A Divine Life (The Divine Trilogy)

by Hargrave, R. E.

  The car circled around a large metal fountain, which depicted a group of running stallions crossing a fjord. He stopped the car in front of the steps to the main entrance and turned off the engine.

  “Is that some kind of metal?”

  Jayden’s eyes followed Erin’s line of sight to the fountain. Taking her hand, he locked her in his gaze. “Yes, the bulk of it is iron, but the hooves, manes, and tails are copper.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “Remember, Erin, it’s just us. Just Jayden and Erin; okay, sweet girl?”

  “Okay, but how?” Erin’s heart was palpitating faster with by the minute.

  “I’ve arranged a few days off from work for both of us, and this is where we are staying. After this evening, it will be just you and me. But right now, waiting inside are some very important people who want to meet us. Oh, and I commissioned my craftsmen to make the horses,” he added.

  While she was elated that he’d planned a getaway, she couldn’t for the life of her think of who might be inside the sprawling building. Mind racing, Erin sat in her spot while Jayden went around the car to open her door. The fresh October air was crisp, and she felt like they’d entered another world; their own private world.

  He left her standing there gawking at the view and moved to the back of the car. When he set two carry-on suitcases on the gravel, Erin realized that he had thought of everything. Even when he told her they were spending the next few days there, clothes and toiletries hadn’t crossed her mind. Couldn’t blame a girl for being distracted under the circumstances, though!

  The trunk closed with a quiet thud, and Jayden picked up the bags and walked back over to where she stood. Extending his elbow toward Erin, he asked: “Shall we?”

  Hooking her arm through his, Erin responded with a delighted, “Let’s.” A relaxed smile was plastered on her face.

  Together, they mounted the steps and walked across the wide porch to the door. Erin made a mental note to spend some time in one of the big oversized rocking chairs that graced the porch before their visit was over. Jayden set one of the bags down long enough to open the door and lead her inside.

  The smell of home-cooked food permeated the house, and they laughed when both their stomachs growled at the same time. They’d been so distracted by each other that morning and afternoon that they’d forgotten to eat anything since their quick breakfast much earlier in the day. It appeared they were both starving.

  “Jayden, darlin’, is that you?” A strong voice that Erin recognized at once came from down the hall.

  Erin looked at Jayden in surprise and was taken aback by how young he looked suddenly. The smile on his face was huge, and his eyes were light and bright. She was about to say something when a tall woman with green eyes and shoulder-length, wavy, red hair walked into the foyer. She was dressed in what Erin was sure were designer jeans and a pale green silk blouse. The woman was stunning, as usual.

  “Jayden! Erin!” Jillian Masterson squealed, and she rushed up to them, pulling them both into a tight embrace.

  Jayden dropped the bags and threw his arms around his mother while Erin slipped back. She found herself grinning just watching them.

  Jillian released her son, and then she turned her attention to Erin. “It’s so nice to see you again, Erin. Jayden has been keeping you all to himself―come here, darlin’!” She pulled the younger woman into another hug.

  When his mother released her, Erin stepped back. “Hi, Jillian. It’s good to see you again, too. You’ve got a gorgeous home.”

  “Oh, thank you, dear. We’re quite happy with it, and we hope that you’ll enjoy your time here so that you’ll come back often!” Her eyes darted over to Jayden, and Erin wondered at the silent message in them.

  Jayden chuckled beside her. “Thanks, Mom. Erin and I have had kind of a long weekend, and we’re starving. What’s for dinner?”

  A throat cleared behind them, and Jayden’s beautiful smile returned in full force, as did Erin’s.

  “Now, son, is that any way to greet your momma? Is your old lady not feeding you enough at home?” he teased Jayden while throwing a wink at Erin. “Howdy, Erin. Welcome to Sweetwater and the Flying M.”

  “Hello, Malcolm. I’m thrilled to be here. I’ve no doubts I’m going to enjoy our visit very much,” she answered with sincerity while Jayden wrapped an arm around her waist.

