“Perhaps I was. Cole, when we shared our memories, I think we shared a piece of ourselves, too—our mind. I used that to find you, and followed you all the way to the house.”
Cole stopped and stood quietly, looking out over the ocean. Shit, had she freaked him out? No, Cole had been the one to push her toward all this. He wouldn’t reject her now when she told him the truth.
“Cole? Everything okay?”
His reply was quiet, but she could hear the emotion in his voice. “You’re amazing. What you can do, it’s incredible. How do you do it?”
Payton joined his stare out to the ocean. The cold depths seemed endless, unfathomable, but they held treasure she could barely understand. Her power felt the same way. “Honestly, I don’t know. It happened for the first time after I was kidnapped. I’d never done anything like that before, but I was so scared and so angry and it just poured out of me. It’s like this burst of invisible energy. I can’t see it, but I can feel it inside my mind. I didn’t even realize at the time what I was doing, but then that guy outside the bar. . . .”
Cole frowned. “What guy, exactly?”
“The guy I told you about when we were at the juice bar after the melee. Just one of our charming patrons who figured he was owed more than a drink. But then there was this guy in an alley...”
“Jesus, Payton. I’m sorry I wasn’t there.”
“No, it’s okay. It needed to happen, I think, as much as it sucked ass at the time. It pushed me to accept my power,”—she smiled and took his hand again—“to accept this. Until I dealt with all the fucked up shit in my head, I couldn’t open myself to this, to us.”
Cole kissed her again, long and deep. The tide was coming in and her face was misted by the fine ocean spray.
“So have you ever been inside my head?”
The question jolted her. Payton looked back out to the ocean. She tried to drop his hand, but Cole held firm. “Yes. That night, after we made love, I woke up before you, early, before the sun was barely up. The idea of being with you, of the connection that was already obvious, it was too much for me to handle . Then I saw you lying there. You were sleeping, but not peacefully. I wanted to help you.”
“Did you see anything?”
“You were having a nightmare.” She leaned into his shoulder and a tear tracked down her face. “I’m sorry. I know it was wrong. It’s just . . . it was so real. I was right there with you when you stormed that house. I saw them take you, I heard you call out to your partner, felt your pain. I just wanted to bring you some peace.”
Cole pulled her in, close enough that her head was resting on his chest. “I wouldn’t wish that night on anyone. I’m sorry, too. I wish you hadn’t seen that.”
“It brought me closer to you,” Payton whispered.
They sat silently, watching the water ebb and flow onto the sand. After a moment, Cole reached up and stroked her hair. His hand rested on her head before tucking a flyaway strand behind her ear. His fingers trailed down her neck, then over her collarbone before brushing lightly over her clothed breasts. Payton breathed in sharply. Even through multiple layers, his touch ignited something in her.
“Come on.” Cole pulled her up and they walked along the beach until they reached her street again. They walked closely, their steps in time, and he never stopped touching her the entire way. As they reached her front steps, a cool breeze rolled in off the water and her skin tingled. The sensation mingled with Cole’s touch and built as they walked to her apartment door.
They were barely inside before she tugged him to the bed and they fell down on top of the covers, his weight landing gently on her body, pressing her into the quilt. His hands roamed her body as his lips and tongue traced her neck, then her jaw line. He pulled back and watched her, his eyes moving across her face as if he was taking in every part of her. “What am I thinking right now?” His breath tickled her neck as he whispered in her ear.
Moving the light out to reach Cole was now as simple as breathing.
I want you, Payton. More than I’ve ever wanted anyone before.
Her heart nearly burst at hearing his voice speak tenderly to her inside her mind. Payton pulled his head down and met his mouth, their furious kisses heating her skin and starting tingles that began in her belly and shot directly to her core. Cole’s warm mouth moved down her neck and his scruff brushed against her skin. She reached her hands around, grabbing his ass and pulling him flush against her. Cole chuckled and nibbled the skin behind her ear, slowly devouring her.
