Possessed

by Thayer King

  Sebastian had talked about buying a house and starting a business. So far, he’d made no steps toward doing either. She hesitated to bring it up to him, but if they were going to start a future together, she wouldn’t go into this blind. Not that she cared if he was poor, but she needed to know what she was getting up front.

  Sebastian exited the bathroom in only a towel, emptying her mind of anything but his slick, toned body. His wet curls hung in spirals about his broad shoulders. It was the only soft thing about him. If anything, it emphasized the masculinity of the rest of him. His stomach was flat and hard, his legs muscular and toned. “You’re beautiful,” she blurted.

  He chuckled. “Thank you.”

  She bounded out of bed. Latching onto his towel, she backed him into the bathroom. “Shower with me?”

  He grinned wickedly. “But what would I do? I’ve already had a shower.”

  “We’ll think of something.” He kissed her as his towel hit the tiled floor.

  ****

  Attending church always made Keva feel like a bad Christian. She had a short attention span and within an hour, she was ready to leave. Unfortunately, the average length of services at their church was two and a half hours. She kept glancing at Sebastian to see if he was as antsy as she was. He appeared alternately to be absorbed or confused by the events taking place around him. He’d never been to an African American Baptist church before. She sighed. At least he wasn’t falling asleep like some of the older parishioners. Near the front of the church, Deacon Sutton’s head bobbed, causing light to glint off his balding scalp. Keva estimated him to be about ninety. A few of his fellow deacons’ heads bobbed in unison and she had to look away to keep from laughing during the sermon.

  After services were over, members tended to linger and talk. People were naturally curious about Sebastian as she’d never brought a man to church with her before. And being white, he stood out. Keva greeted people even as she made her way inexorably toward the door, making sure to keep Sebastian in tow.

  “So what did you think?” she asked once they had made it back to her car. She put the car in drive but waited for him to buckle up before easing out of her parking space.

  “It was interesting. A bit chaotic at times. My parents didn’t attend church much, but when they did, it was nothing like this.”

  They drove back to the townhouse to pick up the tea they’d prepared for the Sunday dinner at her mother’s house. When they arrived, they were greeted by Kevin’s wife Lecretia. “I’m sorry, Keva. I tried to talk Lily out of it.”

  Keva frowned. “What are you—”

  “Keva, come into the den.” Lily latched onto her arm and steered her away from the door. Keva glanced over her shoulder at Sebastian as she was tugged behind Lily. “Oh, Sebastian, you can take those into the kitchen,” Lily called.

  “What’s going on? Where’s the fire?” She hung back, making Lily really work to keep her moving.

  “I thought you needed saving from yourself,” she whispered.

  Keva frowned at the odd explanation. In the den, Kevin and Jackson talked with a third man. Understanding dawned when she saw his profile. “You didn’t!”

  Anthony turned at the sound of her voice. He smiled and stood when he saw her. “Keva, wow, you look fantastic. How long has it been?”

  “High school graduation,” she estimated. Anthony had aged well. His face was broader and manlier than when she last saw him. There was a bit of gray mixed in with his short-cropped hair, but it didn’t detract from his handsomeness.

  “It’s been too long,” he said, his eyes roving over her figure. “Way too long.”

  Lily grinned at her and nudged her with her elbow. Keva shot her a glare. “Keva, Anthony was just telling us about how he recently had to expand his restaurant’s dining room. I ate there last week and the place was packed.”

  Anthony laughed and his chest puffed up with pride. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking of opening a second place across town.”

  “That’s great. I’ll have to visit.”

  “You do that. It’s the best Southern cooking you’ll find outside of your mama’s kitchen. If you let me know ahead of time, I’ll make sure you get a free dessert.”

  “How about tomorrow night?” Lily asked. “I’ll come with you, Keva.”

  “Lil, hon, we’re supposed to—”

  “Not now, Jackson,” Lily said, hushing her husband.

