Significance

by Shelly Crane

  We ran into a little mom and pop shop for some groceries near the house and I secretly laughed as he grabbed my favorite foods and grinned at me.

  I helped him bring everything in from the Jeep and put it all away. The house was still empty of anyone else and it didn’t look like anyone had been there either.

  “Wanna go out to the beach? I can’t get dad on the phone but I’m sure whoever they’re sending will be here soon. I for one am not worried about it.”

  “Me neither. I’ll go put on my suit.”

  I went to the bathroom and put it on. Once again I couldn’t believe that was me I was looking at. I’d forgotten my cover-up dress so I peeked out and heard him banging around in the kitchen, putting up groceries. I made a break for it. Just as I reached my bag he came around the corner and his mind slammed into mine with his desire and effort. The effort to keep himself in check and not rush me even though his insides were screaming for me.

  I found my dress and went to pull it over my head but he was there in front of me, stopping me with his hands covering mine. He was wearing his suit too, only his suit, and I felt my skin burn hot.

  “Nice suit,” he said huskily.

  “It wasn’t the skimpiest I could’ve bought,” I defended.

  “Thank God for that,” he muttered and pulled me to him.

  He gripped me tightly around my waist and his mouth took mine with hungry abandon. His lips moved against mine with intent and purpose. His tongue and teeth played with my lips and I gasped at the pleasure of it. When he pushed my hair back from my shoulder and kissed my neck, I shivered. Then his hands slid down to glide from my hip to the back of my thigh and then back up, all the while, his lips nibbled my collar bone and throat. He’d never been this focused on exploring me before.

  I swear stars bounced behind my eyes at the intensity of his wanting, his love, his need to consume me and be consumed.

  I finally understood what he meant by that. Our bodies were made to be enthralled and taken over by our significant. I wanted him to and I knew without a doubt he wanted me to. It was instinct.

  So I pushed him backwards as he continued to ravish me, his chin and lips rubbing against the soft skin of my throat and jaw. When we reached the chair I pushed him down to sit in it and sat on his lap, one leg on either side of him.

  “Maggie,” he groaned. “You’re killing me-”

  I stopped his feeble protest with a kiss and felt his hands tighten and grasp at the spot where my hips and thighs connect. I opened my mind wide and willing and pushed into his. I saw his protective barrier for me and pushed beyond that, past everything and straight to the core. I no longer cared if it was too much and took me over. I wanted it to.

  When I finally felt him all around me, everywhere, in my veins, my mind, my blood, on my skin, I focused on him. I felt his shock at what I was doing, him realizing what I was doing, his needing wonder and want to do it, then his restraint as he pushed me out.

  “Maggie, wait,” he said against my lips as he barely pulled back enough to speak. “I think we should just hold on a minute.”

  “For what?” I whispered and pulled his bottom lip between mine.

  He moaned and growled, his harsh breaths coasted across my face and neck.

  “Maggie. I don’t...”

  He didn’t want to hurt me. He thought he might get carried away. His father told him mutuality was just as good as and better in some ways than real sex because it was so intimate and something that only the two of us can do with each other. There was no way to be any closer physically or mentally but he also told him it was very easy to lose ourselves in it and Caleb was worried that I’d get too wrapped up in it to stop at just mutuality and then regret it later.

  He wanted to so bad but needed me to be absolutely sure that it’s what I wanted and not just be going on his feelings in my mind, me feeling his longing for me.

  I placed my hands on either side of his face.

  “You would never hurt me. I know that more than anything else, especially after being in your mind. You’d never do anything that I didn’t want to do and I’m not worried about losing ourselves either. Haven’t I always kept you a gentleman?” I joked and kissed his dimple.

  “Baby, you know I want to, but why do you? Is it because of me? I can’t help it, I know you’ve seen in my mind that I want to but I can wait, I’m not pushing.”

  “I know. I want to because I love you.”

