Chapter 11
“Wow, this place is so much more impressive than even the pictures,” she gasped as they entered his home for the first time.
The one thing that wasn’t different was how cold it seemed. It still possessed the essence of a house decorated as a show place to sell some sort of dream life. There were marble floors and counters, and heavy carved wooden furniture for which she’d probably be astounded by the price tag. It was more like a museum than a house and nothing solidified that thought more than the large statue of a dragon that stood in the dead center of the massive foyer.
“I’ve never seen one of these up close,” she marveled, walking toward it, and looking intently at the perfection in the way the sculpture had been joined together to create a seamless masterpiece despite the man parts that had been fused into its creation.
“Well, you’ll have plenty of time to study it and the others,” he told her, sitting down the bags. “Let’s get you settled into your suite and I’ll give you a tour.”
“Great,” she replied, still marveling at the mixed metal dragon.
He picked her bags back up and began to walk down a long hallway below the stairs. There were no doors leading to other rooms along the way. Instead, there was a large double door at the end that opened up into what she would call a large formal room.
“This is the main room of your suite,” he told her, walking over to another door, and opening it to walk inside with her bags.
Ashley followed him, looking around with wide eyes. In contrast to the rather austere sitting room, it was filled with rich mahogany furniture and warm earth tones that gave it a luxurious, yet comfortable look. To one side was a much more modern looking bathroom with a garden tub and a separate shower. On the opposite side was a walk-in closet and a sizeable alcove with a writing desk and bookshelves that were empty except for a handful of books.
“This will be your space for the time you’re here. Feel free to make whatever changes you like in here or in the sitting room. I know it’s a bit . . . cold, out there. Whole house is really, I guess. I bought it and had a professional decorate it. She did a brilliant job, but it’s more for show than comfort.”
“Why haven’t you changed it?”
“Honestly, I’m rarely home and just haven’t bothered. I duck in and out. The staff takes care of the place.”
“I see. How many members of staff are there?”
“Only a few that are here consistently. I have a cook that works when I’m home and a housekeeper that comes in a few times a week, whether I’m here or not. The place gets dusty even when I’m gone. Aside from that, I have a groundskeeper that tends the lawn, shrubs, gardens, etc. A pool guy that comes in each week and cleans the pool and sauna. There are several security guards that rotate shifts. One of them is always present. There will be two for the duration of your stay. One will be stationed just outside your exterior doors, just so you know.”
“Exterior doors?” she asked, looking around and not seeing any.
“Ah, yes,” he replied, reaching for a remote and pushing a button.
The dark, heavy curtains she had assumed were covering a large window parted to reveal a pair of French doors leading out into a small, mostly private patio with a metal bistro table and a bench build into a metal base that appeared to be made in the same style as the dragon in the foyer. The walkway through it led to the outer patio belonging to the main house, where she could easily access the pool and what appeared to be a glass-enclosed sauna to one side.
“This place is incredible,” she told him.
“You haven’t seen anything yet. Come on and I’ll show you the rest, including those dragons you want to see,” he told her.
They continued their tour of the house, all of which was astounding but still cold in design. However, the thing that really held her attention was the rear gardens. It was quite obvious that the person who had decorated the interior had not had a part in the gardens. It was a sprawling maze of blooms and shrubs that appeared to be haphazard, but if you looked closely, were in perfect symmetry. At the bend of each turn was another glorious dragon. Those things must have cost a fortune.
“I’ve not forgotten that you promised to introduce me to the sculptor,” she reminded him.
“In due time. I promise,” he told her.
They walked through the garden as the moon loomed mightily overhead. It was getting late. The flight here had been long and the drive from the airport hadn’t been much better. It was beginning to take its toll.
“You look tired. How about we grab a quick bite in the kitchen and call it a night?” he said.
“That sounds perfect. Maybe just a sandwich.”
“We can manage that, I’m sure,” he told her.
