“Matt has been seeing her for the last several months in his dreams. He thought they were just nightmares, but it turns out they weren’t.” I watch him steadily then flick my eyes to the plate.
“And?” Gerry presses. I look at him again, and I want to punch him for being so clued in to the fact that I’m hiding something. Fucking dickhead.
“He tried finding her a few times except he was always too late. Last month when he went to Paris and came back with a gunshot wound, he thinks it’s because he got too close. His nightmares were real, and he was slipping into her mind somehow,” I ramble out. Gerry stops chewing and hands me the plate.
“Wasn’t so hard now, was it,” he winks, placing his now empty dish over by the sink as I dive wholeheartedly into the plate of heaven in front of me. Sighing deeply, I bring a forkful of food to my lips and tune out the rest of the world.
I just need five minutes...
Chapter Seventeen
Matt
Stepping into Seb’s room, I find Kia sitting up in Rolland’s arms. There are still tears lingering on her cheeks, but surprisingly her face isn’t blotchy - there’s only a shallow line running across her brow which seems to fade when she spots me. I inch further into the room, feeling slightly awkward. Kia’s eyes light up and a benign smile forms around her small mouth. Is she truly happy to see me? How can she be, when it was me who let her down by not getting her out sooner? Oblivious to my internal dialogue, she just continues to smile at me steadily. Unsure of what to do, I stuff my hands in my pockets and shuffle my feet as I look around the room.
“Really, Kia? That’s all four of us now,” Rolland laughs from behind her head. Kia looks over her shoulder at him with a puzzled expression before turning back to face me with another sweet smile. Rolland leans back on his hands, shaking his head as though giving up. His gaze catches on something on Kia’s back and all humour fades from his face. “Kia, we need to change your shirt, sweetheart,” Rolland croaks slightly. What? Did I hear him right?
Kia’s features drop as she lets out a small huff of air and lowers her head to her chest. Before I know what I’m doing, I find myself kneeling in front of her and taking her small hands into my own. Brushing my thumb over her knuckles, I peek up at her, wishing I could bring that smile back to her beautiful face.
“Matt, I hate to do this to you, but do you think you could help?” Rolland asks as he lets out a heavy breath. “All Kia’s wearing is this shirt with nothing on underneath. Perhaps if we put some shorts or boxers on her before removing the shirt, we may still be able to maintain a shred of sanity,” he remarks with a bit of humour back in his voice, though he’s not actually laughing.
Still looking down at her lap, Kia’s mannerism tug at my heart. “Why do you need to change the shirt, Rolland?” I query, running my eyes over her heart-shaped face. She obviously doesn’t want to, and it seems like such a trivial thing.
“The shirt is stuck to her back, pulling at the skin every time she moves. The sooner we can get this one off of her, the better off she’ll be,” Rolland explains tightly. Kia lifts her gaze to me, and I wish I could wrap her up in one of my shields so nothing could ever touch her again. Her hand raises up to gently cup my cheek and I can feel her energy trickling through me.
“Okay, how do we go about doing this?” I ask Rolland while holding Kia’s gaze, still full of so much emotion, fast with my own. She reads like an open book to me.
“Grab a pair of shorts from Seb’s drawers over to your right,” Rolland requests. I place a soft kiss on Kia’s knuckles before getting up to walk over to Seb’s cabinet. Finding some black boxers in his top drawer, I pluck a pair out and then step back over to the bed. Kia looks at the clothing in my hand with curiosity and just a hint of annoyance. Her eyes find mine and I feel like I’m about to collar a deer.
“Are you sure this is necessary, Rolland?” The words are out before I think them through.
“Yes, Matt. It is definitely necessary to put pants on a woman before removing the only piece of clothing she has on her body if you’re not about to have sex with her,” he says sarcastically. I feel my cheeks heat and I wish my mouth would stop moving. Kia’s eyes seem to widen a fraction and her smile reappears.