  Keva could guess her sister’s plan. At some point, she planned to abandon her alone with Anthony and hope that romance would ensue. But not only did she have no interest in eating at a restaurant that specialized in home cooking that she could easily prepare to her taste at home, she had absolutely no interest in Anthony. “Thanks for the offer, Lil, but I’ve got plans.”

  “Nothing you can’t break, I’m sure.”

  Keva shrugged. “I don’t really like going out on Monday nights. It’s the start of the workweek and Mondays are always the worst. Trust me; you don’t want to talk to me after a day of arguing with people over a bill.” Her job was depressing, and she hated it more each day. Pressuring sick people and their families for payment grated against her morals. And when she wasn’t harassing ill patients, she was pushing paper. It was a mind-numbingly dull job.

  “Dinner’s ready,” her mother announced as she joined then in the den.

  “Do you need any help?” Keva asked.

  Nellie shook her head. “Lecretia and Sebastian helped. All that’s left to be done is to sit down and eat.” Her mother took her hand and smiled. “That Sebastian’s a sweet boy.”

  Keva’s eyes widened at her mother’s sudden change of opinion, but she didn’t question it. Sebastian was sweet. “Thanks, Mama.”

  “Who’s Sebastian?” Anthony asked as he followed her from the den to the dining room.

  “I’m Sebastian.” Sebastian stood and held out a chair for Nellie at the table and then turned to pull out another for Keva.

  Anthony held his hand out. “Anthony Moore. I’m an old friend of Keva’s.”

  Keva barely kept from scoffing. They were never friends. He’d led her on for the better part of a week and then had a friend of his dump her for him. It was that type of cowardly behavior that made her not regret the swift end of their relationship. She’d never shed a tear or looked back.

  Sebastian sat to her right and Lily shooed Jackson away from her left to leave the seat open for Anthony. “Oh, you’re the friend that she brought to our church. I hope you enjoyed your visit,” Anthony said. “We like seeing new faces there.”

  Sebastian accepted a bowl of mashed potatoes from Nellie. He scooped out some for himself before passing the dish to Keva. His eyes sparkled with mischief as they met hers. Keva wondered what he was up to.

  Lily spent the next five minutes touting Anthony’s attributes to the point that Jackson commented drily, “Lil, should I be worried?” She shot her husband a glare, but it did gain them silence as she turned her attention to feeding Ambrosia.

  “Your daughter is beautiful,” Anthony said.

  Lily smiled. “Thank you.”

  “I remember when my daughters were that age.”

  “Daughters?” Lily asked, her smile faltering. Keva hid a grin. “I didn’t know you had children.”

  “Oh, yeah. I have three. Asia, Brianna, and Cassandra. They’re staying with my in-laws for a few days.”

  “You’re married?”

  Anthony took a sip of his tea and placed it back on the table. “No. Rhonda died two years ago of a brain hemorrhage. Sudden and unexpected. It shocked all of us. She was so young.” He nodded as everyone offered their condolences. “Thank you. It’s been hard, but I think that I’m finally ready to move on and the girls need a woman’s influence in their daily lives.” He smiled at Keva significantly.

  She almost choked on her green beans. What the hell? Did he think she was going to complete his ready-made family? How did he get the nerve to think she’d ever consider dating him again?
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br />   “That’s so sweet,” Lily murmured, but she no longer seemed so confident. Keva’s eyes narrowed on her sister. She wondered how much she had encouraged Anthony.

  Just as she was about to gently dash his hopes about her raising his three daughters, her mother spoke. “I wish you much luck in finding such a special young lady. Finding the person meant for you is never easy, but now you have to also find someone who will make a good mother to your children.” She smiled. “Now, Sebastian, wasn’t there something you wanted to ask my daughter?”

  “Yes, actually, there is.” Sebastian stood and pushed his chair back. He dropped down onto one knee next to Keva and took her hand. He produced a small velvet box from his pocket. Snapping open the lid, he revealed a beautiful ring with a sparkling princess-cut diamond. The stone was large, the shine bouncing off it, practically blinding.

