by Deanna Chase
She raked her gaze over him and then lifted one eyebrow in question. “And you’re going to do that how?”
He chuckled, knowing what she was asking. She wanted to know if relax was code for sex. It wasn’t. “I’m not a professional or anything, but how about you let me massage you for once? How about it? I could work your neck, shoulders, and back. Ease some of that tension away?”
“Just a massage?” she asked.
“Just a massage,” he echoed.
Her guarded expression vanished, and she gave him a slight smile. “That sounds nice.”
“Lay on your stomach,” he said.
She did as he asked and lifted her arms over her head as he moved to straddle her. Chad pressed his hands against her back, running them over her T-shirt. Her muscles were tight under his touch, and he did his best to knead out the kinks.
After a while she said, “Chad?”
“Yeah?”
“I want your hands on my bare skin.”
He stilled, his body already tingling with anticipation. There was no denying he wanted her. He’d wanted her since the moment he’d first spotted her in Keating Hollow a few weeks ago. But he couldn’t let anything happen. Not that night. Not after what had happened at the restaurant. Not to mention there was a teenager in the house.
Taking the decision out of his hands, she lifted slightly and tugged the T-shirt off, leaving her torso completely bare. She laid back down on the bed, her head turned to the side with a small smile claiming her lips.
“Hope,” he said, his breath catching.
“Luna,” she corrected, but her smile only widened.
“Right.” Her skin was creamy white and so soft as he once again pressed his hands to her back.
Her eyes fluttered closed. “That’s really nice.”
He wasn’t doing anything but caressing her skin, but faint tingles of electricity were sparking under his fingertips and he never wanted to stop. He held himself over her, his hands running up and down, exploring every inch of her perfect flesh. And when he couldn’t stand it anymore, he leaned down and pressed a soft kiss to her neck. “I should go.”
“Do you have to?” she asked, looking up at him through sleepy eyes.
“No. But we both know I should.”
“I guess that’s true.” She reached for her T-shirt and a moment later, she’d wiggled up to her knees, her back still to him as she pulled the garment back on. But instead of telling him goodnight, she curled up on her side and pulled him down next to her. She looked up at him. “Thank you. That was wonderful.”
“I’m sure my technique could use a lot of work, but I tried.”
She threaded her hand into his hair, pulled his head down, and without hesitation she pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “You could have a career in massage therapy. You’re a natural.” Her eyes glinted. “You were right. This was exactly what I needed.” Luna let out a contented sigh. Then she rolled over so that Chad was spooning her from behind and tugged on his hand so that his arm was wrapped around her.
Gods, she felt good against the length of his body. He was acutely aware that he’d be happy to stay right there for forever or as long as she let him.
Luna snuggled in closer and then on a whisper, she said, “Goodnight, Chad.”
He pressed another kiss just below her ear, inhaled her clean soap scent, and said, “Night, sweet girl.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Luna woke the next morning draped over Chad’s chest. His breathing was deep and even, indicating that he was still sleeping. She lay there, unmoving, just enjoying the feel of him under her. For years she’d long to wake up just like this. Only she hadn’t imagined that they’d be fully clothed. Her lips curved into a smile and she almost laughed. She was almost twenty-one years old, and because she was lying with Chad, she felt seventeen again. At least she did when it came to all the feelings swarming in her chest.
The urge to press her lips to his neck and slowly wake him up was right there at the surface. All she had to do was tilt her head and she’d have access to his warm skin. But as she glanced at the clock, reality crashed in around her.
Last night’s news had sent her mind reeling. She’d found a mother who appeared to be unstable at best and an entire family she’d never known about. A family she already admired and would’ve done just about anything to have while growing up.
She’d already decided to go into the spa and talk to Faith. Her boss—sister—had been in shock. Luna had too for that matter. Surely they could work something out. It was obvious to Luna that Faith thought she’d been betrayed. Luna just needed to convince her sister that she had been in the dark just as much as everyone else had.
Careful to not wake Chad, Luna rolled out of bed and disappeared into her bathroom. Twenty minutes later, she emerged wearing her uniform of black yoga pants and a white T-shirt. She’d pulled her blond hair back into a braid that fell down her back and applied just enough makeup to cover her pale skin and hide her tired eyes. She’d slept last night, but the emotional turmoil had left her exhausted.
She’d just gotten to the door when she heard Chad say, “Hey.”
Luna turned and smiled at the sleepy man in her bed. “Good morning.”
He blinked and pushed himself up. His brows furrowed as he took her in. “You’re going to work?”
“Yep. Faith was upset. I’m going to talk to her before I let her fire me for something I had no control over.”
“Good.” He smiled at her, and his sleepy voice was gravelly as he added, “But come here first.”
She was powerless to stop herself, and she quickly made her way to the side of the bed, sitting next to him.
He pressed his hand to her cheek and leaned in giving her a soft kiss on the lips. “Last night was perfect.”
She chuckled. “Which part? Meeting my mother or me drooling on your chest while I slept?”
“The drooling part,” he said without hesitation. “Are we still on for dinner tomorrow night?”
