The Guardian Mist

by Susan Stoker

  She looked at his hand for a long moment, somehow knowing without a doubt that her life would change if she took it. Finally, she stretched out her own, and as he took hold, said, “Varinia.”

  “Varinia? That’s unusual.”

  Rin took a deep breath as Roman shook her hand. Goosebumps raced up her arm and down her spine at his touch. She could smell him even better now that they were standing so close and she did feel safe in his presence. A little flustered by how strongly she was attracted to the stranger, she told him, “Yeah, it’s Latin. Means ‘versatile.’ My sister’s name is actually Augustina, which means ‘great.’ She goes by Tina for short.

  “Interesting names.”

  Rin nodded and reluctantly dropped the man’s hand. But it did nothing to break her from the oh-my-God-is-this-man-beautiful-and-I-just-want-to-bury-my-nose-in-his-neck-and-never-leave haze she was in. “My mom’s name is Cassia, Grandma’s name was Juno, Great-Grandma was Maxima and Great-Great-Grandma’s name was Marcellina.”

  She closed her eyes for a moment in embarrassment, realizing she’d just given him a mini Velt genealogy lesson that he in no way asked for.

  “They’re great names. And interestingly enough, my mom also had a thing for ancient-sounding names.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Yup. You know I’m Roman. My brothers are Augustus and Maximus.”

  “Wow. That’s so weird. Not your names, but the coincidence.”

  “We’ve got something in common, that’s for sure. How long is your party going on tonight?” Roman asked.

  Rin shrugged. “Until it’s over. Knowing my sister and mom, probably late.”

  “Any chance, if I find presents for you and your sister, that I can be invited?”

  “Are you single?”

  “Uh, yeah…?” he said, as if wondering what that had to do with anything.

  Rin’s tummy did a summersault at the confirmation of his bachelorhood. “You’re more than welcome to attend,” she told him immediately, but quickly held up her hand to forestall him, and continued when it looked like he was going to say something. “Here’s the thing: It’s a really long story, one that you probably don’t want to know, but my sister is looking for a husband. So you being single is present enough. The party’s in the ballroom. No need to buy anything.”

  Roman opened his mouth to respond—or maybe it just dropped open in shock—but Rin continued on quickly again. “I know, it’s ridiculous and crazy, but there it is. Most of the people at the party are men, that’s why I thought you might have known Tina in the first place and you were here for the party. My dear twin is checking them all out in the hopes that she’ll have an immediate connection with one and they’ll live happily ever after, forever and ever. I’m kinda scared to sic her on you. You seem like a decent guy.” She smiled to let him know she was teasing. “I’d hate for you to get sucked into her web. I love her, she’s my sister, but she’s…” Rin trailed off, searching for the right word.

  “Not you,” Roman finished for her with a straight face.

  A full-blown shiver from her head down to her toes washed over Rin as she looked into Roman’s eyes and saw his sincerity.

  “You haven’t seen Tina.”

  “But I’ve seen you…and I like what I see.”

  “Yeah, well, even though we’re twins, she’s much prettier than I am. She has long hair and always wears clothes that make her look fabulous,” Rin explained, figuring she might as well be honest.

  She remained still, hypnotized, as Roman’s hand came up to her face and tucked an errant curl behind her right ear. “There’s no way she’s prettier than you.” His gaze traveled down her body then came back up to hers. “And what you’re wearing is perfect. You look comfortable in your own skin. Classy. I like it.”

  “Oh.” Rin wasn’t sure what to say.

  Roman dropped his hand but didn’t move out of her space. “I’ve worked a long day. I walked into this hotel wanting nothing more than to get a room, take a shower, and relax on the bed while watching a football game and ordering room service. But suddenly, after meeting a wonderful woman who just happens to be in the middle of her own birthday party, I don’t care about any of that. I’d like to spend some time with you, Varinia.”

  “You can call me Rin. Everyone does.”

  “I like Varinia. And I’m not everyone.”

  Wow.

