Gavin turned his eyes to her and shook his head. “You’re all I need right now.”
Maya’s stomach did a double flip and her mouth opened, but no words came out. How did someone respond to that? She knew what Lucy would do - strip off her top and jump into the guy’s arms. But as much as her whole body screamed at her to do just that, her brain shouted no, and kept her frozen in place, watching as Gavin slowly walked through the room, brushing his fingers across different things. When he reached the digital picture frame on the end table, he stopped and stared at it for at least a minute before continuing his erratic circuit of the room, gradually moving back towards her.
Maya managed to find her tongue as Gavin stopped less than a hand’s width away from her. A shiver ran across her body, and she wondered why the air conditioning was set so cold. “Um, I guess if you don’t want anything you can watch TV down here while I go shower, and then we can--”
She stopped when Gavin pressed a chilly finger against her lips - Geez, he’s freezing, too. I gotta turn the AC down - and gave her another of his sexy smiles.
“Hush. This is not the time to talk.” He removed his finger and replaced it with his own lips, pushing them against hers while at the same time gripping her with one strong hand and pulling her close to him.
All thoughts of telling him ‘no’ crumbled to dust, and she gave in to the kiss, wrapping her arms around his waist and eagerly meeting his exploring tongue with hers.
What are you doing? her mind screamed, while another part, the lonely, sad-for-too-long part, shouted back, Shut up! It’s about time we enjoyed ourselves.
All too soon, Gavin broke the kiss and leaned back just far enough so that they could look at each other. “Show me your room. Now.”
Don’t do it! For a moment, Maya hesitated. Bringing Gavin to her room was probably the worst thing she could do. She had a feeling her willpower might not be strong enough to keep her from going all the way if he guided her in that direction. Which he certainly seemed ready to do. And while her body cried out to give in, she didn’t want to make a mistake and lose her virginity to someone who might not be around for very long.
Yet she found herself nodding, taking him by the hand, and leading him up the stairs, her body winning the perpetual struggle against her brain for once.
It’ll be okay, she told herself. I’ll just make sure we don’t go too far. After all, it’s not like you’ve never been with a guy before. Just know your limits, and make him respect them.
She repeated the mantra in her head as they entered her room and she shut the door. However, the moment the lock clicked, Gavin took control and pulled her to the bed, sitting them both down. He leaned into her and kissed her again, harder this time, almost painfully. His fingers dug into her arms, and she hoped there wouldn’t be bruises later. His tongue danced with hers, and she found herself amazed that she’d ever thought Stuart or any of the other boys she’d dated were good kissers. Gavin brought passion and energy to each tiny movement, and she couldn’t help but respond in the same fashion.
He pushed her back against the pillows, while at the same time one of his hands slid from her arm to her chest. She felt her whole body respond in ways that she’d never known before.
Had he continued to take his time, things might have been different. But without warning, he sat up and grabbed the waistband of her shorts, pulling them down to her knees in one swift motion.
That broke the spell.
“Stop it!” Maya clamped her legs together and pulled her knees up, blocking him from reaching for her underwear.
“You don’t want me to stop, Maya,” he said, forcing his hand between her legs.
“Wanna bet?” She kicked out with both feet, knocking him onto the floor.
He got to his knees and placed his hands on the bed, looking like a lion ready to pounce. Maya yanked her shorts up and pushed herself as far from him as she could get, until her back pressed against the headboard. She reached towards her nightstand then cursed her own stupidity for leaving her purse, with her cell phone in it, downstairs.
“I think you need to get the hell out of here,” she said, fear doing an excellent job of dampening her libido.
He smiled, and Maya was surprised to see there was no anger in his expression, only amusement. “I’m sorry, I thought you were ready to experience true pleasure. In the future, I’ll be sure to...control...my advances. I’ll see you again, Maya. Very soon. Perhaps then you’ll be more receptive.”
Gavin stood up, and Maya wrapped her arms around her legs, afraid he might make another attempt. Instead, he opened the door, nodded to her, and walked out of the room.
Even through her anger and worry, Maya’s body betrayed her with a pleasure-filled shiver at the thought of seeing Gavin again, of feeling his lips against hers.
“Great. You’re getting hot and bothered by a psycho. If date rape was all you wanted, you could have stayed with Stuart.” The sound of her voice quelled her anxiety. So a guy tried to go further than she’d wanted. What girl hadn’t experienced that before? At least she had a good story to tell Lucy. Too bad she wouldn’t be home from work for another couple of hours.
That leaves me with nothing but homework.
She got up from the bed and was ready to go downstairs to get something to eat when she realized something was wrong.
I never heard the front door close.
Suddenly her fear rushed back in full force. What if Gavin wasn’t just another horny teenager who let his hormones get the better of him? Sure, he’d eventually stopped his advances. He had, in fact, done nothing worse than what dozens of guys in her class probably tried every Saturday night after a few beers.
