 
### Earthbound Angels 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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**~ ~ ~ ~**

### Dark Knight in Disguise 1
### Chapter One

"Come on, Jackson...! You can't just throw me out on the street. I'll have the money for you by Friday. Surely you can wait three more days?" The petite young woman spoke in a plaintive voice with an undercurrent of panic at the tall, elderly man that hovered over her small frame. She needed for him to see that it was only reasonable to give her those three extra days. It was obvious that he really didn't need the money that badly, so it wasn't taking anything away from him to grant her those short days. She was terrified of being homeless, yet it seemed that homeless was exactly what she was about to be.

"Hollianne, I've given you two months. The last thing I want is to throw you out on the street, and I feel bad that your life has turned to shit. I honestly hope you turn it around." He was attempting to sound reasonable, sympathetic even, to show that he wasn't the bad guy. Surely, she could see that he was a businessman and not the manager of a homeless shelter. "But you need to understand my position. I'm not in the business of providing charity. So, you either pay me the rent that you owe me or you find another place to live. I'll give you twenty-four hours and that's it."

"Yeah, that's real generous of you, Jackson," Hollianne replied, realizing even while she spoke that the sarcasm was dripping from her words. "Where am I supposed to get two months' rent together by tomorrow? I don't even get paid until Friday."

"I'm sorry, Hollianne. It's the best I can do. Twenty four hours or you're out."

The man called Jackson turned his back on her and walked away.

Hollianne Talbot stood and watched her landlord stalk off. Clenched fists at her side, she glared at his retreating back.

Suddenly, it was as if all the oxygen had been sucked right out of her. She sighed and let the feelings of loss and defeat wash over her. This was exactly what she had been fighting for so long and now she simply couldn't do it anymore. It was inevitable that she had to deal with everything that had befallen her in the past few months.

She realized Jackson was right; she had no reason to be angry with him because he had been more than patient with her. It was just that she had never planned to be alone. The love of her life had been ripped from her in the cruelest of ways imaginable, and now she had no idea what to do with herself; or what to do with her life.

Sitting down heavily on the bottom steps of her rented townhouse, she hung her head, staring at the pavement, feeling the tears start to build.

What the hell am I going to do now?

She had seen this coming.

She had just been rendered so immobile with grief that she couldn't bring herself even to think about doing anything.

When she eventually recovered enough to understand the reality of her position, she had fallen too far behind in her rent payments to catch up. Losing Adam had nearly killed her too, and she simply didn't care what happened now. She didn't even know why she had put up such a combative front with the landlord. In a way, she welcomed the next inevitable stage in the downward spiral, as it confirmed that all positive energy had been drained from her world.

Well, she thought as she stood and trudged up the steps to the front door, I better start packing.

There was absolutely no way of getting her hands on that much money by tomorrow.

At least she wouldn't lose everything in the townhouse. She had enough money for a week in a cheap motel. Her stuff would just have to go with her. Taking a deep breath, she blinked back the threatening tears and walked into the house.

Erick watched this scenario unfold from a coffee shop across the street from the block of townhouses. Apparently, the woman was having a harsh disagreement with the tall man out there on the sidewalk, people warily sidestepping around them. Whatever had transpired, the woman was now very upset and, sitting there dejectedly, looked as if she was about to cry.

This was the woman that he had caught sight of a week or so ago when he happened to stop in this place for a cup of coffee. While he was sitting at a table window, he had seen her coming and going from the building. Her attractiveness had, of course, been very apparent, but there was something else about her that drew him. She seemed to have an inner strength that glowed about her, almost as if she wore an aura that everyone could see. Of course, not everyone was capable of seeing this glow and he knew it. However, he had special abilities that others did not have and he did not feel selfish when he used them so effortlessly. There was something special about this woman.

The more he had observed her, the more he grew to feel a certain admiration for that glowing aura of strength that shone around her. When he thought about it, he couldn't remember ever seeing someone with this bright of an aura. Did he need more proof of just how special she was?

Erick could suddenly feel his heart pounding. There was a constriction in his chest that he could not explain as he watched her face, as closely as if the future course of his life depended on what he saw there.

She wasn't that beautiful.

Okay, she was, actually. But just not the kind he was used to. He had his fair share of easy conquests in his circles, women with ready smiles and blase chatter who, behind their carefully maintained uprightness and grace, were as fulfilling to be with as mechanical dolls. Maybe that was the reason he had never taken any of them seriously or felt anything special for them. They were almost like walking plastic dolls.

Her beauty had character and grace, the kind that could only come from within. While it was clear that she was very upset about something, possibly even depressed over it, that glowing aura still surrounded her. It did seem to be edged with a bit of gray but, overall, her inner self was shining through. Obviously, something dark was going on with her. That confrontation had seemed rather serious from where he sat. The woman had certainly looked more than simply forlorn as she sat upon the steps. Pain was etched in her arresting features and evident in the way she simply sat and stared at the pavement.

As Erick continued to observe her, he watched that unique aura move as it swirled around her, changing directions as well as various shades of gold. Yes, it had dimmed somewhat, but that was only because of the inner turmoil that was struggling so hard to come out. There was something that made him feel sad for this woman. That realization brought him up short.

And why do you care? He asked himself. Why do you care about a woman you don't even know? Ok, so she's got this insane aura around her like none he had ever seen on another human being. That shouldn't have any effect on how he viewed her.

No, it is not that I care. I am just curious, he corrected himself. She had caught his eye and he simply knew that she was someone special. This woman was a queen among crows. Who wouldn't be curious to know more about a woman like this? It was true he didn't see something like this in humans every day.

He admitted that he was interested.

So what was that all about? What happened to her? How has her life been turned upside down?

Making a sudden decision, Erick set money on the table and rushed out of the coffee shop. He hurried down the sidewalk trying to locate the man who had left so angrily. Spying the top of the man's head, he started running to catch up with him. Ducking down an alleyway, he emerged a half-block ahead so that he could cut ahead of the man and speak to him where he was now standing.

Jackson approached Erick as the latter stood casually on the sidewalk, as calm and unruffled as if he had not just sprinted there, indeed as if he had always been there, waiting for this moment to happen. As Jackson slowed and moved to one side past Erick, he felt a hand reach out to stop him.

### Chapter Two

"Hello, sir, and excuse me for interrupting your thoughts," said Erick, as smoothly as if accosting someone in an alleyway were as natural to him as breathing. "Are you the owner of the townhouses a couple of blocks back?"

The man looked at him, startled and a little suspicious. "Yes, I am. How did you know that?"

"Oh, I was looking at them and asked someone who owned them," he replied offhandedly. "They pointed you out. I didn't want to disturb you at the time since you were having some sort of confrontation with a young woman."

"Yeah." Jackson suddenly seemed sad. "That lady has had it rough lately. She's a freelance writer, pretty damn good if I say so myself, but she hasn't been working since that tragedy happened to her. Believe me, I feel bad, but I have to make a living, too. I can't let her live there for free."

"Of course not. Property rental is a business after all."

Erick hoped the man didn't detect the undertone of sarcasm in his voice, but it was not likely -- he was adept at concealing his true feelings when needed. And it was important that his true feelings were not evident to this man. He needed something from Jackson Dean and he wanted to acquire it smoothly.

"I can see that you must be a businessman, too," the man said, now obviously interested by this elegant, well-spoken stranger.

"In a manner of speaking, yes, I am."

"I'm Jackson Dean" the man said.

"Erick Angell."

The two men shook hands and then proceeded to chat further while obviously sizing each other up as they talked. "Mr. Dean, I initially wanted to talk to you about your townhouses, but now I think I can help you in this dilemma you have with your tenant."

"I'm not sure what you mean, Mr. Angell," Jackson replied.

"It's quite simple actually. Here's my proposition..."

Twenty minutes later, Jackson Dean walked away a very happy man and Erick Angell a very perplexed one. He lit one of the slim, expensive cigars he always carried with him in a silver case; he rarely smoked, but now he felt his nerves needed the nicotine's calming effect.

Now, why did I just do that? he wondered. That's so unlike me.

I don't care what these little human ants do!

Yet I've just helped someone out of a huge mess.

He knew that he would have to ponder that question carefully. Things like that certainly did not need to become a habit with him. Going through his evaluation process was one thing; voluntarily stepping in to help a human in need was quite different.

This must be what temptation felt like.

But was it a good thing, or was it a dangerous illusion?

Erick sighed. He certainly could not decide that right now. There were some questions that did not readily have an answer.

I should know, he thought sarcastically as he threw a look at the skies. That's the problem. I always know how to answer it, but suddenly there's nothing to guide me.

The skies looked back undeterred. But he felt a tremor, as if some powerful being were laughing at him.

Shaking his head at himself, he knew he had already gone too far, and it was too late to think about turning back now.

If he wanted answers, he had to see it through.

### Chapter Three

Approximately one hour later, Erick sat in his penthouse suite at The Moon Bay Hotel. He kept this one on retainer in case he needed to stay in the city at a moment's notice. He occasionally used it as a refuge on those occasions when he needed a night or two in which to relax and clear his mind. It was rather convenient to always have this one on hand when he needed it. Money may be disgusting to some people, but he had always found it to be quite helpful in most situations.

Settling back on the sofa, he picked up his cell phone and typed in Hollianne Talbot's name. Then listened to the ringing on the other end. "Hello," A sultry-sounding voice answered. It was not the kind of voice he would have expected her to have; contrary to the picture of dejection she had presented, it held a sense of possibility held in check, of unconscious but undeniable sensuality.

He felt his heart thumping in that strange way again; he could not decide whether it was painful or pleasurable.

He closed his eyes. The better to savor the voice, he thought, but opened his eyes again at the absurdity of that idea.

He was an angel, not a wolf in a stupid fairy tale, regardless of how he was unable to quite shake off the image of a predator stalking prey. No, he thought. I refuse to think of myself in those terms, even if I'm being metaphorical.

"Yes, hello. May I speak with Hollianne Talbot, please?" he said rather gruffly.

Her voice was enough to send a human male's thoughts into completely inappropriate areas.

I'm already there, he reminded himself, feeling utterly human at the moment.

"You are," Hollianne replied. "How may I help you?"

Oh, if you only knew, Erick thought.

He held down the mute key for an instant as he cleared his throat and prepared his professional voice. "Hello, Ms. Talbot. My name is Erick Angell, and I've just come across your website regarding your freelance writing. I'm actually in need of such services. Let me ask you; have you ever done any biographical writing?"

There was a pause, as if Ms. Talbot was gathering herself together. His call was obviously unexpected. When she spoke again, her voice has become professional and polite.

"Well, it sounds interesting, Mr. Angell. Would this biography be yours or someone else's?"

"Oh, it would be mine," Erick replied with a self-deprecating chuckle. "I fancy myself somewhat interesting and, whether it turns out to be a best seller or not, I like the idea of sharing my unusual life with the world."

"I see," Hollianne replied. "Well, as I said, it definitely sounds interesting. I would love to know more."

"Excellent! Are you, perhaps, free this evening for dinner?" he asked.

On Hollianne's end of this phone call, she glanced inside of her dismally empty refrigerator. As she surveyed the three unappetizing items currently taking roost there, she didn't even have to think about it before answering in the affirmative.

"Where shall I meet you?" she asked.

"Actually, I'm currently staying at The Moon Bay Hotel. Do you know it?"

"Yes, I know of it."

"Would you mind meeting me there, then? They have an excellent chef, and we could talk about business over dinner."

"Sure, that sounds great. What time should I be there?"

"How's seven for you?"

"That works out quite well for me," Hollianne said as she sadly surveyed her currently blank appointment calendar.

"Wonderful. I look forward to seeing you then."

After disconnecting the call, Hollianne was filled with many conflicting emotions regarding Mr. Angell and his possible job offer. On one hand, she wasn't sure how she felt about writing the biography of an obviously self-absorbed man. On the other, the money that taking the job would bring couldn't come at a better time. Maybe she could even get an advance on her pay so she'd be able to find a place to live. At any rate, she was definitely going to meet with this man and see what the deal was all about.

Erick stood on the balcony of his penthouse suite at the Moon Bay and stared down at the city, reliving the impression that had come to him the first time he had seen that sight, one which he had never quite overcome; a sense of incomprehension, as though it were a model made by unknown hands for an undisclosed purpose.

Even though it had been many centuries since he had been cast out of Heaven and banished to Earth, he wasn't sure that he would ever become accustomed to interacting with humans.

Oh, who am I kidding? I'm now a human myself, he thought as he tried to force his gaze away from the admittedly breathtaking scene spread out before him, almost as if it were his kingdom.

The only nice thing God had done when he cast him out of Heaven was to set him up as a very wealthy man who'd never want for anything. War and famine had come and gone, but he had not perished like other humans.

He had survived, had helped humans who had worked for his companies to survive. He was an angel. He had the ability to save humans from themselves, to correct their weaknesses and set them on the right path. If called to do his duty, he was ready to perform it to the best of his ability, stronger than that of any mere human. Like a dark knight he came, his loyalty still to his mission, the calling he considered his redemption.

He had done so, would do so, every time.

As if that could protect him from the world's woes.

His lack of empathy for these hapless creatures here no longer seemed to be as complete as when he had first arrived. He had met a few of them that piqued his interest, but as history was his witness, these special humans had perished at the hands of their ruthless, uncomprehending brethren.

So how could they warrant his sympathy? He honestly could not understand them. They were the only self-destructive creations in the universe. They destroyed the best of those who were spawned from their loins and left untouched the most venal and corrupt, even rewarded, promoted and set them up as moral examples. How could the Father look upon these creatures as His children?

That still bothered him. It wasn't jealousy; he simply could not understand. Erick had always been wary of senselessness -- it opposed everything he had seen and understood in his former state of being, where all events had meaning and purpose. He was not someone who could tolerate phenomena that had no meaning or importance.

He tried to find answers. In fact, he had spent many years and travelled thousands of miles in search of a solution to this problem of why humans, who were capable of imagining and striving after the idea of the divine, and could even offer a glimpse of it in their most lofty achievements; refused to follow that vision into their conduct. Human wars and the horrifying atrocities he had witnessed left more than a bitter taste in his mouth. These things led him to wonder whether humans were irredeemable, and not even worth trying to save.

So he hid. It was not that he had given up on the human race - he had no choice about the matter. He simply wanted to be rid of them for a while so that he could cleanse his mind of the horror he had witnessed and regain a sense of who he was.

Unfortunately, his many years of self-imposed isolation where the only human contact he had were his business associates, was wearing a little thin.

He had no friends and had never really cared to make an effort to gain them. These women on Earth were terrible flirts and he found it difficult to go out to nightclubs for that very reason.

He wanted to drink alone and listen to live music. He wondered how beings so depraved could create such beautiful music, each example of which could evoke a whole world of beauty and cause time to stand still. But women wearing grotesque makeup, eye-watering designer perfumes and slutty clothes were constantly trying to get close to him. He wanted no part of them.

So what was it about this one woman that had him so enthralled?

She was quite attractive in an unconventional way; he would admit to that. She was rather short, 5'2" or 5'3", with a small build, but not too thin. Her hair was a lovely natural light blonde that reached the middle of her back, pulled back in a ponytail.

That was all he could tell about her from where he sat across the street in the coffee shop.

Yet it was enough to capture his attention.

He wondered about the reasons for his interest. He had met women more remarkable, more conventionally beautiful than Hollianne. He had mingled and sometimes enjoyed socializing with what was considered the cream of the crop.

But physical beauty could only be that; physical.

Most women attached so much importance to what they presented to the eye, and did not think that what was inside could be interesting too. Such women lost his interest immediately; he could not brush them off soon enough. But there was something else about her, something uncontrollable, uncontained; it was like she had so much potential for rebellion bubbling up on the inside that it could become unrestrainable once it had a chance to break free. Her feelings and thoughts registered on her lovely face like ripples on the surface of a calm lake; they emerged through her actions, in the way her hands moved, even the way she walked and carried herself. He had never seen a woman whose entire body seemed at one with her soul.

He actually smiled when he thought of the way she'd protested when talking with Jackson. She was someone who would not take no for an answer, and had really been giving the poor man hell.

It was a good thing he had sworn Jackson to silence regarding their agreement. He really didn't want Hollianne to direct her irritation toward him, or beg him to give in to something she wanted to happen.

Angel or not, he knew he would have a very hard time refusing her, even as the thought crossed his mind. For some reason, he felt he would enjoy it, too. He remembered the look of sadness on her face as she sat across the road from him.

She looked so alone, even when she was in the middle of all the chaos. He knew it was so because that was what she thought. It was what she believed.

He wanted to protest that no one was truly alone. He was there, with her. He was there, feeling what she was feeling even when he knew nothing about her. He felt a need, a deep-seated need, to indulge her, to let her make demands on him, to make him keep giving way until all his defenses were gone.

How could this human being make him feel this way?

Suddenly, for the first time in years, he was looking forward to having dinner with someone. Actually, not just with someone, but with this very unusual woman. Truth be told, his usual practice was to make excuses, pretending that he had some urgent business out of town; the idea of three hours coming up with polite banalities and insincere flattery was a source of horror to him. This time, however, he knew that no pretense would be necessary.

### Chapter Four

At precisely seven, Hollianne entered The Moon Bay lobby.

She thought that she should have confirmed where they were to meet. It had not occurred to her just how many places to eat there might be in this hotel; so far, she had found two dining rooms and a breakfast room, besides smaller suites on the first and second floors for those who wished a more exclusive and intimate setting.

Just as she was wondering what to do next, her cell phone rang.

"Hello."

"Hello, Ms. Talbot!" Erick enthusiastically greeted her. "I just realized that we neglected to settle on a place to eat."

Hollianne laughed.

"Yes. I'm in the lobby now and I just realized that same thing."

"Great minds think alike. Look, I'm staying in the penthouse suite and I've taken the liberty of ordering room service for us. I thought that it would be easier to talk without lots of interruptions and distractions. Would you be comfortable dining in my suite?"

Hollianne honestly wasn't sure she was comfortable with that at all. She had had enough near disasters in her life to know better than to agree to a date alone with someone. But she really did need the job and her stomach was currently reminding her that she hadn't eaten since last night.

Well, what if he was a pervert wanting to draw you in?

His voice did not sound like that of a pervert.

How do you know?

Her stomach growled.

What choice do I really have?

"Sure, Mr. Angell, that sounds fine. I'll be right up," she said as she forced a smile on her face with an effort that was positively painful, while at the same time she gripped the small container inside her bag with her other hand.

Oh well, there's always Mr. Pepper.

### Chapter Five

As Hollianne passed the front desk, the concierge beckoned her over. He smiled at her and handed her a keycard.

"You'll need this to open the penthouse floor," he explained. "We were told to keep an eye out for you."

"Oh, um, thank you very much."

That should be a good sign, right?

He was not afraid that people knew she was coming up. If something should happen...The thought occurred to her that he had paid the concierge to pay no attention. Surely no one would be so...

Now, don't even think about it. That puts the energy out there. It won't happen if you don't think about it!

Yeah, right. I didn't think that accident wouldn't happen to Adam, but it did.

Ah, so now she was talking to herself.

She attributed her rambling thoughts to a hungry stomach, and she knew she had to hurry. She walked slowly to the elevators and took one that opened empty before her as if it had been arranged.

She noticed the letters PH engraved on a little door and beside it, a small slot where she was able to slide her keycard. The door opened and she pushed the button to reach the penthouse. When the elevator stopped, the doors opened instantly onto a foyer. The man standing there waiting to greet her took her breath away.

"Ms. Talbot, I presume," he said, smiling and holding out his hand to assist her from the elevator.

Slowly, as if in a dream, she lifted her hand for him to take, never taking her eyes from his face. All her reservations, her caution and trepidation, vanished like the smoke of a snuffed candle.

He had the most amazing neon-blue eyes she had ever seen. They were warm and friendly, but they also held a glimpse of wisdom; ancient and self-assured. His hair was jet-black, cut short but falling in a natural wave that didn't need maintenance. He was approximately 6'3" and built so that she would feel safe going down a dark alley at night with him -- strong and able to handle himself, but at the same time, neither vain nor oppressive.

She couldn't imagine that someone like him would hurt her, but at the same time, neither could she explain why she felt utterly safe just being in his presence. He wore a pair of black dress slacks and an open-necked dark purple shirt with no tie, revealing his tanned upper chest. He looked perfectly human, yet perfectly divine.

She imagined that if she ever saw an angel, it would look like him. He was, in short, the most beautiful man she had ever set eyes on. And weren't angels purported to be this beautiful?

"Is there something wrong, Ms. Talbot?" Erick asked, still holding onto her hand.

"Oh no, no!" Hollianne felt her face heating up as if on fire. "I'm, um, just so amazed at how beautiful this place is."

She transferred her eyes to her surroundings, though not really able to take anything in. Erick laughed. Oh, it was a beautiful, caressing sound!

"Come in, please. Let me show you around."

Thus began one of the most remarkable nights of her life.

Erick showed her around the suite with an easy and unassuming confidence, relaxed and respectful, as if he were expecting nothing more to come of the evening than pleasant conversation. And why would he expect anything other than that? They had only just met. If either of them expected any more than chatting, it would cheapen the evening as well as their beginning connection. They sat down at a table in front of the huge floor-to-ceiling window that offered an amazing view of the city, a constellation of thousands of lights like a black plain festooned with multi-coloured stars.

The table was full of covered dishes that, when uncovered by a suave and efficient waiter, offered a feast unlike anything Hollianne had ever experienced -- course after course of delicate, mouthwatering cuisine accompanied by Petrus and Romanee-Conti, a single bottle of which would cost more than her weekly food budget.

It was over this dinner that Erick delivered what Hollianne could only call a dream job proposal.

After outlining what he would like to see accomplished with his book, he started to talk money.

