Divine Encounter

by JoAnna Grace

  She raised a single brow. “I think you’re lying.”

  Evander chuckled. Keona only increased her appeal when she sassed him. “Oh, Keona, I would most definitely like to take you on, baby.”

  Keona took the wine glass from his hand and sipped it. “Be careful what you wish for…baby.”

  Keona couldn’t believe this. It had to be the damned dress. No one ever turned her inside out as fast as the smooth man sitting across the table from her. Until the waitress, who openly ogled Evander, set their plates on the table, they talked about various types of karate, aikido, jiu-jitsu, Krav Maga, you name it, Evander knew of them all and the history behind them. Then again, so did she.

  “I’ve never met someone who knows as much about martial arts as I do. I quit taking formal classes because I ended up frustrated with the teachers.” Keona spread her napkin out in her lap.

  “Oh, you should meet Yankee. That bastard knows more about fighting than anyone I’ve met in my life.”

  “Sounds like an interesting character.” She raised her glass to her lips.

  Evander took a deep breath and shook his head. “He’s…well, he’s the biggest dick you’ll ever meet.”

  Keona coughed and sputtered, quickly grabbing her napkin to blot the wine running down her chin. She laughed and covered her blushing cheeks. “Sorry. For a second I thought you were saying something highly inappropriate.”

  Evander laughed, the sound soft, like velvet to her ears. “Yeah, can’t really vouch for what he has or doesn’t have, only what he is.”

  “That’s reassuring.” Keona leaned back in her chair and chuckled, knowing she’d officially broken the ice by spewing her drink and talking about another man’s junk.

  “So how long have you been in Chicago?” Evander asked before taking a bite of his pasta.

  Personal questions were expected on dates, but she still hesitated to answer with great detail. “A few months. You?”

  “About a century now, give or take a decade.”

  “Oh, wow. You don’t look a day over a hundred.” She savored a bite of lasagna, but would only eat half so she could take the rest to Piper.

  “Thanks, the Olympian life has been good to me.” He ran a hand over his jaw and they shared a laugh. “What brought you here?”

  “My sister and I move around a lot. We don’t like to linger for too long in one place. A few months here, a few months there.”

  He nodded, and his face pinched. “Your aura was locked up pretty tight when you came in. I sensed it, but most wouldn’t. Is it a security matter that keeps you on the move?”

  Keona lifted one shoulder. Aware that he would sense her lies, she answered with a half-truth. “We like to travel.”

  “I see. Me, too. We are Olympians, after all, we have time on our side, and it’s a big world.”

  “It is a big world.” Evander and Keona spoke the words in perfect synchronization. He grinned and they stared at each other, him taking a sip of his wine and her toying with her fork.

  His grin widened. “What are your favorite places so far?”

  Dinner with Evander grew more and more enjoyable. It was a miracle that she thought about anything but his eyes and his smile, his sense of humor. His intelligence impressed her. Evander made no effort to hide his flirting. It had been years since she’d been so open and free with another person.

  If and when she dated, it was usually human males, and it always ended the same way. Boring conversations about things she didn’t care about, boring sex, awkward morning-after lies about how she would call. After a while, she quit bothering.

  Tonight was different. Had she not been raised to think of Piper’s safety above all others, she might have forgotten to check in. An hour after she had walked into the café she checked her watch.

  “Can you hold on for one moment?”

  He nodded, his wine glass to his lips.

  Using the mental bond they had developed as children, Keona telepathed to her sister.

  Are you ready to come home?

  Piper’s voice was full of disappointment. If I have to. I love Italy. How’s it going?

  You can’t work for this guy.

  What? Why not?

  Keona glanced across the table at the sexy male. I’m on a date with him.

  As me? Her sister’s voice held disgust and Keona bit back laughter.

  No, yuck. That’s just wrong. He knew I wasn’t you from the moment he saw me.

  Is he human?

  He’s one of us. And yeah, you do have a job. I’ll come get you and take you home. But I want more time with him first.

