“That’s what I’m doing. My head’s throbbing. Lizzie just called. She eloped with her boyfriend.” Halle grabbed a bottle of Tylenol from the kitchen cabinet.
“Sucks that she didn’t let you know ahead of time, but at least she’s alive.”
Halle gave Jake a puzzled look. “She claims she left a message at the house. I shouldn’t be surprised. She was desperate to marry this guy. He’s had cold feet because his first wife was an angry bitch.” Halle sighed. “I guess I’m happy for them since I set them up. I might not be psychic, but I can spot a good match a mile away. Take you and Kendall. You two belong together. It’s obvious you’re in love.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. The way she looks at you, the way you look at her.” She sighed. “It’s energizing… and depressing at the same time.” She laughed. “I’m just jealous. It’s hard to find love like that nowadays. Everyone’s so busy and worried about their own interests.”
Love? “She’s definitely special,” he said. It was alarming how special she was. He’d never felt this way about a woman, and it made him uneasy. “Can I have a couple of those?” Jake asked. He might need them after all.
Halle handed him the bottle, and he shook out two pills.
“Is Kendall OK?” she asked.
“She’ll be fine after some rest.”
“I’ve never seen any psychic experience so real.”
“She’s good,” Jake added. Good enough to convince a complete skeptic. “Who’s in the room at the end of the hall?”
“That’s the caretaker’s room.”
“You said he isn’t here?”
“He left to visit his sister in London right after we got here. He said he’ll show us the Blue Chalice when he returns.”
Then who was using his room? “I can’t wait to see it. Well, good night. I’m going to turn in.”
Jake went to the bathroom and waited until he heard Halle’s door close again. Then he crept toward the last room. The caretaker might not be here, but someone was using his room. He tapped softly on the door and then heard a thump coming from his room. He hurried back and opened the door. A lamp had been knocked over on the bedside table. Kendall was tossing on the bed, moaning. Jake bent over her and touched her cheek to wake her.
Eyes closed, she grabbed his head and pulled him to her. Her lips were warm on his, feverish. “I love you.” He froze, but she kept kissing him. She muttered something, but it was muffled against his lips.
“Kendall?”
She shot off the bed and he jumped back, only his quick reflexes saving his groin from her knee. She came at him again. He spun her against the wall, pinned her hands, and wedged her legs apart so she couldn’t kick him in the balls.
“For God’s sake, it’s me.”
“Jake.” She stopped fighting. “I’m sorry. I woke up and saw you hovering over me…” Her chest was heaving against his.
“You were dreaming?” A hell of a dream from the looks of it. He released her arms.
The moonlight flickered in her eyes, and even in the dark he saw her flush. “I know,” she said, staring at him.
There was a breathy tone to her voice that made him think things he shouldn’t. God, she smelled good. What was it about her skin? He didn’t try to move and she didn’t either. “What was it about?”
“You… me.”
It was a struggle to keep from pressing closer to her. “What were we doing?”
“I could show you.”
His throat was as tight as his groin. “Show me.”
Her face lifted and he met her mouth. Her lips were full and hot, giving as good as she got. He pushed her shirt up and cupped her breasts. But after days with her stuck in his head, he needed more. “Take your clothes off,” he said, but he couldn’t wait for her to start. His hands were quick as he stripped her down to the cross necklace nestled between her breasts. He stroked and nuzzled until he was ready to burst, but he couldn’t stop touching her. He moved lower, and, when she gasped, he went back for another kiss, leaving enough space between them for his hands. Hers were busy too, all over him, under his shirt, touching his back and his stomach. She hooked her thumbs in his waistband and pushed his sweats down a couple of inches. Her fingers teased until he couldn’t stand it anymore.
“Don’t play games,” he growled in her ear. He was too far gone. Too many dreams and imaginations and too little sex had his control shot.
She shoved his pants down and grabbed his ass with both hands. She was rubbing against him and making little moaning sounds. He kicked off his boots and clothes, put a hand under each thigh, and lifted her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and sank down on him. Part way in, he couldn’t stop now. He drove into her and then he did stop. He leaned his head against hers and closed his eyes, willing himself to last. But he’d never ever felt anything like it. His whole body was on fire. His head felt strange. An image flashed through his mind, a woman and a man in the forest. Her arms were open to him, long blond hair covering her breasts as her gown slid down her body and fell at her feet.
She wasn’t moving, and he remembered how touching sometimes affected her. Hell, he wasn’t sure it wasn’t affecting him too. It felt as if he’d done this before. With her. “Are you OK?”
She nodded. “Intense,” she said in a strangled voice. Her muscles clenched around him.
“Ah, damn.” He couldn’t stop. He pounded into her, fingers digging into her thighs, teeth grazing her neck, her ear. God, he could eat her alive. When the moment came, he felt like a bomb had gone off in his body. She dug her nails into his shoulders and gave a soft cry.
They stayed there, her back against the wall, heads together, bodies locked, for what seemed like minutes. It was as if time had stopped. He could have stayed here forever with her in his arms. When he felt himself softening, he pulled out. He grabbed a tissue on a nearby table and handed it to her.
She took it and held it between her legs. He took another tissue and cleaned himself off. “I’m sorry about your back.” She probably had a wall burn. He should have carried her to the bed. “Sorry I didn’t have a condom. I’m clean. I swear.”
“I’m on birth control.”
Hell, he hadn’t even thought of pregnancy. That was how much she affected him. He tossed his tissue in the trash and pulled her into his arms. He wanted to carry her to the bed now and go to sleep in her arms, or maybe go for another round, but she felt rigid. “Are you OK?”
She nodded but didn’t speak. There was still no light in the room. Just the moonlight coming in the window, but when he leaned back, he could see that she looked stunned.
“What’s wrong?”
“I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Sorry,” he said again. Not for what happened. Sorry she was stuck with the mess. He would do it for her if she’d let him, but that would be damned awkward.
She pulled out of his arms and picked up her clothes. While she dressed, Jake pulled on his sweats. When she was finished, he moved closer and touched her arm. She looked at him like a startled rabbit and scampered toward the door. “Bathroom,” she muttered, and disappeared into the hallway.
Jake sat on the bed, his mind and body blown. This was the closest thing he’d had to an out-of-body experience. It must be something to do with her abilities, but he’d never felt anything that even came close. He hoped Nathan didn’t find out how incredible she was. Or did he already know? That might explain his obsession with her. Jake was still sitting there, staring at the door several minutes later when he realized what she’d muttered against his lips. She’d called him Lancelot. And then he realized she should have already gotten back.