He wanted to be. And this was the first step.
But he needed a bit of help.
He turned and held his hand out to Freya. She came forward hesitantly, taking his hand, standing beside him quietly. She’d be there for him afterward, would take him home and keep the wolves of doubt at bay. Nate closed his eyes. He sat there for a while, remembering Ash’s instructions to ask his spirit guides for help and protection, enfolding himself in healing white light, letting Freya’s calm affection wash over him, filling himself with her love.
Then, eventually, he let Freya go and put his hands on his father’s head.
Even at seven in the evening, the February sun was still hot, and Freya knew her cheeks would be pink in the morning, with more freckles scattering her nose. Lambton Quay was busy, Mac’s Brewbar heaving with people enjoying the friendly atmosphere.
She sipped her ice-cold beer and studied the man sitting opposite her. Nate had his eyes closed, his face tipped up to the sun. She observed him quietly, still slightly in awe of him after what she’d witnessed in the hotel room that afternoon. She’d watched him heal his father, and it had been an experience the like of which she’d never seen before, and wasn’t sure she’d ever see again. Nate had sat there for about fifteen minutes, calm and concentrating, breathing deeply, while Ian lay limp and unresponsive under his hands, his skin tainted with the sickly yellowish-grey tinge of the dying.
And then something had happened. Outside, the rain had stopped and the clouds had parted, and Freya had watched the sun stream through a gap in the curtains, falling across the two men on the bed and showering them in gold. Ian gasped, but Nate didn’t move, his breathing deepening, his head dipping, although his hands remained on his father’s head, one on the crown, one cupping the back of his skull.
Ian’s eyes had flown open, though, his gaze fixing on his son’s face, and he’d shuddered, his fingers clawing at the bedcovers, but still Nate hadn’t released him. He’d continued to sit there as sweat poured down Ian’s face, soaking his pyjamas, and Freya had known she was witnessing a miracle.
Afterward, she’d wondered whether Nate would want to stay and talk to his family, but Ian had fallen into a deep sleep, and Nate had been keen to leave. He’d kissed his mother, hugged his brother and then walked out of the hotel a different man.
She studied him now, knowing he’d finally let go of his past, and feeling a rush of pleasure at the thought that they were both free. That morning, before they’d left to go to her parents’ house, Nate had told her that he wanted to go away with her. Not forever, just for a while, maybe six months or so, to travel and work in another country with her, helping her to heal those less fortunate than themselves. She’d known that the possibility of such an event depended on whether they could sort out their problems. But they had, and tomorrow, they’d begin making plans. Tonight, however, they were going to celebrate.
He opened one eye now and looked at her, squinting in the sun. “Stop watching me. You’re giving me goose bumps.”
She grinned. “I’m thinking about what I’m going to do to you tonight, when we get back to the privacy of our own room.”
“I know. That’s what’s giving me goose bumps.”
She laughed, reaching out to hold his hand. He interlinked his fingers with hers, brushing his thumb over her knuckles. “Will your father be all right now?” she asked. “Is the cancer gone?” It was the first time they’d spoken about it since they’d left. Freya had felt overawed about the experience, and Nate had been thoughtful, quiet, needing time, she felt, to think about what had happened in the room.
“I don’t know.” He sipped his beer then studied the label. “He’ll have to go for a scan when he gets back and find out.”
“Did you feel like it had gone?”
“Yes, I think so.” He met her gaze, slightly amused. “Seriously, Freya, goose bumps.”
She laughed, knowing her admiration was showing in her eyes. “It was an amazing thing to watch. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
He frowned. “It was different from what I’d experienced before too. Stronger. More powerful. I don’t know if it’s because it was my father, or because of what I came to realise.”
“What was that?”
“That it’s all about love,” he said simply. “I never made the connection before, stupid as it sounds. I knew all about energy and auras and stuff like that, but I never guessed that the thing that drove the energy—the source of the power—was love. Ash tried to tell me, but I just didn’t get it—I was too eaten up with hurt and resentment and fear. But standing in that room, with you at my side, I finally understood that I couldn’t do anything until I forgave my father, forgave myself in fact, and let the love I felt for him replace all the negative feelings. It was as if something clicked, you know? Like everything up until then had been in black and white, and suddenly it was in colour.”
Freya remembered the shaft of golden light that had fallen across him in the room and shivered.
“You helped me realise that,” he said, leaning forward, taking her hand. “You’re my guiding star, Freya. I feel like we could heal the world, you and I.”
“You and I. That sounds good.” She smiled. “We make sense, Nate. I’m so glad we were able to solve our problems and move on.”
He pulled her toward him across the table and slipped a hand to the back of her head, capturing her lips with his own. Freya gave herself up to the kiss, enjoying the play of his lips across hers, the warm brush of his tongue, the soft graze of his teeth on her bottom lip.
Eventually, he pulled back and gestured to her beer. “Drink up.”
“Why? What’s the rush?” she asked innocently.
He tipped his head, his eyes sparkling with amusement and passion. “I fancy making sense right now. If you’re up for it, that is.”
“Oh, I’m always up for it with you,” she said, breathless, and let him take her hand and lead her toward the car, ready to head home for a night of summer loving.
