The Dragon's Nanny (Elemental Dragons Book 1) Read online

  “Yes, you are.” I kiss her forehead as she snuggles on my chest, my arms around her shoulders, and my cock still buried in her folds. I sigh happily and enjoy the feel of my Rosana. We contentedly drift off to sleep, wrapped in each other’s arms.

  A kiss on my cheek wakes me the next morning, and I stretch contentedly. Rosana slides off me, and I watch her perfect ass as she walks to the bathroom and glances over her shoulder to smile at me. I get up and follow her to the shower, kissing her shoulder and neck as she starts the water. While we wait for the water to heat up, she wraps her arms around my neck and kisses me passionately, waking my aching cock from his slumber. I grin at her and, without warning, walk her backward under the lukewarm spray. The less than ideal temperature makes her gasp, and she splashes me in the face, laughing when I sputter indignantly.

  “You deserved that!” she giggles as I growl at her and push her against the wall with my body.

  “That doesn’t mean I can’t make you pay for it,” I murmur into her ear and lift her up with her back against the wall. She grins and wraps her legs around me, slowly sliding her velvety folds onto my aching shaft. I groan in enjoyment as we increase our rhythm. I start slamming into her, pushing her back against the wall and feeling her fingernails digging into my back. I push her higher and higher into ecstasy, and she takes me deeper and deeper. Our movements become frantic as we ride the pleasure higher and higher before succumbing to the pulsing release together. As our breathing evens out, she kisses me deeply, slides down my body, and rests her head on my chest.

  “I love you, Gino,” she whispers.

  I bring her even closer and kiss her head, enjoying the feel of her in my arms. My dragon rumbles in contentment. “And I love you, Rosana,” I whisper back. “We should probably get washed and head downstairs.”

  She nods and starts lathering my body with soap. I groan at her attentions, savoring the feel of her fingers stroking me.

  Nearly an hour later, we find ourselves downstairs preparing breakfast together as Kalino and Faustino come ambling downstairs.

  “Morning, Rose,” Kalino says with a yawn. “G,” he nods at me.

  “You two are up early,” says Faustino as he smirks at us with a knowing look in his eyes.

  Rosana ignores Faustino and finishes preparing breakfast. When she turns around to bring plates to the table, her Dragon Tear pendant flashes in the overhead light, and I see Kalino’s eyes widen. He looks at me, a question in his eyes, but I shake my head at him to let him know to be quiet. Fortunately, he gets the message and quietly walks to the table with a plate full of eggs in his hands. As Rosana and I set the last plates on the table, Adelmo and Vittorio come downstairs, swinging an excited Yelena between them. My daughter manages to convince her uncles to launch her off the last three stairs, and she lands with a flourish and bows, giggling incessantly. I chuckle and kiss her on the forehead when she comes over to take her seat.

  “Morning, Momma Rosie,” she says.

  Hearing Yelena calling Rosana Momma makes me so happy that I can’t help but smile. Rosana has become so much more than a nanny to Yelena. Even though I still feel a tinge of guilt towards Yamira whenever I’m with Rosana, I know that Yamira would want nothing but for Yelena and me to be happy.

  “Morning, Lena. Did you sleep well?” Rosana asks. Yelena nods vigorously, a strip of bacon that is hanging out of her mouth flapping up and down with the motion.

  Kalino and Faustino take their dirty dishes to the kitchen and leave the house. Once the rest of us finish, Adelmo clears the table, and Vittorio washes the dishes. Yelena grabs Rosana and me by the hands and drags us to the sitting room to play cards.

  “We’re heading out, Gino,” says Vittorio from the entryway.

  I nod and wave a hand. “Have fun.”

  “You too, General,” he says.

  I relish the light air surrounding the morning while the three of us play cards. Once the sun reaches its peak, Yelena’s stomach starts growling.

  Rosana laughs. “I guess that’s our queue to head into town.”

  “I guess so,” I reply with a smile.

  Once we arrive in town, Rosana parks out front Carol’s Place. I help Yelena out of the backseat and usher my two favorite females inside. We’re greeted by the smiling face of Carrie.

  “Well, if it isn’t two of my favorite customers!” She sidles up to Rosana and whispers to her, “See, I told you it was fate!”

