Missing Pieces (The Pieces Series Book 1)

by Flowers, Tiffany

  At 4:30, I am ready and waiting. I wonder where he is taking me. He opens the door right at 5. He is wearing khaki shorts that show off his tanned, sculpted legs, but no shirt. Wow, can I fall to pieces now? I blush. “Ah, that is your color. Ready?”

  Where can we be going with him dressed like that? I twirl playfully and he laughs deeply. It vibrates through my body, giving me chills. He grabs my hand and leads me out the door. I look out and stop. All the lights are off and candles light our path down the hallway. I grin and blush. He really has put a lot of thought into this date. The candles go all the way to the front door. He opens it and even bigger candles light a new path, which we follow until we come to a lake. There is a blanket laid out on the ground, torches surrounding it to keep away the bugs. I am glad I wore my short summer dress because the air is just right. He motions for me to sit, plopping down beside me. It’s not graceful, but it breaks the tension and I laugh. He grins his goofy grin, which makes him look so young and carefree. Come to think of it, every time I see him, his face looks like he is trying to hide his worries. My thoughts are broken by a pair of lips touching mine. I am surrounded by the smell of cinnamon. There is a small breeze caressing our bodies. We are in our own little word for a few minutes.

  He breaks the kiss. “You were thinking so hard that I figured you needed a distraction.”

  “A little cocky, aren’t you?”

  “Lately, I have been told that a lot.” He winks. “Are you hungry?” As he asks that, an older woman with greying hair brings out a plate of fruits...sliced apples, peaches, pears, oranges, and plump green and red grapes.

  “I could eat. But where are the strawberries?” I wink, recalling what happened the last time I ate a strawberry.

  “They are for dessert. I want to actually get through our meal without one of us jumping the other.” He smirks.

  “Are you smirking at me?” I playfully tease him, fluttering my lashes.

  “Only if you like being smirked at.”

  His voice has dropped to a rumble and his eyes have turned dark. The light off the torches are highlighting his strong features. I start to tremble with the attraction I have to him. With a shaking hand, I lift a peach and attempt to bring it to my mouth, but I drop it. Shit! He grabs another piece of peach and holds it to my lips. I take a small bite, and the juices run down my chin and neck. He slowly leans in and licks my chin before diverting his expert tongue to my neck. I shudder at the sensations running through my body. He kisses his way back up my neck and I let out a little moan. He reaches my lips and fiercely starts to attack my mouth. Our tongues meet and explore each other. I am losing all my bearings. It’s too soon, but I can’t think. He lays me back, never breaking the kiss. His skin is burning every part of my body that it touches. He uses his leg to part mine, then straddles over me.

  He breaks our kiss to whisper in my ear, “You are the most beautiful broken puzzle piece I have ever seen, Gabby.”

  He dips his head to my neck and nibbles. Oh, god. What this man can do to me with a simple sentence. I am slowly falling deeper and deeper, but I am not ready to tell him. He moves to my breast and gently bites them through my clothes. “Ah, fuck,” I say, involuntarily.

  He makes a growling noise that breaks my last barrier. His hands find my underwear and he slips a finger in, teasing and testing my opening. I grind against his hand and he slips one finger in, then two. “God, babe, you’re so wet.”

  His lips meet mine in a desperate attempt to get closer. His fingers move in and out, taking me higher and higher. My climax is building fast. He uses his thumb to put pressure on my nub and I break. As I come down from my climax, I see him stick his fingers in his mouth. I nearly come again just from watching him. He rests his head on my chest, listening to my heartbeat slowly getting back to normal. I am confused. I thought he would be in me by now, taking me even higher.

  “You’re not ready to give me all of your heart yet. When you are, I will take you, but not until I have all of your pieces,” he whispers.

  He sits up and adjusts his pants. I feel bad that he didn’t get to release, but the look on his face tells me he got just what he needed—a small piece of me. As I’m adjusting my panties, he calls for the waiter. The waiter brings out our food and we eat in silence. He looks at me after we are done. “I guess we don’t need those strawberries after all.”

