The Awakening (Entangled Series Book 1)

by Jill Sanders

  “Connected?” she asked. He did move to her this time, wrapping his arms around her slim waist. She tensed slightly, but didn’t push him away.

  “Let’s just try an experiment,” he said softly before dipping his head down to trap her lips beneath his.

  Chapter Six

  Whatever Xtina had expected of the kiss before, it paled in comparison to when Mike’s lips touched hers now. She’d felt power her entire life. Power from the living, from the unknown, from the departed, but nothing could have ever prepared her for the power that came from the simple touch of Mike’s lips.

  Instantly, her entire body was on fire. She was sure that if she looked, sparks would be shooting from her fingertips and toes. He must have felt something to, because he broke the kiss too quickly. When her eyes fluttered open, he was looking down, and his eyes had gone huge as they scanned hers.

  “That was… something,” he said softly.

  “Yeah,” her voice squeaked. She was having a hard time catching her breath and wished her heart would settle back down in her chest.

  “I… Okay, this is going to sound weird, but has that ever happened to you before?”

  “That?” She shuffled her feet. When he nodded, she sighed. “Mike, I’ve kissed men before.”

  He chuckled. “I didn’t doubt that.” He moved closer to her. “I’m talking about the surge of power.”

  “You felt it too?” she asked, feeling stupid. She always assumed that she was the only one who ever felt… well, anything. Ever.

  He dipped his head and pulled her closer. “Yeah,” he said under his breath, then nudged her chin up until their eyes met. “Is it always like that for you? With other men?”

  Her mouth had gone dry, so she just shook her head slightly as an answer.

  “Good,” he said before dipping his head again and brushing his lips over hers once more. She moaned and leaned into him.

  No, it had never been like this before. Yes, there was power here, but more important, there was the wonderful silence she felt with him. She’d had to mentally shut out the memories of every man she’d been with before. With Mike, all she felt was her own memories, her own thoughts, her own desires.

  It was wonderful.

  Even though Mike was keeping the kiss soft, his hands moved around to her back, holding her tight against his hard body. She enjoyed playing her fingers over each cord in his back.

  He was lean, like a runner, with long narrow muscles that ran down every part of him like a boxer. She’d never had the pleasure of enjoying someone so built before and desperately wished to explore even more of him.

  But, all too soon, he was pulling away and softening the kiss. “You don’t know how bad I want to come in and explore this more with you, but…”

  She rested her forehead against his. “Too soon?”

  “Yeah,” he whispered against her skin. “Are you sure you’re okay?” He pulled back and looked her in the eyes. When she just looked at him, he chuckled. “You did pass out twice today.”

  “I’m fine.” She felt her face flush. “Besides, it’s kind of a normal thing with me.”

  His eyebrows shot up in question. “Does that happen each time?”

  “No.” She shook her head. “Most of the time I’m prepared.”

  “So, you only pass out when you’re not prepared?”

  “That, or I get sick.”

  His fingers tightened on her arm.

  “Go, I’ll be fine.” She smiled. “Besides, I need some sleep. I’m heading into Stockbridge tomorrow to visit my grandmother.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Your grandmother lives in Stockbridge?”

  “My parents put her in a home a few years back.”

  “That’s a pretty long drive.” She felt him move closer.

  “Not as long as the drive from Colorado.” Her smile slipped.

  He was silent for a while. “I’d like to see you again.”

  She held in a chuckle. “We do live close.”

  “So you’re sticking around?” he asked.

  The question jolted her. For as long as she could remember, she’d hated Hidden Creek, hated the people who lived there. But ever since she’d left, she’d felt the call to return. Now, with the two people she hated and feared the most out of the way, was there any reason not to stick around? At least for a while?

  “I haven’t decided yet.” She stood up and wrapped her arms around herself. “Thanks for bringing the wine.”

  He nodded, then took her hand. When he brought her fingers up to his lips, she felt a wave run down her arm directly to her heart.

  “See you around.” He smiled, then turned and started walking home.

  Xtina walked into the house, making sure to lock the door behind her. She watched Mike’s dark shadow disappear across the yard but it had nothing to do with making sure he got home safe. She loved watching the man move.

  Okay, so maybe she’d gone too long between dates. Or, maybe it was the fact that, with him, she wouldn’t get all the extra baggage of having to block memories from her partner.

  As she climbed the stairs, her fingers trailed over the sturdy banister and her eyes wandered to the faded pictures along the wall.

  When her eyes landed on one of her grandparents, she sighed. It had been almost eight years since she’d seen her grandmother. The last time she could remember was when the woman had stood up to her parents on her behalf. Shortly after, they had moved her out of the room down the hall from hers and more than fifty miles away to a nursing home.

  Changing into a pair of yoga pants and a tank top, she crawled into bed and remembered the last time she’d seen her grandmother.

  She’d been sixteen and desperately wanted to attend a dance at the school. Her parents had forbidden her from doing any extra activities. Jessie had begged her to join the volleyball team with her, but her parents had forced her to attend nightly bible study classes instead.

  Her grandmother had been so determined to get them to allow her to attend the dance that they had fought. It was the first and last time she’d ever heard her grandmother raise her voice.