  Rosana smiles back at the older woman as she leads us to a booth situated along the back wall. “Do y’all already know whatcha want, or should I give ya a few minutes?” she asks cheerily.

  “We’ll have whatever they want,” I tell her as Yelena points to the Margherita pizza on the menu.

  “That’s my favorite pizza too, Lena!” Rosana says, smiling fondly at my daughter.

  Carrie grins at the two. “So, one large Margherita pizza?” she asks. Rosana and Yelena nod. “Do you want any special drinks or just water?”

  “Water is fine,” says Rosana as she ruffles Yelena’s hair.

  Chapter 13 - Rosana

  I tickle Yelena as Carrie walks away, basking in her elated giggles. She and I start playing Tic Tac Toe on the blank paper Carrie brought her while we wait for the pizza. Gino watches us with a smile on his face. Once Carrie brings out our pizza, we dig in, stretching piping hot cheese all over the place and laughing as it hangs out of our mouths while we make silly faces. Yelena’s tinkling giggle fills the air and my heart with happiness. Once we finish eating, Gino pays, and we head outside, walking hand in hand down the little strip of stores. We pass by the bakery that Faustino frequents in favor of the ice cream shop two doors down. Yelena screams in excitement as we usher her inside.

  “ICE CREAM! BEST DAY EVER, DADDY!” she squeals, skipping away from us towards the counter. Gino and I look at each other and laugh at her enthusiastic squeals. We each order our ice cream: rainbow swirls for Yelena, cookie dough for me, and chocolate caramel for Gino. Ice creams in hand, we walk out of the store to sit in the outdoor seating area, thoroughly enjoying our treats.

  “Look, Momma Rosie!” squeaks Yelena. I look over to see her trying to reach a blob of ice cream on the end of her nose with her tongue. I smile and grab a napkin to gently wipe the mess off of her face. She giggles furiously and stands up to twirl away from us.

  I look at Gino, deciding to ask the question that’s been on my mind for a while now. “Hey, Gino?”

  “Hm?” he says, licking his ice cream.

  “What happened to Yelena’s mother? Nobody ever mentions her,” I say a little hesitantly.

  He breathes out slowly, his gaze staring off into the distance melancholically. “She died during childbirth,” he says simply, a sad look in his eyes.

  His words pierce my heart, and my eyes fill with tears. “That’s so sad,” I manage to say.

  He nods. Yelena starts laughing more, causing us to look over at her.

  “You’re my mommy now, silly Rosie,” she says, cackling excitedly. I quickly dry my tears, a little shocked that she overheard us. Gino smiles softly at me, and I smile back.

  Once we finish our ice cream, we pile back into my car and head over to the grocer to do some quick shopping. When we pull into the parking lot, I notice that there are a few other cars. We hop out of the car and head inside, grabbing a shopping cart and placing Yelena in the child’s seat. She waves her arms over her head, swaying excitedly and singing while we shop. I can’t stop smiling at her while we grab groceries, kitten chow, litter, and some feminine products. As we’re checking out, I realize I forgot the eggs.

  “I’ll go grab them,” offers Gino kindly. I smile appreciatively at him as he turns and walks back to the back of the store. While Gino’s gone, I feel itching on the back of my neck. I look around, certain someone’s watching me. Finding nothing, I frown and face the register once more. As I look up, I see the flash of a man with a skull tattoo on the back of his neck as he exits the store. Chills race up an
d down my spine. I shake my head, certain I’d imagined the image.

  Gino returns with the eggs just as the cashier finishes ringing up our things. He hands the woman behind the counter the eggs and helps her begin bagging everything while I pay with the card Kalino gave me for expenses. We thank the woman and load up the cart, heading out to my car. While Gino loads the groceries into the trunk, I get Yelena strapped in. When I stand up and stretch, leaning my arms on the roof of the car above the rear driver’s seat, I feel an itching sensation. My gaze collides with a man who’s leaning against his car, watching me. I shiver in fear. He grins and walks around his car, turning his back to me to open the driver’s door. Chills race up and down my spine as I see the grinning visage of a skull with two pistols.

  Gino slams the trunk closed and crosses to the passenger door. “Ready?” he asks.

