Scorpion (8 page)

I blushed.  He
’d really listened all day.  I didn’t try to but my dang mind shot to the other item I’d wondered about earlier. 

It is twice the size.

My cheeks were burning so hot.  The dang shower and bathroom size.

“And everything went fine this morning.  No snags!”
             

“That
’s so great.  I wish the best for Dr. Green, now Lord.”  I wanted out of the previous conversation, fast!

A thought ran across my mind imagining calling him something besides Cas. 
Off topic again.

I prefer Cas from you.

“Okay, Lord Cross.”  I played with it on my lips.  It sounds so strong.  I felt silly.  The wait staff ignored us, but I caught the nearby waiter feeling uneasy and scared of our verbally scattered talk.  He knew something wasn’t right with us.  Did he worry about a Valkyrie and Vampire sitting together?  Others weren’t necessarily ready for combined forces yet.

“Okay Lady Anastacia,” Cas
’ large frame shifted, uneasy.

Or other names come to my mind.  I seem to acquire names so easily lately.

“You will be lady of my house one day if I acquire what I want.”

His hints and reminders were melting but so very scary to think about.  I couldn
’t think of a viable answer so I didn’t.

Dessert came and went and I wondered if this was the end of our date or if there was more.

Do you want more?

No hesitation, “Yes!”

When he stood, I did.  He was there too fast taking my chair and then my hand.  He thanked the entirety of the room and we left out the front door with every eye watching us.

You, not me.
  They don’t even notice me when you are around.

Not fair.  You are so yummy to look at. 
He stopped and eyed me curiously. 
Sorry, girl moment.  But you are.  You have to see that.

No, that
’s the first I’ve heard of being described in that way.

Well, all true. 

Hmm!  I wouldn’t want to misconstrue your thinking my love, but that would be a tad suggestive.

I meant it to be, just didn
’t mean for you to hear. 
He called me his love.

We were outside now and the chill hit my bare shoulders.  He saw me shiver and asked me to stay where I was.  He went to the limo parked on the wall of the building beside the restaurant and came back with a golden shawl to match the dress.

“Aren’t you full of surprises?”

Yummy ones.
  His eyes shined after a melting wink.

You devil.

Do you want me to be?

I hit his chest with my fisted up hand holding the end of the wrap around me.  He caught it. And pulled me against him.  I swooned not stopping the reaction from such an atmosphere. 

We are late for our next stop. 

He led me to the building next to the restaurant we
’d pulled up in front of to begin the night, not the limo.  I looked up wondering what floor and what was on it.  We rode the quiet empty elevator up to the top opening to the roof.

We walked out to an elaborate display of flowers, music, and twinkling lights.  I turned in every direction and then back to him.
You are all about the details.

I
’ll have you enjoy every second.

And you
’re not? 
Good goddess of Odin or Ra or any who helped in his making, he looked so sexy all the time.  I honestly think he has to be a gift.  As clichéd as it sounds, I wanted to unwrap him.  At that thought I closed down the direction my mind was going.  I wasn’t ready for that. 

Do you think I
’m not enjoying myself?

I smiled as he watched me so intensely.  He did that a lot too.

“What shall we do?”

He stepped back a touch and bowed, “Will you dance with me, my lady?”

I’d also done this a million times.  Every dance.  But this...was different. 

At first his hands were wavering, unsure
of my reaction.  After a few minutes his confidence was up and his hand moved to my side.  I breathed him in making his smile grow and he quickened our pace.  He was like a consuming haze over my senses.  By the time I looked up at his face again I realized he was as breathless as I making everything around me in slow motion.

We waltzed, slow danced, and every dance we knew in between.  The tango was fun.  He even had a yellow rose between his teeth that somehow transferred to mine without me breaking out into a fit of giggles.  I was so not able to play the ice queen role I held onto for years.  With him
, dancing was fun. 

The hours passed.

He poured a glass of water at the table with candles covering it.  I didn’t even notice the water bottles or glasses, or that I was thirsty. 

“Thank you.”

He poured a glass of water at the table covered in candles.  I didn’t even notice the water bottles or glasses, or that I was thirsty. He drank an entire glass then took my hand to dance again after I shoved the heels off and onto the cold concrete with the reoccurring shiver.

He shoved his jacket off and reached to put it around me neglecting the
shaw. 

He looked a little long at my bare shoulders, my
neck line, my waist, and finally my bare feet.   I felt the warm tux jacket hit my skin securing around me now as he lifted me off the ground and put my arms around his shoulders.  In the air.  We danced that way forever.

“In case you
’re wondering what I think, you’re the sexiest creature I’ve ever seen.  You’re not alone.”

Man, I needed to control my thoughts.  I swallowed back the embarrassment and laid my head on his chest appreciating everything that was
him.  He was sexy, warm, caring, overprotective and perfect for me.

When I felt like I might not be able to keep my eyes open any longer, h
e broke us apart and told me, “Close your eyes and wait right here.” Returning ten seconds later and gently pulling my hand he whispered for me look. A blanket was spread out.  “I know it’s not the most comfortable, but I felt you’d guilt me if I’d brought an air mattress.”

