by Amber Flora
“Stop going on about things you know nothing of and do the damn spell.”
I jumped up from the bed and stormed into the living room. He was so frustrating. For someone who didn’t have emotions his mood swings were abundant. He followed closely behind and came to stand in front of me.
“Ashtyn, it doesn’t hurt me to heal you. I just feel your emotions more strongly when I’m doing so.”
I looked at him perplexed.
“What where my emotions just then?” Suddenly I felt self-conscious.
“Relaxed and …”
“And?” I couldn’t understand why he was having such a difficult time communicating with me.
“Pleasure,” he added with a sigh.
“Oh, well those aren’t so bad. When you heal me it’s an odd sensation, it calms me.”
“I have a job to do, love, I can’t get distracted by your emotions.”
“My emotions distract you?” I grinned.
“Will you please just do the bloody spell?”
I decided to stop pushing my luck and tried to remember the spell I had read.
I recited the words, making sure I pronounced each one correctly. Holding my hands to my temples, my fingers began to glow white and dizziness overcame me. I collapsed and was about to hit the ground when Herrick caught me, supporting my back with his arm.
“Did it work?” he asked, his tone even.
“I think so, there's only one way to find out,” I replied, pulling myself back up to my feet.
Herrick nodded and walked toward the bedroom.
“Where are you going?” I chased after him.
“You think I’m going to let you sleep alone tonight?”
“I’m not sleeping next to you,” I retorted.
“I’m not a monster, Ashtyn. I won’t try anything, besides you’re not blonde remember,” he said winking and climbing into bed.
I was terrified. I honestly couldn’t remember the last time I had slept next to a man, especially one as sexy as Herrick. Although, the thought of Damon being able to kill me while I slept overpowered those fears. I grabbed a pillow and placed into beside him, climbing into the other side of the bed.
“This is the neutral zone. Do not venture past this pillow.”
He smiled and closed his eyes. “Whatever you say, love.”
I rolled onto my side to face the wall and drifted off to sleep, praying I wouldn’t find myself back in a Damon-crafted nightmare.
Herrick awoke feeling slightly claustrophobic. When he looked down he realized he was tangled in an Ashtyn pretzel. She had her head resting on his bare chest and her leg was wrapped around his own. He kissed her forehead, smiling at his unexpected feelings. He had never done something so human in his life. In fact he had never once slept next to a woman. Before, he couldn’t imagine sharing his space with another. Now, looking at the gentle creature in his arms, he wondered what it would be like to share his life with someone. He remembered the way it felt when he was healing her. His desire mixed with her pleasure had almost caused him to lose his wits. He wanted to run his hands further up her thigh and feel her emotions. Would she have enjoyed it? He knew she found him attractive, he had felt her attraction toward him on a few occasions, but being attracted to someone and liking them were two different things — not to mention she had a lot on her plate right now. This wasn’t the time to complicate things further. He would be content with these little moments with her for now. He reached up, pushing her hair away from her face, and she wiggled closer. Herrick sighed as closed his eyes and felt the warmth of her body against him. What was this woman doing to him? His heart pounded as the word came to him. “Joy.” For the first time in Herrick’s life he felt joy. He smiled against her cheek and floated off to sleep.
Chapter 15
There is nothing better than awakening to the smell of food cooking. I stumbled out of bed and made my way to the kitchen. Whoever said food was the way to man's heart had never met me. The sight of a good-looking man making breakfast stirred all kinds of feelings inside of me.
“Did you sleep well?” Herrick asked, flipping a pancake.
“Well, I didn’t die so I’ll take that as a win.” I sat at the small table pulling my legs up under my chin.
“How about you?” I asked, thinking about how we shared a bed together.
“You broke the neutral zone. Turns out you are a very wiggly sleeper.”
My face blushed.
“Don’t be embarrassed, you didn’t do anything inappropriate.”
“Can you please not read my emotions, it’s intrusive.”
He placed a plate of pancakes down in front of me and went to pour some orange juice.
“I can’t exactly turn it off, love. Would it make you feel better if I acted like I didn’t know?”
“Yes, actually it would.”
He came to sit down beside me.
“Very well then, from now on I’ll pretend for your sake.”
I nodded my approval and began to devour the yummy food.
“So, what’s on the agenda for today? Are we just going to sit here and stare at the walls?”
If I had to spend the next week cooped up in a tiny cabin with only Mr. Personality for company, I feared I would quickly go insane.
“First, I recommend you chew your food. Honestly, love, where do you get your table manners? Secondly, we are going shopping. I don’t know how long we will be here and we can’t wear the same clothes every day.”
I looked up in surprise.
“Isn’t that dangerous? I mean, what if we get caught?”
“We won’t be gone long. I doubt Damon will be able to track where we are headed.”
“And where might that be?” I asked curiously.
“It’s a surprise. We have a couple hours till we can leave. You can get ready while I go gather some more firewood.”
“You want to surprise me? Am I growing on you Mr. — hey, what is your last name?”