"Now, given that there's a number of different areas I want to reflect on, we'd be looking at eight to ten chapters, so what I would like to see is a finished book of at least 350 pages, no less. It can, of course, exceed that number if needed, at which time we would renegotiate the terms of payment."

He was very serious, she observed, just like a real businessman would behave in an important business deal.

So how could there be any doubt that this offer, whatever really lay behind it, could be dishonest?

"For now, though," Erick continued, "I would like to offer you $100,000 for a 350 page book." He paused for just long enough to let the figure sink in, dropping it into the conversation as casually as if he were discussing the weather. "Half of that will be paid upon the signing of the contract, and the other half upon completion of the book. You will be awarded royalties from the book sales in the amount of 45 percent. Are those terms acceptable to you?"

Hollianne couldn't speak. All the arguments inside her head ceased.

All the voices inside there were just as speechless, like a garrulous audience struck dumb by the highest C ever uttered by a human voice, sitting there stunned and blinking in the silent darkness of the auditorium.

The thing that was truly astounding to her was his offer of 45 percent. That never happened in any book deal! So either this man was much unschooled in business negotiations which she highly doubted, or he simply had money to burn and didn't need to make a lot of money off of this book. There was also the chance that he wasn't sure of how well the book would be received and wanted her to gain some money from it even if it wasn't a lot. Well, whatever he was thinking, she wasn't about to turn down a deal like this if he was seriously offering it to her.

### Chapter Six

Finally, seeing that his face gave no hint that he was anything but serious, she was able to conceal her shock as she sipped her wine, gatheringher thoughts and thought of an excuse for not responding instantly.

In her mind, Hollianne had already accepted the deal and was thinking of just how drastically it could change her life. It would go a long way towards helping her get back on her feet; that was for sure. This kind of money might just help her to put Adam's shocking death in the past as much as anyone could ever move on from something of that magnitude. She could finally plan her life from this moment on and escape the prison in which she had existed since the night the police turned up at her home with life altering news. So, yes, there was no doubt that she would be accepting Mr. Angell's very, very generous offer.

He had just given her the most unexpected blessing, and here, she was still dumbstruck. She must seem so gauche and awkward to him, whereas deals like this must be perfectly normal to him.

She finally managed to speak; or rather, she heard a voice speaking in a detached and professional tone, and was surprised to find that it was her own.

"Well, Mr. Angell, I have to say that those terms sound exceedingly fair. I have no issues with any of what you've said so far."

God, the understatement of the year!

She wanted to laugh. It was crazy, completely inexplicable, but if it was a dream; it showed no signs of ending.

"Excellent then!"

Erick flashed his dazzling smile again, and she tensed involuntarily, sensing that something was coming.

"There's one more condition that I have, and I hope that it won't change your mind."

No, it wouldn't, whatever it is. A meteor falling on Earth would not change my mind. It would be considered the highest rate of crazy to change her mind! But, nevertheless, she felt that this was to be the crucial point; the one he had been leading up to all along.

"As I like to work at various hours throughout the day and night, I'm going to need you close by at all times. You'll be on call, so to speak."

She stared at him, confused.

"To that end, I will need you to take up residence in your own private suite within my home. It's a large estate with live-in help, so you needn't worry about any improprieties." He dropped the word so casually that not even a more suspicious mind than hers could have detected anything behind it. "You could look at it as one of the perks while you're writing my biography."

That was it? She would just have to change her plans to accommodate his and that was it? Hollianne had not expected this, but she made up her mind instantly.

Even though she'd be able to pay Jackson and keep her townhouse, she also knew it was time to move away from her memories of Adam, especially given the latest of them, which tended to cast a long and grim shadow on the other times they had shared. Though she had clung to the happier times of the past with him, those memories had unavoidably dragged her down. She knew it was time to break free of the past, both good and bad, so that she could make her own way unburdened by it. She needed this opportunity.

It was almost too good to be true. She couldn't help but wonder if there wasn't some hidden agenda somewhere.

"Mr. Angell," she finally said, "I have to ask you something. Are you an angel that just dropped to Earth?"

At first Erick was stunned at the question. She had startled him for the first time this evening. This was also one of the very few occasions during his sojourn here on Earth that he was genuinely unable to form a response, thinking for a brief instant, however ridiculous it seemed, that somehow she had managed to discover his secret and that somehow that meant the end of everything...

There's no way she could know that!

But just as he was forming an answer to the question, or trying to, Hollianne spoke again with a giggle.

"The reason I say that is because you have offered me a job that is absolutely perfect for me."

"Oh, is that so?" he replied innocently, while inwardly allowing a feeling of relief to flow through him.

She nodded. "I'm in a transitional period in my life and this couldn't have come at a better time. I'm happy to accept your job and all of the terms that you've outlined here tonight. So, when would you like me to start?"

Knowing that things couldn't be moving along more perfectly, Erick dazzled her once more with his high wattage smile.

They agreed that she would be packed and ready to move into his home by tomorrow evening.

He offered to send someone to help her pack and move out but she declined, saying that she tended to dislike strangers handling her things.

"That sounds pretty bad, doesn't it," she said, a little embarrassed. "I just... it's something I've had since I was a kid. Something about changing nannies. I don't remember much; just that I loved this nanny, but she died. Since then, I can't bear anyone else touching my things."

"What about your mother?" he asked, looking very curious.

"She died when I was a baby," she answered awkwardly. "My father was a very busy man so without a mother, I was raised by nannies." She found herself staring out at the view, or at least the part which did not show his reflection, because it was much easier. For some reason, she could not lie to him. She could not make up a story that was less painful or embarrassing to tell than the real one. "And then he died when I was sixteen, and my stepmother got everything. I was left only with the money I inherited from my mom. It was deposited in a tight trust fund that she couldn't touch. I have lived independently since then."

She tried to summarize her life as succinctly as possible. There were so many things left unsaid, and she normally didn't divulge her life to somebody else. This was a very private part of her life that she guarded from everyone. Of course, she had told Adam all about it but to open up to a stranger was unheard of, especially to a stranger who had just offered her a dream job. Now it occurred to her to glance at his face to see how he was taking this little bit of her life story. She was relieved to find that his face held nothing but an understanding expression. There was no pity there nor was there any type of judgment. Allowing herself to return to her former feeling of comfort with this man, she smiled a bit wryly. "I guess you just got a bit more than you bargained for," she said.

"Oh please don't feel that way!" Erick replied quickly. "If I had not been interested, I would not have asked. I do feel bad that you had to live what must have been a rather difficult life. I assure you that things are well on their way to improving dramatically for you."

She wondered again how this man could make her open up so easily. Well, she certainly had not met anyone like him, she thought. That must be it. He had this effect on her, and she would guess that it must be how he affected other people, too. He would not be this wealthy without this rich of an influence.

Hollianne quickly completed their goodbyes before he could ask further personal questions that she would feel bound to answer. In her current mood, her defenses weakened by Erick's direct and uncomplicated manner and the wine, of which she had unknowingly consumed three glasses; she might have started talking about her past love life, and that wouldn't have ended happily.

Having concluded the meeting, Erick walked Hollianne to the elevator.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity, Mr. Angell," she said as she shook his hand. "And also for such an amazing meal."

They both laughed at that last comment.

"One more thing, Ms. Talbot," Erick added as she stepped into the elevator car. "Now that we're going to be working together so closely, I insist that you call me Erick."

She smiled at him. "Anything you say, Erick, but only if you call me Hollianne." She could not believe herself. Here she was smiling warmly as if she had known him for months, without affectation or mannerism. She knew all too well how that might come across to a man less respectful of propriety than he clearly was.

"Wonderful, Hollianne. I'll see you tomorrow."

Smiling at him as the doors closed, she waited until the car started moving down.

Suddenly, she pumped her fist into the air. "Yes! Yes! Yes!" She stage-whispered with each fist pump.

Oh-my-God-thank-you-so-much-it-really-happened!

And he was so nice! How happy she was that she did not need to use her pepper spray; In fact, she had completely forgotten about it. She could not believe she would have an employer like that for the next few weeks. But it was going to happen. It was all true! Somebody must be watching over her from up above. Her guardian angel, of course, she thought.

It did not matter that she was grown up now, and that she had stopped believing in such things when she was twelve. How could she not believe in a guardian angel after an experience like this?

By the time she arrived in the lobby, she had composed herself enough to walk without skipping all over the place like a lunatic, and she exited the elevator. As she crossed the lobby towards the doors leading out onto the sidewalk, a porter stopped her.

"Ms. Talbot?" he asked.

"Yes?" Hollianne replied.

Her heart had stopped. Had the other shoe now dropped?

But the porter was smiling. "I have a cab waiting for you, Ma'am." He escorted her through the doors and opened the door of the waiting vehicle. "Have a good night."

Once she was inside, he closed the door, and waved.

### Chapter Seven

Erick poured himself another glass of wine once Hollianne had departed. He needed it. Meeting the woman up close and personal had left him feeling very unsettled. She was so beautiful, her gorgeous emerald-green eyes fringed in long lashes holding him captive from the time she appeared before him on that elevator. How could she not be aware of their effect?

Her body was small but not frail. She had pert little breasts, a cinched-in waist, and slightly-flared hips. He couldn't tell a lot about her legs because they had been encased in a pair of navy blue dress slacks, but she moved them as gracefully as she had the rest of her body. The lime-green lightweight sweater she wore complemented her body nicely and had a V-neck that revealed just enough cleavage that made him want to see more.

He was definitely uncomfortable right now and had no idea why.

His thoughts turned to his self-imposed isolation and the reasons for being cast out of Heaven. He had never cared much for humans and continued challenging the Father on why He allowed the human race to make mistakes and drastically unbalance the universe while angels weren't given any room for error at all.

Clearly, Erick had argued one time too many and suddenly found himself on earth as a human. It could not be denied that the Father had a perverse sense of humor.

His only instruction: Be human, and find the answers to your questions.

But he only had one question: Why are they worth saving?

Why did he have to become human to get the answer to that one question?

Granted, he lived in a palatial mansion surrounded by acres of manicured land, forests, and gardens.

But that's not what he was supposed to be doing.

He missed lounging around on clouds and walking golden streets with his wings fully unfurled, not limited or bound by physical or temporal chains, free to roam the landscapes of celestial beauty and enjoy the bliss of the highest music imaginable, the music that only specially chosen mortals were allowed to hear a whisper of in their last moments -- Bach, Mozart and Milton had been among these lucky few.

Now, here he was among the very same beings he held in contempt, and worst of all; he actually was one of them.

He still hadn't found the answer to his question. In fact, the longer he stayed here, the more he realized how weak humans were, how prone they were to make trouble for themselves and their fellow men.

They just couldn't stop hurting each other, the miserable little cursed creatures.

He found himself saving these lowly beings because it was the only way he could be himself. However, much as he might despise their weaknesses and the frequent abandon with which they surrendered to them, he was incapable of being false to himself.

Being punished did not mean being guilty. He was here as a test. And, well, he did irritate the hell out of the Father.

Unfortunately, he could not yet see the light. He felt it would be a very long time before he could find the answers he sought.

But since meeting Hollianne, there had been a gradual change inside him.

It was like he was waking up...to something unexplored -- for him, who had thought he had seen and known everything humans were capable of. The human side imposed upon his holy person was stirring, was that it? That part of him that exemplified being wholly human had never throbbed that way with any other woman in the past.

Erick swore under his breath.

Centuries ago - no, yesterday - he would have abhorred the possibility that he might have succumbed to the inevitable. However, he had been told he would eventually embrace his humanity and that would be the time that he would get his answers. He didn't hate the idea now.

In fact, if being human was the way for him to explore this awakening, he couldn't wait to start.

Was it because of Hollianne?

He saw those fiery eyes again, seeking for something they did not yet know how to see.

He would have to figure out and try to understand this new sensation, and whether he should resist or accept it. He would have plenty of time to do that with Hollianne moving into his home. There would be lots of opportunities to see how much stronger it could become.

Hollianne had definitely started tugging at his humanity.

He just needed to figure out why that was.

### Chapter Eight

Hollianne wasn't able to sleep at all that night. It may just have been the after-effects of the wine, but every time she lay down, she could hear her heart pounding in her ear. Her mind was racing with every detail of that evening, reliving it, not to groan at some embarrassment or misunderstanding, as so often happened, but to puzzle out its meaning. After two hours, she wondered whether it had really happened, and was not just some fantasy she had devised to hide from the grim reality she had been faced with just that day. However, the impressions were too real, too vivid and complete, to be her invention. It had really happened, however impossible the whole thing seemed.

She finally got up around four AM; feeling light-headed but strangely alert, and made some coffee.

She had collected some boxes earlier that evening to help with the packing, and with the prospect that had suddenly opened up before her, the task was no longer a burden. Her furniture would go into storage now that she would be able to afford it. The only things she was taking with her were her clothes and personal items. Erick told her he would send people to pick up her things and deliver them to the storage facility of her choice.

He was also having a rental car delivered to her at his expense because he knew she would need one living so far outside of the city. She and Adam had moved into the city partly because they couldn't actually afford a car of their own. In the city, they had plenty of access to public transportation when they needed it. Otherwise, they simply walked to most of the places they frequented.

Hollianne couldn't believe her tremendous luck in landing this job. It was just what she needed right now and it would certainly get her back on her feet financially. And Erick was phenomenally wonderful!

He wasn't hard on the eyes, either.

She felt her bones melting, all the tension and excitement of last night easing, as she envisioned him once again, closing her eyes. His name fits, she thought as she involuntarily hugged the pile of clothes she was about to transfer to an open suitcase.

Erick Angell really did fit her idea of an angel \-- not that she had ever imagined one specifically, but she suddenly knew that Erick was what an angel should be like.

She suddenly felt a little guilty about her reaction to him.

Adam had been her life and now here she was, looking at another man like he was a feast.

But this had never happened to her.

Not even with Adam. She was a bookish sort and it took a while before she had even noticed him. Adam hadn't helped; he wasn't the assertive sort and would probably never even have plucked up the courage to speak to her had she not made the first move, more out of impatience than desire. Their attraction had been gradual -- thinking of themselves first as friends for weeks that turned into months, with meeting after meeting and one heartfelt conversation after another. But these conversations were never about what either of them felt, until late one evening as they were about to part. A sudden downpour had driven them to the shelter of a shop doorway. Adam had reached out to brush the rain drops from her hair without even thinking of anything more. Then, suddenly she was in his arms and her lips were pressed to his. But it had been another month before they slept together for the first time. He was so infuriatingly slow to take the hint. It had been magic while it lasted, but there was nothing quick about it, or about her other relationships for that matter, which as a consequence had been few in number. Since Adam she had not even looked at a man that way again.

However, when she first set her eyes on Erick, she had been completely mesmerized. Blushing furiously even as she thought it, seeing Erick was like seeing a real man for the first time in her life.

Hollianne shook her head to clear it, which turned out to be a mistake, as it only made her feel light-headed again, exacerbating the sense of dreamlike unreality.

It surely wasn't as bad as that. It was just a momentary crush, enhanced on by the plush surroundings and amazing food. She would get used to his attractiveness when she started staying with him, would start to notice those annoying quirks and faults that always started to emerge from behind the facade that men presented to women in order to impress them.

She just had to try to not think about him all the time. It was imperative that she be able to distract herself whenever she thought of him that way.

Mentally, she went through her plans for the coming days and went back to packing.

### Chapter Nine

By ten AM, Hollianne was ready to take a quick shower and be on her way. As it turned out, she really didn't have all that much to pack.

Following her shower, she put her blonde hair up into a ponytail and donned some jeans and a t-shirt. She felt this was a much safer outfit to wear so that she didn't perpetuate any misconceptions that she may have left with Erick last night. He needed to see that she wasn't pursuing him in a manner unseemly to their employer-employee relationship. She looked decent enough, but certainly not overdone. Just as she had finished dressing, the doorbell rang.

The truck was here.

For the next half hour, Hollianne supervised the men loading her stuff into the truck and gave them the address for the storage facility. She had reserved the unit and the manager had instructions to lock it after her things had been delivered.

When they had left, Hollianne stood in the middle of the bare living room.

Looking around one last time at the home she had shared with Adam, she brushed away tears. They had not had a long time together, but for a while they had been happy in their own quiet way. For the first time ever, she had looked forward to returning home, knowing that she would find him there and that they would spend the evening doing nothing in particular, just glad to be close. Then it all ended suddenly, the shock like a slap to the face that her ears seemed to have stopped ringing from only now. It was over, and she felt able to say goodbye.

Taking a deep breath, feeling that she was taking a crucial and final step into the next phase of her life, she placed the key to the townhouse on the kitchen bar and walked out the door, closing it firmly behind her -- forever.

She gave an involuntary gasp when she saw the rental car waiting for her at the curb. It was no penny-pinching hire -- it was a BMW coupe in sky blue with red leather upholstery. The driver got out and handed her an odd-looking device that reminded her of a mini remote, explaining to her that it was a keyless car. What he handed her was a device that allowed her to open the doors and the trunk. She only needed to push a button inside the car to start it. Then he showed her how the security and entertainment systems worked, and told her that the GPS had been set to take her where she was meant to go.

Thanking him, she got into the car, started the engine wearing a huge smile of anticipation on her face, and drove away. Hollianne drove for nearly an hour in a direction that brought her outside of Moon Bay. Before long, she was in a rural area where she had rarely ventured in the past. It was good that Erick had the GPS set for her. She would have gotten lost without it.

She came to a gravel road, long and flanked on either side by low-hanging willow trees. It might have been a little spooky at night but right now, it was just a beautiful place to be.

About a mile later, she reached a paved driveway that encircled one of the largest homes she had ever seen. By all appearances, it was a 19th century mansion that had been extended at some point in a way that did not damage the overall proportions, but rather served to increase the sense of imposing grandeur. It recalled the residence of an ambassador, except that it did not wear the same sense of self-importance. The owner needed no pomp and circumstance to advertise himself. There wasn't even a name plate on the gatepost bearing some pretentious title, no indication whatever of what lay beyond. There must be dozens of rooms in the place. It appeared to be the kind of house where each bedroom was a self-contained apartment, and where 60 people could live full time without it seeming in any way crowded.

She pulled up in front of the house and simply stared, drinking in the phenomenal beauty of this structure. As she sat there, the heavy red door, decorated with ornate ironwork, opened and Erick appeared. He smiled and waved at her as he bounded down the steps toward the car. She opened the door and get out so that she could greet him properly.

"You made it!" Erick exclaimed.

"Yes, I did," she said, smiling at his enthusiasm. "Why didn't you tell me that you lived in a mansion?!"

"I believe I hinted at it," he said, chuckling. "I believe strongly that you're going to love it here."

"Well, I most likely will as long as I don't get lost."

"Here, let me take that for you." Erick reached for her laptop and tote bag. "I'll send someone down to get the rest of your luggage for you."

"Oh! Well, thank you, Erick. I have to tell you that I'm not used to this type of treatment," she said, a little seriously. "Normally, I kind of take care of myself."

"I understand. But consider this part of the perks of the job."

Hollianne just laughed and shook her head. Then she followed him inside where her jaw dropped. She was standing in a foyer that could have held her entire townhouse. On either side was a curving staircase leading up to the next floor. A chandelier sparkled in the domed ceiling. She took in the elegant candelabra, the wood-paneled walls, the grand piano, and the huge fireplace. She could imagine an entire ballroom in here, complete with gowns and suits, wine and hushed laughter, as elegant people danced while musicians played.

"Wow..." she breathed.

"You'll get used to it soon enough. After a while, you won't even notice."

She laughed as she shook her head. "I seriously doubt that, but I hope my jaw doesn't drop every time."

"I'll give you the grand tour later then," he said, chuckling. "But let me show you to your suite first," Erick said, as he started to climb one of the staircases.

With nothing to do but follow him, Hollianne tried to see as much as she could before reaching the next floor. Erick led her down a long wide hallway. The floor was covered with a deep red carpet so thick, her feet made hardly any sound. He stopped at a set of double doors. He stopped, opened them, and stepped back so that she could enter.

"Welcome to your new home-for a while at least," Erick said, smiling.

Hollianne's jaw dropped once more. This couldn't possibly be all hers for the foreseeable future.

She had never lived anywhere so spectacular!

### Chapter Ten

It was not just a room. It was a suite of rooms. The one Hollianne was standing in consisted of a sitting area with a large stone fireplace. Two love seats and matching overstuffed chairs sat in front of it. A coffee table and end tables completed the ensemble.

Just beyond this grouping was a very nice dining table with four chairs around it. A doorway went into the bedroom itself. The bed was enormous with a canopy and curtains tied back. Off the bedroom was an en-suite that could comfortably hold a dozen people.

On the other side of the main room was another entrance leading into a small but efficient kitchen. The overall impression, surprisingly enough, was not one of overindulged and expensive luxury, but one of comfort, well planned and tastefully furnished. It was an apartment designed to make life as comfortable as possible for the guest.

"So what do you think?" Erick asked after she had walked through the entire suite.

"I think I can't quite believe that this is all for me," Hollianne said, her hand flat on her heaving chest.

"Well, I did think about putting you out in the guest cottage, but I really felt having you under the same roof would be more convenient for us both."

"You have a guest cottage?"

"Yes, actually I have three of them on the grounds, plus a housekeeper's cottage. My housekeeper and her husband live there. You'll be meeting them a bit later, by the way."

She didn't know why she was even surprised. I honestly don't know what to say.

"Just say that you like it. If there's anything that you need, all you have to do is say so and it will be supplied."

Hollianne was overwhelmed.

She had never had anything like this handed to her in her life, and would never have asked or expected it.

She had worked very hard for everything she had. The trust fund from her mother only went so far. She had to pay the debt her father owed to many people because her stepmother had disappeared after using up her own inheritance - she was out there somewhere, now hiding from creditors.

