 
### Beloved Soul Mates Part 1

#### By Sandra Ross

#### Published by Publications Circulations LLC.

SmashWords Edition

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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, companies and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental and beyond the intent of either the author or the publisher.

The following story is for entertainment purposes only. This book contains sexually graphic scenes depicting consenting adults above the age of 18 engaging in passionate sexual acts. This story is intended only for persons over the legal adult age. By downloading and opening this document, you are stating that you are of legal age to access and view this work of fiction. Mature readers only. Reader discretion is advised.

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**~ ~ ~ ~**

### Soul Mates Kiss

Witching Call Part 1

### 

### Chapter One

"WILL YOU BE at home for dinner tonight, Lola?" Davis asked his daughter over breakfast.

Lola was looking over the morning newspaper as she ate her pink grapefruit and bagel with cream cheese. She and her father generally made it a habit to eat breakfast together as often as possible, considering their busy schedules and their workaholic lives.

Glancing up at him, she saw a very attractive man, even though he had crossed over into his fifties. Coupled with his innate grace, he looked very handsome. She did not get her looks from him, but she suspected she was more in character with him than her mother. She liked to think she would age as solid and as strong as her father in time.

Smiling, she shook her head. "I'm afraid not, Dad," she said. "I've got a business dinner tonight and I'm not sure how late it will run." Since taking over as senior editor of the publishing company she worked for, her schedule had become crammed quite often.

She was meeting a new writer tonight, someone her publisher had been trying to convince to come on board her company for a long time now. This wasn't something she would normally do. But this writer had specifically asked for her. It puzzled her a little, but she did not really mind, since it was a work-related errand.

"They're really keeping you busy lately," her father observed as he ate his omelet. He was acting casually but she could see worry on his face. "You know you don't have to work, Lola. Your trust fund is there any time you need to use it."

"I know, Dad," she replied with a sigh. "But I enjoy what I do. It's not like work at all. Work is something I do because I have to. This is what I like doing regardless."

"Well, I guess that just runs in the genes," he reluctantly replied.

They both laughed. Davis also enjoyed his work. He was very dedicated to running his high profile law firm, even though he never needed to work another day in his life.

He was disappointed when she did not study law. He had been looking forward to welcoming her into his law firm and eventually making her a partner. But legal stuff bored Lola to death and she knew she did not have the motivation to make it through law school.

Eventually, her father accepted her decision and supported her career in the publishing business. It was only out of respect for his daughter's principles that he was not financing a publishing house for her. He knew she would eventually gravitate towards that in the future, and he would, of course, enthusiastically support her on that, too.

"Have you heard from your mother lately?" Davis asked in a carefully casual tone.

"Not for a little while," Lola answered, trying to hide a smile. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, your birthday is coming up soon. I just thought Sable would call you. She usually likes to spend your birthday with you."

That was true. Her mother would spend a part of the day with her, while her Dad would treat her to an expensive dinner or a memorable evening in a concert, a ballet, or theater play. When she was young it was the cinema, complete with hot popcorn with honey and the only occasional soda. But now it was usually the theater. "I haven't heard from her yet, but she'll probably call in a day or so."

"That's fine, sweetheart," Davis said. "Just let me know what your plans are. You know I want to spend some time with my daughter on her birthday, too."

He gave her a smile and was rewarded with a grin in return-a mischievous one at that, and it made him color a little.

He sighed.

Davis was floored when thirteen-year-old Lola chose to live with him after he and Sable separated. It was not that she did not like being with her mother. Lola loved Sable and had a very strong bond with her. But when the time came for her to decide whom she would live with, she spoke very intensely about her wish to live with her father. Sable was hurt but after a private talk with her daughter, she gave in graciously. How could she not, when she was given her freedom to go where her path would lead her? How could she take that same freedom away from her daughter?

Lola wanted her life spent in the human world, with human people. It was her choice. So Lola moved with her father to New York and was raised in a large penthouse apartment while Sable lived amongst the Magickals.

And Davis did not waste the opportunity to raise his daughter. He had her enrolled in some of the best private schools the city could offer. It was clear early on that Lola had a rather high IQ and could become anything she wanted. He wanted his daughter to be the best at whatever career she chose. But at the moment, he was happy that she was happy with her chosen career.

And for him, that was the most important thing in the world.

Lola was grown up now, and was as beautiful as her mother albeit a fiery one in character. Sable was elegant and cool outwardly, whereas Lola... well, his daughter was passionate and impulsive and he could see that straight-away, especially when she was fighting for something that she either believed in or wanted very much.

Lola had inherited her mother's gorgeous ash-blonde hair and slanted cat-like green eyes. Her smile, beautiful and uninhibited, always lit up any room. Sable was reserved and cool with other people but was never one to hold back with her feelings, and their daughter held similar emotions.

Sometimes it was almost painful to look at Lola because she reminded him so much of his ex-wife. Even though they had been divorced for many years now, he had never met someone like Sable, or anyone else who could affect him so deeply. So he had never re-married.

Sable had ruined him, he would sometimes think.

But who was he to fool? Everyone knew it was true. After their time together, how could he settle for anyone less?

But Sable needed something more than what he could give. She needed her freedom from his world. He had to let her go because she was not happy with him anymore. A powerful witch, she had to find her place in the magical world, going on her magical missions.

Sable was always on flight, doing this and that for the Council for Magickal Beings. Nevertheless, he loved his ex-wife and their daughter more than anything else in the world.

Lola could feel her father watching her. He did that sometimes and she was used to it by now. She had figured out a long time ago why he was doing it, too.

"You're thinking about how much I look like Mother again, aren't you?" she teased him. "Well, Mother is very beautiful, so I'm going to take that as a supreme compliment."

Davis' shoulders shook as he laughed. "As well you should, sweetheart."

Glancing at her watch, she gulped down the last of her juice and got up from the table. She raced around to where her father sat and kissed him on the cheek.

"I've got to go, Dad, or I'm going to be late for my meeting. Don't wait up for me tonight because I'm not sure when I'm going to get home. I love you."

"I love you, too, sweetheart," Davis responded as he picked the newspaper. "Have a wonderful day!"

### Chapter Two

AT FIVE O'CLOCK that afternoon, Lola dashed to the elevator and then out through the lobby where her driver, William, was waiting with the car to take her to her meeting place with the mysterious writer.

As they made their way through traffic, Lola kept looking at her watch. She really did not want to be late and it seemed as if traffic was suddenly standing still.

Pushing a button that slid open the glass partition between herself and William, she inquired what was wrong. It seemed that there was a malfunctioning traffic light. People were backed up in all directions.

"Oh hell," Lola said under her breath. Closing the glass again, she rolled down her side window to try to see how far the holdup extended. The sound of beeping cars and angry drivers were terrible. But amidst the chaos, she distinctively heard the crying of a distressed child.

Looking in that direction, she saw a flushed child, along with a woman who appeared to be his mother holding her in the back of a yellow cab, and the tense look on the face of the taxi driver. The child was obviously in pain and needed to be in the hospital immediately.

Lola did not hesitate. Her hand moved, her index finger flicking in the air.

Suddenly, the problem traffic light was functioning once more. Another flick and the child slumped, asleep. Her mother became further agitated, but it was okay. Her child would not feel the pain of an obviously dislocated shoulder if she was sound asleep. They would get to the hospital without her having to suffer.

She allowed herself a small smile before sliding the window back up.

Traffic resumed very quickly after that.

Now, she thought, I just might make it in time after all.

When they reached the restaurant, her driver pulled up directly in front of the doors and helped her out of the car.

"Thanks, William. I'll let you know when I'm ready to leave."

"You did well helping that child, ma'am," William said with his usual kind smile.

Lola felt herself blush. William was a Magickal. He was one of the stipulations in the "other" contract signed by her parents when they divorced - that servants who worked closely with taking care of her would be trusted Magickals. The nanny who took care of her as she grew up was one, too. Martha was now retired and living with her granddaughters in an island in Greece and she usually got tagged to the pictures of them swimming in the beach in Facebook.

"Err, that was just... we were going to be late. I mean we're already late..." She blushed more at his knowing look. William knew how hard she tried sometimes to curtail her use of magick. She chose to live the life of a human. It's the principle of the thing. But- "But she was hurting!"

"Ma'am, you're going to be more late. I will come back when you tell me." He tipped his hat to her in agreement and he was off.

She sighed as she turned toward the restaurant. She knew those Magickal who knew of her did not really believe she could stay living her life as a human. But that was the thing - she loved living like a human. She did not need all that Magickal politics. She did not need to learn magical calisthenics. She's doing fine on her own.

Sometimes, she could hear whispers that she was a better Magickal than ordinary Magickals over there, in islands and other places inhabited by them. That felt weird and it made her feel uneasy.

It must be because of her mother's genes. Like, in the real world, there were those who has higher I.Q. - which was her point. In the real world, those with lower I.Q. have skills and talents that made them better than the "intelligent" ones. To each his own. She could not believe she could be better than other Magickals. That would fall on closer observation.

And hell would freeze over before she let herself be observed.

Lola walked up to the entrance of the restaurant. She did not recall having eaten there previously. The outside was elegant and modern, the interiors looked intimate and homey, and the smells emanating from the place were delicious. She could see through the windows that almost all the tables were occupied.

So how come she had never heard of this restaurant until now?

It didn't seem to be a family-oriented place though, since there were no children in sight. The patrons that were already seated and eating their dinner had their faces up and turned towards... her?

She was bemused. They all seem to be looking at her, watching her.

The hostess escorted her to where her table was located. They entered a hallway and they stopped in front of one of the private dining- room doors.

As soon as the hostess opened the door, Lola immediately recognized her dinner companion.

"Mom!" she exclaimed.

Her mother gave her a welcoming smile. "Hello, darling!"

Sable, as beautiful as a swan gathering herself up to fly, stood up from her seat. She smiled at her daughter as she kissed her. Then they hugged each other and Lola couldn't help but close her eyes as she smelled her mother's favorite perfume.

She always loved that smell. It reminded her of the time when she was a child, playing in the grass while her parents flirted with each other. She did not yet understand what they were doing and what it meant. However, she did understand a lot of things in the world as a five-year-old. She was not inclined to talk about it with the adults because they would not understand.

"What are you doing here? I thought this was a business dinner," Lola asked when they were seated.

"Well, it is, of a sort," Sable answered. "One moment, darling. I've already ordered you a glass of their amazing red wine."

Almost immediately, a glass of wine appeared in front of her along with a menu. Lola gasped in surprise, then laughed in delight.

Sable was smiling as she watched her daughter. "I've just been looking at their menu. The food here is impeccable and you're going to love it. Order whatever you want, darling. It's my treat."

Lola stared at her mother. "This is a restaurant for the Magickals?!" she exclaimed in a whisper. "So that's why they're staring at me. I... I don't belong."

Although she stood by her choices, and she would never admit it, but Lola would sometimes feel guilty about them. It was not like she rejected the Magickals when she chose to live a human life. But she felt she would serve a better purpose being with the humans; aside from the other reason. She thought about that again as she gazed at her mother. Sable, at least, had her magical world and a calling. Her father knew best to function as the head of the family. He could not be a husband anymore, and he had let go of that as honorably as he could. But he still needed family to take care of, and luckily she filled that position. Sometimes she wondered if her mother knew how much she'd lost to follow her heart.

Her mother reached out and took Lola's hands in hers without knowing what she was thinking about. "Not that you don't belong, sweetheart, but you're not seen often and they were curious. You are my daughter, anyway, and I'm kind of famous with the Magickals for some reason," she said as she preened a little.

Lola laughed, knowing she only did it for show. Sable was always perky and joyful whenever they were together.

They started eating when the waiter arrived with their food. Her mother inquired about her work. She knew Lola loved talking about what she did for a living.

"You sound as if you're really enjoying yourself, darling! I'm so proud of you! Now, I must ask. How's your father doing?"

"He's good," Lola answered, smiling. "You know, you could always ask him yourself, since he's always asked about you, too."

"Oh dear," her mother said. "Yes, I suppose I could always ask him. But it's better that he and I don't communicate unless it's absolutely necessary." Her mother blushed. "It doesn't mean that I don't care about your father. But we just can't really talk like friends, you know? How could I tell him things I do without him getting bothered about my safety. You know how he is. Next thing I know I'll be thinking his way and not mine, and that's drastic to my work. I know better how to take care of myself." Sable sighed. "But of course that doesn't mean I don't love him. There are just truths that has more weight than... than emotions."

"And you had the divorce because you felt he deserved to find someone better?" she asked in a quiet voice. "Except he hasn't found anyone ever."

Sable was blushing, but she was not denying the fact by not speaking, and by just looking at her with eyes that carried the burden of past decisions . That's what's good about her. She was always strong enough to not complicate things with falsehoods, or her version of right and wrong. Truth was truth, no matter what.

"No, Mother. Father's old enough to understand tough choices. You know he's that kind of person. Even if it will hurt him, whatever will make him happy is when he knew he's done right for the person." At the stricken look on her mother's face, she backed out. "But it's none of my business. And besides, I do know he's still so in love with you... there's hope in the future for a happily-ever-after." Before Sable could reprimand her about that, she quickly changed the subject. "So, what are you really doing here?" Lola asked.

Sable paused to sip her wine before replying. Lola knew what that meant. It was either she was recovering from the former topic, or she was stalling because she was going to tell her something that was going to irritate her. A lot.

Which meant that it was about the Council.

The Council for Magickal Beings had been after her since she turned eighteen. They wanted to acknowledge her birthright as a Magickal. But Lola knew what that would entail-service to the Council, and her life being literally run by other people. She did not begrudge her mother's choice; Sable loved working for the Magickals and loved being sent on secret missions by the Council.

But she was different from her mother. She wanted total control of her own life.

And it was a really good thing that she could choose whether to live or not to live like a Magickal for having a human father who was a brilliant lawyer and knew about his own rights to his daughter.

"Of course, it's almost time for your birthday and I wanted to spend some time with you. But there is another reason as well. There's no way to say this except to just say it. So... the-"

"Council sent you," Lola finished for her.

### Chapter Three

SABLE STARED at her. "How did you-"

"Mother..." she replied, a little exasperated. "All the secrecy? Making sure people at work and at home think I'm going to be meeting a writer as part of my work? This is cloak-and-dagger Council stuff. Are they still interested in recruiting me?"

Sable smiled indulgently at her daughter. "Darling, even though you don't like to acknowledge your powers, you do have them. You have an obligation to your people. Surely, you can't deny that."

"Well, I just wish I could be a normal person far longer," Lola grumbled. She knew she sounded like a child but she could not help it. She still could not understand why she had to help the Magickals - they already possessed magick. Why couldn't she use her power in service of helpless humans, even if they didn't know it? "I went to live with Dad because I'd like to have that chance. The Council has always been trying to turn that upside-down for me recently."

"I assure you that's not true, darling." Her mother flashed a dimple at her. "Your life isn't normal, Lola, even when you pretend that it is."

"What do you mean, Mother?" she asked.

"How many times in a day do you flick your finger to change the color of your pen? You do that without thinking so I'm not sure you even notice. You arrange the hair of a nerdy colleague just by thinking about it. How about the times you wanted the rain out of your way? Or to calm down bickering office mates? Or to give a friend enough courage to pursue a romantic liaison-"

"I didn't push them at each other. They're in love and being stupid-like other people I know. They're married and have kids now and are happy, Mother. Okay?" Lola mumbled, her face hot like when she's infront of a fireplace with the fire blazing. She was always honest to her mother whenever she asked about her magick. She knew that it was something she could only share with her, even if she knew it might sometimes get her in trouble, or a reprimanding-or exasperating-look.

"But this is something that you must do. There's no choice."

"There's always a choice!" she protested. "I will ask Dad. Besides-"

"Not this time, Lola." Her mother's voice became the adult voice-not playful or teasing, but cool and serious. It was the kind of voice Lola would use in meetings or with her staff so she would be taken seriously. It was obvious that that was what her mother intended. "This is a responsibility bestowed on Magickal adults, an obligation that you must share. You're half Magickal, after all."

She looked at her mother helplessly. Now that she was invoking the magical side that happened to come from her, Lola could not say anything because it might hurt her feelings.

"Besides, you're the best person who can do this job because of your ability," Sable said in a gentler tone. "Now, here's what you've been charged with doing. There's a man that you need to find and bring before the Council."

"Why? What did this man do to them?" Lola asked with a frown on her face.

"He didn't do anything, darling," her mother explained with a roll of her eyes. "Why do you always think that when someone is being brought to the Council, he's going to be punished?"

"Oh, I don't know. Magickal historical books?"

Something passed on her mother's face and was quickly gone. "Those were times when Soulmate Kings and Queens were not reigning, and we have none of that for a long time that the Council was created to control cruelty of reigning non-soulmate royalty."

She's heard about that myth. It was so like human myths about soul mates that she could not believe it as something true, more like a fairy tale story she had outgrown for a long time already.

"The thing is, he's a warlock and he has no idea about it. They want to be able to ease him into it, so to speak."

