Divine Encounter Read online

  Table of Contents

  TITLE PAGE

  COPYRIGHT

  OTHER BOOKS

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND DEDICATION

  CHAPTER ONE

  CHAPTER TWO

  CHAPTER THREE

  CHAPTER FOUR

  CHAPTER FIVE

  CHAPTER SIX

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  CHAPTER NINE

  CHAPTER TEN

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  THE ROLES WE PLAY

  MEET THE AUTHOR

  FROM THE AUTHOR

  OTHER BOOKS

  CONTACT INFORMATION

  A Division of Y&R Enterprises, LLC

  PO Box 2283

  Lindale, TX 75771

  This book is a work of fiction. Therefore, all names, places, characters, and situations are a product of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, places, or events is entirely coincidental.

  Copyright © 2016 by JoAnna Grace

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever. For information address Y&R Publishing Rights Department, PO Box 2283, Lindale, TX 75771.

  For information about special discounts for bulk purchases, please contact Y&R Enterprises Special Sales at 1.888.649.1775 or [email protected].

  The Y&R Speakers Bureau can bring authors to your live event. For more information or to book an event, contact the Y&R Speakers Bureau at 903.253.2623 or visit our website at yandrpr.com.

  Cover Design by www.JLeeAnn.com

  Book design by Champagne Formats

  Edited by Jennifer Bray-Weber

  Edited by Heather Osborn

  Printed in the United States of America

  Library of Congress Control Number Data

  Grace, JoAnna.

  Divine encounter / JoAnna Grace.

  1.Fantasy romance—Greek mythology—Fiction.2. Romance—Fiction.

  3. Sagas—Romance—Fiction.

  Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION / Romance / Fantasy. | FICTION / Romance / General. | FICTION / Sagas.

  PCN 2016911679 2016

  ISBN 978-1-940460-28-4

  ISBN 978-1-940460-27-7 (e-book)

  authorjoannagrace.com

  yandrpublishing.com

  BY JOANNA GRACE

  Divine Chronicle Series:

  Divine Awakening

  Divine Destiny

  Divine Judgment

  Divine Encounter

  Divine Pursuit (Coming Soon)

  The Roles We Play

  Blake Pride Series:

  Break Her Fall

  The Harder They Fall

  Divided We Fall (Coming Soon)

  Omega Office Romance Series: (Coming Soon)

  Crossing The Lines

  Blurring The Lines

  Erasing The Lines

  It seems like life is always throwing things at you, good and bad. During the publishing process of this novel, my mother found out she had a tumor in her hip which cracked the bone. This resulted in emergency hip replacement surgery and a barrage of testing to see if the tumor was cancerous and to find other tumors on her body. Cancer in the bone is always a sign of worse things, or so they said. Thanks to the healing grace of God, the tumor was benign and Mom had no other cancers. Doctors called it a mystery, they said it was abnormal, they said they expected so much worse.

  I know there is nothing mysterious about it. My family, my readers, my friends, and my OWG Sisters from all over the globe were praying for healing and the Lord answered with nothing less than a miracle. THANK YOU.

  This book is dedicated to the woman who showed me what true strength is. True strength is looking possible cancer in the face and saying, “My faith is stronger and my God is Healer.” True strength is sharing wisdom with the nursing staff who do not understand how you can laugh and joke when facing a life altering outcome. It’s because of her that I can write strong females like Avery, Keona, and Piper.

  To my mother, Fran. I can only hope I’m half the woman you are. Love ya.

  I’m blessed to be surrounded by people who have made this book possible. Cheryl, you are my person. Thanks for your support, your advice, your verbal slapping, and your endless encouragement. I could NOT do it without you, girl.

  Thank you Pam, Jen, Stacey, and Heather for shining this old rock into a diamond. You ladies are wonderful. (Thanks for making me look like I know what I’m doing.)

  Thank you READERS! You keep me going and I pray this book meets your standards. I love you all.

