She turned her face in his direction, and though he knew her to be blind, her eyes seemed to look right through him. “Thank you so much for doing this, Zaureth.”
“Where shall I sit?” he croaked, inching ever closer.
“Behind me, if you don’t mind.”
Mind? He wanted nothing more than to sit behind her and pull her onto his lap. His sex twitched in reaction.
Zaureth swallowed around a throat gone dry and settled behind her, the insides of his thighs cradling her shoulders.
His hands slightly shook as he lifted his fingers to her hair and gently dragged the brush through it.
Amy moaned, the sound traveling through Zaureth’s body to settle in his groin.
He wanted her. Plain and simple. There was no other explanation for the effect she had on him.
Another soft sound escaped her. She tilted her head back to give him better access, and his breath caught. With her robe gaped open, he had the perfect view of her breasts.
“Amy,” Zaureth rumbled, unable to stop himself from leaning in.
She exhaled a soft sigh, her head dropping back against his thighs.
Like a moth to a flame, Zaureth cupped her face in his hands and touched his lips to her forehead.
“Zaureth,” she whispered, laying her palms over his as if afraid he might let go.
Unable to stop himself, Zaureth, breathed in her scent, lightly dragging his bottom lip over her skin. It skimmed across her nose and settled against her mouth.
Heat slammed into him as her mouth opened beneath his own. She tasted of sunlight and something else he couldn’t name. It drew him in, seducing him in its sweetness.
Amy’s hands tightened over his. She tugged him closer and kissed him with a passion that belied her trembling.
Zaureth had never tasted anything as intoxicating as Amy. The feel of her lips moving against his, her hands tightening their hold as if afraid he would pull away, and the soft sounds coming from her throat were his undoing.
He broke off the kiss, gripped her beneath her arms, and jerked her onto his lap.
Zaureth crushed her against him, his mouth everywhere at once. On her neck, her face, her shoulder. He couldn’t seem to get enough of her.
A moan of surrender escaped her, and she threw her leg around to straddle his lap.
The feel of her feminine heat settling against his throbbing erection was Zaureth’s undoing.
He wanted inside her. No, he needed inside her. Now.
Zaureth reached between their bodies to rip open his sharkskin shorts and free his aching sex.
Reality settled in.
“Forgive me,” Zaureth rasped, lifting her from his lap. He jumped to his feet in horror. He’d nearly done the unthinkable. He’d almost broken his vow and taken Amy.
Chapter Six
Amy couldn’t seem to form a thought beyond her body’s need for Zaureth. She remained perfectly still, listening to Zaureth’s rapid breathing. “Did I do something wrong?”
Zaureth made a tortured sound in his throat. “Wrong? No, my sweet Amy. It is I who did wrong. I cannot express how sorry I am for overstepping my bounds with you.”
Pain sliced through Amy’s heart. “Is it because I’m blind?”
Another torturous sound came from him. “You are the most beautiful female I have ever known. Perfect in every way.”
“Then why are you running from me like a hunted animal?”
“I am an animal,” Zaureth growled, his footsteps fading toward the door. “And you would do well to stay away from me.”
“Don’t go,” Amy whispered, desperate to have him close.
Her stomach clenched at the sound of the door opening. “Zaureth?”
“I am sorry,” Zaureth confessed, pulling the door closed behind him.
Amy stood on shaky legs and blinked back tears of humiliation. She’d practically thrown herself at Zaureth, and he’d rejected her.
She made her way to the closet and chose the first thing she touched. From the feel of the ties at the top, she knew it to be a sundress.
Dressing with jerky movements, Amy felt around the floor of the closet and snagged a pair of sandals before arranging her hair into a ponytail.
Satisfied with her attire, she left the room to go in search of the only other person besides Zaureth that she could open up to. Oz.
Out in the hall, Amy touched her fingertips to the wall as a guide and made her way to the elevator. She stepped inside, feeling around for the correct button, and pressed the one for the lobby.
“Good afternoon, Miss Brighton,” Oz called out as the elevator doors slid open with a ding.
