“Let’s not judge her yet,” Rosie said. “For all we know, she bumped her head and has amnesia.”

  “If this Thea person is Marianna, having to tell her about our mom dying is going to be difficult, assuming she even remembers our mother.” Crap.

  They hopped in the car and drove toward the other end of town. Had he not been on a mission, Rafe might have been able to appreciate the clean streets and cute shops. A few people were going about their business, and the traffic was minimal. No snow was on the ground, but there was a definite chill in the air.

  He parked in front of the tall brick building.

  Rosie placed a hand on his arm. “Are you sure you’re ready for this?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be. This is the first real lead I’ve had in three years.”

  “Then let’s go.”

  He would have walked around and opened her car door, but Rosie hopped out before he had the chance. As soon as they stepped onto the sidewalk, she grabbed his hand and squeezed. “This is the right thing to do.”

  “Are you speaking as a human or a goddess?”

  She huffed out a laugh. “Sometimes I can’t tell the difference. If you’re asking if I can foresee the future, the answer is I can’t.”

  The law office was located on the second floor. As soon as they stepped inside, the receptionist looked up. “Good afternoon. How can I help you?”

  He wanted to see if this woman recognized his sister. Rafe pulled out his phone and showed her the photo. “Have you seen this woman before?”

  “Of course. Thea is a lawyer here.”

  Damn. Either Marianna had a doppelganger or his sister had changed her name. If so, why not admit it? “Would it be possible to speak with her?” His heart was pounding so hard, Rafe had to work to keep his voice from shaking.

  The receptionist smiled. “I’ll see if she’s free.”

  The woman called this mysterious Thea. A moment later, she disconnected. “Ms. Andrews will be right out. Have a seat.”

  What was he going to say if this woman wasn’t his sister? I’m sorry to have bothered you?

  Rosie took his hand and led him over to the chairs. “Sit down, Rafe. It’s going to be fine.”

  He sat next to her. “How can you be so sure?”

  “I wish I could sense if something bad were about to happen, but I can’t. I just know that you have to see this through. I believe it was why I was given the vision in the first place.”

  He could only hope that was true. A few minutes later a door opened, and the sound of high heels clacking against the tile floor increased. Rafe looked up and froze.

  Using all of his strength, he stood, waiting for Marianna to scream with joy at seeing him. She still had the same shoulder length dark hair, and the top of her head came to his chin—like always. Her eye makeup was more pronounced than in the past, but that was to be expected now that his sister was in the corporate world.

  She held out her hand. “I’m Thea Andrews. How about stepping into my office?”

  Chapter Ten

  Rafe couldn’t believe it. This was Marianna—he was certain—yet this person didn’t seem to recognize him. He looked over at Rosie who likewise looked heartbroken at the rather cool reception.

  “Thank you,” Rosie said. Once more, she grabbed Rafe’s hand. It was almost as if she believed he needed the help.

  He followed this woman down the hallway and into her office. Once seated, he inhaled, hoping his voice didn’t crack. “You don’t recognize me?”

  The woman studied him. “No, should I?”

  Rafe wanted to yell and then shake some sense into her, but the woman seemed to be telling the truth. As calmly as he could, he found the picture on his phone. “This is the two of us. It was taken a little over three years ago.” Before you disappeared…

  That might have been dumb to show his hand so soon, but too many conflicting emotions were racing through his brain.

  She lifted the phone from his fingers and studied it. “That sure looks like me, but it’s not.”

  Rosie placed a hand on his knee. “Are you from here, Ms. Andrews?”

  She opened her mouth and then closed it. “What is this really about?”

  Rafe didn’t blame her hostile attitude, especially since this might not be his sister, but she could have been more sympathetic. So what if they looked exactly the same. He searched her hand for the ring she always wore, but it wasn’t there, and his heart sunk. “This is me and my twin sister. She went missing three years ago, and I’ve been looking for her ever since. Someone at the library recognized you, but clearly I was mistaken.” Rafe stood. “I’m sorry to have taken up your time.”

  She smiled and held out her hand. “Me too. I hope you find her.”

  Rosie stood. She said nothing until they reached the street then spun to face him. “You think it’s her, don’t you?”

  “I know it is, but she doesn’t believe it.”

  “People lie.”

  He shook his head. “I would have known.”

  “You want to grab something to eat and discuss this?” Rosie asked.

  He smiled. “It’s a little early for lunch, but I could do with a coffee.”

  “I have a hankering for hot chocolate.”

  Good old Rosie and her chocolate. “Let’s find a quiet place to chat.”

  Surprisingly, there were several cafés on the main drag. They picked one and sat in a corner booth. After they ordered, he tried to process what happened.

  Rosie leaned forward. “Tell me what you’re thinking. I know you aren’t giving up.”

  That brought out a chuckle. “No. Hardly. Something is going on, and I want to know what it is.” He snapped his fingers. “I should have asked her when her birthday was.”

  “She’s a lawyer. As such, she’s smart enough not to give out that kind of information.”

  “You’re probably right. Can you disappear?”

  “What?” Rosie’s eyes widened. “You want me to leave?”

