Chalice of Life

by R. A. Rock

  The doorman followed the other man, who Tessa had decided was definitely too handsome for his own good, into the room and stationed himself near the door, folding his hands neatly and focusing his eyes on the far wall. And Tessa considered him, taking his measure.

  The doorman/guard was tall with broad shoulders, and he wore a suit that was likely custom made—because of his size and also because she had a feeling he was very particular about his clothes. His hands were elegant, well manicured but Tessa had a feeling that he knew how to throw a punch. She figured he didn’t like to get his hands dirty but he would if it was required. The man’s brown hair didn’t have even one strand out of place and his shoes were polished to a high shine.

  No doubt he was as particular about protecting his master as he was about his appearance. She would keep her eye on him.

  Tessa glanced at the clock on the wall. It was suppertime on this realm and she was starting to get hungry. Who knew when she had eaten last? But there would be time for eating later. They had to get this sorted out first.

  The handsome man was wearing the same sort of blue pants that Finn and Tessa were dressed in and a white shirt that buttoned up, though he hadn’t done it up all the way and she had a tantalizing glimpse of the smooth, tanned skin of his chest. The sleeves of the shirt were rolled up and he looked relaxed and confident. Whoever he was, he exuded charisma. And strangely enough, he seemed familiar. She squinted at him. Tessa felt as though she had seen him before.

  A second before she began to speak, she felt the universal translation spell kick in.

  “Do we know each other?” Tessa said, standing up. She felt confused. How could they possibly know each other? She was sure she would remember this guy if she had met him. “I feel like maybe we’ve met.”

  The man studied her, dragging his otherworldly emerald green eyes up her body in a way that made her feel hot.

  What in the name of Severance?

  “I’m pretty sure I’d remember if we had met, Stars,” he said, no doubt referring to the fact that all Faerie spirituality was based on the fact that the Fae were descended from the Stars.

  He put his hand to his chin, which made her notice his close-trimmed beard that was hiding a strong jawline. Her entire being had lit up when he had walked in the room and Tessa didn’t like that. She had no interest in Ethan Hunter—if that was who this was. And she didn’t like him getting her all hot and bothered with just a glance.

  Ethan eyed her with a decidedly interested expression, which made Tessa lose her train of thought again.

  What had they been talking about?

  Finn stood up at that point. “Maybe we should start at the beginning,” he said, shooting Tessa a mildly irritated look. “Are you Ethan Hunter?”

  The man gave one nod, examining Finn with interest.

  “I’m Finn Noble,” Finn held his hand in a fist, his forearm almost vertical as he stepped towards Ethan. The musician did the same and the men crossed forearms, as if Ethan knew very well how to do a faerie handshake and this wasn’t his first time.

  “And I’m Tessa Callahan,” said Tessa, giving Ethan a disapproving look as they crossed forearms. “Not Stars.”

  “Whatever you say, Tessa.” Her name rolled off his tongue as if he were savoring a fine wine and she repressed a shiver. She was not going to let this man affect her this way. She didn’t even know him.

  “Yes, well, we’re…” Tessa started.

  “Fae,” Ethan finished for her. “I’m well aware. Trust me.”

  Trust him? No way.

  “We were hoping you could help us,” Finn said, inserting himself in the conversation once more. He returned to his seat on the couch and Ethan perched on the arm of a chair.

  “Help you? How?” He looked back and forth between Finn and Tessa.

  Tessa found her voice, feeling foolish that he was having such an intense effect on her. She had made a copy of the note that was in her pocket when they arrived and she retrieved it.

  “We arrived at the Passageways…” She paused. “Do you know what that is?”

  “The Faerie system of portals between Esper and other points on Earth. Yes, I know.”

  Ethan gazed into her eyes, listening attentively.

  “Well, we arrived there wearing these clothes from the Earthly Realm.” She gestured at herself, then held up the piece of paper. “We had nothing else with us except a note. And no memories.”

  Ethan got a perplexed look on his face. “Why?”