  He looked at me, my face close to his. His mind was a tangle of emotions and as his eyes roamed my face I smiled in happiness, seeing his surrender. I pushed back into his mind, wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed his lips before laying my forehead against his. He pulled me closer against him on his lap with his hands on my hips and I felt him enter my mind, like the click of a lock.

  I heard my swift intake of breath at the completion of our melding but didn’t feel my breaths. I felt nothing but him. His feelings of want, his chest rising under his breaths, his hands on my hips as his fingers that flexed felt like my own. It was so very strange to feel his cold blood running through his hot veins. Then I was me again but he was still there, in me and consuming me.

  His mind was always the same, adoration and concern flooding my mind for me and his longing to please his family, to make us all happy. It made me love him even more for it.

  More thoughts flew to me in an awkward lineup as we pressed further into each other’s head. I knew he was feeling and seeing the same things but different, because it was all me. I saw a vision of him in kindergarten as he read his first word, bat. Then I saw his dad teaching him to ride his motorcycle at his graduation party. A flash of him mowing the grass at his house, the smell of summer and green surrounding me. How much he loved BBQ pizza. He missed his friends from school but would leave them all for a chance at Arizona. He admired his professors.

  Then, I felt the hand on my hip move higher, gliding up my spine to my neck and back down again in a slow tortuous caress. It felt mind-blowing. I held a gasp in check when I looked down to see his hands hadn’t moved from my hips. My gaze jerked to his and behind him I saw the blue energy ribbons were bouncing in the air around us again, going through us, our bodies, and filling the room.

  He looked around in awe and then looked back to me, holding my gaze. He smiled sweetly. Not smugly, not cockily, just Caleb. He moved his hand on my back again with his mind and I shivered.

  This is what it’s like. We see it all. Past, present, wants, memories, things we want to do. We can do anything in mutuality with each other without actually doing it and it’s all magnified and extreme.

  His caution and bashfulness coated his words. It was strange to feel his every feeling, hear his every word in my head and yet not be able to tell what was his and what was mine anymore.

  I focused on my hand in my mind, it coming down from his neck, sliding along to splay my fingers against the hard skin of his chest and ribs, then his stomach. His breaths came out fast and he laughed nervously.

  “That feels amazing,” he whispered against my mouth and then kissed it. “Do it again,” he ordered gruffly.

  I laughed too and as I formed the thought to do what he asked I heard the knock, Shave and a Haircut, on the front door.

  The energy ribbons crackled away as if they were fireworks as we yanked out each other’s minds. I felt irritated and cold from the separation. I thought Caleb would throw me off his lap in anticipation of whoever it was but he lifted his head from mine and glanced that way, his hands tightened on my back.

  I heard Bish’s thoughts before I saw his head poke in the door. He was worried about what he’d find us doing, then Kyle walked in right behind him and the worry in his mind was the same. Both looked equally unhappy to find us in our bathing suits with me in Caleb’s lap.

  “What are you doing here, Bish?” I asked as Caleb asked Kyle the same question but with much more edge in his tone.

  “I’m your chaperone,” Kyle said grinning in clear enjo
yment of the situation and Caleb’s reaction.

  “And I’m his,” Bish muttered and glared at us. “They couldn’t spare anyone else so I volunteered to come. Kyle insisted on coming too. So here we are. What are you doing?”

  “We were about to go to the beach,” I answered.

  “Great. I’ll go put on my suit,” Kyle said chipperly and flung his duffel bag on the club chair before running upstairs.

  “So, you’re going to be here with us the whole time? What about work?” I asked.

  “I quit.”

  “What?”

  “It wasn’t for me anymore. Besides, like I said before, no one seems to have your best interest in mind so I’m here to stay.”

  I rolled my eyes at him and secretly growled inside. Well, there went our fun getaway.

  Hey, it’s ok. He can’t keep you from me and this’ll be a good chance for him to get to know me, maybe even like me.

  Yeah. Me on your lap is a good way to start.

  I could kiss you if you think that’d help.

  Ha, ha.

