by C. C. Hunter
Her heart thumped in her chest, so loud, she was certain he could hear it. She wanted his mouth on hers so badly, but should she … Should she even want it after he’d put her through hell?
Did this wanting mean she forgave him? Yes. A little. Maybe. Oh, hell, she wasn’t even sure.
“I’m coming home in a couple of weeks.” His words came so low and so close to her lips, she could almost taste him.
And she wanted to taste him. She’d missed his kisses, his warm mouth, his tongue against hers. His hands touching her in intimate places. Her knees felt weak. And she wanted more. She wanted him.
So attentive to his mouth, and the desires running through her, it took her a second to hear the words he’d said.
Her breath caught. “You are? You’re coming home?”
He nodded. And each slight shift of his head brought his lips to her cheek. The nearness made her dizzy.
Recalling why he’d come here, why he broke up with her, she cut her eyes up at him. “So did they help you?”
“Have I turned into a lion and mauled the guy in the next room yet?” A touch of mirth sparked in his eyes.
“No,” she said and while she got his humor she realized the old Perry might have done just that. He had a hard time dealing with emotions.
“Do you know how much I want to maul him?” he asked.
“Probably as much as I wanted to kick your butt for breaking up with me.” She got a little more resolve then. As badly as she wanted to wrap her arms around him and tell him everything was okay, she didn’t.
It wasn’t okay. You couldn’t hurt someone like that and just expect them to forgive you. Well, not immediately. Time. Maybe in time.
“Do you still love me?” he asked. The side of his face pressed against her temple.
She considered how to answer that. “I do.” She couldn’t lie. “But I’m still hurt. And all that hurt is mixed up with the love and I’m confused.”
“Then I guess I have some making up to do when I get back.”
She nodded and let herself feel his closeness. It felt wonderful. Too wonderful. And she felt too weak to fight it off. “You should probably … I’m tired. And tomorrow I have to…”
“I’m going to be there tomorrow at your competition.”
“Tomorrow is just the practice. The real competition is on Wednesday. But it’s not open to the public.”
“Then I’ll sneak in,” he said.
Being a shape-shifter, he could do that.
“I’ll be there,” he said.
All of a sudden she wasn’t sure if she was ready for him to leave. She swallowed. “I’ll call tomorrow and see if I can have them put your name on the list. You won’t have to sneak in.”
“Good,” he said and his body brushed a little nearer. So close her breasts came against his wide chest. “Can I kiss you?” he whispered. “Just one. One little kiss.”
Air left her lips. The exhale sounded like a sigh.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” He smiled and then that smile and those wonderful lips met hers.
She wasn’t even sure who ended the kiss. If it was her, or him. Probably her, because the magic of it had started to fade and the hurt that he’d caused slowly rose to the surface.
He reached up and put a palm on each of her cheeks. His forehead lowered ever so slightly and he studied her eyes.
“I’m so sorry I hurt you,” he said. “And I know you don’t believe me, but I did it because I do care. And I’m going to do everything in my power to fix this.”
She inhaled and words slipped out before she could stop them. “I’m not sure you can fix this.”
“Watch me,” he said with determination.
She didn’t say anything. Part of her wanted to believe him. Okay, most of her wanted to believe him. But the hurt from her heart, and not just the Perry hurt, but Daddy hurt, swelled up inside her.
“What else is wrong?” he asked, his gaze soft, caring, and all-knowing.
She swallowed, felt the knot in her throat, and didn’t think she could talk. He always did that. It was as if he could read her by looking into her eyes.
“Are you worried about the case? I’m not going to let anyone hurt you, if that’s what it is.” He used his thumb to brush a tear from beneath her lashes. “Della told me all about the threat. I’m sure Burnett is all over it, and now I am, too.”
She shook her head. “It’s not just that.”
“What else?”
“Do you remember Tabitha, the girl—”
“The one you went to preschool with and caught spying on you at Shadow Falls?”