Lola snorted when she heard that. "He didn't know? Really? How old is he now? He couldn't possibly not know that something's different about him. If he's more than fourteen, his powers would have started manifesting."

"Hmm... the Council did not divulge his age. Just that he needed to be found. There was a power surge felt in New Orleans, and that's how they were able to know. Someone like you can go there and find out. You know how accurate your power is when it comes to tracking down potentials."

Lola sighed. She couldn't deny that. But she did not use her power to track down potential magicals. She used it to sense potential special talents humans manifested, talents that could be developed into remarkable skills. That was how she was able to find writers with great raw talent for the company where she worked.

But acknowledging how her power worked did not mean accepting the job. "Mom, who do you think you're talking about? That bunch never eases anyone into anything. What I'm sure of is that your Council wanted something from this man and that's the reason they're interested in him. So, what would that be?"

Her mother suddenly looked a little distant. Ah, Lola thought, the dutiful secret witch agent. "All I know is that they said they want to help him adjust to his powers. Who am I to question them?" Sable said rather haughtily.

"Mother...!" she hissed. "I don't understand why I have to be the one to go find him."

"They also didn't explain that to me, either, but it's understandable. You have a way with strangers. You have a way of sensing their personalities. I was told to deliver the message that if you don't want to do it, they'll summon you and direct you in person to do this. You know this, Lola. It's up to you."

The Council irritated her, but her mother was right. Lola could not totally ignore them when she was being summoned. The Council was the government of the Magickals. If she ignored them, it would be similar to ignoring the federal government. And she was using her magick. That made her a magical, albeit a reluctant one. "Mother, I can't just take off from work like this," she complained for the last time.

"Of course you can!" Sable exclaimed as she waved her hand dismissively. "I know that you love your job, but you don't actually need it."

"Maybe I do need it," Lola said defensively. "It may be one of the few things in my life that keeps me sane."

Her mother laughed. The teasing was back again. "Hah! Like being my daughter makes you sane?"

She closed her eyes as she groaned. Whoever had said her mother was cool and elegant had never seen her behind a closed door with her only daughter.

"Pay attention, Lola," her mother commanded, and she abruptly opened her eyes. "I need to give you a few details about this man so that you'll know who you're looking for. His name is Marcus Swan, and he lives in Louisiana."

"Nooo," Lola wailed. "I'm not going to Louisiana! You know how much I hate humidity!"

"It won't be so bad this time of year," Sable soothed, brushing aside Lola's objections. "Besides, your birthday is October 31st-on Samhain-and what better place to be at that time than in New Orleans? Now, Marcus is an orphan. He has no idea who his parents are or what his bloodline is. You're going to need to be inventive when you find him so that you can get him to come back with you."

She was staring at her mother wide-eyed. Get a man convinced to come with her to New York? Her power was about finding magical abilities and human talents. She could barely tell when a man was hinting for a date unless he asked for it straightforward. She did not understand how men's brains worked. How could she convince a stranger to come with her thousands of miles away from his home? Was her mother insane? "Mother, I seriously cannot do this," Lola stressed through gritted teeth.

"Yes, you can. In fact, here's your plane ticket." Sable plunked it in front of her. "You will leave in the morning."

"Ahh! I have a ticket?" she exclaimed.

Her mother dimpled. "All expenses will be paid."

"I have my own money," Lola said belligerently.

"You're being difficult, darling."

"Well, who wouldn't be?! I'd like to have my lawyer." And they both knew she was talking about her father.

Her mother opened her mouth, then closed it. Her lips thinned. Her eyes became slits. For some reason it made her look prettier. But that did not stop her heart from beating a faster. She was an imposing figure if she wanted to be.

"How many times have I ever asked you for anything, Lola?"

And her mother, and knew exactly where to attack her.

Aww, lowballing. She's on the war path. It meant this really was important.

And Lola had no choice but to give in.

### Chapter Four

BUT LOLA KNEW, from the moment her mother first mentioned the mission, that she would go. She could not put that poor man in the clutches of the Council on his own. It did not stop her from protesting too much, though. Her mother, and the Council, has to know that she would always try to defend herself.

As she took leave of her mother, she realized that she was not really angry. Her bloodline made it necessary for her to do certain things at times. There was no escaping it, even if she tried. Otherwise, she would feel guiltier the next time she used her magick for mundane things. Like making traffic move.

It was a small epiphany that surprised her. It had never occurred to her that she could give magick this much leeway into the eternal argument she's always had with her mother about her place in the magical world. She must be growing up.

Or was she beginning to understand that there were Magickals that needed help, too? That needed saving?

They hugged each other tight. They never knew when they would see each other again. She sometimes suspected that her mother would sometimes go on dangerous missions for the Council. It worried her, but always, it was her mother's choice. Her principles, her prerogative.

"Thanks for dinner, Mother. Will I be seeing you on my birth day?"

"We'll see, darling. If not then, I'll definitely be seeing you when you return with Marcus." She kissed her daughter on her forehead. Sable was taller than her daughter by a mere three inches but that did not stop her from looking deeply and worriedly into her eyes. "You know I love you, right?"

She sighed. "Yes, Mother, I know. And I love you, too, even though you're one of the most annoying witches on this planet sometimes."

They laughed and hugged once more and walked to the entrance of the restaurant. Lola had already sent a message to William and he was waiting for her outside. It was already dark and the drive towards home went by in a flurry of emotions as Lola thought about the man she was to find.

She was not excited about bringing some unsuspecting person into this kind of life. She knew she would have been much happier had she not known she was a witch. It was hard being different; hard always being scared that people you like would not like you once they found out you were not like them. Now she was going to have to drop this bomb on some other poor guy and she would totally mess up his life.

But there was nothing she could do to avoid the mission.

Because the last thing she needed right now was the Council at her ass.

MARCUS SWAN stared out the window of his Mystical Grove mansion the following evening.

Something is coming, he thought as he looked out at the waning light. The day was almost over, but since it had been raining since this morning, it looked like twilight the whole day. Well, maybe not something big, but definitely something important. Something that is going to bring me... pain?

But it seemed something more like that. Whatever's coming was going to change something in his life. Or, no...

Not in his life, really. But in him.

He wondered if this had anything to do with the woman he kept dreaming of lately.

A beautiful woman with ash-blonde hair and exotic green eyes kept turning up in his dreams almost every night. She was on his mind a lot during his waking hours, too. In his dreams, she was searching for him, calling out, telling him something. But he could never make out what she was saying.

This wasn't new to him, so it wasn't shocking him at all. It was just making him curious, and a little pensive, because the flavor of whatever's coming was different than anything he's ever tasted or felt before.

Marcus could "see".

Or taste, or feel, or hear. It wasn't entirely seeing, really. He could sense not the future, but what the future would be bringing. It wasn't even just by observing the present to predict what future would be. There were things, or people, that just happen to arrive with no warning. That was what he could sense.

He learned long ago to live with this weird ability, but sometimes he got very frustrated when he could not figure out what he was supposed to be seeing.

This gift helped Marcus along in the business world over the years. He simply invested where he felt he would make money, and in this he was never wrong. The difference Marcus had with other smart businessmen was that he had never done a bad investment, ever, nor had he ever committed even the tiniest mistake since he started doing business.

So here he was, a billionaire at thirty. Naturally, many women pursued him. He was hounded by a few controversies, too, because aside from his physical attributes that the opposite sex found attractive, apparently he was an "interesting" and "extraordinary" fellow, and that some of the fortunes that kept happening to him and to hose linked to him did not happen very often to other people.

Only God knew what would happen if anyone ever found out about his weird ability. So he chose to move here to Mystical Grove where he could take a break from it all and think. If they only knew that he was regular enough to feel weirded out by his being different. How could he feel fully comfortable about it, when he could not explain fully why he was like this?

The village was small and isolated from the big cities. No one knew who he was here. So yes, he has acquired his privacy, but not his peace.

What was coming?

And who was the woman in his dreams?

The rain was falling in earnest now and he watched as lightning flashed in the sky and lit up the night. Everything looked alive for the few moments the forked light illuminated the heavy clouds. Raking his fingers through his deep auburn hair, his blue eyes flashed.

He was very frustrated at the way he had been feeling lately, and those dreams did not help. She was so beautiful with her sultry, wicked eyes and she had the most seductive smile anyone could ever see on a pair of luscious, sexy lips. She was so gorgeous that some of those dreams had turned decidedly... erotic.

He had awakened in such a state that he had to get up and take a shower before he could calm down, much less go back to sleep. That pissed him off, too. He hated it when he could not control something in his life. It reminded him too much of the time when he was a child and alone.

He had already ran away from three foster homes that time. He already knew that there was something different about him. The other kids and grown-ups had started knowing this, too. They couldn't explain it, and this only made him more of a freak in their eyes. Oh, the adults tried to understand. But they started to fear him, too, so he was treated with a heavy hand.

Someone would invariably start acting cruel. He would get into fistfights that would get him in even more trouble. It did not matter that he never started a fight; he always ended up getting punished because in their eyes, having "weird" abilities made him more of the threat.

Yes, he ran, because he knew he was not wanted, and he did not particularly like staying in places where he felt in danger.

He felt safer on the streets.

Running away from the first foster home was the first time he understood control, and was the first time he started taking control of his own life. His eyes clouded over as he remembered how hard it was living and growing up alone. Only the fact that he had seen more unfortunate people around him guided him on a path that he did not know where would go at the time, but he knew the purpose of.

There were thousands of people who needed help in this world, and he has a gift he could use to help those that them. Thank God he was able to. They may not know how he did it, but it was important to him that almost all those kids he helped take out from the streets have good jobs now in his company, and living in places they called home, with families they were able to support on their own.

Being homeless did not mean they did not want families. Maybe, they desired it more than anybody else.

"Mr. Swan, will you need anything else tonight?" asked his housekeeper.

Turning from the window, he faced Amie. She had been working for him for years while her husband worked as a caretaker for the garden and grounds. They lived in a cottage a little further away on his backyard but they were always accessible if he needed them. Right now, they were his only family.

"No, Amie, that will be all for tonight. You and Hudson have a lovely evening."

Nodding slightly, Amie said "Very good, sir. I'll see you in the morning."

After she left the room, Marcus went back to watching the storm.

### Chapter Five

MARCUS LOVED WATCHING storms. They were real, beautiful and majestic, and the most uncontrollable phenomena on earth.

It was maybe because of that. Uncontrollable. Powerful. He could feel the air being charged with that power, such that he could feel goosebumps because his own power was reacting to it, like the greeting of old friends.

He had power like that in him-not easily manifested like other gifts he's found out earlier. It sometimes made him feel nervous, but so far it had never brought him trouble. He was different. He sometimes wonder if he was human, because he has never met anyone like him. Someone who could control... some forces. Like lightning, sometimes. Or a part of what future brings.

Noone could control storms. It's a force of nature that people were still trying to understand. They really never could. They could only let it be, and stay in a safe distance. And watch.

But Marcus, he took control of his life, a difficult undertaking being alone at the age of fourteen. But he was able to do so. He eluded the system until he was of legal age. By that time, he has already acquired a significant amount of money by gambling here and there to get him through school and then through college; while working the stock market via the Internet at nights. He acquired his first million before he graduated, took up serious investing in real estate, bought companies he could rescue from the banks, made partners with lucrative businesses-and stocks, stocks, stocks.

He was his own force of nature.

Now he was sending many foster kids to school-about more than a million at the last count. This was one of his undertakings that brought peace to his restless heart. He secretly managed charities that helped the poor. Since beginning his humanitarian activities, he also started feeling nearly whole.

He liked being single and alone. He had never been trusting of other people because of his past experiences. In fact, he absolutely loved being alone.

He sighed a deep sigh.

How come that did not sound sincere now? Like, these past few days, he's been trying to convince himself of it. Was he? Being alone was safe. Being alone was lonely, but safe.

Until a beautiful, mysterious woman started appearing in his dreams every night...

And he started wanting her, and not for the same things he'd wanted women in the past. How could that happen when he could not wholly remember her face when he would wake up? He could only remember that she was beautiful, and he could sometimes smell a whiff of her perfume...

He could remember some things more.

Eyes that held, hands that touched skin that felt so achingly familiar. How could he explain what that meant, that feeling that only something so intangible could complete him?

Or was he just being horny, because he has not been with a woman for a very long time?

Who wanted that, he asked himself in disgust.

Who wanted something so... so desired, and not be able to hold it? To claim it, even in memory when he opened his eyes. All because of a dream that seemed so real... so real that he had stopped asking himself if he believed it.

He knew he did.

He was still observing the storm an hour later when a car pulled up in his circular driveway. By this time, it was completely dark.

Who in the hell could be coming here this time of night, he thought.

Someone who's gotten lost, probably.

He watched as the driver got out, camouflaged by an umbrella, and hurried to his front door. The doorbell pealed loudly through the house for several seconds.

Then he remembered that Amie had left and he was the only one who could answer the door.

"Dammit," he muttered as he hurried down the long hallway to the double front doors. Flinging the doors open, he still could not tell much about his impromptu visitor.

"May I help you?" he demanded in a very unfriendly voice. The storm was coming in. He did not want to give this stranger the impression that he could stay longer. He did not want his solitude interrupted in this manner. He hoped he would find his way to wherever he's going fast in the coming storm.

Then the stranger turned to face him, lowering the umbrella just as another lightning lit everything up in the sky, he saw her face.

It was a woman.

When he got a good look at her face, he stumbled back a couple of steps, his eyes widening in shock.

There, facing him, was the woman in his dreams.

"Hi," she said, smiling a little nervously. She looked pale, cold, and very uncomfortable in her long coat that looked better worn on a runway than in the pouring rain. "I'm so sorry to bother you, but I was told that I could find Marcus Swan here. Does he happen to be at home?"

He blinked. "Who are you?" Marcus demanded.

"Oh, I'm so sorry, I neglected to introduce myself. My name is Lola Ravensworth." She seemed to be trying to find something inside her designer cloak and took her hand out of one pocket holding an ID. She showed it to him. "I'm here from New York to speak to Mr. Swan. It's quite important that I find him."

Marcus stared at the picture and accompanying name on the ID but he did not take it. He was still a little shocked.

Did she have to come here when he was alone in the house?

It was embarrassing that as he stood there looking at this beauty, his cock was twitching, reminding him of his dreams and those cold showers at night. His brain was trying to assimilate the onslaught of information. It was her, a part of him insisted as he continued to stare at her face. Another part, the one that had protected him many times, told him he was just being horny.

Unfortunately, that was true, too.

The woman gave him s weak smile. "Are you alright?"

And he knew, whatever happens, he would meet this woman.

Horny, the voice said.

I think you're in love with her, the other voice said in such a logical manner, as Marcus tried to stop looking at those luscious-looking lips.

So why did I hate my life again?

LOLA WATCHED the stranger standing in front of her. She felt very strange and was in a bit of a quandary. She wasn't expecting anything when she knocked on the brass knuckle on the door, or even when she found that even with the brass knuckle, there was an electric doorbell on the wall in the right. It made her smile.

Old and modern. It was a mansion that withstood a century, but obviously was surviving very well in the twenty-first century. If not for the rain, she wanted to see all of its beauty.

But when the doors opened and she turned to address the one who opened them, she found the most handsome man she had ever met in her entire life. Giddiness and pure lust slammed into her, and that shocked her that she had to control a shiver.

As if I even know anything about that! I've never had a boyfriend. I'm a virgin.

But when she turned to him, she felt pure, undiluted lust.

It was all she could do to stay calm. She tried to imagine what her mother would be like in this situation and that calmed her.

Her mother would handle this beautifully. She also focused on the storm that was raging down from the heavens right now. Storms were nasty things. Thinking of getting drenched in the rain always made her feel awfully... should make her feel awfully un-lustful. Right?

"I'm Marcus Swan," the man said in a sexy baritone.

She almost groaned.

He was Marcus Swan?

Which meant she couldn't run away. She was on a mission-he was her mission. She could not escape being in his presence.

Oh dear, just grit your teeth and bear it. And smile. "It's very nice to meet you, Mr. Swan."

Suddenly, he seemed to realize that he was still standing in the doorway and keeping her out in the rain. "Forgive me. How remiss of me. Please come in."

He stepped back so that she could enter his home. Smiling her thanks, she stepped into a grand old-fashioned foyer, and she tried to remember that she liked the mansion as she was driving over. He took her dripping umbrella and put it to the side of the door, and then helped her out of her coat.

"You must have been miserable out there in that storm. Come with me and sit before the fire. You'll warm up quickly."

Following Marcus down a long wide hallway from which many rooms led off, Lola was so happy at the thought of a fire to dry her out that she became thankful that she was finally here. She was still astounded that she had managed to track down this man tucked away so deeply in Mystical Grove, in the outskirts of New Orleans, so far back she wondered if the place was even still a part of it.

Or the effect that her first look of him gave her.

It was extraordinary.

Must be my magick, really. He's a compelling character, and my gift made it more so. Felt like a hundred times more with the first meeting. Potent personality.