  Okay. Come get me so you can get back to your date with my new boss. Because nothing can go wrong with that scenario.

  Keona grinned at her sister’s mock annoyance.

  “Watching you communicate like that is incredible.” Evander shook his head in disbelief. He leaned over the table and his eyes darted around her face. “If I could learn how you do that and then replicate it—”

  “It’s not a gift all the time,” she interrupted and held up a halting hand. “It’s very difficult to have someone that pops into your head at inopportune moments. Say the middle of sex, for example.” Keona rubbed her forehead and puckered her lips.

  “Oh.” Evander grimaced and bit his bottom lip, so damned sexy.

  “Yeah.” The memory made Keona down an entire glass of wine. “Excuse me. I need to go to the lady’s room.”

  Evander nodded, but she could feel his gaze on her as she walked away.

  As she locked herself in the stall, she fanned her face. Maybe it was the wine, maybe it was the man, but she was flushed and feeling better than ever. Adrenaline coursed through her and her nerve endings tingled with arousal and excitement.

  With little more than an afterthought, Keona blinked and opened her eyes to the grassy lawn of the Reggia di Caserta in Italy. Piper waited for her. Her twin sister grinned when she saw the state Keona was in.

  “That good of a date, huh?” Piper flashed a flawless grin.

  “Oh, Piper.” Keona fanned herself. “He’s so good-looking and smart and funny. A little on the scary side. Don’t ever let him hold your hand. But otherwise, he’s yummy.”

  “Well, take me home so that you can get back to him.” Piper held out her hand. Keona blinked and the two women stood in their apartment. Both of their smiles faded. The rat hole was just a reminder of where they really lived—the wrong side of the tracks.

  “I guess I should go,” Keona whispered with a sick feeling in her stomach. How could she ever live up to a man like Evander? There she stood in a borrowed dress and borrowed shoes in an apartment that barely had clean water.

  “Don’t.” Piper shook her head and tugged Keona’s hand. “For tonight, just pretend we don’t live like this. Go have fun. I’m going to bed.”

  Keona nodded. “Are you going to try to link to your man?”

  Piper blushed and hugged herself. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you?”

  They embraced and Keona rubbed her back. “No. He’s out there. He has to be.”

  As she slipped a pair of ballet flats in her purse, she waved to her sister and blinked back to the café where Evander waited. He watched her closely when she sat back down.

  “What?” Keona asked.

  “Your aura completely disappeared. How did you do that?” He leaned closer, anticipating her answer.

  “I can’t tell you.” Keona folded her hands on the table.

  “Why not?” He reached for her hand but she jerked back. “I wasn’t going to force you.” He appeared genuinely insulted, his previous open expression suddenly closed off.

  Exhaling a deep breath, Keona looked around the café. “I’m sorry. It’s just—it’s not something I want to discuss in a restaurant. Can we get out of here?”

  “First, tell me how you disappeared off the radar. Trust goes both ways.”

  Keona hesitated. Could she tell him? Could she trust him with such a huge secre
t? All her life her mother had warned her never to tell anyone or show anyone her ability to teleport.

  People will covet your powers and try to use them for evil. You must protect yourself, Keona, just like we protect your sister. The two of you are priceless to our people.

  “Look, it’s my job to administer to the Olympians in this area.” Evander smiled at her. “If you feel unsafe for any reason, it’s my job to protect you. I have Thracian soldiers at my disposal.”

  She gasped. “Thracians?”

  Who was this guy? Thracians were only assigned to the very powerful families in the Olympian hierarchy. Otherwise, they were positioned in various cities all over the world to keep an eye on the populace. She’d never met a Thracian, thankfully. Every Olympian knew of their superior abilities in war and combat. Many of the most powerful soldiers had to remain hidden from human eyes. If an Olympian was lucky, they’d never know the Thracians were there, watching.

  Here was a man important enough to have Thracians at his disposal. He could make her sister safe. On the other hand, once he knew who their mother was, he could make their life hell.

