A Fall From Grace. Mail Order Bride Western Read online

  Chapter Seven

  The laird stirred first. Despite the relative freshness of the mountains the room itself was stagnant. Fiona needed to open a window to let in the air. They had boarded up the windows after the laird was shot.

  “I could use another swim at the stream,” he murmured.

  “Let me get you some cool water,” she said.

  She was so aware of how she was unable to look at him. She didn’t think he noticed but when his big paw hooked her hip and kept her from moving, she knew better. The giant form sat up like a great mountain rising from the sea.

  “Let us have a talk,” he said. “No more stories or I will put you over my knee. Am I clear?”

  “Aye,” she said.

  The recollection of half human half beasts carrying off the women brought the fear back to her as though it were fresh. But she had to summon up her last nerve to share it with him. For he was one of them. She had seen it with her own eyes. Fortunately He is better. She is avoiding asking him about his transformation. He cornered her and made her say what she sees. They are under full attack. He says to her that if she had just told the truth perhaps. But she says that he already knew what she saw, so don’t blame it on her.

  “I did see your tacks man. I know it was him. Him I’ve seen before. But he told me if I admitted I saw them as they were, you would punish me as a witch,” she admitted.

  She nearly broke down in tears. It had been such a long time since she cried. Even alone she didn’t let herself go. But the strain of seeing what she saw, knowing that the women were probably carried off to a horrible fate, and lying about it on top of everything, had taken its toll.

  “Why did you not tell me the truth, lass?” he asked softly.

  He gently scolded her with his eyes.

  “I could not,” she said. “I didn’t want to say it out loud. It was too horrible.”

  “I see but then I am too horrible?” he asked.

  He was referring to his transformation. Or partial transformation. She had been with him when he had partially morphed into a raven. But she denied him his answer.

  “Don’t make me ask you outright if you canna tolerate admitting what you saw,” he threatened softly.

  “No you are not horrible, Laird,” she said.

  “But they were like me?” he asked.

  “Yes Laird. Very much like you,” she replied.

  Help her, she could not say he was horrible. He was anything but.

  “And so you saw creatures, shall we say, carry off the women?” he confirmed.

  “Yes. Didn’t the others see the creatures as well?” she asked finally.

  She was curious to know why he hadn’t asked this of her before. Why he needed to pull a confession out of her?

  He cupped the back of her hair and kissed her forehead.

  “Because, lass,” he said softly, reading her mind. “Not everyone can see what you saw. The others saw men and they told me. You would not admit it. I knew immediately why that was.”

  His eyes gathered darkly. She was very confused by it all. The less she asked and the more she simply accepted, Fiona believed the better off she would be. Laird David rose. He was such a giant. He dressed and stepped out of his quarters.

  “Where are you going?” she asked.

  “To gather my men and to find my people,” said David.

  “You think they’re alive?” she asked.

  “They better be,” he smiled.

  “Are you leaving me?” she whined sort of.

  His eyes twinkled. “I am. But I will be back so soon and we will celebrate.”

  Laird David swept her up into his arms and kissed her fully.

  “Now please lass, stay put until we are off. Do as you did before. Keep to yourself until I have returned.”

  Chapter Eight

  Fiona disobeyed her laird. She spied as David and the other warriors strode into the edge of the forest. As their bodies blended with the numbers of the trees, she saw for herself. The men transformed and flew above the trees like ordinary ravens. Not large. Not half and half. But like ordinary crows rendered from gargantuan.

  She did do as she was told in some respect. She went out and collected her food. She would poach eggs to go with bread she baked. She would consult the cattle hand for some milk to maybe make some butter. When she happened on him, she could see he had taken some punishment. His scowl told her that perhaps Laird David disciplined him some. The cattle hand was not happy and he looked like he wanted to take it off of her. Something told Fiona she had better retreat and go back into the laird’s quarters.

  But the cattle hand dodged her and blocked her path.

  “Where are you off to lass?” he asked.

  “I am going about my chores,” said Fiona meekly.

  “I’ll give you some work to do,” he said darkly.

  “What happened to your face?” she asked.

  She knew the laird slapped him around. Had he used his might, the cattle hand would be dead. Fiona wished he was.

  “You told the truth, lass didn’t you?” he said wickedly.

  The cattle hand stalked her. She stepped back. He stepped forward. The laird had been right. Someone on the estate was helping out the tacks man and his men. Fiona was staring him straight in the face.

  But now Laird David and anyone on the estate who might protect her was gone. The only thing Fiona had on her to protect herself was her basket of eggs. The only thing hurling eggs at him might do is create an element of surprise. Maybe after that she could run from him. She raised her arm but he cut her down with the cold tone of his voice.

  “Don’t even think about it. Or I will do unspeakable things to you,” he said callously.

  He reached for her, but out of the clear blue, swept down with talons forward, a giant raven. The massive bird plucked the cattle man off the ground. He was lifted, lifted high up in the air off to the mountains of the Highlands.

  Fiona fell backward. This could not be real. She wanted to unsee what she had just seen. She stumbled more against a wall. Only it was not a wall. It was the laird himself, rising up behind her.