“Whatever you’re doing, Matt, keep doing it,” Rolland's voice brightens. What? Be completely and utterly embarrassed that my mouth has no filter? “Okay, Kia, to save you from having to bend over any further and to keep me from moving you too much, Matt is going to slide the shorts up your legs while I support your weight from behind,” Rolland directs, and though I don’t think she understood a word of what he just said, she nods anyway, keeping her attention fully on me. “Matt, bend forward slightly and, Kia, put your arms around his neck,” Rolland instructs.
Kia slides her arms up around me as I bend over at the waist and I feel her energy seep into me, tracking its way down my throat and through my chest before finally settling into my stomach. From there, the warmth seems to spread out through my very core, and I hear myself gulp. Shaking my head a bit, as if to clear it, I focus on the boxers that I’m holding out to her, waiting for her to slide her tiny feet into the leg holes. But when she doesn’t move, I peek up to find her face slightly flummoxed, her head tilted to the side. Seeing that she’s clearly confused as to what to do, I spread wide one leg of the boxers and bring it up under her dangling left foot, lifting it up slightly before doing the same with the other foot, keeping my movements slow and steady. Once both are where they need to be, I carefully and calculatingly grab the waist of the boxers and begin ever so slowly pulling them up her legs.
As I glance down to watch what I’m doing, trying desperately to ignore the hardness growing in my own boxers, my eyes catch on all of the bruises, cuts and scars that wind their way up her shapely legs like a tapestry. Her knees are in the worst shape, both looking badly damaged, with each most likely having a few chipped bones. I look back up to Kia’s face and find her watching me expectantly. As I continue easing the boxers up her thighs, my rough fingertips brush along her skin as they make their way up, amazed at how soft it is despite all the damage that has been done to it. Kia takes in an audible breath, which seems to pulse more of her energy into me, making me even harder. Oh man, I’m in trouble.
Kia’s body is now hanging part way off of Rolland’s lap and her eyes have darkened into two discs that resemble the night sky, silver stars sparkling deep within them and sending more desire through my body. As Rolland lifts her slightly so that I can tug the boxers all the way up and over her bum, I straighten my body up, letting go of the boxers and gently supporting Kia under her bum as she comes up with me. I feel Rolland’s hand brush against my leg and I assume his hand is on her leg where it meets mine in order to maintain his contact with her.
As she settles into my body, her soft chest flush with the hardness of mine, I
look down to make sure she’s okay. I’m captured by her eyes that now swirl like two bottomless pools of ocean water, reflecting the brilliance of a full moon, drawing me in and beckoning me to dive into their depths. The thought of diving into something seems to trigger my body into action and my mouth takes on a mind of its own.
Diving for her lips, I find her eager and waiting, her tongue demanding control, a command I wholeheartedly give in to. I can sense that she wants to get closer and would probably be climbing her way up my body, like a monkey climbing a tree, if her legs were of any use to her at all right now. I keep one of my large hands anchored under her bum as the other moves up her side of its own free will, tracing her thin ribs gently as she leans back slightly to take a breath. I catch a glimpse of her eyes, which are now fully silver.
She abruptly pulls herself back into me and reclaims my lips with even more determination, seemingly searching for something within me. Her energy becomes thicker, and it finds its way to my hardness, acting almost like a hand as it tugs on me. I flick my tongue around hers as I trace my fingers down her sides. One of her small hands burro
ws its way into my hair at the nape whilst I simultaneously feel a jerk on my energy within my chest. Letting it go freely, I feel her energy spike and hear a small noise from her, followed quickly by a hard grunt from Rolland behind her. Crap. I completely forgot he was there.
Kia sags in my arms, pulling her lips away with a look of dopey contentment on her face. “Well now that you’ve gotten that out of your system…” Rolland says, breathing hard, causing me to wonder what he’s on about. “I need another personal minute. I won’t shut the door this time, I’ll only be ten seconds, um, well maybe fifteen. Nothing can happen in fifteen seconds, right?” he rambles on as he makes his way to the bathroom, pulling the door behind him but making sure not to close it all of the way. Kia rests her head on my chest, and I wonder what the hell just happened as she turns her head to my neck and starts breathing me in. Sounds from the bathroom filter through, but I ignore them, burying my nose in her hair. She smells of the forest and the gel I make, with underlying tones of the sea.
