At that point, she’d been anxious for Will and Lloyd to leave. She’d wanted to be alone with John. The trance had left her more exhausted than she’d been when she’d lain down earlier for a nap. And after the day she’d had, all she wanted was to curl up against him and absorb his warmth and strength.
She glanced at the clock. “I guess dinner’s out,” she said, still trying to keep her tone light, and hoping she was misreading him. That he wasn’t angry with her, but maybe the situation.
Another nod.
“Look, I’m sorry about tonight,” she blurted and tossed the afghan she’d had wrapped around her, on the floor. “I need to get dressed.” She needed to distance herself from his probing gaze. “If you still plan on sticking around, I’ll make us some sandwiches.”
In two strides, he had her pinned to the door. “You better believe I plan on sticking around. And quit apologizing. Nothing that happened here tonight was your fault.”
“Really? Lloyd would never have outed himself and Will if it wasn’t for me.”
He ran a finger along her cheek. “It seems to me like it was a long time coming. Maybe tonight was just what they needed. A little push in the right direction.”
His soothing voice, the trail of heat his finger left on her cheek, and the assurance in his eyes made her smile.
“Besides,” he said. “Now I know Lloyd doesn’t have a thing for you.”
“What?” she half-laughed. “You thought Lloyd had the hots for me? That’s just gross. He’s like a brother to me.”
“I see that now. But you’re so gorgeous, fun, and smart, I couldn’t help being jealous every time he was around you.”
“So you’re not mad about tonight? Because you were kinda giving off that vibe.”
“Is reading my aura part of your talents, too?” he asked with a wry grin, then tilted her chin with his finger. “I’m not mad, at least not at you, more like at myself.”
“What are you talking about? You didn’t do anything wrong. Actually, I’d say you were in the right place at the right time.”
“It’s more than that. Honey, I...need to be honest about something.”
Her breath hitched at the regret in his dark eyes, and the guilt lining his face. Confused, she asked, “Was it something I did during the trance?”
“No, it was something I did, or rather assumed.” He released a deep breath, the warmth of it brushing against her lips like a caress. “When I got here tonight, with the way the door had been left open, at first I thought you were in trouble. Then, when I caught your and Lloyd’s reflection in the mirror, with the way you were on the floor, and the way Lloyd was over you, I instantly thought...” He looked over her shoulder.
“You thought Lloyd and I were having sex.”
He moved his gaze to hers. “I’m sorry I didn’t trust you, and that I assumed the worst.”
She settled her hands around his neck. “You’re human, John. I don’t blame you for how you reacted. You’ve been betrayed in the past, and trust is new to you. If the situation were turned around, I might have assumed the same thing.”
He ran his palms along her arms. “How is it you know me better than I know myself.”
She shrugged. “Didn’t I tell you I was a mind reader, too?” She gave him a quick kiss on the lips. “Now let me go change, and then I’ll make us something to eat.”
“Nope. You’ve had a rough night, even if you don’t remember half of it.” He gently sifted his fingers through her hair until he found the small lump at the back of her scalp. “How does your head feel?”
“Better.”
“Good, but I still want you to take it easy, not wait on me. Why don’t you go upstairs?” He turned her toward the steps. “And relax in the tub. I’ll bring you up a glass of wine and then I’ll make us something to eat.”
Not willing to fight such a tempting offer, she headed upstairs, then paused and looked over her shoulder as a thought occurred to her. “You know I don’t remember my trances or anything that’s happening around me during them. Why did you tell me about how you’d assumed Lloyd and I were...ya know?”
“Because I don’t want any lies, half-truths or misunderstandings between us. Ever.”
Her heart melted. “Thank you,” she managed as she wondered if he could be any more perfect. She’d never met a man like him, and doubted any others would compare.
When he slid his gaze to her bare legs, the heat in his eyes sent a wave of desire straight between her thighs. He cleared his throat, and quickly looked away. “Head upstairs,” he said, his tone now rough and husky. “I’ll be up in bit with your wine.”
She took a few steps, the sexual tension thick between them, even as she began distancing herself. Swearing she could feel his hot gaze still on her, she looked over her shoulder again and caught him staring at her ass. “I thought you were heading to the kitchen.”
“It’s pretty tough to move with a view like this.”
“How about now?” she asked, and shimmied out of her panties.
With a groan, he said, “You’re killing me.” Then he disappeared around the corner.
Smiling at the promise of what was to come, and pleased the night would be salvaged after all, she turned on the faucet and finished undressing. After several minutes, she added a couple drops of scented oil to the bath water, then stepped into the tub. She sloshed the few inches that had accumulated over the cold porcelain, then relaxed into the tub, lying back and letting her toes receive a massage from the forceful spray gushing from the faucet.
As the water rose, the fragrance of vanilla and hazelnut mingled with the steam filling the small bathroom. The heat from the lapping water, the scent from the bath oil, and the memory of John’s hot gaze had her primed and ready to explode with sexual need. Yet she couldn’t stop her mind from wandering. She couldn’t stop the guilt from interfering with what her body and heart wanted.
John had admitted to assuming the worst when he’d arrived tonight. He’d apologized for believing she’d cheat on him, and for not trusting her.
