Rua (Rua, book 1) (16 page)

“Hey, Ce Ce,” her dad said as she walked in.

“Hi, Dad. Where you headed?” She sat down on the clothes-free armchair and watched him organize his gazillion pairs of plain black dress socks.

“Back to China. I’ve got to check in on the new factory,” he said.

“How long?”

“Just two weeks.”

“Boo.” She hated it when he left. The house felt empty and unguarded, and she could tell her mom missed him like crazy.

Her mom threw a sock at her. “Quit your whining. We’ll have fun. Do some girls’ nights and stuff.”

Celeste threw it back. “Yes, ma’am. You know I like stuff.”

“Child, I swear. I don’t know where you got your mouth from,” she said.

“So, um, are you going to have all this stuff out on the couch for long?” she asked.

“I’ll put it up after dinner. You know your father can’t pack a suitcase to save his life,” her mom said.

“If that’s so, how do I get myself home?” he asked his wife.

She looked up at him coyly through her long eyelashes. “That, I don’t know, but I’m sure glad you always find your way.”

“Ew,” Celeste said. “Stop flirting!”

Her dad winked at her.

“Your dad is cooking dinner for us tonight,” her mom said. “Should be interesting!”

“Oh, um, about that. I’m going out for dinner. So, y’all have fun.”

“Just have Tink eat here. It’ll be fun for him to experience my special brand of cuisine,” her dad said. He loved Tink. Actually, her mom did too. Everyone loved Tink.

“It’s not Tink. I’m going out on a date,” Celeste said.

“Rylan?” Her mom glanced sideways as she folded in a way that made Celeste think she knew more than she let on.

“Yes,” she said.

“That sounds wonderful. Do you know where he’s taking you?” her mom said, still casually folding her husband’s clothes.

“No, but he said to look nice, so…”

Her mom dropped the tie she’d been fussing over. “Oh! Wear the navy blue dress we picked up a couple of weeks ago. It’s beautiful on you!”

Celeste perked up. “Good call.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa.” Her dad shook his hands in front of them. “Who is Rylan? Have I met him?”

“Yes, you met him the morning of my birthday.”

“The guy that showed up for thirty seconds?” he asked.

She decided not to tell him that said guy came through her window for a visit almost every night and he was only half human.

“Yes, but he’s coming to get me at six, and he would very much like to meet both of you,” she said.

Her parents looked at each other, than back at Celeste. “Okay, I’m looking forward to meeting him. Better get the lawn fixed up.” He disappeared out the back door.

Celeste was left in the living room with her mother, who immediately resumed her folding. The front and back lawn were fine, and both of them knew it. “Don’t worry, honey. It’s hard for him to see his little girl all grown up. You know,” she said, turning to look Celeste in the eyes, “he has no idea you’ve been dating him for a while, and he probably shouldn’t.”

“You knew?”

“I’m a mom.” She pointed behind her. “Eyes on the back of my head.”

***

Celeste paced back and forth in her room. It was 5:55, and he was due any moment. She wore her simple A-line navy blue dress, the necklace with her two charms, silver hoops, and silver gladiator sandals. She had wrestled with her hair for an hour, finally getting it to roll in big waves to her waist. Her violet eyes were lined with black liner, and she had lip gloss on. She had to admit, she looked pretty damn hot.

She finally left her room to wait for him in the living room. She didn’t want to leave her dad alone with him.

Her dad hid a smile when he saw her. “Do you have to be so darn beautiful? How am I supposed to keep the boys away when you look like that?”

She smiled at the compliment. “Thanks, Daddy.”

Her mom breezed in from the kitchen. “Oh, baby. You look great!” She smiled.

The doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it.” Celeste sprinted to the door so she could let him in before her six-foot-seven dad did.

Holy crap on a stick! She almost swooned like they did in the old timey movies. He wore black slacks, a black shirt with the top two buttons undone, and her favorite crooked smile. His black hair was crazy wild around his face. He looked dark and mysterious and oh so sexy.

His eyes roamed over her body, starting at her feet and moving all the way up to her face. “Yum.”

“Thanks,” she said. “Back at you.”

“I certainly hope so.” He looked absolutely diabolical.

She felt the heat in her face as she tried to ignore the dirty thoughts running through her mind. She averted her eyes, stepped aside, and invited in him with a sweeping gesture of her hand.