  Shit. “No.” He leaned closer. “I wanted to know if you could maybe teleport into her office and be like a fly on the wall. If you could be invisible, we might find out what is really happening. She might call someone and ask them to follow us or something.”

  “I doubt she’d do that, but the answer to your question is no. I can’t become invisible and stay that way—at least not at will. Like I said before, my powers are strongest when I’m with my sisters. My powers when I’m by myself are erratic. By that I mean—”

  “You told me. You can only do things if it involves saving your mate. Well, right now your mate is drowning in uncertainty.”

  She reached out and rubbed his hand. “We’ll figure this out.”

  “How?”

  “Even if we are lucky enough to get a look at her driver’s license and her birth date matched, you can’t force her to admit she’s your sister.”

  He didn’t like that. “Could someone have put a spell on her to make her forget me?”

  “It’s possible, but spells don’t last three years. I think I’d go with the amnesia angle.”

  “You might be right, but if she is a lawyer, she must have retaken the general exam.”

  “Maybe she did.”

  The server came over and took their order. Rosie asked for hot chocolate and a chocolate muffin, but he just wanted coffee. The caffeine would hopefully help clear his head.

  “We should go back to the library and do a little research on Thea Andrews,” Rosie said.

  “How will that help?”

  “Articles often mention family. If she is from around here, we could speak with a relative. That would clear things up.”

  The muscles in his shoulders relaxed. “Are you so smart because of…you know what?” Rosie laughed, and his joy returned. Being with her was doing wonders for him.

  “No. I’ve lived a long time and have learned a lot from smart people.”

  Their drinks arrived. For the first time, Rafe had hope they might get to the bottom of this.

  It pained Primrose to see Rafe this torn up. He was so close to finding answers, but the denial from Thea really seemed to have shaken his confidence. Primrose was sitting next to Rafe at the library, searching for newspaper articles about Thea Andrews. While Primrose had found a few stories about the lawyer, none discussed anything about her personal life. No mention of parents, siblings, or a spouse.

  Rosie looked over at Rafe who was leaning forward, reading an article. “Did you find something?” she asked.

  “Nothing personal, but all of the cases this woman is handling are about human rights. It was what Marianna was passionate about.”

  “That sounds promising.” She snapped her fingers. “I know someone who is a genius when it comes to finding dirt on someone. He lives in Edendale. I’m sure he’d help.” Logan Caspian was one of the Guardians—the group of people she and her sisters often helped.

  “Hey, I’ll take any help I can get.” He clasped her hand. “Thank you.”

  Rosie pushed back her chair and grabbed her jacket. “I’ll step outside for some privacy. I won’t be long.” The Four Sisters of Fate rarely asked for help from the Guardians, mostly because they didn’t need any. Now she did. She had all of the Guardian numbers programmed into her phone, so she pressed Logan’s.

  He answered right away. “Primrose?”

  She laughed. “Yes, but you don’t have to sound so shocked.”

  “Did something happen?”

  Why did people always assume the worse? “Not to anyone you know.” She explained what she knew of Rafe’s sister. “Can you do a quick background check on her?”

  “She really didn’t recognize your friend?”

  “No. I think she is telling the truth, but I also believe she is Rafe’s sister. I have an idea what might have happened, but I want to be sure first before I proceed.”

  “I understand. Give me a few hours, and I’ll get back to you.”

  “Great. Thank you.”

  With more pep in her step than she had in a while, she returned inside. Rafe looked up. “Anything?”

  “Logan will dig deep. If Thea is your sister, he’ll find out.”

  Rafe leaned back and blew out a breath. “We’ve been at this for hours, and my mind’s mush, but I’m not leaving Hartford until I know the truth. What do you say we get a room at the hotel and attempt to enjoy ourselves?”

  Was he kidding? “I’m always up for some fun.”

  He tucked in his chin. “Meeting me really has changed you, hasn’t it?”

  He had no idea just how much. “I hope you think for the better?”

  “Totally.” Rafe pushed back his chair, snagged his coat, and motioned they leave. “Did your friend say when he’d call back?”

  “Not exactly, but I imagine he’ll have some information for us by tonight.”

  Rafe stopped and faced her. “I don’t know how to thank you.”

  Seriously? “I’m sure if we put our heads together, we can come up with something.”

  Rafe actually laughed. “Then we better find a hotel.”

  They’d taken a lunch break, but then they had spent the rest of the afternoon searching for clues about Thea Andrews. Primrose was ready to call it quits for the day.

  Apparently, there was only one hotel in the main part of town, which seemed fine by Rafe since he told her he wanted to be close to the law offices in case he wanted to speak with the lawyer again. To her delight, when the person at the desk asked what kind of accommodations they wanted, Rafe asked for one room with a large bed. Score!

  While the hotel hallway was a bit dim, the inside of the room was quite lovely, reminding her of her bedroom at home. The chest had the same kind of brass knobs, the headboard was made from unadorned wood, and the quilt looked handmade. To be honest though, all she cared about was the bed—and Rafe being naked in that bed on top of her. Or maybe she wanted to be on top of him. Hmm.

  “You’re smiling,” Rafe said.

