I held my breath as he inched his lips closer to mine, the heat from him overwhelming me and making me feel just a bit more comfortable. I couldn’t explain it. I couldn’t even convince myself this was okay.
Hot to cold. Fire to ice. His lips touched mine. And the result was pure bliss.
Never had a man made me forget what I was, and Branton had managed with a simple brush of his lips. Gone were my doubts and fears. They were simply wiped away.
With my eyes closed once more, I lost myself in him.
11
With the mixture of temperatures and emotions swirling around us, he dove in, kissing me more passionately than any man I’d ever known in my lifetime.
Focusing on the contact of his lips against mine, I felt a swell of power build inside me. I tried so hard to hold it back, to tuck it inside me so he would never feel the wrath that was frigid. I concentrated on the feel of him, the warmth of his touch, the power of his control and dominance.
And that was where I went wrong. So very wrong.
Knowing he had control made my power rear its ugly head and brim over the edge. Yes, my eyes were closed, but I could still feel the wave of chill bubble up inside me. Immediately, I worried I’d hurt him, or kill him even.
With an audible gasp, Branton bared his teeth, wincing with pain I could only attribute to the fact I was turning to ice, and soon enough, he’d be frozen in time right along with me.
To pull away was torture, but I knew I had to in order to save his life.
My fists pushed against his chest, forcing him away before I couldn’t control myself any longer. Yet, he held me firm, forcing me to stay pressed against his hard body, his lips still fused to mine like a tongue on a frozen flagpole.
I groaned. The thought of him suffering because of me was too much to bear. But the feel of him on me, consuming me, was so delectable, so amazing, I couldn’t muster the will to fight.
His tongue twisted with mine more freely than anyone’s had in the past. I was trying to push all of my past experiences out of my mind and focus on the present, but it was hard to forget the nightmares that haunted me day to day.
Tingles of warmth coated my insides, flourishing over the chill that normally consumed me. The combination of warmth versus cold couldn’t be described in words even if I’d tried. All I could say was… euphoria.
Finally, I let go of myself and all my reservations. My mouth opened to invite him in further, to consume every inch of him. He was amazing, tasted amazing, felt amazing… and I couldn’t seem to get enough. I felt his body press me against the wall and relished in his warmth, the feel of his heat on me.
I could feel the pulse of his heart, the warmth of his blood pumping through his veins.
And the taste of him… like enjoying iced tea on a warm summer day.
Yes, I was the ice and he was the sun… polar opposites.
Yet all that seemed to pale in comparison to his dominance, the feel of him finally taking control. Regardless of how independent I was, I desperately needed someone to take the lead sometimes… to give me the break my mind and my body needed.
And his lips, his touch, did just that.
He pulled back, and I dared a glance, watching him grind his teeth and press his eyes shut, like he was in pain.
Yeah, I had fucked up. Letting go of my inhibitions was a total mistake, and he’d likely pay the price.
“I’m okay,” he whispered, his voice hoarse and totally out of control… nothing like the Branton I knew. “Just give me a second.”
His hands held my biceps like I was his life raft… like I was the only one keeping him afloat. It was an ironic turn of events considering my kiss alone was the reason he was even needing life support of any sort—needing something to rescue him from the depths of the deep cold heart that lived in my chest.
I was standing in front of Branton, completely broken inside with the knowledge that I couldn’t touch him, feel him, love him.
Finally, he leaned into me again, and my eyes closed once more as he pressed his forehead to mine.
“I knew you could do it,” he whispered, his tone filled with praise and adoration.
“Do what? Nearly kill you?” I said, my words coming out between harsh gasps.
He laughed. “No, silly. I’m fine. See?” he said, using his finger to tug at my chin, lifting it so I could look at him clearly. “I’m fine. And you’re simply amazing.”
The milk chocolate of his eyes swirled with his adoring words, and I damn near believed him.
“You suppressed your powers,” he added to clarify. “I could feel them start to overtake you, but you pushed them down. You used my energy to control them. I knew you could.”
I honestly didn’t even realize I’d done it, but thinking back, he was right. When I felt myself losing control, I used the heat from him to snuff out my inner cold.
All it took was a few seconds of realization to lash out at him. “I can’t believe you risked yourself on a fucking chance!” I pushed him away from me, finally mustering enough strength to move him a few inches back. “What if I couldn’t do it? What if I failed? You’d seriously risk your life on a chance that I might be able to control my powers?”
After all, control was just a figment of imagination. None of us ever really had control.
I knew my anger was ill-focused, but shit, I couldn’t help myself. I was so mad he’d actually put himself at risk all because he believed in me. Belief was nothing but fucking nonsense.
My body was shaking with both fear and rage. Fear that it all could’ve ended badly and rage that he didn’t seem to understand just how close I was to doing him in.
Without a second thought, Branton inched closer to me again. Just before our lips made contact, he whispered, “You’re worth the risk.” I could feel his smile more than see it, and, as pissed as I was, I couldn’t help but crave more of him.
