by Meg Anne
Before she could protest, Lucas twisted her around so that her back faced his front. His hands began deeply kneading the tense muscles in her neck and shoulders.
“Dear God, yes,” she moaned, her eyes falling closed as her chin dropped to her chest.
Lucas’ fingers faltered, but he was quick to resume the slow movements, chuckling behind her. “Feels good, huh?”
“If this detective thing doesn’t work out, you’d make a fortune as a massage therapist.”
“That so?”
“Mmm,” she groaned in agreement as his touch sent tingles cascading down her body
His fingers were warm and strong against her skin, and Skye found herself wishing that they would dip beneath the neck of her T-shirt to continue their exploration. His hands were large and spanned most of her back. She should have felt vulnerable, but all she felt was… cherished.
Lucas’ hands shifted, his four fingers moving along her collar bone while his thumbs worked at the tight muscles above her shoulders. Her pulse began to race at the scrape of his calloused fingers against the top of her chest. Skye sucked in a shaky breath, her heart picking up despite his soothing touch while heat pooled low in her belly. She was desperate to know what it would feel like to have those hands running along the rest of her body. Especially her breasts. Skye could think of nothing she wanted more than for him to take their weight in his hands while his fingers deftly rolled the hardened peaks.
Skye whimpered, and heat rolled into her face as the image blossomed in her mind. She shifted her hips slightly, trying to alleviate the ache that had started to build as Lucas continued to work at her back.
Nothing made sense when it came to Lucas. Everything she’d believed about men and relationships was getting set on its head, because the more time they spent together, the more she desired.
“Feel better?” he asked, pulling her out of her trance.
“Yes, thank you.” Skye forced herself to take a deep breath and pull herself together. She turned to give him a grateful smile and was startled by how close he was. His blue eyes seemed to glow in the dim light. Skye dropped her eyes to his mouth, which was lifted in an amused grin. He hadn’t missed the way her body responded to his touch. Skye’s tongue darted out to lick her lips, wishing they were his.
“Skye,” he said her name like it was a prayer and a curse.
This was it. She could move toward him and change the nature of their relationship forever, or she could stay put and keep them in the safety of the friend zone. Who was she kidding? It wasn’t even a question. They’d been set on this course since he found her on that balcony.
Skye closed the distance between them, her lips brushing against his in a feather-soft kiss. Her lips were tentative at first, giving him the opportunity to pull away. She should have known better; Lucas’ response was immediate. He gripped the back of her neck to crush his mouth to hers. A kiss had never consumed her like this before; everywhere they touched felt like it was on fire. His lips were hard against hers, and she opened beneath him, ready for all that he had to offer.
She moaned when his tongue pushed in and began its seductive dance with hers. He pulled back, and Skye made a low whimper of protest.
Lucas chuckled, his breath feathering over her lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” The promise was whispered against her skin, Lucas’ voice deeper than she’d ever heard it. He trailed kisses along her jaw while he threaded his hand through her hair.
Need coiled inside her. The tug of his hands in her hair combined with the heat of his mouth at her neck had her body arching into his, desperate to get closer.
Lucas shifted his hands, dropping them to her hips and tugging her until she was sitting in his lap, straddling his legs. Those brilliant blue eyes seared into hers, checking to make sure she was okay before pulling her back for another searing kiss. Skye’s hips rolled into the place where his hardness pressed into her and this time it was Lucas who let out a low groan.
Skye’s hands ran along Lucas’ hard body, eager to feel his warm skin pressed against hers. She sat back, her hips rocking against him. Lucas looked up at her with heavy-lidded eyes as he pressed into her. Her eyes fluttered at the tiny explosions that little bit of pressure set off inside her.
“I want to see you,” Skye whispered.