  The way he’d looked her in the eye when he said that made goosebumps crawl down her arms. She’d never reacted to anyone in her entire life the way she reacted to this man.

  “Okay. But don’t blame me when my mom makes her move and decides you’re Tina’s fate.”

  “You’ll be there to rescue me.”

  “I will?” Rin smiled at him. Roman was actually pretty funny. And he smelled so good. So comforting. So familiar.

  “Yup.”

  “What is it that you do?”

  “For a living?” Roman asked, tilting his head.

  “Yeah.”

  “I’ll tell you later. Over a piece of birthday cake,” he said coyly.

  Rin chuckled. “Fine.”

  “And you can tell me the really long story about why you think your twin sister is prettier than you.”

  Rin wrinkled her nose at that. “Uh, I’m not sure—”

  “I’m still gonna go up to my room and clean the day off, but I’ll be down in about twenty minutes. You’ll wait for me?”

  “Here?”

  “No, not here,” Roman chuckled and Rin blushed.

  Duh. Of course not here. Jeez, she was a dork.

  “I’ll meet you in the ballroom,” Roman told her.

  “It’s kinda hard to find, so I’ll leave breadcrumbs,” Rin told him with a straight face.

  “I’d appreciate it,” he responded immediately.

  A man who seemed to get her weird sense of humor. Rin liked that. She began backing away from him and didn’t see an ornate chair—and backed right into it, stumbling as she righted herself. She waved off the hand he held out, as if he was going to haul her against him to keep her upright.

  She blushed. “Ha, sorry. I’m good. I’m just clumsy. I’ll see you later, Roman.”

  “Later, Varinia.”

  She smiled at him and turned to head through the lobby. She looked back at the end of the large room and saw he was standing by a bank of elevators, still watching her. She waved awkwardly and disappeared around the corner.

  Wow. The party might be for her sister, but Rin knew, without a doubt, that she liked Roman. He might be older than her. He might not be her true love—heck, she was probably never going to get that, according to the curse—but she could sure enjoy spending the evening with him at her party.

  Rin hugged herself. She couldn’t wait to see him again.

  5

  Rin got back to the ballroom to see that Tina and their mom were still making the rounds. Her sister was smiling and laughing and generally being her usual over-the-top happy self.

  Rin fielded a few “happy birthdays” from some of the guests and found another table in a back corner and settled contentedly into a chair. There were two people sitting on the other side of the large circular table, but they were engrossed in a conversation and didn’t try to include her. Rin got out her phone and pretended to be busy as she thought about Roman.

  Now that she had a moment, she contemplated the amazing coincidence that she’d somehow dreamed about a smell her entire life—and it was the same scent that clung to Roman like a second skin. It was impossible, but somehow she knew it was true.

  Then Rin remembered the ring for the first time that evening and lifted her right hand to look at it.

  She gasped in surprise and blinked, trying to clear her eyes.

  It was no longer the dark gray color it’d been since she’d put it on—it was now a deep crimson. Still almost black, but not quite.

  She looked up suddenly, looking for Tina. Had her sister found her true love? Was that why it’d lightene
d? Good Lord, might the curse actually be lifting?

  Tina was now sitting at a table with four men. They all seemed to be laughing and having a wonderful time. Her sister put her hand on the knee of the guy next to her and leaned into him. Rin tried to memorize what the four men looked like, so she could keep her eye on them. One of them had to be Tina’s true love for the ring to react the way it had.

  Cassia had sat Rin and Tina down when they’d started high school and she’d given them a history lesson about their ancestors. The legend of the ring had started with Theodosia and Lucius, back in the days when people wore togas. The names of others in her family swam in her brain as if she was sitting in front of her mom again, hearing them for the first time. Valeria and Tyren, Antonia and Titus, Valeriana and Aiden, Annie and Alex, and the most recent couple, Britannia and Charles.

  Rin took a deep breath and closed her eyes, praying with all her heart that Tina would join her ancestors as the next woman who found true love before her twenty-fifth birthday. It would make a great story, one Tina could lovingly tell her own daughter when she was old enough to understand and appreciate it.

