Page 25 of Master Vidar & Vali

A memory from a brief stay at a foster home flooded my mind. I’d been in line for the bathroom. Six kids ranging in age from five to sixteen and sharing one bathroom had been a nightmare. Being the newest edition, I was last, and when I entered, there was a message written on the mirror in pink lipstick.Who is the watcher in the mirror?

I stared in the mirror, just like I had then, only this time, I tried to answer. I was a liability. I hadn’t thrived in corporate America. I brought nothing to a relationship or a friendship except baggage. A criminal history, an enemy, and unless they needed appointments scheduled, locks picked or a safe cracked, I had no redeeming skills. My future was unknown and looked grim. I wasn’t even brave enough to admit my feelings for the two men downstairs.

But I could fake it with the best of them. I slipped my feet into a comfy pair of Birkenstocks, the only part of my wardrobe that was truly functional and headed downstairs. The men werein the kitchen plating a spread of snack foods with a nice blend of fresh produce and assorted crackers as well as some chips with dips. I studied the labels on the containers with confusion.

“What’s Baba Ganoush?”

Linc swirled around a cracker in the dip in his hand. “You’ve never tried Baba Ganoush?”

“No.” I laughed at the outrage in his voice.

“Oh, you haven’t lived until you’ve had Baba. Take a bite.” He held out a cracker with a thick white spread on it.

I opened and felt the blush spread across my cheeks as my mind flashed back to the last time I’d opened my mouth when he’d told me to. From the smirk on his face, he was remembering the same thing.

Hesitantly, I bit down and a burst of lemon and garlic mixed in a creamy texture made my taste buds sing in joy. “Mmm. What is it made from besides garlic and lemon,” I asked, holding my mouth open for more.

“Eggplant,” Lincoln answered.

“Seriously?” The word was mumbled around my chewing as I stole a second bite. Eggplant was one of those vegetables that I’d never really wanted to try. It just looked like a weird purple cousin to the cucumber. Who could have guessed it could have such a wonderful savory taste?

Colin, who was standing at the kitchen island cutting cucumbers, laughed. “You’re cute when your mouth is full.” His eyes glimmered meaningfully.

“Don’t listen to him,” Linc replied, “you're cute all the time. But I have to agree there is a certain attractiveness about you with your mouth full.”

My cheeks burned and had to be beet red. The desire to flee was almost overwhelming, but thankfully, before it could overtake me, I heard the front door open and the security panel beep. The guests were here.

Crap!

“We’re in the kitchen,” Colin hollered.

A moment later it wasn’t just two people who entered the room, it was four. There were two women and two men, one obvious couple but I was up in the air about the other two. The first man was one of the tallest people I’d ever seen. He was lithe but powerfully built. His expression was a cross between dark and commanding. I gulped; he was terrifying and fit the description the guys had given me of Gabriel, who had started the security business they all owned.

He held a much smaller woman’s hand, who’s happiness and personality practically vibrated out of her. That had to be Rose. She was dressed casually much like I was, so I relaxed over my choice of outfit.

The second man was a complete mystery. There was something about his casual stance that made me think he was anything but. If the man were a cat, I could see him up in a tree gently swishing his tail while patiently waiting for his unsuspecting meal to graze on the grass below him. He was the epitome of danger, mystique and cool intelligence all wrapped up in fake charm. His smile was easy, but his eyes were calculating. I bet whoever he was, not much got by him.

My gaze shifted to the fourth person, standing on Rose’s other side. I found myself completely drawn in by her. She was smaller in stature than the first woman. Although she and her friend were of similar build, that is where all similarities ended. She eyed me critically, and though I had no idea as to who she was, I knew instinctively her opinion of me would matter.

Colin stepped away from the vegetables and pulled the woman in for an enthusiastic hug. Jealousy flared through me, though I tried to hide it. I bet this woman didn’t come with a cargo hold full of baggage. If they had someone like her in their lives, how could they be attracted to me?

“To what do we owe the pleasure of your esteemed presence?” Colin asked with a laugh.

“I thought I’d see what all the fuss was about.”

Of course her voice was deep and rich. Her eyes landed on mine with such clarity and intensity that I felt naked before her stare.

Linc sidled up beside me and draped an arm around my shoulders. The movement felt protective, and I smiled up at him in gratitude before blushing and looking down. His smile was gentle as he nodded to the newcomers.

“Zara, the intense one in Colin’s arms is our friend Marissa, though we usually call her Mari. At the clubs, she is Mistress Freya. The big scowling one is Gabriel, also known as Master Heimdall, and the slick playboy on the end is Jared also known as Master Loki. The woman being hovered over by Gabriel is our newest friend and the best logistics manager we ever hired, Rose.”

“You don’t have a second name?” I asked not knowing what else to say.

Rose laughed. “They call me Amora at the club, but I’m new and the two-name thing can be confusing.”

“Ahh. It’s nice to meet you. Linc and Colin have said such nice things about you all.”

My eyes traveled back to Marissa. So she was the eighth member of what Lincoln often referred to as his real family. What must it be like for her to hold her own with seven men who, from those I’d met, were all hugely proportioned and not just physically, but accompanied by equally large personalities.

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