by Kristie Cook
“Let me grab my keys,” I said as I started back toward the kitchen, leaving him standing just inside the entrance. As I scooped up my keys from the counter, Binks paused in eating and glanced at me. “See you in a little while, buddy,” I said to him softly.
Kace stood leaning against the railing of the staircase when I came back. He was dressed in a pair of dark, blue jean cargo shorts that hung low on his hips, a pale yellow T-shirt that fit just right against the solid muscles of his chest, and a pair of brown thong sandals.
“Do you care to walk?” he asked when I entered the room.
I crinkled my nose. “Isn’t it far?” I remembered how far away the cliff had looked earlier when I’d been standing on the beach talking with Callie and Adam about the party. I had nothing against saving the planet by walking to places that were a short distance from where you were, but walking a few miles to a party seemed a little extreme.
“It looks like it, but really it’s not. There’s a path we can take that cuts the distance in half,” he said. “I’m just not one for drinking and driving.”
“Oh, so you plan on drinking heavily tonight, huh?” I teased.
He shook his head, a boyish grin springing to his face. “No, not really. Remember, I’m more of a one and done just like you. But, I wouldn’t mind having at least three tonight … since I won’t be driving anywhere later.” He cocked an eyebrow at me.
His meaning wasn’t lost on me. He planned on spending the night again. This didn’t seem like a bad idea, especially after whatever I’d seen, or not seen, in the kitchen—which I had no intentions of telling him about, just in case it had been my overactive imagination playing tricks on me. I told myself this, but didn’t believe it. Something had been there. Even Binks had noticed it.
“Oh, okay.” I smiled, pushing all creepy-crazy thoughts from my mind.
“You ready?” Kace asked with a grin.
I nodded and we started out the door. Locking it behind us, I held the keys out to Kace. “Would you mind holding on to these for me? This outfit doesn’t have any pockets.”
He took them from my hand, his fingertips brushing against my palm, sending sparks of warmth through me, as his eyes grazed the length of me. “Not a problem.”
We cut a left at the end of my driveway and started toward the thick woodsy area that began about three houses down. The night air was cooler than I’d thought it would be, but not unbearable. Kace reached out and took my hand in his, threading his fingers through mine. I smiled at his touch and savored the way his skin felt against mine. The sensation of warmth that always sparked to life when we touched swam through my veins, putting me in a state of incessant bliss. It was just what I needed to help settle my mind.
The sky was clear and the moon was nothing but a crescent against its blackness speckled by an endless supply of stars. I closed my eyes for a split second, listening to the far-off crashing of waves against each other and the rhythm of our sandals slapping against the concrete of the sidewalk. A breeze picked up, sending a strand of my wavy hair into my lip gloss. I peeled it away and tucked it back behind my ear.
Once we finally reached the edge of the woods, I realized they weren’t really woods at all, but more like overgrown bushes with a few scraggly trees jutting out here and there. A narrow footpath had been trampled out from overuse. It zigzagged deep into the thicket of brush. Stepping over roots and thin limbs, I was glad that I’d decided against wearing heels for the night, because I surely would have broken my neck tromping in them through all of this.
“Is it much farther?” I asked as soon as we had made it a few feet past the tree line. Little twigs kept finding their way into my sandals and stabbing at the sides of my feet.
Kace shook his head. “No, not really. If you get tired, though, we can always take a detour.”
“A detour? To where?”
“My place.”
“What, yours and Adam’s apartment is in the woods? Seems fitting, you two are a little like animals—him with his aggressive attitude and you with your … sex-crazed mind.” I couldn’t believe I’d just said that last part. It wasn’t really something I should complain about.
He turned to look at me while we continued to walk. The slight sliver of a moon cast just enough light for me to see his head tilt to the side and an eyebrow rise. “How did you know I live with Adam?”
“Oh, Callie told me today.”
“You and Callie talked about me, did you?” He smirked.
My stomach flipped at the sight. “Just girl stuff.”