  From that moment on, Xtina had a new respect for the older lady. She’d never stood up for her before. Not the many times her parents had punished her for being different or when she’d been sent to her room with no food because she’d had a vision when holding hands to pray over the meal. She’d skipped a lot of meals. So much so, that she’d been a very skinny and weak child.

  She had always dreamed that her grandmother would sneak food to her on those occasions, but her grandmother never had. Instead, she’d remained silent. Almost like it had never really happened. Which, in Xtina’s mind, meant she condoned her parents’ actions.

  But she was still family and Xtina knew she had to visit her and make sure the woman was well cared for. After all, she would be paying the bills to the retirement home soon.

  She cringed inwardly as she turned over in bed. She dreaded going through her parents’ papers in her father’s downstairs office. She couldn’t imagine they were in debt; the house had been paid for generations ago. Both of her parents’ cars were so old, she doubted the bank had loaned them any money for them.

  Her father had worked down at the hardware store all his life. She’d seen enough of her parents’ childhoods through their minds that she probably knew them better than they knew each other. But, in all the memories, nothing had ever hinted as to why they had treated her the way they had.

  She must have drifted off since a few hours later she was jolted awake by someone knocking at her front door.

  “Sorry,” Jessie said, holding up a cup of coffee and a brown bag. “I bring peace offerings.” She wiggled the bag on the other side of the glass door.

  “What are you doing here so early?” Xtina yawned and opened the door.

  “I felt so bad for bailing on you last night. I didn’t mean to get freaked out.” She handed over the coffee and opened the bag. “I made these yesterday, but w
e can heat them up really quick. I have about…”—she glanced down at her watch— “half an hour before I have to be into work.”

  “Come on back.” She took a sip of her coffee as she walked into the kitchen. “This is good.” She frowned at her cup. “Why is this better than what you sell at the shop?”

  “Because I made it on my very own maker.” She smiled. “You will have to get one for yourself.” She glanced around the kitchen. “You need to start someplace in order to bring this kitchen into the current century.”

  “I don’t normally drink this much coffee.” She frowned down at the cup, but when the warm liquid spread through her, she couldn’t hold in a sigh. “But, I suppose buying a coffee maker would be nice just in case I want a cup once in a while. Not to mention a microwave.” She groaned when she pulled out a pan and flipped the oven on.

  “So.” Jess sat down at the bar and watched her put the rolls in the oven for a few minutes. “How did it go with Mike after I left?”

  “Fine.” She turned back towards her friend. “Are you sure things didn’t work out between you two?”

  “Yeah.” She saw a shiver run through Jess. “It’s hard to explain. I mean…” She rested her chin on her palms. “I’m very attracted to him and I think he was with me, too.”

  Xtina nodded slightly. “I can see that. After all, you are pretty hot stuff.”

  Jess laughed. “Okay, so there is mutual attraction.”

  “Then what happened?” Xtina already thought she knew, but wanted to hear it from her friend’s mouth before saying anything.

  “I’m not sure. I mean, one minute we’re going hot and heavy and the next second… fizzle.” Jess made a diving noise as her hand swooshed downward.

  “So? You wouldn’t feel weird if I told you he kissed me last night?”

  Jess caused Xtina to jump slightly when she squealed. “Of course not!” Jess leaned almost all the way out of her seat. “So?” She sat back. “How was it?”

  Xtina rolled her eyes. “You should know.”

  Jess chuckled. “Of course I know, but I want to hear you say it.”

  “Wow,” she said under her breath, remembering the kiss and what it had done to her. “Just… wow.”

  “I couldn’t agree with you more.” Jess sighed and rested her chin back on her hands. “I was sure hoping that it was a fluke. It should be against a law… that amount of passion in just one kiss. But I’m glad you two are getting along.”

  “I don’t know. I mean.” She walked over and leaned on the counter. “I haven’t experienced this with someone before.” Jessie’s eyebrows shot up. Xtina paused. “I can’t read him.”

  Jessie’s chin dropped. “You mean; you can’t see into his mind?”

  Xtina shook her head.

  “Wow. What do you think that means?” Then her friend gasped. “Is that why you two can see the ghost and not me?”

  “She’s not a ghost,” she replied almost automatically. “I don’t know. Mike seems to think so, too.”

  “Okay, if she’s not a ghost, then what is she? Mike seems to be convinced she’s an apparition.”

  “Like I said, she has… memories.”

  “Wouldn’t ghosts?” She leaned over a little more, moving her feet up under her. “I mean; they were once people.”

  Xtina felt a shiver run up her spine. “No, they only project emotions.”

  Jess leaned back. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  Just then the timer chimed on the oven. She turned around to pull out the rolls before they burned. When she set one in front of Jessie and took the seat next to hers, her friend turned to her.

  “Go on.” She motioned for her to continue talking.

  Xtina had hoped that the conversation would end, but she noticed the determined look in her friend’s eyes.

  “Fine.” She threw up her hands, but held up a finger to take a bite of the cinnamon roll first. “Mmm, you’re going to have to share this recipe with me.”