  “There, there lass,” he said in his soft but thunderous tone.

  She crumpled, let her spine relax against his formidable body. Fiona wanted to be in bed with him. Before a roaring fire with plenty of food and nothing but pleasure between them. She was so done with fear.

  “Your fine lass,” he assured her. “We never have to speak of this again. ‘Won’t happen again. Of this I am sure. Everything is as it was.”

  The warriors that the laird traveled with were now milling about. All was back to normal. They helped the servants that had been stolen back to their quarters. It was now a day of rest to be followed by a night of merriment. At least one night, maybe more.

  Fiona stepped towards the women she recognized who were walking towards their quarters in a file. The laird’s iron hand stopped her.

  “And where do you think you’re going lass?” he said with a smile in his voice.

  “To my quarters, laird,” she replied with confusion.

  “Why?” he asked.

  “I thought you said everything is as it was,” she answered.

  “Oh somethings have most definitely changed, Fiona,” he said.

  It was lovely to hear her name on his lips. In all the commotion and the passion, she believed he had not used it before.

  “Aye what might those be?” she asked mischievously.

  “Me lass,” he rasped. “You might say you have transformed me.”

  The Blind Date

  A Billionaire Romance

  Introduction:

  Newly divorced, new-to-town Dana Miller goes on a date with a guy she meets on the internet. She is not looking for love. She is looking for a playmate who will play the male role of every fantasy she’s had for the length of her loveless marriage.

  So when she meets Jeff Edgarian, a boyishly good-looking man with a wicked sense of humor she isn’t exp
ecting anything more. As they sit down to a casual lunch in the wealthy part of town, they learn that they both have secrets that could change their game plans in ways that are not easy to absorb. She needs physical attention in the hottest possible way, and he has a place on Forbes’ list of the wealthiest people in the world.

  Despite their personal truths, Dana and Jeff know for certain that they have a rare and addictive physical chemistry. And when they’re together, they are two people setting their bed ablaze with once-in-a-life time heat. They have something that his money can’t buy and her broken heart can’t deny. Will they keep telling themselves that’s all they ever want?

  Chapter One

  Dana placed her foot on the parking lot in her way too-high heels. Pulling into the lot, she hadn’t paid attention to the fact that the lot was not paved. But in her spiky heels, she would be hard pressed to find stable footing on the crushed gravel.

  She wobbled into the restaurant, a casual place, dressed all wrong. She gave up caring about whether there was dog hair on her skirt, which was way too tight, too cocktail for a middle of the day meeting at a burger place in the rich part of town. She crossed the lot with a heavy heart.

  She had some time off from work to get settled in a new place but hesitantly gave up some time to meet someone via an internet website. She started to regret her choice. She was so nervous.

  Woodmont Grill was in the one percenter part of the town. Bethesda-ites were among the countries richest. She kept telling herself she didn’t belong there and everyone was going to know it. That was a feeling that didn’t bode well for a good first date, though it wasn’t exactly dating Dana had on her mind.

  The smoke had just cleared from her loveless marriage. If all went well with this online dating thing that her friend put her up to, Dana would find a partner to help her sow some long-awaiting wild oats. She just wasn’t sure if she would find it at a place parked with Ferraris and Jaguars.

  But the guy at the door waiting for her, looked just like his picture – and that was a good thing. Actually his picture didn’t do him justice, which was a first plus for Dana. He was better-looking in person. He was built like a baseball player, tall, lean with a boyish quality about him. And he had the longest lashes on a man she had ever seen.

  He had been her very first online dating message. He wasn’t the only to respond but he was cute and he made her giggle over texts, something really hard to do.

  “Dana?” he asked, bracing her softy.

  “Yes,” she said.

  “Jeff,” he replied, kissing her softly on the cheek.

  He was so gracious and smooth. He wore a soft cologne that found its way to Dana’s nose and unwound her insides. The scent could drive her crazy. They were seated at a booth. She and Jeff studied each other over the tops of their menus.

  “Been here before?” he asked.

  “No,” she said.

  Seeing that the menu was good ol’ American burgers and fries, with a salad thrown in, she was thinking maybe her skirt wasn’t all wrong after all. And maybe she did fit in. She relaxed a little.

  “So did you check out the link I sent you in the email?” he asked.

  Dana drew a blank.

  “What link?” she blinked.

  Jeff dropped his head, his silken hair fanned downward towards the table. A little fear flickered within her and she was uncomfortable. It was hard enough being insecure but making a mistake on top of it, she was back to being self-conscious.

  “What did I miss?” she asked trying to suppress the sound of fear in her voice.

  He smiled softly and spoke calmly. He put his large, strong hand on hers assuring her.

  “It’s okay,” he said, a look of genuine embarrassment veiling his face. “I never know how to handle these things.”

  “What?” she asked cynically. “Don’t tell me you’re married?”

  “You figured it out,” he replied guiltily. “I was going to wait until I got lucky.”

  “Got lucky?” she raised her voice.

  Dana clutched her purse, ready to leave.