Lucas’ eyes smoldered at her words. He reached back and pulled his T-shirt off in one smooth motion. Skye swallowed as she took in the sight of him. She knew he was fit, but she hadn’t been prepared for the sight of all those chiseled muscles. His body was beautifully defined, like one of those classical sculptures she’d spent years studying. But instead of cool marble, Lucas’ skin was hot to the touch.
Skye half expected him to tease her with some flippant ‘Like what you see, Giovanni,’ but he remained quiet while she looked her fill.
There was a puckered scar at his shoulder, and Skye touched it softly, her brow lifting in silent question.
“Gun shot,” Lucas answered, his voice like sandpaper.
The thought of Lucas being shot had a pang of something icy jolt through her. Skye bent down to press her lips against the scar. Lucas’ heartbeat thundered beneath her lips.
Lucas wove his hands through her hair, lifting her face back to his. “I need to taste you.”
The words caused a flood of desire to roll through her.
His kisses were hot and hard, each one more frantic than the last. His hands were at her shirt, slowly pulling it up.
“Do you want this as badly as I do?” he asked, his chest heaving with each heavy breath.
“Fuck yes,” she moaned, threading her hands through his hair to pull him back to her.
The crash of the door had Skye flying off Lucas’ lap as he jumped up.
Chapter 22
Lucas
Lucas spun to the door, his hands moving to the gun that wasn’t there. He relaxed only slightly when he saw an enraged Matthews and shaken Lizzie standing in his doorway.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” Lucas snapped as he tugged his shirt back on, his adrenaline quickly replacing his sexual fog as his eyes bounced between them.
“Care to explain how a man just fuckin’ disappears into thin air?” Matthews said instead, his jaw clenched and his arms crossed.
Lucas’ annoyance at being interrupted drained away only to be replaced by bone-deep fear.
“He was there?” Skye asked in a shaky voice, moving to stand beside him. He spared her a quick glance, taking in her mussed hair and kiss-swollen lips. There wasn’t time to do more than squeeze her hand before returning his attention to his partner.
“Are you two okay?” Lucas asked, moving around the couch and toward them.
Matthews glared at him. “No thanks to you, asshole. You want me protecting your sister, fine, but tell me what I need to know to keep her safe. A man who appears out of fucking thin air is a pretty big thing to leave out.”
“Lizzie, I’m so sorry,” Lucas said, wrapping his arms around his sister.
“You have some fucking explaining to do,” Matthews said again, once Lucas let Lizzie go.
Lucas ran a hand over his face. Fuck. He was over here trying to get into Skye’s pants while his sister was in danger. What the fuck kind of brother did that? “I’m sorry man. I didn’t know how to tell you. It’s not exactly a normal thing to explain. I promise I will tell you everything, but can you tell me what happened first?”
Matthews glowered, not looking happy at having to wait, but obliging anyway. “She was attacked behind the diner while I pulled the car around.”
“You left her alone?” Lucas growled, a vein throbbing in his forehead.
“Oh, for shit’s sake, you two,” Skye interjected. “How about we shelve the fucking blame game and just act like adults.”
“How about you add some light to the actual situation?” Matthews shoved a finger into Lucas’ chest, ignoring her completely. “Tell me how a man managed to appear into an alley that I had done
a walk through before going to get the car, and then dissa-fucking-peared right in front of my face. Oh, and by the way, he apparently has added my name to a kill list, so thanks for that.” Lucas’ anger deflated. He ran a hand over his face. “Fuck, man.”
“Yeah, I’d say that’s the appropriate reaction.”
Beside him, Skye whispered, “But it’s dark.”
Lucas looked at her curiously. “Yeah, it’s after ten; of course it is.”
“In my vision, the Druid went after her in daylight, so why did he attack tonight?”
“What the fuck do you mean vision?” Matthews asked, looking between Lucas and Skye. Lizzie sagged in a chair, her eyes wide as she watched the others.
“Don’t they change?” Lucas asked.
