Nexus

by C. L. Parker

  “You have a boyfriend, Tor. Me,” he—her best friend—had told her. “And, if you’ll let me, I’d really like to kiss you for your birthday.”

  She did let him, and Tori would remember that kiss for the rest of her life. His lips were soft and gentle when they slowly moved against hers, as if he was afraid any sudden movement might spook her. She now knew that it wasn’t that he had thought he would scare her, but that he had been trying to make the moment an epic memory. He had succeeded.

  The image directly in front of her stepped out, bringing her back to the present. Clad in all black and immaculately sculpted, he was walking sin. She couldn’t take her eyes off him as he stalked toward her with something animalistic in his eyes. Something that caused Tori to take first one step and then another in retreat until her back was pressed against a wall. He caged her in, preventing any escape she might make. The problem was she didn’t want to escape. He was her kryptonite.

  Long, slender fingers stroked her cheek reverently as he looked upon her with adoration. Had he been sharing her memory of their first kiss as well? Softly, but with immeasurable passion, he kissed her as if to answer her question. Tori’s head swam, intoxicated by his closeness, his familiarity. He pulled back, leaving her breathless and wanting more. Judging by the contented gleam in his eye and the satisfied smile on his lips, he took great pleasure in knowing he could do that to her.

  The pad of his thumb swept across her bottom lip and he tilted his head to the side. Something in his gaze changed, like he was looking for an explanation or some sort of clue behind her eyes. “How is it that you’re even more beautiful now than in our first life together? I see you there, but only just barely so.”

  “What?” Tori slammed back to reality, her forehead creased in confusion.

  He shifted uncomfortably under her watchful eye, with a forced smile that was meant to camouflage something, but what?

  “Tell me you love me,” he said, obviously trying to change the subject. He knew she wouldn’t.

  “What’s your name?”

  He straightened to his full height with a grin. “Still ashamed to tell me, I see.”

  Tori put her hand on his chest and he flexed his pectorals for her benefit. It didn’t quite have the same effect she thought it would have. Her thoughts went to Dante, which was puzzling, but she still felt the attachment to him nonetheless.

  “I’m not ashamed. I’m just cautious. And you, after fifteen years together, you still refuse to tell me what most people get out of the way during their first meeting.”

  “Twenty-one,” he corrected her. “I’ve been with you for twenty-one years. Since the day you were born, to be exact. Maybe even before. You know me. You’ve always known me.”

  “I can’t help but think there’s more meaning behind those words than you would have me believe.”

  “You always were too curious for your own good. Just live in the here and now, Tor. Tell me you love me, and I’ll make all your dreams come true.”

  Tori ducked under his arm. “Well that certainly wasn’t the selling point you should’ve gone with. In case you’ve forgotten, my dreams can be pretty gruesome. No, thank you.”

  He pushed off the wall and turned to take her in his arms. “Don’t be that way, Tor. You know I’ll always keep you protected from the demons. As long as you’re with me, they can’t touch you.”

  He took her chin between his finger and thumb, tilting her head back to give him access to her mouth. Caught in his trance, Tori’s lips parted, inviting his kiss. He backed her up, once again pinning her against a mirrored wall with his body, his hips pressing into hers and his arousal evident against her belly.

  No longer the playful boy she had known from her childhood or the complacent teenager from just a couple of years past, he had become a man—a man content on claiming her for his own.

  “Angel? Angel, where are you?” Dante’s voice called to her from the distance.

  His lips curled into a snarl and a low growl vibrated from his chest. “Who is he?”

  For whatever reason, Tori felt defensive of Dante. “He is none of your business.”

  “Get rid of him.”

  “He’s just a friend. Why are you acting like this?”

  “I’m your only friend. You don’t need anyone but me.” With that, he pressed his lips to hers harshly, practically smothering her with a kiss meant to stake a claim. He left no room for her mind to doubt that point. Just as abruptly, he pulled away, turning to disappear into the maze again.

