Son of Eden, a Paranormal Romance (18 page)

“No, actually this is the first occasion. That’s why I said it was crazy. Of all the times to have assignments to members of the same family, it happens to be now. He was assigned to your father about five years ago. We usually have an entire family to look after ourselves but we each only have one person at this point. It has been great to have him around, and I didn’t really question why until these past few weeks. Now his presence seems less coincidental to me.”

“Well I definitely want to meet him. That would be awesome!” Emily exclaimed.

“I may be able to arrange a meeting.”

Right then Emily’s stomach gave a growl. Just like the one earlier in the day when they had stopped at the café.

“You never ended up eating anything, did you?” Alexander questioned.

“I suppose I forgot.” Emily looked down at the ground, cursing her human needs. They certainly stood out with her present company.

Alexander grabbed her hand. “Well, let’s go see about getting you fed.”

In one swift motion he led her up the two steps from the dropped living room and into the adjacent open dining room. He pulled out a chair for her and then gently guided it in as she sat.

“What can I get for you?” Alexander asked as if he was her waiter.

Emily went along with the scenario. His playfulness was always so contagious. “I’m not sure, seeing how there isn’t much besides some canned food and stale cereal in the house.”

“Where is that sandwich you ordered from the café?” Alexander asked as he glanced over the breakfast bar and into the kitchen.

Emily had to think for a moment, her memory was foggy and she couldn’t remember putting the box anywhere.

“I think I left it in the car,” Emily said, not quite sure of her response.

“Okay, wait here and I’ll check.”

In the blink of an eye Alexander was gone from her sight. She lost focus and immediately her eyes began searching the area where he had been. Before Emily could even give the room a full sweep she heard the front door open and turned to see Alexander walking through with the white sandwich box.

He walked around to the kitchen, straight to the cabinet where the plates were kept. He pulled one out and placed the sandwich neatly on it, and then grabbed a glass and filled it up with water from the tap. He moved as though he knew exactly where everything was. Emily realized that he did know where everything was. Every time she was here he must have been as well.

Alexander made his way to the table and set the plate down in front of her. She sat in silence with a look of disbelief on her face.

“How did you do that?” she interrogated.

“I’ve been around long enough to know where things are in this place,” Alexander said in a tone that emphasized that it was no big surprise.

“No, not that, the whole whoosh thing, the… What was that like… the teleporting thing? You were here one second and then the next you were walking through the front door.” Emily gestured at the door, still a bit flustered.

Alexander pursed his lips a bit and scrunched his eyebrows in thought. He began to talk quietly, almost to himself. “Hmm, I’ve never thought of it as teleporting, but I guess that would be a good description.”

“Alexander.” Emily waved her hand in his line of sight trying to break his concentration. “ Hellooo, explain please.”

Alexander snapped out of his thoughts. “Oh yes, I keep forgetting how new all this is for you. I guess you could say it’s like teleporting. When I’m in my other state I’m not held to the restrictions and laws that govern solid matter. So, I have the ability to move quickly, like at the speed of light, I guess. I never gave it much thought because it’s just a part of who I am. A necessity really.” Alexander shrugged.

“Why would that be a necessity?”

“If I’m at home, in the Guardian Realm, or visiting some museum in Italy and I receive a vision that you need my help, I need to be able to get to you as fast as possible. Walking or running just isn’t an option in most circumstances.”

“So you can just visit Italy whenever you want?” She wondered how much more would continue to surface about Alexander, if there would ever be an end to all his abilities.

“I can, or wherever else I wish to go. It’s a perk that comes with the job.”

“I wish you could take me. That would be amazing,” Emily said as she gave in to daydreaming about all the places around the world she would love to see.

“I wish I could, too. Places like Paris and Rome would have a whole new meaning for me if you were there.” Alexander’s eyes danced with the thought of having Emily with him in all those places he had spent centuries walking alone.

“I don’t see why we can’t go someday. Of course, it would take longer because we would have to go by plane. That is as long as you don’t mind a human like me slowing you down,” Emily teased.