But she's calming now, and was grateful she finally found him before the storm, or before things become difficult. Marcus Swan covered his tracks well. She knew he was in the area, but upon seeing the mansion she knew she would find him there instead of the cottage the people in a village inn said he would be. They were hiding him. Obviously, they were in his pay. He might even own the inn, she thought. And she just knew this was true.

Even she knew how hard it would be if someone other than her had been sent on this mission.

Now that she was here, she admitted to herself that she still was not sure what she was going to say to him.

Marcus had not lied to her. There was a warm cozy fire blazing in a nearby room. After settling her onto a couch in front of the fireplace, he handed her an afghan to wrap around herself.

Then he excused himself and left the room, with Lola's gaze following the broad back of the mysterious, clueless warlock.

### Chapter Six

AS MARCUS LOOKED for some tea and quickly heated some water, he wondered about his unexpected visitor.

Unexpected. Really. Now that she was in another room and there's a wide space between them, he was suddenly unsure that she was the woman in his dream.

But she was, indeed, beautiful. For a moment out there in the front doors, it felt like he was this teenager crushing on a beautiful star then finally seeing that person in real life-which was absurd. He had never crushed on anyone when he was a teenager. But he knew without a doubt that if he had met her then she would have been the first. She appeared to be wealthy, too. Her jaw didn't hit the floor when she entered his mansion. That could only mean she was used to grand places like this.

He hurried along heating the water by using the microwave so he could come back to her right away. Wealthy or not, she looked small in his large den, shivering a little with the cold outside, looking so helpless. He frowned at the protectiveness he was feeling for her. Ahh, this was all getting strange. And God, did I know about strange, he thought as his eyes rolled in its sockets.

When Marcus returned to the den, Lola was sitting just as he had left her, on his couch with the afghan wrapped around her.

"I made us some tea," he said as he sat a tray containing cups and a teapot on the coffee table. "It might warm you up a bit."

She smiled at him and picked up one of the steaming mugs. "Thank you, Mr. Swan," she said. "This is very kind of you."

He laughed. She was so delightfully polite. "Actually, you may want to save that compliment until after you've tasted it. I sent my housekeeper home just before you arrived. Oh, and please, call me Marcus."

He warmed up to Lola quickly. Well, why not? She was, after all, a very beautiful woman. He wasn't exactly dead. Just because he did not encourage women meant he did not enjoy the occasional dalliance. But he was already frowning before he even finished the thought.

It was because dalliance did not fit here. Moreover, when had he ever suffered a one-night stand?

He was getting confused, which was hard to explain. Now that he was with her again, he was again sure she was the woman in his dream. Make up your mind, he thought as he watched her sip her tea and smiled. Oh yeah, it was her. That smile...

Sipping his own tea, Marcus decided he would find out why the woman in his dreams had turned up at his home in the dead of night, in an impending storm, and all alone.

"No, Marcus, this is delicious. Thank you again," Lola said as she looked at him with her beautiful lips still smiling.

Now.

"I'm glad you like it. Now, Ms. Ravensworth," he put his cup down on the table, "what do you need to speak with me about?" he asked, trying to smile as she flashed him dimples on both cheeks.

"First of all, if I'm going to call you Marcus, you must call me Lola," she said laughing.

"Deal..." Oh damn, I'm being charmed. In normal circumstances, his guard would be up. But not this time. He was thoroughly enjoying her dimples. "So Lola, what can I do for you?"

"Ok, Marcus. You see," suddenly serious, "I'm the senior editor for the Hawthorne Publishing Company in New York City. It has come to our attention that you're... a very interesting man. People would love to read an autobiography about you and your life. In fact, if I'm not mistaken, you've been approached by other companies in the past, yet you have always turned them down. I'm here to see if I can persuade you to change your mind. I would love to work with you personally as your editor. We, of course, would adhere to any special instructions you have and do it completely the way you want."

Marcus was watching her intently as she spoke. Even though she spoke passionately and looked him directly in the eyes, there was something about what she was saying that he didn't quite believe.

She was here for something more than just a book. He was sure of it. Didn't he have that gift, after all?

"I see. Well, Lola, I've never allowed my life to be published, nor have I had any desire to write about it myself. I'm sorry that you've come all this way for nothing," he told her.

"You haven't even heard my proposition yet, Marcus," Lola said as she smiled engagingly at him.

"I'm afraid that it doesn't matter what you say, Lola. You see, I don't need the money this book will bring, and I certainly don't want the celebrity status this will entail. You've wasted a trip," Marcus said firmly.

"I see." And she did look like she did see. He could also see that her brain was already working to churn out a Plan B. "Well... I can't say that I'm not disappointed, Marcus," Lola said. "Are you quite sure that you won't at least think about it?"

"I'm quite sure," he said, smiling, deliciously thinking about what Plan B would be. Maybe she'd think of outright seduction? That would be wonderful. And maybe he would let her. He couldn't want her efforts to go to waste, could he?

Lola nodded and finished her tea. She removed the afghan from her shoulders and stood up.

She turned to a suddenly unsmiling Marcus.

"Well then, thank you very much for meeting with me, Marcus," she said. "It's much later than I realized and I'll get out of your way so you can get on with your night."

Marcus stood quickly, realizing that he had been blindsided. He didn't want her to leave. "Honestly, Lola, you weren't interrupting anything at all. You're more than welcome to stay. Actually, I would love the company unless you need to be somewhere else. And maybe we can talk about this proposition a little more?"

Lola seemed surprised at his sudden change of heart. "Um, no, I was just going to drive back to my hotel in New Orleans. It's starting to rain a lot harder now," she said as she glanced out of the large windows, looking suddenly worried. That was when they both became aware that rain was pouring like a dam had broken in the heavens and all of the contents had come down. They had been so engrossed with each other that they did not notice.

Marcus retrieved a remote from a table and turned on the flat screen television that was located on the wall above the fireplace. Flipping to The Weather Channel, they watched a report that spoke of some flooding in Louisiana.

Actually, he knew exactly what the news channel would show when he turned the TV on. He just knew. His gift.

After a few minutes of Marcus listening to the report intently, he turned down the volume and turned back to Lola.

### Chapter Seven

LOLA WAS LOOKING appalled. "That can't be," she said.

"Well, it is," he said with sympathy in his voice. "I'm afraid that you're not going to make it back to New Orleans tonight. That road you came in on is now flooded and they're not going to let traffic through there tonight."

"But where can I stay?" she asked him wildly.

Marcus blinked. "As you can see, though, I've got plenty of space here. I'd be pleased to have you as my guest."

Lola frowned. "I really don't want to impose myself on you much longer, Marcus."

What? No Plan B? Marcus was surprised to find himself really disappointed. "Okay. But I do think the choice was taken from you by the storm. I also cannot in any possible circumstance let you leave in this weather."

He saw Lola grit her teeth. No woman has ever showed aversion to staying with him under one roof for a night. Oh, well, separate rooms, yes, but he was making a point here.

He frowned as he wondered if he smelled.

LOLA HAD no doubt by now that The Council was behind the sudden change in the weather. This way, she would not be able to get out of here so quickly. Of course, if the man didn't want to come, she could always tell them upon arriving in New York. Like they could do something to me because of that. Choices, remember? I did my job but it didn't pan out.

But this storm... Lola did not like being tricked or manipulated by the Council. However, she really did not have any choice but to accept Marcus' hospitality.

Her heart was beating a little faster and her stomach seemed to have gotten pregnant with butterflies as she thought she would be staying with this sexy man in this house-just the two of them. Other parts of her body were responding to his presence, too. It was like she was finally waking up from a long hibernation. Then she realized what it was.

Finally, sexual attraction! So this was it?

Maybe it's just that I'm turning 25 in two days, she mused, but with mixed feelings.

"Are you quite sure that I won't be intruding, Marcus?" she asked as she slanted her eyes up at him.

Marcus felt a surge of relief that was so powerful, his knees almost buckled under him. But he managed to stay standing. "Oh, you definitely are not intruding! Actually, you don't even have to see me if you don't want to. That's how much room this place has in it."

Lola smiled at the absurd comment. "I can't imagine why I wouldn't want to see you, Marcus," she said softly. "I appreciate your offer. Thank you so much. I just need to get my suitcase from the car."

"No, you don't need to do that. I'm going to run out right now and get it. You've already had quite enough wet weather for tonight. Now, stay here, and I'll be right back."

Lola watched as Marcus went out of the room again, this time to fetch her bags from her rented car. It was then that she realized she really was here, with the chance to get Marcus to trust her enough so she could tell him the truth about himself. For some reason, she knew that telling him the truth was the only way to convince him to come with her before the Council.

A wide smile started to spread across her face.

The Council might have tricked her, but they certainly did not count that Lola would use the truth on Marcus and warn him about the Council. For her, honesty had always been the best policy and she had practiced it enough to know when someone was ready to know the truth.

By the looks of him, he was intelligent, and would not easily be made to dance on strings.

Let the Council see how they would be able to control someone as powerful in character as well as in magical powers as Marcus Swan.

MARCUS ENTERED the sitting room with Lola's suitcase. He smiled at her as he crossed the room to add another log to the fire.

"Please forgive me for being inhospitable, but are you hungry? My housekeeper makes the best shrimp gumbo in the world and she always leaves some extra for me. Would you like some?" he asked.

"You know, normally I would say no, but right now, I'm just starving and that sounds delicious," Lola said as she smiled at him.

"Very good," Marcus beamed. "I'll just go warm some up for you."

After he left the room, she continued to watch the weather on the television and realized that she would most likely end up being trapped here for at least the next two days. She couldn't believe that she would be spending her birthday trapped in a strange old house with a man she didn't even know! But it seemed she really has no choice. What would the man in question say about it, she wondered.

Well, she supposed as her eyes wandered around, taking in the high beamed ceilings, half-brick walls and the wood paneling on the wall where the detailed fireplace was situated. The floor was tiled and rags helped in insulating the heat from the fire. The furniture was as rustic as the interior. It was a solid room and she knew that it showed something about the owner of the house.

She had gathered by now that this was where Marcus truly lived. She could feel his signature here. He was comfortable here, safe and most at peace here. This mansion was his home.

She sighed. It could be a lot worse. The house is beautiful and the man... was definitely not just beautiful but sizzling hot.

Lola felt her cheeks getting just as hot. But she frowned.

For some reason, she kept getting the feeling that she knew Marcus from somewhere. But she couldn't tell where, or how... just that he was drawing on feelings of familiarity from her. There was no way she could have accepted his invitation to stay had she not felt this, that she was safe and she could trust him like a... like an old friend. Strange, really. If she was adamant, there was no way that she would stay here, Council mission or not. But... she was here, and she felt safe in this house with him.

Could the Council have had something to do with that, too?

As soon as she thought of it, she shook her head.

No. The Council, their magick, could not be that powerful to affect even her own gut feelings.

No, it was something else.

But what was it?

### Chapter Eight

WHILE LOLA PONDERED this, Marcus returned with a tray holding two bowls of gumbo, a bottle of wine and two glasses.

"I decided to join you," he said as he set things up on the coffee table. "I somehow managed to miss dinner, and I find that I'm now hungry."

"Oh, this looks wonderful!" And then she looked at him and smiled. "And I'm happy that you're joining me because I would have felt odd eating alone. Thank you."

She felt her breath catching when he smiled back. "The pleasure is all mine."

While eating, they talked and got better acquainted. The more they talked the more Lola felt that she knew Marcus even though she was quite sure they had never crossed paths before. There was just something so familiar and comfortable about him. Something...

Like what soul mates would feel when they finally meet each other again.

She paused at the absurd thought. How would she know, really? How would one know when they have met a soul mate? And when did you become romantic, Lola?

Her mental self shook her head. Romance, to Lola, was as absurd as all the sappy things one would read about it. She did not know why she could not place all her trust in it.

Maybe because her mother and father had been in love and, she suspected, still were. Maybe it was because of those wistful looks that would come to their faces every time they asked her about each other, and yet they were not together? What kind of love was that? It did not make them happy. But it made them happy thinking about each other.

That was what romance did to people in love. It made people crazy.

So could someone really blame her that she could not trust it too much?

AS MARCUS and Lola talked easily, he also felt that he had met Lola at some point in his life but he couldn't remember it.

He was quite sure he would have remembered meeting a woman like Lola... beautiful in the kind of way that spoke to him, and sexy without even trying to be. He could feel the physical attraction, but there was something more than that.

He somehow felt very close to her as if he had known her forever. It wasn't just because of the dream. Somehow, this meeting had made the dream more like a foreshadowing, something lesser in importance than the being. The being that this meeting was more than what it appeared to be.

He knew that she also felt the feeling of not wanting the evening to end, even though they had not initially planned to spend it together. He knew that she knew how both of them found an excuse to keep from turning in for the night. She was clearly fighting sleep. Marcus looked at his watch and almost leaped to his feet. It was approaching four in the morning.

Ridiculous! How had the hours flown by so fast? But he knew how. He was looking at her now. The rain kept pouring down outside and it was clearly having an effect on her. The sound was starting to make her sleepy. Marcus could not help but grin when she yawned rather widely. But he managed to stop the chuckle before she could hear it.

"I must apologize for keeping you up so late," he said finally.

"Oh no, it's okay," Lola said, looking at her wristwatch. Her eyes widened. "Good Lord! It's almost four in the morning!"

He could not help his chuckle this time. "You're about to fall on your ass." Yes, they had been talking like they knew each other a long time before now, that he felt he could talk to her familiarly without being slapped on the face. "Let me show you to your suite, Lola. Come on."

Lola laughed and reached out to take the hand he offered to help her get up from the coach. But as soon as their hands touched, there was an almost physical manifestation of electricity.

They both jumped back as the little blue sparks died away in the air. Marcus laughed nervously. "Well, I guess there must be a lot of static in the air tonight," he said. What the hell was that? Was it me? Did she see those blue sparks? He hoped she did not get scared!

But Lola did not look scared. She looked... curious, as her eyes wandered around them. It was as if she was trying to find the culprit hiding behind the beams above, or the corner of the fireplace. "Yes, that must be it," she said, but in a way as if she was only replying to what he said automatically.

And then she nodded to herself, as if she had thought the solution. But she was not going to tell him about it.

OF COURSE, Lola knew that what just happened was not as simple as static in the air. But Marcus would not be privy to the same knowledge that she had, so he would say it was just as simple as that.

Following him up the wide staircase, she looked around to take in her surroundings a bit more closely. It truly was a grand place and she found to her surprise that it was growing on her. She had spotted a sun room with reddish-brown tiled floor and wide-spanned windows, with French doors lining the south side. She would love having breakfast there.

The door to the library was open and she glimpsed the paneled oak wall and another fireplace there, though it wasn't lighted. She would have loved a tour of the place, and she could assume, with little sarcasm and a lot of anticipation, that with the way the weather was behaving, there would be time for that.

"So Marcus, what do you think the chances are of us being out of here by Halloween?" she asked him in a teasing note. She was that comfortable with him now that she felt she could tease without offending him. It was remarkable. They must be kindred spirits.

He seriously pondered her question. "Well, it's difficult to say. It's not looking so promising right now." He threw a glance at her. "Why? Do you have some big plans for that day?"

"Oh, I really don't want to impose on you that long."

He smiled. "No imposing. It's obvious I'm enjoying your company, Lola."

She found herself blushing. Really! It was embarrassing. "Well, it's also just that it's my birthday on Halloween. I'm a Halloween girl." She rolled her eyes.

"Are you serious?" Marcus said, stopping just on the landing of the second floor.

"Yeah," she said. "It's ok, though."

"No, it is certainly not ok," Marcus said, clearly distressed. "It's your birthday, Lola. If we can't get you out of here by then, I'll make sure that you have as nice a celebration as I can manage."

"Oh, please don't go to any trouble!" Lola protested. "I shouldn't have even said anything."

But Marcus was already planning. "You would actually be doing us a favor here. Amie loves to entertain and she often complains that I don't do nearly enough of it."

Lola laughed. "Really, huh?" She could not believe someone who looked like him could be an introvert. "Let's see how it would pan out then."

Just as she stopped talking, Marcus stopped beside a set of beautiful ornate double doors. He opened them and stood aside so that she could enter.

Reaching around her, he hit a light switch and the bedside lamps came on.

Lola gasped.

### Chapter Nine

LOLA GASPED.

The room was enormous. It has a lovely four-poster bed and sitting area with a table and delicate-looking sets of chairs to match. There was also a fireplace that was lit, as well as an adjoining bathroom that had its door open so she could see a glimpse of the huge bathtub that would have made the Romans proud.

She did not know exactly when Marcus had managed to light the fireplace, but he was putting another log on the fire now. Must be when he'd left her for a while to get the dishes back in the kitchen. She did notice that the staircase was accessible on the hallway. But still, he would have been very fast. The flames were giving off the glow that lent character to the oak paneling on the wall. It felt very welcoming.

"Wow..." she breathed as she looked around. "Marcus, this is quite impressive."

"I'm glad you like it. I hope you'll be comfortable. If there's anything that you need, please don't hesitate to let me know."