They returned to the house and made a quick meal of ham and cheese sandwiches and bottled water before going their separate ways to their bedrooms. Ashley took a quick shower and climbed into the oversized bed naked, slipping down between the coolness of the sheets. It felt absolutely heavenly. She couldn’t remember ever having been in a bed as comfortable as this one. She was asleep in a matter of what seemed like seconds after her head hitting the pillow.
When she awoke, there was sun spilling inside the small section of the patio curtains that had been left partially open upon their return from their walk outside. Stretching, she got out of bed and slipped into a soft pair of shorts and a tee-shirt before slipping out of the room and down to the foyer, where she stood looking at the dragon, once again. There was no sign of Colin, at first. She assumed he was still asleep until he came charging in the front door.
“You looking at that thing again?” he asked.
“I can’t help it. I’ve always been fascinated by these.”
“What draws you to it so much?”
“I don’t know. I think it is because the artist takes items that would have otherwise been discarded and gives them a new life. It’s beautiful.”
“Like bringing dead things to life. Frankenstein dragons,” he said.
“Something like that. I guess I understand your love for dragons, though; being one. I didn’t ask you before when we talked, but what all can you do as a dragon. I assume you can fly. What else?”
“I can fly. I can breathe fire, but I don’t like to do that unless necessary. Even in dragon form, it is rough on the throat and that carries over into adult form. It takes me days to recover from the bad taste in my mouth.”
“That’s kind of funny, in a way,” she replied, chuckling at the thought of it.
“Not if you are the one experiencing it. It’s the worst. Believe me.”
“Are there many of you?”
“I honestly don’t know. There are a few of us here in this area. Some not so nice ones too. They live by a very old code, one that leads them to believe they should be the only dragon line in the area. It is the reason I try to keep a low profile. I don’t need some sort of ridiculous modern day turf war on my hands. It is also the reason you will be guarded while here. The likelihood of anyone finding out about our arrangement and attempting to do any harm are minimal, but I won’t take any chances.”
“I don’t know what I should say to that.”
“Nothing for you to say. It’s just the way things are, and you will be safe here with me. Always.”
There was something about the way he said it that put her in mind of so much beyond their agreement, but that wasn’t a part of their arrangement, as he had put it. She reminded herself to steer clear of any false ideas that there was any more to this than a business deal, no matter what might have happened between them before. It wasn’t in her best interests to get all wrapped up in him.
“Anyway, most of the staff is here today. Let me introduce you to them so you’ll feel a bit more comfortable when I’m not around,” he told her.
They made their rounds around the staff before finally making their way to a room he had not shown her the day before. He knocked on the door and waited, explaining to her that it was the in-house clinic he had put in place for her stay, also, the quarters of a staff doctor he had hired to make sure she and the baby remained at optimum health during her pregnancy.
The door opened to reveal a rather tall, strikingly handsome young doctor that Colin introduced as Dr. McClellan. He was all smiles as he invited them into the small exam room that made up the front of the room. Ashley could see just a hint of his private quarters through the open door positioned to one side. It was a nice space, but not nearly as sizable as the suite she was in. Still, it was very nice and she was actually glad that there was a doctor so close at hand for anything she might need.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Ashley. We’ll sit down and go over a plan for your pregnancy as soon as you are settled in properly. Just let me know when is good for you.”
“I will do that. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Dr. McClellan.”
“Oh, please. This is a pretty informal setting. Just call me Simon.”
“Simon it is, then,” she replied.
“All right, well, I guess that is it for introductions,” Colin said, nodding toward the doctor and waving for her to exit the room.
Once in the hallway, he informed her that he was going to have to leave for a few days and that she should make herself at home with the house and the staff. She wasn’t sure how she felt about ordering other people around, but she’d manage without being too much of a pain in their backsides. Within the hour, Colin was on his way out the door with his suitcase and she was standing back in her room, wondering what to do next.