I saw a dimple as he tried to contain a smile.
“It’s Ingham and please don’t make a habit of using it. We are stuck together for a while, I’m just merely trying to entertain myself.”
I liked his name. I couldn’t understand why he didn’t want me to use it.
“What do you have against your last name?”
“I don’t associate with it. It was simply a formality passed down from my father.”
It made me sad thinking about his childhood and all of what this man endured by the hands of the very people who should have loved and protected him.
“You should make it your own. Don’t think of it like your father's name, imagine it as your own legacy.”
Herrick rose and carried his plate to sink.
“I’ll be back shortly. Towels are in the bedroom closet.”
I knew I had hit a nerve. I didn’t mean to get so personal, but I wish he would let me in. I wondered if he had ever discussed his life with anyone. How could someone live as long as Herrick had and not have a single person to confide in? I wanted to be his friend, he deserved to have one person who put his happiness before their own. No one should have to live their life in solitude. His mother may be the one who was exiled but Herrick was just as alone as she was. I knew there was a decent guy inside of him, no matter how much he attempted to hide it. He deserved to be loved.
Herrick swung the axe with intensity. He was determined to push out the emotions that were swirling inside of him. No wonder vibrants didn’t feel things, it was a beastly nuisance. Ashtyn's authentic concern for him when she spoke caused his own emotions to elevate within. Why did she have to be so damn considerate? She barely knew him yet it was like she could see into his soul. Bringing her to the cabin was a mistake. Not because he didn’t want to save her, he did. He would never allow Damon to have her again. He didn’t care what he had to do to make that happen, but he didn’t know if he could handle being alone with her for an extensive amount of time. He had known a lot of women in his tim
e, from every walk of life but he never met one that compared to Ashtyn. He didn’t see her as the perfect picture of a lady. In fact he wondered if she had multiple personalities. One minute she was this shy and frightened girl and the next she would be a fierce, sarcastic pain in the ass. What struck him as odd was that no matter what personality she happened to be he enjoyed every one of them. Most woman he encountered threw themselves at him at every opportunity and the vibrant women – well they were too much like him and he didn’t much care for himself especially in the romantic sense. Not Ashtyn though, she blew hot and cold with each passing minute. He could no sooner tell if she truly cared for him then he could decipher the workings of his newly beating heart. Every time he looked at her he caught himself wondering if he could live a normal life, one where he actually had a place to call home and that thought was more terrifying than any foe he had ever faced.
After I showered, dressed and braided my hair I made my way back into the living room. Herrick was putting more wood on the fire and he appeared to be back to his disconnected self.
“I don’t have any money,” I said, feeling embarrassed to even bring it up.
He tilted his head toward me with a confused look on his face.
“I’m going to need you to elaborate, love.”
I shuffled my feet, looking at the floor.
“To buy new clothes. I don’t have the money.”
Herrick smiled as he turned to face me.
“Not to worry, I will cover the cost.”
“I can’t have you do that,” I protested. The last thing I needed was to owe him another favor. I was already fearful of when he would collect the first debt.
“Consider it a loan. Pay me back when you can.”
I nodded, stepping closer to him. I did need new clothes, I couldn’t spend a week in the same dirty attire I had been wearing for days.
“I will, I promise.”
Herrick took my hand, wrapping his fingers into mine, and flashed us out of the cabin.
Wherever we had traveled to it was night time. I looked around to see people walking down a dimly lit street. I listened to them talk as they walked past but I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Were they speaking French? I peered past them to see multiple small bridges crossing over a river. Looking toward the sky I saw the tip of a large iron tower with white lights peeking out above the clouds.
“We’re in Paris!” I squealed, turning to face him.
Herrick smiled, keeping his fingers locked with mine.
“I thought you might enjoy the scenery.”
Before I even realized what I was doing I wrapped him in a hug.
“Thank you, I have always dreamt of coming here.”
He pulled away quickly but didn’t say a word as he led me down the street. I surveyed my surroundings, seeing people sitting outside a cafe enjoying a delicious-looking dessert. I noticed a painter sitting on a bridge applying brush strokes to a canvas. Couples were enjoying a glass of wine on the river bank as a boat passed. It truly was a magical city. I was overcome with emotions from being in such a beautiful place.
We stopped outside of a parking garage and Herrick led me inside. As we approached a black and silver motorcycle sitting in the corner I froze.
“We aren’t going to ride that thing are we?”
“No worries, love, I’m an excellent driver.”
I had never been on the back of a motorcycle in my life. Suddenly I was more afraid of dying in a bike crash than being captured by Damon.
“Ashtyn, you are safe with me. I’ll go slowly; the shop isn’t far from here.”
I decided to trust him and climbed on, sitting behind him I wrapped my arms around his waist so tight I thought I might break his ribs. He would just have to deal with the pain, I was not about to loosen my grip.
The engine roared to life and I jumped a bit but Herrick placed a hand over mine to steady me.