About the Author
Serenity Woods lives in the sub-tropical Northland of New Zealand with her wonderful husband and gorgeous teenage son. She writes fun, flirty, and sexy romances in a variety of romance sub-genres. The Sensual Healing series reflects her interest in psychic talents such as contacting those who have “crossed-over”, spiritual healing and other gifts using the indefinable “sixth sense”.
She’s won several romance writing competitions and is a member of the Romance Writers of New Zealand. She would much rather immerse herself in reading or writing romance than do the dusting and ironing, which is why it’s not a great idea to pop round if you have any allergies. You can check out all her books at www.serenitywoodsromance.com
Look for these titles by Serenity Woods
Now Available:
Something Blue
White-Hot Christmas
Seven Sexy Sins
Sensual Healing
An Uncommon Sense
Coming Soon:
Six Naughty Nights
The road to passion is paved with guilty pleasures.
Seven Sexy Sins
© 2012 Serenity Woods
Faith Hillman is in a bit of a pickle. She’s been commissioned to write a series of magazine articles on spicing up your love life. She’s got the theme—the “Seven Sexy Sins”—but there’s one major problem. She hasn’t experienced any of them.
Ever since Faith’s older brother gave Rusty Thorne a black eye for kissing her on her eighteenth birthday, he’s kept his distance, waiting for the right time to make his move. This is it. She needs a research partner? He’s the man for the job.
When sex-on-legs Rusty offers his services, Faith is all over it—with one caveat. The notorious heartbreaker must sign a confidentiality contract. Just to keep him safe from her brother’s wrath, of course…and her heart off Rusty’s long list of conquests.
As they work their wicked way through the list, the implications of the contract h
it Rusty as hard as the handcuffs binding his wrists to the bed. It isn’t just Faith’s touch that rocks his world. It’s the way his heart likes it that blows his defenses out of the water. And makes him wonder, when the contract ends, if he can bear to let her go.
Warning: Includes rebellious hero who enjoys inserting Tab A into Slots B, C, and even occasionally D. Also includes highly inappropriate use of a Mars Bar.
Enjoy the following excerpt for Seven Sexy Sins:
Faith stared at him, her mouth falling open. “What are you saying, exactly?”
“You need to do some research for your articles. And I’m happy to help.”
“You want to help me research the seven sexy sins? Personally? Like, not in books?”
“Absolutely. Sounds like great fun.” They studied each other for a moment. Eventually Rusty gave a short laugh. “You needn’t look quite so shocked.” His eyes twinkled. “Don’t you find me attractive?”
She gave him a wry look. “Of course I do—you know you’re sex on legs. That’s hardly the point.”
“So what is the point?”
“Dan would kill you if he knew you’d even suggested this.”
“Toby suggested it—he didn’t kill him.”
“Toby wasn’t serious.”
Rusty snorted. “Of course he was. He’d give his right arm to get you into bed.”
Shock rippled through her. “What are you talking about? I’m just Dan’s little sister. I’m hardly the target of anyone’s sexual fantasies.”
“Have you looked in the mirror lately?”
“I…” She looked down at herself before looking back up. “What do you mean?”
“I mean you’re not twelve anymore. You’re not even fifteen. You’re a grown woman, with all the relevant…attributes. You must be aware every guy at the party tonight fantasised about seeing you naked at some point.”
“Rusty!” Her cheeks grew hot. Inside, however, she glowed at the thought that he saw her as an adult and not only as Dan’s younger sibling.
He laughed. “Faith, honestly. Are you that naive?”
She looked down at her hands. Yes, she thought, I am that naive. In spite of the fact that she advised women more than twice her age on her blog, and she wasn’t a virgin, she knew she was more innocent than most girls in their twenties. She was the youngest of their crowd, and she’d thought they’d always seen her as the baby. She’d never considered they saw her as a sexual possibility, and she wasn’t sure how she felt about it.
She shifted in her seat. “I don’t understand. Why say this now? That night we kissed at my eighteenth birthday party… The next day you cold-shouldered me. I’d assumed you weren’t interested in me.”
She hadn’t mentioned it since it happened. It had surprised her at the time. It had been six months before the death of her and Dan’s parents. Blissfully unaware of what the following year was to bring, she’d been dancing in the garden, and Rusty had caught her hand and dragged her with him into the lemon trees. She’d gone laughingly, the sound of cicadas loud in her ears and the scent of lemons and mandarins in the air, expecting a quick peck or a teasing grope from an old friend to mark her coming of age, which she knew she’d be expected to resist with feigned indignation. Instead, however, he’d cupped her face in his hands, studied her for a moment and then kissed her. He’d brushed his tongue with hers and slipped his hand through her hair, making her heart thunder with unexpected passion. She’d gone to bed excited and dreaming of him, but the next day he’d been his usual self, cool and offhand. She’d felt hurt and a little stupid for being childish enough to think it meant something, but had done her best to forget it ever happened, wanting to keep his friendship, even if she couldn’t have anything more.
“Do you remember what I looked like the next morning?” he said.