Kace flashed me that sexier than sin smile of his, the one that melted the bones in my body, and I laughed.
“Seriously though, if we cut to the right some, we’d end up just outside my apartment complex.” He wiggled his eyebrows.
“Not a chance. I want to see what this cliff party is all about first.”
“First, huh? Sounds promising,” he muttered. The rumble of his tone sent shivers through me.
My cheeks flamed, but I didn’t respond. Music sounded in the distance, my cue that we were finally almost to the party. After just a few more feet of walking, I noticed a dancing glow of fire at the end of the narrow pathway. When we stepped through the overgrown brush and trees, and into the open area where the party was taking place, I realized it was more than just some bonfire party on the ledge of a cliff overlooking the ocean … it was like a club.
Someone had swept off a large area in the center, creating a natural dance floor made of slate rocks. A bar crafted out of two tree trunks and another thin slab of wood for the top sat just off to the side. A guy with dark hair that splayed over his left eye stood behind it, pouring drinks for two bottle blondes dressed skimpier than Vera on a hooker-looking day. A tiny, sporty-looking car with its trunk wide open blocked the entrance to what looked like a dirt road that I assumed must lead to this place. Red and blue fiber-optic lights flashed around the massive speakers that filled it—this was where the music pulsated through the night from. A large bonfire had been created closer to the cliff, and I wondered if it was mainly for precautionary reasons. With the way some of these people were fumbling around, I could easily picture someone falling right off the cliff and disappearing into the choppy ocean waters below.
“Well, what do you think?” Kace asked, his lips brushing against my ear so I could better hear him.
I stood on my tippy-toes to reach his ear better. “I freaking love it!”
“I knew you’d like it.” His eyes glittered in the glow of the fire, making them even icier in color. “Let’s get something to drink.”
Kace led the way through the crowd of people toward the makeshift bar where all the drinks were. He snagged two plastic red cups and a bottle of Bacardi Gold.
I held out a hand to stop him before he poured anything. “Nu-uh, I don’t like that stuff. I’m more of a coconuty or fruity kinda girl when it comes to mixed drinks.”
“All right.” He searched our selection and then reached for the Parrot Bay Coconut Rum. “How about this?”
“Perfect,” I said with a smile.
I watched as he sloshed a He-Man shot of it into the bottom of my cup and then poured it halfway full of Pepsi.
“Dang, you’re just trying to get me smashed tonight, aren’t you?” I grinned as I accepted the cup from him.
“Maybe just a little.” He winked as he picked the Bacardi Gold bottle back up.
I turned and glanced around at the others enjoying the atmosphere of the place as I took a sip of my drink. This was so a Vera party. I’d have to call her tomorrow and tell her about this place. I didn’t know how a Hotfoot spell worked, but maybe I could talk her into coming back for a weekend and bring her here. I hoped so anyway.
“Is it to your liking?” Kace asked, pointing to my potent drink as he spun back around to face the party too.
I nodded. “Yep.”
“You guys came!” a tinkling voice shouted over the music. Callie thrust her arms around my neck as she pulled me in fo
r a hug. I could smell the alcohol on her breath. “I’m so glad you came!”
I locked eyes with Adam as he walked up. He took a small sip of his drink and eyed me from over the rim of the cup.
“Wow, she’s a little toasted, isn’t she?” I asked him.
He grinned. “Yeah, she had a rough day with those kids I guess.”
“Come dance with me!” Callie insisted as she pulled on my arm.
“I don’t know,” I said.
I enjoyed dancing, but it was a two-drink minimum thing for me. Meaning, I had to at least have two drinks in me before I could loosen up enough to dance in front of others.
“Come on. I don’t ever let myself get this smashed. Please dance with me; I’m celebrating you being here!” she pleaded.
I tipped my glass back and chugged its contents in a matter of seconds while she continued to tug on my arm. The alcohol burned my throat, and I swore if I hiccupped I’d probably puke it all back up, but I needed to get some alcohol in my system if I was going to dance.