Miranda nodded, a swell of emotion tightening her chest when she realized he remembered. How many guys remembered the little details of their girlfriend’s life?
“She’s my half-sister.”
“Damn,” Perry said. “So your dad had an affair with her mom when your mother was pregnant?”
Miranda had to swallow before she could tell him the truth. Or at least, the truth Tabitha had told her. “She’s older.” She took a step back and swiped at a few tears lingering on her cheek. “She says that her mom and my dad were married. That my mom is … the one who had the affair.”
“Oh.” He frowned. “Have you asked your parents?”
“I called my dad, but he didn’t answer, and I didn’t leave a message. I didn’t know how to ask him.” She swallowed another painful lump down her throat. “My mom is on her way here.”
“Is your dad coming?” Perry asked.
She shook her head. “He never was into the competitions.” That’s when she realized the reasons for that. “I wonder if this is why? Did he know Tabitha was going to be competing in the same competitions as me?”
Perry stood there as if in thought. “I’m gonna say something and I’m not sure it’s going to help, but it might.” He frowned. “As bad as your situation is, at least he was in both of your lives. Both my mom and dad left me, Miranda. And while I tell myself that it doesn’t matter, at times … like these past four weeks, missing you and feeling so lonely, it felt like it matters. So I don’t care how imperfect your parents are, it could be worse. You father, or even both your parents could have chosen not to be there at all.”
He inched close again and put his arms around her. She leaned her head to his chest and they just stood there. His arms around her. Her chest against his chest.
They didn’t move, or they didn’t until the front door to the apartment shot open. Perry swung her behind him to face the intruder. A deep protective growl rang out.
Chapter Thirteen
Miranda felt the tingling current of concern surge through Perry’s back as he turned to the door. An electrical buzz radiated from him, telling her he was preparing to shift into something fierce. She wasn’t however, ready to let him do all the work to protect them. She lifted her hand, pinky ready.
“When did you get back?” the deep voice asked and tension shattered.
Miranda recognized Burnett’s voice and lowered her pinky.
“This evening,” Perry answered, frustration sounding in his tone and his eyes brightened. “I would have been here sooner had I known you all were here.”
Burnett nodded. “I called and spoke with your instructor, Mr. DeLeon. We decided it could wait until you were back from your assignment.”
“I would have liked to have been included in that decision.” Perry’s shoulders tensed.
“You are here now, that’s what matters,” Burnett replied. He moved closer and pressed a hand on Perry’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you. I’ve missed your presence at Shadow Falls.”
She sensed some of Perry’s tension lessen. The relationship between Burnett and Perry had always been close. Not everyone knew it, but when Perry had gone into his first home, Burnett, already a teen, had been there as well. So in a way, Burnett was like an older brother to Perry. It had been because of Burnett that Perry had come to Shadow Falls.
“I’ve missed being t
here,” Perry said as he shuffled his feet slightly. “Did Mr. DeLeon tell you my news?”
Burnett smiled. “Of course he did. I’m proud of your progress.”
Miranda suddenly felt bad that she hadn’t had more interest in his accomplishments. But maybe she’d have been more invested if he hadn’t used those accomplishments as a meter to decide if they would stay together.
Miranda suddenly remembered where Burnett had gone this evening. “Did you speak with the twins?”
He nodded. Footsteps echoed down the hall. Kylie and Della walked into the room. Kylie walked right up to Perry and gave him a tight hug. “I’ve missed you.”
“Same here,” Perry said and embraced her back.
Suddenly, Shawn showed up—with his shirt on this time. His gaze shifted to Miranda, and she spotted the disappointment in his eyes again. She glanced away, unsure why she felt guilt, but she did. Just a touch.
As soon as Perry spotted Shawn, he dropped his arms from around Kylie. His smile turned upside down and he shifted closer to her.
“Who are the twins?” Perry questioned.