  Malcolm chuckled, and his eyes twinkled when he cleared his throat. “I’m sure you will. There are plenty of things to do here,” he said, looking toward Jayden and winking again.

  Jayden's cheeks bloomed deep red, almost like he’d been caught being naughty. She’d have to ask her lover about that; surely his dad didn’t know about their lifestyle. Did he?

  In the last year, she had decided that Jayden was one of a kind. He was beautiful inside and out, and now he wanted her, not just her submission. Erin’s eyes moved from Jayden to Jillian, and then to Malcolm, while she wondered how she’d gotten so lucky and if life could be any more perfect.

  Before she could let the thought sink in all the way, she was jolted back to the here-and-now by a gravelly voice.

  “Cat? Is it really you, iníon?”

  Daughter? Erin spun around in shock. “Da?” she squeaked, and her eyes welled with tears.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  It had taken Jayden nine months and one private investigator to locate Smallwood O’Chancey; Woody to his friends, and Da to Erin. He’d been working at a small lake town diner in California as a fry cook when the PI tracked him down. When Jayden learned that Woody had been traveling town to town, picking up odd jobs during his search for Erin, he knew he’d done the right thing in seeking out the man. After the initial contact, it had taken another month of casual communication between the two men to build a rapport so that one, Woody wouldn’t hunt Jayden down as the beast that had hidden his daughter away, and two, he could convince Woody to agree to wait for this reunion.

  Through her journal and their conversations, Erin had told Jayden she’d left her previous life behind. She’d gone into hiding because of that monster. Even once he was dead, Erin had lived in fear that one of Spencer’s friends would remember her and have ideas about how she could be treated. On more than one occasion, she’d endured their laughter and mockery, so she had good cause to worry.

  Jayden watched the two of them embrace, and his own heart warmed at the sight. Erin needed her father in her life. It had killed him inside knowing she’d turned her back on her Da for her protection and his. As her Dom and now her lover, Jayden was prepared to take over the role of guardian and would be protecting Erin from now on. No one was ever going to hurt her again.

  A small, strong arm wrapped around Jayden’s waist, and he looked down into his mother’s grass-green eyes. Her tears glittered back at him when she looked up. “I’m so proud of you, Jayden. You did the right thing. I don’t know the whole story—”

  “Mom, I can’t—”

  “Shh, dear, I know that, and I don’t want you to tell me. Perhaps with time, Erin and I can reach a point where she’ll consider me her mom, too, and she’ll tell me. Until then, I can be patient. She is going to be around awhile, right?”

  If Jayden hadn’t already made that decision, he would’ve been left slack-jawed at the implied message his mom was delivering. Instead, he gave her a gentle squeeze. “Yes, Mom, I think she will be—that’s what I’m hoping for, at least. I love that you’ve welcomed her without judgment.” Jayden smiled.

  Yes, his parents were aware of his lifestyle even though they were not part of it. Jayden had never been able to keep secrets from Jillian, and in return, she’d always supported her son, no matter what. He’d told his mother everything he could about Erin without giving away the bits that were Erin’s story to tell, and he appreciated her subtlety with Erin now. In fact, it was Jillian who had suggested the private investigator when Jayden had gotten frustrated with dead ends during the search for Woody.

  He kept a gen
tle grip on his mother, and they turned to watch father and daughter reunite. The duo had stopped hugging fiercely, but they still had a grip on each other, much like he and Jillian did. Tears were flowing. Seeing them side-by-side, the family resemblance was uncanny. Woody’s hair was greying, but traces of the crimson fire that cascaded from Erin’s scalp still lingered in his beard and mustache, and their eyes were a perfect match.

  “Oh, God, Catherine, you had me so worried, baby girl. You just vanished and I couldn’t find you and I tried everything and—” Woody was spilling his heart out, fat tears rolling down his cheeks.

  “Shh, Da,” Erin consoled him. “I know I worried you, and I’m so sorry. It was just—I needed to get away from my old life and make sure it couldn’t follow me.”

  Jayden could see the shame in her eyes while she struggled to find a way to apologize.

