Night Angels (Beast & Beauty) (13 page)

“Of course and hello Roxanne,” his mother said pleasantly, getting up from the table and approaching them both for a quick handshake with her.

“Nice to meet you, Lady Brandon,” Roxy replied sweetly, her eyes downcast as she smiled shyly. He could see his mother's eyes were twinkling with curiosity.

What a complete charmer Roxy was!

Then his mother gave Kyle a look. It was a definite 'what about Melanie?' look.

He led his mother back to the study, and once Roxy was inside, he began his carefully thought out future life explanation. It all went a lot easier than he imagined.

His parents were very understanding of his need to see a little piece of the world, and with such a charming companion at his side too. They were both captivated, he could tell. They asked her lots of questions which she'd already been primed for, by him. He smiled to himself. He knew his parents inside out.

“Will you be staying for dinner Roxanne?” his mother asked. And before he had the opportunity to say they needed to do some things and get away, she replied on their behalf.

“Oh yes please, I'd love to!”

He gave her a dark look.

Just great...

They went upstairs to his room for a while. He turned on his computer and his phone. She flitted around, taking it all in, and she poked about nosily in all the cupboards and drawers.

“Got a search warrant?” he joked.

“Just looking at your things, that's all...” She opened his wardrobe. “You might have to leave some of this behind, babe,” she said with wide eyes, examining his bursting wardrobe of clothes and bits and pieces.

“Not a problem at all. Don't need clothes much do we...?”

“Mmmm, you may be right. How long till dinner?” she asked, staring at his bed.

“An hour and a half maybe...” he replied, looking at the time on the computer monitor.

“... Kyle... babe... what about a ...” she began in a sexy drawl... But he was way ahead of her. He swept her off her feet and they landed in a tangle of limbs on the bed. He took her face in his hands possessively and brushed his lips across hers with a deep sigh.

“What about a what...?” he asked her hotly, his hand snaking its way up her blouse as his other hand undid the zip of her pants.

The job and Mel could wait a little while, or a long while, even.

He finished a long conversation with the head of customer services at Quadweb. It was agreed he would work flexi hours, as and when it suited. He was overwhelmed by their generosity and adaptability. He explained he'd be a few weeks offline and took some unpaid leave until communications were arranged. He had to sort out an encrypted line for his work access, for reasons of security, and that could take time to set up.

After that he was in a buoyant mood and sent Melanie a text. It was a simple explanation of fact. But he invited her to call him.

“Mel, so sorry about my absence. Met up with an old GF and have decided to give it another go. Travelling abroad with her soon. Sorry if I misled you, or you were hoping for more. Please call me when you are free. ”

He pressed send with a touch of anxiety creeping in. Of course he knew she wanted a lot more, and he did too, not that long ago.

But that was before.

Things were different now.

He smiled at his beautiful little life changer as she picked up his weights and examined them.   Almost immediately his phone rang.

“Hi Mel...” he answered.

“Are you home?”

“Yes.”

“I'm coming over. Now!”

He'd rather this wasn't happening. Not with Roxy around. He pressed end call and stood staring into space, trying to think straight.

“What's up babe?” Roxy asked, making her way over to his side.

“Unhappy one night stand... On her way over, right now.”

“Oh... right... Want me to make myself scarce?”

“No, stay... you're my girlfriend, my old flame remember?... Just act the part.”

Ten minutes later the doorbell buzzed loudly, as usual, and he opened his bedroom door to see Mrs Higgins letting Melanie inside the door and into the hallway.  His mother stood at the foot of the stairs, having come out from wherever, to see who it was.

“Hello Mrs Brandon,” Melanie said politely.

“Hello Melanie,” his mother replied, equally politely.

“Come up will you,” he called down, leaning over the stair balcony.

She strode towards the stairs, across the black and white chequered floor, like the queen on a chess board going for checkmate.

His mother looked up at him as if to say... 'hmmm, this could be interesting...'

Melanie flew up the stairs and into his room, whirling to face him.

“What is going on?” she demanded, her cheeks pink with anger.

“As I explained. I'm seeing an old friend.”

“But Kyle? What about us?... What did I do wrong? Why did you need to take up with an old girlfriend?” she appealed. She moved forward and held him around the waist and pulled him close, nuzzling his neck and trying to kiss some reaction out of him. He pushed her hands down and stepped back.

Roxy cleared her throat behind her and she turned and glared, noticing her for the first time as she sat on his bed.

“Is this
her
?” she ground out in disgust.

“Yep. Roxy this is Mel, Mel, Roxy...” he introduced them awkwardly.

They stared at each other.

“So pleased to meet you,” Roxy finally said, a touch sarcastically.

“If I knew you liked mousey brown, I'd have dyed mine that colour,” Mel said bitchily.

He laughed at that comment. If there was one thing Roxy wasn't, it was mousey.

“Mel, there's no point getting upset about what never was. We hardly knew one another except in the physical sense, did we?”

“But I thought we were going places Kyle?”

“Perhaps we might have, it was always a possibility, but then Roxy came back.”

“You're a prize bastard. You know that?” she spat at him.

“Hey, hang on... I never promised you anything, did I?”

“But all that stuff outside and on your bed... You took advantage of me...”

“Oh no, if I remember correctly, you started it. You had your hand down my pants on the bike for crissakes...!”

“What's going on?” Chris appeared at the open door...

“You may well ask...” Mel snapped, crossing her arms.

“Kyle...?” he prompted.

“I was explaining to Mel that I already have a girlfriend, Roxanne,” he nodded in her direction. “And now she is somewhat pissed off with me.”