Payton’s back arched as he moved down, letting his fingers play with the bottom of her shirt as his mouth moved slowly over her body. As he reached the hem, he lifted the fabric and his lips moved to the space between her breasts. His hands stroked her stomach and then played with her nipples through her bra while his mouth continued to taste her. Payton pushed at his shirt and Cole paused to lift it over his head with one hand—God, that move was so damn sexy—before lifting her arms above her head and pulling her shirt up and over. His eyes moved hungrily over her body and she reached up, running her hands over his biceps and trailing her fingers down over his chest. She tugged on the smattering of hair there and Cole groaned. Rising up onto her knees, Payton tasted his skin, licking over his abs before reaching his jeans. One hand dipped into his waistband while she palmed his erection through the stiff denim. She felt him grow harder beneath her hand and she pushed Cole back onto the bed. She undid his button and then edged the zipper down slowly, taking her time.
“God, Payton, you’re killing me. I love it.”
She reached into his boxer briefs and stroked him, feeling the bead of wetness on the tip and spreading it, lubricating her touch. Cole groaned again and reached up, unsnapping her bra. He pulled the straps down over her shoulders and let it fall to the bed. Cool air hardened her nipples and he brushed them with his fingertips before tweaking them in his fingers. Now it was Payton’s turn to groan, but she wasn’t going to be deterred. She took his hands and held them at his side, kissing him deeply. Before he could recover, she pulled his boxers down over his legs and then took him in her mouth, sucking him deep. Cole’s head dropped back and she ran her lips down the root of his cock, taking him deep before releasing him, only to lick down the sensitive underside and place a kiss on the tip, licking up the drop of precum that had leaked. Payton went to take him deeply again, but Cole’s hand rested on her shoulder.
“Stop. You’re amazing, but I need to taste you, too. I want to be inside you when we come.” He lifted her up and twisted so that their positions on the bed were reversed. Payton lay back. The quilt was soft and downy at her back, a direct contradiction to Cole’s hard body and his even harder erection, brushing up against her belly as his lips worked their way over her body. Somehow he unbuttoned her jeans and drew them over her hips. She had no idea when. She’d stopped paying attention to anything but the feel of Cole’s touch, but suddenly her pants were gone and she felt his hand dip into her panties.
He suckled on her breasts, taking his time with each peaked nipple as his hand caressed her. His lips never left her body as his fingers stroked her folds, then pressed down firmly and unexpectedly on her clit. Payton’s back arched and she let out a deep moan. Her eyes fluttered closed as he continued to stroke her, his lips moving again, leaving a trail of kisses along her ribs, her belly, and then he was there, pushing her panties down and off and then his tongue lapped at her clit as his fingers moved lower, teasing her entrance.
She moved against him, desperate for more and Cole obliged, slipping a finger inside her, and then two, moving them in and out of her body while licking and sucking at her sensitive nub. A tingling pressure started in her core and grew outward until waves of pleasure rippled through her body. Cole’s fingers thrust deeply into her as he sucked her clit into his mouth, flicking it with his tongue before sucking again until the world blurred into nothing and her pulse pounded as she shattered against his mouth. He kept licking at her sensitive flesh as the
world slowly returned and Payton felt him grin against her skin.
“Let’s see if you can do that again.”
Payton was sure her legs were unable to hold her weight and her arms were nearly as useless, so she lay back on the bed and watched Cole sweep up his pants from the floor and grab a condom from his wallet. Her head still buzzed from afterglow and her core still throbbed as he lifted one leg, bent her knee toward her, and pushed inside, slow and deep. His warm body pressed against hers, reaffirming the connection between them, and he reached down and kissed her deeply. It was slow and easy. This was more than sex; this was making love.
At the moment the thought entered her mind, it was as if the world fell into place. She’d felt a connection to Cole from the moment she’d met him, but it had been muted—blocked, perhaps—by what they’d both been through. Now, though? As he moved above her, filling her body with sensation as his lips drifted gently over her skin, loving him seemed like the easiest thing in the world to do. She pushed out her light and opened her mind.