“Damn, that was hot!” Kace grinned from beside me.
“You haven’t seen anything yet,” I said as I handed off my empty cup to him, thankful he’d poured me a strong drink to start with.
The warmth of the alcohol warmed me from the inside as I let Callie lead the way to the stone dance floor. Some rap song thumped through the speakers, and Callie began to shake her hips in time with the beat as we made our way to the center. For being as shy and timid as she appeared, the girl sure had some moves. Callie’s brunette hair was everywhere once we’d made it to a spot that seemed suitable to her. I laughed at the weird face she made while she moved her body to the beat, giving herself over to the pulse of the music—mind, body, and soul.
I swayed my hips and threw my arms in the air, letting the energy of the night mix with the liveliness from those around me and sweep through me, infused by the alcohol swimming through my veins. I let the music, the moment, take me over, pulling me in as it stripped everything except right now away and blocked it all from my mind. I gave in and let myself be free.
When the song changed, hands gripped my hips from behind, and I leaned into the person behind me, knowing already who it was without having to turn and see.
“I love watching you, but all it does is make me want to touch you,” Kace whispered against my ear, his breath hot and smelling strongly of alcohol.
I smiled and closed my eyes as I slid my body against his. Delicious heat rushed across my skin as Kace slipped his thumbs beneath my shirt and caressed the skin of my stomach. The more we touched, the more the hot tingles beneath my skin unfurled and spread throughout my body, flooding my mind with an overwhelming need to melt into him further. I was glad when the song ended, because I didn’t know how long I could keep from dry humping him like some of the others around us seemed to be doing. That was just plain embarrassing, didn’t they realize that?
“I need another drink,” I said, standing on my tippy-toes to reach his ear.
“Me too.” He nodded, his eyes hooded by lust. He licked his plump lips and shook his head. “And a bit of a break, if we’re planning on staying here any longer.” He cast a sideways glance at me and grinned like a fool with one brow raised.
He was asking if I wanted to leave now without actually saying the words.
“Oh, yes, we are planning on staying a little bit longer,” I said.
As much as I wanted to head back to my house and get in bed with him, I was having a blast here and wasn’t ready to call it a night just yet.
We danced for hours before we decided to leave the raging party and head back through the narrow pathway that cut through the woods back to my house.
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE - Something Made of Red
“Keys, please.” I held out my hand to Kace, remembering I’d given them to him before we’d left.
He crossed his arms over his wide chest and leaned against the house with a cocky grin twisting his lips. “You know where I put them. Why don’t you fish them out?”
I glared at him for a moment before I reached my hand into his front pocket for them.
“Woo, yeah baby. That’s the spot,” he whispered in that low, sexy voice of his that made my heart flutter.
I laughed and smacked him playfully once I’d found my keys. “Oh my God.”
“What, was it not as good for you?” He smirked. “Let’s head inside and fix that then.”
He was smooth. I had to give him credit there. We stumbled inside, and I closed the door and locked it behind us. I started flipping lights on and headed to the kitchen for a glass of water, but Kace had other ideas. He whirled me around, forcing me backward. He pinned me between his body and the banister of the stairs. My breath rushed from my lungs in surprise as his sudden movements startled me. His head dipped to the curve of my neck where his lips trailed along the sensitive skin there.
“I’ve been waiting for this all night,” he whispered, his hot breath making my skin erupt in goose bumps.
I ran my hands up his biceps and over his shoulders, before splaying one hand against the back of his head and intertwining my fingers within his hair. Kace’s lips slowly moved up my neck, making their way to my lips, and I closed my eyes, lost in the feeling of him. He slid one hand down my hip and around to cup my rear. I opened my eyes in surprise as he hoisted me up like I weighed nothing and began to ascend the stairs. Wrapping my legs tightly around him, I laughed.
“You have got to be kidding me!” I chuckled. “Oh my God, please don’t fall down the stairs!”