"Yes, yes. Thank you. Goodnight, Marcus."

He took hold of the door handle and he looked at her and smiled. "Goodnight, Lola. Sleep well."

Then he closed the door.

Lola stood for a while in the middle of the room, still feeling whatever tension that was left by their goodnights to each other... that ringing sensation that vibrated after his soft "Sleep well."

Then she smiled.

There was something here, and she still could not identify what it was, but she knew she liked it. She looked at the bed again.

And she was exhausted.

Lola slept very well that night in spite of the weather. It was as if she was sleeping in her own room. She felt very much at home.

The next morning, she awoke to the same weather and though she groaned, she found herself anticipating seeing Marcus again for the day.

She and Marcus spent the entire day together. He gave her a tour of his mansion. They discussed every interesting spot, pored over all the books they both loved reading in his library, and even watched a DVD for a few hours after lunch. Her birthday was the next day. She had been born one minute past midnight. She knew that her father and friends would be disappointed that she was not back in New York to celebrate it with them, but in all honesty, she knew she would be happy to spend her birthday here in this mansion with Marcus.

Amie, Marcus' housekeeper, was very surprised to see the accidental houseguest but she was also very delighted when she recovered. She made sure Lola wanted for nothing, then did her best to make sure they had plenty of time alone-she and Marcus had a laugh about it. The day was quite lovely in spite of the dreariness of the weather.

But that night, Lola received an even bigger surprise when Amie served them a fancy dinner with her most favorite foods. So that was why she was quizzed so much by Marcus while they talked about a thick recipe book of classic home cooked meals that morning! Dessert was a huge chocolate crepe birthday cake baked by Amie, topped by cherries and toasted and candied hazelnuts. It was the most delicious cake Lola had ever tasted!

She couldn't believe it. But even miles away from home, this birthday turned out to be one of the best ones she had ever experienced.

Amie had to retire before midnight. The older woman bade them goodbye as Marcus poured what remained in the champagne bottle into their glasses and they sipped it, talking about nonsensical things as they waited for her birth hour.

When midnight arrived, Marcus held out his hand to Lola. "Come. You should be standing when the clock strikes on your birth minute, you know."

"Who says?" she asked, giggling a little.

"Just me," he said, also chuckling. "A kind of nonsensical thing that seems to make sense."

They both laughed.

And then the clock struck midnight.

They were actually still laughing then. Marcus looked down at her, and she knew he was about to greet her 'Happy Birthday'.

But something flickered in his eyes and before she knew it, he had leaned down and placed his mouth over hers.

The kiss deepened very quickly into a passionate, soul-wrenching kiss, almost as if it was destined. It was the kind of kiss that possessed a momentum of its own, as if it was alive, and could not be stopped. She had never known a kiss could feel that way. Nothing in her life had prepared her for what she was feeling right then. Lola only knew that she never wanted that kiss to end.

It was a feeling that was obviously and definitely shared by Marcus.

Marcus, on the other hand, had not really intended to kiss Lola. How many times had he thought of doing so every time she would smile or laugh her kind of laugh that was so carefree? But he held himself in check because he did not want her to feel threatened. She might enjoy his company, but she was here because of bad weather and not of her own volition.

But when he looked down at her happy face, it seemed the most natural thing in the world for him to do. He held her hands and looked at her lovely eyes, and he was going to greet her 'Happy Birthday', but suddenly realized that nothing could be more perfect for the moment but for them to kiss.

And once his mouth touched hers, he never wanted to pull away.

It felt like every lost piece of the many in his life clicked into place. He just knew that Lola was the reason he never found the right woman. No one had ever made him feel this way. So powerful and passionate were those feelings that he had felt her coming before she even arrived. Hence, those dreams about her. How could he ever let her get away after this realization?

Without words, Marcus picked Lola up in his arms and carried her upstairs to his master suite. Lola never made a sound of protest as she let him carry her, and she kissed him back every time their lips mingled.

And how grateful he was.

He laid her on his bed and her hands pulled at his sweater so they could not part, so they could continue kissing. There was no doubt about where this was going as clothes were stripped off each other. Marcus' naked body molded to Lola's in perfect symphony. Hands explored each other's bodies with desperate abandon.

Neither of them was thinking of anything in that moment.

They were only feeling.

### Chapter Ten

MARCUS MOVED HIS mouth and tongue all over Lola's neck and breasts, stopping to suck each of her pink raisin-like nipples until she moaned and writhed uncontrollably. Over and over, she breathed his name. Wanting to taste more of her and hear her call out to him again, he continued his oral path down between her thighs. Using the tip of his tongue to part the fleshy petals that concealed her pleasure core, he flicked small gentle circles around it until her thighs begin to shake.

Her inner muscles contracted on his finger when he slid it inside her tight folds, seeking for the spot that he knew would give her more pleasure than she was already feeling. Then he began sucking her clit. He closed his eyes as he heard her tiny moans, her gasps, and he savored the way she would buck as he sucked and blew at her clit. "Oh Marcus!" she groaned as the first orgasm hit her. He sucked and used his finger until she was finished. She had a dazed but grateful look on her face when he finally moved back up her body.

Feeling her hand wrap around his burgeoning cock, he pushed against her while kissing her even more deeply.

"I want you inside me, Marcus," she whispered to him as she parted her thighs and pulled his cock down to meet the opening of her slit.

Marcus was beyond thinking at that moment. He only knew that he could feel the heat coming from her inner core and that he needed to be enveloped in that sexual furnace. Pushing inside of her, he did not stop until he was fully consumed by her wet, grasping inner muscles. She was tight, and so wet. He looked at her face and saw the truth. This was the very first time she'd been penetrated.

He stopped.

There was an audible sound of protest that came from her lips before she called his name in a plea. "Marcus!"

"How do you feel?" he asked, worried even as he saw she wanted him to continue.

She gave him a quick but deep kiss before answering. "Complete."

He could not help the grin that stretched his lips. But then, he started to move.

But it was not enough. When he began to move, there was no describing the feeling of pleasure-beyond pleasure... beyond bliss. He moved faster... cupping her ass with one hand as she rocked against him, accepting his every push and grind, calling out his name over and over. Their fury continued to build until at last, a storm of pleasure overtook them both and pushed them to the edge.

And then something happened.

They were surrounded by a blue light that flashed brightly, like lightning-except that it stayed, forming an aura around them both. Something else was happening to them as well. As they continued to peak in their orgasm, it was much like going back in time.

They were reliving all of their past lives together.

And the reason why they had felt so familiar with each other was revealed.

IT WAS because together, Marcus and Lola had lived many lifetimes, managing to find each other even in dire situations.

They saw in those rapid-fire visions lifetimes of unmatched happiness with each other, as well as enough tears to fill an ocean when they lost one another to death and pestilence. Their cries of pleasure mingled together with cries of shock. Their love, that one gift that tied them to each other, transcended even time.

So now they knew why they felt that they belonged together.

When those moments of revelation passed, Marcus and Lola laid together trembling, holding on to each other and feeling overwhelmed with the deluge of emotions. They could not stop touching each other, looking at each other's faces, crying and declaring love once again, and making sure each was really there, and alive, and was founded.

They had not been together for decades-literally. It took that long a time before they could be born again. To find each other again.

Soul mates.

And it all started with that one kiss. They both knew it now. Once it started, there was no going back. It was what would always start the magical process of re-connection.

Lola finally looked at Marcus in the moonlight that was shining into the bedroom. Both their eyes had become swollen because of their tears. But no faces could be happier on earth. No eyes could exude more bliss.

"So will you come back to New York with me? Meet with The Council? I have a feeling they can answer all your questions about your life in this lifetime, or about your family," Lola stated. For some reason, they remembered everything about their lifetimes together, but he still could not remember his past in this life.

"Yes, my love. Of course, I'll go with you. I... I want to know more about what I'm supposed to be doing in this lifetime. And..." he sighed, "I don't want to ever let you out of my sight again!"

Lola smiled at him and shivered as a bit of chill in the room hit her. Without even thinking about it, Marcus raised his hand in the direction of the fireplace in that room.

Instantly, it caught flame and started burning cozily.

He had such an astounded look on his face that Lola could not help but laugh.

"I can always start a fire, but not like that. Not like that again, not in this lifetime."

"You've regained your full powers now that were back together," she stated the obvious.

He was looking at his hand. "It will take a lot of getting used to. It's been a long time."

Then he gathered her in his arms. "Did it hurt?" he whispered. He did not remember yet when he realized he was a virgin, but although he paused there was no question then that he was going to marry her. He did not even think of stopping. They had not remembered yet, but he knew already that this woman was his.

Now that they were remembering, he knew he's always possessed the gift of her virginity. This was has always been his, every time they met in their past lifetimes.

She shook her head. "The pleasure was too much. I couldn't even call that painful."

Marcus sighed deeply. "It won't hurt as much tomorrow."

"Really? You're going to wait 'til then?" she asked naughtily.

"Oh you're still as lustful as ever, Lola!" he said.

Lola nuzzled his neck. "Only for you, my love," she whispered, before she raised her chin for his kiss.

ONE WEEK later...

"So Marcus, this is why we had Lola come to find you and bring you here before us. Not only do you need to know things about this lifetime, but you and Lola are Soulmates. The only way that you would ever have regained your powers was if she found you and the two of you remembered your past lives. Yours is a love that is meant to be forever. Not everyone is special enough to have the gift of reclaiming their soul mates each lifetime. Take this gift and appreciate it. When you're ready, Marcus, come to us with your questions. We have all of the answers you seek."

Those words were echoing in Marcus' head as he and Lola left the audience with The Council, their arms around each other. It had been a long week, what with them already making wedding plans so it would seem more normal for everyone else.

Sable was waiting for them outside with a huge smile on her face.

"You knew this all along, didn't you, Mother?" Lola asked.

"I suspected, but of course, I didn't say anything, darling! I wasn't going to give away such a huge secret!"

"Not to mention that you were forbidden to tell me," Lola said dryly.

Sable shrugged her shoulders. "What does it matter? The two of you are back together and I think it's wonderful! Now, let's go get your father for that dinner with the wedding organizers. I'm sure he's going to be simply thrilled!"

Lola and Marcus exchanged a look and then they all laughed as they walked underneath a streetlight that burned much brighter just for that moment...

### Whisper a Wish

A Holiday Fairy Tale Part 1

### 

### CHAPTER ONE

CHRYSTAL SEABELL LOOKED looked up into the sky and let the falling snowflakes lightly kiss her face. When she had been a little girl, she used to hold out her tongue to catch them before falling to the snow covered ground to make snow angels. She resisted putting out her tongue and dropping to the snow, but she enjoyed raising her face to the snowflakes as she walked carefully on the newly shoveled sidewalks of downtown Majestic Bay. She had learned from experience that shoveling the snow didn't always mean that the sidewalks were completely safe from being slippery.

This was probably Chrystal's favorite time of the day. Just after 5 PM when she had completed another day of work and was on her way home to enjoy a hot, bubble bath and a glass of red wine before dinner with her family. She supposed that Travis would be joining them tonight. Her parents really did like him and more than approved of her relationship with him.

Chrystal just wished that she could be as enthusiastic about Travis as her parents were. There was nothing wrong with Travis. He was one of the most eligible bachelors in the area and could have any woman he wanted. His boyish good looks and charm won everyone over that he met. He came from a good family. In fact, the Penningtons were among the wealthiest families in the northeast part of the United States. Travis had grown up never knowing what it was like to wonder where his next meal was coming from or whether he would have a roof over his head at night or not.

She couldn't hold that against him, though. He did seem to try to understand what her clients went through even if there was no way he could fully get it. When it came down to it, Chrystal herself often didn't fully comprehend how it must feel to never have everything you need just for survival. Her parents were also well off if not as rich as Travis Pennington.

Sometimes she felt like a fraud when dealing with new clients that came into the agency. She would talk to them about their options and do everything she could to make sure they were fed, clothed and had a warm bed to sleep in at night. But, many times, that just wasn't enough.

With the holidays coming up, Chrystal had kicked a campaign into high gear that insured all children had a good Christmas whether their families could afford it or not. She was still working on paperwork that would allow a significant number of orphans to spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day at the home of her parents. When she had floated the idea past her parents, she had not known what to expect, but their reaction surprised her. In fact, they seemed even more excited about the prospect of a houseful of children for the holidays than she would have ever dreamed possible.

They had already had their staff decorating the large house as well as the grounds. There were plans to have a tree trimming party on Christmas Eve, as well as to bring out the horses and carriages for true sleigh rides over the grounds. And that was just the beginning. Once she had voiced her idea, her parents had taken it and run with it.

Just thinking of all the fun they would have brought a smile to her lips. Travis seemed to be looking forward to it in a much lower key sort of way. She couldn't tell if that was just for her benefit or not. At least he was trying, though, so she had to give him credit for that.

The thought of Travis made her smile slip a little. He had been hinting for a while now about her Christmas present and she was starting to worry that he was planning a holiday proposal. She so hoped that was not the case. While she was fond of Travis, she had known for a long time that she didn't consider herself to be in love with him. Sure, she had made every effort to fall in love with him because he was perfect. He was rich, handsome, courteous, and her parents loved him much as his seemed to adore her.

Chrystal was also aware that both sets of parents expected that she and Travis would marry one day. Her mother had been keeping a hope chest for her since she was 12 years old and had hinted the other day that it was completely full now with everything that Chrystal would need in starting her own home and family. Instead of giving her chills of pleasure and excitement, the statement had only filled her with dread.

She knew that she would never marry Travis Pennington. This also meant that it was time to cut him loose to find the woman that wanted the same things he did in life: the woman that wanted him. That woman was not her and it wasn't fair to keep seeing him because it only gave him the hope and reassurance that she would be his wife someday.

So lost in thought was she, that she almost tripped over the little girl standing at the window of the toy store. One look at the child told Chrystal everything she needed to know about her. Although beautiful and clean, the little girl was dressed in clothing that was clearly from a thrift store and the coat she was wearing wasn't nearly warm enough to protect her from this weather. Yet, the child didn't seem to notice the cold or the snow that was falling. Her small hand was pressed against the display window and she was transfixed at something on the other side.

Stooping down to the child's level, Chrystal saw what held the child's attention. It was a doll that was nearly as tall as the child and was quite popular among little girls. The doll actually looked a lot like the child with long, wheat blond hair and huge blue eyes. She came with a full wardrobe as well as everything needed to care for the doll. Of course, the entire set was very expensive and Chrystal was quite sure that the family of this little girl would never be able to afford something like that.

"Hi, Beautiful," she said to the child. "What are you looking at there?"

Her eyes never leaving the doll, she replied "I want that doll so bad! Isn't she pretty?"

"Yes, that she is," Chrystal agreed. "What's your name, sweetheart?"

"I'm Maddie," the little girl replied.

"Maddie is a very pretty name," Chrystal said. "I'm Chrystal. How old are you, Maddie?"

"I'm six years old," the child said.

"I see," Chrystal replied. "Where's your mommy and daddy?"

"My mommy is at work, but I don't have a daddy."

Chrystal had heard this terrible story so many times that it should have numbed her heart by now, but she always felt sad and angry each time she heard it again.

"Does your mommy know that you're out here alone?"

"My mommy says I'm a big girl and I can walk to the toy store by myself," the child replied proudly.

Chrystal sighed inwardly. When would these parents learn that they couldn't just let their kids wander around alone? There were too many predators around to insure that these children wouldn't be safe on their own.

"Where does your mommy work?" Chrystal asked.

"She works right over there at the Majestic Bay Diner," Maddie said as she pointed across the street.

"I tell you what, Maddie," Chrystal said. "Why don't you and I go inside and have a look at this gorgeous doll and then you can to introduce me to your mommy? Would you like that? We can look at the doll up close."

"Oh!" Maddie exclaimed. "I would love to do that!"

"Let's go inside the store then," Chrystal said.

### CHAPTER TWO

AS THEY ENTERED the door, a little bell tinkled above them announcing their presence. Suddenly, there was a flash and cheering along with lots of balloons being set off. A man raced up to the two of them and grabbed Chrystal's hand, shaking it and then leaning over speaking excitedly to Maddie.

Needless to say, the two of them continued to stand there like deer caught in headlights. Everyone was talking at once, which didn't help matters at all. Finally, she held up her hand.

"Please!" she said loudly. "What's going on?"

"Sorry," the man said. "It's just that we've been waiting all week for this! You and your little girl are our one thousandth customer this month!"

Chrystal was holding tightly to Maddie's hand. The child's blue eyes were huge in amazement.

"I'm sorry," Chrystal said. "But you've made a mistake. This isn't my daughter. Her mother actually works across the street at the diner. Maddie here was standing outside of your display window admiring the doll when I stopped to talk to her. She loves that doll so much that I brought her in to look at it close up."

"Oh," the man said. "That's okay. We can still work with that. By the way, my name is Gary Barlow, the owner of this store. I guess you might have noticed that it's called Barlow's Toys & More."