  He grinned.

  I’m totally serious. I’m feeling a little unfulfilled right now. We were interrupted during the encounter that you started.

  I smiled, biting my bottom lip and felt my cheeks pink. He grinned wider, running his hands up and down my arms.

  Later. We’ll finish this later, I promised.

  You bet we will.

  He gripped my chin between his thumb and finger and kissed me. I shivered in anticipation. I wrapped my arms around his neck, forgetting our guests and remembered when I heard an angry grunt and exasperated sigh.

  “Alright. Alright, you two. You said something about the beach, right?” Bish said.

  I sighed, pouting and Caleb smirked at me.

  “Later,” he assured quietly, where only I could hear.

  Caleb lifted me gently to my feet and went to grab us some towels from the hall closet.

  “Could you put something on?” Bish asked me, but not looking right at me.

  “This is something, my bathing suit. We’re going to the beach. Generally, people wear these at the beach, unless times have changed,” I said sarcastically.

  “Smart a-”

  “Hey! Are you going to be like this the whole time?” I asked.

  “Probably. Are you going to be strutting around in practically nothing and hanging all over your boyfriend the whole time?”

  “Probably,” I replied cheerfully and heard Caleb snicker behind me which earned him a glower from Bish.

  “Whatever. I’m going to put on my suit,” Bish grumbled.

  “You don’t have to come,” I volunteered.

  “Oh, I think I do.”

  Once he was gone I turned into Caleb, feeling the strain and irritation leave me with the touch of his skin. I couldn’t help but sigh.

  “Crap, Caleb. I was really looking forward to this.”

  “I still am. It’ll be ok.”

  Ah, jeez. You have got to be frigging kidding me. She can’t be this sexy all the time. No flaws! None? Really? Hell, she’s hot...

  It wasn’t Caleb’s thoughts blaring through my mind. It was Kyle’s. We both turned to see him looking hotly at me, unabashedly, and Caleb having heard all Kyle’s thoughts through me was beyond peeved.

  “Let me grab a shirt,” he said loudly, glaring at Kyle. “And you one too apparently, Maggie.”

  Kyle smiled in contest as Caleb went to our luggage. Kyle walked over to me and licked his lips as I tried to shrink myself, crossing my arms over my chest. He wasn’t even trying to hide his thoughts from me.

  Man, look at those legs. Jeez, Chad’s an idiot.

  “Kyle, stop.” I looked at him with a look of amazement at his boldness. “You know if I can hear you them Caleb can too. Through me. Stop it.”

  “I don’t care if he hears.”

  “I care.”

  “Why? Afraid he’ll get jealous?”

  “Kyle,” I protested.

  “I figure you probably like Caleb’s tattoos,” he mused. “I have one too, ya know. Two in fact but the other one’s in a much more interesting spot. Wanna see?”

  “No. I’m good. Are we ready? Bish!”

  “I’m coming!” he yelled from the bathroom door.

  “Why ya so skittish, Mags?” Kyle said with a mysterious grin.

  “I’m not skittish, I’m irritated.”

  “Why? We interrupt your little interlude earlier?” he said snidely.

  “Yes! You did, actually,” I said and put my hands on my hips to emphasize.

  He grimaced and turned away, heading for the door. He put his hand on the knob and looked back at us.

  “Ready? Let’s go.”

  Bish came back and I had to smile at him. He bashfully had a towel thrown over his shoulders and was thinking about how he didn’t want to get burned so he stopped mid stride and turned towards his bag for the sun block. Then he went to stand by Kyle. He made an impatient motion with his hand, like he was waiting for us and not the other way around.

  I rolled my eyes and looked up to see Caleb standing beside me, towels in between his knees as he pulled one of his t-shirts over my head. I looked down and saw it was his ‘Spill Canvas’ tour shirt. Then he took the towels in one hand and the other, his warm long fingers grasped mine.

  This is not going to be as fun as we thought.

  He smiled sadly at my comment.