He was suddenly at her side. “You look like a ray of sunshine. What brings you down stairs?”
“I was looking for you,” Amy admitted in a small voice.
Oz laughed. “Lucky me. To what do I owe this privilege?”
Amy accepted the arm he offered. “Do you have a minute? I could really use some advice.”
“I always have time for a beautiful woman,” Oz smoothly answered.
Amy found her humor returning. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Indeed, I do,” Oz quipped, leading her across the floor. “With my ugly mug, charm is the only weapon I have in my arsenal.”
A chuckle bubbled up unbidden. After everything she’d been through over the past three months, it felt good to laugh. “I highly doubt that you’re ugly.”
Oz rested his hand on the arm she had looped through his and led her outside. “Bless you, sweet thang. But ugly comes in many forms.”
The sun felt good on Amy’s skin as she walked along the beach on Oz’s arm. “Though I’ve led a pretty sheltered life, I’ve experienced my share of ugly. Being blind doesn’t mean one can’t see.”
“Ah,” Oz murmured, stopping and helping Amy into a chair. “I’ve often wondered what it must be like.”
“To be blind?” Amy asked, adjusting herself in her chair.
“Yes.” Oz sat next to her, speaking to someone in a low tone before touching Amy on the hand. “Would you care for a drink?”
“An iced tea would be nice.”
“Excellent. The lady will have an iced tea, Pedro. I’ll have a rum and coke.”
Amy leaned back in her chair. “I’ll tell you what it’s like to be blind. Since I was born this way, I don’t know what it’s like to see. I’ve never known color, only shapes and voices. I can imagine what a person looks like, but I have nothing to compare them to.”
“Interesting,” Oz rumbled. “So, if you were given a brief moment of sight, and I happened to be the only thing you could see—”
“I still wouldn’t know if you were ugly,” she interrupted with a giggle. “Like I said, I have no others to compare you to.”
A great booming laugh erupted from Oz. He lifted both of Amy’s hands and kissed each one. “You are so refreshing. Not coy like a lot of women. If not for Zaureth’s infatuation with you, I’d snatch you up in a heartbeat. You’d be a proper corrupt and dishonest woman in no time at all.”
Amy would have laughed any other time. “Wait. What? Zaureth isn’t infatuated with me.”
“And here I thought you had the inner sight,” Oz teased, gently releasing her hands. “So, tell me what I can do for you, sweet one.”
Amy had to swallow around the lump forming in her throat. “Actually, I came to talk to you about Zaureth.”
A brief silence fell over the table before Oz responded. “If you are looking for information on Zaureth, I’m afraid you came to the wrong person. Vaulcron knows the healer better than anyone else.”
“I can’t trust Vaulcron with this,” Amy blurted, embarrassed at her outburst. She softened her tone. “He’s my sister’s mate. He keeps nothing from her.”
The drinks arrived, and Amy reached for her tea. “Thank you, Pedro.”
Oz picked up his drink, the sounds of ice clinking in his glass. “I understand your dilemma. What is it that you woul
d like to know?”
“Why he pulled away from me,” Amy began. “We were becoming close. I mean… I trusted him. And then he just…”
“Disappeared without saying goodbye,” Oz finished for her.
“Yes. There are times I feel that he cares for me, and others when he can’t stand to be in the same room with me.”
“Zaureth is a strange creature, Amy love. I can’t pretend to know his thought process, as he is not like me. Or anyone else I know, for that matter. He was born different, and he has gifts beyond anything I can comprehend.”
Amy leaned forward, desperate for any and all details she could gather. “You mean his psychic abilities?”
Oz softly laughed. “All Bracadytes possess certain psychic abilities. No, Zaureth is capable of more. So much more.”
“Tell me,” Amy pleaded. “Please?”
“I’ll tell you what I know. If you need more, you’ll have to speak with Vaulcron or go straight to the source and ask Zaureth.”
Amy took a sip of her tea, listening with rapt attention as Oz began to speak.
