by Ever Coming
“Yesterday, when I talked with Jameson, he had some enlightening things to say.” He picked up a washcloth and poured some bath gel on it before tapping me gently on the shoulder, urging me forward enough for him to wash my back. It should have felt so out of place, having him take care of me in such a way as we discussed what I felt was going to be beyond an important conversation, but it didn’t. It felt right, almost normal.
“I thought he was on vacation.” I slapped my hand over my mouth. “I didn’t mean I thought you were lying.” His soft chuckle put me at ease. Why did my words have to come so easily before my thoughts completely formed? Why?
“Vacation being staying at home and spending time with his newly pregnant wife.” I appreciated how he skipped over my faux pas. “As I was saying, I told Jameson about us. The way I was feeling, Arabella’s meddling, our chemistry.”
“You told him about that?” And then my mouth was at it again. I squeezed my eyes shut before covering my face with my hands.
“Don’t hide from me, beautiful.” He gently pulled my hands free from my face before washing each of my arms. I leaned back and enjoyed the pampering before I was brought back to the reality of it all when he began to speak again. “And yes, I did. He’s my maker and I was unsure of what was happening, just that it was more. Body forward, head back.” He tapped under my chin and I titled my head as I scooched forward. A warm spray of water cascaded down my head. It was heavenly. “He showed me some lore about bond mates and then divulged a secret, one that can never leave this room.”
“I’m good with secrets,” I mumbled as he started to massage my head with what I assumed was shampoo. I moaned at his touch. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone shampooed my hair, and when they did it, was with my neck jammed in those impossibly hard seats the salons had.
“This I know.” His fingers kept with their distracting dance and I loved it, even if it made concentrating more challenging. “As I was saying. Bond mates are thought to be lore, but Jameson discovered that they are more than lore. They are a well-kept secret.”
“What is a bond mate?” He had probably already explained it to me, but my attention span was zilch with his hands on me in this way. He must have sensed this because in moments, he was rinsing my hair and pushing me back to relax.
“A bond mate is fate’s way of saying you two are meant for only each other.”
I loved the sound of that, especially the way his accent deepened as he spoke. He could seriously read me the cereal box and make me swoon.
“And you think that’s me?” It came out as a whisper, part of me not wanting to know the answer. His caress was now focused on my legs, and as they inched upward, I found myself more and more optimistic that the answer would be yes.
“I did think that after talking to Jameson, yes.”
Did. Not do. Not yes, but did. My body froze. I was his something and I would be okay with that. I had to be. It was all I was going to get.
“But now?” If he wasn’t a vampire, there would be no way he would have heard my trembling, yet all but silent voice. I was a sadist to ask, but I needed to know.
“Now I know it to be true. Didn’t you feel the binding when I drank from you? When we came together as one. When I told you I loved you?”
What? How did I fall asleep before an I love you?
“I thought maybe …” I was too embarrassed to speak. He was my first orgasm not of my own doing, and I had always heard they were far better when not going solo. I just assumed the content feeling that followed was from his masterful tongue and the way his body danced with mine.
“Maybe what, butterfly?” He tilted my head to face him and meet his eye, a slight smirk on his face. Darn man knew what had me caflustered and was liking it.
“Maybe it was because I had an orgasm.” I spit it out as fast as I could, my face turning what I was sure was the brightest shade of red.
“And you will have many more. But no, love, that was not about orgasms, although I must admit that was a very satisfying side effect.” His face became serious, his eyes shining with affection, all teasing pushed aside. “It was about so much more. Jameson wouldn’t confirm it, but he and Angel are bond mates, and I have seen them communicate together freely without words.”
“If they are bond mates, why is he ashamed of her?”
“Ashamed? Never.” He took both my hands in his and I held his eyes. “Protective? Absolutely. He’s protecting her from those that would do her harm, not denying her. When you meet them, you will understand. She is his everything.”
“I have a lot to learn about the vampire world,” I mumbled, realizing that there was so much in this conversation I was missing and not all thanks to his wandering hands.
“Yes, you do, but not all today.” Finn kissed the tip of my nose before standing and reaching for a towel, which he then handed to me. It looked like time to relax in the tub and try to hold an actual conversation while a sexy man pampers you was over. “Today we need to get you fed and back home in time to see your daughter.” He stopped speaking, but his eyes indicated he wasn’t done with his thought. Was he nervous? “I’d like to meet her.”
“I would like that too.” I stood up, wrapping the towel around my body before stepping out, moving extra slowly to help myself find the right words. The last thing I wanted to do was to hurt Finn out of bad word choices. “But I want to tell her about you first.”
“And what would you say?” A second towel landed on my head and he helped dry my hair, ever so gently.
“That you are … argggg, I don’t know. What should I say?” She was three and he was my boss and more. Clearly I couldn’t use the term bond mate, even if it weren’t a secret they existed. We weren’t married or engaged. Technically, he was a client and not even my boyfriend. There was also the pesky little fact that he wasn’t exactly human.