  Ah, yeah it will.

  I gave him a questioning quirked brow and he relented.

  Ok. Yeah. This isn’t going to be as fun. But. He smiled wider and pulled me close. We’re together and you’re safe. The prison won’t last forever and then, you’ll be all mine.

  Mmmm. Yeah. Can we fast forward to that part?

  He laughed out loud and kissed my forehead.

  “What’s so funny?” Bish asked tersely.

  Kyle coughed uncomfortably, glancing at us and rolling his eyes. His thoughts said we were being reckless with our significant abilities and had better watch it. He opened the door, walking out swiftly.

  “Nothing. Inside joke. Let’s go,” I said.

  “Whatever,” Bish grumbled and held the door open for me.

  Caleb pushed me through it with a hand on my lower hip and I heard Bish cussing up a storm in his mind.

  “Can we keep the PDA to a minimum? I just ate,” he said snidely.

  Caleb and I looked at each other, a disgruntled Bish behind us and a begrudged Kyle in front, leading the way, our chaperones. No. This was definitely not going to be fun.

  The end…for now.

  Be on the lookout for the sequel Accordance to be released September 20th, 2011.

  Thank you to my God first of all and my family for supporting me through my endeavors of writing. It was a whim one day that has turned into this thing that I love. Thank you all who have helped me and to the ones who purchase my books, I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

  Thank you.

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  Readers who enjoyed Significance will also enjoy A Job From Hell, a breakthrough YA Paranormal Romance by Jayden Scott. Read an exclusive excerpt preview here! Enjoy!

  Prologue

  It's said people can sense their imminent death. Maybe they hear death's song in the wind. Or the earth stops turning for a second, mourning those who are yet to pass. I spotted none of the signs when I dragged my tired body through the Otherworld, waiting for the winged demon guardians to pick me up and drop me back on the threshold to the world of the living.

  It was a shiny object, beckoning to me from under a bush, that lured me into the killer's trap. As I bent down and pushed my arm into the thicket, a sharp pain pierced my skin and teeth cut into my bone. I choked on my breath, my scream barely finding its way out of my throat. Panic rose inside me, followed by a sense of dread. I was trapped. Even if the i
mmortals heard me, they couldn't help me.

  Blinded by fear, I pulled and kicked at the snarling creature peering out of the ground, all skin and bones and red, tangled hair. She was female, no doubt, but the way she tore through skin and muscles, slurping my blood, resembled no human being.

  Somewhere behind me, wings fluttered.

  "Get the fire demons, Octavius. Turn that thing into burned toast," someone yelled. In spite of my panic, I smiled as I recognized Cass's voice inside my head.

  Fire engulfed us, bathing the semi-darkness in a fiery glow. The creature screeched, but didn't let go of my aching arm. If not even Cass's angels and demons could scare it, nothing would.

  My vision blurred, my strength waning. I could feel my blood pouring out of me in a long, constant flow until I thought I was floating. From the edge of my consciousness, I realized a black, winged demon had appeared by my side. A thick flame scorched my skin. I cried out in pain, the scream hurting my ears. My eyes rolled back in their sockets. The creature hissed, the slurping continued.

  Something caressed my cheeks, its touch light as a feather. My breath came shallow, and my heart slowed down in my chest. I hung onto consciousness until I realized the stabbing pain was subsiding, so I let myself fall into oblivion, eager to escape.

  But I gather I'm not making much sense, so I shall start from the beginning. This is how I entered Aidan's deadly, paranormal world.

  Chapter 1

  The cab came to a screeching halt. I lurched forward in the backseat and dropped the phone I'd been fumbling with in the hope to get through to my brother.

  "I thought only London had a reputation for bad drivers," I muttered.

  "Ye'll have to get out now," the driver said.

  "I'm sorry, what?" I glanced out the window at the dense trees to both sides of the forsaken road, then back at the driver. Surely, this wasn't where I had asked him to take me?

  "I said, ye need to get out now, lassie."