Chrystal smiled at his apparent excitement.

"It's nice to meet you, Mr. Barlow," she said. "But I've got to say that I really didn't notice the name of the store. This is a wonderful idea to do this right before the holidays, though! What does Maddie win for being the one thousandth customer?"

"Why, she wins anything she wants from the store!" Mr. Barlow exclaimed. "She gets to pick out any toy she wants."

Maddie was looking up at Chrystal and then Mr. Barlow with a bright shining light in her eyes.

"Did you hear that, Chrystal?" she whispered as she tugged on Chrystal's coat. "I get to pick out any toy I want!"

"Yes, sweetheart," Chrystal replied. "I did hear that. Mr. Barlow, I need to run across the street and get Maddie's mother. She should be here for this. We'll be right back!"

Taking Maddie with her, Chrystal crossed the street and raced into the diner. It was a bit crowded since it was approaching dinner time.

"Which one is your mommy, Maddie," Chrystal asked.

"She's that lady right over there!"

A pretty, but tired looking brunette with big brown eyes was currently going from table to table carrying a pitcher of tea refilling glasses for her customers. She glanced up and spotted her daughter standing there with Chrystal and hurried over to them.

"Maddie! Are you okay?" she exclaimed. "I'm so sorry! She just wanted to go look into the toy store window for a minute and I didn't think it could hurt anything! Maddie, you didn't do anything, did you?"

"No, no, calm down," Chrystal said soothingly. "Maddie was standing just outside of the toy store display window. I came along and introduced myself to her and offered to take her inside so that she could see the doll she was looking at up close. When we went inside, it seems that Maddie was the one thousandth customer to enter the toy store this month. As a prize, she gets to pick out anything in the store."

"Oh Maddie! Baby, that's wonderful!" the woman cried as she reached down and hugged the little girl. "My name is Claire Phillips and I'm Maddie's mother. It was so nice of you to take her inside the toy store."

"Let me speak to Jessica and let her know that you need to leave for a few minutes," Chrystal said. "I've known her a long time. She'll let you go do this."

"Oh thank you so much!" Claire said. "I just don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything," Chrystal replied smiling. "Just go with Maddie to the toy store. I'll be here when you come back."

Mother and daughter hurried through the door and across the street to the toy store. Chrystal watched them go with a smile and then headed over to talk to Jessica, the diner's owner. She used to work at the diner during summers off from school, not because she needed the money, but because she wanted to make her own money. Jessica totally understood and never treated her like she was anything other than a regular employee. As it turned out, Chrystal had loved the job and the people.

"Hi Jess," she said smiling at the older woman.

"Chrystal! It's a surprise to see you this time of day. How are you doing, sweetie?" Jessica said as she hugged Chrystal with one arm while holding onto a coffee pot with the other.

"I'm great, Jess," Chrystal replied as she hugged her back. "I had to borrow Claire for a few minutes so I'll fill in for her until she gets back."

"Oh? What's up?" Jessica asked, clearly puzzled.

Chrystal explained while she slipped out of her coat and into an apron.

"That's just amazing!" Jessica exclaimed. "I'm so happy for them! You know, Claire was so worried about what she was going to get little Maddie for Christmas. She's been stressing over it for weeks. I was going to give her a sizeable bonus to be sure they had a decent holiday, but this is even better!"

"Oh you can still give her that bonus," Chrystal laughed. "I'm pretty sure they'll need it. Now which tables are Claire's?"

### CHAPTER THREE

WHEN CLAIRE AND Maddie returned in a little over half an hour, the dinner rush was in full swing. Chrystal was busily hauling platters of food to several tables as she laughed and joked with the customers. She caught sight of Claire and Maddie when they entered the diner, but continued to deliver the rest of the orders that she had taken. Once everyone had been served, she removed her apron and handed Claire the tips she had collected while waiting the tables.

"Oh, Chrystal!" Claire exclaimed. "I can't take these tips! You earned them!"

"Actually, I only earned a couple of them," Chrystal laughed. "The rest I picked up from the tables you had already served. So please take them."

"Wow," she said. "There must be at least $50 here! Thank you so much, Chrystal!"

"You're quite welcome. Now did our girl here go pick out her toy?"

"Oh she was all ready to do so, but Mr. Barlow decided that she could pick out five of them! Can you believe it? She's going to get everything she wanted for Christmas!"

"That's so great! I'm so thrilled for the both of you!" Chrystal said. Then bending down, she brushed Maddie's hair from her eyes. "Okay, sweetie, I need to talk to your mom for minute. I'm pretty sure that Jessica has some dinner waiting for you and you might just be getting dessert."

Maddie clapped her hands and hugged Chrystal before she ran off to see what Jessica had dished up for her dinner.

"Claire," Chrystal began. "I know that you're doing the best you can here, and I also know that it's not that far across the street to the toy store. But bad things can happen in the blink of an eye and I would so hate for any of those bad things to happen to your beautiful little girl. If you're having trouble with daycare for her while you work, I might be able to help you out with that. But please, don't let her out by herself like that again. She's only six and I know that she's very grown up for a six year old, but she's also very beautiful, sweet and trusting. Don't let anyone take that away from you."

Claire now had tears in her eyes and then looked down at her feet.

"You're absolutely right," she said. "I'm so ashamed. I've just been so busy and my baby sitter quit last week because I couldn't pay her any more. Since I can't afford to quit my job here, I had to bring her. Jessica has been great about it but I can't keep bringing her here."

"It's okay, Claire," Chrystal said. "As I said, I'm pretty sure that I can resolve the day care issue for you. What about her father? I take it he's not in the picture."

"No, Danny took off as soon as I found out I was pregnant. I don't know where he is and I don't really care."

"I understand that, Claire, but there's assistance you can get simply because he jumped ship. Anyway, don't worry about it right now. Here's my card. Come by tomorrow any time and I'll have my secretary show you in. We can resolve some of these issues for you and make your life a little easier, okay?"

"Who are you? Some sort of fairy godmother?" Claire laughed as she took the card.

"No, nothing like that. I'm actually a social worker so I know that I can help you. Will you come by?"

"Oh, definitely! And thank you again, Chrystal!"

"You're very welcome," Chrystal said as she put her coat back on and waved to Jessica.

### CHAPTER FOUR

IT WAS DARK outside now. All of the street lamps were on and offering some soft lighting along the sidewalks. Then there were the holiday decorations and lights that made the entire street look like a wonderland. The snow still came down in larger flakes.

Chrystal loved it all.

Just as she reached her car, her cell phone rang. Unlocking her door, she climbed into car and answered.

"Hey, babe," Travis's voice greeted her. "I thought you'd be home by now."

"Yeah, I know," she said as she started her car. "I got held up. I'll explain when I get there. Are you at my parents' house or the cottage?"

"I checked at the cottage first but, when you weren't there, I came up to the main house. Your parents and I are having some wine while we wait for you."

"Okay, I'll be there in just a few minutes, Travis. Please apologize to my parents for me. I'll see you in a bit."

"Be careful."

"Always."

Setting the phone in the console, she focused all of her attention on driving. She had been driving in snow all of her life and was a decent driver, but it never hurt to make sure that she did everything possible to reach her destination safely.

Once she reached her parents' estate, she rolled through the gates and took a slight detour back to her cottage. She really did want to freshen up a little even if her bubble bath would have to wait.

Her cottage was actually misnamed as far as most of her clients would go. It was made from various stones and had some vines growing over part of it. Usually a cottage was a small home, but this one had two stories, three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, dining room, formal living room, family room, and finished basement. In the back was a large wooden deck that she loved sitting on during the warmer months of the year. Off of her master bedroom was a smaller balcony with a breathtaking view of the Majestic Bay itself as well as the large lighthouse that had been there for as long as she could remember.

In short, she loved her home and was happy that her parents understood her need for her own space. This kept her nearby for them but they respected her privacy and never simply showed up at her cottage without calling her first.

It's not like she ever had anything to hide, though. Travis had never spent the night at her cottage and neither had any of her other boyfriends. Sure, she had entertained men there as well as had small parties and gatherings, but never had any of the men she dated ever been invited to spend the night at her cottage.

Quickly, she unlocked the door and raced upstairs where she ducked into the master bathroom off of her bedroom to wash her face and refresh her makeup. Then she hurried into her walk-in closet to choose something that she hadn't worn to work in all day. Besides, now her clothes held a hint of cooked food aroma.

After slipping into a pair of black, fitted slacks and a red cashmere sweater, she changed into knee high boots. Pulling a brush through her white blonde hair, she pushed some behind one ear and kept the other draping over one side of her face. She applied some shiny red lip gloss and finally felt that she was ready for dinner with her parents.

Since the snow was still falling pretty heavily, she decided to drive up to the main house. Throwing her faux fur lined cloak on over her clothes, she pulled the hood up to protect her hair and then headed out to her car.

It was obvious that Chrystal's parents were expecting her because the lights were on and illuminating every part of the front part of the house. She turned off the car and just sat there to drink in the scene. It never ceased to delight her in looking at this house. The beauty of it was breathtaking and she was glad to still be a part of it.

The front door opened and Travis stepped out onto the large porch. Before he decided to race down to the car, she opened the car door and got out. Hurrying up the steps, she gathered the cloak around her to avoid getting her clothes dampened from the snow that was coming down even harder now.

Stopping for a quick hug and kiss from Travis, they both then entered the house. Her parents were already sitting in the large den. This was where they spent quite a lot of time because the room was so beautiful no matter what the season was. One wall was made completely of floor to ceiling windows that looked out onto a large and elegantly maintained garden. Just now it looked very much like a winter wonderland with the snow covering all of the various trees, shrubs and a gazebo in the center that was covered with small white twinkling lights. The spring would bring an explosion of color with the many different flowers and plants that would be in bloom. These carried through the summer seguing into more color from changing leaves of autumn.

One end of the room was taken up with a large stone fireplace where flames were cozily blazing away. Her parents were facing this fireplace and holding glasses in their hands. Both turned to smile at her when she and Travis entered the room.

"Darling!" her mother exclaimed. "We were starting to get a little concerned with the weather and all."

"I do apologize for being so late," she said as she leaned down to kiss her mother's cheek and then give her father a hug. "I ran into a little situation and it held me up."

"Oh?" her father said. "What happened?"

So she went into the short version of her experience and they were all happy to hear about Maddie's good fortune and that Chrystal had been there to help out Claire.

"She's going to be coming into my office tomorrow," Chrystal ended her story. "I'm going to set her up with some assistance that will make her life a lot easier."

"Well, it's just so wonderful that the little girl won her Christmas!" Chrystal's mother exclaimed.

Deanna Seabell was a huge believer in everyone having all they needed to live and live comfortably. She had chaired many different charities through the years and was always involved in some philanthropic venture. While most wealthy mothers would have not wanted their children to enter social work, Deanna had been a big support system to Chrystal's decision to become just that.

Kevin Seabell had not been born with a silver spoon in his mouth and had worked hard for every dime he had. With a talent for business coupled with a great idea, Kevin had amassed quite a fortune in his adult life. On top of his business success, he also had made some very smart investments that added to his wealth.

The Seabell Lighthouse Resorts were now worldwide. Kevin had noticed that there was a definite interest in lighthouses among people. They seemed to view them as almost magical structures and set up trips to visit them. He started with one lighthouse. It was being sold because it was no longer used in its capacity of guiding boats safely to the shore.

He managed to buy both the lighthouse and the lighthouse keeper's cottage for an affordable price and then set about doing much of the remodeling work himself. Calling in friends helped to keep the end costs down. The lighthouse was turned into living quarters with bedrooms and bathrooms as well as a kitchen and sitting area. The cottage was simply reworked to add more space for people that wanted to spend the night, a weekend or a week with a lighthouse.

Eventually, Kevin expanded this idea into several more lighthouses. No one could have predicted how wildly this would take off, but people loved it! Now he had them all over the world. In addition, he had acquired several small apartment complexes and houses that he rented out.

"Oh, and Dad. I'm not sure what Claire's living situation is but, just in case, do you have any vacancies right now?"

"I'll be happy to check on that, sweetheart," he replied amiably. "Besides, even if I don't have any vacancies, I'll just buy one."

They all laughed at that. While he may have said it as a joke, Chrystal knew that, under the right circumstances, he would do just that.

"Well, Evelyn has been keeping dinner warm until you arrived, darling," Deanna said. "Why don't we all go in and eat now?"

"Great idea, Mrs. Seabell," Travis enthusiastically agreed.

He offered his arm to Chrystal and Deanna took the arm of her husband. They walked down to the formal dining room where they sat down to enjoy a delicious feast.

### CHAPTER FIVE

FOLLOWING A VERY companionable dinner, they all retired back to the study for after dinner coffee. At one point, Deanna had brought up the festivities that they would be hosting for the children at Christmas.

"You know, dear," she said to Chrystal. "I've been thinking which room would be best to put the tree that the children will be decorating as well as opening their presents on Christmas morning. What do you think about setting it up in the day room? It has those wonderful windows that overlook the bay and it's so large that there will be plenty of room for everyone to fit in there comfortably."

"Mother, that's a great idea! They will love that! It's so beautiful in there and it's perfect for the tree. Then, we can let them have a sleepover in the east wing."

"Yes, that will make it much easier to keep an eye on them," Travis chimed in. "Don't forget that I'll be here to help."

"Yes, Travis," Chrystal replied. "That's so sweet of you! Will your parents still be coming for tree trimming party?"

"They wouldn't miss it! My mother has been so excited that she comes home every day loaded down with shopping bags. She's been going into Salem and buying gifts there. I gave her the list of Santa requests that you showed me and she's been following it to the letter as well as adding in some things as she goes along."

The four of them started to laugh delightedly at the image of Adriana Pennington roaming through toy stores all over Salem loading down her shopping carts with enough presents to fill Santa's bag and sleigh.

"I'm so happy that she's going to be a part of this, Travis!"

"Well, you know how much she looks forward to having grandchildren that she can spoil. She just considers this practice," Travis said lightly while glancing over at Chrystal in a meaningful way.

Chrystal felt that little knot of dread forming in her stomach once more. She didn't want to hurt him, but she also didn't want to marry him. It had been her hope to keep any of this from coming up this close to the holidays. She knew how much it would ruin things if he asked her to marry him and she said no. On top of that, she hadn't decided how to handle it yet. She thought she might try the excuse that they hadn't really been seeing each other that long. However, a year was considered to be a respectable amount of time of dating before getting engaged.

Then she realized that even if he did ask her to marry him, it would be at least another year before she would be expected to go through with an actual wedding. Surely, by then, she could think of a viable reason to call off the engagement. While it wasn't exciting to her that she had found a temporary solution, she did feel a little relieved that she wouldn't be ruining anyone's holidays.

They all chatted a little more about the holidays and soon realized that it had started to get late.

"Well, my dear," Kevin addressed his wife. "I'm afraid it's getting rather late for us old people. Shall we retire for the night?"

"Oh, Dad," Chrystal scoffed. "If you're old, then I'm the Duchess of Wales."

"Your father's right, dear," Deanna said as she accepted his outstretched hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. "Besides, I'm in the middle of reading a book that I want to get back to because I'm at a really exciting part. You and Travis have a good night. I'll see you tomorrow."

Chrystal hugged her parents good night and then stood back as Travis hugged her mother and then shook hands with her father. After her parents had exited the room, he joined her for a glass of wine on the loveseat that faced the fireplace. He placed an arm casually around the back of her shoulders and pulled her close to him.

"I've been waiting for this moment all evening," he said softly.

Leaning in, he placed his mouth on hers in a kiss that started out gentle and worked into a rather passion-fueled one. Chrystal didn't mind kissing Travis. In fact, he was very good at it and she even enjoyed it. Kissing him was great. But as soon as he started to pull her in for even deeper kisses and got his hands involved, she started to feel all squirmy.

She had told him her secret a long time ago and he not only respected her for it, but he also agreed not to push her and would patiently wait until she was ready. But that didn't mean that he didn't want a bit of making out on a regular basis.

Things had come to the point that she actually felt guilty about letting him get so worked up knowing full well that she had no intention of helping him to relieve that tension. She entertained the thought that maybe she really was in love with him but had some sort of sexual issues that kept her from being attracted to him.

If she admitted it to herself, she hadn't been sexually interested in any of the men she had dated no matter how attractive they were or how wonderful they treated her. Now what did that say about her?

Also, what did it say about her that she sat here with a very attractive man kissing her and she was thinking about things of this nature? Travis's breathing was picking up the pace rapidly and all she could do was to think about whether there was something wrong with her or not.

Yes, there definitely had to be something wrong with her.

Just as she thought this, she felt his hands traveling up her sides and start to inch over to her full breasts. She gently, but firmly, placed her hands over his to stop him in his tracks.

Pulling away from him, she looked at him and said "I'm sorry, Travis. It's just been a really long day. I need to be getting home and into bed myself."

He leaned his forehead so that he was touching hers, clearly trying to regain some modicum of self-control. This always made her feel so guilty even though he never did anything to make her feel that way.