Because I don’t want any lies, half-truths or misunderstandings between us. Ever.
His words echoed in her mind. She wanted to dunk her head in the water and drown them out. While she hadn’t lied or told any half-truths, Ian’s secret, make that her secret, might fall somewhere in between.
From the moment Ian had revealed the truth, she’d wanted to talk to John. He had a logical spin on everything, and she valued his opinion. But she’d promised Ian she wouldn’t confide in John, and while she owed the man nothing, he could hold a valuable key to her future. Not necessarily the job offer at CORE, but more importantly, information about her mother that only he knew.
Although he’d given her better insight into her gift today, he’d told her there was so much more for her to learn. So much more he could teach her about the trances, the visions, and how to handle being a medium. She needed to know these things, especially after what had happened tonight.
As the bath water lapped against her breasts, she thought back to when she’d lain down for a nap. She suspected she’d slipped into the trance when she’d cleared her mind and had stared at the ceiling fan as it made hypnotic, lazy circles.
She frowned. She’d stared at that ceiling fan before, and had never had a trance because of it. Maybe it had been her state of exhaustion. Or maybe something else had been the trigger. Either way, she needed to know how to control her gift. She needed to know the true capacity of its power.
In order to obtain this knowledge from Ian, she had to keep the secret of her parentage from John. A condition she didn’t like, but would endure, even if she suspected Ian’s reasons for keeping John in the dark were more than he’d described. Sure, she understood, Ian didn’t want John distracted from the investigation, or worried about the boss’s daughter’s involvement. Still, after how upfront and honest John had been, not only tonight, but last night when he’d told her about Renee, she wished she could be just
as honest.
Ian said he’d stick around Wissota Falls for a couple of days. She’d keep his secret from John until he left. Then she’d tell him the truth. John would understand. He had an easy way of rationalizing things without allowing his emotions to be involved. And he worked for Ian, so he likely understood his boss better than she did.
With a deep sigh, she let the heat in the room and the aromatic fragrances relax her. Thoughts of Ian fled and were replaced with John. The way his hungry gaze had traveled along her bare legs, the way his eyes nearly devoured her when she’d slipped off her panties.
A small rap at the door made her jump. Water overflowed onto the floor and she quickly shut off the faucet.
“You’re supposed to bathe, not swim in the tub,” John said with a chuckle as he closed the door behind him.
“It’s not that high.”
He set the wine glass on the counter, then placed a towel in front of the tub. It instantly soaked up the water.
“Okay, so I guess I wasn’t paying attention.”
As he handed her the wine glass, he arched a brow. “Why’s that? What were you thinking about?”
Heat that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room raced across her cheeks. “You,” she answered honestly.
His gaze traveled over her breasts as she scooted up a bit to take a sip of the wine. “Care to share the details?”
“Care to join me and find out?”
Smiling he let his eyes move over her body. “I’d love to, but if I hop into your tiny tub, you might end up with water stains on your downstairs ceiling.”
“We don’t want that,” she said, and took a sip of the wine.
“No, we don’t.” He kissed her forehead. “I checked the fridge. What’ll it be? A turkey or ham sandwich?”
“Don’t worry about fixing us something to eat now. Stay. Keep me company.”
He acted as if he weighed the decision, then a crooked grin slid across his lips. “I suppose I can suffer the torture of watching you bathe.”
She laughed and set her wine glass on the ledge in the corner of the tub. “Such a martyr.”
After replacing the wet towel with a dry one, he knelt on the floor in front of the tub. “Aren’t I, though? I guess if you’re going to make me sit here with you, I might as well put myself to use.” He dipped a washcloth into the water.
“An excellent idea,” she said as he began at her toes, then dragged the soaked cotton to her calf.
He moved the washcloth up her legs. “I thought so.”
Unfortunately, he bypassed the apex of her thighs, and drew circles on her stomach. Lying naked in the tub, with him fully clothed, had her more turned on than she’d imagined. The idea of having him wash her body, concentrating on every erogenous zone made her nipples harden, and caused a dull ache between her thighs. As much as she loved taking a long soak in the tub, a rare treat with her schedule, she wanted to forget the bath. She needed him on top of her, in her.
“So tell me about your day?” he asked, as he massaged her torso, her rib cage.
Was he kidding?
She didn’t want to talk about her day. She wanted him. Obviously he meant to torture her, though. Some martyr. “Seeing as how you know how it started, how it ended, and I’d already told you the in-between stuff when you’d called. Why don’t you tell me about your day?”
Shifting the washcloth, he edged closer to her breasts. Close, but still not touching.
“There’s not much to tell. Nothing earth shattering happened after we talked this afternoon.”
“Until you walked in on another one of my trances. And then there was that whole Lloyd kissing Will thing.”
He chuckled. “True.”
“Does it bother you that my brother and Lloyd are gay?”
“I could care less,” he said, still stroking her.
Considering John’s proclivity for honesty, she believed him. His opinion of Will mattered to her. She loved her brother, and couldn’t imagine being with a man who would be prejudiced against him.
She rested her wet hand over his, stilling his movements along her torso. “Thank you.”