“Yes,” she said, staring at his red lips.
“Good.” His gaze roamed all over her, and his hand tightened on her thigh where it had been resting lightly. “Levi and I are going to start working on my shop today. If you get a break, come on by and we’ll go to lunch.”
“If I even still have a job,” she said quietly.
“You will.”
Silence fell as they continued to stare at each other.
“I should go,” Luna said.
“Right.” Chad wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her into him, giving her another soft kiss. “Good luck.”
Her lips tingled with the light kisses, and it was all she could do to not climb into bed with him and forget about going to talk to Faith. The woman had fired her. Being late wouldn’t be an issue would it?
“Go,” he urged, but it was obvious by his hold on her he didn’t mean it.
Still, the word propelled her into action. “Time to save my job. See you later.” Luna strode toward the door and glanced back just once to take in the site of Chad lounging in her bed. Yeah, she could definitely get used to that.
Nerves jumped in Luna’s belly as she waited for Faith to appear at the spa. She was sitting in the front reception area in one of the chairs, drumming her fingernails on the side table.
“Are you going to tell me what’s up?” Lena asked from behind the desk. The woman’s dark eyes were narrowed as she studied Luna. “There aren’t any early appointments on the books. Who are you waiting for?”
“Faith,” she said. “I need to talk to her before we start the day.”
Lena gave her a strange look. “Why don’t you just go into her office?”
“This is fine.”
“If you say so.” Lena kept casting her questioning glances for the next half hour until the bell on the door chimed and Faith walked in.
“Luna doesn’t work here anymore,” Faith said to Lena. “We need to rebook all of her appointments.”
> “What?” Lena frowned. “But she’s—”
“She misled me,” Faith said. “It’s done. If you need me to stay late or come in early for rebookings, I’ll do it. Just let me know.”
Luna, well aware that Faith hadn’t noticed her when she’d strode in, stood and cleared her throat.
Startled, Faith jerked her head toward Luna and then scowled. “You shouldn’t be here.”
“We need to talk.” Luna wasn’t going anywhere until she’d had her say.
“That’s not necessary.” Faith straightened her spine and started to move in the direction of her office.
“I just found out last night that Gia’s my mother,” Luna blurted. “Or rather, I just met her for the first time last night. Prior to that I had no idea who she was or that you’re—”
“Fine,” she barked, cutting Luna off probably so that she couldn’t reveal any personal details in front of Lena. “We can talk in my office. But I only have ten minutes before my first appointment.”
“Um, should I still cancel Luna’s appointments?” Lena asked.
“Yes,” Faith said at the same time Luna said, “No.”
The two women stared at each other.
Luna let out a sigh. “Don’t cancel them. I’ll honor my appointments today. And after we talk, if you still want me to go, then I will. But give me a chance first, please.”
Uncertainty flittered over Faith’s face, and Luna knew then that this situation could be salvaged. She just needed to get past Faith’s defenses. “Fine.” Faith glanced at Lena. “Luna will work today, but don’t take any new appointments for her until further notice.”
“Got it.” Lena waited until Faith turned to walk toward her office again before she grimaced in sympathy at Luna and mouthed, What’s going on?
Luna shook her head and followed her sister down the hallway.
The minute Faith’s door was closed, she rounded on Luna. “Are you really trying to tell me that you ended up in Keating Hollow, working at my spa and you didn’t know that we’re sisters?”
“Yes,” Luna said, evenly. “That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“That’s crap. Come on, Luna. Coincidences like that don’t just happen. Why are you lying to me?” Faith’s willowy frame vibrated with anger. “Just be honest with me.”
Luna tilted her head at her sister, and then with practiced calm, she reached into her pocket and pulled out the card Gia had sent to the spa. She held it out to Faith. “Do you remember the letter I got last week that didn’t have a return address?”
“Yeah.”
Luna shoved the note into Faith’s hand. “This was it. Read it.”
Faith took the card and glanced at it. Whatever she saw made her do a double take, because she lifted the card and scanned it, one hand covering her mouth.
“That was the first time I heard from her. Prior to that, the only thing I knew about my birth mom was that she was from the Eureka area,” Luna said.
“Did you come here looking for her?” Faith asked as she sank down onto her overstuffed couch.
Luna, still standing in the middle of the room, shook her head. “I actually came to Eureka because of my job there with Healer Snow. I got the job here because I’m a trained massage therapist and you were hiring. I didn’t know anything, Faith. I didn’t come here under false pretenses. I swear.”
Faith sat back in her couch and let out a long breath. She closed her eyes as if she were pained. Finally, she asked, “If that’s true, how did Gabby know to look for you, here?”
Luna shrugged. “I did submit paperwork with the adoption center that said I was open to meeting my biological parents. I kept it updated with how to contact me. It wouldn’t have been that hard for her to find me.”
Faith stared at her hands, her body completely still. “I’m sorry I tried to fire you.”
Relief rushed through Luna’s veins as she processed the words. Tried to fire you. That meant she hadn’t lost her job. Thank the gods. “Thanks for that. I really can’t afford to be unemployed.”