  “You’re stalling,” Jessie said, shoveling a bite into her mouth. “Okay, yes, I will, since these totally rock!” Xtina laughed. “Go on.” She waved her fork at her.

  “My first memory, I was four. I was sitting up in my room, crying. When my mother came in to comfort me, she asked me why I was crying. So, I told her it was because the man standing at the window was sad that his son wouldn’t be coming home from the war.” She watched Jessie shiver, then reach for her cup of coffee and swallow a large drink.

  “Go on.” She almost whispered it. “What happened?”

  “My mother glanced towards the window, then turned back to me. Her eyes were huge, so I thought she saw him, but instead, she rushed from the room and brought back my father. They spent the entire night praying over me. They made me memorize the Lord’s Prayer that night and made me say it over and over again. I was four. I barely knew how to spell my name at the time. Every time I would see the man at my window, they would have me say or write down the prayer. Sometimes I would write it out until I had blisters on my fingers.”

  “I remember seeing your hands covered with blisters,” Jess said. She reached out but pulled her hand away quickly. “Sorry. What happened to the old man?” She glanced towards the stairs.

  “He’s gone, along with the woman in the attic and the children in the field.”

  Jess shivered and almost dropped her cup. “What happened to them?”

  “Remember the time we snuck to the local library after school?”

  Jessie’s eyes narrowed. “That was on St. Patrick’s Day, right?”

  “Yes, while you were talking to the boys, I was researching a book I’d heard about. One on how to get rid of them. It was pretty rudimentary, but after a couple tries, they disappeared.”

  “Do you still see them? Others I mean?”

  “Sometimes, but I learned that they only show themselves once you’re connected to the property.”

  Just then Jessie’s phone chimed. “Damn, I’ve got to go. How about dinner tonight?” she asked, standing up and shoving the rest of the roll into her mouth.

  “Can’t.” Xtina stood up too. “I’m going to see my gran today. I might not be back until late.”

  “Tomorrow night?”

  Xtina nodded. “I’ll bring something…”

  “No, you won’t, we’ll go out. You know where I’m at?”

  “The same place?”

  Jessie nodded. “Good, you can pick me up. Sometimes I think I’ll be there until I die.”

  “You could move out here with me.”

  Jessie laughed and glanced around. “Without a microwave, TV, or… well, internet? No thanks.”

  “I do plan on changing all that… soon.” She looked around and thought about all the changes that needed to be done to the place to make it more modern.

  “Ask me again after you’re done.” She turned to go. “Oh, if you need anything…” She smiled. “You’ve got a big strong neighbor to help out.”

  Xtina laughed as her friend slammed the front door behind her.

  Chapter Seven

  Mike hung up the phone and smiled. It was sure nice to know that his checking account balance had just been increased by a few thousand dollars. He’d actually liked working for Bartle LLC and was hoping to make it a more permanent deal. After all, they were one of the leading government liquidators in the south. And as such, each of their new employees and prospective buyers had to go through a rigorous background check, which fell into Mike’s expertise.

  After logging off his computer, he stood up and stretched. He’d been sitting down for the past few hours and could use a run, but decided to spend his pent-up energy knocking out the flooring in the living room and kitchen instead.

  He loved hard work. Work that was dirty and sweaty. Something that made his muscles scream for a few days afterwards. Something that would help him sleep through the night.

  After the other night, he assumed that his visitor would leave him the hell alone. Instead, she se
emed even angrier than before. Except when Xtina was with him. Then, she seemed more tolerable.

  He pulled on a pair of old sweats, Velcroed on his knee pads, and got to work. Several hours later, his phone beeped with a new message.

  -Being sent overseas again. – E

  He replied quickly to his brother.

  -Can you tell me where?

  -Nope, being shipped off early next week. Won’t be back for a few months.

  -Did you tell the folks?

  -Yup, mom cried, dad gushed with pride.

  -When are you going to end their pain and settle down?

  -When are you?

  -Let me know when you’re back. Love ya man.

  -Back at ya.

  He hated thinking of his brother stuck in some hole somewhere until he was called on. But fresh out of school, they had both decided the military was the best choice for them. Mike’s career had only lasted two years, then he’d moved on to the police force. Ethan had signed up for another four years. His brother lived for his job, and if Mike had to be honest about it, the country needed his brother as much as Ethan needed the military.

  But every time Ethan was sent off on some secret mission, their mother would worry and their father would stress until he was back in the States, safe and sound. Usually, Ethan being away meant that he’d be hearing from his folks on an almost weekly basis. Which wasn’t such a bad thing. Especially now, since he was off the force and could actually sit down and enjoy the phone calls.

  Sure enough, less than half an hour later, his phone rang.

  “Hey, Mom,” he answered after seeing her name and photo pop up on his screen.

  “So, you heard?” she asked.

  “Yup, he texted me about half an hour ago.”

  “Well, did you ask him if he’s going to stop all this soon?”

  “Yes.”

  “And?” she finally said after a moment of silence. He held in a chuckle.

  “He asked me when I’m going to settle down right back.”

  “Well?” She was beginning to sound impatient. He could just see her, standing in their kitchen, her arms crossed over her chest, glaring across the room at the back of his dad’s head as he watched the game.