"Of course, babe," he whispered. "I'll see you back to the cottage."

"Oh, you don't have to do that," she protested. "I drove my car up here and it's not that far."

"I know, but it's late and it's dark. I want to be sure that you get home safely. I'll follow you down in my car."

Chrystal finally smiled at him and nodded.

"Okay," she said. "If it will make you feel better."

"It definitely will reassure me," he said.

He put on his overcoat and she draped her cloak around her. Then they headed outside. After he had put her in her car, he hurried back to his.

She looked around. It really had started snowing so much harder and it was staring to become harder to see. Suddenly, she realized that there was no way that Travis would be able to drive home in this. There was no way around it.

Chrystal was going to have to invite Travis to spend the night at her cottage.

### CHAPTER SIX

BY THE TIME Travis had followed her down to her cottage, Chrystal had basically accepted that she would have to issue the invitation of spending the night at her cottage. She only hoped that he wouldn't take it the wrong way and consider it to be an invitation of an entirely different sort.

Well, if he did, she would just have to make it clear that it wasn't that type of invitation and that she only wanted to be sure that he wasn't driving home in blizzard like conditions.

Pulling up close to the front door, she pulled up the hood of her cloak once more and exited the car. Using her remote, she locked it and raced for the front porch. Travis pulled his car up immediately behind hers as she was busy unlocking her door. She had no sooner opened the door than Travis had exited his car and was standing behind her.

They both entered her foyer. She removed her cloak and hung it on the antique coat rack that stood by the door. Travis seemed to hesitate as if he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do next.

Glancing back at him, Chrystal laughed.

"Go ahead and take off your coat," she said. "You'll need to spend the night here, I think. I've got plenty of room and there's no need for you to try to drive home in this. Besides, it will be nice having breakfast together, don't you think?"

"You won't ever get an argument from me about that," he laughingly agreed.

"It really is coming down out there, isn't it?" Chrystal said as she walked to the front window in her living room. "I can't say that I'm upset about that, though. I've always loved the snow."

Coming up behind her, Travis put his arms around her and rested his chin on top of her head.

"It really is beautiful," he said. "You know, snow sort of suits you."

Leaning her head back against his chest, she looked up at him with a quizzical look on her face.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Oh, I don't know," he replied. "It's just something about the snow that suits your personality. You're so pure and sparkly, just like new snow."

"Why Travis Pennington, I don't believe I've ever heard you be so poetic!" she laughed. "That's actually kind of sweet, though, to be compared to the snow."

"Of course, I left out the beautiful part," he teased. "You're also much more beautiful than new snow because you stay that way and don't turn all muddy when the sun comes out and starts melting it."

"Oh, will you stop it!" Chrystal laughed in earnest now. "You're incorrigible!"

Breaking away from him, she started back toward the foyer.

"Would you like anything before I make sure that the guest room is all ready?" she asked.

She ignored the shadow that briefly fell over his face. It was clear that he was disappointed that he would be spending the night in a guest room rather than her bed.

But she felt that it was better to get any unasked questions out of the way now rather than later when it might just be even more awkward. Suddenly, his face brightened again.

"How about some hot chocolate?" he said. "I'll even make it!"

She smiled back at him. "You're on!" she said. "I'll just go up and check out the guest room. You already know where everything is in the kitchen."

As she went up the stairs to the second floor, Travis headed toward the back of her house where a large kitchen was located that connected to a family room. There was a lovely fireplace there where they could have their hot chocolate in front of a cozy fire.

Chrystal already knew what Travis was thinking. If he could get her all relaxed with some of his amazing hot chocolate while sitting in front of a romantic fire, he just might be able to maneuver his way into her bed rather than the bed in the guest room. Shaking her head, she already knew how that scenario would turn out. On the other hand, he really did know how to make exceptional hot chocolate so that part would be fun.

I'm a terrible person, she thought. How can I just keep leading him on this way? Oh well, that's a thought for another day.

There wasn't a lot to do in the guest room she chose for him. Evelyn always sent someone to clean up for her at least a couple of times a week. Most of the time, she did her own cleaning. But it was nice to have someone to deep clean on occasion.

After setting out a couple of extra blankets on the bed and putting fresh towels in the bathroom, she turned on a bedside lamp so that the room was softly lit. Once she was satisfied that everything was in good order, she went to her room.

Once there, she changed into a pair of flannel sleeping pants and a matching t-shirt. Slipping into a pair of slipper socks, she brushed her hair and returned to the first floor. When she rounded the corner of the kitchen and family room, it was just as she had thought.

A fire blazed cheerfully in the hearth and Travis was just pouring the hot chocolate into large mugs. She saw that he had also found a bag of small marshmallows that he had set down on the counter. Entering the kitchen, she inhaled the delicious aroma of chocolate.

"Hmm, that really smells yummy!" she said. "And I see you found the marshmallows. Perfect!"

He smiled at her just as he was topping the hot chocolate with marshmallows. Then he handed her one of the steaming mugs. Leading the way to the sofa in front of the fire, Travis took her hand and pulled her with him.

They sat and talked while enjoying the hot chocolate. Chrystal talked some more about Maddie and Claire and how happy she was that things had worked out so well for the two of them. Travis seemed to be pleased about the events, but she could tell that what he really wanted was to get back to kissing her.

What is wrong with me? Most straight women would kill to have Travis desire them. Yet, here I am trying to figure out a way to keep him from kissing me.

Finally, she set her empty mug on the coffee table and made a show of yawning. She knew that he would take the hint because he was always so considerate and such a gentleman.

"I'm so sorry," she said as she broke off her yawn. "That hot chocolate of yours really seems to relax me. I need to get to bed. I've got an early day tomorrow."

"Of course," Travis said managing to look only a little disappointed. "Here, I'll walk you up. I think I'm going to turn in, too."

Stopping on the way to rinse out their mugs in the kitchen sink, they walked together up the stairs to the second floor bedrooms. At the top of the stairs, Chrystal turned to Travis and smiled.

"Well, good night," she said. "I hope you sleep well."

"Now you don't get away that easily," he teased as he pulled her to him.

Leaning down, he kissed her gently but firmly on the mouth, sliding the tip of his tongue inside in search of hers. She could feel the clear evidence of his arousal as he pressed against her.

No, no, no, she thought. This cannot happen.

Trying to wait for a moment where it wouldn't seem as if she was trying to escape, she continued to let him kiss her and even managed a bit of a response. Of course, that only encouraged him and she certainly wasn't trying to do that. Finally, the only thing she could do was to pull away from him.

"Travis," she said trying for a bit of a laugh. "You really must let me get some sleep."

Travis wasn't laughing, though. He dropped his arms from her and gazed directly into her eyes. His brown eyes took on a rather ominous look as he stared at her.

"Okay, Chrystal," he said. "It's time you were honest with me."

"What are you talking about?"

"You're not attracted to me, are you?"

At first, she thought she might try to lie to him but realized that it wasn't fair to do that.

"Travis, I'm not sure what it is, but the problem isn't with you," she said. "You're so handsome and sexy. Any woman would be thrilled to be with you."

"Just not you, though," he finished the thought in a flat voice.

"I'm so sorry," she said, almost like a whisper. "I kept thinking it would change and that I would learn what it's like to desire you. As I said, it's not you. Something is wrong with me. I just don't know what it is."

"I see. So where exactly does this leave us?"

"I don't know," Chrystal said with as much honesty as she could muster. "I truly don't know."

Looking at him with tears in her emerald green eyes, she silently begged for his understanding. However, judging from the look she was getting from him just now, she didn't think he was going to be able to find any more understanding in his heart for her. He also didn't look as though he was going to be able to accept her excuses any longer.

"Well, Chrystal," he finally said. "I'm relieved that you've finally found the nerve to be honest with me. I'm not sure what will happen from here or even what should happen, but I do feel that we need to take a break and think about things. Since I'm not interested in ruining the holidays for your family or mine, I'll still take part in your plans for the children, if you want me to, that is. We'll try to keep things as normal as possible until after the holidays. Would that be alright with you?"

"Oh yes, of course! I think that's actually very generous of you," Chrystal replied. "Then we'll talk again after the New Year and see where we stand."

"Yes, I can get on board with that," he said grimly. "Good night, then, Chrystal."

Before she could reply, he had turned away from her and was walking down the opposite end of the hall toward the guest room she had prepared for him. Somehow, he already knew that she would put him in the room furthest away from hers.

Chrystal stood alone and watched him forlornly. She felt terrible and a bit angry with herself that she couldn't have managed to keep up the pretense a little more convincingly at least through the holidays. Of course, Travis wasn't a fool. He had most likely suspected something was wrong for a while now. He probably had just kept hoping that she would come around.

At any rate, the cat was definitely out of the bag now.

Sighing, she turned in the direction of her own bedroom. After brushing her teeth and hair, she climbed into her warm bed and turned off her lamp. She was still upset over what had just transpired between Travis and her. Plumping her pillows, she was sure that she wouldn't get a wink of sleep.

As it turned out, though, she was so relieved that she wouldn't have to keep pretending with Travis that she relaxed instantly and fell into in a deep and dreamless sleep.

### CHAPTER SEVEN

CHRYSTAL AWOKE THE next morning feeling more rested than she had in days. Sitting up, she reached over and turned off her alarm and then stretched her arms way over her head. Getting out of bed, she walked over to the French doors that led to her private balcony and looked outside.

It had stopped snowing but there was plenty of white, sparkly evidence left over from the previous night. Since the sun wasn't out, it seemed as if they might be in for even more snow by nightfall. She didn't mind, though. Chrystal loved the snow. As long as she would be able to drive into her office today, she was happy to share her world with snowflakes.

She whirled around to head into her bathroom for a shower when she stopped in her tracks. The memory of the night before with Travis came back to her.

Ah well, she thought. Now he knows and I won't have to keep pretending. We might even have a civil breakfast together and then leave for work at the same time. It caused her a bit of trepidation at what he might be feeling this morning. He had never been anything but kind and considerate to her. She hated that she had hurt him in any way. Maybe she could at least salvage a friendship with him.

Following a hot and invigorating shower, she put on her makeup and blew her hair dry. Dressing in a pair of navy blue dress slacks and a red pull over sweater, she completed the look with a pair of black leather knee high boots. After glancing in the mirror, she decided that she was satisfied that she would not only be warm enough but also look professional.

Heading down to the kitchen, she wondered why everything was so quiet. She supposed that Travis was either still asleep or getting dressed. Once she reached the kitchen, though, she realized that it was quiet for a much different reason. Propped up against the coffee maker was a note.

She picked it up and started to read:

Chrystal,

After our talk last night, I felt that it was best if I just leave this morning as I'm quite sure that a breakfast together would have been uncomfortable for us both. Thank you for your hospitality. We'll speak soon.

Travis

"Dammit," she hissed as she threw the note into the trash.

She had so hoped that this wasn't going to happen. But then, what else could she have expected? She had known that he would be hurt. There was nothing she could actually do to make things any better but she refused to let things lie between them in this way. Surely, they could at least remain friends at some point!

Her appetite suddenly gone, she opted for coffee and a bagel. There were too many days that she had tried to avoid breakfast and learned the hard way that it wasn't a good idea. So now she always put something in her stomach in the morning.

Once she was on the road, it was gratifying to see that they weren't quite as treacherous as she might have imagined. She had a thought of Claire and Maddie, hoping that they were in a place where they could maneuver safely, and that Claire would be able to make it into Chrystal's office that morning. It always excited her to be able to help someone get on the right path.

Parking in her customary spot in front of her office, she was careful not slip on any stray patches of ice as she made her way to the entrance. As usual, she was the first one to arrive so she unlocked the door and went inside. Heading straight for the small kitchenette, she put on a pot of coffee and then went into her office.

Glancing at her calendar, she saw that there was a full day of appointments ahead of her. Well, it didn't matter. Whatever time Claire was able to make it in, she would be sure to see her. There was a sound from the reception area announcing the arrival of Rayna, who basically ran the office for Chrystal, Elsa, and Shandi.

"I smell coffee!" Rayna shouted from her desk.

"Yes, you do!" Chrystal shouted back, laughing.

Rayna appeared in Chrystal's doorway within a couple of minutes.

"Someone's in a hurry to start working today," she said.

"Not really," Chrystal replied. "I just had a bit of an early start today and thought I would get the coffee going. I figured you could go pick up some muffins and whatever else from the diner. Jessica knows to have them ready for us."

"Sure, I can do that," Rayna replied.

Chrystal studied her face for a second and realized that something seemed off about Rayna.

"Hey," she said softly. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's really nothing," Rayna answered with a sigh. "It's just the same old thing."

"Ah, still no baby?" Chrystal asked sympathetically.

Rayna shook her head, her dark hair falling into her face, hiding the expression of sadness.

"If I could," Chrystal said. "I would make sure that you and Kyle have that baby you want so badly. Have you thought anymore about adoption?"

"Well, I'm fine with that, but Kyle really wants a baby of our own. He's like the last male in his family and it's important to him that our baby is completely ours."

"I sort of understand that," Chrystal said. "But if it became totally evident that pregnancy wasn't an option, you don't think he'd rather adopt than have no baby at all?"

"I honestly don't know. We haven't reached that point in our conversations on the subject yet. For now, he's adamant about having our own baby. We've just got so much to offer a child! Yet, we can't have one while some little crack addict living on the streets doesn't even have to try to get pregnant!"

Chrystal got up from behind her desk and went to Rayna, putting her arms around her.

"I know, I know," she said. "But let's not give up just yet, okay? Maybe you just need to relax and see if nature will take its course."

"Yeah, I've thought the same thing, but it's just really impossible to totally relax when you want something so badly."

"I can imagine," Chrystal said. "At least try not to focus on it so much today. It's a new day and it's time to renew your hope. So come on, let's get some coffee and muffins and get fortified for today."

By the time Rayna left the office for the diner to pick up muffins, she seemed to be feeling a bit better. The rest of the morning flew by as Chrystal dealt with one case after another to get the clients in the best possible situations. When lunch time came around, she was ready for a break. Waving to Rayna as she went out of the building, she headed down to the diner.

She wasn't sure what time Claire came into work but was hopeful that she might run into her before she headed back to the office. Taking her customary booth toward the back, she ordered a chicken salad sandwich and a bowl of corn chowder. Jessica came over to say hello before rushing back to help the staff get everyone served. Breakfast, lunch and dinner were the heaviest times of the day for the diner as no one could beat the food served there.

Chrystal forced herself to relax as she ate. Even though she didn't want to think about it, the previous night's conversation with Travis still worried her. He hadn't even texted her today. That should make her feel relieved but, somehow, it only made her feel even sadder.

Just as she was paying her bill, Claire walked into the diner. Her face lit up when she spotted Chrystal.

"Hey!" she cried. "I was just on my way down to your office! Are you heading back there now?"

"As a matter of fact, I am," Chrystal replied smiling. "Would you like to walk with me?"

"Sure!"

The two women left the diner together and began the short walk back to Chrystal's office. When they entered the reception area, Chrystal noticed that Rayna must have left for lunch because no one was at the front desk.

"Come on back to my office," Chrystal said. "We can talk there."

A half hour later, Claire had completed all necessary paperwork for assistance as well as set up an appointment to see one of Kevin's apartments. True to his word, Kevin had found a vacancy in one of his more family friendly apartment buildings. This one even came with a community swimming pool and a playground on the premises. He had recently hired some ladies to operate an onsite day care center for parents that needed affordable and trustworthy day care. Chrystal had a feeling that her mother's hand could be found in that somewhere but she didn't question it.

"Chrystal, I just cannot thank you enough for all of your help!" Claire gushed as she was leaving. "It's like ever since I met you, my and Maddie's lives just keep getting better!"

"Claire, I'm happy to help. But all of this is help that you qualify to receive in your situation. Any social worker could have done the same for you."

"I highly doubt that," Claire laughed. "Most social workers don't have Kevin Seabell as their father."

Chrystal laughed along with her.

"Okay, you've got me there," she said. "But I'm just happy that you and Maddie are going to be in a better situation. I'll see you tomorrow morning around 10 at the apartments, right?"

"I'll be counting the minutes until then!"

### CHAPTER EIGHT

CHRYSTAL WALKED CLAIRE out to the front doors. Just as she was going to return to her office, Rayna flew into the reception area. There was a somewhat wild look on her face but, at the same time, she looked as if she were ecstatically happy.

Grabbing Chrystal, she pulled her back behind the glass reception area.

"Rayna," Chrystal exclaimed. "What is it? You look positively strange!"

"Chrystal!" Rayna said in a shaking voice. "You're not going to believe this!"

"Please tell me!"

Rayna took a deep breath before she started to speak.

"Okay, well, you know how I was all upset this morning?" she said.

"Yes, yes, of course I do!"

"Well, I just stopped my period," Rayna went on. "I mean it was like I didn't ever have it! So I decided to just hit up the drug store to buy a pregnancy test. I came back here and took it. And guess what! It's positive!"

Chrystal just stared at her unable to take in what she was saying. How was that even possible?