Despite the whole power struggle that plagued me on a daily basis, it was the best kiss I’d ever experienced. The passion that exploded between us was something I couldn’t even put into words.
Butterflies consumed my insides as I concentrated on us, the feel of our powers warring together a new thrill to me. I still had to concentrate on the swell of power that continued to bubble just beneath the surface, but it seemed to get easier and easier by the second until I was finally able to put part of my focus on him, allowing the passion to overtake me. Finally, my powers weren’t taking me out of the moment with worry that I’d lose control. It felt so good to let go and quit overanalyzing what would happen next.
He leaned in further, pressing me up against the wall again, our bodies so close they could’ve been one with each other. It felt so good to wrap my fingers in his hair and relish in the fact that he held onto me so tightly, his hands digging into my hips.
Chills coated my skin, but instead of it being my powers that caused them, it was his lips traveling from my mouth down to my neck. Every single time his mouth touched my skin, it sent a thrill through me. The feel of his teeth grazing along my ear had me moaning out loud.
Curses, he was good.
Branton finished off with a few more pecks to my lips as if he were tasting me, enjoying every drop I had to give.
I couldn’t help but keep my eyes closed, even after he pulled away.
“Kirsi,” he said, my name a mere whisper from his lips. “Look at me, please.”
I hesitated still. He was seriously pushing his luck, my limits reached several minutes ago. However, all it took was the feel of his finger brushing along my cheek to prompt me to heed his demand.
Before I could muster the strength to open my eyelids and look at him, he slid my glasses on my face ever so gently. I sighed with relief. They were my crutch. Regardless how confident he was in my abilities, I needed that safety net to feel comfortable.
I didn’t waste another second and opened my eyes, looking upon a man so beautiful that I questioned the reality of the situation.
&nbs
p; “I think we should plan some time together to work on your powers. You definitely have the ability to strengthen them,” he said, the smile on his face seemingly all-knowing.
I still didn’t have the confidence and determination he seemed to possess. But any excuse to spend more time with him was tempting, to say the least.
Unable to trust my voice, I just nodded, accepting his invitation.
He continued to grin at me. “C’mon. I’ll help you close up.”
Suddenly, I felt so weak, like controlling my powers drained me. Either that or his take-charge attitude was making me feel inferior. I was used to always being in charge.
I’d probably have to get used to all this change, fast.
12
The evening air was beyond refreshing as Branton drove the boat from the Relic Harbor and out into open water, the sunset to our left and oh so breathtaking.
It had been three days since we’d first kissed, and I hadn’t risked it again since. I honestly felt so damn drained, power drunk, after our first encounter, that I was a bit frightened to try again. Thankfully, I’d only run into one malus since, and the confrontation was rather uneventful. I still couldn’t seem to get any information from these sancti or figure out what they were after other than to make my life stressful.
Dean wasn’t happy with me at all after he’d heard I threw the bracelet during that fight with Anwar. I didn’t quite understand his reasoning, but he acted really pissed that one of his amulets was now out there for anyone to pick up. As soon as I told him, he visited the scene and found it busted, pieces shattered on the asphalt of the parking lot.
He hadn’t spoken to me since. I’d feel bad if I knew what I had to feel bad about. It was either the amulet or my life, not to mention Branton’s safety too… and lives trumped amulets. Branton and I were way more important in my mind.
As the breeze blew into my face, I took a deep breath, clearing my mind of all the stresses, even if it was just for the ride. I needed this, needed a break from life for a few simple hours.
Several miles off shore, and not even close to the imaginary Canadian border toward the center of the large body of water, Branton brought his boat to a stop, shutting the engine off and allowing us to drift around in the surprisingly calm waters of Lake Ontario. The lake was known to be a beast during storms, but this particular evening was breathtakingly calm. The sun setting on the horizon made the water look like glass, mirroring the beautiful colors in its near-nonexistent wake.
I sat on a bench just in front of the console, my hair probably a complete mess, and waited, wondering what we were going to do now that we were out in the middle of the water.
Branton didn’t make me wait long.
“Okay, now that we’re alone, I’d love to help you work on your powers. I’m confident you can control them with more than just your eyes, and probably even get to the point where you won’t need your glasses as protection anymore,” he explained.
I simply looked at him like he had three heads. He was talking some serious nonsense.
“C’mon, Kirsi. It won’t hurt to try,” he added.
“It could hurt you,” I said, finally standing and pointing at him. I definitely lacked sea legs, because even though it was calm as could be, I still listed to the side and nearly fell over.
Thankfully, Branton was there to rescue me before I went ass-over-teakettle into the water. His arms wrapped around me protectively, forcing my cheek to press against his chest.
Yeah, he was turning into my own personal comfort zone faster than I was content with.
“You got this, Ki,” he whispered. I could barely hear him over the lapping water against the hull of the boat. Did he seriously just call me Ki?
I had to admit, as cheesy as I found nicknames to be, it was kind of adorable. Much better than babe or anything else equally as mundane.
Taking a deep breath, I decided I should bite the bullet and try it his way. If I felt myself getting out of control, I’d let him know. What we’d do if I lost control was a different issue altogether.
