Saintcrow smiled at her. “I guess that really makes him ours now,” he said, with a grin.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Conor made a lot of changes in their lives. Kadie had a lot less free time to lay out advertising for the town, but Saintcrow thought they had enough copy for the opening. They had paid for ad space in every RV magazine in the country, as well as travel brochures for all the Western states. Kadie had suggested doing TV ads, but Saintcrow decided to wait and see what kind of response they received to the announced grand opening.
He reset the wards around the town and the surrounding mountains, blocking entrance to all vampires who weren’t family, all witches except Izabela, necromancers and the like and, as an added precaution, against werewolves as well, although he had never met any of the fanged and furry.
During the next two months workmen, painters, and gardeners came and went seven days a week from dawn to dusk. Kadie had sent out emails to all their former employees, inviting them to come back. The response was better than he had hoped. A week later, they began to trickle in. The hotel chef gave Saintcrow a long food order, the bartenders at the saloon and the hotel bar handed in their own lists. The housekeeping staff got to work washing all the sheets and towels in the rental houses and the hotel rooms. When the painting was done, Saintcrow called a company to come in and shampoo all the carpets and wax the floors.
Kadie borrowed the painters and had their whole house repainted – white for the living room and the bathroom, neutral beige for the bedrooms upstairs, a pale yellow for the kitchen. She didn’t touch the four turret rooms, or allow the painters up there. Nor did she let them into their downstairs lair. She painted that herself, choosing a pale, pale green.
And suddenly, it was opening day. Saintcrow stood at the window in his office, pleased and amazed by the number ofreservations they had received in the last two months. A steady stream of cars and campers crossed the bridge. He wasn’t sure why he was surprised. The town had a lot to offer – a large pool located in the middle of a beautiful park, a multiplex movie theater, a bowling alley, a large campground, a number of rental houses, cable TV and Internet, a dozen shops and a variety of places to eat, a five star hotel and restaurant, the saloon, a courteous staff. They had been successful in the past. No reason to think they would fail now.
~ * ~
He and Kadie had a private celebration in front of the fireplace that night after she put the baby to bed. Saintcrow opened a bottle of wine that had cost more than the GDP of some countries and filled two crystal goblets.
Lifting his in the air, Saintcrow said, “To our continued success.”
“Success,” she repeated. She smiled at him over her glass. “I love you.”
He lifted one brow. “Good to know.”
“Thank you for Conor. I know what it cost you to bring him home.”
He shrugged. “You’ve given up a lot to be with me. The least I could do was make one of your dreams come true.”
“Just one?”
“Are there more?”
“Silly. You’ve given me a beautiful home, your undying affection, your protection, and a very long life. Twice,” she added with a grin.
He shrugged again. “No charge, darlin’.”
Kadie laughed softly as she set her glass aside and slipped out of her nightgown. “I think you deserve a reward.”
Draining his glass, Saintcrow threw it into the fireplace, then drew her into his arms. “Have I told you lately that I love you more than my life?”
“I don’t think so.”
“I love you, Kadie, darlin’.” Lowering his head, he claimed her lips with his in a long searing kiss that sent shivers of pleasure through every fiber of her being. A thought dispatched his clothing as he gathered her closer and eased her down on the rug in front of the hearth so that they were lying face to face, bodies entwined.
Kadie gazed into his beautiful dark eyes, still somewhat amazed that this remarkable man loved her. Even now, when he held her so gently, she could feel the power that emanated from him, as much a part of him as the color of his hair. He groaned softly as she ran her hands across his broad shoulders, trailed her fingertips over his muscular chest and flat belly. She laughed softly, smugly, as she felt the immediate evidence of his desire against her thigh, let out a gasp as he deftly tucked her beneath him, his hands imprisoning hers above her head.
“You unleashed the beast, Kadie,” he growled. “Now you’ll have to pay the price.”
She looked up at him, her eyes shining with love as she lifted her hips to receive him.
Saintcrow muttered an oath when he heard the baby’s cry. He shook his head when Kadie started to rise. “He can wait a few minutes,” Saintcrow growled.
“A few minutes?”
Saintcrow closed his eyes and willed the child to go back to sleep.
“Maybe half an hour,” he said gruffly, his kiss stopping her protest as he made slow, sweet love to her.
So sweet that Kadie worked a little vampire magic of her own, assuring that Conor would sleep peacefully in his crib the rest of the night, while she spent the rest of the night in Rylan’s arms.