I shoved quarters into the machine distractedly, frowning at the memory. After putting the last quarter in, I stood waiting for the compressor to kick on. When it didn’t, I realized the machine needed four quarters, not the three I’d fed it.
“Shit.” I knew I didn’t have any more quarters since I’d dug through every compartment to find the three I’d had. I was pissed at wasting my time and quarters, knowing my tire was still low.
“Something wrong?” His voice sent heat curling down my spine and I turned slowly, wondering if the face could possibly match the voice.
He didn’t disappoint.
The sight of him literally sucked the air from my lungs.
Michelangelo's David stood before me.
Although a slightly scruffier version.
“You alright?” His question forced my eyes closed, as I attempted to regain control over my senses. It was like his voice had short circuited my brain, and that combined with his utter gorgeousness meant I couldn’t take in enough air to speak.
“I’m good.” I finally managed, planning to end our moment out of time with that, but my mouth apparently had other plans. “I thought it was seventy-five cents to air up a tire. But it’s not. It’s a dollar, and I’m short a quarter. But I already put in three quarters so I’m out the money and my tire is low. And it’ll have to stay that way, which is ridiculously annoying. And I’m sure you could care less.” My eyes popped open as I finished in a rush. An amused smile played on his lips.
Lips I couldn’t help but notice created a perfect Cupid’s bow. The deep indentation above tantalized me with the idea of licking it. My fantasy was interrupted by the motion of his hand reaching toward me. A sudden rush of nerve tingling anticipation shot through me at the thought. He was a complete stranger, albeit a pretty one, but something about him had my entire body on high alert. Time slowed as his hand slid by me, depositing a quarter in the air machine. The compressor kicked on causing me to jump, and his low laugh sent a shudder through me.
“Have a nice day.”
You know the sublime feeling you get as chocolate melts on your tongue? That was his voice. It literally evoked the same level of pleasure in me.
“You too.” My words were barely audible, my body humming from the sheer pleasure of his words, each one a decadent treat.
He turned, walking away and in a daze I managed to air up my tire. Only after slipping back into the seat and starting the car did I snap out of it. He was long gone, but the knowledge didn’t stop me from glancing around the parking lot. Regret overwhelmed me.
It felt like I’d missed our connection, and it upset me far more than it should have. I put the car in gear, driving away slowly, as an unreasonable sense of desolation washed over me. It was difficult to keep driving, as I fought the desire to go back, and do what - I wasn’t sure. I only knew I was drawn to him, and the idea of never seeing him again was devastating.
Chapter Two
So close.
I breathed through my nose, her scent lingering, as I attempted to stop my hands from shaking.
She’d been so close.
It had taken everything in me not to touch her as I placed the quarter in the air machine. After years of watching her from afar, and then to be close enough to smell her...I took a deep breath, memorizing the scent.
Spicy.
She smelled spicy. I smiled at the knowledge. Relished the fact there was nothing sweet about her.
I waited, watching her air up the tire. It had been a fluke, catching her here. A mistake on my part. I knew better than to frequent the same places she did, but I needed gas. A glance at the fuel gauge revealed I still needed gas. I shook my head at myself. Seeing her, smelling her had emptied my mind of anything else. I looped back to the gas station, as I saw her pull her car onto the road. I knew she was going home to get Kai. I debated if I wanted to follow them to whichever park they decided on, but ultimately choose not to. My control was threadbare at best after our close encounter and didn’t bear testing any further.
My father’s warnings echoed through my head. I knew what he thought should be done. I’d heard it my entire life until I’d finally bolted at eighteen, my only regret leaving my sister behind.
Some would call it luck I’d found her - my golden girl, but at no point in my life had I believed in luck. Fate - now her I believed in. She’d shown me her hand on many an occasion and I didn’t bother trying to escape her...not anymore.
A flyer on a dorm room door...that was how I’d found her. A shock had run through me at her picture, strong enough for me to know she was important. The flyer had been for a sorority house so I’d tracked her down relatively quickly. Years of experience with my father had made hunting a simple task and hunting people was the easiest of all. Social media usually made it a snap, but she’d never bothered with any of that. Once I’d seen her eyes, I’d understood why. She may not fully understand her destiny, but was wary enough to make it difficult to be found.
The flyer had been black and white, and if it had been in color, well my life might have gone in an entirely different direction. But it hadn’t been, and our fate was sealed long ago.
I rubbed my cheek where a five o’clock shadow had already formed. My fingers were covered in ever present grease stains. I was grateful I’d shed my jumpsuit before I saw her since it had the name of the garage I worked at embroidered on it.
I knew she’d felt it. Our connection. There was no way she couldn’t have…not that close. It had only grown stronger for me as I watched her over the years, and I knew if she could she’d try to find me. She would be compelled to, the same way I’d been at seeing her photo.
I’d been resisting the pull of our connection for years and knew how painful denying it could be. It was why I didn’t follow her now. She would be feeling the loss of our connection, and I wouldn’t be able to watch her suffer. I knew she would find comfort in Kai. That knowledge was the only thing keeping me from pursuing her now.