“I can see the worry on your face, so let me assure you of something—I’m able to protect myself to a certain degree. Please, don’t worry about me and take this opportunity to hone your powers without the fear or distraction of others around you,” he explained, finally letting me go and taking his warmth with him as he backed up about a foot.
Curiosity hit me like a ton of bricks. “What do you mean you can protect yourself?”
In response, he unbuttoned his shirt a few inches, revealing an amulet resting in the center of his muscular chest, just over his heart. I reached out to touch it, fascinated that the blue matched the color of my eyes.
Heat emanated from the charm, the surface of it nearly searing my skin.
“It’s not foolproof, and I haven’t tested it, but it should keep you from changing my body temperature. It won’t protect me from my surroundings though, but it should protect me at the least,” he said, his explanation of the amulet making me both nervous and relieved at the same time.
“It’ll really suck if this kind of spell is shared with others,” I said with an uncomfortable chuckle. “But I’m glad you’re going to be safe while around a ticking time bomb like me.” With the knowledge that he was at least somewhat protected, I wrapped my arms around his waist and tilted my head up, yearning for his lips to touch mine.
Accepting my invitation, he kissed me ever so lightly, his lips soft and warm. I felt the amulet hanging around his neck touch me, right around the collarbone, and backed away in pain, the searing heat of it nearly burning my skin.
“Ahh,” I groaned, my breath hissing through my teeth as I massaged the place where it touched.
“Sorry, but you kinda deserved that for trying to distract me,” he said with a chuckle. “You okay?”
I nodded. “At least we know it works when it comes in contact with me.”
“Yeah. Let’s not test that again, though, okay?” he said with worry.
“Ten-four,” I agreed. “So, what’s on the docket for tonight, boss?”
“Well, first, I want to see if you can push your powers out using something other than your eyes.”
“I’ve tried before. That’s a no-go.” I shook my head adamantly.
“When I was kissing you the other night, and you had your eyes closed, I felt your power swell. I know you felt it too. So it’s definitely possible,” he said, his voice determined.
Shrugging, I figured it couldn’t hurt to prove him wrong.
“I was thinking your hands could be our first trial,” he said while holding his hands up and wiggling his fingers. “So, reach over the side of the boat and touch the water… see if you can cause a few ripples of ice to form on the surface.”
He was nuts if he thought my clumsy ass could stay in this boat while reaching over the side. The look on my face must’ve said those exact words, because he just laughed.
“I’ll hold you. You’ll be fine.”
“Hold me by what? My ankles?” I said with shock in my tone. He was damn loco if he thought this was a good idea.
“You’ll be fine if you are near the back of the boat. Trust me,” he said soothingly.
I huffed. I was going to end up wet by the end of this night. I could already feel it. Thank cripes I didn’t get cold in the normal human sense of the word.
I held on to the center console as I shuffled my feet toward the back. This idea was stupid. “Just watch, I’ll be dripping icicles by the end of this little adventure,” I said sarcastically.
“You’ll be fine. I won’t let you fall in.” He laughed as he spoke, and it definitely didn’t make me feel any more confident.
I knelt inside the boat, my legs shaking with nerves at how stupid of an idea this was.
“Glasses on or off?” I asked. With them off, I’d have to close my eyes to get this experiment to work.
“On, for sure. I don’t want you peeking and messing up our results.” As he
spoke, he grabbed my back belt loop. Yeah, like that was going to hold me. Jeans were notorious for popping in the belt loop department.
“The belt loop? Really? That’s how you’re going to keep me safe from falling out of this damn boat?” I looked back at him with an arched brow. “Branton, please, hold on to more than a single belt loop. Maybe, like…”
“What, like this?” he asked as he reached his hand into the waistline of my jeans, his fingers brushing the top of my ass.
“Yes, like that. That makes me feel a little better about this idiotic idea,” I said, my voice oozing with contempt over this whole situation.
“You’ll be fine.” He laughed.
I didn’t think it was funny. Not even close to being funny.
Without any more prompting from the peanut gallery, I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate, feeling the power pulsing through my veins with each beat of my heart. The ice wrapped around every blood vessel, weaved its way between each cell, and joined forces to multiply beneath my skin. I felt strong, invigorated… but with my glasses on, it felt like there was no outlet, no way to project the power building inside me.
“Perfect,” I heard Branton say, his voice distant, but still audible behind me. I realized then that I had my eyes shut tight, regardless of the glasses that still sat comfortably on the brim of my nose.
Then I wondered if he could feel me. Could he feel my power building and strengthening inside me?
“Now, keep your eyes closed and think about what’s around you. Feel it, touch it, both mentally and physically.” His voice was soft, liquid, soothing, like honey dripping from a hive.
I did as he instructed and let my mind wander.
13
With ease, I was able to reach down and feel the liquid of the lake between my fingers—soft and pliable, just like water should be. I knew then why he wanted such a large body of water. Somehow, he knew just a simple touch from me could chill even faucet water… an issue I hadn’t been able to control ever since The Shift.
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