“Well she has a right to be, considering you persuaded her into having sex with you!” Chris added hotly.

“What? I never persuaded her, not in any way Chris. She came on to me from the word go,” he protested, glaring at her. He was beginning to get a new sense of Melanie's character and it wasn't pleasant.

“That's not what she told me.” Chris glared at her as well.

“Well I'm telling you now.
She
hit on
me
and pushed it. Although I must admit I didn't resist very hard. Actually, not at all. She also told me you're a sex maniac and you wouldn't leave her alone.”

She had the good grace to look sheepish and embarrassed at this revelation.

“Ha ha... that's rich! Mind explaining that Mel?” he regarded her coldly.

“I'm not saying anything. You'll twist my words, like Kyle just did.”

“Twist your words? Who exactly is the sex maniac here? You jump my bones all the time and apparently my brother's too. I think you should go. We're so done here!” Chris blurted out in anger.

“Chris, can't we work something out? Begin again? I've been so stupid … I must have lost my mind...” She stepped forward and reached out to him with tears in her eyes.

“No, I lost mine. Over you. And God alone know's why,” Chris said heatedly. He ran his hands through his hair and shook his head in disappointment as he stared at her. “What's the matter Mel?  Have your two chances of marrying into the upper classes dropped to none...? Are your future plans to live a life of luxury in ruins? Get out, you make me sick.”

“I'm no golddigger... Don't say that!” she sobbed

“I don't know and no longer care what you are. Please leave.”

She managed to leave the room with her head held high.

Kyle didn't know what to think, about any of it. He knew Mel was a liar and obviously had a high sex drive, but why she played the two of them like that he really didn't understand.

He was mortified, and it looked like Chris was really upset too.

The front door slammed.

“Well I don't know the full story, but it looks like you both had a lucky escape there,” Roxy said quietly.

“I'm sorry bro...” Kyle said thoughtfully.

“No, don't be sorry. I'm thanking you and God right now... Phew...”

“Really?”

“
Yeah, I was getting in deep there. You've saved me from making a big mistake. Probably the biggest one of my life...” He slapped Kyle's arm gently in a rare display of affection. “We still have one big problem left though... We need to find another dentist now!”

“
I guess we do.”

They laughed together for the first time in an age. The years of animosity just seemed to melt away somehow, and they eyed each other with a new understanding.

Kyle brought Roxy to his side.

“Roxanne. Meet my brother Chris. He's a pain in the backside and far too clever for his own good. He's also my much loved and detested twin, the eldest by thirty six minutes...”

“Pleased to meet you Roxanne. What a lovely name.”

“Thanks and pleased to meet you too Chris. I've heard so much about you.” She gave Kyle a dirty look, as he'd never so much as mentioned Chris to her...

“Well he's never once spoken about you, but then again, I can see why he'd want to keep you a secret.” he chuckled.

As they sat at the long mahogany dining table, eating their last family meal for what could possibly be a long time, a sense of peace came over Kyle's whole body and mind. Considering the tumultuous events which had overtaken his life in the last week, it was an odd feeling to be having, but a very welcome one all the same.

He watched Roxy with pride as she chatted and charmed everyone around the table, and at the same time, ate for all of England, by the looks of it. Of course he knew her secret, their secret. Werewolves had rather large appetites. Transformation and wolf-like behaviour burned through the calories. Add to that the fact they were burning the bedroom calories pretty fast as well.  A lot of fuel was needed.

“So, will it be France and Spain first?” his mother asked Kyle.

“Haven't worked out a route, have we?” He smiled at Roxy.

“Free as birds... No set agenda...” She smiled back.

“Oh to be young again, eh... Phillip darling?” his mother sighed wistfully.

“I can't see you touring on a motorbike, my love,” his father replied, cocking his eyebrow at her.

“Maybe I would have enjoyed it, in my twenties, who knows? I always had a yearning to be free, to be a Hells Angels biker moll or something risqué like that...” his mother mused.

His father harrumphed with amusement and disbelief.

Kyle nearly choked on his Chicken Chasseur.

“Funny you should say that Sandra, because so do I!” Roxy giggled.

Kyle gave her a glare for encouraging his mother.

“Oh yes, bikes have such an appeal, don't they? I've sat on yours a few times you know Kyle?” his mother revealed.

“Really Mum, you do surprise me...!” he added, truly surprised.

“I think our mother has a hidden side to her...” Chris announced with a grin.

“All women have a hidden wild side. Wouldn't you agree, Roxanne?” she asked her with a mischievous little smile.

“Oh they do... And I keep mine very well hidden,” she replied, stifling a laugh.

After dinner, which was so relaxing and pleasurable, and thankfully free of any breakouts, he left Roxy having a port with his family. He took a piece of leftover chicken from the serving dish, and after wrapping it in a paper napkin, went off to find Martha. She sat cowering in the kitchen, in the shadow of Mrs Higgins who was working at the sink.

“Hey girl...” he said, bending down and opening the offering, placing it on the floor at his feet.

“Don't know whats up wiv 'er, that I dont? She's gone all timid and skittish lately,” Mrs Higgins said, casting her eye at the dog fondly.  “Hangs around me all day, in 'ere, she do...”

“It was those wolves we saw. She's never been the same since... Come... Martha... Come on. It's for you.” He pushed the chicken a little further away and waited. The dog adored chicken. It was her favourite meat. She cautiously crept forward, her eyes fixed on him, and bent her head to take the treat quickly. She sat down in front of him, her fear seemingly pushed to the side for a moment as she savoured her taster. “Good girl. What a good girl...”  He lifted his hand to her slowly, dropping right down to his knees.