“He’s known as the healer because he possesses an otherworldly energy that assists in the healing process. He can move objects with his thoughts alone.”
Amy’s gasp was swept away by the crashing of the nearby waves. “He’s telekinetic?”
“So, I’ve been told. I have never actually witnessed it. But the Bracadytes are honest to a fault, so I’m inclined to believe it.”
“Wow,” Amy whispered, completely blown away by what she’d just heard. “No wonder he insists on staying away from me.”
The sound of Oz’s glass returning heavily to the table told Amy that Oz wasn’t on board with her train of thought.
“I know what you’re thinking, and you couldn’t be more wrong. Zaureth doesn’t think himself above anyone. If anything, he probably feels that you deserve normalcy. Something he can’t give you.”
Amy’s mouth fell open. “What? I’m as far from normal as one can get.”
“Then you two have something in common, after all,” Oz finished quietly.
Tears of uncertainty threatened. Amy breathed her way through it, hoping against hope that it would go unnoticed. It didn’t.
“Please don’t cry,” Oz insisted, jumping out of his chair and pulling Amy to her feet. He wrapped her in his arms. “Everything will be all right. I promise.”
Amy wanted to tell him that she had no intention of crying. That she’d simply had a moment of weakness, but she was ripped from Oz’s arms before she had a chance.
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Oz growled in a low voice.
Amy didn’t have to ask who Oz spoke to; she could sense him, could smell his incredible essence. “Zaureth?”
Chapter Seven
Zaureth couldn’t look at Amy. He feared his emotions would override his common sense and he’d end up killing Oz. “Do not ever touch her again.”
“I’m sorry,” Oz sarcastically remarked. “I wasn’t aware that she belonged to you.”
“She belongs to no one,” Zaureth rumbled, stepping in close to Amy. “Least of all, you.”
Oz laughed without humor. “Let’s get something straight, healer. It was an innocent hug that you witnessed. Nothing more. I was merely comforting her. This is the last time I will explain myself to you or anyone else. Don’t mistake my kindness for fear. Ever.”
Amy took a step back, nearly bumping into Zaureth. “I’d like to go back inside now.”
“I will take you,” Zaureth offered, reaching for her hand.
Amy accepted Zaureth’s palm. “Thank you for the tea, and the much needed talk, Oz. I really appreciate it.”
“Anytime, sweetness,” Oz replied, brushing his fingertips along her cheek.
Zaureth tightened his hold on her hand and tugged her around. He waited until they were a distance away before speaking. “I do not think you should be alone with that one, Amy.”
“That one?” Amy demanded, pulling him to a stop. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Zaureth sighed. “I am sorry. I have no right to judge our host, but his reputation with the females is legendary. I do not like you being alone with him.”
The ache that Zaureth had been experiencing since leaving Amy’s room earlier continued to grow the longer he stared into her light blue eyes.
“He’s my friend, Zaureth. Nothing more. I have no romantic interest in him.”
Relief was instant, however short lived. Shame followed closely behind. Why had he interfered with Amy and Oz’s date? Zaureth had no claim on her, and never would have.
“I wasn’t on a date,” Amy bit out, jerking free of his hold. “If you don’t want me to know how you feel, or better yet how you don’t feel, then stop thinking so loud.”
“Amy, wait,” Zaureth conceded, jumping into her path as she turned to leave. “Please, allow me to explain.”
She kept her eyes downcast and her face lowered. “There’s nothing to explain. I read your thoughts loud and clear, as I’m sure you wanted me to.”
She held her hand out in front of her. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Zaureth, and you don’t owe me anything. Now, please allow me to pass with a modicum of dignity.”
He couldn’t do it. Zaureth couldn’t let her go. “I’ll see you to your room.”
“I’m not going to my room. Have a nice night.”
Zaureth stood in stunned silence as Amy skirted around him and expertly followed the path to the steps of the hotel. Even without sight, she possessed more grace than any other female he’d ever known.
“You really screwed that up,” Oz announced from the shadows.
Zaureth turned in the direction of his voice. “I have no common sense where Amy is concerned.”