Holliane and Adam had both worked hard to stay above water and survive. Somehow, they had kept going, clinging to each other like castaways on a raft.

But then, when they were finally over the hard times, he died. That had seemed to be the cruelest jest of all.

She turned to Erick.

"Thank you very much. I'm quite sure that this will be more than enough for my needs. It's very kind of you to go to all this trouble."

"It was no trouble at all, Hollianne. Besides, no one ever uses these rooms. You're actually doing me a huge favor by agreeing to stay in one."

Hollianne's mouth twitched and she burst into laughter, looking at him in shock and alarm, expecting him to be at best astonished and, at worst, offended. However, Erick found that her laughter was infectious and he joined in, his laugh full of relaxed and easy good humour.

"Please forgive me," Hollianne finally gasped. "It's just that these past few days have been very stressful and this is all such an unbelievable relief." She was fighting herself for control, yet the feeling of letting go like this was a release rather than a source of mortification.

"Think nothing of it," Erick replied. "I enjoyed that bit of levity myself. It's not something that I've experienced much, either. These rooms could do with a bit of laughter in them, so it's doubly welcome. Now, take your time getting settled in. Dinner will be served at seven. Don't worry yourself about what to wear. It's my house and I favor comfort over formality."

"In the meantime, you should find that the kitchen is well stocked with refreshments. If you need or want anything else, just pick up that phone over there. It's the house phone and the extensions are clearly marked. Don't feel shy about it, either; this is your home as long as you're here, so my staff is fully at your service."

When Erick had left her alone, Hollianne sat down on one of the loveseats and simply looked around, unable to move for several minutes. She still couldn't believe her great fortune. In fact, now that she was here, she was starting to feel completely at home. The place felt neither strange nor oppressive, but peaceful and homelike; it invited her to unwind and stretch out. She hadn't felt like this in a very long time. She was so relaxed that she dozed off on the loveseat.

As she napped, something tugged at her subconscious. There was a memory about Adam that lurked there but it didn't seem to be a pleasant one and she tried to drive it away. Suddenly, beside Adam, there stood Erick in front of her. He was smiling at her slightly and held out his hand to her. Without even hesitating or glancing at Adam, Hollianne took Erick's hand. He pulled her lightly over to him and wrapped his arms around her. She could feel the beating of his heart and the warmth of his body as he cocooned her against him. Now, she did look over at Adam. The expression on his face was one of anger mixed with regret. Now, how could she tell that? There was no reason for it, but she somehow just knew what he was thinking in that moment. Something else that she acknowledged was that she didn't miss him any longer. She had Erick with her now and that was all she cared about.

They continued to stand there, Erick's arms around her. She slowly became aware that he was very lightly kissing her neck. These feather kisses felt so real and so exciting all at the same time. She leaned her head back against his chest and he continued to move his mouth all over her neck and earlobes. At last, he turned her around and claimed her mouth with his. The kiss was still light but passionate at the same time. Their tongues were exploring each other's mouths with an abandon that Hollianne had rarely experienced. She knew this was a dream, but a very large part of her wanted it to be real.

Feeling Erick's arms around her and his mouth on hers somehow made everything much better. She wanted to live her life to fullest and that wasn't a feeling she had enjoyed in a very long time. When she lost Adam, she felt she had lost everything, and that her hope in life had been one of those things.

Speaking of Adam, Hollianne broke the kiss with Erick just long enough to glance back at where Adam had been standing. He was no longer there. For a brief moment, Hollianne felt responsible for Adam's disappearance, but when Erick began kissing her once more, she only felt relief that Adam wasn't there.

"Everything is going to be just fine, Hollianne," Erick's deep voice reassured her. "You're with me now. Your life is going to be amazing from this point on. Just wait."

As he spoke to her, he continued to run his hands over her body. This served to deepen her desire for him. Oh yes, she thought. I want this!

When Hollianne opened her eyes, there were tears in them. She could feel her whole body humming with an unidentified energy. Her blood was singing and the rapid beating of her heart was like a scream that was making her whole body pant.

She had never felt so aroused and yet so incredibly alive at the same time; it felt scandalous to be so ready and willing, but it was the most glorious experience in her entire life!

What kind of a dream was that? What was it trying to tell her? Her body was so full of amazing feelings that she no longer felt entirely in control. Her feelings were running riot. She had once thought that loss of control should never happen, yet she now craved it

Hollianne closed her eyes and tried to breathe as evenly and as deeply as she could. She was trying to calm herself, but was unable to put it out of her mind. She could still feel Erick's mouth on her neck, then on her own mouth. The way he had touched her in the dream seemed to have left an imprint upon her body. She found that she was having a very hard time catching her breath and her heart thudded heavily in her chest.

She tried to reason with herself. Maybe it was the aftermath of that dream. It was just so... extraordinary. She had only just met Erick. How in the world could she even entertain the idea that he might want her? Not only that, but that he was going to take care of her. There had also been love present in that dream. It was all so silly! How could she fall in love with someone she didn't even know? More puzzling, how could she even think that someone like Erick could fall in love with her? This was well beyond reasonable thinking. But then, dreams could be that way, couldn't they? Hollianne hadn't experienced a lot of reasons to feel happy in a while. Now, though, this sensation that flowed through her along with the residual desire from the dream was happiness. In the past months, it had felt wrong of her to experience joy and feel happy over anything. Suddenly, it was clear that she had every right to be happy.

It was a feeling that she wanted desperately to hold onto while also balancing it with normalcy. She should be able to do that, right? Happiness could become a normal part of her life and she could enjoy things just as everyone else in the world. Being abnormally depressed and miserable was something she was so very tired of feeling. Looking around at her surroundings once more, she let the happiness come through.

"Please forgive me, Adam," she whispered. "I'll always have a place for you in my heart, but I'm still alive and I want to be happy. If you're able to hear me, please don't hold it against me. I need to be happy."

### Angel at Law 1: Picture Perfect Dream

### Chapter One

"HONESTLY, DR. ADDISON! This is all a huge misunderstanding!"

Dr. Dreama Addison studied the attractive young woman sitting across from her. She was a bit on the thin side with long, brown hair and deep brown eyes, but she was pretty enough. At the moment, she was fidgeting without seeming to notice it. To Dreama, this was a sign of lying.

"Allison, do you understand why you've been court-ordered to see me?" Dreama asked.

"Of course, I understand why the judge thought I might need some therapy sessions, but I promise you that it is all a misunderstanding!" Allison replied with her voice squeaking into higher levels at certain points.

"Why don't you tell me why the judge feels that you need to see me, Allison?"

"Well, because Daniel said that I was stalking him, of all things! But I wasn't stalking him. We just happen to eat and shop or whatever at the same places. Just because we aren't together just now shouldn't mean that I have change my favorite places."

"Allison, how long have you and Daniel been apart?"

"Well, about six months ago, he said that we needed to take a break, but he's going to come back to me."

Repressing a sigh, Dreama made a few notes and then looked back at her patient.

"Allison, I was under the impression that Daniel and his wife had reunited. Is that correct?"

"Oh that's just what she says! You see, Daniel just had to pretend to go back to her, don't you see? He's just waiting for the right time before he comes back to me."

"Allison, let me explain to you what I've been told and then we can discuss it together," Dreama said.

Then she read all of the facts regarding her patient.

Allison Gardner and Daniel Bradley had begun an affair over a year ago. Approximately, six months previously, Allison had begun to demand that Daniel leave his wife and commit to Allison. Daniel refused and, instead, left Allison after deciding to give his marriage another try.

That was when all of the trouble began.

Allison simply could not, or would not, accept that Daniel was no longer a part of her life. She began to stalk him, although she adamantly refused to admit that it was anything more than just running into him when they were both out dining or shopping. Of course it also made perfect sense to Allison that they would run into each other at such places as the public library, coffee shop, diner at lunch, and even the car wash. They simply must have maintained the exact same schedule for these things.

There might not have been any action that Daniel could take if she had just kept to these places where anyone had a right to be no matter who else may have been there.

However, Allison branched out to parking down the street from Daniel's house.

She also took to following Daniel's wife all over the place and gave her threatening glares. These instances increased by leaps and bounds, but they still had not reached the point where any legal action could be taken.

That all changed one night, when Allison broke into Daniel's house while they were out.

She went into the master bedroom and meticulously cut all his wife's clothing items into ribbons with a pair of scissors. Then she left all of the evidence strewn across the, bed as well as the floor and dresser. Next, she poured bleach all over Daniel's clothes, leaving white discoloration everywhere.

Once she had left as much damage as possible, she went back outside to her car, which she had left parked a few houses down. In fact, she had not even attempted to hide. She had waited until Daniel and his wife returned home so she could witness their reaction to what she had done.

This meant that she was still watching when the police arrived to investigate. This made it so much easier for them to arrest her for breaking and entering, plus malicious vandalism.

Since Allison had a clean record with not even a parking ticket in her past, she was let off easy as long as she attended regular therapy sessions with a psychiatrist. Dreama offered to take a few court-ordered cases each month, depending on her caseload. She just happened to have a few vacancies at the moment so she had agreed to take on Allison as a patient.

Allison was proving to be quite interesting. So far, Dreama could see that this woman was completely delusional. But that was only scraping the surface. There were many more layers to this woman's personality and Dreama intended to uncover them all.

She watched Allison's face as she heard the accusations against her. It was clear that Allison didn't accept them. She had excuses for all of the stalking incidents. As for the breaking and entering and vandalism, she simply refused to acknowledge or discuss that.

"Well, Allison, you and I have quite a bit of work to do but I'll be here with you every step of the way. The first step is for you to understand what has actually taken place and what the difference is between reality and what you perceive as reality. So far, you don't seem to comprehend what your situation is and that is what we need to work on first. Do you understand what I am saying to you?"

"Of course I understand what you're saying! Do you think I'm a complete moron?" Allison cried.

"No, Allison, I don't think you're a moron -- complete or any other kind. But we do have some work to do so that you can fully comprehend what has happened. However, I cannot help you until you agree that you need treatment."

"I don't need anything, Dr. Addison. That's what I am trying to tell you! This has all been a complete and total misunderstanding!"

"Allison, if you are refusing to work with me, you leave me no choice but to hospitalize you for a few days to stabilize you. In case you do not understand, the court has ordered that you either work with me or you will be remanded to custody."

"What does that mean? They can't force me to do this!"

"Actually, Allison, they can. But I would much rather that you work with me willingly rather than having to hospitalize you for a bit. That will be up to you, though."

At this point, Allison came completely unglued.

### Chapter Two

ALLISON BEGAN SHRIEKING at the top of her lungs, gnashing her teeth and thrashing about on the sofa.

Quickly, Dreama pushed a concealed button underneath her desk while opening a draw and withdrawing a syringe and a vial containing a sedative. She kept these on hand for just such emergencies. They didn't happen often but one of these situations only had to happen once to insure that she wasn't caught unawares again.

Within seconds, Noah, her assistant was in her office and was in the process of restraining Allison long enough for Dreama to give her a shot. The sedative was fast acting and started to take effect almost instantly.

Allison gradually stopped shrieking and started to fall over.

Noah caught her and laid her gently on the sofa.

"Wow," he said as he stepped back and stood with Dreama. "What happened to her?"

"She's very delusional," Dreama answered quietly. "I didn't realize just how serious it was until it was too late. Thank you for your help. I'm going to have to hospitalize her. I'll call and make the arrangements."

"Okay, Doc," Noah said. "Do you need for me keep an eye on her for you?"

"No, she will be fine. I expect she will remain unconscious until the ambulance arrives, but thank you."

"Sure thing. That's why you pay me the big bucks," he said over his shoulder as he left her office and headed back to the reception area.

Noah Chase was a true lifesaver. Not only was he a registered nurse but was a body builder proficient in several forms of martial arts as well as a great office manager. With Noah, she got an office manager, emergency nurse and a bodyguard all in one. She damn well paid him what he was worth and then some.

He was, quite simply, irreplaceable.

Dreama made the phone calls to arrange what she needed for Allison. She had really hoped to avoid this step, but it was pretty clear that she had no choice.

Allison was not functional enough to be on her own. She had at least 72 hours to work with Allison and try to get her grounded somewhat.

Beyond that, she would have to see.

The ambulance arrived in record time, and without flashing lights or sirens. Dreama had requested that they not draw any more attention to themselves than necessary. She had explained that the patient was sedated for now and was in no immediate danger.

Most of the EMTs had worked with her at one time or another and she had a good relationship with them, that's why they paid attention to her requests when she needed to call on them. She was happy to say this wasn't all that often.

Noah let the EMTs into her office and she explained the situation. She told them what she had given Allison and how much of it. They noted everything as they loaded her onto a gurney.

"I will be at the hospital shortly," she told them as they were leaving with Allison.

Noah would need to postpone her last two appointments of the day and reschedule them. She was going to need to make sure Allison was settled and receiving medication immediately.

Well, maybe she would at least be finished in time to make dinner with Hollianne and Erick, she thought.

She had promised them for ages that she would visit them, but something always seemed to get in the way. Hollianne had come into Moon Bay a few times so that they could grab lunch and do some dress fittings for Holli's upcoming wedding to Erick Angell. But, so far, Dreama hadn't quite made it to the castle.

Dreama couldn't help but smile.

That's what she had dubbed the enormous structure that Erick and Hollianne called home. It actually was a castle and was very beautiful, located on one of the most amazing property that she had ever seen.

Whenever she got a chance, she would drive out and spend a few days there. It was so relaxing there.

Her friendship with Holli started the moment they met each other on one of the social gatherings organized by her sister Raven for their father's Law Firm. Erick Angell and his beautiful fiancee were invited, and she only went because her dad personally called her to attend. And, all right, because she knew Simon would also be there.

Simon Draco, one of the youngest partners in the firm and a brilliant lawyer, happened to be her friend. She knew the party wouldn't be dull with him there.

What surprised her was when she found out he was a personal friend to Erick Angell, one of the youngest billionaire businessman in the country. And it was a delightful bonus that she and Hollianne had become friends right away -- actually, as soon as they started talking.

Holli was honest and delightfully real to the core. It was thrilling to actually meet someone like her.

When she learned her background and how she managed to hold on until Erick found and saved her from her dire situation, she couldn't help but admire and respect her strength. Holli also liked her and said so, even saying as much as that she was like a twin sister she never had. Their friendship and subsequent closeness just went so smoothly that it felt like it was something that's just waiting to happen.

It was one of those things that made her feel sad that she had never enjoyed even a minimal part of that closeness with her own sister, Raven. But this time, being Holli's friend also made her feel relieved that she had someone now to really be like a sister to. She had wanted something like this for a long time, and she was grateful that it seemed the heavens had finally granted her prayer.

Thinking about all of it also brought a stray thought to her mind.

She idly wondered if Simon Draco might be joining them for dinner.

### Chapter Three

DREAMA'S HEART THUDDED just a bit harder and beat a bit faster as she thought of the handsome Simon. But he did not even see her as a woman. Oh, if only he did not see her as Raven's younger sister... maybe?

Even though she knew that she would never have a chance with him, she still couldn't help the way she felt about him.

She sighed heavily. If she could find a man that could even compare to someone like Simon, this wouldn't be so difficult. Most of the times that she thought about him, her body reacted like a teenager who was going to pass by her crush in the corridor -- each and every time. For a woman her age, this was really a bit aggravating. She shouldn't be feeling like this anymore. She should have moved on a long time ago from behavior like this -- especially after what career she had chosen to study! One would think she would have found a way to cure this infatuation a long time ago.

She sighed again, and this time, she also shook her head.

At any rate, she had some things to take care of if she was going to make it to dinner. With that, she gathered her purse and briefcase and locked her office door.

Waving to Noah as she went out, she knew that he had already re-scheduled those last two appointments. That's just how efficient this man was.

Maybe it was time to give him another raise.

SIMON LOOKED ACROSS his massive desk at the young man seated there.

He had known that he was going to help Andrew Martin from the second they had shaken hands. That little current that ran through him when someone was innocent had alerted him that Andrew was, indeed, telling the truth with his version of events.

But he had to go through the motions. Part of being successful as a human being was to act as clueless and normal as them. He had perfected this trick after practicing it for so many years.

Besides, he had to hear the full story so that he would know how to proceed and where to look for the evidence that would clear Andrew.

"So you're saying that you were never at Ms. Stevens' home on the evening of November 24th," Simon said. "Is that right?"

"Yes, Mr. Draco," a very nervous but earnest Andrew replied. "I was at home and I was passed out." He frowned. "That's another thing -- I know I only had a couple of beers with my buddy Jake. We were at my house watching the game. After I had my second beer, I started to feel kind of weird, and then there was just nothing. When I woke up, it was like 7 o'clock the next morning, I was still lying on my couch with an afghan over me. I guess Jake covered me with it and turned off the television before he left, whenever that was."

"I see," Simon replied. The wheels were already turning in his head. He had a feeling that Andrew's good "buddy" Jake knew quite a lot about what had happened to Pamela Stevens on that fateful night. He just needed the evidence that would prove his hunch was right.

Pamela was Andrew's ex-girlfriend and he had been having trouble moving on from her. He genuinely loved her, even though the relationship had not worked out, and it had been very painful for him to let go of her.

So the breakup had been very hard on Andrew. He freely admitted that. He also had, admittedly, shown up at her house on more than one occasion following the breakup in an extremely intoxicated state, and loudly begged her to come back to him. But he had never been threatening and had only served to embarrass himself as well as Pamela. Sadly, she had moved on and simply felt bad that Andrew couldn't do the same.

Yet, on the night of November 24th, someone had broken into Pamela's house. This person had attacked her while she slept, raped her and cold-bloodedly left her for dead. She did not die, but she was now in a coma from which the doctors weren't sure she would emerge.

Being the only suspect because of motive, the police had focused their entire investigation on Andrew and would most certainly be arresting him any day now if he couldn't prove his innocence. But his alibi was weak. Someone who knew Andrew personally and never believed the young man could do such a thing had recommended Simon to him, and now they sat talking here in Simon's office about what measures could be taken to help his case.

"Did the police speak to Jake?" Simon asked while making some notes on his legal pad.

"Yeah, they talked to him and he told them that I got drunk and passed out. He said that he finished watching the game, covered me up, turned off the television and left."

"Okay. Do you know if they checked into this more thoroughly?"

"Actually, I don't know. They seemed so focused on me that I don't think they looked at anyone else too closely."

"What about the man Pamela had been seeing? Victor Campbell?" Simon asked. "Did the police question him?"

"Yeah," Andrew sighed heavily. "It turns out that the only thing that guy is guilty of is being an asshole. Do you know he went to see her in the hospital, took one look at her, and ran out of the room gagging? He hasn't been back, either from what I understand. Can you imagine? The woman you're supposed to love is that near death and you can't even be with her? That's disgusting!"

"Sounds like a true man," Simon commented dryly.

"Look, Mr. Draco, I know that I made an ass out of myself more than once after Pam broke up with me. But it was only because I loved her so much and I desperately wanted to get back together with her! I would never hurt her! All I want is for her to wake up and be okay again. Of course, she also can tell everyone that I would never hurt her, true, but she must wake up and be okay. That is the most important thing to me." His voice broke and he had to pause for a moment. "Even if she never speaks to me again, I still want her to wake up so she can have a chance to be happy whether that's with someone else or not. I mean, the breakup wasn't the high point of my life, but we don't hate each other or anything like that. Do you think you can help me, Mr. Draco?"

Simon looked at this young man who was fairly trembling on the other side of his desk. He almost had it all worked out as to what had happened, but there were still plenty of blanks to fill in before he could help Andrew. But help him, he would.

"Andrew, I'm not going to lie to you. This isn't going to be easy especially if Pamela doesn't wake up. In fact, right now, the fact that she's still breathing is the only reason you haven't been arrested and charged with murder. It's definitely in your best interest for her to wake up. Now the first thing we need to prepare for is that the police will be arresting you soon. Have they executed a search warrant on your home yet?"

"Yeah, and that was all kinds of fun," Andrew replied glumly.

"Yes, I can imagine," Simon said sympathetically. "I'll be checking into what they found, if anything. I'm going to also check into what their interview with Jake produced. What you need to do is be ready for the cops to show up at your door with an arrest warrant. When they do, call me immediately. Do not, and I can't stress this enough, answer any questions without me there. Now do you have any assets that you can use for bail if it becomes necessary?"

"Not really," Andrew said. "I actually don't have any money. Working in a body shop doesn't pay quite as much as you'd think. But I'll try to figure out something. I can't stay in jail."

"Well, I'm sure we can work something out if the time comes," Simon said smoothly. "Now are you sure that you haven't left anything out? I need to know everything, even if it's something that you feel is embarrassing or makes you look bad. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir, Mr. Draco," Andrew nodded emphatically. "I absolutely do understand. I wouldn't keep anything from you. Besides, I already made an ass out of myself by going over to Pam's drunk and obnoxious."

"If that's all they have on you, then it may be easier than I think," Simon laughed. "You're not the only person to ever pull a stunt like that -- believe me, I know. But let's not assume anything either way. I'll be happy to represent you, Andrew, and I'll get started on your case immediately."

Simon rose and so did Andrew. He came around the desk and shook hands with the younger man, and started to walk him to the door.

"Okay, Andrew, I'll let you know as soon as I find out anything. In the meantime, remember to call me the second you hear anything from the police."

"Yes, sir, Mr. Draco. Thank you so much!"

"You can thank me when I've gotten you out of this mess. Now, try not to worry. Remember, you've got me on your side and, even if I say so myself, I've had a quite a bit of success in defending falsely accused people."

"I'm so happy to have you helping me, Mr. Draco. You just don't understand how much hope you've given me."