  I laugh and stand to walk over to the lake. I slide my flip flops off and dip my foot in. It is warm. The next thing I know, I am coming up for air, soaked, and Neeko is laughing. He really knows how to lighten the mood.

  “That was mean. What if I didn’t know how to swim?”

  “I would have jumped in and saved you.”

  “Well, jump on in.”

  “No, thanks.” He turns to walk away.

  “Neeko, you better not leave me out here by myself!”

  He is almost to the house now so I climb out and run straight for him. I jump on his back, thoroughly soaking his shorts. He turns and starts walking toward the lake again. I think he is going to throw me back in, but he doesn’t. Wrapping his arms around my legs, he jumps in. We both come up laughing. I haven’t laughed like this in a long time. We splash each other and try to dunk one another for a while longer, then we get out and head to the house.

  We step into the house and I start to shiver from the cold. I race up the stairs and into the bathroom. Fully clothed, I jump in the shower and turn on the hot water. Finally warming up, I disrobe and leave the wet clothes on the shower floor. I wash and get out. After my orgasm and playing in the water, I’m exhausted so I get into bed and doze off.

  Chapter 5: Plans

  Neeko

  After hearing what this guy Lee did to her, I want to find him and kill him. No wonder she has attacks and nightmares. She doesn’t seem to remember the nightmares so I don’t bring them up. I finally talked her into giving us a chance to be together. She thinks she is too broken, but all I see is a beautiful puzzle that just needs to be put back together. I wish I can tell her about the mate thing, but she already runs from me. If she knew I was Immortal and she was my mate, the first human ever to be an Immortal’s mate, she would definitely run. I have a plan to help her see me for who I am and help us get closer. I am going to take her on a couple dates. I have asked her to write down places she wants to go.

  She hands me her list and I look it over. It rips my heart open to see that she put home twice. I thought we were getting somewhere, but I see we haven’t. I guess I’ll have to take one piece at a time and I know exactly how to start.

  I tell her I’ll pick her up at 5 and walk out of the room. I have a lot of things to get done if I want it ready by then. First, I need a bunch of candles, some torches, and a blanket big enough for us both. I send two people to get the candles and torches. I know the perfect blanket. It’s the quilt my parents used to bring for us to sit on when we picnicked by the lake when I was younger. It’s a special place that I can’t wait to share with Gabby. I hope it helps her get closer to me. I can still remember playing by the lake.

  I was about four-years-old, and my sister was eight. She was always using her power to manipulate water. She loved for me to stand by the edge of the lake so she could splash me. On this particular afternoon, Derrick joined us. We are the same age, born only days apart. My mom always said it was fate telling us we would be friends forever. My mom and dad where sitting on the quilt having a glass of wine, Derrick and I were dipping our feet in the lake while Christina, my sister, was making the waves hit our knees. Derrick and I couldn’t stop laughing. He pushed me in and I grabbed his leg, pulling him down with me. Christina laughed, causing mom and dad to look up.

  “Boys, you know you weren’t supposed to go swimming until you put your swim clothes on.”

  “Sorry, mom. We didn’t mean to. We kind of just fell in.” Derrick and I busted out laughing

  “Yeah, I’m sure it was an accident. What am I going to do with you boys?” she said, grinning


  Dad just shook his head. “Boys will be boys, dear.”

  I can still remember the taste of the water, the smell of Mom’s perfume, the way dad used to read the newspaper. It was all so normal, even though we used magic and lived in a compound.

  All the candles are lit as I walk to the bedroom door. I open it to find Gabby in a breath-taking dress. Literally, it made me stop breathing for a few seconds. I decided to wear shorts and no shirt in case we go swimming after supper. By the way she presses her thighs together, I can see that it was, indeed, a good idea.