Oz stepped into the light. “Love will do that to a man. Rob him of his brains.”
“Love?” Zaureth repeated, propping his hip against a nearby pole. “I do not love her.”
Oz shrugged a shoulder. “Oh, I don’t know. You look pretty smitten to me. Smitten enough to nearly have your ass handed to you back there on the beach.”
Zaureth didn’t bother pretending to know how to decipher Oz’s words. “I do not like Amy being alone with you.”
“It’s my dashing good looks, isn’t it?” Oz taunted, sauntering toward Zaureth. “I’m a hell of a lover too. Let’s not forget—”
Zaureth’s fist slammed into Oz’s chin before he could finish his sentence. The big Cuban landed on his back in a nearby flower bed.
Oz slowly sat up, moving his jaw from left to right. He turned his head to the side and spit blood onto the white sand of the walkway. “Was that really necessary? I just had some dental work done on that side.” He got to his feet.
“You will not—”
The crack of Oz’s fist connecting with Zaureth’s nose ricocheted off the surrounding palm trees. Pain shot through Zaureth’s skull, and blood filled his mouth, but he managed to stay on his feet. Barely.
Vaulcron suddenly appeared between them. His arms stretched in both directions as if to hold them apart. “What is going on here?”
Reality was quick to set in. Zaureth had assaulted Oz. The vows he’d made all those years ago seemed a distant memory all of a sudden. What was happening to him?
Zaureth spun on his heel and strode off toward the tree line without answering.
Vaulcron abruptly appeared behind him. “Talk to me, brother.”
Zaureth turned to face his life-long friend. “Though I should, I do not regret my actions with the Cuban. I do not trust his intentions with Amy.”
Vaulcron grinned. “You are jealous of Oz.”
“I do not entertain human emotions, Vaulcron. I have seen the numerous females that Oz shares his bed with. Women are but toys to him. I refuse to allow Amy to become one of his conquests.”
“Oz is a good man,” Vaulcron argued. “He knows how you feel about Amy. He would never defile her in any way. He has more honor than that.”
A feeling of remorse rose up inside Zaureth, but he pushed it away. “Perhaps I could have handled the situation in a different manner. I do not know from whence the violence came. I do not use my strength against others. I am a healer, Vaulcron.”
“You are also a Bracadyte, Zaureth. And Bracadytes are warriors.”
An uneasy feeling settled in Zaureth’s chest. He’d always prided himself on his ability to remain calm, to elicit peace in any situation. But Amy’s appearance in his life had tilted his world on its axis. “I should not have come back here.”
“You cannot allow guilt to overtake you, Zaureth. You did what you felt to be right. The protective feelings that you have for Amy are understandable. She has a certain innocence about her that is exacerbated by her lack of sight. You cannot be faulted for your protectiveness of her.”
“I kissed her,” Zaureth growled, shame warring with the longing to do it again. “I took advantage of her trust.”
Vaulcron grinned. “You truly kissed her? Let us hope that Mallory does not find out.”
“There is nothing humorous about this, Vaulcron. I have broken my vows, and I have no idea how to repair the damage I have done. What if I am no longer able to heal? Would touching mouths with a human girl honestly be worth it?”
All traces of humor were gone from Vaulcron’s face. “If you love her, it would.”
“Love her?” Zaureth barked out a laugh. “I do not even know her.”
Vaulcron’s gaze softened. “Love is a very powerful emotion. One does not decide who they will or will not love. If Amy Brighton truly is your destiny, there will not be an ocean big enough to keep you from her. Vows or no vows.”
Chapter Eight
Amy sat in the lobby of the hotel, sucking down a mixed drink she’d ordered upon entering.
Her heart still pounded from the memory of Zaureth’s possessive stance against Oz. Why had Zaureth acted so irrationally? It made no sense.
“Would you like another?” Oz asked, taking a seat next to her.
“Yes, please.” She turned her face in his direction. “I apologize for what happened earlier. I’m more than a little embarrassed.”
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