"Rayna, are you saying that you're pregnant?" she finally managed to ask.

"Yes!" Rayna shrieked. "That's exactly what I'm saying!"

"Rayna, sweetie," Chrystal said in a soft voice. "That's just not possible. I know how much you would like for it to be, but there's no way it can happen like that. There must have been some error somewhere."

"I knew you were going to say that, Chrystal," Rayna replied. "That's why I went back and bought another test. It turned out positive, too."

"Okay, Rayna, I'm going to give you an order right now. You need to call your doctor and tell him that you need to be seen immediately. In fact, tell him that you're on your way over now. I insist. Go and tell him what you've told me and then get an examination, blood work or whatever else will give you a definitive answer. Okay? Now make the phone call and get out of here."

"Yes!" Rayna cried. "I can do that!"

Grabbing her cell phone, she called her doctor's office and repeated to them exactly what Chrystal had told her to say. After she hung up, she grabbed Chrystal and hugged her once more before fairly skipping out of the office. Chrystal stared after her simply shaking her head in bafflement. Once she had given Elsa and Shandi an explanation for Rayna's absence, she went back into her office to complete her afternoon appointments.

As it turned out, Rayna was gone most of the afternoon, but Chrystal and the other case workers managed to keep up with everything so that it all ran smoothly. Even though Chrystal was quite busy with her clients that afternoon, she still managed to wonder how things were going with Rayna at the doctor's office. When she finally returned about an hour before the office was to close, she was practically glowing. She appeared at Chrystal's door just as one of her appointments was leaving.

"Ask me," she said grinning at Chrystal broadly.

"Um, okay," Chrystal said hesitantly. "What did the doctor say?"

Taking a huge breath, Rayna shrieked "I'm pregnant!"

"Oh my god! I cannot believe this!" Chrystal jumped up from behind her desk and ran to hug Rayna.

"Did we hear something about someone being pregnant?" Elsa said as she and Shandi rounded the corner from their offices.

"Yes!" Rayna squealed.

Within seconds, all of the women were in the middle of a group hug while laughing delightedly.

"Oh my god! Wait! Did you tell Kyle yet?" Shandi asked.

"Yes, I called him from the doctor's office and had him meet me outside of his office. I wanted to tell him in person. He was so scared of why I wanted him to meet me right then that I felt bad for worrying him like that. But he didn't care after I told him the news. He's just as thrilled as I am! Maybe even a little bit more!"

"This is just so wonderful!" Elsa said. "I can't think of a more wonderful Christmas gift!"

"Oh, me either!" Rayna agreed. "And I owe it all to Chrystal."

"What? No! What are you talking about?" Chrystal asked in bafflement.

"You know! When I was telling you about everything this morning and then you said that if you could you would make sure that Kyle and I have the baby that we want so badly. That's what it was! It's just like you telling that little girl yesterday that she might have a great Christmas after all or whatever it was you said to her. Then she won all of those toys. You did this!"

Chrystal burst out laughing and Elsa and Shandi joined her. They had to believe that Rayna was joking about this.

"Laugh all you want to," Rayna said. "I know what I believe."

"You know what, sweetie, that's fine," Chrystal said. "Believe whatever you want to believe. Personally, I believe that you need to go home so that you and Kyle can celebrate properly. Elsa, Shandi and I can handle things for another forty five minutes or so. Go. And congratulations!"

### CHAPTER NINE

ONCE RAYNA HAD left, Chrystal, Elsa and Shandi gathered in Chrystal's office to chatter excitedly about Rayna's great news. While they were all still a little puzzled as to how things had changed so suddenly, they all accepted that miracles can and do happen at times. Finally, they heard the arrival of clients coming into the reception area and they dispersed to their own offices after checking to see who had arrived.

The rest of the day passed by quickly and it was time to leave before Chrystal knew it. Her parents had asked her to join them again for dinner and she was happy to do so. They had also extended an invitation for Travis to come as well but she told them that he probably wouldn't be able to make it tonight. She would worry about breaking the news to them about him later.

She was the last one to leave so she set the alarm and locked up the office. Her phone signaled that she had a text message as she was going down the few steps leading to the sidewalk. Since her attention was being split between navigating the somewhat snowy steps and trying to see who had texted her, she missed a small patch of ice before connecting with it. Losing her balance, she was sure she was going to land flat on her backside and began to prepare for the undignified landing.

But it never happened.

Just as her feet flew out from under her, someone caught her arm in mid-air, halting her rapid descent to the sidewalk. Looking up to see what her savior looked like, she found herself staring into the most beautiful light golden eyes she had ever seen.

Framed by dark, long lashes, they looked deeply into her emerald green eyes. There was a sudden electrical pulse that flashed through her as she continued to look into those eyes.

They belonged to a man with the most beautiful face she had ever known. He smiled at her and twin dimples deepened in his cheeks. His light brown hair was long and fell down to his shoulders which seemed out of place, given that he was wearing a dress coat over a suit and tie. His feet were encased with black leather boots that were fit for the weather as well as matching his suit.

"Are you alright?" he asked her as he still held onto her arm.

"Oh, yes," she managed to say. "I'm fine, thanks to you!"

"Ah, I just happened to be at the right place at the right time," he responded.

"Well, however you happened to be here, I'm most grateful. I was so dreading the thought of people seeing me land unceremoniously on my backside."

They both laughed at that.

"I'm glad I happened along when I did, then. A beautiful woman doesn't deserve to be sitting on the sidewalk like that."

She didn't miss the fact that he called her beautiful. In fact, her heart was thumping so hard and fast in her chest that she honestly wouldn't be surprised if he could hear it.

"Am I picking up a bit of an accent?" she asked.

"Sometimes I keep forgetting that I haven't quite lost it," he laughed. "But yes, you are hearing a slight accent. By the way, I'm Flynn Cavanaugh."

"Well, it's wonderful to meet you, Flynn. I'm Chrystal Seabell and I'm so happy to meet you."

Glancing down, they both seemed to realize that he was still holding onto her arm. Since she was steady on her feet now, he dropped her arm and accepted the hand that she offered.

"Chrystal. That's a very lovely name."

"Why thanks, Flynn," Chrystal replied. "Are you going to tell me where you're from or make me guess?"

They both laughed briefly and Flynn looked down at her from a height of well over six feet.

"I'm originally from Dublin, Ireland," he said. "Family business brought us to the U.S. Then we sort of fell in love with Salem and decided to buy a house. So here we are."

"I have to say that I'm rather relieved that your family decided to buy a house nearby," Chrystal laughed. "Otherwise, I'd be sitting flat on my ass right now on this very cold sidewalk with my legs splayed out very unladylike."

"It was my pleasure to be able to help," Flynn laughed.

SUDDENLY, SHE REALLY didn't want to see him leave so soon. She wanted to get to know this man better. Travis briefly flitted across her mind, but she brushed him away more easily this time. Flynn Cavanaugh was someone she wanted to know better.

"Let me buy you a cup of coffee to say thank you," Chrystal said.

"Oh, that's not necessary," he replied. "Anyone would have done the same."

"No, actually they wouldn't have," Chrystal said. "There are more than you would know that would have let me slip and fall while moving out of the way so that they didn't get hurt."

"Are you serious?"

"Quite."

"Well then, a cup of coffee would be wonderful."

He held out his arm and she took it. Then she pointed across the street to the diner.

"They make the best coffee in town," she said.

Within just a few minutes, they were seated at her favorite booth in the back and Claire had come over to take their order. She was obviously curious about this man that was having coffee with Chrystal, but she was polite enough not to say anything.

Chrystal and Flynn talked as they drank their coffee and shared a piece of apple pie. It turned out that they had quite a bit in common. Chrystal was feeling closer to this man by the minute. In fact, time totally got away from her and her phone buzzed. Glancing down, she saw that she had a text from her mother asking her if they should continue to wait dinner for her.

"Oh dear," she exclaimed. "I totally forgot the time! I'm supposed to have dinner with my parents tonight."

"Then I'd better not hold you up any longer," Flynn said.

"It's not you," Chrystal replied. "I'm just having such a nice time that I completely forgot what time it is."

"I'm having a nice time as well," Flynn smiled. "I'm almost happy that you nearly fell today so that I could keep you on your feet."

"I couldn't agree more," Chrystal smiled back.

Impulsively, she looked at him and said "Maybe we could do this again sometime."

A slight shadow seemed to pass over his face.

"I would love that more than you know," he finally said. "However, I don't think that my fiancee would be thrilled with that."

"Oh! I'm so sorry! I should have known that someone like you would be spoken for," Chrystal exclaimed totally chagrined.

"No, no, don't be sorry! How could you know something like that?"

"I don't know," she struggled to regain her composure. "I just should have known. At any rate, thank you for keeping me from falling and for the company. I really should get home and I'm sure your fiancee is wondering where you are by now."

She stood up and held her hand out to Flynn, shaking it once more. Then she turned to leave.

"Chrystal," Flynn's voice stopped her.

"Yes?"

"I feel that you and I will see each other again," he said softly and rather cryptically.

"I... goodbye, Flynn."

Then she hurried out of the diner and down the street to where her car was parked.

### CHAPTER TEN

FLYNN WATCHED HER as she hurried away from him. She was embarrassed and it was his fault. How could he have been so stupid?

The truth was that he had simply forgotten all about Zanna during the time he was having coffee with Chrystal. She had literally ceased to exist in his mind because all he could focus on was the beautiful young woman sitting in front of him.

He knew the truth about her instantly but she didn't seem to know it herself. Although, he supposed she could be a really competent actress, but he doubted it.

He would have to watch her carefully over the next few days to see if she showed any signs. How he would do that, he really had no idea. Especially since he had confessed to her about his engagement.

Chrystal had had quite an effect on him. If he were to be honest, he would have to admit that Zanna, in the two years that they had been together, had never made him feel the way that simply an hour in Chrystal's company made him feel.

Good god, he thought. What was wrong with him? He was to be married on New Year's Day. There was no way that he could be thinking of another woman in this manner.

At any rate, he had to find a legitimate way to see her so that he could find out if she was active or not. Well, at least he knew where she liked to eat and get coffee. Maybe he would simply start turning up there until he "accidently" ran into her. That was the only way.

CHRYSTA'S FACE STILL burned with embarrassment. What on earth had got into her? She never asked out men! They always asked her out, which is the way it should be!

She drove carefully away from downtown Majestic Bay and headed home. She would probably have to tell her parents the truth about having coffee with Flynn, but they were likely to understand once she explained the entire situation.

By the time she arrived at the driveway to her parents' house, she was calm to the point of being almost normal.

Until she pulled up in front of the house.

There, parked directly in front of her parents' front porch, was Travis' car.

Now what is he doing here, she thought. After this morning, she knew that he wouldn't be turning up here as often.

Apparently, she had been mistaken because there his car sat, big as life. Instead of stopping, she kept going until she got to her cottage. There she parked and went in long enough to freshen up a little and change clothes. Then she returned to her car and drove back to her parents'.

They had obviously been watching for her because her father opened the door as soon as she had turned off the car. Pasting a smile on her face, she exited the car and raced up the steps to the front door.

"Hey, Dad," she said as she hugged Kevin. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I got held up and then lost track of the time. You haven't been waiting on me too long, have you?"

"Oh, it's fine," Kevin said. "None of us are going to starve. Travis is here, too, but I assume you saw his car."

"Yes, I did," Chrystal replied laughing.

"I thought you said he couldn't make it tonight."

"Well, that's what I thought, too," she replied. "But I guess he was wrong."

"He and your mother are in the library," he said.

As they walked down the hallway together, her mother's and Travis's voices carried out to them. Whatever they were discussing, it must have been rather amusing because there was plenty of laughter accompanying their conversation. Both of them looked up as Chrystal and Kevin entered the room.

"Chrystal, darling! You finally made it!" Deanna exclaimed as she rushed to greet her daughter.

"Hello, Mother," she said. "I was just telling Dad that I simply lost track of time."

"Of course, dear," Deanna said. "That used to happen to me all the time when I was chairing all of those committees at once."

Travis had remained quiet as Chrystal's parents greeted their daughter. Then he walked over to her and kissed her on the cheek.

"Hi, Chrystal," he said.

"Hi, Travis," she replied. "I thought you said you couldn't make it tonight."

"Yes, I know," he said. "But as it turned out, I could get away after all."

"Well, it's so wonderful that you could," she said trying for some enthusiasm.

He looked at her somewhat mournfully because he knew that the look on her face didn't depict happiness at seeing him there. She tried to look more animated, but just couldn't pull it off no matter how hard she tried.

"I was hoping that we could talk after dinner," Travis said quietly to her as they followed her parents to the formal dining room.

"Sure," she said. "I'd like that."

They managed to have a normal dinner with her parents without them catching on to anything being out of the ordinary between them. Kevin told Chrystal a little more about the apartment that she would be showing to Claire the next morning and now she was even more convinced that it would be the perfect situation for Claire and Maddie. If Claire decided to take the apartment, they could move in the first of January. Chrystal thought it would be a wonderful way to start off the New Year.

Chrystal and Travis declined after dinner coffee with her parents and left for her cottage. She felt a sense of dread on the way there even though she knew that they needed to talk things through. It needed to be done sooner rather than later, but she didn't look forward to it.

For some reason, she knew that there wouldn't be any going backward now that she had met Flynn. In those few minutes that she had spent with him, she had felt more excitement than she ever had felt with Travis. That told her everything she needed to know even though Flynn was engaged and there was no chance there of anything developing. However, it didn't keep her from feeling whatever it was she had felt in his presence. Even now, she still felt as if the excitement had spilled into her life in a way that was not going to go away anytime soon.

Pulling up in front of her cottage, she glanced up to see Travis behind her. They both exited their vehicles and headed to the cottage door. Chrystal unlocked the door and they went inside. Neither of them spoke as they removed their coats and hung them on the coat rack that stood by the door. As if by habit, they headed to the kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink?" Chrystal asked.

"I can make some hot chocolate if you like," he said grinning a little wryly.

"You know, that would actually be kind of awesome."

Chrystal left him to the kitchen while she went over and got a fire started in the hearth. She got comfortable on the sofa and waited for Travis to join her with the big mugs of hot chocolate.

She didn't have to wait long.

He handed her a mug and sat down on the sofa beside her.

"Thanks, Travis," Chrystal said. "This smells so good!"

"You know I can make hot chocolate!" he teased.

"Yes, I do know, but it never ceases to amaze me that you can make this so much better than even a coffee house or whatever."

"It might be the only thing in the kitchen that I can do well, but it's damn near perfect."

They both laughed and it seemed to relax the tension between them.

"So," Travis began. "I'm sorry for just leaving this morning. But I wasn't sure how things would be between us after last night and I didn't want to have any confrontations that might ruin the rest of the day."

"Yeah, I get that," Chrystal said. "And you were right."

"I have to ask, Chrys," he said. "Are we over?"

Chrystal had expected this question but now she didn't know how to answer it. If she were to be totally honest with him and with herself, she would admit that her feelings for him weren't exactly what they needed to be. She could admit to herself that she wasn't in love with him. She cared about him and loved spending time with him. They did have lots of fun together.

But she didn't have feelings of romantic love for him. No matter how hard she had tried, she simply wasn't attracted to him. While she didn't really have anything to compare it to, she just couldn't imagine being naked with him. The thought did absolutely nothing for her.

And that, she thought, was what should tell her all she needed to know about her feelings for Travis.

"Travis," she replied. "I want to be honest with you because I have a great deal of respect for you. I also care about you a lot. So I owe it to you to be as honest that I can."

"I see," Travis said.

"No, I don't think you do. As much as I have tried all the time that we've been seeing each other, I haven't yet managed to fall in love with you. I do believe that the problem lies with me and not you. Any woman would be thrilled to have you want her. That's how I know that something is wrong with me. I mean, look at you! You're gorgeous! Not only that, but you know how to treat a woman. You're patient, considerate, kind, and very loving. I can also tell that you would be amazing in bed. But the way I feel for you is not romantic love. I don't feel excited about having sex with you and I don't get those butterflies when I think of seeing you. I need the butterflies!"

At some point during her little speech, she had started to cry without even realizing it. Tears were sliding down her face fast and silent. Travis leaned over and wiped them off with his fingers. Then he drew her into his arms and rocked her gently.

"Chrys, Chrys," he murmured. "It's okay, baby. It really is."

"But it's not okay!" she cried. "You're like almost perfect! I should love you and want you. What's wrong with me?"

"There's nothing wrong with you, baby," Travis said softly. "You just can't help who you love and don't love. It either happens or it doesn't. It's not something that you can control."

Chrystal looked at him miserably with a tear stained face. Here she was basically giving him the goodbye speech and he was the one comforting her.

"I want to say that things might change if I have more time with you," Chrystal said. "But I just don't know that I believe that and it's not fair to keep holding you in place. I should release you and let you be free to find someone who is worthy of you and who can love you as much as you love her."