Twenty seconds later, Rolland strolls back in, flops down on the bed so that he’s completely flat on his back with his head on the pillows and drapes a weary arm over his eyes. He’s in a different pair of cotton trousers now, a white vest, and he looks completely worn out. He points to his lap and I can feel Kia’s breathing become slightly strained. “Sit, and behave, Kia, for three minutes, while I get my breath and brains back,” Rolland orders lightly. I place her on Rolland’s lap and her eyes spring open like I’ve given her ten shots of caffeine. “No, Kia. It’s not happening,” Rolland chastises, snaking an arm around her tummy. “Just give my brain a moment to catch up,” he tells her sleepily. Kia looks over at him puzzled.
“What did you do to him?” I say, smiling. She looks back at me with a bemused and affectionate smile, seemingly content with her work on Rolland. I perch myself beside Rolland’s leg, running my gaze over her delicate features and her gentle smile seems to warm a place deep inside of me. “You have such a beautiful smile.” I chuckle in my head, amused that my mouth seems to have no boundaries today.
I wish I could just zip it shut and throw away the key, but then I wouldn’t get to taste those honey coated lips again, would I? Her smile grows and I feel the heat return to my cheeks again, so I look away, trying to find something interesting on the wall to distract myself.
I feel the bed dip slightly just as Rolland says, “nope. I said no more, Kia," whilst he sits up, pulling himself and Kia up toward the headboard. He rubs a hand over his face before resting his head on Kia’s shoulder. “How can one little body contain so much life and trouble all at the same time?” Rolland mumbles against her skin. She looks over her shoulder at him with a great deal of warmth and affection, then raises a hand to his head and begins to stroke his hair. Rolland seems lost in his thoughts, almost half asleep, and I watch as Kia pulls her bottom lip into her teeth. “You're making me sleepy, aren’t you, you little minx?” Rolland slurs, sounding half out of it. Kia pulls both lips into her mouth, then releases them before her face breaks into a full smile.
“Kia, you know I can’t leave it on,” Rolland pleads quietly. Kia’s face falls along with her hand from his head. “Don’t be mad at me,” Rolland murmurs, his voice full of sadness, making my stomach churn. Kia’s face turns to confusion and she turns around in his lap to fully face him. My heart finds its way into my throat and my chest feels like a vice is gripping it, giving me no room to breathe. Guilt slams into me, suffocating me all over again. I can now see the blood that has soaked through Kia’s shirt, and Rolland is right, the shirt is sticking to parts of her back where the blood has dried. I look up and find Kia comforting Rolland, as she runs her fingers through his sandy blonde hair and places soft kisses on his head.
“Please don’t fight me on this one. Don’t block me this time, I beg you, Kia,” he urges, pulling from her embrace to look her in the eyes. His own eyes are full of so much sadness that I’m almost blown back from the intensity of it and I can’t look away from the darkness there. It’s not a look that I can recall ever having seen on his face before. “Promise me?” Rolland pleads quietly, and I can see the tears threatening to spill over. Kia nods solemnly in response and places her hands in his.
“Matt, would you grab another shirt from the drawer?” he asks without looking at me. I do as he asks, while my mind starts thinking of ways to help make this easier.
“Rolland, is there any easier way of doing this?” I ask. He looks over at me and I can practically see the wheels turning in his head. “Perhaps if we wet the shirt she’s wearing with warm water, the dried blood will soften and release its hold so that we can ease it carefully away from her skin,” I suggest. Rolland’s eyebrows raise hopefully at the idea and I can see a bit of color darken his cheeks.
“Yeah, that just might work. But not in the pool, not after last time,” he cautions, flicking his gaze back to Kia. “How about a shower?” he asks her with a wry smile and Kia instantly starts nodding. “Sounds like we’ve got ourselves a plan then. Ready?” Rolland chuckles softly as he lifts them both off of the bed and heads to the bathroom.
What in the heck have I gotten myself into? I wonder as I find myself following them without a moment's hesitation. Guess I’m about to find out….