  “The Caretaker thought it was because of the way we were sent through.”

  “Hmm. Could be. Would you like a drink? Water? Lemonade? Whiskey?” Ethan slid down the arm of the chair until he was sitting.

  “Water would be great,” she said.

  “Water’s fine,” Finn agreed.

  The doorman disappeared, closing the door with barely a sound.

  “So, what do I have to do with any of this?” Ethan asked.

  Tessa held up a piece of white paper folded into quarters.

  “I found this in my pocket. It says you can assist us.”

  “Assist how?

  “We need to get our memories back so that we know why we’re here.”

  “And you think I can do that?” he said, studying her. “I’m no Faerie.”

  “Right. Of course not. That’s fine. We’re just going by the note. It said to ask you for help. We don’t know what happened before we were sent here. We don’t know why we’re here. We don’t even remember who we are, except for our names.”

  “I don’t think I’m going to be able to help,” Ethan said, shaking his head, and Tessa could see his mind closing, his interest disappearing. “I’ve got a tour coming up and a lot of bad press that requires me to be on the up and up. No helping out dodgy people. Or dodgy Faeries, as the case may be.”

  “Dodgy?” Finn said, clearly insulted.

  “You have a universal translation spell,” Ethan said, an amused smile on his face. “You know exactly what dodgy means.”

  “Why do you consider us dodgy?” Tessa asked, stung by his assessment of them. She played with the note in her hands and the paper made a sharp and crinkly sound.

  Ethan began enumerating, tapping a finger for each point. “You show up at my house with no invite. You use Ancient Voice on my employee. You have some note that you clearly wrote yourself with my name on it. And you want my help with getting your memories back, something I obviously can’t help with. I’m a musician, not a magician.”

  “That’s not fair,” Tessa said in dismay. “And I didn’t write the note, only made a copy of it because the real one disappeared not long after we arrived. There’s no one else that we can ask.”

  “Not my problem,” Ethan said, shrugging one shoulder. “You don’t even know who sent you here. What if it was some powerful Fae that I don’t want to mess with?”

  “Oh, well, we do have a clue to that, though it’s not for sure that she sent us,” Tessa said, unfolding the paper.

  “She?”

  “The note. It was signed, Perdira.”

  Ethan’s face grew troubled. “What? Perdira? Can I see it?”

  Tessa leaned forward and handed him the small piece of paper. He read it over several times.

  “No,” he said, standing up, his face closed. “I’m sorry. I can’t help you.”

  “What?” Tessa said, her stomach dropping. He’s saying no? Just like that? “Why?”

  “I can’t get involved in anything to do with Perdira,” he said, holding his hands up. “Too much drama there. For sure. You have to go.”

  “You’re going to just turn away someone who needs your help because you’re afraid of a little drama?” Tessa said, unable to believe that he was really going to kick them out.

  “Uh, last time I checked, I wasn’t a homeless shelter to help out the needy. And if Perdira’s name was on that note, then a powerful Fae that I don’t want to mess with is definitely involved. And like I said. I don’t want to mes
s with her. Not anymore.”

  The doorman/guard returned with a tray that held three tall glasses of water with slices of lime on the edge of the glass and another slice floating in the water. He set Tessa’s glass down precisely on the coaster on the end table with a dull thud.

  She picked it up. “What happened? Did you fight her?”

  The glass was cold and wet, covered with condensation. She took a sip and closed her eyes as the clear, cool liquid slid down her throat. She hadn’t known she was so thirsty until she’d taken a drink. Gulping down half the glass, she then took a deep breath and set it back on the table.

  “Not fight exactly,” Ethan said, meeting Tessa’s gaze, then looking away.

  Tessa’s eyes got round. “You had a thing with her? And that’s why you’re not going to help us?”

  “A thing is putting it mildly. But never mind that. That’s not why I’m not going to help you.”

  Tessa scowled at him.

  “Okay,” he admitted. “It is why I’m not going to help you.”

  “How can you be so selfish?” Tessa demanded.