I love you, Cole.
He stopped moving for just a second and his arms trembled even as he held his weight above her. Then a breathtaking smile overtook his face and he bent down again, kissing her with such force that she felt it ignite her soul. Cole moved again, thrusting his cock deeper than ever before as his tongue tangled with hers, grinding his pelvis against her core over and over again until at first she let out a soft cry, and then screamed his name. The light inside Payton grew until their connection was a tangible thing, pulsing inside her.
Cole’s lips never left hers and his mouth softened her cries as her core clenched around him. He thrust hard, deep, and bliss exploded through her body, sending her flying through what seemed like infinite ecstasy.
When Payton found herself again, Cole’s arms were wrapped around her, enveloping her in his embrace. A warmth settled through her. He’d protect her, be by her side, no matter what. She didn’t need psychic powers to know that. Still, as she closed her eyes to sleep, a voice whispered through her consciousness.
I love you, too.
26
Payton awoke alone in the bed. Her hand brushed over the sheets where Cole had lain the night before, but they were cool. Before she could open her eyes, the smell of freshly brewed coffee met her nose and her stomach rumbled.
“Hungry?”
She sat up and stretched her arms, a wide smile on her face. All this—the monsters in the basement, both from months before and yesterday—it wasn’t over, but moments like this still mattered. This morning may be only a short hiatus, but it was beautiful.
She put on a robe and walked across the room. Cole stood over the sink washing dishes, a white dish towel slung over his shoulder. A tall stack of pancakes sat on the counter with a bowl of strawberries next to it. “You slept deeply. I must have worn you out.” He grinned at her.
“You know,”—she walked over, deliberately swinging her hips—“strawberries are an aphrodisiac.” She placed the tip of one in her mouth and met his eyes as she bit it off.
“I don’t need an aphrodisiac.” He reached over and kissed her quickly and deeply. “I have you.”
“This is really too much. I usually just have a granola bar.” There was sausage frying in a pan on the stove, and there were eggs and real maple syrup. “I don’t think I even had the ingredients for half this stuff.”
Cole shrugged and then grinned again. “You sleep very deeply. I may have slipped out to the store while you were snoring.”
She threw a strawberry at him and he ducked, laughing. Payton’s heart swelled and she felt lighter than she had in months. That moment, just being with Cole, was all she needed. They were good together and he healed her soul.
“I just wanted to do something for you. I love you, Payton.” He kissed her again. She’d never tire of that.
“I love you, too. This is wonderful. Thank you, Cole.”
She sat down at the table. Her coffee cup vase had been refilled with her favorite purple flowers growing outside and a tall glass of juice sat next to her place. Cole walked over with two plates piled high with pancakes and bacon, garnished with kale and fried tomatoes.
“Gotta get those greens and protein, after all.” He chuckled and Payton joined in.
“Thank you, Cole.” She waited to eat until he sat down.
“I hope you like it. I’m not much of a cook.”
He was. He was good at a lot of things.
“It’s wonderful.” Payton poured syrup all over her pancakes. A vision of bright blonde hair and green eyes swirled in front of her mind and she frowned.
“What’s wrong?” Cole took a bite of bacon.
Payton put down her knife and fork and took a deep breath. It was time. They were still out there, and if this was ever going to stop, he had to know everything. Payton wasn’t keeping secrets any longer. “When I knocked out that man in the basement yesterday, I searched his head and saw his memories.”
“Oh.” He put his fork down and took a big gulp of juice. “What’d you see?”
“There’s a woman, another blonde. She’s controlling him, making him think that she’s in love with him.”
“She’s the one doing all of this?”
Payton nodded. “I don’t know for sure if she’s the top of the pyramid, but she’s involved, deeply involved. You were right, Cole. It wasn’t Keila that attacked me. It was this woman, whoever the fuck she is.”
