Fated Read online

  “Josie!” Georgia's irritated voice brought me back to reality, snapping me out of my musings. “I've been knocking for two minutes. C'mon already, Anna's waiting for us. Let's roll, girl.”

  Startled by her loud arrival, I'd been so focused on shielding that I hadn't heard Georgia knocking or been able to see her arrive. She was hard to block, her future and emotions almost screamed out for my attention. I had to stay on guard with Georgia. It would only take one small slip on my part for her to figure out my abilities.

  “Sorry, Georgia. I'm just out of it today,” I said. I reached over to grab my purse and tried my best to push down my guilty conscience, offering her a small smile of apology.

  “We can chat in the car. I didn't work this long getting ready to stand around in your house. C'mon,” Georgia teased as she swept her arm down her body. Georgia's hair hung down her back in a sleek, shiny sheet and her hot pink, silk mini-dress left little to the imagination. She was what Americans termed ‘a cougar.’ She happily flaunted her sexuality and viewed men as an entertaining challenge. Once she'd had her fun, she moved on to the next. There were days that I envied her nonchalance when it came to men and relationships.

  “Yeah, yeah,” I muttered as I followed Georgia outside to her car, getting in the passenger seat and reaching behind me to grab the seat belt. I was still struggling to fasten it when she gunned the engine and roared down my driveway. Georgia drove like she was chasing the last living man on earth or the last bottle of wine on the island. Or both.

  “Josie, are you excited about tonight?” Georgia asked. I shot her a look out of the corner of my eye and smiled as I watched her bounce in the seat excitedly. “I just know tonight is going to be a night to remember. Something big is going to happen, Josie. I can feel it!”

  “And what makes tonight so special?” I questioned. I found it ironic that this was coming from the non-psychic cougar that made this same prediction every time we went out. And to date, nothing exciting had ever happened.

  “I can't put my finger on it, Josie. Maybe we can find you a man tonight. You've been here way too long with no lovin’,” Georgia drawled, glancing over at me with a wicked smile before focusing back on the road.

  “Georgia, you know I don't date. Men and I aren't a good mix,” I huffed, folding my arms across my chest. It wasn't a lie, I didn't date. I avoided men and had given up on the idea of having a relationship a long time ago. It was yet another perk of being a psychic empath.

  “Who said anything about dating? I'm merely suggesting that you have a little fun with no strings attached,” Georgia replied lightly. “You're gorgeous, Josie. You could have any man you wanted.”

  Georgia's words were ironic. I didn't consider myself 'gorgeous' but I was pretty. My long hair was reddish-blond and wavy and I was curvy in all the right places. I'd never had any problem attracting the unwanted attention of men. I just didn't want it.

  “Whatever. Keep dreaming, cougar,” I replied. I mentally started the countdown until she started her tirade. 3, 2...

  “I told you that I'm much too young to be a cougar. I'm a puma.” Georgia raised an eyebrow and quickly shot me a dirty look. “Stop trying to change the subject, Josie. I'm just worried about you, sweetie. You seem so lonely.”

  Hot tears pricked at the back of my eyes as I focused out the window for a moment. “I'm fine, Georgia. Honest.”

  “That's where I beg to differ. You've been here for a year and Anna and I are your only friends. You don't date, you spend days alone writing and doing yoga. It's not good to shut yourself off from everything.”

  Georgia had taken it upon herself to be my unofficial foster mom after she found out I'd been orphaned. My adoptive parents had both died in a car accident four years ago, leaving me with no family. I’d searched extensively for my birth parents but I'd hit a dead end when I found the records had been sealed.

  “I've managed to make it 28 years being a loner, Georgia. Let's change the subject, please,” I said crossly.

  “You're in luck, sweetheart. We're here,” Georgia said as she pulled into a parking spot near the front of the restaurant. We were walking towards the door when she turned to look at me mischievously. “Josie, let's talk about that fling I think you need to have before we go in.”

  “Georgia. Let's have dinner, some drinks and some fun,” I said sharply, cutting her off before she started giving me more relationship advice. I gave her a small shove through the heavy wood doors of the restaurant. “That's more than enough for me.”