  I nod, plaster a smile on my face, and get into the car. We arrive back at the house with a sleeping Yelena in the backseat, chewing on her thumb. Gino carries her upstairs while I start unloading the groceries. After a few moments, he comes back and helps me unload and put away the groceries. We sit, snuggled together, on the couch in front of the fireplace. Still, I can’t help but think back to earlier, to the man that I saw. I shiver at the thought of The Outlaws knowing where I’m at. I try to calm myself; they have no way of knowing where I am.

  Gino mistakes my fear for being cold and starts a fire, returning to join me on the couch and rub my arms. I smile at him, grateful for the comfort, even if he doesn’t know why I need it.

  “We’re on our own tonight for dinner,” says Gino, stroking my hair.

  “Yeah, I’ll prepare us something quick,” I say and give him a kiss on the cheek before heading to the kitchen to prepare some grilled cheese sandwiches and canned tomato soup. I bring the spoils back to the sitting area and place them before Gino, curling into his side once more.

  “Should we wake her for dinner?” I ask Gino uncertainly, but he shakes his head.

  “Her nap was pretty short today, and she woke up early. She probably needs the rest.”

  I show him how to dip the sandwiches in the soup before eating them, and he takes turns feeding each of us. I enjoy his attentions. After we finish eating and cleaning up, we head upstairs, peeking in on a still-sleeping Yelena. The sight of her lying in her bed peacefully brings a smile to my face.

  After changing and cleaning up, I brush my teeth and join Gino in his bed, snuggling in comfortably with him. I lie awake, listening to Gino’s heartbeat under my ear, reveling in the safe feeling of being in his arms. Once his breathing evens out, I carefully extract myself from his arms and walk over to the window, staring out at the night and pondering the presence of the Outlaw member in town today. He saw me with Yelena. My stomach churns with worry at the thought. The possibility of The Outlaws hurting Yelena to get to me is a terrifying prospect.

  As I contemplate possibilities to keep Yelena safe, a dark shadow suddenly blocks out the moon. My breath catches as I stare out of the window, looking for the source of the shadow. A moment later, two lithe, reptile bodies land in the driveway beside my car. Panic tightens my throat at the sight. Two snake-like bodies with giant clawed feet lower themselves to the ground. They flex large, leathery wings out behind them before folding them along their serpentine backs and shaking their heads, their huge teeth glistening in the moonlight. The sight reminds me of a statue of a Chinese dragon that I saw in a museum once, but different. My breathing is now starting to come in gasps. Suddenly, the forms of the reptile creatures shrink and twist in on themselves. I cover my mouth with my hand as I watch the scene in morbid fascination. The two draconic forms shrink until man-sized figures stand in their places, stretching their backs. I gasp as the moonlight illuminates the faces of Adelmo and Vittorio. Slowly, I back away from the window, shaking my head in denial.

  I cross back to the bed, smoothing the hair from Gino’s face, looking for some sign of reptilian tendencies. Tears fill my eyes, and worry fills my mind. Memories of watching Samael change from man to beast plague my mind. I shake my head, certain that the brothers whom I’ve grown to know and love could not possibly be in league with the demon plaguing my nightmares. I cross to my room, lost in thought. Am I losing my sanity? Is the stress of being stalked by Samael getting the better of me? Am I seeing things that aren’t real?

  My phone dings, indicating a missed call. I play the voicemail without checking the caller ID. The Darth Vader breathing invades my eardrums. After witnessing the strange change of shape of the two Vollmer brothers, the sound of the caller is too much for my nerves. My breath comes in quick gasps, and panic overtakes me. The voice laughs, the eerie sound sending terrified chills racing down my neck.

  “I told you that you couldn’t hide, little star,” whispers the distorted voice of my tormenter. “I suggest you leave before someone you care about gets hurt.” The voice laughs again; then, the call is ended with a resounding click.

  Tears stream down my face in a waterfall of emotion. I shake myself and return to the bed to snuggle into Gino’s strong arms, burying my face in his chest. He is the only thing that’s real right now. As long as I stay here in his arms, I am safe. I close my eyes, exhausted, and fall into a deep sleep.