  Her mouth dropped open. She glanced around. Everyone seemed surprised except her mother, who beamed with joy. What had Sebastian done to her to make her accept this? His hair was as long as ever, and he still didn’t have a job.

  “Keva, I love you. I can barely recall a time when I didn’t. Make me a happy man. Marry me?”

  She bit her lip. For a second she was overwhelmed with panic. Did she love him enough for this? The answer was swift and clear. Yes, she did. She’d never met anyone who made her feel the way he did. More importantly, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Nodding, she whispered, “Yes. Yes, I’ll marry you.” He stood and hugged her while everyone congratulated them.

  ****

  The door had barely closed behind them before Sebastian drew Keva into his arms. His mouth covered hers in a deep kiss that had her melting against him. “Mmm.” She slid her fingers into his hair. She wanted to surrender to his seduction, but first she needed some answers. Breaking the kiss, she backed away from him. “We need to talk.” Holding his hand, she led him to the couch.

  “You’re not about to tell me you only said yes so as not to embarrass me?”

  Keva laughed. “Of course not. If I was going to say no, I would have asked to speak to you in private at my mom’s. No.” She took his hand as he joined her on the sofa. Twining her fingers with his, her gaze was drawn to the extraordinary ring. Also known as problem number one. “Sebastian, can you really afford this ring? If you can’t, I won’t mind if you have to take it back.”

  His grin was indulgent. “I can afford it.”

  “You’re sure? You’re not working and you haven’t started your business. You’ll need startup money. I don’t need anything this extravagant.”

  “Keva, that is your ring. I’m not taking it back.”

  She nodded, but vowed that if he needed the money later, she would make him return it. “Okay. My other question was about my mother. What did you say to her to make her happy about this? Hell, how did you convince her that you weren’t a hippie?”

  He cupped her chin and ran his thumb over her bottom lip. “I told her that I was a millionaire.”

  She slapped his hand away. “You told her what?”

  Sebastian grinned. “I should start at the beginning. I asked her for your hand in marriage. She was very polite and then asked how I intended to provide for you. I told her that I thought you did an admirable job of taking care of yourself, but that I didn’t expect to live off you. Then I told her about the millions I made when I sold the Web site I’d started before I went into web design.”

  She stared into his dark blue eyes trying to ascertain the truth behind his words. He was telling her the truth. “Why are you just mentioning this?” She sucked in a pained breath. “You didn’t think I would only be interested in you for your money?”

  “Of course not. I know you’re not a gold digger. It’s just not something you lead off a conversation with.” He took her hand and kissed her ring finger beneath the diamond. “Besides, up until now, I’ve been otherwise occupied trying not to blow up.”

  “If you’re a millionaire, why do you drive that truck?”

  “Because it was hell hauling lumber in the Bugatti.”

  Keva laughed. “No, I meant it’s old. At least ten years old with rust spots. Why not get a new one?”

  He sighed. “When I bought it, my parents had thrown me out the year before and it was all I could afford. It’s my first vehicle.”

  “Wow,” she whispered. It was so odd to think of Sebastian as rich.

  “I’m the same guy,” he said. “I have the same myriad of issues, talents I can’t fully utilize. I can’t promise I won’t ever need you to be a Channel for me again. I can only vow to keep trying and to never allow myself to get to the place where I could go supernova. Speaking my many deficits, you’re certain you want to be tied to me?”

  “Of course.” He seemed genuinely worried. Keva squeezed his hand. “I love you, Sebastian. I want to spend my life with you.” She lifted her face to his for a kiss. Her tongue dueled with his. She slid her hand along his jaw, the stubble there brushing against her fingers.

  This time it was Sebastian who drew back. “I have something I want to do for you.”

  She grinned. “I thought you were already doing it.”

  He gave her a mysterious smile. “Meet me in the bedroom in ten minutes.”

  She blinked as he left her. What could he be up to? Curiosity ate at her as she waited for the ten minutes to elapse. She kept her eyes locked on the clock. The second time was up, she followed him upstairs.