  “Habit?” Ethan said with another careless shrug.

  Tessa let out a sound of frustration and turned away from him. She drew in a deep breath, trying to keep calm, and caught the sweet scent of the flowers on the mantel.

  “Sorry I couldn’t be of more help.” Ethan got up and walked out the door without a backward glance.

  Chapter 5

  “Sir,” Doyle said as he followed Ethan out of the room. “The women from the concert the other night are here.”

  “The ones who look like twins but who aren’t related?” Ethan said, his heart starting to race at the thought.

  “Yes, sir. Those women.” Doyle’s face was as expressionless as usual. Though, Ethan was pretty sure he disapproved of these women. Well, all the women, really.

  “Great. Can you show those Faeries out? And if they come back, make sure you use ear plugs so they can’t put that spell on you. I don’t want to see them again.”

  “Yes, sir,” Doyle said.

  “Oh, and Doyle?”

  Doyle, who had been walking away, turned back to face him.

  “Please don’t disturb us for at least…” He thought about how hot the women from the other night were and how much they had wanted to sleep with him. “Until tomorrow morning.”

  Doyle gave one nod and Ethan headed for the entranceway with a skip in his step.

  Oh, he was going to enjoy this.

  “Jennilee and Ashley. Ladies, you look lovely tonight. I was hoping you might stop by.”

  Ethan had spent the evening and the night in bed with the two women. And it had been amazing. They had enjoyed it too, of course. With his Hunter’s senses, he could hear their heartbeats and see their skin flush. And of course the full body contractions were a good sign, too.

  No faking an orgasm with the Great Hunter.

  When he had been younger, he hadn’t known or cared whether a woman had any pleasure or not. But some of the women he had had the joy of bedding lately had shown him that it mattered. And also that it wasn’t that hard to make sure that his partner experienced pleasure too.

  So he had made a study of women. It was easier if they told him what they liked. And he always asked. But if they didn’t, he could perceive the signs of an orgasm coming on. A regular guy could too. Ethan just assumed half of them were only concerned with their own pleasure, the way he had been when he was younger. They just didn’t try.

  But Ethan tried. And succeeded. And the women fell at his feet.

  There were also clear signs when a woman didn’t like what he was doing and he paid attention to those, as well. It wasn’t magic. Or even rocket science. It was caring enough to make sure she had a good time too.

  And the women that slept with him always had a good time. As Jennilee and Ashley had.

  They had slept. Some. Now the three of them were in the hot tub, relaxing. He was hoping for another round this morning. And the women certainly weren’t complaining about their multiple Os. In fact, he’d probably have to kick them out, or they’d stay forever.

  Couldn’t have that.

  He loved women.

  They were great friends.

  And even more amazing lovers.

  But he’d never loved any of them. And he was beginning to think maybe he couldn’t. Maybe he was just broken. Or had never been built for love in the first place.

  Jennilee scooted over in the hot water and plastered her soft body against his. No bathing suits necessary in his own home. She started to kiss his face and neck. Ethan felt his body responding.

  “You want to get out and go to the bed?” she said, her eyes hooded with desire already.

  Ethan cupped her breast and she gasped.

  “I do,” he said.

  Then he tore his gaze away from Jennilee’s and looked at Ashley. Maybe a threesome hadn’t been the best idea. It was difficult to give everyone enough pleasure at the same time. Ashley had had her fair share of orgasms but she had held back more and just watched them sometimes too.

  “Coming, Ashley?” he asked.

  “I don’t know. Maybe I should go home.” She got out and moved to the area with the bed. Clothes were flung everywhere all over the floor and she found her stuff and put it on.

  “Why?” Ethan said. He’d been hoping to have them both at least once more.

  “Oh, she’s probably just thinking that her asshole ex-boyfriend might have called and wants to get back together with her,” Jennilee said. Her tone was a lot snippier than it had been before. “She’s been begging him to come back. I was hoping you might make her forget but I guess not.”