  Even though they weren’t close, Rin wanted that for her sister. She wanted her to follow in the footsteps of their long-deceased kin. She watched Tina flirt with and smile at the men at her table for a while, wondering which one might end up being her brother-in-law.

  Just when Rin didn’t think Roman was going to return, she somehow sensed him enter the large room.

  She looked away from her sister’s table and saw him standing in the doorway. Seeing him there made everything else in her mind disappear. Her only thought was to get to his side.

  Rin stood up and headed in his direction, but wasn’t paying attention to where she was going and completely missed a woman who was pushing away from a table. The chair suddenly appeared in her path and Rin swore under her breath as she tried to stop herself from falling over it—and failed.

  It was a comedy of errors. The lady shrieked at finding Rin practically on top of her as she tried to stand, a man old enough to be her grandfather tried to grab Rin’s arm to keep her from falling, and Rin herself jerked to the side to try to avoid the collision.

  Her movements were enough to pull the older man off his feet at the same time she pitched to the side. She fell against a nearby table, hitting her hip bone, and when the older man fell against her, got pushed to the ground by his weight.

  They both lay sprawled on the floor of the ballroom, trying to catch their breaths.

  “Jesus, Varinia, are you all right?” Roman asked. He’d rushed over, his brows drawn down in concern.

  Rin closed her eyes in mortal humiliation.

  She was clumsy. She’d been that way her entire life. Usually it wasn’t that big of a deal, but going ass-over-feet in the presence of the first interesting man she’d met in ages wasn’t big on her to-do list for the evening. It was inevitable that she’d trip, fall, bruise or otherwise make an ass of herself at some point, but doing it in front of the wonderful-smelling man sucked. The only good thing about the entire incident was that she wasn’t wearing a skirt or dress. If she had been, she would’ve flashed everyone around them and they’d have gotten a way-too-personal glimpse of the red satin undies she’d worn for the special occasion.

  Rin looked up and saw Roman helping the elderly gentleman off the floor as if he weighed less than a child. He was put on his feet, and Roman steadied him, keeping his hand on his elbow until he was stable again.

  Rin slowly got to her feet, wincing at the ache in her hip but ignoring it. She’d had worse. “I’m good, thanks, Roman. Told you I was clumsy.” She turned to the stereotypical-looking grandpa she’d taken to the ground as if they were reenacting a WWE scene. “Are you okay? I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to take you to the ground with me.”

  “Heh. I think I’m the one who should be apologizing to you, young lady,” he told her with a twinkle in his eye. “You probably could’ve righted yourself if I hadn’t interfered and tried to help. I keep forgetting my strength isn’t what it used to be.”

  An older woman snuggled up to the man, putting her arm around his waist in support. “Come on, Superman, how about we go and get a piece of that delicious-looking cake?” She winked at Rin. It was obvious the woman was trying to take the sting out of the fact that her man wasn’t as strong as he used to be.

  At that moment, Rin almost felt sad about her family curse. She’d never thought she needed a man to make her life complete or meaningful, and still didn’t, but seeing how sweet the man and woman were to each other, and how protective, made a pang of jealousy streak through her.

  “Varinia, are you sure you’re all right?” Roman repeated, after the older couple and the woman who’d backed into her had left.

  “I’m fine.” Rin waved off his concern. At his look of disbelief, she insisted, “Happens all the time. I’ll probably trip over my own feet at some point tonight.”

  When he still looked concerned, she conceded in a lower, more serious voice, “I’ll most likely have a bruise. But I always have bruises. Nothing’s broken, promise, it’s all good.”

  She smiled to try to reassure him and was about to suggest they go and sit down to chat—until she saw her mom heading their way.

  Her mom’s man-dar was working overtime tonight and Roman was a fine specimen.

  Rin looked over at him. He’d changed out of the torn jeans and long-sleeved Henley, and was now wearing a maroon polo with a pair of dark blue jeans, so dark they could almost be black. He had the same boots on he’d been wearing earlier, but obviously wasn’t carrying his leather bag anymore. He looked good. Really good.