I laughed. 
“What are we doing?”

He looked at me like it
’s obvious.  “Watching the sunrise.”

I couldn
’t believe it.  I’ve never done this.  “Really?”

“I
’ve never thought to watch it.” 

I settled down beside him with his arm for a pillow.  I draped his jacket over me like a blanket and nestled closer inching up to make my face right beside his hoping to catch his scent. 

I shot up, “How can you do this.  Will the sun hurt you?”  I panicked.

“You are so lovely when you worry, but I still don
’t like it.  No, I cannot be up with the sun my love, but it will not hurt me in only an hour’s time.  It only weakens me the longer I stay in it.  So I avoid it mostly, but can withstand more than you realize.”

“Why would you?”

“For you, anything.”

“Stop.  You had cause before me to go out in the day.  What did it do?”

“No cause previously that mattered and it only makes me weak, like being sick with a cold.  I don’t do it very often.”

“Okay.  Maybe.  How weak will you be in an hour?”

“Less than any amount that you’d ever notice.”

“And you
’re at your strongest at night?”

“Wouldn
’t you like to know?”  His eyebrows wiggled a little.

I hit his chest. 
Back up Bucko!

“Who is this Bucko I keep getting compared to?”

“Something I heard on a movie from the south.  I think it means Hey hot stuff, take a cold shower by yourself.”

“Does it now?”

He laughed with me.

“
Hey, we’ve had almost an entire conversation out loud,” I marveled.  “Amazingly not normal and the irony of it can’t even be shared elsewhere.”

I wouldn
’t want to. 
He smiled at me from the side tossing his hair from his eyes that had loosened from the long night.  Seeing his eyes look at me sideways just boiled me over.  

Your heart is racing.

Don’t know why.
I forced myself to look away.

I do.

Watch the sky, Bucko.

You
’re the one all hot and bothered.

And you
’re not?

He pulled me over and kissed me slowly and then stopped to bite my lip and stay there.  I knew his heart was beating in tandem to mine with the speed of a racehorse. 

What do you think?

I can
’t when you do that, that’s the problem
.  My brain cut off from my mouth...or rather my thoughts.
   Look at the sky!  Sky!

We watched the sun peek over with pink hues finding the first tips and spreading into oranges and yellows and turning into something bright and white.  The calming beauty of something so quiet and undisturbed by any of us was the awe that outdid my existence and a needed reminder that I can screw up.  After the time passed and I knew it had been almost an hour I asked him if we could go besieged with fear of him in the sun.  He sensed my worry and we left without cleaning up a single item.

I was mostly used to that part until the months at Hunter school where I served myself.  Now I noticed when others were forced to clean after me.

The morning proved even more exciting with breakfast in jeans and a tee and a catnap afterward all afternoon.  The best part, Cas lay with me until I fell asleep after a closer examination of my mark.  He traced it with his finger making all matter of feelings well up around me that I couldn
’t hide.  The strongest of them was the pure uncontrolled love we both felt for each other.   Apparently he was tired too.  When I woke first and pretended to sneak out of the bed and go to the restroom, he yanked me back. 

“I thought you were asleep.”

Thought wrong.

I need a moment, Cas.

He let me go and when I returned he was patting the bed smiling like a Cheshire cat.

You look happy.

I am.

The next few days were awesome.  Every time one of Cas’ guards came around he took care of some kind of business and was back focused on me faster than lightning.  Once, I overheard a backlash of human activity that stemmed from a human wanna be Vampire club that turned into a blood bath, but not the fanged ones.  I heard his guard murmur something about a small situation where the humans wanted to make it look like Vampires were the culprits and clean up was needed.  Or being watched.  I lost track of the conversation.  But when I asked Cas after he returned to me, he simply shrugged it off saying it was taken care of.  How many
small
situations did they take care of on a regular basis?  I don’t remember my court having as much.  Was I hidden from these cruelties of nature?

On the fourth day after we
’d developed a solid routine of being simply with each other, someone threw a monkey wrench into our clock of stopped time. 

Lying on the
Sun room sofa watching a movie for the fourth day in a row, his phone rang and he fumbled to grab it off the table in front of us.  When a second text came through, he checked it and rolled away from me, stood and walked to the washed in moonlight mezzanine method of escape.  I paused the movie and waited to see if he was leaving again.  I knew he had duties.  And I should be focused on other things as well.

A figure entered the room behind me, but I hadn
’t seen him.  Or felt him.

“Liam, you
’ve not officially met.  This is Stace, former princess of the Val Court.”

Former?  I am so in between.

He bowed to me saying, “I’ve also protected you for years my lady.  He has fancied you for quite a while.”

And
he did sniff the air this time, I caught it.  Embarrassed by both the comment and the “sniffing” but not showing it, I bowed back from where I sat.  This was the same guy who gave me all sorts of dropped mouth attention on the stairs the other night.