  Evander took her hand and this time she let him. There was no electrical current, save her own desire that shot through her. “I can help you and your sister. I can protect you, if that’s what you need.”

  Looking into those blue eyes, so unbelievably clear and beautiful, she thought she could trust him. If he really was able to keep Piper safe, it was worth the risk to herself.

  “I’m…” Keona took a deep breath and blew it out. “A teleporter.”

  It took Evander all of three seconds to react. His face went slack and his eyes widened. He released her hand and flagged down the waitress.

  “Check, please.”

  KEONA HELD ONTO Evander’s hand as he led her into the park. It was dark and no one would notice them there. This struck her as a good thing and a bad thing.

  “Who else knows?” He brought her to a halt and faced her, hands on her shoulders.

  Keona shook her head. “No one. I’ve told no one. Only my sister.”

  Evander let out a heavy breath. “Good. And you never use your gifts in public, right?”

  She kicked out a hip. Did he think she was stupid or something? “Yeah, I love to scare the kids at the hospital by popping in and out of their rooms. I add a little fake blood for effect.” She crossed her arms over her chest and started him down. “What do you think?”

  Evander rubbed the back of his neck and his face reddened. “I don’t mean to insult your intelligence. But my tracker sensed someone using gifts at the hospital. How else do you think we found you?”

  Keona’s heart sank. “What do you mean your tracker? How could you track our powers?” A chill ran up her spine. Was it possible? Could someone know they were here simply because Piper was a kindhearted person who wanted to help people? Sickness filled her gut. Was that how other Olympians found them in the past?

  A large, warm hand touched her cheek. “Keona.” Evander’s voice was soft and gentle. “I’ve upset you, and I’m sorry. I only wanted you to know the truth. As faint as Piper’s signature was, I’m sure it hasn’t been an issue. But if you’re a teleporter…”

  Keona looked into his ocean-water eyes and blinked the tears from her own. “Then it’s my fault we always have to move. They can track me.” She clenched her teeth and gathered herself. Dear gods of Olympia, she’d never cried in front of a man. Then again, in Evander’s arms, she felt safe.

  He held her tighter, one hand splayed across her back, the other on her cheek. “Let me help you. What do you need from me?”

  Need? From a man who was a stranger two hours ago? A man who made her blood run hot and her thighs clench? A man whose touch had her knees shaking and her breathing shallow? She didn’t know what she needed from him, she’d never thought to ask anyone for help. But she damn sure knew what she wanted from him.

  He took a deep breath. “I don’t know exactly what you were thinking, but I get the gist.” He leaned in and teased her lips with a soft kiss. “I’ve wanted to do this since the moment you walked in tonight.” Again, he grazed his lips over hers, applying a bit more pressure with each pass. The skill of his kiss mixed with the heady scent of his expensive cologne, creating a dizzy sensation.

  “Wow,” she whispered against his moistened lips.

  “That’s what I was thinking.”

  Words failed to form and her hunger urged her to explore him more. Keona met his eyes and tried to remember the last time she’d felt this way with one kiss. Never.

  Throwing all rational sense to the wind, she grabbed him by the collar and kissed him with gusto. He opened for her and angled his head for a deeper duel of tongues. One hand fisted in her hair and the other cupped her bottom, blazing his handprint through her tight dress and urging her into the V of his legs. He was hard like granite against her thigh, and the evidence of his lust only fueled her own until they were grinding against each other, lost to everything around them. If he could kiss this good, what was he like in bed? Gods of Olympus help her, she wanted to find out—tonight.

  Wait, if Evander was capable of controlling her muscles with one touch, did that mean he could also influence other physical responses? Could he make her feel this attraction? Could he be manipulating her desires simply so she would go to bed with him?

  She pushed him away, and shook her head, determined not to be his cheap conquest. “You did that, didn’t you?” Keona ran her hands through her hair and took a deep breath, exhaling in a big gust. “Nice trick.” Her body was on fire, her breasts pushed painfully tight against her loaner dress, and she was wet between her legs.

