Not so with Rori. The longer he held her, the more pieces of the universe dropped into place around him. Even asleep, she brightened his existence. Cheesy? Maybe. But there it was. There’d been a twinge of connection the moment he’d healed her the first time. Barely there, the sense of awareness had almost slipped his notice. He chalked it up to her latent psychic abilities. They acted as a silent bell that rang for Primani to hear. He’d definitely heard that bell, but shrugged it off. He was beginning to realize there was more going on than he’d ever dreamed. Their connection was being woven more tightly every day. The strands of their lives were being pulled inward, drawing them together, drawing them towards an end that would be a true beginning. He sensed it when she’d been dreaming at the penthouse. Dreams of flames and black demons… dreams that he was caught in, dark visions he understood all too well. The window, the shattered glass… those wings. Her nightmare, his life.
Her retrocognition was another thread. He knew it in his gut. She’d seen Gary Carmichael’s spirit, calling to her from the past. Woodstock. She didn’t understand the little boy’s importance, but he did. He and Sean had been working this case for decades, but the trail was ice cold. The boy’s remains were never recovered. His mother died a few years later under odd circumstances, too. The official autopsy report listed the cause of death as a drug overdose. Hell, it was the 70s… Everyone did drugs, right? The police didn’t do much digging into it, and there was no family left to press for an investigation. He never believed the autopsy was right, but they didn’t have permission to stay on the case. Because of this, her death haunted him for years. Still did, if he was honest. Now they had a lead: Father Joseph.
Thanks to Rori.
Everything about her fit him perfectly. Her energy called him in a way he’d never experienced before. She made him hum from head to toe. His blood raced every time he kissed her, touched her, just friggin’ leaned against her… it wasn’t lust, wasn’t just sexual. He wanted to hold her, protect her, love her. Wait! Hold up. Where did that come from? Closing his eyes, he grimaced at the crazy idea. Love? Ah, hell. This wasn’t part of the plan. He opened his eyes and groaned out loud. He was so screwed.
A flicker of motion interrupted his inner monologue. What he saw took his breath away. One day he would swear this was the defining moment of his entire existence. It was the one moment when he knew without any doubts whatsoever that he was doing the right thing. He was in the right place, the exact place he needed to be at that precise second of time. Every thought in his mind? Validated. Every feeling in his heart? Validated.
Terrified it would disappear if he moved too quickly, he pressed Rori’s fingers to his mouth, kissing them hard. Raising her chin so she could see too, he whispered urgently, “Look!”
Directly in front of them, a sunbeam pierced the canopy of branches before plunging straight into the creek. The playful spray refracted the white light like a prism, separating it into clearly defined rays of brilliant colors. The effect was a rainbow exploding at their feet. Every creature in the forest stilled. Not a single sound distracted from the beautiful sight.
The finger of God…
Even the massive trees bent ahead of the storm. Their leaves clung desperately before being ripped away by the howling gale. Bruised clouds tumbled and surged across the heavens, their energy gathering, building into something more terrible, more destructive than Mother Nature herself could imagine. Lightning knifed across the churning mass before stabbing the earth below.
All of God’s creatures bolted for the safety of dens and caves. They knew better than to stay in the open. None thought to risk the onslaught, opting for survival instead, except for one.
Rori huddled behind a rock. She crouched low, shivering in the cold, wishing for the nightmare to end. She’d traveled these woods for countless days and nights without food, without sleep, without a compass. Lost. Exhausted. Starving.
She had no idea what was going on. How had she gotten here? Was she asleep? Was she even alive? Maybe this was purgatory? She couldn’t escape the constant stream of images that bombarded her day and night. Were they dreams? Memories? Her subconscious sorting out the last minutes of her life? She didn’t know, didn’t understand any of this. So she ran, and ran, and ran.
Pursued by the demon, she never saw its face, never touched its body. Like a shadow, it followed her, filling her with panic, terror.
“Leave me alone!” she screamed over her shoulder every day.