But what if it were an act? What if he was waiting for her downstairs right now, planning something a lot worse for her than an unwanted feel? Thoughts of sexual assault, of all the news stories about girls disappearing, swirled through her head, and her legs threatened to buckle. Using the bed for support, she moved across the room to her window. Parting the curtains just enough to peer through, she looked down at her front yard.
Gavin stood in the center of her driveway, staring up at her, as if he’d known all along that his silence would terrify her into looking for him. And although she’d thought herself hidden, he raised one hand in a mocking salute. Maya let the curtain fall back in place, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten to her. She counted to ten before looking once more.
This time the driveway was empty.
“Damn him!” She kicked a shoebox across the room. She didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or laugh.
No, Gavin probably wasn’t a rapist, but he sure was an asshole. He had to know that he’d scared her, and still he’d gone and purposely done something to piss her off. Again. Twice in five minutes. Even Stuart hadn’t managed that.
Wait until Lucy hears about this.
Maya went downstairs, but before grabbing her phone she circled through the house and made sure all the doors and windows were locked. Only then did she relax enough to get a snack and return to her room.
Even so, she found herself unable to concentrate on her homework. Time dragged on in slow motion until it was time to call Lucy.
“Hey, chica, what’s up?”
Just hearing her friend’s voice made Maya feel better. “Um, I was wondering if you could come over for a while. Gavin was here earlier, and he turned out to be a Class-A douche. I need someone to eat junk food with me and tell me I’m not being paranoid.”
“I’ll be there faster than you can say ‘Doritos.’”
“Make it faster.”
Maya hit the ‘end’ button and sighed.
Ten minutes never seemed so long.
* * *
Gavin strode into the long exhibit room with a swagger, a self-satisfied smile on his aristocratic face.
Blake immediately knew something was wrong. Anything that pleased Gavin had to mean bad news for someone else. Possibly the whole t
own.
Down where Blake’s stomach used to reside, a cold, sick feeling took form. Since they hadn’t located the key yet, there was only one other thing that could make Coronado Bay’s resident practitioner of the dark arts so happy.
Maya.
Blake prayed he was wrong, but the moment Gavin started speaking, he confirmed Blake’s worst fears.
“Blake. So good to see you. Saves me the trouble of looking for you.”
Gavin’s men all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at the evil being who’d doomed them all to Hell. Anton Childs, who seemed to know what was going on, put a hand over his mouth to cover a laugh.
Knowing he couldn’t avoid the confrontation, Blake faced Gavin from across the room. “What do you want?”
If possible, Gavin’s smile grew wider. And crueler. “Just to chat, that’s all. Seems like we have something in common. I believe her name is Maya, and her kisses are oh, so sweet and tasty, like a fresh piece of fruit. But then, you wouldn’t know that yet, would you?”
Hatred swirled through Blake, creating a feeling similar to all the blood rushing to his face. He clenched his fists and took a step forward, but immediately two of Gavin’s men grabbed hold of his arms.
“If you’ve hurt her, I’ll kill you,” Blake said, wishing he could make it true.
Gavin laughed. “Hurt her? Far from it. We had a date. She invited me up to her room, and we spent some time on her bed, getting to know each other better. She’s a feisty one, but soft in all the right places.” He made an hourglass motion with his hands for the benefit of the sailors and a couple of them whistled appreciatively, which only increased Blake’s ire.
“You stay the hell away from her.”
“Now, that wouldn’t be right. Considering we’ve got another date planned very soon.”
“Sir, didja take her blood? Did it work?”
With a snarl, Gavin turned on the man who’d spoken, his expression morphing from smug arrogance to furious anger. “You idiot. Do you think I’d be standing here like a fool if I’d blooded the bitch?”
Relief surged through Blake. Thank God! But how long could Maya hold out? It would be one thing to remain a virgin in the company of oafs like that Stuart fellow. But someone like Gavin, who had a serpent’s forked tongue and the ability to charm a spinster’s savings from her purse? She wouldn’t stand a chance against him.
Then another thought occurred to him.
“Does she know you’re not human?”
Gavin froze, and Blake saw tendons and muscles bulging in the other man’s jaw as he fought to control himself. Odd how there is nothing substantial to us, yet we appear human to each other, down to our bodies mimicking every aspect of their solid forms.
After several seconds of silence, Gavin let out a breath and favored Blake with an icy-cold stare. “I do not believe she is aware of my...current state,” he said, each word coming out in measured fashion. “And I do not intend for her to find out.”
Now it was Blake who found himself smiling. “Then perhaps I should make it clear to her exactly who, and what, she’s dealing with.” Before any of the others could move, he let his body pass through the wall behind him and hurried out of the building as fast as his spirit form allowed. He heard Gavin shouting for someone to go after him, but he ignored it.
This is my chance to make things right.
* * *
Gavin swore as Blake’s form disappeared. Even a few seconds head start meant he’d be long gone before the Black Lady’s crew could catch up to him. Still, he called out to the watching sailors, “Quickly! Two of you, get after him! Find him or I’ll sell your souls to the Prince of Darkness.”
Two men raced across the room and disappeared through the wall. The remaining sailors looked expectantly at Gavin.