Alexander sat down in the chair next to her. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” His eyes burned with an intensity that Emily had not seen before.

Emily felt frozen as Alexander used the back of his hand to stroke her cheek, leaning in closer as he did so. His huge hand then opened and slid to the back of her neck and gently cupped the base of her head letting her hair weave through his open fingers.

There was no way to hear any sound other than her pounding heart. It thumped so loudly that every beat echoed in her ears. Alexander leaned in close enough that Emily could now feel his hot breath on her lips. He paused there for a moment, giving his actions one last thought and then slowly let his lips touch hers.

Emily could feel the overwhelming heat of his skin as he pressed his lips tighter to hers. Her lips parted slightly as he pulled back and then kissed her again. She was trying to concentrate on how she felt, if there was anything different, any shiver or unusual feeling running though her body.

It didn’t take long for Emily give up trying though. She didn’t care. Instead, she closed her eyes letting herself enjoy the sweet sensation of Alexander’s contact. There was a new awareness she could feel course through her veins, telling her it was okay to kiss him. She knew now, more than ever, that they were supposed to be together. They were perfect for one another, and nothing on this earth would keep them apart.

Sound the Alarm

It was Thursday morning and Emily gave a long stretch as she slowly opened her eyes. It was bright in the room and she wondered how long she had slept. She felt around, touching the sheets that surrounded her and realized she was in one of the beds at her family’s vacation home.

Emily thought back to the previous night, trying to recall where she had fallen asleep. After she had eaten, Alexander had built a much stronger fire and they had cuddled on the couch as they watched old, classic movies. Emily had enjoyed Alexander’s commentary during the films. He always kept her laughing. He never hesitated to say, “That’s not how it really was back then.”

Remembering now that she had fallen asleep on the couch, she figured Alexander must have carried her to bed. Sitting up, she gave another stretch and gazed out the window. Fresh powder, about eight inches high covered the ground. It was beautiful; Emily felt like she was in the middle of a dream. The past three days all seemed like some crazy hallucination, one she did not want to wake up from.

When she finally kicked her feet over the side of the large brass bed frame she found her slippers were waiting neatly on the floor. She slipped her feet into them and stood up, giving one more good stretch. She then noticed her robe draped over the rocking chair near the bed.

“He has thought of everything hasn’t he? I don’t know how I came to deserve such treatment. He is absolutely amazing.”

Emily slid her arms through the terry cloth robe.

Making her way out of the bedroom, she could hear the pop and crackle of a roaring fire. When she stepped down into the living room she saw Alexander sitting on the hearth of the fireplace, leaning on his knees and reading a book.

As soon as he heard her he closed the pages that no longer had his attention and stood up. It only took a few long strides for Alexander to reach her side.

“Ahh Sleeping Beauty is finally awake,” he softly exclaimed as he put both hands on either side of her face and leaned in to give her a kiss. “Good morning.”

Emily suddenly felt self- conscious and immediately covered her mouth with her hand.

“This is the wrong time of the day to be close. I’m sure I have horrible morning breath.”

She took a step back and lowered her hand, trying to smile. “Uh, what time is it?”

Alexander snickered. “About nine-thirty. You slept for a while.”

“Wow, I guess I did.” Emily rubbed her head. She could feel the bumps and knots that had formed in her hair overnight and she was beginning to wonder if having Alexander around nonstop was such a good idea.

“
I must look like a hideous mess!”

“You look beautiful as always,” Alexander commented, as though he could read her mind. “Come to the kitchen. I have hot water ready for cocoa.” He clasped her hand in his and led her to the breakfast bar attached to the kitchen counter. After she was seated he grabbed the teapot off the stove and poured water into a mug he had readied.

He gave the cocoa a few stirs with a spoon and then passed it over the counter to Emily. “It’s hot,” he warned.

“Mmmm, thanks.” Emily wrapped her hands around the mug and blew the rising steam from the top.