“You’re mine. Mine! Run now. Run fast. But in the end, you will welcome me.” The demon’s velvety voice made her skin crawl, made her nauseous, even worse, sent arousal curling through her veins.
Relentless, it came for her until she crawled on her knees, desperate to escape its call, too exhausted to run. As the daylight in her dream faded, she’d collapse, waiting for the claws to rip her apart again.
But it didn’t attack.
Each sunrise she’d wake up to find it standing over her wherever she’d fallen asleep.
“Say yes, Rori,” he demanded every dawn.
Every day, she scrambled to her feet and ran until her body gave out. The forest surprised her with hiding places at the most unexpected times. They simply showed up when she needed one. She threw herself behind the boulders or massive trees, crouching and panting like a terrified rabbit.
Danger was everywhere. She wasn’t safe. She wasn’t safe. The demon was always there. Her heart beat like a jackhammer in her chest making it impossible to hear footsteps. She closed her eyes, refusing to cry, willing her damn heart to settle down so she could rest. One day she heard him.
Follow my voice.
The command was faint, distant, but she heard it clearly. The words lingered inside her mind. She’d sat up, straining to hear them. The voice was gone. The next morning, she woke to the shadow and the demon’s demand. Sprinting into the trees again, she prayed, chanted really, “I’m here. I’m here. I’m here.” She ran blindly, but this time she saw his face in her mind’s eye. Blue eyes, curved lips. Worried frown.
Declan!
Follow my voice, Rori. Come on baby girl, follow my voice. I miss you.
“Dec! I’m here! I can’t get out! I can’t get out!” she cried out between gasps of breath. “Where are you?”
Spinning around, she peered intently into the shadows. The foliage was dense, pressing in from all sides as she frantically searched for him. She saw nothing in her nightmare. Nothing different from any other day… storm clouds, dark forest, chattering birds… Wait! That was new. Birds?
I’m your anchor. Reach for me!
“I’m trying! Oh God, Dec! Where are you? Help me! Help me!”
Lightning struck the ground in front of her, sprawling her flat on her back, stunned by the force. Squinting against the blinding light, she barely noticed the weight of the shadow settling over her.
Look!
Dec’s command rang louder than the clap of thunder that echoed in the mountains. The shadow froze in mid-stride.
A brilliant prism speared the ground, widening to form a wall between her and the demon. She threw her hands over her eyes as the light sucked her in.
Rori snapped upright like she’d been electrocuted. Her breath came out in a harsh gasp as she swallowed a scream. He nearly jumped out of his skin.
“Rori!”
She tumbled out of his arms, landing on her elbows and staring in horror.
Her terror rapidly evaporated when she realized who he was. Dragging her into his arms, he held her hard enough to leave bruises. She clung, weeping all over his chest while he stroked her hair and dropped kisses on the top of her head.
“Oh, thank God! You found me.”
The clouds shifted to diffuse the rainbow into natural white light. The vibrant colors were gone, but the sensation of glorious peace remained strong. He would never be certain, but he thought he heard a soft chuckle drifting on the wind.
As her tears slowed, he held her even tighter. He wasn’
t taking any chances with this one. No one was ripping her out of his arms. She wrapped her arms around him, pulling him closer, and his heart settled into a happy beat. All was right in the world.
She finally gazed into his eyes, searching, probing. “Are you an angel?”
He couldn’t look away from the question. She had a huge tear dangling from her lashes…
“You’re back from a coma, and that’s your first thought? You haven’t eaten in over a week. Aren’t you hungry? Thirsty? Itchy?”
Still groggy, she gnawed her lower lip before wagging her head to clear it. “You saved me.” She reached out, cupping his cheek in her palm, closing her eyes. As she caressed him, every layer of armor fell away. Clink. Clink. Clink. She left him with no place to hide. Exposed. Naked.
Moving carefully so he wouldn’t startle her, he pulled the shirt over his head. Turning to the side, he dropped his eyes over his shoulder. At his nod, she reached for him. Slowly, softly, she explored him with feathery strokes that tickled yet sent his blood racing.