  He stood at the end of the bed in only his briefs, his violin poise for play. She gasped. He smiled. “Don’t worry. It’s not…I’m not out of it. I’ve been…integrating the different aspects of my personality.” He gestured to the bed. “Please, sit.”

  Keva climbed onto the bed and squatted in the middle. Sebastian took a deep breath and put the bow to strings. Keva bit her lip as the beauty of the music flowed over her. The melody was at once upbeat and seductive. Dear God, he was sexy. The movement of his muscles as he played made her breath catch in her throat. Moisture built between her thighs.

  His performance wasn’t the virtuoso act he’d achieved before, but he was obviously talented. When he stopped, he looked to her. His eyes had been closed as he concentrated on the music. “What do you think?”

  “You’re amazing,” she whispered, opening her arms to him. He put aside his violin and bow. Her hands slid over the hot satin of his shoulders as he covered her. His mouth sought out hers as he pushed her back onto the mattress.

  Epilogue

  Keva placed the box on the kitchen counter. Kevin and Sebastian were bringing in her couch, while one of the men from the moving company tagged along with her computer in his arms. She ran a hand over her brow. Packing and unpacking was hot work. The temperature was below sixty, yet she could feel a trickle of sweat wending its way down her spine.

  Life is funny, she thought. She’d been living in a rut since her move to Nevada. In one night, Sebastian blasted into her life and changed her world forever. She’d fallen back into a pattern of sorts when she’d moved back home. Her day was work, then home. Sundays were for family. It was fine. She’d been content with the exception of her growing hatred for her job and the empty hole in her heart. And then Sebastian had found her again, bringing fireworks to her ordinary days.

  They’d exchanged vows at the local courthouse the day after he proposed. Keva thought that it was best to get it over with before her mother and Lily found out he was not only psychic but an off-the-charts-talented psychic. She figured their first anniversary would be soon enough to reveal that little gem.

  Finding a house to purchase had been a swift process. Unbeknownst to her, Sebastian had been house hunting since he’d come into town. So when she’d agreed to buying a house, he’d already had several in mind. She’d fallen in love with this two-story brick home the first time she’d seen it. The kitchen had been recently updated with marble counters and stainless-steel appliances. The master bath had a rain shower that she couldn’t wait to try out. It was lar
ge enough for two and the gleam in Sebastian’s eyes when they’d seen it let her know that he’d been thinking the same thing she was.

  After Christmas, she would quit her dreaded job. Sebastian had yet to decide what type of business he wanted to start and so he decided to fund one for her. Or so he said. Keva knew it was because of her growing dissatisfaction with her job at the hospital. In the New Year, she would be opening her own clinic where psychics could come in for treatment. Her facility would also offer counseling and support for psychics who needed it.

  Her mother and Lily hadn’t been happy to hear that she would be treating psychics again. And then something surprising had happened. Kevin had admitted to being a Channel also and planned to quit his job to come to work with her. Keva had been shocked but thrilled. While he’d never belittled her work before, he’d never supported her either. But she liked the idea of working with him. Even more shockingly, once Kevin backed her, Nellie and Lily had toned down their complaints considerably.

  At first, she’d been reluctant to take Sebastian’s backing. He’d argued that now that they were married, it was her money, too. She’d remained skeptical, but then he’d told her it was a good investment. IOP needed the competition. As if it were destined, the next day news had broken about the IOP secret spy program. Dean and his group of insiders had finally gathered enough information to come forward and blow IOP out of the water. Many of the doctors and executives were facing charges for kidnapping, assault and battery, and a variety of lesser crimes that the district attorney was determined to prosecute them for. Dr. Garcia was facing some serious jail time. “See,” Sebastian had said with a grin, “you’re going to make me a very rich man.”

  “Did you know this would happen? Through your clairvoyance?” He’d rolled his eyes but his smile had been secretive and just a bit too cocky for her liking.