our support on running.”
“I’ll do that too.”He said that he had to go; he was headed to dinner with his family.“He won’t have time for that once he sticks his hand into this job.It’ll be work, work, work all the time for him.You tell him I said that, too.”
“You tell him.”They were still talking when he got into the car.He’d not drive with being on the phone, but he’d have to sit there with his family waiting for him.“I have to go like I said.You have all our numbers.Just give him a call and see what he has to say.I personally think that he’ll do a good job.”
That got him hung up on.He didn’t care.He just hoped that Melbourne was still thinking of running.He’d have all the votes of the family, and that would get him into office.He didn’t doubt for a moment that the job kept you busy if you were working it, but he’d never seen the current mayor do much more than just sit around eating at the ladies’ clubs and the men’s outings.He’d talk to hisbrother soon and make sure that he was running for the mayor slot.
Chapter 6
Melbourne hadn’t been planning to run this term, but now, after talking to the current mayor, he decided that he needed to get out there and win the race.He didn’t think he could lose, just run on the platforms that the current man promised and didn’t come through with.There were a lot of things that he could get done just from his office in the house.He looked over at Sammy when she said his name.
“Mayor Washington is pissed because I was thinking about running for his position in town.”She asked him if he was going to do it now.“Of course I am.He called me a lazy rich kid who didn’t have the sense to get in out of the rain.That was just what I needed to hear to get me going.”
“So you’re going to run because he pushed the right buttons?That doesn’t sound like a good reason to run.Won’t you have enough to do working with your family?”He said that the job was easy once he started getting projects going in the right direction.“Then by all means, run.I’ll not move into that house, by the way.I love this one.”
“I think we can live where we want, but we will get an allowance to live where we do.”She nodded and said that sounded good.“He actually called me lazy.I think in one day I get more done than he does in a week.Just yesterday, he was under the shade tree in the park, taking a nap while I was going over contracts for the family.I should be a shoo-in for the job.”
“You’ll have my vote for sure.”He thanked her.“I also heard that he’s been seen at the ladies’ clubs when they don’t invite him.I guess he can eat his weight in food while he’s there.”He said that he’d heard the same thing.
“He called Sidney first, thinking it was him who was running.I’d tell him to run, too, if he had not just met his mate and was still working things out.I guess they haven’t even bonded yet.”Sammy pointed out that she had a lot to get over.“That’s true.I never thought of that.I guess Sidney is taking his time with her.I would too.Poor thing.There is no telling how long she’ll need to get over what happened to her as a child.”
“I don’t know that I would ever get over it.She’s lived a brutal life.But she’s got Sidney and Thatcher now, and that should be enough for her to get some real time in getting over her trauma.Still.It’s a lot to get over.”He watched Sammy as she put together sandwiches for their dinner.The cook was off, and they didn’t either one feel like cooking.“How much mayo do you want on your sandwich?I don’t want any.”
“I don’t either.It’s been too hot, and mayo can make my belly upset.I don’t think my dragon cares for it either.”She put the mayo away and caught him staring at her.She asked him what was wrong.“I love you.Nothing wrong, but I just wanted to tell you that I love you very much.”
“I love you too.”She kissed him on the mouth and handed him his beef sub.“Don’t forget when you talk to the mayor again to tell him that you’re running on his platform.He needs to hear that we don’t believe that he got anything done.I’m still waiting for a call back from when the water department said we didn’t have a water bill anymore.That’s not right.It’s been four months and still no return call.I even called his office since he’s in charge of that area, and he’s not gotten me an answer yet either.What’s going to happen is that he’s going to find out we do have a water bill, and it’s going to be about fifty times more than it should be.I don’t want to be blind sited by something like that in the middle of the winter.”
“I’ll call again tomorrow.”He took three hardy bites of his sub and set it down for some carrot sticks.“I was talking to Sidney about the computer shop that he wants to open.I think it will be a great thing for this area.As it stands right now, we have to travel all the way to Columbus to get a good deal on one.And then have someone come out and set it up for us.He could do it all in one shot.”
“I bet he puts it off for a while.The second house he is having remodeled will be great for alarge shop, but I don’t know how much shop he’s going to need around here.Unless he’s thinking of expanding enough so that he could take care of the entire valley for computer needs.”Sammy said it might take up too much of his time.“Then if he’s got that much time, he could run for mayor.I’m just saying.”
“I’m going to run.I’ll go down to the courthouse tomorrow morning, first thing, and see what I have to do to make it work for me.You promise I’ll have your vote, right?”He was just kidding Sammy, but she pretended to think about it.“I think my entire family would vote for me over Washington simply because he called me rich and lazy.I don’t know what one has to do with the other, but it pissed me off enough that I’m going to beat his ass at his own job.”
