Draft version - Russian Roulette - Family secrets

Ch. 28: I'd like for you to meet somebody

Mackenzie looked around to find Gareth in the crowd and almost dropped her jaw when she saw him. He was sitting halfway inside the playhouse on the little porch in front of the door leading inside, with his long legs hanging off the two-step stairs, playing tea party with two adorable girls no more than 5 years old.

His beautiful face showed nothing but adoration and patience as he ate the imaginary cake and drank the nonexistent tea while having a gossip session with his two little high society girls.

His panty-dropping British accent just making him more believable doing high tea.

Fuck it all.

Mackenzie knew she had been kidding herself, she was head over heels in love with the man.

Still.

Mackenzie sat there watching them in silence, simply enjoying that side of Gareth. He was gentle with the little plastic plate and teacup, they looked comical in his big hands, somehow, he also made it look like he had done it hundreds of times. He had a flowing ease about him, showed genuine affection for the girls who seemed to be returning that affection tenfold. They pampered him with everything the kitchen set could provide.

Mackenzie did not know what they were cooking up in there, pots and pans were shuffled every 5 minutes and Gareth was presented with a new dish which he praised to the heavens and complimented the chef.

Every bit of praise earned him a girly giggle and a lot of blushing cheeks. The girls were cute as buttons. Gareth had a thing with the ladies, and the ladies liked him too, even the younger crowd it seemed could sense how good of a man he was and were naturally drawn to his care and protection.

Suddenly, he looked up.

His eyes going from calm and relaxed to acute alertness as he scanned the yard until their eyes met. The alertness disappeared and was substituted with a relieved softness when he registered, she was watching him.

Then his eyes changed to that smoldering volcano of heat and he held up his hand pointing at her seat indicating 5 minutes. She saw the command in it.

He was telling her to not go anywhere.

When she did not respond he held up his empty plastic plate indicating the food there was excellent with a cheeky thumbs up, which made her sigh with desire for him, then he motioned at her seat again to which she nodded.

Gareth was aware that somebody had been watching him. Not for long, yet he was aware. He always got a tingle down his spine when he was being watched in secret.

The second he felt it his entire Dragon persona spun into action. He did not let on he knew before having made certain how to protect the girls if there was indeed any danger.

Then he looked up.

Casually gazing around like he was enjoying the party, when he was in fact scanning every detail, logging people and distances in his mind. Knowing precisely where each of his men were located. His train of thought changed from English to Russian recalling combat training and defense tactics in his mind. Within less than a minute he knew exactly who he needed to order to do what to protect the children.

That was until he had realized that Mackenzie was the one watching him, the tingling feeling along his spine ceased and was replaced by another tingling sensation not located on his back.

She sat there looking absolutely gorgeous, while tilting her head slightly watching him play house with his girls. He tried gesturing her to stay put and give him 5 minutes, like hell she was going to sit that far away from him when he for once had a legitimate excuse to have her close.