  “Spoiled sport.” Georgia pouted as her eyes scanned the room. She spotted Anna across the restaurant, waiting for us at a table that was close to the bar and had a fantastic view of the beach. Georgia waved her arm wildly to catch her attention and we crossed the restaurant to join her.

  “Anna!” Georgia squealed, leaning over and pulling her up into a tight hug. Anna rolled her eyes at me over Georgia's shoulder as she halfheartedly hugged her back.

  “Georgia, I keep forgetting how demure you are,” Anna deadpanned. I coughed and focused on a piece of non-existent piece of lint on my dress so I didn't laugh at the obvious sarcasm in her voice.

  Anna Wilson was a tiny, vivacious woman in her early thirties. She had a tumble of shoulder length brown curls, clever brown eyes and had zero tolerance for bullshit. She was a successful realtor in Bali, also a fellow American that originally hailed from the east coast. Anna was the one friend here that knew of my ability and had accepted me with a shoulder shrug and never mentioned it again.

  “Come here and give me a hug, bitch,” Anna laughed, extracting herself from Georgia's embrace to tug me in for a brief hug. “Don't get any ideas about the two of us just because I'm happy to see you.”

  Laughing at Anna's snark, we sat down at the table and I grabbed a menu. As I flipped through the pages, I felt like someone was intently watching our table. Quickly glancing around the restaurant, I lowered my shields to focus on the crowd. I was instantly bombarded with emotions that ranged from desire, happiness, and angst. Unable to find anyone that had plans on approaching our table, I raised my shields back into place and blamed my nerves on the busy crowd.

  The conversation was light and fun, partially due to numerous glasses of wine I consumed during dinner. I felt myself start to relax when I realized my shields were better than I thought they would be. Was the alcohol making me brave or was I underestimating myself? I had a feeling it was the alcohol.

  We'd just finished dinner when a DJ started playing music in the bar area. Georgia and Anna pleaded and tried to drag me onto the dance floor with them. I quickly waved them off and motioned to the patio across the room. I walked slowly to the door and stepped out onto the patio, glancing back over my shoulder to watch Georgia as she swayed in time to the music with a dark haired man, not wasting any time in snagging herself a dance partner. Anna was sitting at the bar, deep in conversation with the bartender. I slipped out the door, happy that I wouldn't be missed for a few minutes since they were both occupied.

  Smiling to myself, I stepped carefully down the stairs to the beach below and watched as the waves crashed onto the beach. I was actually glad that I'd let Georgia talk me into coming out tonight. There was really no chance I could have convinced Georgia I didn't want to anyway. She would have stomped in, dressing and physically hauling me out if necessary. I let out a loud laugh at the mental image, the sound echoing through the balmy night air.

  “May I ask what is so funny?”

  Startled by the deep, smooth accented voice, I whirled around to see a man swaggering towards me. He was well over six feet tall and solidly built with blond, Nordic good looks. His face was finely sculpted, with sparkling eyes blue like the ocean. I had the strangest feeling of déjà vu wash over me as I stared at him. He looked exactly like the man from my dreams.

  It couldn't be possible.

  “N-nothing really,” I stuttered, my breath coming out in a shudder. “It's sort of an inside joke about my friends inside.
”

  “Ah. A joke.” The blond man moved to stand close enough to me so that our arms were touching. I'd obviously had too much wine to drink, since I could have sworn there was some sort of spark that passed between us when our skin brushed against each other. I absently rubbed my fingers over my arm, wondering if I'd finally lost my mind or if this was just another dream that I'd be waking up from soon.

  Let's face it, men that looked like he did just didn't just appear on a beach and approach me every day. In fact, the only time I'd ever seen a man that looked like him was in my dreams. I could feel my heart start to race when I started to notice the similarities between him and my fantasy man. They shared the same blond hair and chiseled face with skin that almost glowed iridescently. He was almost too perfect to be real, a work of impossible masculine beauty.

  I was way out of my league with him. Hell, we weren't even in the same ballpark.