“No worries, my butterfly. You are her mom and you know her best.” His reassuring words worked as intended. I was her mom and I would be able to figure this out. That’s what moms did.
“Not helpful,” I teased as I gave him a shove with my shoulder.
“How about that I’m your new friend and we hope to be married one day?”
Was he teasing too? He had to be, right? We just met each other. His eyes told a different story, however. He was serious.
Married? He wants to marry me?
Of course I do, my butterfly.
“How?” How had I heard him, for I had clear as day? He couldn’t do any mind dohickey’s on me; that left something else. Didn’t he mention something about Angel and Jameson communicating? Gah, why couldn’t I have been concentrating better when he was talking? Darn hormones and magical hands.
“Bond mates have that connection. I’m confident it will only get stronger after we make love a few more times.”
Great. He brought up sex, and with its mention my body reacted. “You sound so formal.”
“I’m old fashioned.” He leaned in close to my ear. “Don’t worry though, love, I can dirty talk when the mood is right.”
When the mood was right? The mood was right, now. My nipples were at attention, I was embarrassingly wet, and my breath was bated. It was safe to say, now was the absolute perfect time. And then out of nowhere, my phone decided to cock block me.
“My alarm.” I sighed in exasperation.
“I will leave you be to get ready and get you home.” A quick kiss on the cheek later, I was alone, getting ready to go home. At least ready in the sense I was dressed. Emotionally, there was so much to still work through, but that would have to wait.
I stepped into the master bedroom, Finn nowhere to be found. Meandering down the staircase, I could smell where he was. The smexy vampire of mine was making bacon. Mine? Yes, that felt right. He was mine and I was his. Not that I knew how to proceed from here.
“Finn,” I called out as I reached the bottom of the stairs.
“In the kitchen. I have breakfast.” It was official: he was
the perfect man. If only that were enough.
13
“Mama, Mama, can we go to the park?” I was barely in the door before Daisy was there, pulling at my skirt.
“Have you been a good girl for Miss Martha?” I scooped her up for a hug.
“The best, Mama.”
“Then let me talk to Miss Martha and you go get ready.” I placed her down and pointed to her room where I knew her backpack was, the one she wouldn’t leave home without. “We can even bring a picnic.”
“With grapes?”
I swore the girl could eat grapes all day long if I let her, and thankfully they had been on sale two weeks running.
“Yes, with grapes, now go find your shoes and anything else you want to bring.” She scampered away, singing Twinkle, Twinkle.
Martha held out a cup of coffee to me, which I graciously took, blowing on it gently before taking a first sip.
“Thanks, Martha. Would you like to come with us?”
“I would love to, dear, but I have plans.” She refilled her coffee and took a seat on the lawn chair, turned kitchen table.
“Plans?”
“Plans. I am a single lady, after all.” She could barely contain her laughter in her response. If Finn was serious about marriage, maybe he would consider hiring Martha as a nanny of sorts, possibly even let her move into the guest suite. I knew I was getting ahead of myself, but things felt too perfect, especially after I put two and two together and figured out all of our conversations in my dream were actual conversations.
“So date type plans?” I gave her a wink before leaning against the counter. We only had one grownup sized chair in the kitchen, and there was no way I wanted Martha to feel she took the seat I wanted. I was raised horribly, but they at least got the manners right.
“No, I’m picking up my new glasses, but seeing better is just as exciting when you get to be my age.” She brought her cup to her lips, not wanting me to see the so obvious amusement she had at teasing me so. “I best get going. Don’t want to be late. I’m making chili tonight, would you like to stop by for dinner?”
“I would love to. Shall I bring bread or chips to go with it?” I knew offering to simply bring something would be met with a refusal, so I tried the choices method.
“I have a better idea, bring your vampire instead.” Only Martha. I shook my head at her antics.
“I will ask him, but you know he doesn’t actually eat.”
“So it won’t be putting me out any, will it?” With that she left my apartment, laughter filling the air.
My phone buzzed as I prepared our picnic lunch of grapes and peanut butter sandwiches.
Missing you already.
His sweetness had me practically in a puddle. I quickly typed back.
Me too.
No sense hiding what we both now knew was true. We were meant for each other. Possibly not in the forever and always way, but for the right now at least and that was good enough for me.
Not really good enough, but I was holding onto the lie for self-preservation’s sake.
Martha invited you to dinner tonight. She’s making chili. She knows you don’t eat and said that means you have less reason to decline since it isn’t actually an imposition on her to invite you.
I finished the picnic as I waited for his response. Daisy wandered in with a far too full backpack and her shoes on the wrong feet just as it buzzed. I pointed to her shoes and she let out an exasperated sigh, a bad habit she picked up from me, before switching them.
I would be honored. What time shall I arrive, and should I bring corn bread or chips?
“What’s so funny, Mama?” Daisy pulled me from my mirth.
“Mama’s friend was being silly.”
I quickly typed back six pm and that I was getting ready to go to the park before plugging the phone in for a few minutes of charging.
“Cook?” Daisy asked before pointing to her shoes and giving me a thumbs up.
