AMelodyInParadise by Tianna Xander Page A
Authors: Tianna Xander
someone to replace me.” She looked at Carmen. “I know you don’t want to do it.”
“Not on your life, sister.” Carmen shook her head. “In fact, I’ve been thinking of going to Paradise myself. I just need to stay and wait for my escorts.” She turned a sly look at her uncles. “You did request the two men I asked you to, didn’t you?”
Mitch shook his head and grinned. “Yes, we did. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Carmen gave them a sly smile. “Yes. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“I hope so, sweetheart. If those two aren’t your mates, I’m going to have words with them if they so much as lay a finger on you. Keep that in mind.”
“You’re absolutely no fun, Uncle Mitch,” Carmen said with a pout.
“I’m your guardian. I’m not supposed to be fun.” He wanted to laugh at her expression, but knew that anything he said would go in one ear and out the other if he so much as cracked a smile when she stuck her tongue out at him, the little brat.
Melody rested her hand on his arm. “I’m telling all of you, right now,” she said as she turned her gaze to Wyatt who just walked into the room carrying two cups of coffee, “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t afford to get sued for breach of contract.”
“No one is going to sue you, angel.” Mitch moved to sit beside her on the couch as Wyatt sat on her other side and handed her a cup of coffee. Together, they would either convince her to go or they would take her by force. Obviously they would rather do the former than the latter, but they would do what they must to ensure her safety. “We can buy your contract.”
“You’re not buying my contract.” She shook her head. I could never repay you and I won’t be called a kept woman.” She pressed her lips together, adamant. “Unless there’s a concert hall or you two own a music school, buying out my contract is not an option.” She turned a pleading gaze on them. “I can’t let you do this. I know you say I’m your mate, but we just met and all of this is so new to me. I can’t be sure this is going to even work out between us and if it doesn’t, I can’t owe you two money. I just can’t.”
“Then you can work at our school. Paradise has one of the best secondary schools in the country,” he paused then smiled. “Well, at least it used to be considered one of the best until the old council closed the gates to the town and refused to let our sports teams compete with other cities and ended every music program we ever had.”
“You have a high school with no music program?” Melody gasped. “How can the children get a well-rounded education without a music program?”
“They can’t. That much is obvious. But it’s not much different than human schools that have made budget cuts and done the same.” Mitch smiled and touched her cheek with his finger. He couldn’t help it. He had to touch her creamy skin. He longed to push her burnished hair behind her ear and suckle the lobe, but this wasn’t the time for it. They had to leave and they had to do it very publicly so the person who stalked her would follow. The last thing he or Wyatt would want was for the person to turn his sights on Carmen.
He turned to look at his niece. “You stay here in the apartment until your escorts get here. You should be safe enough with the security in this building and the alarm system we have. Just don’t leave here for any reason. If you need anything, call down to Charlie, the bellman and he will get you whatever you want.”
Carmen nodded, her expression grim. “I hope this isn’t someone from the old council or something. You know how those creeps are.” She shuddered.
“No, Carmen. It’s not one from the old council. This person is an amateur and he knows nothing of our kind or he wouldn’t have left his scent all over your apartment.” He frowned. “We’ll also talk about your apartment later.”
“Uh, oh.”
“Yeah, uh oh.” Mitch scowled down
“Not on your life, sister.” Carmen shook her head. “In fact, I’ve been thinking of going to Paradise myself. I just need to stay and wait for my escorts.” She turned a sly look at her uncles. “You did request the two men I asked you to, didn’t you?”
Mitch shook his head and grinned. “Yes, we did. I hope you know what you’re doing.”
Carmen gave them a sly smile. “Yes. I know exactly what I’m doing.”
“I hope so, sweetheart. If those two aren’t your mates, I’m going to have words with them if they so much as lay a finger on you. Keep that in mind.”
“You’re absolutely no fun, Uncle Mitch,” Carmen said with a pout.
“I’m your guardian. I’m not supposed to be fun.” He wanted to laugh at her expression, but knew that anything he said would go in one ear and out the other if he so much as cracked a smile when she stuck her tongue out at him, the little brat.
Melody rested her hand on his arm. “I’m telling all of you, right now,” she said as she turned her gaze to Wyatt who just walked into the room carrying two cups of coffee, “I’m not going anywhere. I can’t afford to get sued for breach of contract.”
“No one is going to sue you, angel.” Mitch moved to sit beside her on the couch as Wyatt sat on her other side and handed her a cup of coffee. Together, they would either convince her to go or they would take her by force. Obviously they would rather do the former than the latter, but they would do what they must to ensure her safety. “We can buy your contract.”
“You’re not buying my contract.” She shook her head. I could never repay you and I won’t be called a kept woman.” She pressed her lips together, adamant. “Unless there’s a concert hall or you two own a music school, buying out my contract is not an option.” She turned a pleading gaze on them. “I can’t let you do this. I know you say I’m your mate, but we just met and all of this is so new to me. I can’t be sure this is going to even work out between us and if it doesn’t, I can’t owe you two money. I just can’t.”
“Then you can work at our school. Paradise has one of the best secondary schools in the country,” he paused then smiled. “Well, at least it used to be considered one of the best until the old council closed the gates to the town and refused to let our sports teams compete with other cities and ended every music program we ever had.”
“You have a high school with no music program?” Melody gasped. “How can the children get a well-rounded education without a music program?”
“They can’t. That much is obvious. But it’s not much different than human schools that have made budget cuts and done the same.” Mitch smiled and touched her cheek with his finger. He couldn’t help it. He had to touch her creamy skin. He longed to push her burnished hair behind her ear and suckle the lobe, but this wasn’t the time for it. They had to leave and they had to do it very publicly so the person who stalked her would follow. The last thing he or Wyatt would want was for the person to turn his sights on Carmen.
He turned to look at his niece. “You stay here in the apartment until your escorts get here. You should be safe enough with the security in this building and the alarm system we have. Just don’t leave here for any reason. If you need anything, call down to Charlie, the bellman and he will get you whatever you want.”
Carmen nodded, her expression grim. “I hope this isn’t someone from the old council or something. You know how those creeps are.” She shuddered.
“No, Carmen. It’s not one from the old council. This person is an amateur and he knows nothing of our kind or he wouldn’t have left his scent all over your apartment.” He frowned. “We’ll also talk about your apartment later.”
“Uh, oh.”
“Yeah, uh oh.” Mitch scowled down