After Emily had taken a few sips she looked up to see that Alexander was watching her.

“So, I take it you don’t need sleep either,” Emily stated simply. Things really didn’t surprise her anymore.

“Not really. I enjoy relaxing, and I’ll close my eyes every now and again, but my body doesn’t need sleep like yours.”

“What do you do at night when everyone is sleeping?”

“Not everyone is sleeping. When night falls here, it’s always daytime somewhere else. Since I can travel wherever I want it’s pretty easy to keep entertained. Although I haven’t done that since I became your Guardian. I stay close by. I never go far unless I have to.” Alexander leaned down on the counter, supporting his weight with both elbows and clasping his hands out in front of him. His biceps formed hard round lumps the size of grapefruits and Emily could see his veins running down the length of his chiseled arms.

She suddenly realized that she had never seen his bare arms before. He was wearing a short sleeve shirt, something he hadn’t done.

“What’s with the clothing? How do you wear different outfits? Right now you’re in a casual short sleeve shirt but when I saw you at the charity concert you were in a tux,” Emily inquired.

“That’s another thing that just comes along with the territory. I’m not sure how it all works. All I know is that I am clothed in things that always fit my surroundings when I materialize. We’re like chameleons. It’s all about camouflage and blending in with our environment.”

“In your Roman days, you sported a toga then?” Emily teased.

“Actually it wasn’t a toga but if you’re inquiring as to whether I wore a skirt, the answer is yes. And yes, I did like it. I’m not ashamed to admit it.”

Emily gave a short burst of laughter as Alexander straightened his frame and crossed his bulging arms.

“That makes sense. If you showed up during the great depression in MC Hammer Pants and a neon green t-shirt I bet people would think you were from a different planet.” Emily gave another laugh.

“That was a trend I was not a fan of, by the way. I appeared as little as possible during the nineteen eighties. The fashions were awful.” Alexander grimaced with the sheer thought.

“I wonder when I’ll finally know about all of your abilities. It seems like they just go on and on. It makes me feel very… untalented.” Emily lifted the mug to her lips for another sip.

“Actually I think we’ve covered everything concerning my abilities. We have finally reached the end of the tunnel.”

“Well hallelujah for that! I’m not sure my brain can process much more,” Emily joked.

“Yes it is all a bit much isn’t it?” Alexander gave her his warm smile.

Emily felt her heart skip a beat.

After she finished her hot chocolate she called her father to let him know that she would be leaving within the next couple of hours. After Emily showered she scanned her closet for something to wear. She realized that everything she had left here at this house was the old frumpy clothes she was wearing the last two years.

“
It’s not like he hasn’t seen me in this stuff before.”

Emily tried to convince herself it wasn’t a big deal, but it didn’t completely ease her worry. She found a charcoal-colored jogging suit that seemed to be a little more form fitting than the other stuff she had in her closet. She decided that it was the best she could do, making a mental note to bring better clothes next time.

When they left the house, Emily had no problem letting Alexander drive again. She didn’t like driving in the snow and Alexander had certainly demonstrated yesterday he was skilled at controlling a car.

They stopped at a little deli on their way out of town so Emily could grab a bite to eat. She was starving because she hadn’t had much the day before and only a cup of hot chocolate this morning. She had grown used to the fact that she ate and Alexander didn’t. She was, however, determined to ask if he wanted anything or present a taste of whatever she had, but as expected, he denied her offer.

Driving back to the city took longer because they kept to a slower speed. It was still faster than Emily would have been capable of, especially around the curves. Alexander never hesitated or hastily broke because he misjudged the switchbacks of the mountain. He knew every inch of the road.

When they arrived at Emily’s building Alexander flipped the car into park and then sat silently for a moment. He was very still, as though he was lost in a daydream. Emily did not interrupt him, but was curious because she had not seen that look on his face before. It was very different.

As soon as he snapped out of his trance, he rushed around to get Emily’s door. As they rode the elevator up to her apartment Emily felt compelled to ask. “Is everything okay?”