  After our picnic, we play in the water a while. When we get out, I realize I forgot the towels so we make our way to the house, dripping the whole way. As soon as I open the door and the air hits her, she takes off running for the bathroom. My dick pulses at the thought of shower sex. I can’t go up there or I will have to indulge my fantasy. I have got to find answers or I am going to permanently damage myself from having blue balls.

  Gabby

  A week has passed since our little picnic by the lake. For the most part, Neeko has stayed away from me, waiting to come to bed until I go to sleep and getting up before I wake. It’s like he is avoiding me. Today, I am planning on getting some answers. I still can’t figure out why I haven’t seen anybody else around. I dress in my workout clothes, put my ear buds in, and hit PLAY on my iPod. I run down the stairs and out the door, running the little dirt road that is supposed to be the driveway. It really is beautiful here. The trees are huge and surround everything. The fresh air does a good job of clearing my head. I work up a good sweat and head back to the house.

  I jump into the shower, the warm water relaxing me even further. Standing under the water, I start thinking about the house. I already have explored some of it. There’s not much to it. It is a regular house on steroids. There are a couple doors that are locked. I have been meaning to ask Neeko about them, but he hasn’t been around much. I haven’t explored the first floor, except the living room. My favorite part of the house is outside—the porch has a swing! I haven’t gotten a chance to swing yet, or to explore the buildings that are in the backyard.

  I walk down to the library, but nobody is in there. It makes me sad that I don’t even know where to start looking for him. A tear drops before I can stop it. I sit down in one of the comfy chairs and lay my head on my knees. We were starting to get so close. I don’t know what I did to make him start pushing me away. I hear someone clear their throat so I look up at the doorway and Neeko is standing there. It seems like it has been forever since I got to look at those gorgeous blue eyes. I run and throw my arms around him. He must think I am crazy. One minute I want him and the next, I am backing away. Maybe that is why he is avoiding me. He has gotten tired of trying to get close. I lay my head on his chest and listen to his heart. My heart starts beating to the same rhythm as his.

  I regain my composer and pull away, my cheeks turning red. “Sorry.” I step away from him and sit back in the chair. I hide my face, scared of what he is about to say. Is it really over before it even began?

  “What is wrong, and what are you sorry for?”

  “I didn’t mean to do whatever I did to make you not want to be around me.”

  “What are you talking about?!”

  “You have been avoiding me for a week now. I barely see you at all.”

  “Oh, baby. I’m sorry. I have been planning our next date. I didn’t even realize I was abandoning you.”

  “Really?”

  “Yes. That is what I was coming to tell you when I found you like this.” He motions to my face. “We are leaving in two days to go on a cruise. I figured you could use a change of scenery.”

  I’m embarrassed and relieved at the same time.

  Neeko

  Trying to find Gabby, I walk into our bedroom. Empty. I walk down the hall to find Derrick. Maybe he knows where she is. When I get near the library, I hear someone crying. I walk to the door and peak in. Gabby is sitting in one of the chairs, crying, her head tucked into her knees. I want to run to her and kiss away her tears, but I don’t know what caused them. I clear my throat and she looks up at me. I figure she would start yelling at me or throw something. Instead, she runs up to me and throws her arms around my neck. She feels so good up against me. I hold her a few seconds and it’s like our bodies have become one. Apologizing, she steps back and her cheeks are flush. She sits back in the chair and hides her face again. I’m stunned. “What is wrong, and why are you sorry?”

  She thinks I have been avoiding her because of something she did. I quickly tell her I have just been busy with planning our next date, which means that I have to quickly come up with a date because I really have been avoiding her. Not because she did anything, but because I would. Being near her makes me want her and I can’t. She is human and I could hurt her. I need answers on how a human can be an Immortal’s mate. It’s never been recorded anywhere so I have no reference on what to do. Are we destined to love each other without actually ever getting to touch?

