Chapter Thirty-Three #2
Conor waited until she was inside. Then, with a shake of his head, he willed himself to Morgan Creek to tell his mother they’d be coming by for visit in a day or two.
~ * ~
Bryn was a nervous wreck all the next day.
She must have been out of her mind, wanting to introduce Conor, a vampire, to her traditional, stay-at-home mother and her business-minded father, neither of whom had ever entertained a paranormal thought in their lives.
Hopefully, Conor wouldn’t say or do anything other-worldly.
She dressed conservatively – a brown skirt, a beige sweater, a gold necklace that had belonged to her grandmother. She wore her hair down, but pulled back by a pair of gold combs, also from her grandmother.
She was as jumpy as a cat when she heard his knock at the door. Her eyes went wide when she saw him. He’d never looked more handsome. Clad in a black jacket over a white shirt open at the throat, black slacks and boots, he looked like a million dollars.
“Do I look okay to meet the folks?” he asked with a wry smile.
“You look better than okay.” She shook her head. He’d always been gorgeous but tonight...wow!
“So do you, darlin’,” he said. “If Cinderella could see you, she’d be jealous. Are you ready to go?”
With a nod, she followed him out the door.
~ * ~
Bryn’s parents gave Conor a warm welcome. They were friendly, curious, but not overly so. When her mother offered them dessert, Bryn quickly said they had already eaten. She did accept a cup of coffee, which Conor declined.
“So, what do you do for a living, Mr. Saintcrow?”
“Conor, please. My father owns a rather large combination hotel and campground in Wyoming. I work for him.”
“You don’t mean Morgan Creek?” Mrs. Davis exclaimed.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Why, I just read an article about it.” She picked a travel magazine off the coffee table and thumbed through it until she found the page she was looking for. “Here it is,” she said, and handed him the magazine.
Conor nodded. “My mother does all the advertising.”
“Harry, we have to go there,” Mrs. Davis said, her voice laced with excitement.
Harry nodded. “Maybe Conor can get us a discount,” he said, with a smile.
“I’d be happy to do so,” Conor said. “Just let me know a little in advance.”
The rest of the evening passed pleasantly. At the door, Bryn promised they would visit again soon.
“That wasn’t so bad, was it?” she asked, as they pulled out of the driveway.
“No. They seem like nice people.”
“Oh, they are. While we were getting ready to leave, my mother told me I should ‘hang on to this one.’”
“A girl should listen to her mother,” Conor said with a chuckle.
“I hope your mother likes me as much as mine likes you,” Bryn murmured, a nervous edge in her voice.
“Honey, she’s gonna love you.”
~ * ~
Conor transported them to Morgan Creek the following night.
Bryn was a bit overwhelmed when she saw his parents’ house.
It looked more like a castle than a home.
Large and square and made of gray stone, with turrets at the corners, the place reminded her of an old English fortress or, more fitting perhaps, Dracula’s castle.
The thought made her grin. Thick iron bars covered the front door and the windows.
“Not what you expected?” Conor asked.
“All things considered, it’s perfect. Is this where you grew up?”
“Yep. Interesting place. Dark tunnels. Turret rooms. Secret doors. Everything a haunted house needs.”
She paused. “It’s haunted?”
“I’m kidding,” he said, taking her hand. “Come on.”
He parted the iron bars and opened the front door. Bryn gasped when they stepped inside. The spacious living room was beautifully decorated with obviously expensive furniture and tables. Several lovely paintings adorned the walls. Fancy draperies covered the windows.
Saintcrow grinned at her. “Welcome to Dracula’s Castle, Miss Davis.”
Bryn felt her cheeks grow warm. Had he read her mind? How else would be know she’d been thinking the same thing?
“Rylan, behave yourself.”
“Bryn, this is my mother, Kadie. You already know my father.”
“Bryn, I’m so happy to meet you,” Kadie said, stepping forward to give the girl a hug. “Pay no attention to my husband. He can be a bit of a jerk sometimes. Come, sit.”
Bryn sat on the sofa beside Conor. The paranormal power in the room was almost over-powering.
“You look troubled,” Kadie said. “You’re not afraid of us, are you?”
“Well...it is a little, um, I mean....” Bryn clutched Conor’s hand. “I’ve never been in a room with three...vampires.”
Kadie smiled at her. “It can be a bit frightening, but believe me when I say you have nothing to fear. Can I get you anything?”
Bryn blinked at her, unable to hide her surprise at being offered refreshment. Good grief, they weren’t offering her blood, were they?
Conor and Saintcrow exchanged glances then burst out laughing.
“Bryn, love, relax.”
“Oh, dear,” Kadie said, stifling the urge to join in the laughter. “It’s just pie and coffee.”
Bryn felt her cheeks grow hot with embarrassment, wishing with all her might that she had never suggested coming here.
Conor slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Hey, it’s all right. I should have prepared you better. I should have known Mom would want to have something to offer you. And warned you about the house.”
“I’m sorry if we’ve made you uncomfortable,” Kadie said. “We don’t have many...ah... guests.”
Bryn nodded. Took a deep breath. And grinned when she saw the humor in the situation.
When Saintcrow winked at her, it somehow made everything all right.
~ * ~
“Well, I’m glad that’s over,” Conor said as they returned to Bryn’s apartment later that night.
“I had a good time with your parents,” Bryn said. “Eventually.”
Conor chuckled. “I’ve never taken anyone home before. I didn’t know what to expect. My folks have a lot of interaction with...” He paused. “With people. Employees, guests,” he said, with a shrug. “But they don’t invite any of them up to the house.” He pulled her into his arms. “I love you.”
“I know.”
“Tell me,” he said.
“I love you, too.” She slipped her arms around his neck. “Will I see you tomorrow night?”
“Count on it.” Drawing her closer, he kissed her, long and slow, his tongue dancing with hers, his hands sliding restlessly up and down her back. “You’re driving me crazy,” he murmured. “I want you so bad. In so many ways.”
“I know. I want you, too.” She could feel the evidence of his desire, see it in the depths of his eyes.
“Marry me, Bryn.”
She drew back a little, her gaze searching his. “We’ve only known each other a few months.”
“Time has nothing to do with love.”
She was drowning, she thought, drowning in the midnight-blue of his eyes, in the longing in his voice, in her own desires.
“Think about it,” he said, his voice husky. “Promise me you’ll think about it.”
“I have thought about it. But it’s a big decision. I need more time.”
He kissed her again, long and slow and sweet, and then he was gone.
She had told him not to hide what he was and he didn’t.
One minute he was there, the next he was gone.
She pictured him suddenly appearing on the sidewalk on the street below, or transporting himself back home to Morgan Creek. What a remarkable man he was.
And even as the thought crossed her mind, a little voice reminded her he wasn’t a man in the usual sense of the word at all.
Pushing the thought aside, she went into her bedroom, changed into her nightgown and brushed her teeth, all the while imagining what it would be like to share a bed with Conor, to fall asleep in his arms.. .and wake up beside a vampire at rest.
Suddenly chilled, she turned out the light and slid under the covers, only to lie there, wide awake.
What did vampires look like at rest? Movies made them look stiff and waxy pale, lying in coffins, their arms crossed over their chests.
She shuddered. Was that how Conor looked?
She would have to ask him, she thought, as she turned onto her side.
Because if it was true, that would make her answer to his proposal a definite no!