“Fellow contestants in the competition,” Burnett offered. “They claimed to have been at the hotel during the last attack, but Miranda spotted them on the scene.”
“And?” Miranda asked.
“They admitted to being there. Said they initially lied because they were afraid of going against my advice not to leave the hotel.”
“And were they lying again?” Della asked.
“No,” Burnett said, “they were speaking the truth. That or their hearts can lie.”
“So you are looking at one of the contestants for doing this?” Perry asked.
“Or someone who has something to gain from a person’s win.”
“So it could be friends or family of a contestant,” Perry said and Burnett nodded. “Are you considering it could be one of the contestants from another country?”
“There had been no threats to any of the contestants other than those from the U.S.,” Burnett said. “Tomorrow morning I plan to call a meeting with the parents of our competitors. Hopefully, that will give us some insight.”
“I don’t think my mom will be here yet,” Miranda added.
Burnett glanced at her. “She’s already here. She arrived a few hours after we did yesterday.”
“No, I spoke with her and…” Miranda recalled how her mom had talked around the question of when she was arriving. Why would she lie to her? What the hell was she hiding?
“And what?” Burnett asked.
Instantly realizing this might give Burnett the wrong impression—as if her mom might be connected to the murders—she had to kick her brain into high gear to find an answer.
“I just assumed she hadn’t left yet.” It wasn’t a lie. Not a complete one, so hopefully her heart rate wouldn’t put Burnett on alert. The fact that it alarmed Miranda was another matter altogether.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, Miranda, Kylie, and Della climbed into the one full-sized bed in the bedroom. They rested shoulder to shoulder—with Miranda in the middle. Not that the arrangement was all that strange—many nights at the cabin they’d all piled into Della’s full-sized bed.
But being in Paris, it felt … different.
“Lights off or on?” Kylie asked.
“Off,” Miranda said.
Kylie shifted and the room went black. Then she settled back on the mattress.
Burnett had insisted that they all needed to get some rest before the sun rose. Perry hadn’t tried to kiss her good-bye, but she sensed he’d been considering it. Her tiny step away from him must have told him she didn’t like the idea.
She’d already let him kiss her once and she wasn’t sure it had been a good idea. So instead of trying to kiss her, he’d run the back of his hand down her forearm. His touch held so much emotional current, it had hurt.
It still hurt, but her mind wasn’t stuck on the Perry issue alone. She was still wondering about her mother and the reason she might have let Miranda believe she hadn’t arrived in Paris yet. It had to be about Tabitha and her mom, didn’t it?
Miranda closed her eyes. Thinking of her mom as a slut, the other woman, was only slightly better than thinking of her as a murderer. Didn’t her mom have more pride than that?
“Do you not want to talk about it?” Kylie asked.
Miranda, knowing she was talking to her, pushed her head deeper into the pillow. “About what?”
“Please!” Della snapped. “You are so cram-packed with crap it’s oozing out your ears. And I’m so close to you, it’s grossing me out. Just spill it, witch.”
Emotion tightened Miranda’s throat and she turned her head slightly to stare through the dark room at the crude vamp. “Spill what?”
“Two things,” Della said. “Why did you lie to Burnett? And what happened with you and Mr. Perry?”
Miranda’s breath caught. “Did it come off as a lie?”
Kylie shifted again and the light came on. “Not exactly.”
“We just know you,” Della offered. “When you’re trying to cover up something, you always shuffle your feet like a cat trying to cover up a deposit in his litter box.” She paused. “So what’s up?”
“Why is it that you think I’m supposed to share everything with you and you never tell us anything?”
“It’s too late to argue,” Kylie said. “If you don’t want to talk, we’re just gonna sleep.”
When no one spoke up, the light went off. The mattress shifted as Kylie got comfortable again.
“What have I not told you?” Della hissed into the darkness and shifted onto her side, propping herself up on her elbow.
“Steve,” Miranda said. “Or are you gonna pretend like you didn’t see him?”