"Well, Andrew, you keep holding on to that hope. We'll get this sorted.

### Chapter Four

AFTER ANDREW HAD left his office, Simon closed the door and sat down at his desk. Picking up the phone, he punched in a number that he could have recited in his sleep and waited for an answer.

"Hi, Simon. How's it going?"

"Oh, you know how it is, Erick. Never a dull moment. How's Hollianne? Have you run her off yet?"

He heard Erick chuckling and Simon couldn't help but grin. That was one of the very significant changes in his personality since falling in love -- yes, Erick Angell, one of the most cynical of them angels, had fallen in love. This news had created such a noise among the Earthbound Angels. He could almost imagine the sound they made before their wings were taken from them. The flapping of thousands of wings could be quite... liberating.

Well, that was what he'd thought with not just a bit of sentiment as news about the impending wedding passed from line to line. If the Earthbound still had wings, they would be flapping. Like hands clapping. Quite a lot of Earthbounds had embraced the human life and had married and raised kids of their own. But with Erick being here on Earth longer than most and managing to hide himself from personal human interactions in his castle for years, one could imagine the stir it caused to watch him "fall", no pun intended.

So, back to the beginning. Erick wasn't a chuckler. It was a good experience to hear him do this now. If someone could make Erick chuckle, then the world really wasn't such a hopeless place.

"You know, I'm not quite sure how I got so lucky but I'm very thankful. Now, you're still going to be my Best Man, aren't you?" he asked.

"I wouldn't miss it, my friend," Simon said enthusiastically before sobering and becoming serious. "Look, I've got a favor to ask you."

"Sure thing. What's up?"

### Chapter Five

"I'VE GOT THIS new client," Simon told Erick. "Nice young man named Andrew Martin. You might have heard about the Pamela Stevens attack a couple of months ago?"

"Oh yeah, I did hear about that. So Andrew's your client. Does that mean that he's innocent?"

"Yes, he had nothing to do with it but he's about to be arrested for attempted murder and rape. I wonder if you can get in touch with your special friend. I need all of the information I can get."

"Of course. Give me the details and I'll put in a call to him right now."

"Thanks, Erick. I really appreciate it."

When he had given Erick the information he needed to pass onto his friend, Simon assured Erick that he would see him that night for dinner before he finished the call.

Sitting back in his chair, he gazed out the window of his high rise office. The view of the city of Moon Bay never failed to amaze him. Even as old as it was, the city still rose to meet the challenges of modern technology while meshing it with the older and more historical sections.

His view of all of it calmed him.

As Simon thought back on his journey thus far, he couldn't say that he regretted any part of it. Well, there were some regrettable areas -- those events when he'd been incredibly ignorant.

He and Erick had both been angels. However, they had been cast out of Heaven to live among the humans that they had so criticized. At first, they had both been quite angry at the situation, but the longer they remained on Earth, the more adjusted they had become.

Simon had adjusted faster than Erick, but it had taken meeting Hollianne for Erick to realize that he could live a very happy life here as a human.

He had to smile when he thought of the changes that had taken place in Erick since he had met and fallen in love with Hollianne Talbot. These changes were so intense that Simon had heard it in Erick's voice the first time he had spoken to him after meeting Holli -- even when they were talking on the phone. It was a truly beautiful experience for them both, and it warmed Simon's heart each time he thought of it.

Even though they were disgraced and fallen angels, their Father had not totally abandoned them. They wanted for nothing. Their only condition was that they had to use special powers that they had been granted to help unfortunate humans. He had long since stopped questioning how certain humans were chosen for his help. Rather, he had started to just accept it and help those that were sent to him.

It was this very situation that had brought him together with some of the most special people that he had ever met. Of course, there was Erick who was his brother. Then there was Karl, his house manager. Simon had long ago started to think of Karl in that capacity. But he was much more than that. He was Simon's friend, and that meant more than any of Karl's other numerous talents, which weren't simple necessities -- he often wondered how he could live as comfortably and accomplish many things without Karl. As a friend and a house manager who took care of most of his needs, Karl was irreplaceable.

In truth, there wasn't anything that Simon had found that Karl could not do. He was a registered nurse, a world class chef, a licensed masseuse, and his chauffeur. Not only that, but Karl did do windows when cleaning the Simon's home as well as the laundry.

The first thing he had learned when he started living as a human was how activities that used to be mundane were pushed in the forefront of his struggle. Angels don't eat, do laundry, and clean after themselves. But suddenly, he needed to learn how to cook, wash clothes, and take a bath every few hours. It would sometimes made him feel foolish, remembering his early struggles were about which to use in order to clean an undershirt \-- a bar of soap or the powder? Although the bath soap had smelled much better, and yes, he did use that for quite a while.

But of course, when Karl came to his life he gratefully, and finally, had had time to face the more serious challenges in being a human that used to be an angel.

And that had been quite a ride. It was curious that the first unfortunate incident in his interaction with humans that had pushed him to the direction that he needed to take and the mission that he had to take upon as a mantle -- defender of the innocent. Simon used the Law to defend humans who had been falsely accused of wrong doing.

His first mission was a man whose name was Dennis Harmon. The first time he met him was the time Dennis had saved him from a muggers. But he had been beaten so much that he lost consciousness, only to learn upon waking up in the hospital that Dennis himself had been accused of the one that had beaten and tried to steal from him. Oh, and did he need to be reminded how painful it was to be mugged?

It was ironic, that the beings he'd been accusing for a long time of being worthless of the Father Time's love, proved themselves to be worthy just by being themselves -- reckless, ignorant, and weak. Oh, how much they had thought him about humility. Angels and humans had the capacity to believe they were "better" than certain other people. It's the attitude, and not the person, and someone with a superior attitude would always find something -- even the most ridiculous reasons -- to insult another and then feel superior.

Did that mean that angels were just incredibly insecure? That would have been Dreama's answer, had she known about angels. Had she known about me, he thought.

As he reflected on the past, he gradually moved forward and landed in the present.

### Chapter Six

THIS BROUGHT THE beautiful image of Dreama Addison to his mind. With her perfect light blonde, shoulder length hair and sexy aquamarine eyes, she drew him in more and more all the time. Even though he had known her for a while, he had never been able to get as close to her as he wanted because of some inescapable complications.

The first one was that she was the younger daughter of the senior partner in the Law Firm where he worked. The second was that Raven, the older and favorite daughter, had made it quite obvious as soon as she could manage that she wanted him for herself. And Raven could be very ruthless when she wanted something. Just a whiff that Simon was actually interested in Dreama could set manipulated events that would make life uncomfortable for the younger woman. That was the reason why, on social gatherings when both of them were there, he avoided being near Dreama for too long, in case Raven noticed that he was interested in being more than a friend to her younger sister.

Yes, truly. Raven could be such a pain in the ass.

Simon was still very much lost in thought, figuring out how he was going to find time being with Dreama without Raven there, when the phone on his desk buzzed.

Hitting a button on it, he said, "Yes, Rosalyn?"

"Simon, Ms. Addison is here to see you," Rosalyn said over the message system.

"Wonderful, Rosalyn! Send her in!"

Simon jumped up from behind his desk with a decided spring in his step as he hurried to the door. Whipping it open to greet her, he had to adjust the disappointed look on his face when he saw who it was.

"Ah, Raven," he said.

"Well, yes, Simon," the woman said to him. "Who did you think it was?"

"I knew it was you," he lied as he allowed her to hug him.

"Oh, did you think my lovely sister just dropped by?" Raven said archly.

"No, I knew it wasn't Dreama."

Even as Simon lied to Raven, he did his best to hide that fact. But he had a feeling that he wasn't fooling her in the least.

So Raven had heard that Dreama had been dropping by recently. There was no doubt that she was here today to find out how he liked being visited by her sister.

He did think Dreama would be here today, had actually thought this was true when Rosalyn said a Miss Addison was outside his office door. Since Dreama started assisting Holli in her wedding preparations, the younger woman would sometimes be near enough the office that she would drop by to visit her father, peeking into his office a few times, too, before she would leave for a restaurant or for the castle to meet Holli.

Raven tilted her beautiful head to the side a bit, her long black hair swinging. Her dark eyes flashed at him in disbelief, but she kept her thoughts to herself. Instead, she laid a well-manicured hand on his arm. "I thought we could have lunch together, if you don't have any plans," she said.

"Um, sure, I'd like that," he said. "Let me just tell Rosalyn that I'm leaving."

Turning his back to grab his suit jacket gave him a chance to regain his composure. He didn't want to be so transparent, especially to Raven, but it was becoming harder all the time to deny how he felt about her sister Dreama.

Dammit, he had to get a grip. If he didn't, everyone would know how he felt and that just wasn't something that could happen.

At least not yet.

So for now, he turned around and smiled at Raven as they strolled out of the office.

OVER LUNCH, RAVEN kept up a running stream of chatting.

She was really quite good at that, which came in handy when Simon wasn't in the mood to talk. He had a lot on his mind that he barely tasted his steak sandwich and cheese fries. There were times that he simply didn't want to eat healthy and this was one of them.

Raven had lifted a carefully arched eyebrow at him when he ordered his food but wisely remained silent and ordered her own shrimp salad and mineral water.

Finally, she stopped talking and sipped her water.

"Simon, you haven't been listening to a word I've said," she said icily.

"Sure I have, Raven," Simon protested. "I've just got a new case that's kind of preying on my mind right now. I'm sorry if I've made you feel that I'm not paying enough attention to you. Please, go ahead with what you were saying."

"Oh, never mind," Raven said, waving her hand dismissively. "It's not important, anyway. What I wanted to ask you about is Erick's wedding. You're his Best Man, aren't you?"

"Yes, I sure am," Simon answered, smiling, even as he began to feel like he needed to take care about what he would say next. If Holli and Dreama had hit it off from the first, Holli and Raven did not. Upon knowing about Dreama's humble background, Raven had acted snobbish, and had petulantly declared that she wasn't someone worthy of a billionaire like Erick to a select few. Noone had to tell Holli about this, because she already was sensitive enough to know. But when Erick noticed, the look on his face was enough to tell that Raven would never be in any if his lists. Not even of his least favorites.

"Well, I thought I would help you out and go as your date, since I know you don't want to be hounded by all of those single women that are sure to be there. Just let me know when you have all the details on the date and time so I can have a new outfit to wear."

### Chapter Seven

SIMON STARED AT Raven for a few moments more before he was sure she actually said what she had said.

And then he would have wanted to laugh, but he instead put what remained of his tasty sandwich down on his plate.

There was no way Raven was going to be his date to the wedding.

How long was this nasty business going to last? If he only knew what Dreama actually felt about him, things would have been different.

Raven had always felt herself to be in competition with her younger sister. There had been some issues in the beginning when Simon and Dreama had first met. Raven had been jealous that he and Dreama had hit it off and it had been a bit of a problem.

In fact, Simon hadn't seen Dreama very often at first because of the way Raven reacted -- and because something always "happened" that would eliminate either one of them in any event when they could have been together. When he learned that Raven had been manipulating arrangements so that schedules would not permit he and her sister would not be in one place at the same time, especially when the event had something to do with the firm, he knew he only had opportunities to act freely with Dreama anywhere wherein Raven would definitely not be there, like events arranged by other people and other friends.

He definitely didn't understand what was going on in Raven's head. Of course, there hadn't actually been anyone in his life for her to be jealous of until he had met Dreama. On the other hand, he had never given her cause to think anything else between them could be more than... well, friends. Although, come to think of it, they weren't really friends. Raven was a lawyer, too, and she was actually intelligent and smart. They had discussed cases many times. But they hadn't really been personally close. She might talk about personal happenings in her life, but he never did unless it had something to do with the firm.

He had dated his share of women, but no one had hit him like Dreama and he had never even taken her out on a date. He definitely had never dated Raven. But... there were those instances when they were together in one place and she would call it a date when she talked to other people. He only had heard about this recently, when colleagues had begun kidding him about dating the senior partner's daughter.

But he already had plans for pursuing Dreama by that time that he took care not to aggravate Raven until he was sure about how he stood with her younger sister.

He had been hoping to make his move on Erick and Hollianne's wedding. Dreama would be there, and he could ask her out. It would be the perfect way to spend some time with her so that she might consider actually going out on a date with him.

Dreama was going to be Holli's maid of honor, a fact that did not escape Raven's notice. Raven wasn't even included in anything that would put her remotely in the "in circle" that included Erick and his would be wife. Not even her father's association with Simon, who was known to be one of Erick's close friends, had earned her invitations to parties in the castle. She was surely hoping she would be invited in the wedding, at least, and was making sure she would be there with Simon for people to see, giving her an edge over Dreama. Simon already knew her enough to know how she would think about things like this.

Hollianne hadn't hit it off so well with Raven due to Raven's inherent competitive nature. Not to mention that Raven had been a bit snarky to Hollianne, which was a serious mistake because that was the only reason why she had never been invited to the castle ever. Hollianne Talbot-soon-to-be-Angell took nothing from people. It may have been due to the things that she had gone through in her life that made her intolerant. Whatever it was, Holli had refused to be faced with Raven's insulting nature, so she would avoid her as much as she could. She certainly would not be insulted in her own territory.

Simon didn't blame Holli for not liking Raven. It wasn't as if Raven made any great effort to be liked.

But the fact that Dreama and Holli had become like close sisters seemed to irritate Raven more. She was jealous. When she used to be the one people prefer to be the apple of their eyes, now Dreama was having her own place in the spotlight.

Simon knew things about Raven that she probably didn't realize herself. Not everything really was her fault.

Raven had been "trained" in competitive situations since she was old enough to walk and talk. Her mother had thrown her into one beauty pageant after another until Raven had become old enough to refuse.

The really sad thing was that once Raven started to put her foot down about not entering pageants any longer, her mother lost interest in her. It was almost as if Raven had been a doll that she could play dress up with over the years.

So Raven went from being the center of her mother's world to being an afterthought. That couldn't have had a positive effect on her.

### Chapter Eight

WHEN DREAMA CAME along, things got worse for Raven.

Since Raven was the one entering all the pageants, Dreama never had to deal with any of that. Not only was she very young, she was intelligent in a quiet way, and had started to make her own way by being very good in her academics. Her father adored her and her mother seemed to find time for her that didn't involve a purpose of some sort. Dreama looked quite a lot like her mother, with her light blonde hair and aquamarine eyes. Truthfully, her name was perfect because she did look a lot like a dream woman. She had always looked like that.

But Dreama's appearance belied the type of young woman that she really was. In spite of the fact that she looked angelic and almost waifish, Dreama was actually a very strong young woman. When she was asked to enter a contest her mother wanted her to enter, she refused, reasoning her way intelligently out of it that made her mother proud of her instead of hateful that Dreama refused to obey. The people that dared to challenge her had found out quite quickly just how strong she was.

Her strong personality pushed her into situations that should have made other people cower. She was so unselfish she would put herself in the way to protect other people who could not protect themselves. She was something of a rebel and a champion of the underdog. That was one of the many qualities that made her such a wonderful psychiatrist.

Her intelligence and quick wit made her very memorable, too. Once someone met, they never forgot her.

Simon certainly had not. He thought about her all the time. Did he want to cause more problems between the two sisters? They already had such a rocky relationship that something like this would be more than a drop in the proverbial bucket. Dreama had really never shown him the slightest romantic interest. For all he knew, she had a boyfriend tucked away somewhere.

But that didn't seem possible unless she was hiding him from everyone. He could not imagine why she would. She was not the kind of person who would hide the person she loved from anyone, regardless if other people would love him or not.

So he perked up. He knew that Dreama would still be available. But he was also sure he wasn't the only one attracted to her, so he really had to make his move as soon as he could.

"Well?" Raven's voice intruded on his thoughts. "Will you let me know what the dress code will be?"

"Um yeah," he finally replied. He did not find this harmful. A lot of people would be waiting to know the dress code, invited or not. "I'll see what I can find out and let you know."

"Excellent!" she exclaimed. "Now, would you like to tell me what's got you so lost in thought? You've barely said two words the whole time we've been here."

"Oh, it's just this new client I met with today. Nothing unusual."

"Is it anything you would like to bounce off me?"

"Not really," Simon replied, erring in the side of caution. He should best avoid even the usual talks he used to have with Raven. In fact, he should avoid her altogether.

Did this mean he would have to continue with his plan to put up a firm of his own? Erick had introduced the idea a long time ago, but he was more focused then about clients and not about building up a reputation for himself, enough for opening up a successful law firm. He did not realize that taking care of his clients also earned him the reputation he needed that people would notice when he started business on his own.

It wasn't a bad idea. He realized that once Raven found out he was interested in Dreama, she would be more than determined in hounding him, whether his pursuit of Dreama would be successful or not. He certainly didn't need that. He knew she would never be anything more in his eyes than a colleague.

"You know how I get when I'm first getting into a new case," he heard himself saying.

"Well, if you change your mind," Raven said. "I'm happy to listen."

"I appreciate that," he said. And if only Raven wasn't a big complication, he really would.

Raven was actually one of the top attorneys in the Moon Bay area and she had a legal mind like a steel trap. If he had actually needed any help with a case, she would have been the one to go to.

But she didn't know about Simon's special ability to help those clients that were truly innocent. This talent of his was also why he never accepted clients that he knew were guilty of the crimes they were accused of. Being in practice by himself made this possible. He knew that guilty people deserved a defense, but they wouldn't be getting it from him. He already had his mission in life and it was to protect the innocent. There were plenty of other attorneys around that didn't care if their clients were guilty or innocent.

Simon was finally able to end the lunch so that he could get back to the office. He would have to figure out a way to get out of taking Raven to Erick and Hollianne's wedding.

As far as he knew, she hadn't been on the guest list because of the way she behaved to Hollianne.

They would shoot him on sight if he dared to bring her to their wedding.

### Chapter Nine

AS IT TURNED out, Hollianne provided the way out of his dilemma.

She called him soon after he had returned to his office with a question about the wedding present she was getting for Erick. During the conversation, he mentioned that Raven had invited herself to be his date for their wedding.

"No," Hollianne said firmly. "I will not have that woman at my wedding. In fact, you know what? Tell her that you can't escort her to the wedding because the wedding party is matched up with each other. Now, that means that you, as the Best Man, will be paired with my Maid-of-Honor, which is Dreama. If you don't feel that you can tell her, I certainly have no issues with letting her know another way."

Simon was relieved, though he was now feeling a bit bad for disrupting Raven's plans. "Raven's not going to take this very well. But I completely understand why you feel the way you do. This is your wedding, and after the way she's acted toward you, if you don't want her there, I won't be the reason for her to turn up."

Sighing, Simon disconnected the call. On one hand, he was relieved that he wouldn't have to take responsibility for Raven not being allowed to attend the wedding.

On the other hand, however, he would be the one to tell her that he couldn't take her as his date. Since Raven had asked him specifically about the dress code, she would be back for the answer as soon as she possibly could. He knew her to be that way. So he could tell her about the dress code, but would keep quiet about the invitations. She would soon find out she wasn't invited to the wedding soon, anyway.

He was not looking forward to see her face when she found that out. Not at all.

WHILE SIMON WAS having his uncomfortable lunch with Raven, Dreama was at the hospital getting her patient settled in a private room.

Allison required the privacy because she was rather unpredictable at this stage, and Dreama didn't want to risk her hurting another patient while in one of her tirades. The sedative had worn off about the time that Allison was being transferred to a room and she had needed to be sedated once more.

After leaving instructions with the nurses that would be attending to Allison, she checked on her patient once more before leaving. As it turned out, she had just enough time to run home and change clothes and still make it to Erick and Hollianne's for dinner.

She was very excited about tonight because she was hoping to have some time alone with Simon, if he was to be there.

Once she reached her condo, she hurried inside and took a quick shower. Applying light makeup and blow drying her hair gave her a more restful look along with emphasizing her natural beauty. She had decided to wear a pair of black well-fitted jeans along with a purple V-neck sweater and black leather knee boots.

After spraying on some of her signature perfume, she felt she was presentable enough, even for the very handsome and very appealing Simon Draco.

She got into her car and headed to the outskirts of Moon Bay. It was a drive that she always enjoyed because it was all countryside once she had left the city. No one loved the beauty of nature more than Dreama. Of course she also loved visiting the castle. It was one of the most relaxing locations on earth as far as she was concerned, and she couldn't wait until she had a few days to spend there.

She smiled when she remembered how she was informed that a part of Holli's closest friends could stay in the castle after they left for their honeymoon. Holli specifically informed her she was one of those a few weeks ago, and so she made preparations and had her schedule wrapped around this short break. She would love getting to catch up on those books she had long ago purchased but had not enough time to read.

When Dreama finally arrived at Erick and Hollianne's, Holli threw open the front door and hurried down the front steps to greet her.

She had to smile at the enthusiasm that Holli seemed to inject into everything she did. It also didn't hurt that she loved to feel so welcome. Holli rarely met a stranger and, even when she did, that stranger typically became a fast friend in no time.

Everyone, that was, except Raven.

But it was Raven's fault. For some reason, she had disliked Holli on sight and was actually embarrassingly rude to her on many occasions. It had shocked Holli and Dreama, though Holli recovered pretty quickly, which was pretty cool. After a couple more attempts at being friendly to Raven to win her over had failed, Holli threw down the gauntlet. She would often say that she was surprised Dreama and Raven were sisters. Dreama had heard this observation numerous times in her life, and she really didn't have an answer as to why Raven remained this way anymore.

Dreama knew more than anyone else how life had been for her older sister when they were young, but she was expecting that Raven was mature enough by this time to know to cut her losses and look forward to a future she was adult enough to be able to control. Dreama, more than anyone else, knew how lucky they were to be born in a rich family, and been able to afford more necessities and comforts more than any other people in this world. Look at Holli, who had lost so much more than Dreama could ever imagine. Yet, she remained positive and happy.

