From Deities (4 page)

After a warm
shower, I slipped into Mason’s clothes and got ready for bed. Mason was waiting for me, spread across the bed with his arms behind his head for support. I plopped on the bed, lay my body alongside of him and rested my head on his chest. He felt so strong, yet soft, and comforting, a serene feeling filled me. Since tomorrow was Saturday and I didn’t have any classes, I agreed to stay the night.

“Were you listening the whole time? I don’t mind if you were,” I said sincerely.

Mason started to caress my hair. “We have intercoms in our bedrooms that link throughout the house. Sorry. I just needed to know you were safe. I knew there was a real possibility that your father was one of us, but I didn’t know which side he was on.”

Closing my eyes, I dissolved into his touch. “I’m actually glad you were listening. I wanted to call out for you, but I couldn’t speak, let alone breathe after all that he’d said.”

“I know.” Mason pulled me tighter and kissed my forehead. “I’m so sorry. It’s who we are. This is the nature of our lives. We’ll always be looking over our shoulders.”

I opened my eyes and gazed lovingly into Mason’s as I ran my hand over his arm. I loved to touch his strong, taut muscles. “As long as we’re together, I can deal with it.”

Mason’s shoulders stiffened and his tone changed. “Promise me, Sky, that you won’t be in the same room with Victor by yourself. I know he’s your father, but from what he told you, he can hurt you without even knowing it. He hasn’t told us everything. Do you understand?”

I nodded to agree, thinking how tortured this situation was. The father I’d known for eight short years was not the father I thought he was. I wanted to jump into his arms the way I used to when I was a little girl, but I couldn’t. Now, it wasn’t even a possibility.

When Mason cupped my cheeks and planted his lips on mine, I broke out of my thoughts. “I don’t know how we’re going to be able to sleep together without me trying anything with you. Maybe you should stay away from me, too.”

“What if I don’t want you to stay away? What if I want to go to the naughty corner? You know, I’ve been really bad. I think I deserve to go there.” As I smiled flirtatiously at him, my tone was playful and so were my eyes.

Mason chuckled at first, then his eyes shifted to my lips with desire. “Naughty corner it is.” There was no stopping now after his tight chest exhaled a growl. He was turned on by my words. Intense desire coursed through me when Mason’s lips conquered mine again. As his hands explored my body, I lost myself in him … and it was the best place to be.

When I placed my hand on his muscular chest, it gave me more tingles. Wanting more, I grasped a handful of his hair in my fist. Mason left my mouth, kissing and nipping my jaw, my neck, and lower. Breathless, I moaned when his body hovered over mine. Excitedly, I wrapped my arms around the back of his strong neck and found his lips again, reaching deeper, trying to fill the empty sadness my father had left me with. I wanted to forget all my father’s words…to forget about him. Mostly, to forget about who I was.

“Sky,” Mason whispered at the tip of my ear, making me quiver. My name spoken from his lips like smooth velvet caused another spark of excitement, and it intensified when I felt warmth pooling inside of me. In that moment, I knew he was using his powers. His eyes glowed silver, as did his hand as it slid under my sweater.

“Mason,” I said softly in the same sensual tone as his. Pleasurable heat surged starting from my stomach, then with soft ripples spread throughout my body. “Mason,” I whimpered, breaking away from the kiss just to call his name, letting him know I was feeling him. However, Mason conquered my mouth again in hunger and desperation.

Just when I couldn’t take it anymore, he broke away and flopped next to me with ragged breaths. “Sorry, I got carried away.” His chest rose up and down to the rhythm of his rapidly beating heart.

Feeling dazed, like I had just awakened from from a beautiful dream, I lay there dumbfounded. “It’s okay. I really didn’t mind.”

“Let’s try to get some sleep. Maybe we can have a lazy day tomorrow and meet Nick and Kayla for dinner.”

“Sounds good,” I agreed, still catching my breath.

“Come here,” he ordered, embracing me and kissing my cheek. As I lay safely in Mason’s arms, my thoughts reverberated back to my father’s words and wondered where he lived.