  Jeff’s eyes widened as he let out a laugh.

  “Sit down please,” he ordered. “No I am not married. Why would I send you a link about my being married?”

  She steamed with a sudden burst of anger. She was not about to take being made fun of. She grabbed her purse.

  “I think this isn’t going well,” she managed to say softly.

  He pouted a little.

  “What a shame,” he said humbly. “I was looking forward to this. You have no idea. You haven’t even given me the chance to tell you what knock out you are.”

  Dana was still thinking about.

  “Did my remark about getting lucky turn you off? You find that offensive?” he asked as he pretended the read the menu.

  “A little,” she sulked.

  “Why?” he asked looking her directly in the eye. “We are kind of here because of sex, agreed?”

  “Yes,” she agreed.

  “”We are?” he kidded.

  Dana laughed.

  It could have been a put on, but the sincerity in his voice got to her. She relaxed and put her purse down.

  “Thanks,” he said in a voice so soft it was almost a whisper.

  Then he changed the subject.

  “You know what?” he straightened up. “It really is nothing. Let’s pretend I never mentioned it. How are you with loaded fries because this place has the best.”

  “I’m good with fries,” she said.

  While he was distracted with the menu, Dana pretended she was checking her messages and she checked her dating site email instead. She opened the message with the link to see what he was talking about.

  Her eyes involuntarily grew to the size of saucers as she quickly absorbed the gist of the website. She exited out as quickly as she could and put the phone away. He looked up from the menu.

  “I know what I want,” he said with a touch of wickedness.

  She could not control the funny look on her face that she knew she had. He noticed it too.

  “What?” he asked quizzically.

  She said nothing but he figured it out. He flashed a smile.

  “You looked, didn’t you?” he asked.

  “I did,” she confessed sheepishly.

  “I don’t know why I always feel like apologizing at this point,” he said. “It’s awkward. I thought it would help if you read something about me first. You know before you went to the trouble of showing up. That way, if you weren’t interested -- “ he said.

  “I admit it’s weird,” she said. “And you are right to let people know ahead of time. Maybe you should work on your reveal a little. But I am okay with it.”

  “You don’t know if you are,” he said uncomfortably. “You just think you are. You have to let it sink it.”

  “So you’re rich? So what?” she shrugged.

  “Wealthy,” he corrected.

  “Na unh,” she grinned and corrected him back. “You’re rich.”

  He shook his head like even he wasn’t used to hearing that.

  “I am still a person,” he said. “I want what everyone else wants. I haven’t met anyone within my circle that I feel compatible with.”

  “Your billionaire circle?” she teased.

  “Okay now you’re making fun of me,” he said with a good sense of humor.

  “Plenty of material,” she said.

  “That’s good,” he said. “I like laughing. My fortune sometimes feels like baggage that’s all. It weirds people out. You know, like having an extra finger.”

  Dana quickly glanced at his hands which he held up for her to inspect.

  “No I am good in that department,” he ribbed.

  “The difference is that people don’t use you for your extra finger,” she replied without thinking.

  Jeff raised an eyebrow as if to say ‘they might.’

  He asked, “So now I know what I am doing on the dating website, what about
you? You’re a doll.”

  “Thank you,” she smiled.

  “Wait - is doll too sexist?” he asked.

  She shook her head.

  “Cause I’ll take it back,” he teased.

  “You’re fine,” she said with a smile.

  She was beginning to feel very at ease with him and it wasn’t because she liked the idea of his money or anything like that. She already knew he had the personality. She also found him genuinely attractive. He had a face she wouldn’t mind seeing looking down at her in bed. For her purposes, if they had the physical chemistry, he would do.

  And, as new as Dana was at this dating stuff, she was clear very quickly that she didn’t like the anxious awkwardness of the introduction. She was ready to get to the point just to get past that.

  “Well Jeff,” she said sensually. “Something very specific. As I said I am divorced. I just moved to this town. I left that life and bad feelings behind or at least that was the idea.”

  She took a sip of her water and continued.

  “My friend set me up on that website,” she explained.

  “So you said in your email,” he replied intently.

  “Well my friend has been looking for boyfriend. I am not,” she said candidly.

  His eyes sparkled. He looked like she felt.

  “So one of the reasons the marriage failed was that I was the only in it. He was never home and he left me alone. A lot,” she said. “But I never strayed.”

  Dana tried very hard not to make her explanation a wordy story. She wanted to cut to the good part of the answer because she decided if he was game, she wanted him to help her with why she was there.

  “So the long and the short of it, Jeff,” she said, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously, “is I have not had sex in several years. And I have not had an orgasm with a man in the entire time I have been married.”

  Jeff’s handsome face was frozen with complete shock. She knew it was a pleasant one because there was a hint of amusement in his eye. He was cute. Except for the rapid blinking which was almost like batting his eyelashes, he did not move.

  “So Jeffrey, what I am doing on this website is I want someone to take me around the world,” she said. “And by that I mean, I want a partner to act out every waking fantasy I have had for the last seven years. Now mind you, you are my first date and I didn’t expect to just lay it on the table the way I have --”