Chapter Eighteen
Rolland
Kia’s emotions feel like they’ve become a part of me now. I don’t have to concentrate anymore, and I don’t think I’m even using my gift to tune in to her. All of which is brilliant for keeping track of her thoughts, but not so good when she’s turned on or climaxing with me sitting behind her like a teenage boy. I had no choice but to climax right along with her. I can’t believe she got me to come like that. She felt all that, in just one kiss, and it wasn’t even me she was kissing! I’m so screwed.
Matt’s idea of taking a shower should make this easier, but I very much doubt it’s going to keep the memories from surfacing. Turning Kia’s body around and maneuvering my arms so that one is under her legs and the other is around her back, I make my way over to the en-suite. I begin to wonder if having Matt in here while doing this is wise, given everything that happened in the pool and when Gerry came home.
I hear Matt is a couple of steps behind me. I stop by the marble countertop, so my back is the the mirror as Matt heads over to the shower, turning it on and adjusting the settings. I hope he doesn’t take my words the wrong way. “Matt, the last time we worked on Kia’s back, it set her off and she turned on Seb. I know you wouldn’t take it personally, but she will get upset with herself if she does.” Matt continues fiddling with the heat settings, running his hand under the water.
“That’s understandable. Is there anything I can do to help make this easier?” Relieved that he hasn’t taken it to heart, I release a heavy breath. Kia looks up at me with quizzical eyes so I wink, trying to distract her. Her face screws up even more in response, making me laugh. Matt turns around, probably thinking I’m laughing at him.
“Sorry, Matt, but I do not believe that Kia has ever been winked at before,” I say through a chuckle as Matt raises his eyebrows high on his forehead. Looking down at Kia’s face and her messy, wild hair all about, it suddenly occurs to me that once that mass is wet, it will get in the way and stick to her back. Reaching into one of the drawers, I grab a hair tie and hold it out to Matt, who grabs it as he nods with understanding. Kia watches me curiously and it’s clear she has no idea what the hair tie is for.
“Kia, you have a lot of hair and when it gets wet and we have your shirt off, it will stick to your back and hurt your wounds. Matt is going to gather your hair up onto your head and secure it there with the tie. Just hold still for a second,” I explain, seeing her frown a little at me while Matt moves in behind her back. Carefully he gathers her hair in his big hands and pulls it up in a ponytail near the top of her head. He threads it through the tie several times before pulling it through one final time, stopping just before the ends come all the way out, leaving them tucked in and l
etting the hair fall down just a bit.
“Thank you, Matt,” I say, “if you could wait until we’re under the water in case it needs adjusting, that would be appreciated, as I think sitting may work best for this.” Matt takes a step back, giving us room.
Stepping forward toward the shower, Kia’s emotion changes from curiousness to happiness. The first time I turned the shower on, you’d think I’d shown her a mountain of gold, and it was the first positive change we had seen in her emotion. Now I can feel the excitement run through her and I’m even more thankful for Matt’s suggestion. Inching us under the shower heads, the sense of bliss, gratitude and pleasure pour from her.
Thinking that we should make the most of the time spent under the water, an idea pops into mind. “Matt, would you pass me over some products from Seb’s cupboard?” I feel Kia fully relax her whole body, her head resting against my chest. “Sure.” Matt heads over to the cabinet and grabs a few different items from the shelves, then sets them on the ground so that they can be easily reached. “Anything else?” he asks hopefully.
“Yeah, there is - don’t let anyone distract us. I’m not sure how this is going to go, if I’m honest, but the less noise and interruptions the better,” I explain.
Matt chews on his bottom lip as he runs his worried eyes over Kia’s face. Concern and empathy for what she’s about to go through are written all over his refined features. “She’s going to be okay, Matt, I’ve got her,” I assure him, trying to ease his worries. His eyes flick back to me as he gives a single nod of his head.
Looking down at Kia’s face, you’d think she was sleeping. She’s so relaxed, her body settling into the comfort she’s found, and her emotions fall into a feeling of calmness that I haven’t felt from her before. I turn so my back is against the wall and ease us down until I’m sitting cross-legged on the floor. Kia is curled up safely in my lap, but I feel a few spikes of pain come through from the movement on the back of the shirt - a sharp reminder of why we’re here. As I had hoped, the shower feels more cooling down here.
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