On the other hand, Raven had always been more selfish than anyone Dreama knew. And that's really sad, she thought as she sighed and shook her head. Some things, there was no way other people could help with.

Raven had to learn to become unselfish and sensitive to other's needs first before she could be really happy.

### Chapter Ten

DREAMA HAPPILY ACCEPTED Holli's hug and entered the house with her.

"It's so great to see you!" Hollianne enthused. "It's been too long!"

"I agree, Holli," Dreama said. "You know how much I love coming out here and seeing you. It's just been so crazy lately."

"Erick and I were hoping that you would be able to spend a few days here," she said.

"I wish I could," Dreama lamented. "But I'm going to have to go back into the city tonight after dinner. I've got a new patient that is in pretty bad shape and I need to be able to spend some time with her for the next few days. I'm hoping to get her stabilized."

"Ah, I understand," Hollianne said. "Your patients always come first. Your dedication is one of the many things I adore about you! Well, you know that you're welcome here at any time. And when Erick has business near you, I can always come! Do you know that I'm, well..." Holli suddenly looked a bit shy. "I'm thinking of going back to the university. If you have time, I was hoping I can discuss what course to take with you?"

"Of course, Holli! I will be delighted! Oh, I'll make inquiries and I'll prepare a list of choices for what I think you might want to take."

"How about -- oh, not immediately after the wedding," she said, giving her future husband a sweet smile. "Maybe you can spend time here sometime after that? When you're free?"

"I honestly cannot wait to get some free time to come here for that. Imagine, you're about to study for a new career! Isn't that just wonderful?"

They got inside the castle talking like this. When they got to the hall, she started giving her updates about the wedding preparations that she didn't know yet. Erick quietly left them to get the dining room ready for their dinner after giving them drinks as they sat on the massive sofa.

Suddenly, Hollianne turned to Dreama smiling widely.

"So you don't mind having Simon as your escort to the wedding, do you?" she asked.

"Are you serious?" Dreama exclaimed. "How on earth are you going to pull that off?" she asked in a whisper. Only Holli knew about her real feelings about Simon.

"It's simple," Hollianne smiled. "I decided today that the bridal party will be each other's escorts. That means that you, as my Maid-of-Honor, and Simon, as Erick's Best Man, will be paired off together."

Dreama looked at her friend more closely. And Holli rolled her eyes.

"Okay, something happened." And Holli quickly told her about Simon's call.

She couldn't help but feel sad about her sister, but she worried about something else. "You know how much I love you, Holli," Dreama said. "But I really don't like the idea of myself being forced on Simon."

"Oh, it will be nothing of the sort," Hollianne replied as she waved her hand through the air dismissively. "If I am not mistaken, he actually sounded relieved and excited about it. I can imagine that he liked you rather better than your sister. I mean, when you talk about someone pushing herself at someone -- that would be Raven at Simon. I heard from some reliable sources that although Raven has been telling people they are dating, Simon didn't seem happy when confronted with this. In fact, they said he had looked irritated. Besides, this decision helped me out of a rather sticky spot."

"Really? What spot was that?"

"Okay, Simon said that Raven is insistent on being his date to the wedding. Well, I know she's your sister, but you also know that there's no way in hell that I'm going to allow her here on the most special day of my life."

""Uh-oh," she said.

"So I decided on the spot that Simon already had a date for the wedding. And, I also told him that she's not welcome here. I'm sorry, Dreama, but I know you understand."

"I see what you did there," Dreama said as she tried to appear annoyed. "You know that the shit is going to hit the fan when Raven hears this."

"I know, and I couldn't care less! I'm sorry, Dreama. Again, I know she's your sister, but the two of you couldn't be more different than day and night. She is not a nice person. I know that she wasn't treated well when she was growing up, but she's an adult now. Raven is responsible for making her own choices. Therefore, when she starts acting like a bitch, that's all on her."

"You know, if Raven really wants to come to the wedding, she'll find a way to do it," Dreama said ruefully.

"Oh no, she won't. Erick has already taken care of that by making a guest list that included everyone individually. Even married people are each getting separate invitations. There are no 'and guest' invitations for single people. So if she turns up, she won't have an invitation and won't get past the men working the wedding entrance. All the guests must present their own invitations so it doesn't matter who she shows up with. She is not getting in."

Dreama looked at Hollianne in amazement. No one had ever stood up to her sister like this. Those that had tried had lived to regret it.

Somehow, she didn't feel that Hollianne would have that problem. She was pretty strong on her own and didn't seem to be afraid of anyone. It was clear to see what Erick had found so enticing in her.

"Besides," Hollianne went on in a cheerier tone. "We have to do something to get the two of you together."

"Shhh," Dreama cried as she frantically looked over her shoulder. "This is not something that I want to be overheard!"

"Oh, don't worry..." Hollianne replied. "Erick's out of earshot. He would be happy about it, though. He also isn't fond of your sister."

"Well, still." Dreama sighed. "Be careful of what you say." She consciously rolled her eyes. "It occurred to me just recently that when it comes to Simon, I always revert to my former teenage self. I've been a professional for a long time. But I also have had these... feelings for him from the moment I've seen him when I was but fourteen and lurking on the edges of my parent's Christmas Party. He was new to the firm then. Since then, I had this huge crush on him. I thought it would go away, but it never did." She shook her head embarrassingly.

"Oh, don't worry your beautiful head. I've seen the way he looks at you when you think he's not looking. I'm telling you that he's going to be thrilled! "

"We'll see," Dreama muttered. Holli had said so many times that Simon had tried so many times to be here when he knew Dreama would be here. And that Simon had been giving her looks that he never let her see. Maybe she was right, she thought hopefully. Maybe Simon Draco was finally seeing her as her own woman, and not just a partner's young daughter or a colleague's younger sister? "We'll see."

"Oh, and by the way, you did know that Simon will be having dinner with us tonight, didn't you? I couldn't remember if I told you or not."

"You mentioned that he might be in attendance," Dreama said teasingly.

"Well, he has accepted and will positively be joining us. I also have it on good authority that he quite eagerly accepted the invitation once he heard that you had also been asked to come. Now, I can't say for sure, of course, but that sounds like he is definitely interested."

"Maybe," Dreama said as she smiled. "Maybe."

### Chapter Eleven

ERICK, HOLLIANNE AND Dreama were all having a drink before dinner when Simon arrived.

He had decided to return home to shower and change clothes before coming out to Erick and Hollianne's. When he learned that Dreama would be here as well, he wanted to look the best he could without being too obvious. So he wore casual but tasteful clothes.

Stopping by the foyer mirror, he glanced at himself one more time before heading out to his car. His six feet three inch height and two hundred pound weight appeared fit and wore his khakis and pullover shirt quite well. The shaggy-cut black hair dipped seductively onto his forehead, highlighting his neon green eyes. His quirky smile was sexy and displayed some dimples that caused more than one woman to drool.

It did not take long of his stay on Earth to know how women delighted in looking at him, but it did take a while before he could be comfortable on spending time with them. He learned the trick that all it took for a successful date was that he should really like a woman's personality, and he had found many women who were really likeable. But no one had held his interest than Dreama's beauty, because she really was beautiful inside and out.

Once he decided that he was presentable, he grabbed his jacket, and called out to Karl that he was leaving. He had given Karl the night off to visit his friends or members of his family. Karl's favorite nieces and nephews were all grown up now, but he would often treat them to nights out oftentimes.

Karl had fallen in love with a woman a decade ago, and they had planned to get married. It was very sad, because the woman died in a tragic car crash before they could push through with this. Since then, Karl had not even looked at another woman. Simon wished he would, but if time could not heal her friend's broken heart, he would make sure he would be comfortable all his life.

For now, though, he had his mind on getting to Erick's and spending the evening with the lovely Dr. Dreama Addison. Karl had been happy when he found out where he was going and why he was so excited that he had spent a long time choosing what to wear and preening on the mirror. He did not preen.

Okay, he did a little, he admitted. Grinning.

Hurrying to his car, he got in and drove away.

On the drive there, his mind wandered to the last time he saw Dreama.

It had also been at a dinner hosted by Erick and Hollianne. That's why he had been able to spend time talking with Dreama. Raven hadn't been around to interrupt and put a stop to any interaction between Dreama and him. The least she would have done was insinuate herself in the middle of their conversation before she hijacked it and eventually dragged Simon away.

He had actually begun to think of Erick's huge castle as a sanctuary of sorts. It was certainly a haven when it came to escaping Raven. He hated to think of her in those terms, but she really had become so very difficult. What worried him was this hunch, that she would not allow anyone to have him if she couldn't have him for herself. He hoped that wasn't true and he had avoided thinking about this nasty thought, but he was rarely wrong in these instances.

It was difficult for him to keep to the speed limit because he was so eager to reach Erick's and see Dreama. He had decided that this would be the night. He would manage to speak with her alone at some point and ask her if she would have a drink with him or something in the near future. He would book an entire restaurant for just the two of them if she would just agree to spend an evening with him.

By the time he pulled onto the road leading to Erick's, he felt a lot like a high school boy on the way to his first date.

His hands were sweaty on his steering wheel. His heartbeat had accelerated and his stomach felt like bursting with butterflies. He turned off the engine and found that he couldn't seem to move to get out of the car.

This is ridiculous, he thought. I'm a grown man -- an adult. Not a teenage boy going on a date with the homecoming queen.

Dreama definitely looked like a homecoming queen, yes. And any man would feel very lucky to be with her.

And wasn't he really lucky?

That seemed to be enough to motivate him to get out of the car.

### Chapter Twelve

AS SIMON APPROACHED the steps, he was rendered breathless at the enormity and terrible beauty of this place. He couldn't, for practical reasons, acquire a place like this to live with, but he appreciated the reasons why the Erick Angell that he knew lived in a huge, private, imposing but beautiful place like this.

He used the heavy knocker to announce his arrival. Listening as it echoed through the huge structure, he waited patiently for someone to answer the door.

Eli opened the door to Simon within a few seconds.

"Mr. Draco," Eli greeted him. "Please come in. Mr. Erick, Ms. Hollianne and Dr. Addison are all in the study. Shall I take you there?"

"That's okay, Eli," Simon said. "I know the way. Thank you."

After handing his jacket to Eli, he walked down one of the long hallways and turned a corner into the large room that was used as a study. Sure enough, the three of them were all sitting there sipping on drinks. They all looked up at him when he appeared in the doorway.

"Simon!" Erick exclaimed as he got to his feet and went to embrace him. "We were just having a drink while we waited for you. Come in and join us!"

"Simon, it's so wonderful that you could join us tonight," Hollianne added. "We don't see nearly enough of you."

Simon leaned over to give her a quick hug and kiss before accepting his drink from Erick. Finally, he had the nerve to look at Dreama.

He lost time for a while as she smiled tentatively at him. As always, her name fit her perfectly. She looked as if she had just walked out of a dream. It wasn't even the clothes she was wearing or her lightly made up face. She would have been exceptional no matter what she had been wearing.

"Hi, Simon," she said quietly.

"Dreama," he acknowledged. "You're looking beautiful, as always."

"You are such a flatterer," she laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners, looking alive and beautiful.

"I just call it like I see it," he retorted.

Erick cleared his throat discreetly before the exchange could get any more involved. "I believe dinner should be ready by now," he announced. "Simon, bring your drink with you."

"Grace has something very special waiting for us tonight," Hollianne said as she got to her feet. "I've been banned from the kitchen all day, but that didn't stop these absolutely mouthwatering aromas from wafting out of there."

They all headed to the formal dining room where fine china adorned the table as well as many lighted candles. It was all quite beautiful. Covered dishes lined the middle of the table that held the food that constituted dinner.

And Hollianne was right. The aromas were incredible.

As they sat down and filled their plates, there was plenty of conversation revolving around the food that Grace had obviously spent quite a long time preparing. There was a beef roast cooked to perfection along with au jus, mashed potatoes, vegetable medley, fresh baked bread and butter, and salad with a vinaigrette dressing. They all began eating immediately.

Hollianne skillfully directed the dinner conversation to the wedding.

She managed to work in that Simon and Dreama would be paired as the Best Man and the Maid-of-Honor. Both she and Dreama were both surreptitiously watching to see what Simon's reaction would be to that piece of news. Even though Holli had informed both of them separately of this plan, Dreama wanted to see Simon's face.

To their relief, Simon's eyes actually seemed to light up briefly. This caused Holli to give Dreama an "I told you so" look along with a smug little smile. Dreama couldn't help but smile back. There was a little feeling of warmth building within and she was starting to feel a flickering of hope for the two of them.

Maybe Raven wouldn't be able to ruin this for her after all.

After dinner, they told Grace that they would have dessert in the study. This was one of the most beautiful rooms in the entire place. It had a floor-to-ceiling window that made up the back wall overlooking the garden and everyone that ever saw this room felt a peacefulness and serenity that wasn't easy to acquire.

At night, there were small twinkling lights that adorned the garden. These lights strongly resembled the stars in the sky. She had heard Erick told Simon that he loved the garden at night because he was reminded of their heavenly home. So she surmised that Erick and Simon must have grown up in a lovely, vast place, away from the city, where the view of the stars would not be hampered by heavy smog at night. It must also be the reason why he and Simon were such good friends, because they had grown up in the same place.

As they continued to discuss wedding plans, Simon and Dreama had started exchanging discreet looks between them. Even though they were quite discreet, they did not go unnoticed by both Hollianne and Erick. In fact, these two were exchanging some looks of their own as Hollianne's matchmaking tendencies kicked into overdrive.

Erick knew what she was thinking and smiled indulgently. He knew it was a waste of time to ask her to let nature take its course. Many times, Hollianne professed to be nature's best friend, and there was no stopping her once she was on a mission to help two people get together.

### Chapter Thirteen

THEY WERE ALL having a wonderful conversation about inconsequential things, really, when Dreama's cell phone rang. Glancing down, she saw that it was the hospital.

"I'm so sorry, but I must take this," she said as she stood up and quickly stepped out into the hallway.

While Dreama was taking her call, Hollianne looked at Simon with a somewhat mischievous look on her face.

"So Simon," she began. "When are you going to ask Dreama out on a real date?"

"Now, Holli," Erick said. "Please don't make Simon uncomfortable, or he will stop agreeing to come visit us."

Simon laughed at the two of them. "I appreciate you trying to run interference for me, Brother," he said. "But this is one time that Holli has it right. I have been thinking all night of how I can ask her out before she leaves here."

"Wonderful!" Holli cried with no small measure of glee in her voice. "It's not that hard, Simon. Just ask her. I know she'll say yes!"

"You do, eh? Now, just how are you so positive that she will say yes?"

"I...uh...I just know," Holli said. "I can't give away all of my secrets, you know. But I can tell you that you won't regret it if you do ask her."

Dreama suddenly hurried back into the room. "I'm so sorry, but I'm going to have to leave. That was the hospital. Apparently, my new patient is awake and causing quite a ruckus. I need to get there as soon as possible."

"Oh, Dreama," Holli exclaimed. "I wish you didn't have to go but, of course, we understand. At least you got to enjoy your dinner first."

"And a wonderful dinner it was! Thank you so much for inviting me, and I promise that we'll get together later this week to go over more wedding plans."

Simon saw his chance slipping away. "Dreama, let me walk you out," he said.

"Oh, Simon, that's not really necessary," she said but then she caught a look from Holli. "However, that would be nice. Thank you."

After hugging Hollianne and Erick, she and Simon headed back down the large, long hallway. Eli was waiting at the front door with her coat. Dreama never could understand how Eli knew these things. It was almost as if he was psychic at times.

Simon helped her into her coat and they walked outside to her car.

Just before he opened the car door for her to get inside, Simon turned to face Dreama.

"I know you need to leave," he said, almost panicking as he felt his throat constricting in his nervousness. "But I wanted to ask you if you might be free some evening this week. I thought we might go out for dinner or something. If you're really busy, maybe we can meet for a drink." By the time he finished, he was already wincing. It wasn't the best delivery he had ever done. What must she think?

But Dreama's smile was brilliant as she looked up at him. "I would love that, Simon," she said. "Let me just check my calendar and see what my schedule is like. Also, I've got to see how things go with my new patient, but I should at least be able to manage a drink, if nothing else."

"Great!" Simon smiled back. "I'll wait to hear from you."

Opening the door for her, he stepped back as she got into the driver's seat.

"Be careful going home," he said. "And I really enjoyed getting to see you tonight."

"Me, too," Dreama said. "I'll call you tomorrow."

"I look forward to it," he said just before shutting the car door.

After she started the car engine, she gave him a little wave before driving away.

Simon watched her as she drove down the long driveway until she was out of sight. He was kind of glad that she couldn't see him now because he didn't want her to see the huge, goofy smile that he was wearing as he returned to the house.

AFTER THE INCREDIBLE evening that Simon had spent with Dreama the night before at Erick and Hollianne's, he was more convinced than ever that she was the woman he was meant to have.

Of course, Holli had pumped him for details when he had re-entered the house after seeing Dreama to her car. Since he knew it would do no good to try to ignore her, he confessed that he had asked Dreama out and that she had said yes. They just needed to figure out how to work it around her schedule right now, and whether that schedule would allow her time for dinner or only a drink. Either way, he was happy that she seemed interested. Holli couldn't almost contain her excitement, telling him that if he hadn't made his move that night she would have made sure there would be another dinner as soon as she could arrange it, to give both of them their chance.

He had also made another decision, now that Dreama had agreed to go out with him.

There was going to be no sneaking around. He was proud to be seen with Dreama and wanted the world to know that he was dating her.

Of course, he might be putting the cart before the horse here, but somehow he didn't think so.

That's why he had thought through the whole thing about Raven and had reached a conclusion.

Simon had decided to tackle the problem of telling Raven that she wouldn't be his date for Erick and Hollianne's wedding as soon as possible.

He figured that it would be simpler to do this in a very non-public venue so he had invited her over to his house for dinner that night.

### Chapter Fourteen

KARL, EVER THE perfect chef, had created a meal using many of Raven's favorite dishes.

When she arrived, dinner itself went well and was, of course, delicious. Karl had prepared a particularly flavorful seafood casserole with a salad and freshly baked bread as sides. For dessert, they had strawberry shortcake made with fresh, newly picked ripe strawberries and topped with homemade whipping cream.

But when he finally decided to tell her the unwelcome news, he never expected her to react quite the way she had.

Raven started screaming at the top of her lungs right in the middle of his living room. He was stunned at the bizarre tantrum before he finally realized that he had to stop her.

Standing up, he crossed the room to where Raven stood still ranting and raving and put his rather hands on her shoulders. She moved to throw herself at him but his arms were like steel.

He looked her directly in the eyes.

"Raven, stop this right now," he calmly commanded. "You are behaving like a child. You're only embarrassing yourself. What would your father think when he sees you like this?

Raven was momentarily struck silent. The expression on her face was a combination of outrage and anger. She had been used to getting her way and was enraged that nothing was going to plan.

She was sure that once that bitch of a sister had the opportunity to be with Simon, she would grab it with both of her greedy hands. Why did she get everything that Raven wanted? It never occurred to Raven that she only felt desperate of wanting something when she saw that Dreama wanted it, too, or that if it had been a person, that someone liked her more than Raven.

Glaring at Simon, she did at least manage to stop yelling. But Simon had heard more than enough of the words she had yelled at him in her rage.

"I cannot understand why you would think Holli had a way with this when you're not even in the arrangements to begin with. And you don't even like the woman. You have made that fact abundantly clear ever since you met her. Why do you even dislike her so much? You don't even know her before she became Erick's fiancee. Was it because Erick fell in love with someone like her, instead of someone like you?"

Raven looked like she had been slapped. "How dare you?"

He shrugged his shoulders "I've known you enough time to find this reason logical. Maybe you wanted Erick for yourself. I don't know. But whatever reason that you're so angry over this, you must get a grip. Do you hear me?"

Slowly, Raven nodded while still staring at Simon in complete amazement. He had never spoken to her that way. They both know that everything that he'd said was true. Raven knew for a long time that her behavior had become unwelcomed in many circles, and that it was just her father's clout that was protecting her from the backlash. But no one had ever faced her and told her exactly how bad she was.

She wasn't sure that she liked it, but strangely, she appreciated Simon more because of it. She had never met a man who could measure up to her. It made the possibility of losing him to Dreama more intolerable.

And therefore, unacceptable. She had to find a way to turn things around her way. This wasn't over by a long shot. But for now, she would have to drop it.

She plastered the most pitiful expression on her face. Looking tearful helped, too. "I... I'm sorry," she finally whispered. "I'm not sure what got into me. You're right, of course. I was making a big deal out of something that really isn't."

Simon was looking at her strangely. "Good," he said. But he still looked... unconvinced. How could he not be? This expression had never failed her before. "You must know that I don't enjoy speaking to you that way, but it was necessary that you know the truth."

"I still don't know why Hollianne wouldn't want me at the wedding," Raven pouted.

Instead of following that thread, he asked, "What's so wrong with her that you act this way?"

"I honestly don't know what it is," Raven replied. "She just grates on my nerve."

"But that makes no sense, Raven. There has to be a reason that you don't like her."

"She's just so perfect or something. No one is that sweet!"

"Maybe Hollianne is that sweet simply because all the things she's been through had made her realize that being bitter will not change anything but make things worse for her."

"Oh no, I don't believe that. By acting sweet, I believe she'd set a trap for Erick!"

He actually looked disagreeable. She couldn't understand that he could still be so ignorant after being such a smart lawyer!

"You can't actually believe she's not putting an act!"

"He fell in love with her, Raven, all on his own. If you know Erick as I do, you would also know that he will never fall for a trap. Hollianne is a great person, that's it. And it's time that you try to accept that."