After our lazy
day, Mason took me home to change. It was difficult for me to get ready since I felt like I had no clothes to wear. I didn’t have many dresses, but thank goodness I had one red sweater dress. With light makeup, my hair in curls, and high-heeled black boots, I was all set to go.

Walking down the stairs, I caught Mason’s sparkling eyes on me. He slowly stood up from the sofa and approached the bottom of the stairs. “I think I need to take you out more often. Not that you don’t look beautiful on a daily basis.”

I got the point. I was sure I turned just as red as my dress, looking down from shyness. “Thank you,” I said.

“We better get going before I take it off you.”

I snapped my head back up from his hot words. Before I could reply, Mason hooked his arm into mine and led me out the door. We drove the short distance in companionable silence, and it seemed like only seconds before we were there.

“Is this the place?” I asked, pointing at a building from inside of the car.

He nodded. “Yes. We were going to take you and Kayla to one of our own restaurants, but we decided to take you here instead.”

Mason pulled up to the valet parking, and a gentleman opened the car door for me. It didn’t look overly fancy from the outside, but once inside, it was a whole different story. With wooden floors, elegant dining tables and light fixtures, and soft-lit candles on the tables, I felt underdressed.

“We have a reservation under Mason Grand, party of four at seven,” he said to the hostess.

“Yes, Mr. Grand. Your guests have already arrived. They are seated at the table. Allow me to take you there.”

“Thank you.” He gestured with a nod. Intertwining his fingers through mine, we followed the hostess.

“Skylar,” Kayla almost yelled, but she contained herself and hugged me. She wore a black sweater dress with high-heeled black boots. Her hair was in high ponytail and she looked fabulous.

“It’s good to see you, Kayla,” I greeted, and released her to give Nick a hug. When I turned, I saw Kayla and Mason exchanging a hug, too.

Mason helped me out of my coat, and we settled into our seats just as the waitress came into our room with the menus. After reciting the dinner specials of the evening, she took our beverage orders and left.

Kayla’s smile always beamed like a sunray when I was around. “How are your classes, and did you meet anyone interesting?”

Ian came to mind, but I didn’t want to say anything because there wasn’t anything there. Besides, we had run into each other by accident. “No, but you know how I am. I just go to class and mind my own business. Just trying to stay out of trouble.” I winked at Mason because he knew there was an underlying meaning to ‘staying out of trouble’. They were his orders: Go to class and come back home to be safe. “How about you?”

“You know how much I don’t like school, but it beats working at Kelly’s diner,” she snorted.

The conversation halted when the waitress brought our drinks; four glasses of water and two beers for our guys. After getting our dinner orders, she exited the room and we quickly picked up where we’d left off.

“Any plans for Thanksgiving, ladies?” Nick asked, placing his bottle down after taking a sip.

“Skylar and her mom are coming over to my house,” Kayla started to explain. “We go to Kelly’s diner and celebrate there with Jack and Mona. It’s been our tradition. Maybe next year both of you can come.” Shrugging her shoulders, she gave a nervous smile, seemingly feeling guilty for not inviting them, especially since they didn’t have parents of their own.

Nick looked disappointed. “That’s okay. It’s to be expected. How about you both come over on Friday and we’ll celebrate Thanksgiving at our cabin? You think you can spend the weekend there?”

“Sure. That sounds great. Skylar can spend the night, and I’ll drive us up there.” Kayla looked at me to confirm.

“That sounds like a plan. So, why the cabin?” I asked.

“Because none of us can roast a turkey, but our housekeeper can,” Mason said, crossing his arms on the table. “I bet she can bake a juicier turkey than Jack.” His tone was challenging and playful.

“You’re on,” I squealed. “We’ll even bring some just to compare.”

“And the loser has to do whatever we say?” Kayla added.

“What?” Nick chuckled.

“Afraid of a little competition?” I retorted.

“If you’re the prize, Sky, I’ll bet on it.” Mason twitched his brows impishly. “Just so you know, she bakes turkey for one of our restaurants.”