  Tori stared after him as she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, disgusted by him for the first time in all the years she had known him. And then some part of her— the part that still held an admiration for him from her childhood, the part that still crushed on him like only a teenager could —made her ashamed of her aversion. Dueling emotions clashed—one that made her want to run after him, and one that made her want to run as fast as she could in the opposite direction. Tori wasn’t sure which one to trust or even who she was or had become. She examined herself in the mirror, and for just a moment, she could’ve sworn she saw the mystery woman from her sanctuary looking back at her. She blinked, and when she looked again, she saw herself once again. But she couldn’t shake the impression that two people, both inhabiting the same body, were looking back at her.

  “There you are,” Dante said, appearing behind her.

  Tori jumped, nearly startled out of her own skin. “Why is everyone always jumping out at me?”

  Dante’s brows pinched together. “What?”

  Tori sighed and shook her head. “Nothing. Never mind. Hey, can I ask you a question?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “Have you ever seen anyone else in your sanctuary? Someone you hadn’t taken there yourself?”

  Dante looked perplexed, but shook his head. “That’s not possible. A Guardian must invite another into their sanctuary. Why do you ask? Has something happened?”

  Yes, she wanted to tell him, but thought it might be best to keep the mystery woman to herself for the time being. After all, she had said she was breaking the rules by letting Tori see her.

  Tori frowned. “I was just wondering if it were possible. I’d never heard of that either, but I was curious.” Then she spotted the ginormous swirl of sugary cotton in his hand and her inner child started doing the happy dance. “Is that for me?”

  She grabbed for it, but Dante pulled his hand up and out of her reach.

  “Well, it was . . . until you decided to be a naughty girl and run away.” He pulled his hand back further.

  Tori fisted her hands on her hips and stomped her foot. “Dante Dickens, if you don’t give me that cotton candy, I am going to throw a tantrum the likes of which the greater part of London has never seen.”

  Dante laughed. “You are so cute when you’re mad. Here,” he said, handing her the funneled stick.

  Tori immediately pinched off a chunk and stuck it into her mouth. Dante laughed at her again and put his hand to her lower back to guide her toward what she assumed was the exit.

  “Let’s get the bloody hell out of here. These sodding lights and mirrors are playing havoc with my eyesight. I could’ve sworn I saw a gent with some weird fucking eyes pass by me on my way in. Didn’t look happy to see me, but when I turned to ask him what his bloody problem was, there was no one there.”

  Tori paused in the middle of licking the sugar off her fingers, but kept walking. “I’m sure it was just a trick of the lights. I thought I saw someone, too, but it turned out to just be me. A lot of me’s.”

  Finally, they reached the exit and stepped through to the lights and sounds of normal people having normal fun. As if it were the most natural thing to do, Dante took her hand, linking his fingers through hers like they were any other couple. She almost pulled away, but when she felt that same hum from the contact with his skin, she didn’t want to deprive herself of that feeling. Even though it did make her feel like she was being a two-timing slut. Sur
ely there was no harm in simply holding hands.

  Stepping into the flow of foot traffic, they passed Dominic and Kerrigan and stopped to talk to them. In synch, both of Tori’s parents looked down at their joined hands. Tori froze when she saw Dominic’s mouth twitch at the corner. She didn’t know if he was trying to hide a smirk, or if he had developed some sort of tick from seeing his baby girl holding hands with a boy, but he looked up at Dante and the smile came through. Tori was just about to breathe a sigh of relief when she noticed her mother was positively beaming at her.

  Great. Just great.

  Every day over the past two weeks, Tori woke to find Dante in his garden, staring at the statue. And every day, he gave her that sexy smile and asked if she was ready to train, which meant that every day he was getting his ass kicked.

  Despite Dante’s adamant protests, Drew and Dominic sat in on their last session. While Dominic beamed with pride, high-fiving his daughter after a particularly nasty blow that sent Dante to his knees, Drew winced and covered his face with his hands while hanging his head—not from shame, but from pity. Tori refused to take it easy on Dante, mostly because everyone always coddled her and considered her fragile. With Dante, she didn’t feel that way.