Cole’s expression softened and he reached over and ran a finger along her cheek. “Well, at least you have a face to go on now.”
“The worst part is I know what she’s doing, and I know how terrible she is, but I could feel how much he worships her. He thinks he loves her. She’s got this way about her. She’s graceful and smart. She can twist words to make you believe anything. If she had access to the right people, I think she could get whatever she wanted. That scares me.”
He reached over and took her hand. “We’ll stop her. You’ve got me, and the others if you want them.”
“Oh, God, the others. In the man’s memories, I saw it. She wants to take away our free will, use us to build an army.”
Cole’s eyes flashed and his hand tightened over hers. “How is that even possible?”
“I have no idea. How is any of this possible? The way she described it, it gives me the creeps. It’s like you stare her in the eyes and you can’t say no to her. At least, he couldn’t.”
“Can you track her, too?”
“I don’t know. I could try, but honestly the idea of disappearing into whatever’s going on in her mind scares the crap out of me. Our connection, my ability to find you anywhere, did that happen because of how close we are, or something else? I don’t know what trying to read this woman’s mind would do.”
Cole stood and began clearing the table, kissing her as he reached down to pick up her plate. “Okay. You don’t have to do anything today. We’ll work it out, I promise.” She smiled but didn’t move, sitting there staring at the wall, lost in thought as Cole moved about the kitchen and then the rest of the studio apartment, picking up their clothing that still lay strewn on the floor. She jumped when his phone rang in his pants that were lying on the floor next to her.
“Hello? Oh, hi, Reece . . . yep, we’re both okay . . . ahuh. . . . Hey, hang on a moment.” He put his hand over the phone. “You want to see them, tell them what happened?” Payton nodded and he uncovered the phone, speaking again. “Okay, sounds good. Meet you at the beach cafe in half an hour? Yep, see you then.” He pressed the screen to end the call and then took Payton’s hands, turning her to face him. “Are you sure you want to go? This is your choice. I’ll support whatever you decide.”
Payton looked into his eyes and saw the love reflected there. He would. If she wanted to walk away and have nothing to do with any of this for the rest of her life, then he’d drop it and walk away with her.
But she couldn’t. Like it or not, she had to at least tell them what she kn
ew.
When they walked up to the juice bar, the girls were sitting on the steps outside. The two men stood on either side of them and the taller one waved at Cole. That must be Reece. He shook hands with Cole and kissed Payton on the cheek after introducing himself and Jason, Keila’s boyfriend. They seemed nice enough. Emily smiled warmly at her and, this time, Payton smiled back. Keila might still scare her a little, but she wasn’t the blonde in Payton’s nightmares anymore.
Reece spoke first. “Thank you for meeting with us. I know this has been hard on you, Payton.”
“What the fuck happened to Cole’s face?” Keila asked.
“They happened,” Payton replied. “After I left here yesterday, I went to his place, but it had been ransacked. I traced him to a house a few miles away and found him chained to a radiator in the basement. They took him to get me to follow. It worked.”
Keila opened her mouth, but Reece spoke before she was able. “How many of them were there?”
“There was just the one, big, ugly guy. He’s killed girls like us before.”
“How do you know that?” Keila said.
Here goes nothing.
“You asked before what I can do. I read minds. Just flashes at first, memories”—she glanced at Cole, a shy smile forming on her face—“though sometimes lately I can read realtime thoughts as well. He was strong as shit, but I stunned him long enough to get inside his head. There’s a woman with long blonde hair and pale skin. She’s controlling him, using him. She was able to make him think he’s in love with her.”
Keila’s eyes narrowed and Jason wrapped his arms around her waist, tugging her to him from behind.
“Did you see what she wanted?” Emily asked.
“She wants us for our powers. She wants to take away our free will somehow, use us as an army.”
Payton (Dreamcatchers Romantic Suspense Series Book 3) Page 18