“For what?” He met her gaze. “It’s like I told your brother and Lloyd, I don’t care about their relationship, I only care about ours.”
Her heart pounded hard enough she wouldn’t be surprised if he felt it beneath the washcloth. She wanted them to be in a relationship. She wanted to know what his idea of a relationship actually meant. While she’d fallen in love with him, he might not feel the same. Yes, he obviously enjoyed being with her, but what if she told him about Ian? That she had an offer to move to Chicago?
She was about to ask him to define their relationship, but chickened out and forced him to drag the washcloth to her breast, instead. Did she really want to know? She’d walked into this knowing he’d eventually leave. Was there any need to define what they had together?
He cupped her breast, and dragged the terrycloth along her nipple eliciting a strong tug, a deep throb between her thighs. “Uh-uh.” He leaned over the tub until they were nose to nose. “This,” he said, and thumbed her nipple, “isn’t the only thing I want from you.”
Feathering his other hand through her hair until he gently cupped her head, he brushed his lips against hers. “Sex is sex,” he said against her lips. “But when I’m with you, all I can think about is your pleasure, your release, and showing you how special you are to me.”
He moved the washcloth between her thighs. She gasped and arched. “I love the way you respond to me.” He held her gaze as he rubbed the wet material against her clit. “God, the scent of you drives me crazy.” He nipped at her lower lip, then nuzzled his nose against her ear.
“I love the way you laugh, the way your quick mind works.” He tickled her earlobe with his teeth, his hot breath sending goose bumps along her skin despite the warmth of the bath water. “I love that you accept my faults, the way you’ve brought peace and fulfillment to my life. I love everything about you, and I can’t imagine living in Chicago without you.”
She froze. A split second ago, she’d been lost in his words, his praises, his touch. Now her heart swirled with relief, and burst with love.
He hadn’t exactly said he loved her, or even asked her to move to Chicago with him, though.
As much as what he had said meant the world to her, she needed crystal clear clarity before she’d allow her hopes and dreams to rise, only to have them plummet because she’d misunderstood. “Maybe my mind isn’t as quick as you think, because I’m not sure what you’re saying,” she said.
He dropped the washcloth and cupped her cheeks. His dark eyes swirled with a multitude of emotions, as he brushed the pad of his thumb along her lips. “I want you to move to Chicago with me. After being with you, and the way you’ve filled the other half of my soul, I can’t imagine living in my condo alone, waking up without you, falling asleep without holding you. I love you, Celeste. I realize this must seem sudden, and if you need time to think about it we could—”
She grabbed his head with her wet hands and kissed him with all of the love she’d been bottling inside. He met her kiss, his lips melting against hers, his tongue demanding, intoxicating as he ran his hands along her back and cradled her to his chest.
Water sloshed around her, splashing him and soaking his shirt as she tried to lessen the inches between them. The air in the small bathroom became humid, steamier. The bathwater lukewarm compared to the heat radiating from his body and the hot need that scorched her with each press of his lips, each dip and stroke of his tongue.
Yet, in the dark recesses of her mind, she sensed he held back. She needed him to let go. She needed his love, his heart, his soul—because he already had hers.
Breaking the kiss, she held his strong jaw and stared into his eyes. They were hooded with desire, love and uncertainty. At that moment, she realized he needed more than her simply showing him how she felt. He needed to hear the words, too.
&n
bsp; During the last two days, she’d been so uncertain of his feelings for her, she hadn’t wanted to risk the humiliation of rejection or appear as if she were angling for him to sweep her away from Wissota Falls to live with him in Chicago. But now that she knew he loved her, she could tell him the same, without risk, without shame, without the worry of him breaking her heart.
She couldn’t stop her eyes from misting, or the tear that slipped down her cheek. “I love you, too.” She dug her fingers into his hair. “I can’t imagine my life without you.”
He tightened his arms around her. “You’ll come to Chicago? I know it might not be the city you would have chosen on your own, but my job...”
Ian’s own job offer hung on the tip of her tongue. Now didn’t seem like the appropriate time to bring that information to light. There would be too many questions from his end, and quite frankly, she didn’t want to dredge up the roller coaster of emotions Ian had sent her on today. The only emotions she wanted deal with now were the ones between John and her.
“I’d go anywhere with you, as long as it means we’ll be together.” She reached the waistband of his khakis and tugged his shirt free. “And that I can bring my gnomes with me,” she added with a small smile as she slid her hands beneath his shirt.
Cupping her bottom, he lifted her from the tub, then draped a towel around her. “All of them?”
“Of course. Each one has sentimental value.”
With a sexy grin, he scooped her in his arms, then carried her to the bed. He rubbed the towel over her damp body, giving her breasts more attention than necessary. “The plates and glasses, too?” he asked, moving the towel lower and spreading her thighs.
She released a moan as the soft, fluffy material rasped against her clit. “They’re collector’s items,” she managed to say despite the burning need racing through her.
With a light chuckle, he tossed the towel on the floor. Cool air from the ceiling fan rushed over her, puckering her nipples and sending another series of goose bumps along her skin.
CORE Shadow [1] Shadow of Danger Page 29