"Chrystal," Travis began. "Please listen to me. While I obviously don't like the way this conversation is heading, I'm not angry with you. In fact, you seem to be a lot more upset than I am at the moment. I know that you feel this is hopeless, but I don't agree with you. I'm not ready to give up just yet. Unless you're already interested in someone else, I'd like to keep trying a little longer before we completely throw in the towel. How do you feel about that?"

"Oh, Travis, that just seems so unfair to you with the way I feel right now."

"Are you saying that you're interested in someone else?"

"No, no! It's nothing like that at all!"

"Then, I would like to try just a little while longer. Please. Now that I know what I'm dealing with, it seems that it's only right to give me another shot at winning you."

Chrystal looked at him and saw that he was completely serious. While she didn't see that more time would accomplish anything except leaving him more hurt than anything else, if he really wanted to do this, at least she could say that she did try everything.

Slowly, she nodded.

"Okay," she said. "If you're sure that it's what you want to do, I'll agree to a bit more time to see what happens."

Travis closed his eyes briefly as he sighed softly in relief.

"That's all I'm asking, Chrystal," he said. "Let's just see what happens with a little more time. I promise I won't pressure you in any way. I'll find another way to win you and capture your heart."

She managed a small watery smile.

"Okay, then."

"Now, in keeping with the no pressure thing," Travis said. "I'm going to get out of here so that you can get some rest. Also, I won't show up to dinner again without you inviting me. Actually, why don't you let me take you to dinner tomorrow night? We can go into Salem and try that new bistro that just opened."

"Okay," Chrystal replied. "Sure, that would be great."

"Shall I pick you up here around 7?"

"That sounds perfect. It will give me time to get home and changed."

"Wonderful! Now, I'm going to take off so that you can relax while there's still some of the night left."

He stood up and pulled her to her feet. They walked hand in hand back down the hallway to the front door. At the door, he retrieved his coat from the coat rack and put it on. Then he turned to her.

"Is it alright if I kiss you goodnight?" he asked.

"Of course," Chrystal said.

Leaning in, he placed his mouth softly on hers and gave her a gentle but lingering kiss. Then he pulled back and smiled at her.

"I'll see you tomorrow night," he said.

"Okay. Be careful."

Nodding his head, he walked briskly to his car.

Chrystal watched him as he drove away still not sure what she had agreed to.

**~ ~ ~ ~**

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**Wrong Number**

Devon wakes up to the news that her husband was involved in an accident that left his wrecked car at the bottom of the river, with no body to be found. Followed by a series of mysterious phone calls asking for Dan that send chills down Devon's spine, she knows something just isn't right. But the worst is yet to come...

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#### Wrong Number

Finally! Devon thought as she sat down on the couch in her new apartment.

Moving was never easy, but she had done it so many times now that it was becoming somewhat of a routine. However, this time it was different. She wasn't going to be moving again in the near future, if ever. It had taken a while to save the money she needed, but now she had her very own book shop. Even better, her spacious apartment was right over the shop, which meant that she had everything she needed conveniently within reach.

The first order of business had been to get her belongings moved into the apartment. Tomorrow, Devon would begin unpacking boxes and stocking the shelves of her shop with the help of Janina, the girl she had hired to help her. Together, she hoped that they would be able to get most of it all done within a couple of days. She really wanted to have her grand opening by the end of the week. Saturdays were usually excellent days to hold them because people would be looking for something to do on the weekends.

Devon had planned it all out beautifully. She did her research and found that this tiny coastal town on the east coast would be the perfect location for her book shop. Crystal Cove was small enough to be quaint, but large enough that tourists visiting nearby beach resorts would be able to find it easily enough. In fact, tourism was a large part of the town's income. When she found Crystal Cove, it boasted one casual dining restaurant, one fine dining restaurant, a Victorian bed and breakfast as well as a small but elegant inn. There were other necessary businesses in town but there was no book shop. That's where Devon came in.

She was going to be selling all sorts of books. There would be sections for romances, mysteries, occult, research materials, and even a children's section. That was going to be set up as a story time area. Her favorite part, though, was in the back of the shop. That's where Devon would be offering Tarot readings in a private and specially decorated area. No one had to know that her information came from sources that had nothing to do with the Tarot. She had been playing that off for years so that people didn't become afraid of her and her abilities.

Well, Devon thought. I can't just sit here daydreaming. I've got to get busy. Her electricity, water, and landline phone were all turned on and she could now stay here. The movers were due to arrive in a few hours to bring in her furniture. One thing at a time, she thought. She got up and started to do some cleaning and measuring so that she would know where she could put what.

This is going to be amazing, Devon thought. Dan would have loved it. No, I'm not going to think about him right now. It's only going to make me sad and I can't afford to get depressed right now. She went into her sunny kitchen and grabbed a diet soda from the refrigerator. Stocking the refrigerator had been something she had had the foresight to do. She would get her bed set up and at least be able to eat something in her own home tonight.

Just as she popped the top on the soda, her phone rang. Startled, she nearly spit out her swallow of diet coke. It had to be a wrong number, she thought as she went back into the living room to answer the phone. Picking up the phone, she said a cautious but cheery "Hello." At first, no one said anything.

"Hi, is anyone there?" Devon said.

"Hi," a deep male voice said. "I guess I must have the wrong number. I was trying to get in touch with Dan, but you're obviously not him."

"Dan?" A little unpleasant shock ran through Devon's body. "How do you know Dan?" "Hey, I'm really sorry for bothering you."

Before she could say anything else, her caller had hung up. She checked the caller ID and saw Unknown Number registered there. How odd, she thought. There wasn't enough time left to dwell on it, though, because at that moment, the movers pulled up. She was distracted for the next couple of hours with supervising the unloading of her furniture and boxes of things.

As she had promised herself, Devon got her bed set up and a path cleared so that she could eat a simple dinner in her very own kitchen. She nibbled on a salad and an avocado and bacon sandwich when she remembered the odd phone call from earlier. That really had to be a coincidence, she thought. It did make her miss Dan even more than ever. That feeling was especially bad at night. She tended to remember the way he used to make her body absolutely sing with pleasure. No man had ever been able to do that for her before or since. In fact, Devon was pretty much afraid that she would never meet another man that would do that to her.

Suddenly, she realized just how tired she was. She got up and changed into her pajama pants and spaghetti strap t-shirt. Washing her face and brushing her teeth completed the bedtime ritual for tonight. She slipped into her bed and turned out the lamp on her nightstand. Just as she was dozing off, her telephone started to ring. Fortunately, she had an extension sitting on her nightstand so all she had to do was reach over and pick it up.

"Hello," she said.

"Hi, is Dan there?" came the same male voice from earlier.

"It's you again," Devon said accusatorially. "Who is this and what do you want?" "Oops, I've got a wrong number again! So sorry!" And with that, the connection was broken.

Dammit! Now, Devon would never be able to get to sleep. What the hell was going on? Was someone trying to play some sort of joke on her? If so, it was a very cruel one and she didn't appreciate it. Dan was gone and he wasn't ever going to come back. She had only recently begun to accept that and now, some asshole was trying to rattle her cage. Of course, she could be crazy. It could just be that it was an honest mistake. Dan was a pretty common name, after all.

Common, however, was the last word that would ever have described her Dan. Laying back onto her pillow, she could see his tousled black hair, high cheekbones, blue green eyes and sexy sideways smile. God, how she missed him! No one was ever going to take his place and she knew it. Her body still missed him every night. Even right now, when she was tired and hot, her body wanted Dan to be touching her, kissing her, and making love to her. Finally, she turned over on her side and went to sleep with a single tear sliding down her cheek.
"Wake up, sweetheart. Devon, open your eyes and look at me."

"Mmm but it's so wonderful to lay here like this with you, Dan. Do we really have to get up now?"

"Yes, darling. I would love nothing more than to hold you in my arms all day, but now isn't the time. There's something I must tell you and it's important that you pay attention."

"Of course, Dan, I'm listening. What is it?"

"You need to be careful. I can't protect you from where I am but you need to know that you're in danger."

"Danger? Who on earth wants to hurt me?"

"Shhh, don't speak. I'll tell you everything."

There was a ringing sound in Devon's ears suddenly. She was trying so hard to hold Dan's face in her mind but he was fading very quickly. The ringing became louder and more insistent. Devon's eyes flew open. She realized that the telephone was ringing on her nightstand. The sun was shining brightly and streaming through the partially opened curtains. Her bedside clock read 8:35 AM. Who the hell could be calling her at this hour? Reaching over, she lifted the phone and mumbled into it.

"Good morning, is Dan there, please?"

This again! She didn't even bother trying to carry on a conversation. Simply disconnecting the call would have to do. Devon didn't have the time, patience or energy for this. However, she was awake now and had a full day ahead of her. A shower sounded great to her at that moment so she got out of bed and padded into the bathroom.

Minutes later, she was stripped and standing under the refreshing spray of water. Picking up the tube of shower gel, she squirted some into her hand and started to move her soapy hands over her body. As she passed over her full breasts, the unexpected stimulation caused her to emit a gasp. She had lost count of how long it had been since she had experienced any sort of sexual pleasure. Her toys had even been neglected because she just hadn't felt the need for them. Now, however, as she absently lightly pinched her nipples, she felt a jolt of sexual electricity move through her body.

Closing her eyes, she continued to tease her nipples until the ache had moved directly to her clit. Without seeming to be aware of her actions, Devon slid one hand down over her stomach to her nether region. With a single minded motion, she parted the folds that revealed her clit that stood out like a tiny erect cock. Stroking it only brought her a more exquisite and torturous need for release. As she continued, that special sensation started to creep over her before slamming into her violently. Devon cried out as she rode her hand, moving the other one down so that she could slip two fingers deep inside of her soaking and spasming pussy. Just as she was coming down from that orgasm, she felt it rising inside her again. Before she returned to herself, Devon had reached a total of four intense orgasms. Now, she was weak and her legs were barely holding her up. Giving into the afterglow of the moment, she slid down the shower walls and sat under the cascading water.

Well, she thought. I suppose that was inevitable. After all, I'm still young and healthy, and it has been quite a while since I allowed myself to have any physical pleasure. Dan wouldn't want me to deny myself. This is probably good for me and will help me clear my mind because I really need to think about that very odd dream I was having before the phone rang.

Devon finished showering and dressed in faded jeans and a spaghetti strap tank top. It was going to be rather warm today while she and Janina worked in the shop. That reminded her that she needed to be sure that the air conditioning was turned on. Otherwise, they were going to be sweating all over the books. After putting a on a pot of French Vanilla coffee, she toasted a bagel and covered it in cream cheese. This was, sometimes, her favorite part of the day. It had always been so very special for Dan and her.

Thinking of Dan brought the memory of her dream back to her. There was something that he had wanted to tell her. That part of the dream she remembered very clearly. It was something about her being in danger and he wasn't going to be able to protect her. Dreams can be very strange events. She did remember how real it felt, though. She could still see Dan's beautiful blue green eyes gazing into her big brown ones. I really didn't want to wake up, she thought. Maybe I should read on it later.

Of course, now it was time to get to work. She had a new life here in Crystal Cove and she wanted to be sure that it got off to a great start. Carrying her coffee downstairs, she entered the box filled shop. Just as she walked into the main part of the shop, Janina knocked on the window at the door and waved at her. Hiring her is one the best decisions I've made, Devon thought, smiling and waving back. She went over and unlocked the door to let Janina inside.

"Hi there, you're right on time!" exclaimed Devon. "Would you like some coffee? I made some just before coming downstairs." "Oh that sounds great! But don't worry; I'll go up and get a cup myself."

"Ok, but be careful. Everything is still sort of a disaster area." Janina's long, toned legs quickly jogged up the stairs that led to Devon's apartment. She was back in no time holding a large mug of coffee. The two women discussed where they needed to focus first and got started with the unpacking and arranging. Time flew by and they didn't stop until it was nearly 2:30 PM. They had started making quite a dent in the work that needed to be done.

"Ok, let's take a break," Devon announced. "I'm actually hungry and pretty thirsty. I can't believe you didn't say anything!"

"Not me," laughed Janina. "I didn't even notice how much time went by."

"Let's go upstairs and dig around in my fridge for lunch. Then, we'll work a little longer."

As they got to the stop of the stairs, they could hear Devon's landline ringing. She opened the door quickly and ran inside, grabbing the phone in mid-ring. With a breathless "Hello," Devon listened to the silence on the other end of the phone. Repeating herself, she listened intently to see if there was really anyone on the other end of the line.

"Yes, hello, is Dan available?"

"You again. Look, how many times do you need to call this number to understand that it's a wrong number? There is no Dan here, as I've told you every other time you have called here!"

"Oh, so sorry to have troubled you."

Devon slammed the phone back on the table with a curse. Janina looked at her quizzically. She supposed she should give Janina an explanation. So she told her about this man that kept calling and asking for Dan.

"Dan? But isn't that the name of..?" "Yes, it is." Devon answered curtly.

"Ah, well I can see why you would be so upset. But, you know, it's probably just a really awful coincidence. Try not to let it get to you. It's a new number so give it a little time. You're probably going to have a few other wrong numbers before it levels off."

"Yes, I know, you're probably right. Come on, let's raid the fridge. I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some food and something to drink!"
That night, Devon decided to go out for dinner and just relax. She asked Janina to go with her to Bon Appetit, a great little restaurant just down the street from the book shop. It was quiet and the food was excellent. She felt it was just the place to unwind after her busy day. Besides, they had accomplished quite a lot that day.

As Devon and Janina chatted over two plates of shrimp pasta, salad, fresh baked bread and some great wine, Devon felt herself starting to relax for the first time in weeks. They were chatting about the shop and what they planned to accomplish the next day. At the end of the meal, they decided they wanted some of the restaurant's bread pudding for dessert.

Devon stretched back in her chair as she surveyed the ruins of their meal. Patting her stomach, she groaned.

"I'm so full I can barely move," she said.

Janina was laughing at her, but she was also moving pretty slowly.

"Hey, I doubt that you've eaten a decent meal during this entire move. It's good for you!"

"Yeah, good for me but not my budget when I have to replace my entire wardrobe with larger clothes!"

"Oh stop! You can stand to gain a pound or two."

The women were still laughing together when Devon suddenly looked over to the window of the restaurant. She saw a man standing there just in the shadows and out of the street light. It seemed as if he was looking in at them. As she watched, he moved from the shadows into the light just long enough for her to see his face.

"Oh my god!" she gasped. Leaping up from her chair, she took off for the door of the restaurant. By the time she had yanked the door open, the man was gone. She went outside and looked up and down the street but there was no sign of the man. Janina appeared at the door as Devon stood on the street corner.

"Hey, what's going on?" Janina called.

"Nothing," Devon said. "I just thought I saw someone I knew."

She went back inside the restaurant to find the manager eyeing her warily. Oh my god, she thought. He probably thought she was skipping out on the bill. To put his mind at ease, she quickly paid for both meals plus a generous tip and they left.

"Ok, now tell me the truth," Janina demanded. "What did you really see?" "I did tell you the truth," Devon replied. "There was a man standing outside the window and he was watching us. I'm sure of it. Then, he stepped briefly into the light and I saw his face. Janina, it was Dan!"

Janina watched her for a several minutes before replying. She wanted to be very careful of the next words she chose.

"Dev, you've been through more than anyone should have to. I understand that and I know that you've been trying your best to move past it. It's no wonder that you see guys sometimes that remind you of Dan." "This man did not remind me of Dan! He looked exactly like Dan! I did not imagine it! I saw him!"

"Ok, ok, sweetie, calm down. But you know that there's no way you could have seen Dan standing outside of that window or any other window. You need to accept that you're not going to see him again. Look, I'm coming home with you and we're going to spend some time unpacking some boxes. Then, I'm spending the night with you. It's obvious that you're overly tired and I'm here to help."

At first, Devon started to argue, but then realized that not only was she grateful to have the help in getting her apartment in order so she could start feeling at home, but she was also more than a little shaken by what she had seen. So she just nodded and they both walked back to her apartment. It was a short walk and the night was pleasant, so they were able to enjoy the rest of the stroll.

After Devon let herself and Janina into the apartment, they broke out a pitcher of sangria that Devon had made the day before. It was nice and chilled and ready to be enjoyed, and enjoy it they did! Within a few hours, they had unpacked nearly all of the boxes and had the apartment looking almost like someone lived there. The sangria was also gone and the ladies seemed to be feeling no pain.

They were sprawled on the sofa and laughing at some joke one of them had told when Devon decided that she really needed a shower before she was ready to retire for the night. She told Janina to make herself at home while she had a quick shower. As she moved through her bedroom, Devon started stripping off her clothes and leaving a little trail of them as she made her way into the master bathroom. Stepping under the warm water spray, she couldn't help but remember what had occurred in that very shower not so long ago. It's probably because of all the sangria, and then the wine before that at the restaurant.

She started to soap up her body with the lavender and vanilla scented shower gel. Leaning her head back under the shower spray, she closed her eyes and let her hair get really wet. Suddenly, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind and a wet, naked body pressed against hers.

Screaming from fright, she tried to turn around but was held in place by those strong arms...

* * *

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