Matthews fumed while Skye emphatically shook her head. Lucas noted the way her pupils had all but drained out the amber irises; she was genuinely terrified. “No, Lucas they don’t. Once I have a vision, that’s it, unless somebody directly interferes while the real event is taking place to change the outcome. But even then the initial event would be the same. This shouldn’t have happened Lucas. Not tonight.”
“So, what changed?” Lucas asked.
Skye grabbed his arm, her fingers digging in painfully. “We met with the professor.”
Lucas was grabbing his phone before she finished the sentence, but Matthews smacked it out of his hand. “Not uh, you tell me what is going on right fucking now, asshole. I’m done being left in the dark.”
“You sure you want to know? You may not believe me.”
“You said that before, but I’m fairly open-minded, so how about you give me the opportunity to prove you wrong before shutting me out.”
“How do you feel about magic?” Lucas asked.
That brought his partner up short. Whatever Matthews had expected him to say, it clearly wasn’t that. “Magic? Like witches and wizard shit?”
“Why does everyone always assume it’s a wizard?” Skye muttered.
“So,” his partner said, pacing a path in the carpet. If he didn’t stop soon, Lucas would be out a security deposit. “Let me get this straight…”
Lucas took a deep breath, leaning forward to rest his elbows on his knees. They’d been at this for thirty minutes or more—
“Skye is a Gypsy Seer who can see how people bite it before it happens, and some crazy-ass Druid is after you?”
“After us now, apparently,” Lucas corrected dryly.
“Well, this is just fucking fantastic.” Matthews took a seat on the couch next to Lizzie and leaned against her as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Lucas ignored the hit to his stomach seeing her so close to his partner.
“We met with Professor Zane today, hoping he could identify the language on the walls of the crime scenes,” Skye added, her voice steady and strong—the complete opposite of how he felt inside.
“So the markings are a language?”
Skye nodded. “They’re actually called runes. They compose a spell of some kind. It looks like he believes”—she paused, looking at Lucas—“do you want me to tell them?”
Lucas sighed. “Skye thinks this guy believes I’m a Druid, too.”
“Lucas is a Druid,” Skye insisted.
James looked over at him, and Lucas forced his eyes away from his sister. “You’re a wizard too?”
“Not a wizard,” Skye growled.
Lucas shook his head. “He’s made a mistake.” He could all but feel Skye roll her eyes. He knew she believed he possessed some kind of power, but that was absolutely ludicrous. It’s not like he was the one appearing and disappearing whenever he wanted. And there were times in his life he certainly had wanted to do just that. This particular moment at the top of the list.
“Oh, so you can believe that Druids and fortune tellers”—he looked at Skye—“no offense—”
“None taken.”
“—are real,” James continued, “but not that you might be one of them? Why the hell would he target you if you aren’t?”
“Because he’s insane. Since when do murderers have to have a good reason to kill?”
“Since he’s tried to kill your sister twice now. You’re smarter than this, Lucas. Put the pieces together and stop trying to find a different reason just because you don’t like the obvious answer.”
“You’re telling me that you believe all of this? Without hesitation?” Lucas asked.
James shrugged. “Had I not seen the asshole disappear in front of my eyes, it might have been a little harder to grasp. But I’ve witnessed it firsthand; I know I’m not crazy.”
“That makes one of us,” Lucas muttered.
“I’m tired.” Lizzie stood and stretched. She headed toward the door, and Lucas stopped her.
“Where are you going?”
“Home.”
“Lizzie, you need to stay here.”
She crossed her arms and eyed him defiantly. “I want my bed. Hell, I only live down the hall. I promise if anyone shows up I will scream really loud.”
“No.”
“You can’t tell me no.” She walked over and poked him in the chest much like James had done earlier. “I am an adult, and I want to go home. It’s not like you are doing anything productive to try and stop him anyway.”
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?”