“I don’t…oh wait, you had a black eye, didn’t you? You said you walked into a lamppost on the way home.”
“It wasn’t a lamppost—it was Dan’s fist.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re kidding me.”
“No. He saw us. And he knocked me flat into a pile of gorse. Fucking stung, I can tell you.”
She laughed, covering her mouth with her hand. “Oh Rusty, I’m sorry.”
He grinned. “No worries. I backed off after that. I didn’t want to lose his friendship, and I realised he was right. I’m no good for you, Faith. Hell, I’m no good for any woman. I’ll never make a great husband. I’m under no illusions about that.”
She frowned again. “I hate it when you talk like that.”
“Well, it’s true.”
“No, it’s not. Just because your dad’s a prick doesn’t mean you’ll be the same.”
He shrugged. “It’s in the blood, and I’m not going to give it a chance to rear its ugly head.”
“Rusty…”
“Look.” He shifted in his seat. “This isn’t about me—it’s about you. I may be useless long term, but I’m not bad in bed.”
“I think you’re underestimating yourself, from what I’ve heard.”
“Well, that’s very kind.” He gave her a sexy smile. “Don’t you think it would be fun to practise your seven sins on me?” His green eyes were hot and lusty.
A strange shiver ran through her from her toes to the top of her head. They studied each other for a while. A smile crept onto her lips at the teasing look in his eyes. “Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you’re imagining doing each of the sins to me.”
“I am.”
“Well stop.” Her cheeks burned again. “This is crazy. I’d be mad to agree.”
“Why? I thought we were friends.”
“That’s what I meant.” She frowned. He was so gorgeous. She didn’t have any trouble admitting that. And she was happy to admit this wasn’t the first time she’d wondered what he was like in bed. His girlfriends had always enthused about his talents, even after he’d dumped them, and she’d been curious from a very young age as to what he got up to under the covers. But she’d always considered Dan’s friends to be off limits because he’d been so adamant that was the case, so she’d never considered any of them seriously. And because of that, they’d all grown to be close friends.
He reached out and took her hand. “Don’t look sad.”
“I couldn’t bear to lose you.”
“Lose me? Why would you lose me?”
“Afterward. Wouldn’t it be weird?”
He shrugged. “Toby and Eve dated before she went out with Dan.”
“True, although that was several years ago.”
He studied her for a moment. He brushed her knuckles with his thumb. The gesture wasn’t sexual, but it made a frisson of desire run through her, and she realised that she was attracted to him, very much. He tipped his head, and she saw his gaze rest on her lips. “You know it was only a matter of time.”
“What?”
“Before we got down and dirty.”
Her eyes widened, and her heart thumped. Suddenly she realised Rusty wasn’t helping her out of the kindness of his heart. He really wanted to go to bed with her. Rusty Thorne, who, let’s face it, knew his way around the bedroom and could teach her a trick or two. The thought made her dizzy.
Then her brain kicked in. This is a bad idea. How many girls’ hearts had he broken over the years? She knew what he was like, how he refused to commit.
But he wasn’t talking about a long-term relationship, was he? He was talking about a finite agreement, seven sexual encounters. A tutor in the ways of love, to teach her all the things she’d never experienced. As a professional educator, Rusty saw it as his duty to instruct those less knowledgeable than him.
She licked her lips. “I’d want a contract.”
His lips curved. “A contract?”
“Specifying it would be for seven times only.”
“Of course.”
“Don’t make fun of me, Rusty.”
“I’m not.
” But his eyes were amused.
“This is all about research. I’d have to take notes.”
He gave a short laugh, but nodded. “Okay.”
“I mean it. I’d run the show. My work’s important to me. I’d want to get it right. If we did this, it would be for exploring these seven sins with the aim of writing the articles. No messing around, no getting sidetracked.”
“I understand.”
She looked at his mouth. She could still remember how soft his lips had been that night he’d kissed her. “Strictly business.”
“Absolutely.” He met her gaze. “Can I kiss you now?”
Her heart pounded. “Absolutely not. I haven’t finished yet.”
“Okay.”
“The contract will state that this remains secret. No telling any of our friends and definitely no telling Dan.”
“Well, obviously. I’d like to keep my balls intact.”
She bit her lip, trying not to smile. She was serious about this. “And if we did go ahead with it, we couldn’t go to your place or mine. A motel, out of town.”
“Sure. Sounds fun.” In the darkness of the car, his green eyes were the colour of a forest stream, wild and mysterious.
A thrill of excitement ran through her. Was she really considering this? Having sex with Rusty? Carrying out each of the seven sins with him? Watching porn, letting him lick chocolate sauce off her, letting him…oh dear Lord…perform oral sex on her? She couldn’t. Could she? She swallowed. “Why did you say ‘it’s only a matter of time’?”
He shifted in his seat, moving closer to her. “Because I’ve been waiting for it to happen. Haven’t you?”
“No,” she whispered.
He smiled. “Liar.” He was inches away from her now. “I’ve wanted you since you were eighteen.” He leaned forward and brushed her temple with his lips. “Actually, longer than that. Only I don’t want to sound like a pervert.”
Making Sense: Sensual Healing, Book 2 Page 19