“No, this is a new friend. His name is Finn.”
“Like a fish?” All of the hype over the latest fish movie shouldn’t have made her comment a surprise, but it was. The world through the eyes of an almost three year old never failed to make me smile.
“Yes, like a fish, but spelled differently. He’s eating dinner with us tonight.”
“Martha says she’s making chili.”
“She is. It’s one of my favorites.”
“Mine too.” What she really meant was she loved the shredded cheese Martha topped each bowl with, but for a kid her age to try chili was a win in my column. “Can we go now?” She was practically dancing with excitement. The park was such a simple pleasure, and I was glad it was one she enjoyed as much as I did.
“After we get some of the things out of your backpack.” She reluctantly handed me her pack, which was filled with pretty much anything she could fit into it.
“Okay,” she conceded as I removed all but her favorite doll and small shovel she liked to dig in the sandbox with. “Mama?”
“Yes?”
“I’m glad you have a friend.” She snatched the backpack from my hand and after three attempts got it on her back before walking to the door.
“Me too, my rose bud, me too,” I spoke softly behind her as I grabbed the lunch I had just made.
Our day at the park was just what we needed. We walked the trails, met some cute dogs, dug in the sand box, and went down all of the slides. By the time we made it back home, we were both exhausted and ready for a nap. I had forgotten my phone at home, but my guess was we had a couple of solid hours before dinner.
The door to our building flung open just as we arrived, a delivery person holding a huge bunch of daisies cussing up a storm at how they needed to get addresses right and he wasn’t going to pay for someone else’s mistakes. An uneasiness clenched in my belly and initial reaction to offer to help him was pushed down. Something about him was off and I had learned my lesson at ignoring that one.
We barely made it to the landing of our floor when Martha’s door flung open. Her eyes were filled with terror, but her smile was warm. “I was just trying to call you.” The tension in her eyes never reached her voice. “Rose, would you be so kind as to go in my room and grab my purse?” Rose scampered off and that was when Martha’s face fell.
“Martha—”
“No time, dear. We need to go. Is there anything in the apartment you have to have?” I raked my mind for anything not replaceable, knowing by Martha’s phone that she wasn’t planning a fun getaway.
“Just my phone.” I scrambled for my keys, and as quickly as my fingers would allow, went in and grabbed my phone, which had far too many notifications. Whatever this was, was bad. Thankfully, the place didn’t feel unsafe, yet. Yet being the operative word.
“Mama, Martha says we are going out for an adventure.” She was holding Martha’s hand as I closed and locked the door.
“Well, doesn’t that sound fun?” I did my best to instill cheer into my voice, when terror was what currently reigned.
“What part of town does your vamp live?” Martha spoke low as if to avoid little ears.
“Old Town,” I mumbled back, now understanding our destination.
The bus was pulling up just as we reached the closest stop. It wasn’t going in the right direction, but a transfer could straighten that out. Waiting at a bus stop for the right bus almost got us caught two cities ago, and I wasn’t going to let that happen again. Settling into our seats, I gave Daisy the phone and opened a free app I had on there, hoping to distract her enough that Martha and I could talk. This time of day, few people were on the bus, giving us at least the illusion of privacy.
“I think she is engrossed now.” I turned to Martha, needing to know what was going on.
“Before you got home, there was a delivery man at your place.”
My gut clenched. Daisies. The man with the daisies. My Daisy. Someone knew.
“He was looking for Winona Page. Wouldn’t take no for an ans
wer. Kept telling me his boss told him he was going to have to pay for the delivery if he messed it up and that the client paid extra to make sure it was there right at three.”
Three, three, three. What was it about three that was so important? My family had four members, Daisy wasn’t three yet. Shit. This was the third city and knowing the crazy cult freak he was, he probably thought it biblical. He meant this to be the last city.
“Rose dear, I need my phone a minute.” Something in my voice must have told her not to argue with me because instead of her normal whining, she handed it to me before climbing on Martha’s lap. “Martha, I’m not sure how you knew, but thank you.”
“The bigger secret we have, the better we are at spotting them, my dear.” Wasn’t that the truth.
Opening up my messages, I inhaled deeply. Three from Finn, two from Arabella and one each from Victoria and Jasper. I started with Finn’s.
Thinking about you.
That was sweet and not at all related to my now fears.
Trying to call you but your phone is saying it is not accepting messages.
Darn throw away plan. I knew I had been getting close to maxing out on my phone minutes, but why did it have to happen at the worst time. At least my text messages were unlimited.
Please let me know you got this. I need to talk to you.
I didn’t have time to think about what he could mean by that and sent him a simple text that we were on our way to his house via a long and twisty bus route. I opened Arabella’s messages, and they were both about how she was buying me a real phone because this not accepting messages wasn’t working for her. Victoria’s and Jasper’s both asked me to call into the office, which I couldn’t due to lack of voice minutes. My phone buzzed beneath my fingers.
Where are you now?
His clipped question told me all I needed to know. He knew Matt was in town or at the very least that Matt knew I was in town. I quickly typed out my response.