“Gee, I don’t know.” She rolled her eyes. “How about the fact that you won’t even consider that you might possibly be a Druid. How are you supposed to protect us if you won’t face the truth?” She glanced over her shoulder. “Goodnight,” she said, then opened the front door and slipped into the hallway.
“I’ll keep an eye on her,” James said, stepping out into the hall and shutting the door behind him.
“What the hell just happened?” Lucas asked.
“Your sister just voiced what we’re all thinking,” Skye said matter-of-factly.
Lucas shot her a glare just as Lucy started whining at the door. He retrieved her leash, his temper causing him to pick it up with more force than strictly necessary. “I’ll be back,” he shot over his shoulder as he opened the door and stepped out.
Chapter 23
Skye
Skye stood on Lucas’ balcony, overlooking the dark city. By the time Lucas had come back from his walk, both of their tempers had cooled considerably. With Matthews and Lizzie gone, they were finally able to try and reach the professor, who Lucas had been trying to get ahold of for the last ten minutes with no luck.
Her mind was reeling. How had she not seen the attack coming? Lucas hadn’t said what she knew they were both thinking: if she could no longer see when the Druid was coming, they’d just lost the only edge they had, and that could mean death for them all.
She closed her eyes and felt the wind lift the hair off her shoulders. What the hell were they going to do now? The Druid could pop up anywhere he wanted, whenever he wanted, and there was nothing they could do about it. No way they could keep him from coming in and snapping all their necks like she’d seen him do to Lizzie in her first vision.
Lucas stepped out to join her.
Skye didn’t turn around to look at him, afraid of what she might find if she did. “Anything?”
“No. I’m sure he’s just asleep for the night.” Lucas’ voice was low and measured. He was down-playing his concern, trying not to worry her further. Skye appreciated the attempt, even though it wasn’t working. She nodded for his benefit, not believing for a second that was the case. The way things were going, luck didn’t seem to be on their side.
Lucas put his hands on her arms and she leaned back against him. He trailed his fingers up and down her skin, offering comfort that was different than the intense passion they shared earlier on the couch.
“It’s going to be okay, Skye.”
Frustrated tears filled her eyes. “I don’t know how. I don’t know enough to keep you safe.”
He turned her around so he could look into her eyes. “It’s not your job to keep me
safe, Skye. Let me worry about that.”
“How are you supposed to do that when you won’t even admit what you are?”
If Lucas was, in fact, a Druid, he was the only one of them who stood a chance keeping them alive. But that was only if he actually accepted the fact and learned about his heritage.
Skye stood in the center of the diner, watching Lizzie and Lucas laugh while James recounted a joke he’d heard earlier. She smiled at the relaxing atmosphere and waved her hand to greet them.
“Hey guys.”
No one turned around or acknowledged her, so she repeated more loudly, “Hey guys!”
When they still didn’t hear her, she took a step toward them, curious why they were ignoring her.
“They can’t hear you.”
Skye’s back went ramrod straight as she felt hard fingers trace a line up her spine.
“You know, I’ve taken quite an interest in you, Seer.”
The Druid’s breath was hot on her neck, and her blood iced. She was afraid to move, afraid that if she so much as drew in a breath, he would sense her fear. “What do you want?” she asked, proud when her voice didn’t shake.
“I’m not entirely sure, yet.” His fingers continued their dance up and down her back. “I used to think I wanted power, and I suppose I still do, but now I think I want to find out what this strange connection is between us.”
“We don’t have a connection,” she snapped, not taking her eyes off of her friends as she urged them to turn around and see her, to help her. But they just continued laughing and talking as if nothing was wrong.
“I’ve never heard of a Gypsy being able to interact with their visions the way you can. Sure, there have been some who can See the future, but you somehow manage to get inside my head while you’re witnessing my work. It’s a strange feeling, and one I find I quite enjoy.”
His fingers stopped at the base of her neck, digging into the tender skin as he wrapped his hand around it. He leaned in closer, his breath stirring the hair at the back of her neck.