And that was when Raven realized that after all his politeness, Simon Draco hadn't liked her at all; and that her hope that he would one day see that she was the perfect woman for him would be an almost impossible feat.

Who is it, she seethed. Who is the woman that he's in love with? It is the only explanation. There is someone else, and she's the reason why I can't seduce him. She's the reason why he can't see how great we are together!

### Chapter Fifteen

RAVEN REMAINED SULLEN and silent throughout Simon's admonishment. He could tell that she hadn't totally caved, but at least she had calmed down. But he had a hunch that he would not like whatever thoughts were racing through her head at the moment.

He was right.

Raven was thinking that her sister would be at Erick and Hollianne's wedding, too. She had noticed lately that Simon had been looking at Dreama the way she had been hoping he would look at her. Aside from that, Raven had once been so sure that once she got Simon in a wedding environment, she could make him turn to her in a different way. Finding out that he would walk the isle with Dreama holding on to her arm had made her realized that her sister would be reaping what she had planned to reap for herself!

Dreama was not going to get Simon. Raven had decided that a long time ago. If Raven couldn't have him, her sister certainly wasn't going to walk off into the sunset with him.

It wasn't as if Dreama had actually been looking at Simon that way, though. Raven had to admit that Dreama didn't show any interest in Simon at all other than as maybe an older brother or something. But who knew what could happen at a wedding where they would both be looking gorgeous with so much romance around them?

Well, Raven might shut up for now, but she was more determined than ever to get into that wedding. She just had to figure out how.

"Fine, Simon, I said that you're right. I over reacted and I apologize. Now, please, can we talk about something else?"

"I would love to talk about anything else," Simon said. "But I need you to promise me that you're not going to do anything stupid regarding this wedding."

"What on earth are you talking about?"

"You know what I'm talking about. I don't want you to show up at that wedding and cause a scene. If you do anything to ruin Erick and Holli's special day, believe me, you will be sorry. And this isn't even about you anymore. Remember that your father had been working hard to get Erick to support a big event that will help a lot of people in grief-stricken areas for the Holidays?"

"He's only doing this to promote the firm," she said nonchalantly, and knew she had made a mistake because of the way Simon was looking at her. "I m-mean, it's part of the promotional campaign for Christmas. Dad's not really serious about it."

Simon had been with Raven's father when the project had been discussed. Raven didn't know it, but a friend's passing due to a storm while he was out of the country and into one that had been severely devastated had affected the older man so much that he'd decided to use his clout to raise funds for disaster stricken areas in the globe. Had Raven even known about the dead family friend? It just seemed that she didn't.

"I'm just telling you -- don't cause trouble on Holli's special day. Do you understand?"

"How can you choose her over me?"

"I'm not choosing anyone here, Raven. I'm just telling you that if you hurt Holli in any way, you're going to have to contend with Erick Angell. I mean what I say. If you want us to remain friends, then you'll stay away from that wedding. Promise me."

"Okay, Simon, I promise," Raven replied petulantly as she crossed her fingers behind her back.

She could see that she had a lot of work to do to get Simon to see her way -- and a lot to make sure her sister would not be able to snatch him under her nose. She had to let things go for now to be able to start making plans about what to do in the next several days. She needed to ensure she would have her future with this man by her side.

She could not stand by if Dreama gets him! She absolutely could not!

She would kill before she would let that bitch get away with taking what's rightfully hers again!

### Angel Private Eye 1

### Chapter One

"THIS IS AMBER Barrows with Channel 13, and I'm standing in front of the courthouse where we're told that Andrew Martin, just found not guilty of a near deadly assault on his ex-girlfriend, Pamela Stevens, will be coming out to talk to us. He's coming out now with his attorney, Simon Draco, who seemed to dazzle the jury and the court with evidence that Andrew could not have possibly assaulted Pamela Stevens. Not only that, but he proved that another man had committed the crime even though that man had been questioned and crossed off the list of suspects. We've been instructed not to release the name of this man due to the arrest not having been made. Mr. Draco, how did you discover that your client wasn't guilty?"

Simon smiled directly into the camera before he replied.

"Well, Amber, I make it a rule not to ever take on any clients that are not innocent."

"So you're saying that not one of your clients has ever been guilty?"

"Yes, Amber, that's exactly what I am saying."

"Are you saying that guilty people don't deserve a good defense, Mr. Draco?"

"Certainly not. I believe that all suspects deserve a good defense. It's just that I prefer to only represent innocent clients because I must believe in them if I'm to offer my very best defense."

"How did you know that Andrew Martin wasn't guilty?"

"Now, Amber, I can't give away all of my secrets. Just suffice it to say that I knew from the moment I shook his hand."

Amber then turned to Andrew Martin and asked him how he felt about being found not guilty.

"I can't describe how it feels to know that the justice system worked and that my attorney was able to prove that I didn't hurt Pam."

"What are your plans now that you're free?"

"I'm going to have a nice dinner and then I'm going to see about getting on with my life."

"Will you be going to visit Pamela in the hospital?"

Simon suddenly stepped in and took control of the media once more.

"Mr. Martin has had a long day and is anxious to get home now. Thank you."

With that, Simon used his body to shield Andrew from the ravenous press members and got into a waiting car.

Turning down the volume with the remote, Graeme smiled and shook his head. Yes, Simon had pulled another one out of his hat, it seemed. But he was right. Andrew Martin had been the scapegoat for this crime all along. Happily, now it was over and he could try to get on with his life. Graeme was glad that he could help Simon with what he needed even if was just through Erick.

Just then his phone rang. Well, speak of the devil and all that.

"Hello, Erick," Graeme said as he clicked the phone on.

"Did you see our boy on television just now?" Erick Angell asked.

"I was just watching it. Glad I could be of some assistance on this. I would hate to see that guy get away with what he did to Pamela Stevens. Now that the focus is off of Andrew Martin, they can reel in the actual attacker."

"Very true," Erick agreed. "Simon wanted me to thank you again for your help."

"Tell him he's welcome, and anytime," Graeme said. "I'd love for us to get out and have fun again. Maybe a dinner will not be bad sometime next week?"

"We'll arrange it then. Holli had been telling me we guys should go out more often than we do."

"Your wife is a very wise woman, Erick. She's very special," Graeme said.

"Oh, that she is," Erick agreed on the other end of the line with a tone in his voice that said more than the words ever could.

A noise was heard in the house and Graeme looked in the direction of the front door before going back to the conversation. "I hate to cut you short, Erick, but I've got an appointment and I think he's just arrived. We'll speak later."

"Of course," Erick replied.

After disconnecting the phone call, Graeme pushed the zoom button on his security camera at the gate entrance to his home which also served as his office. Graeme specialized in finding missing people but, since he had everything he needed here at his house, he saw no reason to pay rent on an office. His home wasn't that far out of Moon Bay and it wasn't that hard to find once you had the directions to it. However, since he did have his office in his home, he felt the need for a bit of extra security. He had installed several top of the line security cameras throughout his property as well as a very sophisticated alarm system. In addition to that, he employed four guards as well as kept four Dobermans to patrol the grounds.

His guards were ex-government employees and he didn't care which branch they came from. They had clean backgrounds and were highly effective at what they did. That's all Graeme needed to know. His Dobermans were true teddy bears-until they were given certain commands. They were perfect as well in sensing enemies on their own. On top of all that, Graeme was very self-sufficient when it came to taking care of himself.

Just now, he was observing the man at his gate who looked a bit as if he were somewhere between intimidated and annoyed. Graeme smiled slightly as he watched the man searching for the right button to push on the intercom system. For fun, Graeme allowed the alert on his end to sound a couple of times before answering.

Sometimes, he amused himself with pettiness like this-very human. But that's it. In the years since he had become an Earthbound, he had learned how to be human, and these simple acts of being human could sometimes be refreshing.

Finally, he pushed the button on his end.

"May I help you?" Graeme said.

"Um yes, I've got an appointment with Graeme St. Paul. My name is Jefferson Graves."

Without saying another word, Graeme pushed the button that opened the wrought iron gates that would allow Mr. Graves to enter his property and drive up to his house. He used this as a sort of test to see how "quick" someone was.

This man appeared to be quicker than most as he didn't pause to try to ask more questions. He simply watched the gates open and drove through them. Graeme waited for the man to drive in sufficiently far enough before closing them again.

His cameras tracked the car as it traveled down the mile long drive to Graeme's house as he watched. Jefferson Graves was certainly confident enough as he maneuvered his car, a black Lexus, down the road toward the house. Graeme was pretty sure that this man probably had a driver most of the time but he had given clear instructions that only Mr. Graves was to come to this appointment. His instructions had been followed.

When Mr. Graves had finally arrived in front of the house, he exited his car and stood taking in the vastness of Graeme's home. This was something that typically surprised people seeing the property for the first time. Everyone nearly always expected to see some little building or something and they were nearly always amazed to see what could only mean some serious money. He waited until Mr. Graves had walked up the steps to the large wrap around porch and hit the doorbell.

Getting up from his chair, he wandered down the long wide hallway toward the door. When he opened the door, he found Mr. Graves in the act of getting ready to ring the doorbell again. He looked mildly surprised at being caught.

"Hello, Mr. Graves. I'm Graeme St. Paul. Won't you come in?"

"Oh, hello, Mr. St. Paul! It's so nice to meet you!"

The two men shook hands in a professional manner and Graeme stepped back to allow his potentially new client to enter his home.

Having come through the door, Jefferson Graves stood in the large foyer and took in his surroundings.

Graeme took his jacket and hung it from the coat rack by the door. He was just turning around to shake hands with Graeme while trying to arrange his face in a semblance of nonchalance.

Graeme had to hide a grin. Clearly, this man was used to being surrounded by money, yet here he was seemingly stunned at the opulence that belonged to a lowly private investigator. He almost wished that Simon could be here to shake hands with this man. In that way, he would know without a shadow of a doubt whether Jefferson Graves was someone he wanted to work with or not.

"Come on back to my office," Graeme said as he led the way.

Jefferson Graves followed.

### Chapter Two

WHEN THEY REACHED the open double doors, Graeme stood aside and allowed his guest to enter first. Again, it seemed difficult for the other man to hide his amazement.

This was one of Graeme's favorite rooms in the house and was the reason he chose it to be his office. Behind his massive antique desk was a wall of floor to ceiling windows that looked out over a very carefully cultivated and manicured garden. The various flowers and greenery were lush and in full bloom even during this time of the year. The wall at the far end of the room contained a large stone fireplace.

Facing it was a loveseat, which was flanked by a matching easy chair on either side. A coffee table sat in the middle. The other walls were made up of floor to ceiling bookcases that were filled with books. Sliding ladders were attached to all of the bookcases so the top shelves could be reached with ease.

Graeme indicated the two leather high-backed chairs that sat facing his desk and invited Jefferson Graves to have a seat. Then he sat down himself.

"Now, Mr. Graves, what can I do for you?" Graeme asked.

"This is rather complicated, but I'll try to simplify it a bit in the interest of time. You may be familiar with Graves Enterprises. My two brothers and I have running the company along with our father, who died recently as a result of a terrible accident. Fortunately, he had left a will so we all know what his wishes were. There's quite a bit of money involved in his estate as well as the business itself. Most of the money as well as an interest in the business have been left to my brothers and me. The remainder of the estate has been left to a younger sister that we had no idea even existed. The problem is that since we never knew of her, obviously we don't have a recent address for her. We did try to do a little searching on our own but, so far, we haven't had any success in locating her. That's when my brothers and I decided we should involve a professional. And here I am."

"I see," Graeme said, nodding. "So you want to hire me to find this sister of yours. If I'm going to find her, I'll need a bit of information in order to get started on a basic search and then go from there if needed. Whatever details you've managed to unearth will be helpful in getting started. Here's a list of my fees and what they cover."

Sliding a sheet of paper across the table, he watched Graves merely glance at it and nod.

"Your fees aren't a problem, Mr. St. Paul. Our only interest is in finding our long lost sister. If you agree to help locate her, I'm prepared to write you a check today."

"Very well, Mr. Graves," Graeme said. "I'll get started on this immediately and keep you updated as I find out anything."

Fifteen minutes later, Graeme was seeing Jefferson Graves to the door. He went back to his office, check in hand, and watched his security cameras so that he would know when to open the gates for Graves to depart. Once that was done, he sat back and reflected on what little bit of information Graves had been able to supply about his long lost, unknown sister.

Her name was Kiara Shannon and she was approximately 26 years old. Graves hadn't known her exact birthdate. He and his brothers had managed to unearth the fact that she had been born in Moon Bay in one of the main hospitals there. That was as good a place as any for him to start.

He turned to face his computer and used his special search software to try to locate Kiara's birth certificate. It took a few minutes to find what he was looking for, but eventually, he had the one he needed. The fact that she had a rather odd name helped as well as knowing what hospital she was born in. He did have to run the entire year because Graves didn't have a birth month for her, but he finally hit pay dirt.

The birth certificate for Kiara Shannon showed her birth date as June 25th and her mother's name was Renee Shannon. Renee had been 22 when Kiara was born. Father was Unknown.

Well, that's not a huge surprise, being as her father was a very well-known businessman in town, and a married one at that. A little more research turned up that Renee Shannon was deceased and had been since Kiara was little more than 18 years old.

At least she wasn't dumped into the system, thought Graeme. He had to assume that Kiara never knew the elder Mr. Graves or that he was her father. After her mother's death, it seemed that Kiara had simply gone off the grid. Graeme didn't doubt that he would be able to find her, though.

After all, finding missing people was what he did best. It was his special calling and he never failed to find the missing person he's meant to locate. He was ready to find Ms. Kiara Shannon no matter how much work it would take to do so.

THE NEXT MORNING, Graeme got up, made coffee and planned out his day.

He had given his housekeeper Stella the week off so that she and her husband could go on a proper vacation, which he also paid for.

Graeme was generous if he wasn't anything else. Besides, Stella and Jerry were the closest things he had to a family her on Earth. He was glad that she seemed to be having a good time, but he couldn't deny that he was going to be relieved to see her return. It was hard to understand how she managed to keep his house running so smoothly. That was a feat that he certainly couldn't do.

On the other hand, making coffee was easy enough and he could have breakfast once he got to Moon Bay.

Graeme checked his appearance in the mirror before leaving the house and studied what he saw there. His height was sometimes a deterrent when he was shadowing someone because he was 6' 5" and had a rather fit body for his height, but it was all solid muscle. His hair wasn't grey but it was a very unique silver color that he wore in a full style. His eyes were also a silver grey in color and he always looked as if he was wearing black eyeliner. His lashes were also long and dark, making him the envy of any woman that saw them. With his lush mouth, women tended to try to get him to kiss them all the time. They kept telling him that his mouth was "kissable." Today, however, he was dressed casually in a navy blue pullover shirt and a pair of faded jeans. This outfit would help him blend in somewhat at least where he was headed.

Another thing he was doing for this outing was driving one of his older, less conspicuous vehicles. This one could be parked anywhere and no one would pay much attention to it. As a last thought, he added a baseball cap and sunglasses to his ensemble.

Now, he might still be noticeable a bit, but he would most likely be seen just as another of Moon Bay's unique population.

The drive only took a few minutes and, happily, it wasn't as hard to find a parking place as he would have thought. Easing into an empty spot that was on the street, Graeme adjusted his hat and sunglasses.

Then he went in search of Kiara Shannon.

He played it cool as he talked to various shop owners, retail workers, food service workers and even some street people. Of course, he didn't really have a lot to offer them in the way of a description.

He was about to give up for the day when he decided that he would make one last stop in a convenience store that seemed to be pretty busy and popular. And, well, he had a "feeling" about it.

The scene he walked in on was nothing like he expected, though.

### Chapter Three

STANDING BETWEEN THE counter and an aisle stood a disheveled-looking woman shielding a teenage boy from the shop owner and a couple of other customers.

"Please, don't hurt him!" she was pleading. "We'll just put this back and leave quietly. He was just hungry and didn't have enough money to pay. Please, let us go! I promise you'll never see us again."

"Excuse me," Graeme said as he stepped forward. "What seems to be the problem?"

The shop owner started explaining angrily that the boy had grabbed a box of crackers and a can of deviled ham and was racing toward the door without paying for it. Other customers also seemed to be pretty irate about the situation as they were being made to wait while the shop owner sorted it out. Graeme looked at the young woman and the boy.

Instantly, he knew he had found Kiara.

Taking his wallet from his jeans, he handed the shop owner a $20 bill.

"There, that should take care of what the boy owes you," he said. "There's no need to take this any further. He was only hungry. Now you've been paid and then some for your trouble. I'll get them out of your shop."

Turning to the young woman, he found her to be rather unkempt, wearing an oversized man's shirt and what looked to be sweat pants of some sort. Her uncombed hair was shoved under a baseball hat and sticking out in tufts. Her dirty sneakers looked too big for her feet. He would never have realized that he was looking at an heiress if he hadn't already known who she was.

She was looking at him with huge violet eyes. When she realized that he was actually going to pay for the food, she started to ease her way around him, still shielding the boy, and made her way toward the door. Graeme knew that if she made it outside, he would have one hell of a time catching her again, so as she tried to pass him, he gripped her arm and escorted her and the boy out of the shop.

"What are you doing?" she demanded as she tried to pull away from him. "Oh wait, I suppose you want some sort of repayment for bailing us out in there. Fine. Follow me."

Looking at him with an expression that mixed disgust and defeat, she seemed resigned to the fact that he most likely wanted some sort of sexual favors from her.

He wanted to correct her immediately, but figured he would do better if he just followed her. Once they were at the destination she was leading them to, he could talk to her. So he let her lead the way.

She held onto the boy's hand the entire way. Graeme thought it was odd that the boy hadn't yet said a single word. But he didn't find it odd that the girl kept looking at him in a way that said that any moment he looked elsewhere, brother and sister would be gone.

He hid a grin. Well, she would be very disappointed. He was a hundred percent sure he would find them, wherever they hide.

Finally, she stopped at the back of an old building.

It looked a lot like an abandoned warehouse. Graeme couldn't figure out what she was doing until she pulled out a loose board revealing an opening that proved to be a way into the building.

She and the boy slipped inside and then she turned around and looked at him.

"Come on, then," she said abruptly.

"What is this place?" Graeme asked as he squeezed himself in the opening.

"Home sweet home," she said in a tone dripping with derision. "Sorry, it's not the TajMahal."

"Are you telling me that this is where you live?" he asked, stunned.

"More or less," she said.

All Graeme could do was shake his head. He was also surprised to find that his eyes had tears in them. Rarely did things affect him so much anymore, but this... there were no words for this situation.

This poor woman and whoever this boy was should not have been forced to live this way. No one should be forced to live this way.

As he looked around the very large room, he saw a couple of bare mattresses lying on the floor along with an assortment of blankets. There was what looked to be a propane camping stove and some things that looked like a couple of eating utensils and plates. There were boxes and other things that he was unable to identify.

"Look," she said, her voice hard but husky, trying with difficulty to show bravado, "let me get him settled and then I'll settle up with you."

She took the boy by the hand again and led him over to one of the mattresses. As Graeme watched, she put his crackers and deviled ham on a plate and spoke softly to him. But her face was cold and hard again when she turned around and walked back over to him.

"Okay, follow me."

Graeme did follow her but not for the reasons she thought. When they were out of sight of the boy, she turned to face him with a determined look on her face.

She also looked very pale. And this time, she was not looking at him.

With trembling hands, she reached for the waist of his jeans.

Graeme just couldn't let that go on. His hands reached and gripped her wrist, stopping her from touching him.

She jumped and wide eyes flew to his face.

He lived as an angel for what constituted like eternity to humans like this woman, and that should be enough for him to feel validated about where his stood.

But as she looked at him like that, he felt like he was really a very bad person.

"No. Look, you've got the wrong idea. It is true that I need to talk to you, but it's not what you think. This isn't what I need. I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?" she asked, not even hiding the fact about how relieved she was. Color had come back to her face, and she wanted to believe him so much that she was asking.

"What is your name?"

She frowned, and again, she looked defensive and very suspicious. "Why do you give a fuck what my name is?" she asked him crudely.

"Because I'm looking for someone and I think you may be that person. But before I can be sure, I need for you to tell me your name."

She remained looking at him, her lips thinning, her eyes distrustful.

"Please. I promise you that you can trust me. My name is Graeme St. Paul and I'm a private investigator, not a cop. If you give me the right name, I've got a very wonderful surprise for you." He made it sound as if he was going to give her money, and they both knew she needed it badly enough. "But you've got to tell me what your name is."

But she wasn't easily swayed. She still did not trust completely. "Seriously? Is game playing something that gets you off, man? What? I tell you my name and then your 'wonderful surprise' turns out to be you whipping your dick out of your pants and shouting 'surprise'! I don't think so. Now, let's just get this over with or go the fuck away and leave us alone."

"That's some mouth you've got on you," Graeme commented. "I wanted do this the nice way, but you're obviously not going to let me do that. So, you really give me no choice."

"What the hell are you talking about?" she demanded, still giving him a serious glare.

"I'm talking about the fact that all I need from you is your name. If you've got the right name, I'm going to change your life. Now, may I please have your name?"

"Fine," she muttered, looking very tired suddenly. "My name's Kiara."

"Kiara," Graeme repeated. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it? That's a beautiful name. May I have your last name?"

"I am Kiara Shannon," she mumbled.

"Thank you, Kiara," Graeme said. "It's lovely to finally meet you. Who is that young man with you?"

"He's my brother," Kiara replied, still glaring at him.

"Ah, I see. I wasn't aware that you had a younger brother. It doesn't matter. I need for both of you to come with me, please. I've got some really wonderful and important information for you."

"Why would I trust you? I don't know you!" Kiara protested.