I pulled in front of the little ramshackle house I rented, contemplating the life I lived. It was eerily similar to the one I’d tried to leave behind. A childhood of living a transient life following the tiniest lead on the Davis sisters. I’d hated it, abandoning my sister and father in an effort to break free from the cycle. My own smile mocked me. I’d planned to go to college, make a stable life for myself, even go back and get my sister, Portia. One glimpse of her had derailed all of my plans. Once I knew who she was, the irony hadn’t escaped me. A lifetime spent searching for the Davis girls, and I’d found one of them not long after leaving that life behind me.
Ignoring her and continuing on with my life hadn’t been an option. I, more than anyone, knew the danger she lived in daily. I’d dropped out of college, and using skills I’d picked up over the years gotten a job as a mechanic in a garage. Keeping an eye on her had become a way of life for me. Turned out it wasn’t so different from searching for her. Only this time around I was the one making sure no one found her.
I threw a frozen dinner in the microwave to heat and headed to the bathroom. I stripped, turning on the shower before stepping in. I made it quick, knowing the hot water wouldn’t last. Years of showers exactly like this one ran through my mind. I’d grown up hating the Davis girls, blaming them for the life I’d wound up with. Seeing her the first time had flipped my world upside down. Fate knew what she was doing, I’d give her that. It seemed as if my life would always belong to the Davis girls and one in particular….Kincaid.
Cutting the shower off, I rubbed a towel over me, drying off. My movements were efficient, muscles flexing in the mirror, my six two height meant I could only see the upper portion of my chest in the tiny bathroom mirror. Whoever had hung the mirror had been short and I’d never bothered to fix it, instead hunching down when I had to look in the mirror. By this point I rarely bothered to look, able to shave by touch alone. But now I peeked in the mirror, noticing I needed a haircut. My hair was thick and black, longer than normal sin
ce I hadn’t made it to the barber in months. A buzz cut was my usual MO, but it had long outgrown that. I contemplated shaving, but it was pointless. I’d have stubble again by morning. I would grow a beard, but working as a mechanic didn’t really make that a viable option. Grease in the beard was something I wanted to avoid. Studying myself in the mirror, I knew she was the reason I suddenly cared about how my hair looked.
She was stunning, always had been, but her looks were the least of it. She’d survived a life most would not have, and if my suspicions were correct she’d had to do it already knowing the outcome. It wasn’t an easy thing to be able to see the future and if I was right, Kincaid saw so much more than most.
I knotted the towel on my hips, walking back to the kitchen and my dinner. I ran my hands over my abs, feeling the tightness. I’d worked out the night before, and today should have been my day of rest, but I knew I’d need to do something to distract me from her. A workout seemed like the best idea. I could lose myself in drawing, but knew I would only fill up yet another sketchbook with her face. My fingers itched to draw her though. Up close she’d been breathtaking, and it allowed me to see the tiny nuances of her I’d missed with maintaining my distance. The way her lips had parted when I spoke, the dark shadow of her eyelashes brushing her cheek as she closed her eyes at the sight of me, the way her golden hair curled, caressing her neck. I groaned, already knowing I wouldn’t be able to sleep until I’d sketched her again.
I tipped my head to Fate, acknowledging today's meeting was the catalyst I’d been waiting for. Fate had played a piece on the board, and now it was up to me to see what the next move would be.
Chapter Three
Kai sensed my mood immediately and knew there would be no park today. I hurried into the bedroom, stripping my work clothes as I went. The pencil skirt and blouse went into the dry clean only pile and I tugged on some leggings and a t-shirt. I grabbed my favorite hiking boots and threw them on, dragging my hair into a messy bun when I was done.
“Let’s go.” He followed me instantly, already knowing we were going to the forest, one of his favorite places. I rolled my shoulders, trying to loosen the tension settling there. I was aggravated by the despair I felt, the persistent sensation that I needed to go back and find him. I knew only one thing would calm my raging emotions.
Hiking and backpacking were common activities in my adopted family and after they were gone, it had been the one thing that saved me.
Forty-five minutes later we parked at a trailhead. I locked the car after grabbing the backpack I always kept stocked in the trunk. The backpack contained enough supplies for me and Kai to survive for several days in the wild if necessary. I didn’t intend to be gone that long though. Luckily, it was Friday and we could spend the weekend out here in peace and quiet. Scott never crossed my mind, consumed as it was with the mysterious stranger I’d met so briefly.
I quickly calculated I had about two more hours of daylight. It didn’t really matter since I could use Kai’s night vision, but it would be easier if we stopped before since he enjoyed hunting at night.
We headed up the trail, this one unfamiliar to me, but Kai was eager and I followed behind him. He looked back at me curiously, wanting to know what had brought about our unexpected expedition. I shrugged, struggling to find the words that could explain how a two minute encounter with a stranger could send my emotions spiraling out of control.
“A guy.” I finally sighed and his blue eyes reflected understanding. The trail curved steeply upward and I concentrated on the path. The only sound was the occasional shift of dirt and rock beneath my feet. Kai was soundless, the forest his domain, and he paused to sniff the air before looking back at me.