He approached her father first. “Mr. Shreeve, it’s a pleasure to meet you again.”

Her dad had a rather stiff smile on his face, but always the gentleman, he took Rylan’s offered hand and shook it. “Nice to meet you, Rylan.”

When he came to her mom, Rylan turned on his full charm; big smile and the full gaze of his green eyes. “Mrs. Shreeve, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

It worked. Her mom appraised him then let her face light up in a genuine, warm, smile. “Nice to meet you, Rylan.”

The four of them stood in silence, which quickly went from normal to awkward. “We should let you guys get moving. Thanks for coming in to meet us, Rylan,” her mom said.

“My pleasure. Thank you for allowing me to take your daughter to dinner.”

Celeste’s mom smiled so wide it looked like her face might split open. Rylan was definitely in. Her dad only nodded.

“Great, let’s go!” Celeste grabbed Rylan’s hand and pulled him to the door.

He held the car door open for. Her parents stood in the doorway, watching her leave.

“So,” she said as soon as they were out of parental view, “where are we going?”

“It’s a surprise.”

He drove down a few familiar streets, then a few more, and in short order they were parked in front of his house.

“Did you forget something?”

But he had already opened her door and scooped her into his arms with his superfast
Sidhe
speed. “Nope.”

He walked her to the side of the house then put her on her feet near the tree line. They walked hand-in-hand through the gloomy forest until they came across a big blanket and a picnic basket set up against an ancient, knobby oak tree next to a bubbling creek.

“Lame or awesome?” he asked.

“Awesome.” She ran past him to seat herself on the huge blue blanket. She sank all the way back until she was lying down and watched the sunlight fade from the branches of the tree above her. She closed her eyes and listened to the chirping birds, the rush of the breeze through the trees, and the water running in the nearby creek.

He sat on the edge of the blanket.

She felt his eyes on her. “What is it?”

He smiled. “We’re alone, you’re lying down, and I’m not. Clearly I’ve done something wrong.”

She was unsure under his demanding stare. She pulled on his sleeve to direct him to her. “Come.” She expected him to lie next to her.

Instead, he lowered his body over hers, using his arms to prop himself up so his full weight wasn’t crushing her. His eyes flashed like lightening. His hips pressed into hers, and she felt every part of him. She sucked in her breath at their sudden intimacy.

He watched her, using one hand to push the hair out of her face, but said nothing. Just watched her with his strange, beautiful eyes.

She finally managed to speak. “Is something wrong?”

“No. Everything is right.” She strained to hear him over the creek.

She was afraid of what he wanted, but more afraid of what she wanted.

“Then?” she said. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

His lips were just out of reach of hers. “Can’t you see it?”

She started to speak “I…I don’t understand.”

“I love you, and I’m selfish because I want every piece of you.” He kissed her, prying open her lips with his tongue, sucking gently on her lower lip, then pulled away. “I want your body.” His hand dropped from her neck, running over the curve of her breasts, waist and hip before resting on her thigh. “Your soul,” he whispered, “and every second of your time.” He returned his lips to her collarbone, dipping below to the swell of her breasts.

Her heart beat in jagged thumps and breathing went out the window. She wanted to relish the confirmation of every hope she’d been clinging to since she met him, that he’d be hers, that he’d love her, that he’d want only her.

He stopped.

She froze, afraid he’d move away from her.

He rolled off her, sat up, then pulled her up so she sat up too. He kneeled in front of her, taking her face between his hands. He stared into her eyes, his green eyes sparkling in a way she’d never seen them do before. “Celeste, do you love me?”

“Yes,” she said. “I love you.”

And she did.

She ran her fingers through his hair then pulled him to her. Their lips clashed in a hungry kiss. She lay down, pulling him down on top of her, wrapping her legs around his waist. His lips moved from her lips, to her hair, to her neck. His hands were everywhere; tangling in her hair, and roaming down the curve of her back. He pushed her into the ground, kissing her and touching her until she wanted to cry out in anticipation. The warm tinglies he usually gave her graduated into a full-blown nuclear explosion of heat and want.

Her cell phone rang. It must have startled him as much as it did her, because they jumped apart.