  PIPER SMELLED THE roses first, the scent so strong it had to be real. Hadn’t she just gone to bed? What was she doing outside? The world came to life around her, forming where her eyes landed. A lush landscape of rose gardens, hanging trellises of wisteria, and patches of purple lavender appeared. Cool cobblestones manifested under her feet, and only when she looked down did she notice her garment.

  Or was it a wedding dress?

  The white silk hugged her breasts and waist, then flared out into a long train behind her. Crystals dotted the silk like shining raindrops. The sleeves exposed her shoulders and the bell openings hung to the ground. It was beautiful, magnificent even. The gown was beyond human skills.

  Where in the name of the gods was she? This wasn’t Chicago. This surely wasn’t anywhere she’d ever visited in her travels.

  Piper brushed her fingers along the soft petals and stepped toward the rosebush to pick the flower that held her entranced by its unearthly white perfection. It was as if the flowers glowed, lighting her way around the gardens. The moment she took a step forward, more flowers lit up, their blooms beckoning her to follow wherever they should lead. The thin fog retreated with her advances, showing her more of the path. Up ahead, a trickle of water piqued her curiosity.

  Piper glanced all around, but didn’t see another person. Yet she felt the presence of another. Their aura was strong and alluring, calling out to her. Deeper into the gardens she walked, heading for the water source. She stepped through an arbor of honeysuckle threaded with twinkling lights and into a courtyard. In the middle of the soft green grass stood a tall fountain. The magnificent stonework displayed Zeus holding the world in his hand with a child sitting on his shoulder, his tiny arm outstretched, eyes wide with wonder.

  “Can I help you, milady?”

  Piper jumped. A man sat on the edge of the fountain, a book in his lap and the most alluring smile on his face. His big brown eyes glimmered with the same curiosity she held. He looked around as if to confirm they were alone, then his eyes narrowed on Piper.

  The man closed his book and stood. “How did you get here?”

  “I…” His allure stole the words from her lips. Piper was a tall woman, and yet this stranger stood a head above her, his stature both intimidating and attractive. Black hair shone under the lights of the arbor and hung in a thick sheet to his shoulders. Long, lean muscles gave an assumption of strength, but they weren’t bulky, like a man who spent his days lifting weights. There was a regal air to his stride as he slowly came to her.

  Piper didn’t want to run, but she didn’t want him to catch her either. She circled to the right, placing the fountain between them. “Who are you?”

  “I believe I asked you first.” A mischievous smirk crossed his face. Piper’s heartbeat stuttered and kicked up a notch.

  “You’re in my dream, I think I’ll ask the questions.” With each step she took around the fountain, he countered, staying directly opposite her.

  “Actually, I think you’re in my dream. This is my home.” He waved his hands around then held them behind his back.

  “It’s beautiful.” Piper
studied the carpet of grass beneath her feet. If each blade were planted by hand, they couldn’t have been more uniform. “I guess if I had to dream of a garden, it would look like this. Perfect. Enchanting. A handsome man waiting for me, and reading, no less.”

  A smile brighter than all the glowing flowers combined bloomed upon his face. Intense brown eyes followed her movements, wide with excitement and a heat that made her insides tingle. Piper had to look away. He was too much, too attractive. There was no way this was real. As far as dreams went, this one was pretty incredible.

  “Maybe,” he held up a finger to his lips, “since this is my dream, you’re exactly what I would pick. A radiant beauty coming out of nowhere and finding me so that we can live happily ever after. Yeah, that’s what I would dream. I’m lazy like that, wouldn’t want to have to search too hard.”

  Piper giggled and shook her hair off her shoulders. They continued to take slow, calculating steps in a dance around the fountain. She came upon his book and picked it up to read the title. The old tome was handwritten, like a journal from hundreds of years ago. Each page had elaborate designs around the edges, scallops and swirls, illustrations done by a master artisan. “History of the Olympian Race and the Gods Who Created Them.” She thumbed through the pages. “Is this what you read for fun?” If this was a dream, and this gorgeous man nothing but an apparition, she wouldn’t hesitate to flirt.