  “What are you talking about?” Evander’s nose wrinkled. “You think that was—oh…” He rocked back on his heels and put his hands in his pockets, probably trying to contain the erection trying to burst through his pants. His nostrils flared and his jaw clenched. “Believe it or not, I don’t have to coerce women to kiss me. Sorry, but that was all-natural, mutual attraction, baby.”

  Maybe she should’ve thought before she spoke. She crossed her arms over her chest and hugged herself. “I didn’t mean to insult you. It just—it was so strong, too much.”

  “You don’t trust anybody, I get that. To be transparent, I’ll admit that if I wanted to, I could make you do almost anything. Making women want to be with me…” He shrugged his defined shoulders. “Not really my game.”

  Me and my big mouth. What was she thinking? This guy was her dream come true, and she was going to ruin it because this little voice in the back of her mind that sounded just like her mother, said not to trust anyone who could have power over her. And when he’d touched her at the restaurant, she recognized his powers the instant he turned them on. There was none of that when he kissed her.

  Keona bit her bottom lip and rubbed at her temple. “Now that I’ve made an ass out of myself, maybe we should just start over. Because if that kiss was for real, I’d really like to see where this goes.”

  One side of Evander’s lips pulled back into a sexy smirk that made her stomach quake. “Agreed.”

  Taking a deep breath, Keona stuck out her hand. “Keona Nadal.”

  He shook her hand and smiled. “Evander Castille.”

  Keona froze and terror seized her heart. “Castille?”

  “Nadal?”

  “Oh, shit.” Keona pulled her hand back.

  “Wait, please.” Evander held out his hand but she stepped back again.

  She sagged in defeat and tears welled up in her eyes. “Of course you’re a Castille. Damn it.” Without wasting another minute, she blinked her way home. From one heartbeat to the next, she teleported out of the park and into her apartment.

  Piper was asleep on the pullout couch and she didn’t want to wake her, but she might have made a horrible mistake.

  Castille. As in the royal family, Deities of North America and kin to the Master Thracian himself. That’s why Evander had Thracians at his dispo
sal. He was Olympian royalty. Keona let out a shaky breath. Why, gods, why did she have to meet him? Why did she have to connect with him so fast and easily? And why was she sitting on the floor of her bathroom crying over the loss of a man she’d just met?

  There was no chance that a Nadal and a Castille could ever be together. The Master Thracian wasn’t known for second chances, and her mother, Marlaina Nadal, had betrayed their race decades ago in order to save her daughters.

  If Ryse Castille ever found Keona and Piper, he would kill them for sure.

  Piper never quite relaxed. Even when she thought she might be drifting off into a deep sleep, ready to see the gardens and hear the water trickling from the fountain, her brain still recognized the sounds of the city. The cars driving past, honking, doors opening and shutting from the various apartments in the building, the neighbor’s television, and the hum of the overworked radiator by her bed.

  Sleep would never be found at this rate.

  Someone gasped and her eyes popped open. Right there, standing in her apartment, was her mystery man. His dark eyes were wide with shock, but they warmed instantly when they landed on her. It had to be a dream. The locks were in place on the door, she couldn’t feel his aura or see the energy around him like she would a normal Olympian.

  “Oh, no. No. This isn’t right. You’re not supposed to see this.” She sat up in the bed, the thin blanket cradled to her chest. This wasn’t a dream, this was a nightmare.

  “What’s wrong?” He came to sit on the edge of her pullout bed. It groaned and creaked with his weight. “Where are we?”

  Never in her life had she been more horrified and vulnerable. He had never seen her in a real place, much less the hovel of her apartment. This reality was horrid. What if he didn’t like what he saw? What if he only fell for the woman in the gown? In their garden, she was perfect and beautiful.

  Here she was nothing.

  Piper choked back tears and willed her bottom lip to cease its trembling. “This is my place. This is where I live. I can’t believe you’re seeing it. Why didn’t we go to the gardens?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. I started there, but then I came here.”