“Relax. I’ve got this, trust me,” he said in a surprisingly even tone as he tightened his grip on my ass.
He carried me into my room and dropped me on the bed with one swift motion. I bounced up and giggled hysterically, but not for long. Kace forced his mouth down on mine, nipping my bottom lip in an effort to get my attention once more. I opened my mouth and knotted my arms around his neck, pulling him on top of me as I lay back against the bed. His tongue darted into my mouth to brush against mine, and I heard myself sigh loudly.
Kace’s lips began exploring my jawline, down my neck, until he paused at my collarbone to lick and kiss awhile there. I tipped my head back, enjoying the feel of his warm kisses as the magick swam through me at the same time. This must be what people felt when they had sex on ecstasy, I thought to myself while I closed my eyes.
Kace’s hand pulled at the edges of my shirt as he lifted it up, exposing my bare stomach beneath. My eyes shot open at the feel of his tongue slipping around my belly button slowly, but instead of seeing the white popcorn ceiling above my bed, my eyes focused on something else entirely.
A red creature had attached itself to the ceiling above my bed. It gazed down at the two of us with wide, black eyes and a gruesome smile.
I screamed, and Kace jumped off me, startled.
“What? What’s the matter?” he asked as his eyes darted around the room.
I slid off the bed and cowered on the floor. With my back pressed against the bed, I pointed to the ceiling, too afraid to look at the thing again.
“Up there,” I whispered.
“What, where? I don’t see anything,” Kace said. “Was it a spider or something?”
How could he not see it? It had been huge and red! I took in a deep breath and held it as I opened my eyes to see if the thing was still there. It wasn’t. There was nothing there. It was the same old white popcorn ceiling that had always been there. There wasn’t even a smudge left against it from where the red creature—which looked as though it had been made of muscles with no skin—had been perched.
“I … I don’t know where it went,” I stuttered as I stood up and glanced around the room, frantically looking for the thing. “It was right there. I don’t get it,” I said, pointing to the spot above the bed.
My mind whirled. Had I had that much to drink? So much I was seeing stuff? I didn’t think so.
“What was?” Kace asked, his brows drawn together in c
oncern.
I shook my head. “I don’t know what it was, but it was not a spider, I can tell you that.”
“I don’t know,” he said in a defeated tone.
“Me either,” I said as I wrapped my arms tightly around myself.
Kace came to where I stood and placed his hands on my hips. “Well, there’s nothing there now.”
“But there was.”
“Maybe you imagined it … the alcohol and everything …” he suggested.
Tiny tendrils of anger unfurled inside of me, even though this was something I had thought only moments before. “I’m not imagining it and I’m not that drunk. I saw something. Something made of red … some kind of a creature.”
He smirked at me. “A creature made of red? Seriously?”
He thought I was joking, I could tell. God, how I wished I was.
“I can’t explain it, okay? I don’t know what it was, but it freaked me the fuck out.”
The smile fell from his face. “All right. How about we head downstairs then and watch a little TV?”
“Okay.” I stood and let him lead me out of my room and toward the stairs.
***
I woke the next morning on the couch, entangled with Kace and his long limbs. One of his hands draped over my hip while the other was pressed against my backside like he’d been trying to cop a feel in his sleep. Our legs were tangled together in a near pretzel-like state. The TV had been replaying the main menu screen for the movie In Time for who knew how long, and from the amount of sunlight seeping in from behind the sheer curtains, I knew it had to be way past the time I was supposed to be up so I could get ready for work without rushing.
Focusing on adjusting myself, so I could get a good amount of leverage and slip out from beneath Kace without waking him, I missed Binks entering the room. He hopped up on the coffee table in front of me, knocking over a half-full glass of water from the night before and nearly making me jump right out of my skin. Kace jerked awake and bolted straight up into a sitting position behind me.
“What, what happened? Are you okay?” he asked, concerned, his voice heavy with sleep.