  “Well, I guess it doesn’t matter now. I’ve got my Cat back, and look at you! What a beautiful woman you’ve become. You’re the spitting image of your Ma, God rest her soul.” He smiled at her.

  “Da, there’s someone I want you to meet,” she murmured while reaching out for Jayden. He took her hand and let her pull him in. “Da, this is Jayden, the love of my life. Jayden, this is my father, Woody O’Chancey.”

  Jayden offered his hand, which Woody took in a firm grip. “Nice to finally put a face to the voice, son.”

  Erin shot Jayden a ‘we’ll be talking, mister’ look.

  Woody went on, “I don’t know why I’ve had to wonder if my iníon was alive or dead for so long; don’t know if I want to know at this point. However, young man, I do know you’ve brought my girl back to me—for that I will be forever indebted to you.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Erin jumped a little in his embrace. His mouth quirked at the corner in response to her reaction, but it was understandable. Never before had she heard him acknowledge another person with that level of respect.

  “I only did what I felt was right in the situation. Your daughter is my whole world, sir, and I’d do anything for her.” Next to him, Erin gasped. While maintaining eye contact with Woody, he was able to feather a light kiss across her forehead before silence bore down on the small group.

  Woody eyed Jayden for several moments, and then startled them all when he clapped his hands together. “So,” he boomed, “something smells delicious, and I was promised a home-cooked meal. When do we eat?”

  The tension seemed to melt away while everyone laughed at this question.

  Jillian soon took charge. “It’s ready, Woody,” she promised, hooking her arm in his and starting to lead him back to the dining room. “I just need to bring the dishes out to the table. Why don’t you boys seat yourselves? Erin, can you give me a hand?”

  Jayden’s beautiful girl smiled. “I’d love to, Jillian! Just tell me what to do, and I’m on it.”

  He couldn’t resist a hidden swat to her ass when she walked away from him. She giggled in response.

  Yep; slow, pleasurable death coming right up.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

  A Divine Life

  Dinner had been delicious. Jillian was a fantastic cook, and Erin was planning to get together with her to learn some of Jayden’s favorites. She’d promised to call Jillian in the coming week to set up their next visit. Woody was going to start working on the Masterson’s ranch, and therefore would be staying in Texas, so they’d have plenty of time for catching up. Everyone seemed to understand that Jayden and Erin were celebrating something special and needed privacy.

  Both Jayden and Erin had spent most of the night blushing the color of tomatoes while their parents took turns regaling the group with childhood stories. They’d learned some very interesting things about each other’s younger years over the course of the evening.

  Erin’s Da had sat next to her and reached out to touch her throughout dinner: patting her hand and squeezing her shoulder. She guessed that he was just assuring himself that she was real, and she felt bad that she hadn’t tried to contact him herself. Jayden couldn’t have touched her heart any deeper than he had with this gesture. He’d given Erin her daddy back.

  The evening had been long and tiring, but Erin had loved every minute of it. Sad though it was, the time had come for them to gather at the front door and say their goodbyes. Jayden closed the door and turned around to face her. “Just what are you so happy about?” He quirked his eyebrow at her playfully.

  On impulse, she threw her arms in the air and started spinning around. “Everything!” Her eyes clenched tight, Erin smelled his cologne when he scooped her up in his arms and continued spinning her around. He slowed down and set Erin on her slippered feet, keeping a grip on her so she didn’t fall from the dizziness.

  Raising her eyes up to meet his dark brown ones, the dizziness morphed into longing and need. His lips were on hers in a matter of seconds. They teased, licked, and kissed for several minutes, enjoying the peaceful bubble around them.

  “You promise you’re happy right now?” Jayden whispered while resting his forehead against hers.

  She nuzzled her nose against his chin. “Very,” she whispered back.

  “Mm,” he moaned when her nuzzling turned into nips along his jaw. “I hope you aren’t too tired for one more surprise, sweet girl.” His eyes twinkled.

  Erin faked a big stretch and yawn and tried to put on a bored face. “I guess I can handle one more, if I must.” She sighed.