  “Damn,” Rin muttered, seeing her mom checking Roman out as she approached. She felt extremely protective of the man and even a bit…territorial. She turned her back to her mother and looked up at Roman. “My mom’s on her way over here. I was going to wait a bit before introducing you, but—”

  “Well, well, well…who do we have here?” Cassia purred as she reached their side.

  Rin sighed, but did what was expected of her and turned to face her mom. “This is Roman…uh…”

  “Reese. It’s good to meet you.” Roman held out his hand, and didn’t even flinch as Cassia took hold of it with both of hers and patted it with way too much gusto.

  “The pleasure is all mine,” she gushed.

  Rin held back the eye roll that wanted to come out at the simpering tone in her mom’s voice. She hadn’t been around Roman all that long, but she really didn’t like the way Cassia was eyeballing him…as if he was a meal and she hadn’t eaten in days.

  “I don’t think I’ve seen you around before.”

  Roman smiled and answered Cassia’s implied question. “I’m a friend of Varinia’s. She invited me. It’s good to meet you.”

  “Oh, so you know Rin already. Great. Come on, you have to meet Tina. I can’t believe Rin kept you a secret.” Her mom widened her eyes a margin at Rin before turning her hundred-watt smile back to Roman.

  Roman looked amused at Cassia’s response, but took it in stride. “I’d be happy to meet the other birthday girl.”

  Rin reluctantly followed along behind Roman and her mother as she towed the poor man across the room to where Tina was sitting. More than once in the past, a guy Rin had liked had totally forgotten about her once he’d met her sister. She really, really didn’t want that to happen this time. She hadn’t gotten to talk much to Roman yet, but knew without a doubt that she’d find him even more fascinating than she did already…if he didn’t get enamored with her sister before she had a chance.

  The trio arrived at the table where Tina was holding court with the group of men. Cassia stood next to her firstborn and totally ignored Rin.

  “Tina, I’d like you to meet Roman. Rin invited him and I knew he just had to meet you while he was here.”

  “Roman,” Tina said and nodded her head in greeting, holding out her hand as if she were the Queen of England, th
e man she was being introduced to a mere peasant.

  Roman’s lips quirked up in a smile, as if he was amused at Tina’s reaction, but politely took her hand in his and shook it. “It’s nice to meet you. Happy birthday.”

  “Thanks. Are you from around here?”

  “Unfortunately, no.” Roman looked up and caught Rin’s eyes before he continued. “I’m only a few hours away though…not too far.”

  “Did you get some cake, Roman?” Cassia asked in a sugary-sweet tone. “I can get some for you, so you can sit for a while and get to know Tina. Rin, can you please go and find one of the caterers? I have a question.”

  Rin could see right through her mom’s request. She didn’t need to speak to any of the wait staff; she simply wanted Rin out of the way.

  She turned to leave, figuring it was easier than butting heads with her mom, but Roman grabbed her hand and held on tightly, preventing her from walking away.

  “It was nice to meet you, Tina. I hope you have a great night.” He then turned to Cassia and answered her question. “I’m sorry, ma’am, but I promised Varinia I’d have a piece of her birthday cake with her, so if you will excuse us…” His voice trailed off, waiting politely for her permission, which he didn’t really need in the first place.

  Both Tina and Cassia looked surprised at his obvious brush-off, but Tina’s lifelong training on how to be polite in any situation kicked in, and she smiled sweetly. “It’s okay, I know how much Rin likes her cake. She never could resist sweets. Take your time and I’ll talk to you later, after my sister goes up to her room. She always goes to bed early. She’s kind of a party pooper.”

  Roman smiled, although Rin could tell it was forced, and nodded at both Tina and their mom, then they headed off to the table with the cake.

  “Sorry about that,” Rin murmured when Roman didn’t say anything.

  He didn’t respond verbally, merely hooked the hand he was still holding around his biceps. He leaned forward and grabbed two plates of cake, along with a pair of forks, then turned and headed for the corner of the room where Rin had originally been waiting for him.