“Go ahead, darlin’. Look. Touch. Find your answers.”
Rori was treading on shaky ground, she knew that. He was beautiful. Perfect. His face was like a painting, a sculpture. The hard planes could seem cruel, but right now were softened by his emotions. Love? Patience? She didn’t know, but she knew one thing for sure. He wasn’t trying to hide now. He’d taken his shirt off, and she’d lost the use of her vocal chords. He was beautifully made; muscular without being massively huge, golden skin that begged for kisses… he turned so she could see him, and she froze. What would she do if he had wings sprouting from his shoulders?
“No wings?”
Grinning like a naughty little boy, he shook his head. “Sorry. No wings.” He captured her roaming hand and kissed it. “I have other mad skills though if you’d like me to demonstrate. For instance, I can make you hot.”
He placed her hands on his shoulders and busted out laughing when she snatched them back with a horrified gasp. What the hell? He was glowing! The harder he laughed, the more obvious the light became. She was trying to put some distance between them, but he wouldn’t let her. Instead, he reclaimed her hands and forced them flat against his chest.
He scolded, “Uh-uh. You wanted answers. Man up and get them. The light is my saol. It’s our life force, technically. You might consider it the source of my powers. You have one too; but yours isn’t strong like mine is. Yours is human.” The teasing smile vanished. “Mine isn’t. Anymore.”
He wasn’t human? This was getting better and better! She seriously needed to put some space between them. She couldn’t think straight.
He pressed her hand harder against his chest. “Do you feel that? That’s my heart beating just like yours does. Don’t be afraid of me, Rori. I’m here to protect you. It’s what I do. I tried to tell you that before, but you didn’t want to trust me then. Do you trust me now?”
That was a good question. Did she?
She studied the trees in the distance while she considered her answer. After all of the crazy things that had happened in the past few months, she had to admit he’d been there for her without asking for payment. Strangely enough, she didn’t think he was insane anymore. “I do.”
“I’m sensing a ‘but’.”
He was really, really hard to resist. She brushed his bangs back from his eyes. His mouth curled into a lopsided, sexy as all hell grin. The impact slammed all the way to her toes.
“You could melt butter with that smile. How do we mere mortals resist you?”
Flushing an adorable shade of pink, he choked on his snappy comeback before clamping his lips together in a line. Was he embarrassed? How cute was that? Grumbling under his breath, he reached for his shirt, and she shocked them both by stopping him.
“Wait! I want to look at you.” Did I say that out loud? Crap.
He shot her an incredulous look before dropping the shirt and pushing gracefully to his feet. He moved so fast she scooted backwards with a girly cry of alarm. The grin he wore this time was all heat, no humor. Slow, sexy… forget butter, her entire body might combust. Before she could squeak out a protest, he unsnapped his jeans and dropped them in a pile. Kicking out of them in a movement that was so smoothly done he must’ve practiced it, he hauled her upright with her mouth hanging open.
Not an ounce of material in sight.
“Uh… uh, Dec… I’m not sure--” She kept her eyes pasted on his chest. His muscles were nicely shaped, hard, tanned... flat nipples begged for a kiss.
Oh, yeah, he certainly looked human!
He stood in full naked glory, daring her to look lower. He gave her that sexy grin again. She backed up. He stalked forward until her back came up against the granite boulder. His bare chest brushed her breasts. Something hot and velvety brushed her belly. With her heartbeat pounding in her ears, she swallowed hard and placed her hands on his forearms. Stopping him from moving forward? Keeping him from moving backwards? The hard muscle blazed at her touch. He had fine golden hair dusting across skin that she couldn’t resist caressing. Soft…
“Admit it. You wanted to know if I had all the correct equipment.” He was teasing her. She could tell by the humor in his voice, but he was so right. At that moment, she wanted to look down more than anything in the world.
He turned around and said over his shoulder, “I’ve been told I have a nice ass. What do you think?”
“Dec! You’re horrible! I am not looking at your ass!” But she couldn’t resist bursting into giggles at the lift of his eyebrows.