“Crap!” She glared at the small purse at the edge of the blanket housing her cell phone.

Rylan cleared his throat, then buttoned and zipped his jeans back up. When had that happened? “Better get it.”

She was up and had her purse in her hands in two steps, pulling her dress back down to her knees where it belonged. “Hello?”

“Celeste? Thank God. Where are you?” the familiar female voice came over the line.

“Dr. Ra—I mean, Kara? Now is not a good time.” She rolled her eyes so Rylan could see how annoyed she was at the interruption.

“Are you safe? Are you with Rylan?” Kara asked. Something in her voice made Celeste afraid.

“Yes. What’s going on?” she said.

“Put up a circle, now. Close the portal. I’m coming to get you now!” she yelled.

“What’s happening?”

“Something bad has happened,” Kara said. “It’s Tink.”

Cold fear seeped into her body. “My Tink?”

“He’s gone missing, and it doesn’t look good.”

Chapter 15

“Oh, no.” She sank to her knees.

“What?” Rylan crouched next to her.

She looked at him. “I don’t know, something’s happened to Tink.”

“Where are you?” Kara asked over the phone.

Tears ran down her face. She dropped the phone and sank into Rylan’s embrace. He held her up with one arm, and grabbed the phone with his other.

“Still there?” he said. “Right. Where are you?” He paused. “No, I’ll bring her.” He shut her phone and put it in his pocket.

She wriggled gently out of the crook of his arm. “I’m sorry. I’ll get it together, I promise.”

“It’s okay.” He used his sleeve to dab at her tears. “You don’t need to apologize.”

“Thanks.” She took deep, ragged breaths. She didn’t feel any calmer. Nothing could stop the terror racing through her chest.

“Kara is at his house with his parents. The police are there. We need to go,” he said.

“Okay.”

While he drove, she called her parents to fill them in. Her mom promised to call Tink’s mom to see if there was anything she could do.

They pulled up to Tink’s graceful two-storey Victorian. Rylan parked a couple of houses down to avoid the mass of police cars.

She wasn’t sure what she’d expected when they walked in the front door, but it wasn’t a huge crowd of people. Tink’s mom sat on the couch, her face red and puffy. She was flanked on each side by Kara and a cop. Two more cops talked quietly by the window, with neighbors filling every other piece of furniture in the generous foyer.

“Oh, honey,” she said when she saw Celeste. Fresh tears sent channels of water down her face, streaking black mascara down her cheeks.

“Mrs. McDawn,” Celeste wedged herself on the couch and put her arm around Tink’s mom. “It’ll be okay,” she murmured. But that wasn’t true, she didn’t even know what was happening.

Mrs. McDawn turned to face Celeste. Her normally neat hair was a tangled mess and her wide, heavily made-up eyes were wild. “He was in his room. We had dinner. He told me you had a date.” Her face showed a glimmer of a smile, but then it was gone. “He went up to his room, then I heard him scream, and I ran up there and he was gone and there was blood.”

Her heart dropped into her stomach. “What?”

Kara pursed her lips and widened her eyes.

Celeste recovered. “Oh, it’s okay. They’ll find him.” The words came out on autopilot, and she was sure Tink’s mom could tell.

Kara cleared her throat. “Mrs. McDawn, I’m going to introduce Celeste to the police. They may want to talk to her since she was one of the last people to speak with him today.”

“Right.” She dabbed at the edges of her eyes with one of her monogrammed handkerchiefs. “Of course.”

As soon as Kara and Celeste stood up, one of the neighbors moved to sit next to Tink’s mom so she wouldn’t be alone. Kara mouthed “thank you” to her.

She led Celeste and Rylan to the far end of the sitting room, where an officer was on a cell phone, one finger in his ear as he spoke quietly. He saw them and motioned for them to wait. After a few more minutes of whispered conversation, he re-attached his phone to his belt.

Kara pointed at Celeste. “This is Tink’s best friend, Celeste. The one I told you about? Maybe she should see his room.”

“Aw, yes. I’m Sergeant Grimes.” He extended his hand to Celeste. “I wish we were meeting under better circumstances.”

As their hands got close, purple light exploded in her palm. She quieted it as quickly as she could, but there was no way he didn’t see it.

He took her hand and pumped it vigorously.

She finally focused her attention on his face.