Faith nodded. “I can imagine.” She raised her eyes and met Luna’s gaze. “But I’m not ready to…” She waved a hand between them. “I need time to process this. I’m sure you have questions about our family, but I—”
“It’s okay,” Luna said, letting her off the hook. “We both need to get to work anyway. We can deal with the fact that we’re related later. Did you tell your sisters?”
Faith nodded. “They’re your sisters too, you know.”
How had Luna managed to gain four sisters overnight? And were they all freaking out as much as Faith was? If so, she wasn’t sure she was eager to spend time with any of them. The one she did want to talk to was Lincoln Townsend. But that would need to wait. “I know,” she said simply. “But I’m sure they need time to adjust, too.”
Faith barked out a laugh. “That’s true for me and Noel. But watch out for Abby and Yvette. They tend to take things head on. And my dad is already asking about meeting you.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card. After scribbling a number on the back, she passed it to Luna. “Call him when you’re ready.”
Luna stared at the card, both grateful and terrified. She desperately wanted Lincoln Townsend to be her father. She couldn’t imagine him rejecting her. But if he wasn’t, then who exactly was? Some potions addict? Her heart turned to ice at the thought.
A knock sounded on the door. “Faith?” Lena said. “Your appointment is here.”
“Right.” She jumped up off the couch and went for the door. Just before she opened it, she glanced over her shoulder and said, “I’ll tell her to resume your appointments.”
Luna just nodded. She’d moved on from worrying about her job to stressing big time about Lincoln Townsend.
But a few minutes later when Lena popped in again, it was time to work. Luna put the card in her back pocket and pushed her tangled family mess to the side so she could concentrate on her clients. It didn’t exactly work. By lunch, she’d imagined a dozen different scenarios where she was welcomed into the Townsend family and twice as many more where they all rejected her. Somewhere deep down, she knew her fears were irrational. The Townsends were good people. But Luna had never had family that loved her. That constant disappointment did something to a person. And it wasn’t anything good.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Trees lined the long driveway up to the Townsend home that sat on the edge of town. The Townsend property sprawled along the base of the foothills and looked like something out of a fairy tale. Bright flowers in almost every color were in bloom, the natural fields were green, and when Luna rounded the final curve in the road, the sun illuminated the large cabin-style home.
It was gorgeous. What would it have been like to grow up there? Would she have appreciated it if she had? She shook her head. What good was there in asking that question? Her first memory of a home was a small two-bedroom house with her adoptive mom. It had just been the two of them after her adoptive dad took off on them when Luna was only two. Luna remembered it as a happy time. Her mother was a sweet woman who spent most of her time in her gardens or reading to Luna. She couldn’t remember anything about their life being fancy, but it was the only place where she’d had her own room up until she’d been released from juvy on her eighteenth birthday.
After her adoptive mom died when Luna was only five, she’d slept on couches, in rooms with three bunk beds, and in apartments that barely had enough room for two people, let alone five. At the last house, with her foster mom Pam, she’d had three foster brothers and one foster sister. That meant Luna had one roommate while the boys had three. And they’d all hated it there. Pam didn’t give a crap about anything other than her potion business and her shady boyfriend Leo. The kids were just a paycheck to Pam, or maybe a cover for her illegal drug business. Frankly, Luna didn’t care. All she’d wanted was to get out.
But this life? The one in Keating Hollow? It was what she’d always dreamed of as a
kid. Would the family she always wanted welcome her, or would she always be the outsider who Gabrielle Townsend had thrown away?
There was only one way to find out. Luna stopped in front of the pretty house, put her car in park, and took a deep breath. She could do this. More importantly, she wanted to do this, no matter how nerve wracking it turned out to be. With slightly shaking hands, Luna pulled the key out of the ignition and climbed out of the car. The next thing she knew, she was on the porch, knocking on the door.
The door swung open and the man who she prayed was her father smiled at her. “You made it.” Lincoln Townsend opened the door wider for her. “Come on in. I’ll get us something to drink.”
Luna followed Lin and studied the older man. He was tall with neatly trimmed gray hair, and he had steel-colored eyes. He’d gained a little weight since the last time she’d seen him, which was a good sign he was feeling better. She’d heard he’d been battling cancer but that he’d recently gone into remission.
They stepped into a large living room area, and Luna paused to take in the room. The overstuffed couch was slightly worn, but still inviting. There was a large metal pentacle over the fireplace, the only indication that witches lived there. And toward the back of the room was an open concept kitchen. Lin was milling around, pulling down ingredients to make something, though she wasn’t sure what. And she found she didn’t care, not once she got a glimpse of the back of the property through the wide glass French doors. The large clearing was lovely with a stone outdoor patio complete with a built-in fire pit. It looked like the perfect place for a family gathering. One she was dying to be included in.
“Here,” Lin said gently, pressing a warm mug into her hands. “Do you want to take a tour of the property while we talk?”
“Yes,” Luna said, relief rushing through her. It was always easier to get through the hard stuff when there was something else to focus on.
“This way.”