  I jerk awake at a thump and look around. What was that? Gino shifts beside me, and I stand from the bed, careful not to disturb the sleeping man. I follow the sound down the stairs and to the front door, where I pause to listen, my hand on the knob of the door and my heart in my throat. The sound stops, and I take a deep breath before yanking open the door, expecting to find rampant raccoons or a burglar. But all I see is a folded piece of paper floating down to the ground. I carefully bend over, glance around, and pick up the piece of paper. As I unfold it, a square piece of paper falls out. I glance around again before I bend over and pick up the paper. My heart slamming against my ribs, I close the door and head to the sitting area. My blood turns cold. In my hands is a picture of Yelena and I splashing in the lake two days ago, taken from a distance. I clench my jaw, smoothing out the other piece of paper.

  We know where you are. It would be a shame if something happened to such a beautiful little girl. ~S

  I grit my teeth in frustration, put my head in my hands, and start to cry. After a moment, I take a shuddering breath and sit up straight, clenching my fists and crumpling the paper. The decision is clear in my head. So I stand and make my way upstairs quietly. I grab my bras and panties from the chest of drawers and shove my things into my bag. Next, I make my way to the bathroom, grab a bar of Gino’s soap and other toiletries, and toss them into my bag. Then I cross into Gino’s room and stare down at him. I kiss his forehead and almost change my mind. But before I can, I grab a pen and pad of paper, write out a note, and leave it on the nightstand beside Gino’s sleeping form. My hand goes to the Dragon Tear pendant around my neck. I should leave this for Gino. But I shake my head at the thought, unable to part with the gift.

  As I walk towards the stairs, a sleepy Yelena walks out of her room, rubbing her eyes and yawning. Tears burn my eyes at the sight of her innocent face.

  “Hi Momma Rosie,” she says, yawning.

  I smile down at her and crouch before her. “Hi, baby girl,” I say and kiss her little cheek.

  She smiles at me and places her tiny hand on my cheek as tears begin to fall from my eyes. “Don’t cry, Momma Rosie,” she says. “Have a safe trip.” She kisses my cheek, then adds, “I’ll see you soon, Momma Rosie.”

  I shudder at her words as she turns and walks back into her room, all the while muttering to herself. Will I ever see her again? I head outside and get into my car, start the engine, and pull away from the love of my life and his daughter. Then I merge onto the highway, heading southeast.

  Chapter 14 - Gino

  I wake up to someone knocking on my door and look around, immediately noticing Rosana’s absence. I shrug, thinking she probably just got up early to make breakfast. A smile crosses my face as I rememb
er the past couple of days; we spent a lot of time together, and I feel like we’re really getting to know each other. Well, I haven’t told her who I really am, yet. I feel that it’s still a little too early to tell her about the beast inside of me. I’m really not sure how she’ll react.

  The knocking comes again, and I get up, stretching my back and shoulders before crossing to the door and opening it. Kalino is on the other side, his hand raised to knock again. I raise my eyebrow at him in question, and he grins, looking around me to inspect the room.

  “Is Rosana in there?” he asks quietly. I shake my head. “Can I come in then?”

  I back away, allowing him entry, and see him smile at me mischievously. “What’s that look for?” I ask him warily. When his grin widens, I lift an eyebrow in question.

  “Emiliano got in touch this morning!” Kalino says, excitement in his voice.

  “Did he now? That’s great!” I can feel relief spreading through me. That means we might see our brother and sister-in-law soon. “Did he have an update?”

  Kal’s grin widens. “He said they managed to procure documents.”

  I nod, smiling slightly. “That’s good news. Did he say how long until they’ll arrive?”

  “He said they should be here within the week. He’s in the process of arranging flights using human methods of travel to avoid airspace detection.”

  I nod, laughing. “That’s what he gets for skipping stealth lessons.”

  Kal barks out a laugh. “Well, you know how he felt about those.”

  I remember all of the times he skipped lessons, throwing the words ‘I’m the future king, I have no need to hide,’ over his shoulder as he snuck out. I shake my head at the fond memories, feeling a tinge of sadness underneath. Our old world, the world we grew up in, is no longer there.

  After Kalino leaves the room, I get washed up and changed for the day before heading downstairs. I find Faustino and Kalino sitting at the kitchen island stools, eating something Rosana referred to as cereal. I nod at them, wondering whether Rosana perhaps went back to her room to sleep during the morning. An uneasy feeling settles in my stomach, and as I open the fridge for the third time, Faustino looks up.