We made our way through the city, driving down the narrow roads and weaving through the traffic. Once I managed to relax a bit I realized I really was enjoying myself. The hum of the motorcycle made me feel alive. I threw my head back as the wind rushed around me. I had never felt as free as I did in that moment.
We arrived at our destination and I had to admit I was saddened by the fact that our drive had ended. Herrick parked the bike and led me into a beautiful little boutique named Beau Travail. A short-haired blonde wearing next to nothing came up to greet us.
“Bonjour, Herrick. It has been a long time since I last saw you,” the sultriest purred.
I whipped my head around toward him. He knew her? Of course he did, she was probably one of his special friends.
“Chantal, so nice to see you again.” He kissed her cheek and I turned my head trying not to imagine Herrick being intimate with the lovely lady.
“My friend and I are in need of a wardrobe. Could you assist us, love?”
A huge smile fell across her face and I wondered if it was because she was about to get a big fat commission or if Herrick was the cause.
“Oui, chéri, come with me.” We followed little miss flirt through the store as she rummaged through the racks, picking out things as she went.
“Perhaps la dame would like this?” she asked, holding up a dress that looked like it was made for a nun.
I scrunched my face in disapproval.
“Perhaps not,” I barked.
I looked around the store and picked up some black leather pants.
“Do you have anything that would match this?”
“That would not be — how do you say — ladylike.”
Was she serious? The chick was dressed like a stripper and she was giving me wardrobe advice.
Herrick came to stand next to me.
“Chantel, love. My friend is a little more unrefined than most of your clientele. Indulge her please.”
She winked at Herrick before turning and giving me a disgusted look.
It took all my restraint not to knock little miss snooty on her ass and even more not to storm out of that store and flash back to the cabin. He thought I was tactless? So I wasn’t some classy broad that spent her days sipping champagne and buying expensive works of art, that didn’t mean I was trash. I refused to let his snarky comment faze me. I was going to dress the way I wanted and I didn’t give two shits whether he thought it was ladylike. I was tired of sundresses and modest blue jeans. I wanted a new look to go with my new life. Shy, introverted Ashtyn was gone; it was the dawning of take-no-shit Ashtyn.
I was excited that Chantel allowed me to walk out in my new black leather pants, gray tank top and black leather jacket. I’m sure anyone else who found themselves shopping in Paris would have picked something more worthy of the situation, but I liked my new threads. They made me feel like I had some control over my life. I looked over at Herrick and concluded I was dressed way too much like the man. If anyone were to look twice they would think we were a couple. I shook my head at my stupidity. Dammit, how did I not see it before?
“I would like to take you one more place before we leave — if that is all right with you,” Herrick said, parking the bike back in the garage.
“Are you kidding me? This has been the most amazing day of my life.”
He reached for my hand. “Close your eyes and no peeking.”
I felt us flash and kept my eyes closed as he walked me a couple steps forward. The wind had picked up and I could feel the cool breeze whipping across my face.
“You can open them now,” he whispered into my ear.
As I slowly opened my eyes I was taken back by the sight that lay before me. My breath caught when I saw that we were standing high above the city. Above us thousands of stars shimmered through the night sky. Below rested the Champ de Mars with its green landscape and beautiful fountains.
“Are we standing on the Eiffel Tower?” I asked, still unable to believe my surroundings. His smile was intoxicating as he nodded.
“I hope you aren’t afraid of
heights. I wanted you to have the opportunity to see as much of Paris as possible before we left.”
I was amazed by this man. In a short amount of time he had gone from ruthless assassin to considerate soul. What had changed in him? I looked out over the glistening city imagining what it would be like to live in such a place. It was bewitching, the kind of place that made you believe anything was possible. I could feel hope in the air and it calmed me to my core. Turning toward Herrick I rose to kiss his cheek. When I did he wrapped an arm around my back, dipping me toward the ground and placing his lips on mine. I was taken back by his boldness. I didn’t know whether to slap him or devour him. As I embraced his touch and gave into the kiss, my heart began to pound through my chest and my knees weakened. Herrick’s kiss made my toes curl. It was the most sensual caress I had ever experienced as his soft lips slowly teased mine. The heat sizzled around us as desire flowed through me. It wasn’t until he placed me back on my feet and stepped away that I noticed it. My hand was burning red again like it did in my dream.
“Careful, love, you nearly caught me on fire.”
I was mortified, how the hell did that happen? I shook my hand trying to put out the small flame coming from my fingertips.
“I'm so sorry, I have no idea how I did that. Are you OK?”
“What, you think you’re the first woman I've ignited with a kiss?”
I laughed, I should have been upset by his poorly placed humor, but I was in a good mood.
“Should we go back to the cabin now? I think I have had enough excitement for the day,”
I said, taking one last look at the mesmerizing city.
“Ashtyn, I should explain.”
I waved him off. I didn’t want to hear how kissing me was a mistake, I was already mortified that he could he read my emotions.
“Let’s not go there shall we. It’s my fault. I was so overwhelmed by this beautiful day that I got caught up in the moment.”