"Kiara, I totally understand what you're saying. Tell me what would make you feel more comfortable about coming with me and I'll do it. I've also got a pretty great place for you and your brother to hang out until we've got everything sorted."

Kiara continued to stare at him with those incredible eyes. She was no more than 5'3 to 5'4 and was a tiny bit on the too slender side. But she had such amazing energy coming off of her in waves. Suddenly, it seemed as if she simply caved in.

"Fine," she said in a defeated tone. "We'll come with you. I don't suppose you can do anything worse to us than others have tried. You need to understand one thing, though. I'm not quite as fragile as I look and if you do anything to hurt my little brother, I will fuck you up! Do we understand each other?"

"I swear to you that I will not hurt you or your brother," he said in a voice soft and sincere.

She shrugged and without preamble, walked away in the direction of where her brother sat shoveling the crackers and deviled ham into his mouth. It was obvious she did not give much value to promises, and for some reason, he could not blame her. Stooping down, she spoke quietly to the boy, who looked over at Graeme and stared the rest of the time that Kiara spoke to him. Finally, he nodded and got to his feet.

"Hey, do you mind if he brings his food?" Kiara called to Graeme.

"No, I don't mind at all. When's the last time you've eaten?"

"I don't know. Sometime yesterday I think."

Something squeezed his heart inside his chest. "Well, he's welcome to bring his food," he said, then had to clear his throat because it suddenly felt too tight. "But I can assure you that I've got all the food you could possibly want back at my place and eating is at the top of the priority list."

Kiara took her brother's hand and they all went back through the opening board out onto the sidewalk. They followed Graeme as he led them back to his car. Unlocking the doors, he invited them to get inside while he made a quick phone call.

Leaning against the driver's side door, he flipped open his cell phone and hit a number.

He waited for an answer.

### Chapter Four

"HEY, HOLLI, IT'S Graeme," he said. "Would it be possible for you to meet me at my house within about a half hour?"

"Graeme! How wonderful to hear from you! Well, Dreama and I are just leaving the bridal shop for a fitting and were going to have lunch, but we can come to your house instead. You sound like it's important."

"It is, and I promise you the best lunch you've had in a while. I need some help that requires a woman's touch. Oh and please bring Dreama with you, too."

Knowing that he had reinforcements on the way, he felt much better. Getting into the car, he saw that Kiara was seat belted in the front passenger seat and her brother was in the back seat.

Putting the car into gear, he eased out of the parking space and made his way out of Moon Bay.

WHEN GRAEME ARRIVED at his house with his passengers, he saw instantly that Dreama and Hollianne hadn't made it there yet.

He had been expecting that, but he was still sort of hoping that they might beat him here. Truthfully, he wasn't very comfortable dealing with strange women in a one-on-one situation unless that situation involved the horizontal position.

Still, he knew he needed to put on a positive and firm front so that Kiara wouldn't try to run. Parking his car, he turned and looked at her.

"Here we are," he said.

"Looks like you're some sort of rich guy," Kiara said with a hint of rancor in her voice.

"I do okay," Graeme replied glibly. "Let's go in and I'll get you and your brother something to eat. What's his name by the way?"

"Ronan," Kiara said briefly.

Graeme looked at the boy who was still not saying anything.

"Hi, Ronan," he said. "I've got a huge kitchen with a well-stocked pantry and refrigerator just inside. You can come in and help yourself to any of it that you want."

Ronan stared at Graeme with the same violet eyes that he shared with his sister. His were partly hidden by his shaggy dark hair. Kiara took his hand, waiting to see what they were supposed to do next. Graeme wasn't sure why Ronan didn't talk, but he figured he could always investigate that more later.

For now, though, he felt that it was more important to get them fed and cleaned up before calling his client. So he led them inside his lovely, but huge, home.

For a second he forgot that Stella wasn't here. When he remembered, he led the way to the kitchen himself. Kiara seemed to be in awe of the place but she hid her feelings much better than Ronan did. His mouth literally dropped open and his eyes grew wide.

Graeme walked over to the refrigerator and opened it.

"Here you go, Ronan," he said as he gestured to the full refrigerator. "If you can't find something you like in there, I'm sure the pantry will have whatever you want."

He went over to the cabinets and pulled down two glasses and a couple of plates. Ronan chose a bottle of apple juice and cradled it reverently in his arms until Graeme took it from him. Pouring two glasses of ice-cold apple juice, he set them before his guests at the kitchen dinette table.

He gestured for them to sit down while he tried to figure out what to make these two for lunch.

Choosing to go on the simple side of things, he made them each cheese omelets, and bacon and cinnamon toast. Both of them ate as if they hadn't seen food for a very long time. To be polite, Graeme made a small plate of food for himself even though he wasn't hungry and joined them at the table. He decided to hold off on questioning them until they had eaten and were a bit more relaxed.

As he watched them, he found himself getting angrier all the time. How does something like this happen, he wondered. He knew that humanity was given everything it needed to survive. But this happened because some people let it happen. There wasn't enough love practiced to come around.

And that had always been the problem, right?

And he had already decided he wasn't going to be part of that problem. There's enough love to go around, he thought as he gazed at the siblings who were able to survive this far because they love each other, without making it seem too obvious that he was at that very moment, in awe of them.

Some people, he found, knew this to be true because they practice it. That's enough reason for him to realize there would always be a fighting chance for days that were better than the long ago days when men opted to make war, and not love.

When they finished eating, Graeme took their plates and put them in the sink. They each took more apple juice. All of them were still sitting at the table when Graeme's doorbell rang.

Telling them he would be right back, he hurried down the hall to answer the door.

And to his vast relief, he found Hollianne and Dreama standing on the other side.

"Hey there," Hollianne said as she gave him a hug. "The Calvary has a arrived. What's the big emergency?"

"Yeah," said Dreama with a friendly smile on her face.

They'd met just a few weeks ago, the day he and Simon Draco also met. Dreama was Simon's fiancee, the love of his life. Graeme could feel that Dreama was indeed a special person, and could understand why his fellow Eartbounder fell in love with her.

He never imagined the words "falling in love", which he had scoffed at when he was still an angel, felt so... real now, and significant. How could he not think so, seeing how happy and... and content Erick and Simon had seemed after finding these two special ladies?

It was like they had found their way home.

"You sounded like you had a real situation on your hands," she continued.

"Come in, come in," Graeme said, gratefully. "I'm going to try to make this brief. I was hired to find someone and I did find that person today. But it turns out that she's homeless and is something of a mess."

Holli looked worried. "Really? Poor girl," she said.

He nodded, but did not try to correct her about the "girl" part. He'd just let her be the judge of that after hearing the girl cuss. "She's also got a young teenager with her that she says is her little brother. I've just fed them and now I need some help in getting them cleaned up. Just come with me. You'll see what I mean."

The puzzled women exchanged looks as they followed him into the kitchen.

### Chapter Five

AS THE TWO women took in the sight of the bedraggled duo sitting at his kitchen table, it was all they could do not to gasp and wrinkle their noses somewhat at the unwashed smell that wafted off of them.

To the ladies' credit, they recovered quickly.

"Hi, there," Hollianne said once they showed themselves to the siblings. "I'm Hollianne and this is Dreama. We're friends of Graeme's."

The "girl" looked at them from the table. But she did not look belligerent or defensive, like she was ready to run at the next minute. Maybe she was like that with men? Good points for her. Or maybe it was because she has already eaten. Hunger could do make some people very pissy.

"I'm Kiara and this is my brother, Ronan," she said softly.

"It's great to meet you!" Hollianne enthused. "Now, I'll like it very much if you'll come with us upstairs. You look pretty tired and I bet you could use a nice, relaxing hot bath. Graeme has one of the best spa tubs ever made."

When Kiara glanced at Ronan, Dreama was quick to jump in.

"Hey, don't worry about Ronan!" she said. "Graeme has some of the most awesome boys' toys you've ever seen. I'm quite sure that he and Ronan can find a way to pass the time."

Kiara had to admit to herself that a bath would be a lot like stepping into Heaven, and Ronan did seem to be okay with Graeme. He didn't take well to everyone but he did seem to be more comfortable with Graeme. She sighed. That was what had made her feel she could let this go on for a while until she finds out why they were here. If they were lucky, maybe Ronan could get a bath, too.

And she knew some days were not that simple.

Graeme nodded to Kiara as if to say that he would take care of Ronan so she got up from her chair. She stopped and told Ronan that she would be going with these two women but that she would be just upstairs if he needed her. It wasn't clear to her why, but she trusted these people for some reason.

"Ronan," she added, "Graeme is going to stay here with you. He's going to take care of you so don't be nervous, okay?"

Ronan looked at Graeme and then back at Kiara. He nodded as if he understood and agreed with her. She gave him a quick hug and then walked out of the kitchen with Hollianne and Dreama.

They climbed the wide and majestic staircase to the second floor. Hollianne led the way to Graeme's huge master suite and into his massive ensuite. Sure enough, there was a spa tub there that could have easily held three people at once.

Hollianne set about getting the water started while Dreama helped Kiara get out of the oversized unwashed clothes she was wearing. By the time they had her comfortably in the tub with all of the best toiletries one could want, Kiara had recovered from being dazed and was a lot more relaxed with them.

They left her to bathe in private.

"OKAY, YOU NEED to go back into the city and get this poor girl some decent clothes," Hollianne said to Dreama. "I think she's probably a size 4 so start there. I'll keep her occupied until you get back."

"Sure thing," Dreama said. "I'll be as quick as possible."

Before leaving, she stopped into the Graeme's game room where he was explaining to Ronan what an Xbox was. She pulled him over to the side and told him where she was going.

"Do you want me to pick up some things for Ronan, too?" she asked.

"Yeah, that would be a great idea," Graeme agreed.

He went back in and examined the boy's clothes a bit and then came back to her with what sizes he thought would work. Dreama then hurried out the door and sped away in her car.

So Graeme was left to deal with a teenage boy who apparently didn't speak. Well, he had to start somewhere.

Graeme approached the vinyl gaming chair that Ronan was sitting in as he deftly maneuvered the controls to the game he was playing. This wasn't something new to Graeme, as he had heard often of how children who didn't communicate otherwise were able to flawlessly play video games. But from what he had seen so far, Graeme felt sure that Ronan was more than capable of communicating and was well aware of what was going on around him.

It was just that for whatever reason, the boy chose not to speak.

Moving another gaming chair into place beside Ronan, Graeme lowered his large frame into it and picked up another controller. Eventually, he was able to jump into the game that Ronan was playing when he turned it into a two player one.

They sat and played silently for the next hour without taking even a single break. Ronan seemed content and comfortable with this scenario so Graeme didn't do anything to rock the boat.

DREANA RETURNED FROM her shopping trip and hurried directly back upstairs to the master bedroom.

She found Hollianne in the process of drying Kiara's long dark hair. Kiara was currently wearing a plush navy blue robe that looked as if it belonged to Graeme because it completely swallowed her whole frame. Dreama put the many shopping bags she held onto the bed before searching through them to find the makeup she had purchased.

What woman could do without the usual makeup supplies? She had bought some neutral colors that would match anyone's complexion and coloring, figuring that Kiara could add to the collection once she was on her feet and doing her own shopping.

Hollianne did a wonderful job on Kiara's hair. Since makeup was more Dreama's area, they switched places seamlessly and Dreama started to apply some makeup to Kiara.

It became apparent rather quickly that the young woman possessed a natural beauty and needed very little enhancement. Her eyes were of the most unusual and gorgeous violet colors that they gave her face a rather ethereal look. Framed by her dark, shiny hair, she looked somewhat unearthly.

Dreama loved adding just the right touches to Kiara's face before turning her around for Hollianne's approval. The two women exchanged knowing smiles before Dreama went digging around in the shopping bags once more.

She pulled out a sweater that matched Kiara's eyes perfectly; along with a pair of jeans, a pair of bikini panties and a matching French cut bra.

"Here you go," Dreama said as she handed these things to Kiara. "Now go put these on and let's see how they fit."

Kiara took the clothes from her with a look of wonder on her face and disappeared into the bathroom.

While she was getting dressed, Dreama and Hollianne stood whispering about just how beautiful this woman was. They tried to keep down their voices because they could tell that Kiara was already rather uncomfortable with the entire situation and all the attention, and the last thing they wanted to do was make her feel even more so.

But they were both thinking the same thing about Kiara. They were very curious about what her story was. Who had hired Graeme to find her and why had she been missing?

Neither of them had wasted any time questioning Graeme about her because they knew from experience that he would tell them what they needed to know at the right time.

Right now, though, it had seemed to be more important for them to help him get her cleaned up. Just then, they heard the bathroom door open and they turned eagerly in her direction.

Then, grins split both their faces.

Kiara was absolutely breathtaking.

Even though she could stand to fill out just a bit, otherwise she was perfect. Her diet had most likely contributed to her too slender body but that could be easily remedied. For the moment, her dark hair flowed well below her shoulders, straight and thick. Her big eyes looked like those on a China doll. She had a porcelain look to her unblemished skin that seemed to accent her full lips. The sweater clung to her body in a flattering manner, and the jeans outlined her shapely hips and backside.

"Wait until Graeme gets a load of her!" Hollianne said in a low voice.

"What?" Kiara asked.

"Oh, she was just reminding me to give you these shoes," Dreama stepped in deftly as she handed her some stylish casual boots.

"I can't thank the two of you enough for doing all of this for me," Kiara said shyly, and rather distractedly. "It's... it's been a long time since I've been so pampered."

"Oh, it was all our pleasure, I assure you," Hollianne replied with eyes twinkling. "Now, let's take you downstairs. I'm sure Graeme is anxious to talk to you."

Dreama and Hollianne accompanied Kiara back down the massive staircase. Hollianne took the lead once they reached the bottom step.

They followed her down another hall to the game room where they found Graeme and Ronan playing companionably. In fact, they were so caught up in their game that they didn't realize anyone had even entered the room.

Dreama discreetly cleared her throat, which made Graeme jump and lose his concentration.

As he turned around, Ronan's character swiftly defeated Graeme's.

But Graeme didn't even notice.

"Graeme, you need to meet the real Kiara," Hollianne said in a hushed, but very excited voice.

### Chapter Six

THE LOOK ON Graeme's face was priceless.

His mouth gaped open a bit as he took in the bathed and dressed Kiara Shannon. He looked completely stunned.

Hollianne and Dreama furtively exchanged amused looks with each other. Holli was more excited, because she had never seen Graeme react to anything and anyone, especially a woman.

Ronan paused the game and looked up at his sister. The look on his face was quite quizzical as he stood up from his chair and walked over to her. Smiling slightly, he touched her hair and simply stared at her face. Then he nodded as if putting his seal of approval on his sister's new look.

"Now, Graeme, I think you need to get Ronan spruced up a bit. I took the liberty of buying him a few things that most guys need," Dreama said. "Don't worry about Kiara. We'll keep her company."

But Graeme seemed rooted to the floor. Never would he have dreamed that she was so lovely underneath all of the dirt and oversized men's clothes.

Now that she had been cleaned up and was dressed in clothing suited to her size and gender, she looked more beautiful to him than all the beautiful women he had ever seen.

Something low in his body throbbed. And he was shocked to know the reason why.

All he wanted to do at that moment was to take her in his arms and kiss those full, sexy lips.

Rarely did anything or anyone ever captivate Graeme the way that this woman did. He needed to talk to her, to find out more about her and, God help him, he needed to touch her.

He gulped, knowing that if anyone even knew what he was thinking, he would look absurd. He took a deep breath to recover himself.

Think!

And he did. First of all, there was a young teenage boy with, apparently, some very serious problems who needed to be looked after. And the boy was nothing but adorable, even if his smell was not. He should get him cleaned and into new clothes. He should get him to eat more food. He should take care of him, because apparently the one person who has been trying also needed taking care of.

Suddenly, it became vital to Graeme that both Kiara and Ronan come to trust him and let him help them in whatever way they needed.

Turning to Ronan, he motioned for him to follow.

"Come on, Ronan," he said. "Let's go get you cleaned up. My friends Dreama and Hollianne have bought you some new clothes. We need to get you dressed so that they can see how cool you look in them."

Ronan nodded and walked over to Graeme.

Kiara had a look of disbelief on her face, but she remained silent and watched. She seemed ready to jump in at any time if it became necessary. But Ronan only grinned at Graeme, took his hand, and went with him.

"Wow," Kiara said after they had left the room. Her eyes looked suspiciously bright. "Ronan never takes to anyone, especially strangers."

"Well, Graeme's a pretty amazing guy," Hollianne said. "He sort of has a way with people. Don't worry. He'll take good care of Ronan."

"Why don't we go make some tea or something?" Dreama said. "We can talk and get acquainted while Graeme takes care of your little brother."

The three women went into the kitchen and settled down at the dinette table by the bay window. Sipping their tea, they talked about nothing important for a while.

Hollianne explained more about who she and Dreama were. She told Kiara how she had only recently married the love of her life, Erick Angell. They had put off their honeymoon until the first of March. Then they would be gone for the entire month at which time they would come back in plenty of time for Dreama's wedding in May.

Dreama picked up the thread here and explained that she was engaged to a very close friend of Erick's and Hollianne's, Simon Draco. He was a very well-known defense attorney in Florida.

"A lot of people think that we jumped the gun on getting married," Dreama went on to say. "But when you know you've met the right person, what's the point in waiting?"

Kiara studied them both so solemnly that they thought, at first, they had upset her in some way. Finally, she sat her cup down and smiled in rather bittersweet fashion.

"You're both so lucky," she said in that soft but husky voice of hers. "I always dreamed that I would find love like that. But life just hasn't worked out that way for me."

Dreama and Hollianne exchanged a meaningful look before either of them ventured to speak.

"Kiara, we don't mean to pry," Hollianne said. "But if you feel up to telling us your story, we'd be happy to listen. You seem like someone who's had some trouble in your life and we're both familiar with that. I have had my boyfriend die on me in an accident, only to find out later that he's alive and it was his twin that died. He lived in Europe now with his real family. He's only been using me the whole time to hide from loan sharks who were after him."

Kiara's eyes went wide. "Oh, but that's shocking! How did you handle it?"

"I was with Erick by that time and very much in love with him, that's why it wasn't that painful and hard anymore. He supported me all the way, as best as he could. And now, we're married." Holli was smiling as she showed Kiara her wedding ring. "Dreama here has her own sib story," she said, looking at Dreama.

"Yes," Dreama agreed. "My own sister tried to hurt me because she was so jealous of Simon and me. She wanted Simon for herself. She's sitting in jail right now for attempted murder. My attempted murder."

"Oh, my god," Kiara whispered. "That's horrible!"

"Well, yeah, it is," Dreama replied. "But don't feel bad for me. I feel bad that she could do something so horrible it could only lead to her own folly. I've accepted and adjusted. I just wanted you to know that Holli and I are no strangers to trouble. We're certainly not here to judge you in any way. We just want to help you if we can."

Both Hollianne and Dreama were a little taken aback when Kiara suddenly started to cry.

They certainly hadn't meant to upset her and immediately set about comforting her.

"No, no," Kiara sniffed. "You didn't upset me. It's just that your kindness to me has been a bit overwhelming. No one has been kind to me in a very long time. I just don't know how to deal with it."

"Well, you can be assured that you've got two friends in us," Hollianne declared. "We want to help you anyway that we can. But if you're not ready to talk to us and tell us what's going on with you; that's perfectly okay. You'll tell us when you're ready."

"It's not that I don't trust you," Kiara said as she wiped her tears with tissues Holli had taken from somewhere. "I just know that Graeme is going to have questions and I would prefer not to tell this sordid story more than once. I'm still not sure why he came looking for me so I've also got some questions of my own."

"We completely understand, Kiara," Dreama said. "We'll wait until Graeme gets Ronan settled and comes back down. Then you can tell us everything."

"I would really rather do things that way," Kiara said, looking at the door to the kitchen. "I wonder how Graeme is doing with Ronan."

"Oh, don't worry," Hollianne said. "Graeme seems to have this gift of making anyone feel comfortable and at ease. He'll be down soon."

Those words had barely left her mouth when they heard Graeme's voice coming down the hallway. He seemed to be talking to Ronan. As the two of them appeared in the kitchen, Kiara emitted a soft, tremulous sigh when she saw her little brother cleaned and spruced up, and with a huge grin on his face.

He was freshly showered with clean clothes on as well as his hair brushed out of his face. Now it was easy to see that he and Kiara were related as Ronan had the same violet eyes and dark hair. He was tall and lanky, obviously having not filled out yet. But Graeme had done wonders with the boy and he looked quite handsome.

"What do you think of this handsome young man now?" Graeme said enthusiastically as he put a hand on Ronan's shoulder.

"Wow," Hollianne and Dreama said in unison.

Kiara looked as if she were going to start crying all over again as she stared at her younger brother.

Indeed, her beautiful eyes were filled with tears that threatened to spill over at any second.

"Ronan, you're perfect," she whispered as she smiled at him.

### Chapter Seven

THEN KIARA FINALLY looked at Graeme, and it was a look so full of gratefulness.

"Thank you, Graeme. He hasn't had a chance to really see how handsome he is. It seems that I just keep thanking you for things and I still have no clue why you came looking for me in the first place."

"Yes, well, we do have a lot of things to discuss," Graeme replied. "I just thought it would be easier if everyone was well-fed and looking their best. You've got to admit that you feel a lot more comfortable than when we got here."

"Yes, I do admit that," Kiara said, blushing a little as she remembered how she talked to him before. "And you've got such amazing friends. Hollianne and Dreama have made me feel human again."

"Oh please, call me Holli," Hollianne said. "All of my friends do, and I can just tell that you are going to become a good friend."

"I don't even know why I'm not freaking out anymore!" Kiara said with a laugh as she looked down at her cup of tea. "I was so sure that you were going to hurt us in some way. But then you brought us here to your beautiful home and have treated us like we're honored guests or something."