“Whatever you want.” At my words, his eyes lit up and we left the marked trail. Not something I would encourage, but I trusted Kai and knew he would never abandon me. After about an hour of hiking through dense forest we came to a clearing. It was just large enough for me to set up camp and I knew that was his intention. I dropped the backpack in the center of the small circular clearing and dragged out a candle. I set it on the ground toward the north and paced off a circle within the clearing. A snap of my fingers lit the candle and I murmured a protection spell. The spell would discourage animals from coming too close and hide my campsite from anyone else who might be wandering. I scavenged nearby for firewood, building a small pile before chanting, “A moment to light, comfort given throughout the night.” My spell would ensure the small pile of firewood would continue to burn throughout the night without having to gather more.
Kai scented something and was gone in a flash. I set up my small tent and pulled beef jerky out of my bag. Watching the fire crackle mesmerized me, and his face drifted again toward the forefront of my mind. Michelangelo could have carved the high cheekbones and the subtle curve of his lips they were so perfect. Golden brown eyes were framed by thick eyelashes, and his ebony colored hair curled against his collar. The dark stubble of a five o'clock shadow only enhanced the strong jawline and deep cleft in his chin. If I’d looked through a thousand photos I wouldn’t have found a more perfect face. I couldn’t stop my sigh as I remembered the curve of his lips as he smiled at me. There was no mockery in his eyes, only a simple desire for me to appreciate the amusement of the moment. Kai bounded back then, flopping down beside me.
“He was gorgeous, pretty beyond belief.” He cocked his head, listening as I finally explained why we’d come out here. “But it wasn’t his beauty that sent me running. It was my need to touch him.” I shook my head, soothing myself by stroking Kai’s soft fur. “I’ve never felt such an intense need to touch another person, to know them. It felt like the entire world would feel it if we touched.” I paused and he shifted under my hand, nudging me to continue. “Two minutes and six words, but I can still feel how they tasted. I want to hunt him down, it’s as if I’ve found a missing part of me with him, and leaving him hurt.” Tears slipped down my face and I buried my face in the scruff of Kai’s neck.
“Mate.”
No sound was made, but I heard the word clearly in my mind. I rubbed my face against him, wanting to deny the word, but unable to. He whined and nuzzled my face.
“Mate.”
I met eyes that could have been a mirror to mine except they didn’t glow. Knowledge rested in those eyes, an acceptance of something as old as time and as undeniable as Mother Nature herself. The mating bond.
“Is everything in the story true then?” I asked him, referencing the fairy tale I’d always known. I couldn’t remember reading it or having it told to me, but for as long as I could remember I’d know the story of the three sisters. He snuffled, bobbing his head.
“I was afraid you were going to say that.”
I twisted my lips, frowning.
“But he’s gone.” I clung to Kai. “I may never find him again.”
Kai bumped me, a deep sigh coming from him.
“Did you just roll your eyes at me?” He cocked his head and I glared at him. “Ok, it was a stupid comment. I was having a weak moment.” I sighed at myself. “The idea of protectors being born for the sisters, a single touch bonding them, is medieval.” Kai rolled onto his back, his desire for a belly rub clear. I obliged him, huffing. “What if I didn’t even like him? And I’m engaged to Scott.” He chuffed, not even hiding the fact he was laughing at me. “I could be in love with Scott! And maybe I like this guy…who by the way, I don’t even know the name of. But that does not mean we should be bound by a touch, that our destinies are entwined, and our lives are meant to be spent together.” I was waving my arms around by this point, feeling powerless against a Fate that had seemed against me from the very beginning of my life.
One thing continued to eat at me and I finally admitted it to him. “I didn’t see him. Why didn’t I see him?”
He bumped his head right next to mine, our eyes locked and the thought drifted through my mind, some things aren’t meant to be seen.
I laid back on the ground, i
rritated by his words. He might have been my best friend for the past six years, but I didn’t have to like it when he was right.
The stars were bright with the trees forming a halo above us. I remembered the first camping trip with my adopted family and how different it was than the youth home I’d been raised in.
“Does everyone have magic?” I asked Nancy, aka my new mom. It didn’t really feel right to call her Mom, but she’d told me Nancy was fine.
“No, Katie, not like you mean.” She gave me a gentle smile before murmuring a small incantation, lighting the fire in front of us. “Magic is everywhere and part of everything, but not everyone can use it. And even those who can use magic have limits. See, Frank?” We looked over at her husband, my new dad, and watched him struggle with the tent. She smiled at me, “He can’t use magic at all.”
“Like me.” I piped in, already aware I wasn’t like Nancy. She looked pained, but smiled.
“Like you.” She finally said. “But his mom and brother can. Magic is generally passed on through families, but lately it seems to be missing from some. Well, the ability to use it is.” She corrected herself, trying to explain it to me. “I learned spells from my mother and I’ll teach them to you.”
“But why? If I can’t use them there’s no point.”
“You never know. Sometimes magic shows up later in life. Regardless, I’ll teach you. You’re a part of our coven now and we include everyone.” Frank cursed and dropped a pole, catching our attention. Nancy gave a soft sigh and chided, “Frank, little ears.”
Found (The Trinity Sisters Book 2) Page 2