  Unsure how to proceed, I lowered my shield to try to see his future or feel his emotions and gasped when I couldn't do either. He was a void, his presence a gentle hum in my mind. The hair raised on the back of my neck as my brain worked overtime trying to figure out why I couldn't read him.

  His deep voice brought me out of my thoughts as he extended his large hand to me, inclining his head slightly. “I should introduce myself. I am Stefan Lifsten. And you are?”

  Hesitantly I placed my much smaller hand in his and immediately noticed the cool, silky hardness of his skin. I was startled at the electricity that jolted between us when his large hand enveloped mine. Shivers of excitement shot through my body and a slow, long forgotten burn ignited between my legs. I wasn't sure if it was a good sign that the simple touch of his hand made my panties want to disappear into the night.

  “I'm Josephine Anderson. Everyone calls me Josie but you can call me whatever you want.....” I said nervously, my cheeks burning with embarrassment at my mindless chatter. I could now add verbal diarrhea to my mental checklist of the many reasons why I knew this man was out of my league.

  “Josephine. It is my pleasure to meet you.” Stefan lowered his mouth to my hand and brushed it lightly with his lips. My skin throbbed where his mouth had touched my skin, a sensation I'd never experienced before. I drew in a shaky breath and glanced in the direction of the bar. I was trying to focus on the faint sounds of music to calm down before I made a bigger idiot out of myself.

  “Would you like go inside and dance with me, Josephine?” Stefan asked. A beautiful smile slowly broke across his face, causing fine lines to crinkle around his eyes.

  Stunned into silence by his question, my lips parted in surprise as I stared back at him. Dance?!? He wants to dance with me? Would my poor body be able to handle it if I was wrapped in his arms, or would I just spontaneously combust from the sensation? I didn't know for sure, but it was a chance I was willing to take.

  “Sure.” I nodded anxiously. Inwardly groaning at my lack of conversational skills, his compelling presence had reduced me to either nervous babbling or to one answer responses.

  "Shall we go?" Stefan asked. He placed his large hand on my lower back and gently nudged me towards the steps that led back into the bar. We slowly climbed them together, the music getting louder as we approached the patio. He opened the door for me and I blinked as we reentered the darkened bar area, my eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light after the darkness of the beach.

  "Let me get you a drink before I take you up on the dance you promised me," Stefan said and waggled his eyebrows. He led me towards the bar and pulled out a stool for me. "What would you like?"

  A few dirty thoughts of what I'd like to do to him crossed my mind as I sat down, swiveling on the stool to face him. "A glass of red wine sounds great."

  When he stepped away and motioned for the bartender, I was finally able to get a good look at him as he leaned across the bar to order my drink. His hair was golden blond and thick with long layers that swept across his forehead. He had high cheekbones and his brows arched over expressive sea blue eyes. His square jaw was strong with a slight cleft in his chin. The black t-shirt he was wearing strained tightly against his broad chest, hugging the lean muscles of his long arms. His faded jeans rode low on his narrow hips and clung to his long, powerful legs.

  I watched as he slowly turned and sauntered back towards me, a wry grin on his face. He placed my glass of wine in front of me and sat down. His large frame made the bar stool look much too small and his long legs stretched to brush against mine. Swallowing the groan that threatened to escape, I gingerly picked up the glass and took a large drink of wine.

  "Thanks. You're not drinking anything?"

  He chuckled and leaned closer to me. His sparkling eyes flickered over my face and he swallowed tightly. "No, I am fine for now."

  My fingers tapped nervously against the polished wood of the bar and I was surprised when Stefan's large hand covered mine, weaving our fingers together. Our eyes met with a force that made me feel like I was burning alive from the inside out. He smiled and reached over to push a curl away from my face, his long fingers brushing down the side of my face in a gentle caress that left my skin tingling.

  “Josie!”

  I broke away from his gaze and watched with apprehension as Georgia and Anna made their way over to us across the crowded bar, their eyes both widening in shock as they took in my companion at the bar.

  Georgia raised both eyebrows at me. “We were just getting ready to look for you. I can see you've been busy.”

  Anna moved to stand by Georgia with a drink in her hand, her eyes boldly sweeping over Stefan with obvious appreciation. She gave me an exaggerated nod, winking in approval. She leaned towards me and attempted to whisper, her loud voice carrying so that it was audible over the music. “Good catch, Josie.”