Suddenly, I got nervous. I was sure Jack made the best turkey—after all, he did cater them, but not on Thanksgiving Day since the diner was closed—but now I was unsure. Losing a bet wasn’t a big deal. I trusted Mason and I wouldn’t mind being his prize. The question was, what did he have in mind?

Due to the
bad weather, Mom agreed to meet me at Kelly’s diner. The clouds were thick and dark, promising a thunderstorm. Recognizing the cars parked along the curb, I noted I was the last one there. I grabbed my purse and stepped out of the car, hugging my coat tight to my body because of the freezing wind. Practically running, I pushed the door and heard the familiar chime that I missed from working there.

“Hey, Skylar, how’s my girl?” Jack wrapped his arms around me and kissed my forehead.

“Hello, Jack.” I curled my lips into a genuine, heartfelt smile.

“Move aside and leave the poor girl alone. It’s my turn,” Mona said playfully, and hugged me tightly. “Miss you working here. In fact, I miss both of you. I felt young again when you were here.”

Cringing, I held my breath. It wasn’t Mona’s fault that my keen sense of smell made her perfume that much stronger, making me feel nauseated.

When Mona released me, I hugged my mom, my Aunt Kelly, and finally, Kayla. Getting settled, I was distracted by the delicious smell of turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, and other items Jack had cooked. I felt like I was in food heaven, causing my stomach to churn inside out from hunger. Having to cook for myself at the dorm, this was one meal I was looking forward to eating. Someday, I would cook like this for Mason, and I would have to ask Jack for help since I was sure his turkey would win the bet.

“Everything smells so good,” I complimented.

Mom placed her hand over mine, which was resting on the table, and smiled. “Honey, I didn’t tell you, but I hope you don’t mind. I asked Steven to join us for dinner.”

Not that I would’ve protested, but it would have been nice if she’d told me ahead of time, since I’d already figured he would be joining us. Having my dad come to visit and unable to tell my mom was frustrating, but at the same time, I didn’t want to upset her or be the cause of a fight between them.

When the door chimed, Mom stood up. “Steven,” she gushed and welcomed him with open arms and a kiss. Mom stepped aside for me.

“Hi,” I said quickly, like how I always greeted him—short and to the point. Before I could move away, he grabbed me for a hug, and I was blown away by that unexpected gesture. Then the rest followed to greet him after he’d let me go.

Underneath the long, black trench coat, which looked similar to my dad’s, he wore black dress pants and a black and blue, pin-striped, long-sleeved shirt. Besides his good looks, being a doctor at the hospital, and having tons of money, I didn’t know what my mom saw in him. To me, he was kind of boring. Then again, I didn’t know him that well. I guessed I’d better start getting used to him being around since they were getting married.

After the dinner plates were set on the table, Jack said grace. “We have many things to be thankful for, but I believe what we all should be most thankful for is our good health and that we are under the same stars.”

“Awww…thank you for that, Jack,” Mona said, in a half mocking, half serious tone.

“I didn’t mean you,” Jack joked.

Mona was trying to contain her laugh. Her lips protruded and her hands were on her hips, but her eyes were friendly. “You better watch yourself, or else I’ll squash that turkey you worked so hard to bake.”

Jack chuckled. “If you just breathe on it, or better yet, just sit on it, that would do it.”

They all glanced between Jack and Mona, laughing. Thank goodness for their humor; it lightened my mood. When they’d had enough, dinner was
finally
served.

“This turkey is delicious,” Steven gushed, chewing. “I don’t think I’ve ever had such tender turkey before.”

“That’s because you’ve never tasted Jack’s,” my aunt said. “Well, now you’ll have it at least once a year. You’re not only marrying into this family, you’ll be married to Jack’s turkey.”

“Lucky me. Not only do I get to marry the most beautiful woman in the world,” Steven wrapped his arms around my mom and gave her a kiss on the lips, “I get to eat the best turkey in the world.”

“Well, Doc,” Jack started, looking proud while taking a bite from his plate, “you can come over any time. I’ll bake you a turkey any time of the year.”