“Yeah, that’s what I’m pretending, so leave it alone.”
“Do you still love Chase?” Miranda asked.
“I don’t want to. I don’t want to feel anything for him. He lied. Over and over again.”
“But…?” Miranda asked as Kylie sat up and rested against the bed’s headboard again. This time, however, she didn’t turn on the light.
“It’s the bond thing,” Della said. “It must be. I don’t feel … right. Like part of me is missing.”
“Love feels a little like that,” Kylie said. “I’ll bet I’ve called Lucas six times since we’ve been here.”
“Lucas hasn’t deceived you,” Della said, hurt sounding in her voice.
“Yeah, he did. He was going to get engaged behind my back. So he sort of did deceive me,” Kylie said. “But you forgive because you love them.”
“Maybe she doesn’t love Chase, but she loves Steve,” Miranda said and looked at Della. “Could that be a possibility?”
“I don’t know.” Della ran her hands through her hair. “At this point, I’m not sure I want to love anyone. I hate feeling my happiness depends on someone else.” She went to the window and pulled back the curtain and stared out into the night.
“I know the feeling,” Miranda said with a sigh.
Della turned around and looked at her. “So you and Perry didn’t jump back on the merry-go-round of love?”
“He kissed me,” Miranda said.
“And what kind of kiss was it?” Della asked.
“Good. And bad. I’m still so mad. It’s like I can’t turn the mad off. I know I love him, but I still want to hurt him for what he did to me.”
“Maybe you should. Give him an ass kicking.”
“No,” Kylie said. “Your anger will go away. It just fades.”
“Maybe it doesn’t happen like that with everyone,” Della said. “You are just the sweet, forgiving type.”
“I’m not that sweet,” Kylie said. “I hate it when you act like I’m a goody-two-shoes.”
Miranda and Della looked at each other and then back at the chameleon. “When the shoe fits,” Miranda said and offered Kylie a sympathetic smile. “But we wouldn’t change you if we coul
d.”
“Too sweet.” Della pointed to Kylie, then moved her finger to Miranda. “Too flighty.” And then pointed at herself. “Too pissy. We’re quite a team.” Della giggled and dropped back on the bed. “I feel as if we should be sitting at our kitchen table with Diet Cokes.”
“That’s a good idea.” Miranda zapped them three Cokes. They all leaned back on the bed’s headboard and the sound of the three cans being popped open sounded in the dark room.
“So what’s up with your mom?” Kylie asked Miranda.
“I don’t know. She didn’t tell me she was here. She sorta let me believe she wasn’t. And there has to be a reason.”
“What reason?” Della asked.
“I don’t know. I just sugarcoated my answer to Burnett because I didn’t want him to think she had anything to do with the murders.”
Della shook her head and sipped from her can. “Your mom’s a bitch, but I don’t think she’d kill anyone any more than I think my dad would.” Della downed a big sip of soda.
“Thank you,” Miranda said. “Except for the bitch part.” She frowned. “It probably has to do with Tabitha and her mom. Maybe they met somewhere to hash it out.”
“That would be fun to watch,” Della said.
Miranda rolled her eyes at the vamp.
“No, it wouldn’t,” Kylie said and shot Della a warning look. Then her gaze went back to Miranda. “Why don’t you try to call her?”
“I think I need to see her in person.” Miranda let her gaze shift to the window. “Is that the sun rising?” she asked. “Tell me it’s not morning yet.”
“It’s not morning yet,” Della said. “See, I like you enough to lie to you.”
Miranda rolled her eyes.
“What time do you have to be at practice?” Kylie asked.
“Noon.” She moaned and leaned back on the headboard, exhausted.
“Then why don’t we try to sleep? You’re gonna need it. You have to win and become a high priestess.”
“Yeah,” she said and handed Kylie her Coke to put on the bedside table. Then she wiggled her butt until she slid down on the mattress.