  Chapter 6: Immortal Mate

  Gabby

  I wake up thinking how perfect everything has been since our talk in the library. Maybe I can let him in. I look and see that he’s not in bed. Damn, what time does he get up? I walk to the door and open it. He’s in the hallway with another man, whispering. His muscles are taut and his hands are clenched. I take this time to study his backside. He really is the perfect specimen. Now, if I knew why he wanted me and why I am starting to fall in love with him, that would be a plus. How can I love someone who I still haven’t ruled out as being a killer? As if sensing me, he looks over his shoulder. Wait, were his eyes just red? I take a step back into the room. I see him close his eyes and shake his head. When he opens them again, they are back to normal. Were they red? Or was I seeing things?

  As he walks toward me, I start to run back into the room. Where the hell am I going to go? I run toward the other side of the bed and stop dead in my tracks, almost running into him. How did he get in front of me?! “What is going on here?! What are you?!”

  “It’s alright. I’m not going to hurt you,” he says as he takes a step toward me.

  I back up. “No! You tell me what the hell is going on here!”

  He takes a deep breath. “You’re not going to believe me...but here goes. I’m a very powerful Immortal.”

  “What, like a vampire?” I bust out laughing. Ok, maybe I am losing my mind.

  “No, I don’t drink blood. Think of me as a warlock that can’t be killed very easily. I have a heightened sense of sight, smell, and hearing. Pretty much all the pros of being a vampire...without all the cons. We are the Godgels Immortals. Our ancestors were the children of demigods and angels.”

  “Prove it,” I say, crossing my arms.

  He turns his palm up and a tiny flame appears. I reach my hand above it and feel the heat. This can’t be real! I grab a piece of paper off the nightstand and place it to the flame. It catches fire. I quickly throw it down and stomp it out. He then closes his hand and reopens it. The flame is gone. I grab his hand and still feel the warmth, but there are no burns or blisters.

  “How?”

  “I told you I am a very powerful Immortal. You have seen me flash, but I can show you that again, if you like. You have also experienced being transported through a portal. That’s how we got you here so fast.”

  He then disappears from in front of me and I feel a hand on my back. I jump and turn to see him. “I didn’t want to tell you until you trusted me. But I let my anger get the best of me and I’m sorry.” He looks down and shakes his head.

  “Is that why I feel safe with you? Do you have some kind of spell over me?”

  His head shoots up and his face is contorted in pain. His voice is a whisper when he says, “No, I don’t use my powers on you. The pull we feel towards each other is something else entirely. I’m not sure because I have never been around anybody this has happened to. What I’m trying to say is that I believe you are my soul mate...the first hum
an/Immortal bond that I have knowledge of.”

  “So because of some Immortal bull I am stuck here?” I don’t want to hurt him more, but it isn’t my fault that I am his mate...if that is even true.

  “I have you here so I can keep you safe. If anybody hears what you are to me, they would try to harm you to get to me.”

  “Are there other types of Immortals?”

  I can tell that he is getting annoyed. “Yes, there are. Demons, some witches, vampires, shifters, demigods, angels, and Oracles are some types.”

  “Wait. Vampires do exist? How come I have never come in contact with any Immortals except you? What is an Oracle?”

  “Yes. Vampires are real, but history exaggerates their power. The sun can kill them, that much is true, but they are only slightly stronger than humans. They don’t have any powers except compulsion. They are a type of lower-level demon.” He looks at me like he is deciding if he should say what he is about to. “You have met a demon before. You just didn’t know it.”

  “What? When?”

  “Mike, from the bar, was a demon.”

  “How did you know about Mike? Now I’m really glad I didn’t go home with him,” I say with as much sarcasm as I can muster.

  “Well, the Oracle...I am not sure what she is or how she came to be...told me to be at that club on that day. It was a day you were there with friends. After I saw you, I couldn’t stop thinking about you. After that, I kept my head in a book to try to figure out why I wanted you so badly. That is when I found out you were, potentially, my mate. I went back to that club every Friday until you came back. When I saw you leave, I thought that I would never see you again.”