"Well, in a very big way, that's what you are," Graeme smiled. "Now let me get this young man settled back in the game room so that you and I can talk. Do you think he'll be okay playing video games alone for a bit?"

"Yeah, he'll be fine. Ronan's been through some bad things and he doesn't speak because of that," Kiara said softly as she again gazed protectively at her brother. "But otherwise, he's pretty much a normal teenage boy."

"Okay, then. Come with me, Ronan and let's get you started on that Xbox again. Do you want to keep playing the same game as before or do you want to play something different? I've got a pretty impressive collection of games for you to choose from if you get bored."

Ronan's face lit up as he followed Graeme back to the game room. He went straight back to the game chair he had been sitting in before and picked up the controller. It seemed that he caught onto things really quickly.

Looking up at Graeme with a question on his face, he waited until Graeme nodded. Then he simply went back to playing his game.

"Well, I guess that takes care of that," Graeme said. The rest of them laughed with him as they watched Ronan having such a great time.

"Come with me," Graeme said. "We're just going to be right next door in my office. We'll leave the door open in case he needs anything or gets nervous or whatever. We can talk in there. Kiara, do you want us to speak alone first?"

"No," Kiara replied quickly. "I want Holli and Dreama to hear my story and whatever you've got to tell me, they can hear, too."

"As you wish.This way, Ladies."

Once they were settled in Graeme's sumptuous office, he waited until the women had each taken a seat before he settled into his office chair.

Folding his hands on top of his massive antique desk, he looked at Kiara. This was going to be a bit of a delicate matter and he wanted to be sure that he handled it correctly.

So far, he had yet to contact Jefferson Graves. After he had seen the condition of Kiara and Ronan, he felt that it would be better if he had them presentable as well as find out why and how they had ended up living in such atrocious conditions on the street.

Now, he thought he should let Kiara speak first so that he would know how to proceed.

"Kiara, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear your story first," he finally said. "I promise you that I'll answer any questions you have after that because what I've got to tell you is going to change your life in a very profound way. But for now, please tell us what happened to put you and Ronan in this very scary position."

Kiara nodded slowly. This was it. She was finally going to tell someone what had happened to her and Ronan.

It had been frightening to even think about in the past because she was quite sure that it would have put Ronan and her in danger.

But now, with Graeme here to look after them, she no longer felt afraid. She would tell him everything.

Kiara took a deep breath and looked down at the folded hands in her lap. Everyone else waited for her to speak. They didn't rush her or press her to start talking. All of them seemed perfectly content to wait until she was ready; a fact for which she was most grateful.

When she did start talking, her voice was rather faint and quiet, but the longer she spoke, the stronger her voice became. By the end of her story, she had become very confident and she was talking in a strong and unwavering voice.

The rest of them were feeling sick at heart for what she and Ronan had gone through.

For a long time, it had just been Kiara and her mother. She never knew who her father was. Renee had taken care of the two of them through working as a bartender. She was pretty and the customers liked her so she made pretty good money.

Kiara wasn't sure who it was, but at some point Renee had started to see someone. Since Renee never brought him home, Kiara never saw him and she never heard his name mentioned. All she knew is that when she was 12, her mother had become pregnant. Nine months later, she gave birth to Ronan.

Kiara had adored her little brother on sight and quickly took over caring for him. This turned out to be a huge help to Renee because she was so tired a lot of the time. Kiara never minded looking after the dark-haired little boy with eyes so like her own. He was fun-loving, energetic and quite smart. For a time, the three of them lived a simple but happy life together.

Then, one day, everything changed.

Kiara was 17 and had been begging her mother to let her get at least a part-time job so she could help out. Even though she was often told how beautiful she was, Kiara had no interest in dating. She had her hands full with helping her mother look after things at their home and she never minded that.

But Renee insisted that Kiara focus on school and then she could see about getting a part time job after graduation, if she was still interested. She told Kiara that college was a must and that she would figure out a way to pay for it.

Ronan was just 5 years old but turning into quite a handsome little boy. He loved his mother and his sister above all other people. His first year in school had been very exciting for him. Making friends had come easily to him and he was quite popular. It may have been this trait that made him want to ride the school bus rather than have his big sister take him to school and home each day. He begged to do this constantly.

One day-a very fateful day-Kiara needed to meet with her counselor after school, but Renee would already be at work. They all agreed that Ronan could ride the bus home from his school that day. Kiara would use the little car they owned and would make sure that she was also at home within the time frame of the bus dropping him off.

As it turned out, Murphy's Law intervened in the form of Kiara getting caught up in a traffic jam caused by an accident. For once, the time seemed to be flying past as the line of cars crawled at a snail's pace. She wasn't sure what to do because she wasn't in a position to turn around and go another way. All she could do was pray that things sped up.

When she finally arrived home, it was only ten minutes late than expected so Kiara figured it could have been much worse. Assuming that Ronan would be sitting on the front steps waiting for her, she was more than a little surprised to see the front door standing open.

She wondered how he had managed to get inside as she quickly parked her little car and hastily got out of it. Racing to the open front door, she was calling his name by the time she reached it.

Getting no answer, she called Ronan's name again.

That's when she noticed that everything was unnaturally quiet.

Something told her to stop yelling for her little brother and to proceed with caution. Walking slowly and quietly down the small hallway, she approached the living room.

Peering inside, she saw Ronan standing over by the fireplace. His face was ghostly pale and his eyes stared blankly.

Taking a huge breath of relief, Kiara started toward him, asking why he didn't answer her. He didn't appear as if he even knew she was there. Turning her head, she followed his gaze and the sight that met her eyes chilled her blood.

Her mother, the lovely Renee, lay on her back on the floor, eyes open and vacant. A small trickle of blood slid from the corner of her parted lips and a very large knife protruded from her chest.

As Kiara was trying very hard to take this in, she heard the door at the back of the house slam shut. Until that moment, it hadn't occurred to her that the monster who did this to her mother just may still be in the house.

Her heart breaking at their loss, she grabbed Ronan and ran for the front door. She didn't stop until she reached her car and threw Ronan inside.

Starting up the car, she didn't even worry about seatbelts even though she was normally very safety conscious, particularly where her little brother was concerned. She squealed tires as she took off in a direction that would put distance between them and the nightmare that waited inside the house.

### Chapter Eight

LATER, SHE WOULDN'T understand why she didn't simply call the police with her cell phone. Instead, she drove to the police station.

By the time she got there, she was so hysterical that she was practically incoherent. Fortunately, the man who spoke with her could understand most of what she said and dispatched some officers to her house immediately. Renee's lifeless body was still lying there right where Kiara and Ronan had last seen it.

Obviously, it was a homicide, but nothing had been left behind indicating who had committed this horrible act. Kiara was questioned at length about what she had seen and heard when she got home. They really wanted to question Ronan but that turned out to be of little use.

The little boy was in a state of shock and was finally taken to the hospital for an examination and observation. Sadly, even though Ronan was fine physically, he had not spoken another word since that day.

The morning of their mother's murder marked the last time that Kiara had heard the sweet sound of her brother's voice.

Finally, the story was pieced together that explained a lot. According to the estimated time of death and when the bus had dropped Ronan off, there was an excellent chance that he had walked in on the murder taking place.

Most likely, he had gotten a good look at the murderer, which was enough cause for concern since the culprit hadn't been apprehended. Worse yet, the sound of the slamming door that Kiara had heard shortly after her arrival had to have been the murderer.

Kiara was allowed to stay overnight in Ronan's hospital room because he seemed to be less agitated with her there. There was an armed policeman outside of the hospital room guarding them that night. It turned out that Ronan spent a week in the hospital as various specialists tried to get to the bottom of his problem. The child psychiatrist on staff was of the opinion that Ronan was still in shock of some sort and that this was a problem that would sort itself out in time.

Things got even more complicated at the end of the week when Ronan was actually fine to be released but no one knew what to do. Kiara wasn't quite 18 and wasn't legally allowed to take custody of him. In fact, she, too, was headed for foster care. The night before they were to be taken, Kiara found out that she and Ronan would be going to separate homes.

Even though she had tried to reason and, finally, beg the social worker to not separate them, it did no good. They were going to be collected at 8AM the next morning and that was that.

Kiara thought over everything and realized that she simply couldn't let this happen. She and her little brother just could not be separated from each other. This was a time that they needed each other more than ever.

By the time her 18th birthday rolled around, Kiara wasn't sure she would be given custody of Ronan.

No, she couldn't take any chances. She had to take care of this now.

During the night, she slipped out of the room, telling the officer on guard that she was going to the vending machine on the floor under them. Since this was something she often did, the officer didn't think anything of it.

Only this time, she rode the elevator down to the lobby where she darted through the double doors and headed to the parking lot for patients. Hopping into her little car, she raced home as fast as she dared.

Once there, she took a flashlight from her glove box and carefully entered the house. The yellow crime scene tape was still there and gave her just a second's pause. She honestly didn't believe that anyone would be watching the house all the time in case she and her brother returned, but it still didn't help her to feel safe here.

When she got inside, she didn't even go past the living room where her mother's body had been found. Instead, she went straight upstairs and got a suitcase down.

Throwing in as many clothes as she could manage, she then included some special things to her like photo albums. She went into Ronan's room and repeated her actions. Last of all, she went into her mother's room.

There was a place in the back of Renee's closet where the floor lifted up and there was a small compartment that you had to know about in order to find. This was where Renee had stashed part of her tip money from work. Not that long ago, she had shown it to Kiara telling her that she wanted her to know where it was in case she ever needed it.

At the time, Kiara didn't understand what she meant. Now she had to consider the fact that maybe Renee had known someone was after her.

At any rate, Kiara directed her flashlight into the space and found it packed with bills. At first glance, it seemed that they were mostly one dollar bills, but after she started sifting through them, she found plenty of higher denominations.

Not taking the time to count it, she quickly stuffed a duffle bag with the money and climbed out of the closet. For a minute, she allowed herself to gaze around her mother's room one last time. She crossed over to Renee's dresser and lifted a small framed picture of the three of them. It had been taken a scant few months ago when they had actually taken a small vacation. All three of them were smiling broadly and looked so happy.

Picking up the photo, she put it in the duffle bag. She took a few more things of her mother's before leaving.

One last stop was in her mother's bathroom. Looking through the medicine cabinet, Kiara found what she was looking for and then started her way back downstairs.

The entire trip hadn't taken her longer than about 15 minutes, but she knew she had to have an excuse ready for what took her so long to visit the vending machine.

It turned out to be easier than she imagined. She stopped on the way at an all-night coffee shop and bought the police officer guarding Ronan's door a cup of his favorite coffee.

When she pulled back into the hospital parking lot, she opened the cup and added the contents of what she had pulled from the medicine cabinet. She knew he would be happy to get this cup of coffee and wouldn't scold her too badly when he saw it.

And that's just what happened.

Kiara planned everything around the morning shift change at the hospital. Things always got a little crazy then and she would have a better chance of her plan working. By then, the guard was snoozing peacefully in his chair and people were coming and going.

Wrapping Ronan up in a blanket, she put him the wheel chair she had snagged earlier and down the hall they went.

In the end, it turned out to be much easier than she had ever thought it would be to get him out of the hospital. No one even looked twice at them. It was still a little dark when they reached the car, which made things even simpler. She settled Ronan in the back seat and they took off.

Kiara really didn't have a plan beyond getting them away from Social Services so she kind of played it by ear. She drove for twelve hours, stopping only for gas when she needed it and food that she and Ronan ate on the road.

It was impossible to say when they would have been discovered missing, but she had to assume that it would have been shortly after the shift change had gone into effect. That's why she had put as many miles as possible between them and her old home town.

Finally, she couldn't stay awake any longer. Taking some of the money she had found in Renee's closet, she pulled into a small roadside motel. It turned out to be almost too easy to get a room. No one asked her any questions because she was paying in cash. It quickly occurred to her that they simply didn't care who she was or why she was there. She was paying and that was all that really mattered.

Kiara got Ronan settled into one of the beds in the motel room, and took a quick shower. While she was towel drying her hair, she turned on the television hoping not to see herself and Ronan on the news. It turned out that there seemed to be other important things going on in the world currently that over shadowed the disappearance of a 17 year old girl and her 5 year old brother. She finally felt it was safe for her to get some sleep.

Thus started their cross country adventure.

This worked out pretty well for them until the money started running low. They traveled from town to town, never staying very long in one place. Kiara kept up with Ronan's school work by teaching him herself. In spite of the fact that he still wasn't speaking, he did quite well because he was such a bright little boy.

He learned everything she taught him from the second-hand books that she found in used bookstores and thrift stores. Even now, at 14, he was more advanced than a lot of seniors in high school.

But he still didn't speak.

### Chapter Nine

THEIR MONEY RAN out eventually, and that's when Kiara had come to the Moon Bay area and sold her car.

It didn't take them long to become a part of the homeless population on the street. Kiara had discovered the abandoned building quickly enough and found out where the local soup kitchens were located as well as the times they operated.

They didn't actually go hungry, but Ronan was a growing boy and seemed to be hungry more and more. That's why he had tried to take the food from the convenience store.

"Then you walked in and found us," Kiara said, looking at Graeme. "That sort of brings us to here."

Dreama and Hollianne both had tears in their eyes along with looks of horror on their faces. Graeme continued to look at Kiara intently as if he were pondering all that she had just told them.

Everything she said rang true, but it seemed so impossible for a 17 year old girl to pull off everything she had on her own. He sort of wished he had Simon here. Simon could have simply shaken hands with Kiara and cleared the whole thing up.

Graeme had a special gift of sorts but his was more about finding people. Simon's gift could tell him if someone was lying or not. But Simon wasn't here so he would just have to mull this over on his own.

As he looked at the very beautiful woman sitting across the desk from him, he saw no sign of deception from her. Of course, she had had several years to practice looking sincere, but he just didn't feel that was happening here.

At last, he spoke.

"They never found out who killed your mother, then?" he asked.

"No," Kiara answered. "I followed the news closely ever since the day it happened. If they did find someone, I never heard about it."

Graeme nodded thoughtfully. He would need to check into that more carefully because it changed things. Without knowing who killed Renee, he couldn't possibly know who to trust, which meant that he couldn't simply hand Kiara and Ronan over to the Graves' brothers until he knew more.

Now, he had to decide how much he should tell her about why he was hired to find her. He supposed the truth was the obvious answer but he would make some conditions for now.

As if she was reading his mind, Kiara spoke up once more.

"Now you know my story," she said. "You said that you had something to tell me."

"You're absolutely correct," he replied. "I'm going to tell you everything, but what you've just shared with us about your past changes things a bit."

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"I mean that you and Ronan may still be in some sort of danger even now. So I'll tell you what's going on, but you've got to promise me that you and Ronan will remain here in my home until I've sorted it all out."

"Honestly, I can take care of myself as well as Ronan," Kiara all but snorted. "You can't do something like this! This is a free country!"

"Kiara," Dreama said. "Please don't take this the wrong way. I know that you've been through a lot and that it's difficult for you to trust someone. But Graeme has only your best interests at heart; yours as well as Ronan's. You can totally trust him. He's not telling you that he wants to hold you and your brother prisoners here. He's saying that he wants to make sure that both of you are safe before he starts telling anyone that he found you."

Kiara looked a little nervous. "I don't mean to sound ungrateful, but how do I know we'll really be safe?"

This time, it was Holli who spoke. "Dreama and I have both been through some kind of serious stuff and, even though we didn't know it then, Graeme was playing a huge part in helping us. So please, just give him a chance to see what's going on before taking off out of here, okay?"

Suddenly, the defiant look left Kiara's face and she actually looked a bit ashamed.

"Damn," she said softly. "I'm so sorry. All of you have been so kind to Ronan and me, and then I go back into street mode just because you want to protect us. What you must think of me!"

"What we think is that you've come through a very difficult time," Hollianne said. "In fact, 'difficult' is probably too tame of a word to describe your experience. You're actually doing much better than I would be. You can ask my husband, Erick, when you meet him. He'll tell you what a mess I was when he met me. Actually, he invented a job for me in order to help me."

"A job. And then he's now your husband?"

"He started to protect me from the first moment he saw me," she said. "Oh it's a long story, but if you want to hear about it someday, I'll be happy to tell you. Anyway, Kiara, I promise you that you can trust Graeme. Besides, if you just really aren't comfortable staying here with him, you and Ronan can always come to our home. Dreama was staying with us until she and Simon got together but she's living with him now since they got engaged. We've got plenty of room and tons of security."

"You know," Kiara began in her soft, husky voice. "That won't be necessary. I'm feeling very embarrassed and ashamed of myself for the way I reacted. Graeme, if you really want Ronan and me to stay here and you feel that it's necessary, then we'll stay. Besides, we really don't have anywhere else to go."

She said that last part with a bit of a short sad laugh. These words and accompanying sound ripped through the room causing Graeme, Hollianne and Dreama to feel little tears ripping in their hearts. It also made Graeme more determined than ever to find out what was exactly going on.

But now, he needed to explain to Kiara just what she was faced with.

### Chapter Ten

"OKAY," GRAEME SAID. "You said that you never knew who your father was or who Ronan's father was. Does that mean you never had a single hint?"

"No, none," she replied. "I got curious once and went digging through my mother's important papers. I actually found my birth certificate along with Ronan's, but the father was listed as Unknown. So it didn't actually help."

"I see. Well, what you need to know is that you've got an extended family. In fact, it was one of your half-brothers who hired me to find you. He didn't seem to know much about you and didn't seem to know anything at all about Ronan. The reason he wanted me to find you is because your biological father has recently passed on."

"My father? Are you sure?" Kiara looked a little lost and stunned. "And he's died, too?" she asked in a small voice.

"Not only that but there's a great deal of money involved in the estate and you've been left a significant portion of it."

She was still looking at him. "Do you know how he died?"

Graeme noted that she didn't even seem to hear about the money. "No, Kiara, sorry I don't. I can find out, if you want," he said gently.

She looked still dazed as she looked down at her hands again, then she seemed to gather herself together. Her shoulders squared and she looked back at him again. "What else was it that you're saying?"

"I am saying that a huge part of your father's estate has been left to you. Obviously, this would allow your lifestyle to change considerably. However, I found it strange that no one else knew about your existence until the reading of your father's will."

"What is my father's name?" Kiara asked.

"Yes, his name is Richard Graves. His son and your half-brother, Jefferson Graves, is who hired me. I've had some time to dig into their background a bit and discovered that there are actually three sons. There's Jefferson, Elliott, and Bradley. Those would be your half-brothers. I've only met with Jefferson so far, but I'll need to meet with the rest of them before I willingly turn you over to them."

"Graves.... That name sounds a little familiar to me," Kiara mused. "But it just may be something I read or saw somewhere."

"It's possible," Graeme agreed. "The Graves name is pretty well-known around here. But you're sure you never heard it from your mother?"

"Pretty sure, yeah," Kiara replied.

"Okay, well, either way, I won't be letting on that I've found you. That makes it certain that you'll remain safe until I've had some time to look into this. Are you okay with that?"

"Of course," Kiara replied without hesitation. "I'll do as you say."

By the time this meeting concluded, it was late and starting to get dark outside. Dreama and Hollianne both hugged Kiara before they left and assured her once more that she and Ronan couldn't be in safer hands than Graeme's.

Then, with a promise to check in on her the next day, both women hurried off to have dinner with their men.

Graeme showed them out, and Kiara went in search of Ronan. She didn't ordinarily like to leave him on his own for very long at a time, but he didn't need to be a part of this horrific story.

The game room wasn't hard to find as she just followed the sound of a video game's music. Pausing in the doorway, she watched her little brother deftly playing the video game he had chosen. A small smile touched her lips.

He never got to have any real fun anymore because of the way they had been living. Even if it turned out that Graeme's intentions weren't the best, this was still better than the alternative.

Kiara felt rather than heard Graeme come up behind her.

"He's so happy," she said without even turning around. "Thank you for this."

"I should be thanking you," Graeme replied. "I forget just how big this place is until there are no people in it except me. My housekeeper and her husband are on vacation right now but you'll meet her soon enough. I've got a feeling she's going to be very pleased about this turn of events."

"She is?" Kiara asked. "Why?"

Graeme looked a bit uncomfortable, but he replied. "Stella has been trying to find the perfect woman for me for a very long time. She'll see you being here as a very hopeful challenge."

The wry tone in Graeme's voice made her laugh.

"She's going to love having Ronan here to spoil, too. Don't even try to talk her out of it, either. Your pleas will fall on deaf ears."

"You know, it's been a long time since anyone has spoiled him except for me. It will probably do him a lot of good."

As Graeme stood near her, watching Roman, too, he reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently.

She knew what the gesture meant, but Kiara was stunned when her body responded to the touch. An electrical current zipped through her body, reaching her lower belly and putting a curious weight there that could only mean one thing.

She wasn't that ignorant to know what it meant. It has been a long time since she felt attraction to a guy. What's different now was that it had been a youthful infatuation then. Now, she's an adult. And her body could feel the difference.

Oh wow, she thought. She looked back up at Graeme, hoping nothing on her face showed what's going on inside her. Graeme was staring at her strangely.

Then he smiled.

That weight in her lower belly dropped.

"Why don't we go in and see if Ronan is hungry? I'm sure his lunch wore off a long time ago."

Kiara tried to smile, too, but her face has already turned away when she nodded.

And together, they entered the room.

**~ ~ ~ ~**

### Related Books

**Untouched**

When Abby's best friend goes missing for more than 24 hours, she fears the worst. Upon calling the police, a detective comes to meet her. Opening the door she sees an old friend, Ethan, who has come to help her solve the case. Together, the flames are rekindled as they search for her missing friend and what fate has befallen her.

**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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