“What now, sir?” asked Anton Childs. “We need the witch’s blood if we’re to ever get ourselves free of this place.”
“I’m well aware of what we need, Mister Childs. But what would you have me do, knock the girl about the head and carry her here? We’ve no idea how this magik works. It might not last. Could very well be I deflower her only to find that by the time I return, the magik is gone. Then we’re no better off than now.”
“Aye, there’s that.” The old man scratched at his chin. “But so, that gets me to thinking. A few minutes is all we need. So p’raps there’s another way.”
Intrigued, Gavin momentarily forgot his concerns over Blake telling the spirit-talker the truth about him. “And what might that be?”
Anton chewed his lip before speaking. “Well, if what the legends say is true, and ‘tis taking the virgin blood of the witch that makes a spirit whole again, then it just might be that something half as good might work half as well.”
Gavin felt his frustration mounting again. “Speak English, you old fool.”
“What I mean is what if it be a regular virgin? That part of it must mean something, else you could use any old witch.”
A smile crossed Gavin’s lips. “In other words, taking any girl’s virginity might just make me solid for long enough to find the key.”
Anton nodded. “Right, sir.”
Gavin laughed. “Then by all means, let’s find ourselves another virgin.”
Chapter 12
Maya hated Tuesdays more than any other day of the week. Sundays were bad because there was school the next day, and other days could be bad depending on how much homework she got or how busy work was. But Tuesdays were always guaranteed to be the worst.
It started in the morning. She had to be at school an hour early because she was the treasurer for her class, and each Tuesday morning the class officers had a meeting before first period. Only through sheer will and a large double latte did she manage to stay awake.
Then there was work right after school. She couldn’t be late or miss a day because Tuesday was the busiest weekday for the diner, thanks to its being bowling night and all the league teams coming in for early dinners or late snacks. By the time her shift ended at nine, all she wanted to do was go home and go to bed.
Except she couldn’t because she still had all her homework to do.
So when she walked out of the diner, already in a fouler than foul mood, and found Stuart Newman waiting on the sidewalk, it was all she could do to keep from screaming.
“We need to talk,” Stuart said, falling in step next to her.
Maya considered going back into the diner, but there were enough businesses still open, and enough people on the streets, that she felt the confrontation wouldn’t get physical on his part. “God, not now, Stuart. I’ve had a real crappy day.”
“Yeah? Well I’ve had a real crappy week. And it all involves you. And you’re not going anywhere until we talk about it.” As he finished talking, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to a halt.
“Ow! Let go.” She tried to pull free, but he tightened his grip.
“Not until you tell me what’s going on.”
All the anger building up inside Maya for the past several days finally burst open. “You want to talk? Fine. Here’s the deal. I dumped you because I was sick and tired of your jealousy, your juvenile behavior, and the way you treated me like a possession, not a person. For as long as I was with you, I couldn’t even say hi to another guy without you freaking. You know how many friends I lost because of you? And contrary to what you think, I never once cheated on you although everyone told me I should. And then, when I finally meet a nice guy, a guy who’s not two steps away from being a psycho stalker, you come along and try to beat the crap out of him. So do us both a favor and stay the hell out of my life!”
Even in the yellow glow of the streetlights, Maya saw Stuart’s face take on the red hue that signaled he’d gone from angry to furious.
“When did you turn into such a bitch?” He gave her a hard shake. “When you met that other guy? How long were you seeing him? Did Lucy cover for you?”
I can’t believe it. Even after telling him she hadn�
�t cheated, he still didn’t believe her. How could I have ever liked such a jerk?
“Stuart--”
“Shut the hell up. You talked. Now it’s my turn.” He shook her again, harder this time, and she cried out.
“Stop it! You’re hurting me.”
“I’ll hurt you even more if--”
“I think you should let go of her.”
Maya and Stuart both turned to see a tall young man in a black coat standing a few feet away.
“Gavin.” Maya didn’t know whether to be glad for the interruption or frightened. If someone had asked her right then which of them was more dangerous, she’d have been hard-pressed to pick one.
Stuart glanced at her and, then, back at Gavin. “You know this guy?”
Before Maya could speak, Gavin answered for her. “Maya and I are acquainted, yes.”
“Acquainted?” Stuart let go of her arm, but if anything, he looked even angrier. “You’re seeing him, too? What, Lucy finally turned you into a slut like her?”
Gavin grabbed Stuart by the shirt and slammed him into a nearby building. Although the husky football player outweighed Gavin by at least twenty pounds, the taller man had no trouble moving him across the sidewalk. “That’s no way to talk to a respectable woman.”
“I’ll kick your ass, you stupid--”
The rest of Stuart’s words disappeared in loud gasp as Gavin drove a fist into his belly. Stuart fell to his knees, his face still red but for a different reason, as he clutched his midsection and struggled to breathe.
“Gavin! You didn’t have to hit him.” Yet, even as she protested, Maya felt a twisted pleasure at seeing Stuart on the ground. And another pleasure as well, something warm and comforting that sent her whole body tingling.
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