“Are you sure? I can stand here all day.”
“I’m sure you can.” A wistful sigh slipped out when she snagged a peek at his butt. Yum!
He was beside her so fast he was a blur. Lifting her chin, he winked before dropping a sweet kiss on her open mouth. “Don’t be so obvious. There’s time for us to get naked and hump like bunnies later. Right now, you need to recover your strength so you can keep up.”
With that he stepped into his jeans while she focused on his hands. Capable. Smooth. Hard. Those hands had nursed her, held her. How would they feel making love to her?
Chapter 14: Snow Angels at Play
“I CAN’T BELIEVE YOU STITCHED ME UP.” She studied her fresh scars with a critical eye. The stitches had been evenly spaced and small. The scars would fade into flat, silvery lines eventually. “You did an amazing job. Where did you learn to do that?”
He gave her an absent glance and answered with a frown, “Oh, I learned to stitch wounds from a Chinese Primani about a thousand years ago. His name was Tsang Tso.”
Something was bothering him. For the past few hours, he’d been distracted. She’d asked a ton of questions, trying to get caught up on what she’d missed. He’d answered her, but seemed to be lost in his own thoughts. And he was fiddling with that guitar pick again. The tortoise shell triangle seemed to be a part of his hand. He passed it over and under his fingers when he was thinking, tapped it on any hard surface if he was feeling impatient, and occasionally used it to actually pick out a song on his guitar. At the moment, he was sprawled across one of the recliners in the living room, one knee looped over the arm, combat boot bouncing to the slow beat he was creating in his head.
“Really? There are more Primani? How many are there?”
“Oh, not too many. A few hundred of us at the most. We’ve got small ops cells set up over all major population zones, keeping things in balance.”
Switching the sexy musician hat for the lovable bard hat, he sat up a little straighter and got into storytelling mode. In the past few days, she’d seen him change personas one right after another. He could also be ‘bossy doctor,’ ‘scary bodyguard,’ and ‘adorable playmate.’ He was a man of many faces. She wasn’t sure which one she was falling in love with, but the slide was happening every time her eyes met his. There was something between them… a spark, a connection. It was more than attraction. Her heart warmed the second he spoke to her. She got all fluttery and mush
y inside. It was a little disconcerting. Even more alarming, every time he touched her, she had to fight the urge to throw him to the floor and screw his brains out.
Damn. She was really, really glad he couldn’t read her mind.
After adding some more wood to the dying fire, he settled beside her on the leather couch. With one arm carelessly draped around her, he said, “You smell amazing. Too clean, I think. Maybe I need to dirty you up?” He dragged those finely-shaped fingers of his down the side of her face and under her jaw. “Are you purring? Really? How long has it been since you had a proper shagging?”
She snorted a laugh before chastising him in her most prim and proper tone, “A lady doesn’t talk about such things. Shame on you, sir!”
Before she could say another word, he caught her mouth with his and all thoughts of bantering flew out the window.
He hadn’t planned on kissing her just then, but damn, she was beautiful. Laughing up at him, eyes glowing with joy, a rosy flush on her cheeks… he couldn’t resist the impulse to taste her. The second he touched her, he wanted more. She slipped her tongue around his, and something inside went up in flames. Gentle. Gentle. Don’t rush. Don’t scare her…
He trapped her face between his palms, holding her mouth against his, taking his time, feeling every part of her mouth. She was so soft, sweet, like honey… Her lips, her tongue, the tiny indention in her lower lip…
“Dec!”
The banging on the front door rattled the hardware. “Dec? I know you’re here. The car’s out front. Come on, man, open up. I’ve got news.”
He dropped his head onto Rori’s chest with a groan. His vision was blurry; his heart pounded like a racehorse. He didn’t think he could move just yet. “I hate him.”
Rori, bless her heart, just fizzed with half-smothered giggles before finally breaking into an astonished grin.
The banging continued. Idiot. He yelled, “Stop pounding! I’ll be right there.” To Rori, he asked, “What?”
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