Cas elbowed him st
rongly and introduced him as, “My right hand man, Liam, who is head of the court guard.”

“And best friend.”

“And best friend who needs to be on his way.”  Cas turned away from me, “I’ll be there in ten minutes.”

Liam laughed,
“Or twenty.” 

“Enough Liam.  Ten minutes.”

Liam responded, “Fourth Street situation needs handled today.”  He nodded at us both and exited.

He paused watching him walk away and turned back to me.  I caught that he was at least three inches shorter than Cas.  It was odd to see anyone in Cas
’ company not tall and as muscled.  Still, he was tall enough he likely look any guy in the eye.  He was interesting to look at though.  He reminded me of a lion.  Tawny hair, yellow eyes, tanner skin than what you’d guess a vampire to have.  Intriguing.

“You will tell me everything that goes on about me right.  I can
’t have things hidden from me if I am to be the ONE they speak of.  Unless it is a matter of your court, of course.”  My mouth hardened at the right moments to prove my points.  A move I used intentionally on my brother for years and worked.

“I will make sure you know everything you need to know,” he switched the movie over to a music channel on the television.  Jazz coffee shop music.

He saw my puzzled look and explained, “I’ll return and we can talk more.  I don’t want my girl worrying.  This is a matter I’m used to.”

“That
’s not promising.  Need to know is not my style.”  I don’t like where this is going.  He’d not told me one ounce of any of the “situations” that his court was dealing with.  I was as in the dark as my father had kept me. There was a whole other side to Lord Cross and his court that I didn’t know about and it made me feel strangely disconnected.

Stace, protecting you is everything to me.

“Don’t make me the woman at home barefoot and pregnant, waiting for something exciting to happen.  I’m not that girl and will never be.  I will be a part of this war or creating of the peace however plays out.  You will not take that from me or hinder me from the dangers of it.  My father said I’m safer with you, not locked up and hidden away in the tower.”             

He bowed his head to me. 
I have learned to call that the manly version of a “
You’re right
” but will not say it aloud. “I will not do that however much I don’t want to tell you where I need to go.  But please, try not to get killed when we do have future endeavors we have yet to experience.  I just barely began to have you.” 

I nodded, though he once again indicated I was not included on this endeavor, but
am on the certain suggestive ones. I managed to hold my color and draw in my cheeks.

And when we do have children, you can choose to wear shoes or not, it
’s your decision.

I hit his arm. 
When?

Cas switched gears.
“The Were Lord is angry that he hasn’t met with you yet.  He’s the only faction left to connect other than taming the Elves. He also found out that Lord Green and Dr. Quinn were using Borgon, who is a Hunter, to carry out the plan of kidnapping your brother as a ploy later than the rest of us and only knows this now though he was there the night they tried to take you.  We used it as a ruse to convince Borgon and now the Were leader is upset we lied to him.   It was to throw off Borgon into thinking we were all after the Val court and vice versa, but they’ve learned of our involvement with Lord Hathown.   When Szar was safe, and you proved alive, the three courts pretended to bug out with the Were court calling them incompetent and incapable of carrying out the plan.  The Were lord walked away mad when you were taken on the party night, but now he knows the truth and wants vengeance on me alone.  I’m afraid we’ve created the opposite effect of what our wanted outcome to be, but couldn't be helped.  He wouldn't budge on the original plan so your father arranged a new one.  You are the only one who can win him back.”

I did m
y very Stace-like pondering.  “Unlikely as that sounds, but I think that it will work itself out in the end.”

“So sure.”

Yes.  My ingeniousness is profoundly known as the goddess elite.  “No, but we have to think we are, right?  Or we fail. My father said he felt like this Were leader would listen to me.   That doesn’t sound like an option according to the mothers.  So consider it a setback.  But I can talk to him and make amends where need be.  He will see reason when he hears that we most likely need his help if we are to figure out the Borgon take over the world situation.”

You will make a great ruler.

I cocked my head sideways like I would never do with anyone else.  No one would see me question myself.   No one else would I show this much emotion.  Not even Calum did I show this much.

You are wise beyond your years.

“Aren’t you the same age?”

“But I
’ve been lord of this manor for three years.  I had a head start.”

Only in theory I think.

How is that?

“Because I still had to deal with the idea that something was off about me and no one would tell me.  I spent so many lonely years listening to my father
’s court affairs and rumors of the other courts only to know now that much of it was not true.  I had to decipher at an early age who to trust.  And my theories proved true on most accounts.”

I thought of
Cas as I knew him before.  An image of a dark evil older man.  Well, not all of it was true.  For sure!

No, you were very wrong about that. 

I tried to smile.

“
Well, I have to appease the Weres.  They are right now organizing a revolt against Quinn unrightfully and the record needs to be set straight.  Your father is already on the way.”

“Then I come too. I need to meet him anyway.  Now is a good time as any.”

He started to protest and stopped when I walked fast out of the room.  The ask forgiveness later theory was already in the works.