  Heat raced up her face. “Just checking out the bed and thinking how comfortable it looks.”

  He clasped her shoulders and turned her to face him. “Are you sure that’s all you’re thinking about? Mere comfort?”

  “Whatever do you mean, Mr. Tremont?”

  The devil must have gotten to her, because one second she was standing in front of him and the next she was sprawled out on the bed. Teleportation had so many uses.

  “What the hell?” His confusion didn’t seem to last long, because a smile spread across his face a second later. “How about getting naked, speedy? In fact, can you strip with a wave of a hand?”

  “I can, but it will be far more fun if you help me with a few pieces.”

  Primrose eased off the bed, pulled down the spread, and then ditched her shoes, pants, and shirt. She wanted Rafe to help with her undies.

  “I’d love to.” In a flash, Rafe was gloriously naked and on the bed. Wow. Would she ever get tired of seeing him like this? Not in a million years. As much as she wanted to make their union official, Rafe needed time to find closure about his sister’s whereabouts before she broached that topic again.

  Primrose lay back down. “I’m all yours.”

  He grinned and straddled her. “How are you at exorcising?”

  “Excuse me? I thought we were here to make love.”

  He laughed. “Exorcise, not exercise, though by the time I finish with you, I imagine you’ll think you’ve worked out.”

  “Ah, you need to have your demons exorcised. Now, I understand. Yes, I would be happy to distract you. I’ll provide so much distraction in fact that your demons will be bored and leave.”

  Rafe grinned. “Then let’s get started.”

  He leaned over and studied her. Just as she was about to ask him what he was waiting for, he pounced, locking his lips with hers. Lust and joy collided. Primrose wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer. Possibly because he didn’t want to put too much pressure on her, he stretched out, and then rolled them over, placing her on top.

  “You’re putting me in charge?” She was sure her eyes sparkled while her skin was pulsing white.

  “For starters.”

  “I thought you were going to help me out of my clothes.”

  “In due time.”

  She wanted to be naked now. Primrose reached around her back, unhooked her bra, and then threaded the straps down her arms. With a flick of the wrist, she flung it on the floor.

  Rafe whistled. “Someone’s in a hurry.”

  “Do you blame me?” She wiggled her hips, pressing hard on his jutting cock.

  Primrose was convinced that Fate must have infused her with an extra dose of confidence as well as a super shot of sexual need. Never before in her life had she been this forward. With Rafe though, it felt right. Maybe that was what it meant to be true mates.

  “In that case, let me help with the rest.” Rafe slipped her panties over her hips, but she had to lift up and slide them down over her feet, because he couldn’t reach. With both of them naked, pulses of need streaked all over her body.

  Primrose bent her knees, sat up, and straddled him. She’d never ridden a man, but she was positive it would be extremely noteworthy. And then some! She was emboldened like never before, and she moved in such a way, that her pussy rubbed teasingly along his cock. Her heart raced and her body glowed even brighter. To think this was her mate. It was unbelievable. And hers forever—eventually—she hoped.

  Primrose leaned over and threaded her fingers through his hair, loving the silky texture, but her new position put her breasts in his face. Rafe grinned, and then lifted up to suck on one nipple while he massaged the other breast. His teeth scraped across the tip, and she thought she was going to come right then and there.

  Who knew foreplay could be so stimulating? Primrose ground her hips back and forth across his cock, her entrance turning slicker than rain on glass. Rafe lowered one hand to her hip and pressed her downward to bring the two of them together even more. As he nipped and licked one breast and then the other, wild vibrations skittered up her body, turning her on from the inside out. Rafe deserved these incredible sensations too. She sat up and scooted backward toward his feet.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “You’ll see.”

  With a bit of maneuvering, she placed her knees between his legs and bent over. There it was—her prize. She grabbed a hold of his rock hard staff and licked the tip.

  He clutched a handful of her hair and groaned. “Tease.”

  “You’ve not seen or felt anything yet.”

  Primrose loved the power surging through her veins. For nearly a hundred years, she’d held in her desires, but that control stopped as of tonight. Rafe had unleashed something inside her that she never even knew existed, and she had no plans of ever tamping it down again.

  With one hand on his cock and the other cupping his balls, she licked him from stem to stern. Every time she swirled her tongue lightly under the cap of his cock, he tightened his hold on her hair. His body tensed, and then he bent his knees. On the next lick, he pressed his heels into the bed and gently lifted up. The tip was pressed deep into her throat, but it didn’t stop her from pumping her fist up and down.

  He finally grabbed her wrist and squeezed. “Kiss me.”

  The desperate plea won her over. She moved forward, placing her opening right on top of his cock, and then leaned over to kiss him. Like the first rain on a parched desert, she invited him in. Their tongues dueled, and her heart sang; their exploration eager yet tender. Joy filled her as her body continued to glow.

  His hands roamed over her body, and she couldn’t stop touching his face, enjoying the rough stubble on his cheeks. Rafe Tremont was all man in every respect.

  He reached between them and took hold of his cock. Understanding what he wanted, Primrose lifted up, placed her hand on his and squeezed. He let go, allowing her to guide him into her.