“That’s a deal,” Steven chuckled. “I was going to bribe you, but I’ll take the offer.” He changed the subject to my aunt. “So, Kelly, Gina told me that you’re single.”

My aunt scowled at my mom playfully. “What else did she tell you?”

“Just good things, of course. If you don’t mind, I could set you up with one of my doctor friends. A beautiful woman should never be alone.”

My aunt’s cheeks turned slightly red. “You’re too kind. I’ll think about it.”

I’m not sure if I liked Steven’s comment. I wouldn’t have liked it if Mason said someone else was beautiful in front of me, even if it was just to be kind, but I ignored it since it didn’t seem to upset Mom. Maybe I was the jealous type.

The dinner was delicious and the conversation was mostly centered on Steven, but he did ask questions about Kayla and me. He asked about what classes we were taking, so he scored some more points with my aunt.

Steven was polite, charming, and attentive, and Mom was in awe of him. It was obvious how much they cared for each. Seeing Mom happy, I told myself that I had to be happy for her. After all, I wouldn’t want anyone to tell me not to see Mason. Before I headed home to spend the night at Kayla’s, I reminded her to pack some slices of turkey for the contest, and to make a mental note to buy a cheesecake for dessert.

Kayla drove us
to the cabin just before dark. As soon as we got out of the car, the guys rushed out, grabbed our bags, and brought them in the house like perfect gentleman.

“Missed you, Echo,” Mason murmured, and kissed me tenderly on my lips.

I peered up to see his loving, caring eyes on mine. “I missed you, too.”

After greeting Everett and Amanda, we sat around the table, which was already set with a huge turkey and side dishes—mashed potatoes, beans, salad, and corn. Again, the aroma was a bit overwhelming to me. I wondered if Remus had felt the same, though I didn’t want to think of him at all.

Last time we were here, Everett had tried to kill me. It was reassuring that it wouldn’t happen this time around. After a short thank you speech from Everett, we got ready to compare the turkeys.

“Ready to be defeated and do what we say?” Kayla challenged while her neck did a funny twirl.

“Bring it on, babe,” Nick chuckled, tilting his head back a bit.

Placed in front of Everett and Amanda was a plate of two different slices of turkey. As we stared and watched them take a bite of each slice, we waited for the verdict. And, of course, they chose the turkey made by their housekeeper.

“That’s not fair,” I protested. “Your taste buds are biased.”

“Biased?” Mason chuckled. “I see your point, but….” Mason drew me into his chest. “Don’t you want to be my prize?” He started to nibble my neck.

I twisted and jerked from the tickling sensation. “You win…you win,” I giggled.

“Gross. Get a room,” Amanda scoffed, rolling her eyes, but I knew she was teasing, especially when she made an effort to look at me with a smile.

“Now that we got that stupid contest out of the way, let’s eat. I’m starving,” Everett grumbled.

After Mason sliced the turkey, we all filled our plates with the delicious food and ate. We enjoyed each other’s company and the conversation. It seemed like we ate for hours. It was nice getting to know Everett and Amanda better. And through this dinner, our level of friendship had grown a little bit more.

“Let’s clean up and bring out the dessert,” Everett said, grabbing a few plates to carry to the kitchen. “I’ve been eyeing the cheesecake the girls brought.”

“I second that.” Amanda followed behind Everett with a couple of big plates of her own.

I turned my attention to the tall windows that practically covered one side of the family wall while gathering the empty plates. When I spotted something flash, like a flashlight flickering on and off, I kept my eyes there. When it did it again, I placed the plates back down and headed toward it. It sparkled from the outside. Being that it was dark, I knew for sure the yellow lights flashing were not my imagination. When I saw a dark, shadowy figure of a man that looked like my dad with a long trench coat, I ran toward it.

“Dad?” I questioned. When I couldn’t see a thing, I pressed my forehead on the glass and squinted my eyes to get a better view.

“Hey, Sky, I found the wishbone.” I thought that was what Mason said. He had no idea I was near the window. When he realized what was on the other side, Mason shouted my name in sheer panic. “Sky!”