  “I’m going to go home,” Ashley said, her gaze furious when she looked at her friend.

  Both Jennilee and Ethan got out of the hot tub and put on white bath robes.

  “Sure,” Ethan said, moving to her and gazing deeply into her eyes. The angry glint in her eye disappeared when he looked at her. Ethan could hear her heart rate kick up as he put his hands on her waist and leaned in to kiss her deeply.

  He kissed her the way he had learned she liked it, pulling her body tightly against his. He felt her nipples tighten and knew that it was time to let her go. He pushed away lightly, giving her a seductive smile.

  “I’m sorry you have to go. Thanks for the wonderful time.” Ethan meant it. “I hope your ex-boyfriend treated you right. Or will treat you right if you get back together with him.”

  “Oh please,” Jennilee said, rolling her eyes. “He was the least considerate asshole on the planet. I’m pretty sure he never gave her an orgasm.”

  Ashley looked dazed when he let her go.

  “I…” She stopped, seemingly incoherent.

  “Buh-bye,” Jennie said, making a tiny wave at her. “See you whenever, Ashley.”

  Ashley frowned at her friend but turned and left the house.

  “Now, where were we?” Ethan said, snagging Jennilee with one arm and pulling her to him.

  She giggled and they kissed.

  “We were going to the bed,” Jennilee said, gesturing to the bed area that he had set up handy by the pool and hot tub.

  “Mmm, no, I think I want you in my bedroom,” Ethan said. “All day long.”

  “Oh fuck, yes,” she said, throwing herself into his arms. “Morning and afternoon delight.”

  They kissed some more and then headed out of the pool and through the house toward the central staircase that led to his bedroom. They got distracted a couple times.

  The last kiss was at the bottom of the stairs and it was getting pretty hot. Soon, Ethan had lifted her and had his hands under her robe, holding her up against him by her bare ass, which was hot to the touch, she was so wound up. She had her legs wrapped around his waist and he wished he could take her right there.

  But that would be inconsiderate of the servants and her. So he broke the kiss and carried her up the stairs to the long hallway that led to the wing of
bedrooms. His was the farthest away from the main rooms and it was a short walk.

  But now that they were away from the public rooms, he wasn’t sure he could wait. He pushed her back against the wall and touched her to see if she was ready. She was more than ready, and he was about to lift her bathrobe when suddenly a bird flew past his ear.

  “What the hell?” he said and set Jennilee down.

  She straightened her robe and they both looked for the bird.

  “Why is there a bird in your house?” Jennilee said in a whiny voice. “Let’s go to your room. Can’t we just fuck? I’m so turned on right now.”

  The bird flew past again, extremely quickly, and Doyle followed, looking flustered.

  “Doyle,” Ethan said. “What’s going on with the bird?”

  “There are two of them, sir,” he said, his face as close to annoyed as it ever looked. “They came through the window early this morning and have been here since then. I can’t catch them. I’m only trying to keep them out of mischief.”

  Ethan closed his eyes. “They’ve been here all morning?”

  “Why didn’t you just call pest control?” Jennilee said, annoyed.

  “Jennilee,” Ethan said, turning to her. “I want you to get your clothes and go home. I had a wonderful time. But this requires my attention.”

  “Now? You want me to go now? But we were just going to…” She glanced at Doyle with a resentful expression.

  “I’m afraid so. I have to take care of this situation.”

  “Fucking hell,” she swore.

  Ethan’s haze of lust suddenly cleared and he saw her for the shallow woman that she was, only concerned with sex and gossip and her favorite TV shows. She was clever but she didn’t put her mind to good use. There was nothing wrong with a woman like Jennilee. He just knew that he generally didn’t enjoy her type. Which made him wonder why he had spent so much time in the company of women like her in the past few years.

  She stomped down the stairs and he and Doyle waited until she came out a minute later, dressed. He said goodbye again and she gave him the finger, slamming the door behind her.

  “I probably should have given her one more orgasm before I kicked her out,” Ethan said, mostly to himself.