  “Unfortunately, no. My parents are big on not repeating the mistakes of the past, therefore, one must know the past mistakes so as not to repeat them.” The way he spoke was so calm and smooth, yet there was an intellect there which captivated her.

  Piper read the page she turned to. It told of the Deities and their heirs. “What do you like to read?”

  “Anything.” His voice was close, too close. “Everything.”

  The book in her hands hit something hard and fell onto her chest. The mystery man had doubled back on her while she was distracted. Piper gasped and stepped back, tripping on the train of the elaborate gown. “Oh!”

  Two steady hands caught her and helped keep her upright. His touch was warm and firm. His focused stare locked on hers and the world ceased to breathe. Piper studied his features. Cocoa brown eyes were ringed in thick black lashes. The perfect line of his nose led down to a sensual mouth. He had just enough facial hair to define his cheeks, but not to camouflage the angles of his jaw and chin. There were no signs of age, he looked as young as she. But when it came to Olympians like them, looks were deceiving. Most didn’t begin to show age until many centuries of life.

  Piper had the urge to run her hands through his jet black hair and watch it feather through her fingers. Was it as soft as it appeared? Or maybe she could just stare at him until the end of time.

  “I-I’m sorry. Clumsy me.” She righted herself and smoothed her lovely dress. “Nice save, though.”

  “Thanks. I’m a lot smoother in my dreams than in reality.” Two dimples formed on his cheeks when he smiled and Piper knew he was only a figment of her imagination. No man on earth could be so sexy.

  “But this is my dream. I’m the one sleeping. I know because I was exhausted after work, and couldn’t wait to get home and get to bed.” Piper and her mystery man stared at each other for a moment.

  He held up a hand. “Wait. I’m certain this is my dream and you’re certain this is your dream. What if it’s both? What if the gods orchestrated this little meeting of ours?”

  Well then, thank the gods! “Is that possible?” She’d play along. So far this was the best dream she’d had in years. Much better than the stress-induced ones where she showed up to work naked and couldn’t remember her way around the winding halls of the hospital.

  “Yes, I firmly believe that the gods can do something like this.” He sat down on the rim of the fountain again and picked up his book. “The gods often use dreams for prophecy.”

  Piper sat down next to him and peered over his shoulder at the book. “Mmm-hmm.” On a scale of one to ten, this guy was a solid eleven, and she would listen to him talk about gods and prophecy until the end of time if he wanted.

  He spoke of Morpheus, the god of dreams, who was older than Zeus. Though their people didn’t worship him—or acknowledge him, really—he was capable of putting two souls into the same dream.

  “He’s far beyond the prayers of man. Morpheus looks at our race as toys for Zeus, he—” Running a hand through his hair, he glanced at Piper. The most adorable blush crept onto his cheeks. “And I am a total nerd. Wow.” His nervous laughter made her smile.

  “You’re really into the gods, aren’t you?” Piper took the book from him and studied it once more. This dream was so vivid. She could actually feel the ink on the thick paper, see the leather texture of the cover, and hear the crinkle of the pages turning. Out of curiosity, she lifted the book to her nose and, sure enough, she smelled leather, old ink, and that dusty scent of aged books. There was also the musky undertone of the man beside her, making her wonder if he held this book a lot.

  “Aren’t you? You’re Olympian, too. Don’t you want to learn about the ones who created you?”

  Piper stood and went to examine the flowers rather than answer him to his face. “I’ve studied them.”

  “But?” His voice was once again right next to her. He touched her elbow and she trembled at the electricity between them.

  Piper faced her mystery man. “What’s your name?”

  Twice his mouth opened, but no sound came from his lips. He cleared his throat. “Weird, I can’t say it. What’s yours?”

