“See, that's fear.”
Her eyes narrowed on his, then whether realizing it or not, her fingers curled around one of the daggers. That didn't worry him any, the blades hadn't been sharpened yet if she decided to use it.
“If I tell you will you sit back down?” His eyebrow flew up but he planted his ass back in the tiny seat. She let out an unsteady breath. “Let's just say that once upon a time I was with someone almost as large as you and he hurt me.”
Kearnyn gripped his thighs to steady himself. He knew he shouldn't, but he had to ask, had to know. “Broke your heart?”
She laughed, the sound hollow. “Broke more than that.”
Kearnyn's entire body froze, muscles pulled tight, limbs stilled, even his heart slowed to a steady crashing thud. “When?”
“Long enough ago,” she said after a minute. She resumed working, but now her hands moved slower like she had trouble concentrating.
“Is he still alive?” He already had plans in the making. They involved ropes, serrated blades, and a hammer. Good old-fashioned weapons made the best torture devices.
She shrugged. “No clue. Haven't seen him in years.” She hung her head and sighed. Then she looked right at him with her dark brown eyes. “I guess I need to apologize. See, he was a big man. Not as big as you are but big. I can't help but think of him when I see you. That isn't fair.”
“I understand.”
Her eyes widened in surprise, or disbelief. “You do?”
He nodded once. “I'd like for you to be comfortable around me, Ms. Medina. Is there anything I can do?” He probably sounded desperate, but something in him didn't want to let any chances with her to slip by.
She thought about it for a moment, then her eyes lit up. “Yes, there is! I could touch you!” The thought of her touching him combined with her smile, gave him the hardest wood he'd had in ages. Feeling very male in that moment, all he could think was that he knew of a few places he'd like her to touch.
But he didn't say any of those things and break what thin progress they'd made. “What do you mean?” There, that was safe to say, no sexual innuendo lurking behind the words.
She came around the table holding her hands out palms up. “If I may? Just let me touch your hands.”
Kearnyn felt a wave of apprehension roll through him, but he stood anyway. “You shook my hand in the stairwell, why didn't you do...whatever then?”
“I have to actually open my mind. Otherwise when I shake hands it’s just as if you were doing it—no magic. So, may I?” She almost looked eager, and hell, if it put her mind at ease then why not?
He held his hands out to her. He felt like an ass; he had no clue if he should lay them on top of hers, or hold her hands, or what. It was okay though because she took over and curled her fingers around his hands.
Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath that she slowly exhaled through her nose. He watched her, waiting for something to happen. Would he feel a pulsing energy, static electricity, or anything?
Then her lips parted on a soft gasp, her hands squeezed his in a tight grip. A look of...pleasure fluttered over her face making her eyebrows arch, her cheeks flush, and the pulse at her neck beat fast. His own body responded, ready to give her anything she wanted. But then she yanked her hands away; they fluttered nervously to her neck and cheeks like a flustered nun who'd just seen a naked man for the first time.
“What did you see?”
What did she see?
How about their naked sweat-slicked bodies writhing together. His head between her legs sending her to a feeling of ecstasy she'd never known, or how about their bodies clinging together as he pumped his hips, working his length in and out until they both screamed? Yeah, that. She saw all that.
She swallowed over the dry lump of cotton in her throat and put on a bright smile. “I think you're safe to be around.” Or something... Safe wasn't really an accurate word, more like dangerous.
He nodded though he didn't look pleased not to hear the details. Oh well, she so wasn't going there. She went back around the table to finish enspelling the first dagger. Her hands shook but with some concentrating she got it under control. He still stood next to the table and her eyes couldn't help but dart over him.
He'd been one-hundred percent naked in her vision, his body packed with muscle and sinew that glinted under the light. He'd made her feel something incredible, something much greater than her measly hands could do to herself in bed at night.
Now she saw him through a different light. No longer did she see a menacing beast but a possible...lover.
“You won't tell me what you saw?”
She shook her head quickly. No way in hell.
“But you're not afraid of me now?”
“No, no, I don't think so.” Well, just not in the way he thought.
His deep green eyes watched her. “Good. That's good.” He walked to the beaded partition. “Because I'm taking you out.”
Rosa gasped and then he swept out the beaded door, swooping down low to get his tall body through. She heard the shop door closing a minute later. Only after he'd left did Rosa collapse into a chair and bury her face in her hands.
What had she gotten herself into?
CHAPTER 14
Lily woke up on a choked scream. She panted, gasping in shaky breaths as she stared ahead. Recognition of her surroundings came slowly to her dazed mind. The vision had lasted longer this time, the images, though dark and blurry like she saw it through a grainy filter had been slightly more distinct. The dark man at the throne smoldered with even more dark energy, that fiery black smoke undulating around him thick like a heavy blanket.
With no sense of her surroundings, only a black void where she didn't know if she stood on land or air, he'd turned to her, faceless, only a black mass that signified a man, and held out his hand. Then out came slithery black oil that moved, twisting and bending towards her like a mutated snake until it landed against her chest, pushing and shoving its way inside her. Pain like she'd never felt in her life ate away inside her until she fell to her knees. He'd killed her. She didn't know if her vision was similar to the one Rosa had but she'd find out.
Climbing out of bed, she shuffled to the bathroom and used the facilities. Her next stop was her satchel of items from Rosa. She pulled out the drink she'd made for her pain and took a few good swigs of the stuff. It didn't taste bad, though not too good either; kind of tasted like creamy watered down herbs. She lifted up her spaghetti-strap tank and looked at her stomach. Most of the bruising had disappeared and already moving around felt a lot better.
She looked down at the bag and thought of the other special items in there she'd taken from Rosa's. She told herself not to do it, but the itching nag inside her guided her hand inside to the items. She pulled them out and used the floor as a makeshift table. She moved quickly, already the thought of getting the juice inside her making her hands shake, her eyes widen.
She had the special mixture made in less than five minutes but, shit, it felt more like an hour. Sweat dampened her brow by time she finished, her hands shook with a fine tremble. She grabbed the drink and tossed it back. A tangy burning sensation slid over her tongue and down her throat. And then a big smile crossed her face as she fell back against the floor, laughing. The empty glass dropped to the ground forgotten.
She burped softly and giggled more. With lazy movements, she came to a stand and wobbled, laughing as the floor swayed side to side. She hobbled to the dresser and pulled on a pair of jeans, high heels, and a t-shirt that she'd bought at the mall. She needed to try different tactics with the demon. Maybe some more 'conservative' clothing would do the trick.