  Mortified, my eyes darted to Stefan's face to gauge his reaction. His mouth was arranged in a smug smirk and he seemed unaffected by their stares and comments, his eyes softening as they met mine. He raised an eyebrow slightly, jutting his chin towards Anna and Georgia to remind me that we weren't alone.

  “Uh, yeah. Georgia and Anna, this is Stefan Lifsten. Stefan, these are my friends Georgia and Anna,” I managed a feeble introduction. My stomach churned uneasily as I glanced between Stefan and my friends.

  “It is my pleasure to meet you both.” Stefan stood and inclined his blond head slightly in greeting. He was still holding my hand tightly and his cool grip was strangely reassuring. Georgia narrowed her eyes and peered at our joined hands, her head swiveling to look at Anna in disbelief. Anna gave her a confused shrug and busied herself with her drink.

  Georgia's head spun back around and refocused her attention on me, a forced smile on her face. She glanced at her watch and stared at me pointedly. “Are you ready to go Josie? It's getting late.”

  Stefan cleared his throat loudly, drawing Georgia's attention to him. “If it is acceptable to Josephine, I would like to spend some time alone with her. I will make sure she gets home safely."

  Georgia's eyes narrowed as she stared at him with irritation. His eyebrow raised in amused contempt as he held her gaze, causing Georgia to huff and look away nervously. I could count on one hand the times I'd seen someone able to ruffle Georgia and he'd managed to accomplish it with a simple, albeit powerful stare.

  It didn't take long for her to recover. “Josephine?!?” Georgia questioned sarcastically. “Josie, it's up to you. I can hang out...”

  “Georgia Turner,” Anna said, using her free hand to slap her arm in annoyance.

  Waving Georgia and Anna off, I interrupted them both off before they had the chance to say anything else. “No, it's fine. Stefan can get me home or I can call a cab.”

  “Are you sure?” Georgia asked leerily. I let out an unladylike snort at Georgia's hypocrisy. She'd been encouraging me to not only meet a man, but have a fling with one earlier in the evening. Had I missed something?

  “Georgia, she will be fine with me. You can come check on her tomorrow,”
Stefan said. His voice resonated with a quiet force and his lips curved into a small smile that didn't reach his eyes as he spoke to her.

  Georgia appraised us both silently, her lips set in a thin line. “Fine. I'll call you tomorrow.” She jabbed her finger into his muscular chest, her voice threatening. “Touch a hair on her head without her permission and you have me to deal with. Got it, pretty boy?”

  Stefan grinned, apparently amused by Georgia's grandiose threats. “Point taken. Good evening, Anna. And to you as well, Georgia Turner.”

  I watched with relief as Georgia and Anna collected their purses and both waved a hurried goodbye to me. My relief quickly faded into anxiety as I realized I was alone with this devastatingly handsome man and I had no idea what to do.

  “Josephine, you owe me a dance, yes?”

  Without waiting for an answer, Stefan tugged me smoothly off the stool and onto the dance floor just as a slow song began to flood the room. He wrapped his long arms around me and pulled me against his chest. The top of my head barely touched the edge of his shoulder as we moved slowly together, my curves fitting perfectly against the contours of his lean body. I wrapped my arms around his broad shoulders and felt the hardness of his muscles rippling under his skin with each movement he made. This felt so familiar, like I'd been in his embrace before.

  I was lulled into a dreamlike daze as we danced. One of his hands gently traced lazy patterns along my back while the other splayed around my waist. Closing my eyes against his chest, I nuzzled my nose against him and breathed in the musky smell of his skin: spicy sandalwood, the ocean and something that was just inherently masculine.

  I unconsciously pressed myself closer against him and moaned when I felt the hardness of his arousal pressing against me through his jeans. Peeking at his face through my eyelashes, I was awestruck by his beauty and the emotion that had softened his face. Wrapped in his arms, I wondered if this is what if felt like to be normal. Not one emotion or premonition flooded my mind and being in his embrace made everyone else blissfully silent.