  Piper tried to speak, but there was nothing. “That’s really odd.”

  “Great. You’re an angel whose name I don’t know.” He trailed a finger down her cheek and her breasts grew tight.

  “And you’re—” Piper clutched at her chest. Her breath was labored and she strained to focus her eyes on his face. “What’s happening?”

  “I think you’re waking up, angel.” Her mystery man took her hand and kissed it. “I pray I see you again.”

  “Me, too.” Her world faded to bright white. “Goodbye.”

  Piper woke with a start and popped upright in the couch’s pullout bed. She was back in her crappy apartment wearing cotton shorts and an old jersey t-shirt. No more beautiful gown, no more fragrant roses. Sirens and horns blared outside, a far cry from the musical sound of the water fountain. Piper closed her eyes and recalled every detail she could about her dream visitor. What if she forgot by morning? What if she didn’t remember his eyes or his smile? It wasn’t enough. She tiptoed into the bedroom where her sister slept and grabbed her journal from a duffle bag.

  She and her sister had lived their entire lives on the run. There was no such thing as settling in or unpacking. They lived every day like they would have to pick up and go at any moment. Sure, they’d been in Chicago the longest. But it was only a matter of time before another Olympian would blow the whistle and report them to the Thracians. The soldiers would come, Piper and her sister would vanish, and there would be another crappy apartment to come home to.

  She sat down on the pullout couch and wrote every last detail she could, amazed at how easy it was to recall her dream. Most of the time, she couldn’t remember dreaming at all, much less in such vivid detail. She wrote down the title of the book and the author, Morpheus, the god that her mystery man mentioned, and drew the statue of Zeus holding the child that was in the middle of the fountain.

  Tomorrow, she would research and see if this dream of hers was anything more than eating too much bad hospital food.

  The next day Piper’s step had a bit of bounce to it. Her dream man stayed at the forefront of her mind throughout her work day. On her lunch break, she walked a few blocks and listened to her twin sister, Keona, complain about having to sit in a library for twenty minutes. There wasn’t a book like the one her mystery man was reading, but there were dozens on Greek gods, mythology, and the typical human reference books.

  “If you only knew how wro
ng you are,” Piper whispered as she slid a book back on the shelf. Humans had no idea how real the gods were and how many of their creations walked among them. Olympians were everywhere, from the poor homeless ones who didn’t know what they were, to the senators and dignitaries who attempted to keep Olympians hidden from their high positions in the world.

  All afternoon she replayed the dream over and over again in hopes of not forgetting a detail. That evening, she pushed a grocery cart numbly, allowing Keona to select their groceries.

  “What’s with you?” Keona gave her a sideways glance while she picked out apples and put them in a bag. “You’re, like, smiley and shit.”

  Piper shrugged. “I don’t know. I had this really cool dream last night and it’s put me in a good mood.”

  Her sister pursed her lips. “Sis, did you have a sex dream?”

  “Oh my gosh. No, you perv!” Piper slapped at her shoulder and they laughed. “There was this really hot guy and we talked.” She continued pushing the shopping cart, paying no attention to the items Keona picked.

  “Um, if there wasn’t any sex with this hot guy, then why are you smiling?”

  Of course her sister would think no sex meant no fun. Keona liked men, and men liked her.

  “It was just…vivid and beautiful and full of flowers and fountains. It was pretty.”

  “Ooo-kay.” Keona shook her head and handed Piper a package of chocolate chip cookies.

  “We can’t get these.” She tried to put the cookies back but her sister simply grabbed another package.

  “I want some damn chocolate. If you’re getting all the pretty dreams, I want cookies.” Keona stuck her tongue out and dropped the package in the cart.

  There were some fights she would never win, and chocolate was a worthy opponent.

  They returned home and talked about their day, the patients in the hospital, the doctors and nurses they were still getting to know. Though their dinner and evening continued as normal, Piper felt a strange pull toward sleep. She yawned right in the middle of their favorite show.