  “Well, I wouldn’t want to put you out or anything,” he grumbled with mock disdain.

  “Please, Jayden.” Erin bounced in place to show her excitement. “I can’t imagine what more you could surprise me with, but I can’t wait!” The bouncing had jarred her bladder, and she stopped her movements. “But I have to pee first!” she blurted before running off to the bathroom. His answering laughter followed her, not cutting off until she closed the door.

  When she came back out a few minutes later, Jayden was gone. Erin walked around, poking her head into the living room, the dining room, and then the kitchen.

  “Jayden?” she called out. There was no answer.

  Since she was in the kitchen, Erin opted to get a glass of water and wait for Jayden to come back, assuming he’d ducked into one of the other bathrooms as well. Sipping the water, she turned her attention to the picture window overlooking the backyard. It was dark, the sun having set about an hour before, but there was a soft flickering glow off in the distance. Curious, she called out to Jayden one more time, and when met with silence, she put her glass down and headed toward the French doors that led out back. Her eyes were focused on the far away glow when her hand reached for the doorknob.

  A sharp sting radiated up through her finger, and Erin looked down to see that she’d grabbed a single rose, which had been attached to the handle. Using care, she collected the flower and noticed the door was also ajar. Erin lifted the red bloom to her nose and inhaled its light fragrance while stepping into the night. Thanks to the full moon, it was brighter than she would have expected.

  On the wooden patio table, she could see another single red rose lying across its surface. Erin picked that up also, and then looked around. “Jayden?” she called out again. A few more steps forward brought her to the edge of the wide wraparound porch. She glanced down to watch her footing while she descended, and she found another rose lying across the step. When she stooped to pick it up, she noticed the trail: red roses had been tossed every couple of feet to make a path across the grass.

  Erin felt her heart flutter, and her excitement level spiked. She didn’t know what he was up to; but his games were always fun, and she was ready to play.

  Heading off along the trail, she made sure to pick up each rose she came across. The path wound around the pool, which was filled with floating tea lights. The candle’s presence explained the flickering glow she’d noticed from the window. It was a mesmerizing sight, and she paused to appreciate it and wonder how he’d set this all up so fast. Then she recalled Jil
lian informing Jayden that everything was good to go. She’d blown off the comment at the time, not understanding its significance. His mother must be in on whatever Jayden was up to.

  While she studied the pool, romantic music began floating on the air. Erin glanced around, trying to decide from which direction it was coming. Beyond the pool and deck, the trees thickened, and the yard was pitch black. She clutched the dozen roses she’d gathered against her chest and peered into the darkness.

  “Jayden!” Erin called. “Are you out here?”

  Light exploded before her eyes. Erin blinked rapidly while they adjusted. Then her vision came into focus on a gazebo covered in tiny twinkling lights about ten feet away. Standing on the steps and leaning against the rail, was Jayden, and the look on his face was smoldering.

  His rich voice extended across the distance between them, wrapping around her and enfolding her in pure desire. “May I please have this dance, my beautiful Erin?” He held out a single rose toward her.

  Somehow, her feet cooperated before her mind could catch up, carrying her forward to him—to her love. He brought her to a halt at the bottom of the gazebo steps by extending the rose to touch her forehead. Her eyes drifted closed when he began to stroke the satin petals across her face. Caressing the side of her jaw, he let the flower curve under her chin, coaxing her head up with light strokes of the bloom. She lifted her face in response and opened her eyes when she felt his breath on her.

  Jayden’s face was mere inches away, and his lips hovered over Erin’s lips. He closed the distance, and time froze while she was kissed with absolute thoroughness. When they had to part to allow in fresh air, she realized Jayden had moved them up into the gazebo, and that they were dancing.

  One song faded into another while he continued gliding Erin back and forth in slow circles. Erin had never learned to dance, but with Jayden leading, it was effortless. He twirled her around and around until they made their way to the far side of the gazebo. Jayden stilled their motions in front of a table set with an empty vase, a bottle of wine in an ice bucket, two crystal glasses, and a flat, long box embossed with a fine jeweler’s logo. Her new collar?