  Of course, Dante didn’t take it easy on her either where his flirtations were concerned. Well, except for when Dominic was around. Tori had to admit that she liked the attention he gave her even if she did feel guilty when he came to visit her in her dreams.

  The nightmares were getting worse and happening every time she closed her eyes. He had refused to so much as acknowledge her questions about how he had managed to show up when she hadn’t been asleep, which infuriated her no end. Although, he did mention little tidbits of things she had done from day to day. He refused to acknowledge her questions about how he knew those things as well, not that she was surprised. It was like he wanted her to believe he had been watching her when it simply wasn’t possible.

  Had it not been for the exhaustion she felt after sparring with Dante relentlessly, Tori would’ve done whatever it took not to fall asleep at all, but her body hadn’t given her a choice. At least she was able to take comfort in the fact that Dante was just on the other side of the bathroom that separated them.

  Sometimes, she lay there in her bed listening to the hum of his electric toothbrush while he did his pre-bed routine. Other times, she indulged herself with the soft pelts of shower water, knowing he was in there and imagining what all those strapping muscles looked like with streaming water cascading over them. It was stupid; she knew that, but he had kind of grown on her.

  And he was real.

  The next morning, Tori grabbed her cup of coffee, as per her routine, and went out to the garden to find Dante. He wasn’t there. Tori looked down at her watch noting it was about the same time she had always come down so it didn’t make any sense that he was missing. She had heard him in the bathroom that morning and then his door latch shut as he closed it to leave, so she knew he was up.

  “Looking for Dante?” Sinclair asked as she came up behind her. That had been her routine. Sinclair was always up bright and early to make sure the “kids” were adequately fed and stocked before their training sessions.

  “Yes, do you know where he is?”

  “He left early—looking rather stiff, I might add—but he said he’d be back later. I’m supposed to give you this.” Sinclair handed Tori a note that had been sealed with candle wax, and then turned to go back into the house.

  Tori broke the seal and unfolded the pages, smiling at the neat handwriting scrawled on the page. A stupid crush, making her act like a silly little girl.

  Angel,

  I admit defeat and have gone off to lick my wounded pride as well as to give my aching body the attention it so desperately needs before yet another session of you stripping me of my masculinity. If you’d like to join me for some rest and relaxation, you know where to go. Just follow the pull; it will always lead you straight to me.

  ~D~

  Tori smiled like a complete and utter fool.

  “Aw, I love it when Drew leaves little love notes for me, too.”

  Tori cleared her throat and wiped the goofy grin off her face. Choosing not to respond to Sinclair’s not so cleverly hidden accusation, she folded the note and shoved it into her pocket. Then she ran back into the house and up the stairs to her bedroom to change clothes. Reaching the second landing, she collided with her mother, nearly knocking her over.

  Kerrigan laughed and took a step back with her hands on Tori’s shoulders to steady her. “Whoa, Tor! What’s got you in such a rush?”

  “Nothing. I’m just, um . . . nothing.”

  Kerrigan regarded her daughter and then a warm smile that lit up her eyes spread across her beautiful face. “Victoria Milena Cruz-Grayson, you’re positively glowing! Is that a spark of happiness I see in your eyes?”

  Tori rolled said eyes. “Mom, please.”

  “It is!” Kerrigan screeched and then hugged her daughter to her before pulling back and attempting to look serious. “Is it Dante?”

  “Mom!”

  “All right, I won’t pry,” Kerrigan said, relenting. “But I just want to say that you two make the cutest couple. When I saw you two holding hands at the festival—”

  “We’re not a couple . . .” Tori sang.

  “Whatever, I’m just saying. You’re happy, and that’s all that matters. I hope it’s permanent because that’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”

  Tori sighed. It was useless to argue. “Okay, mushy point made. Can I go now?”

  “Sure. Where are you going?”

  “Um, the park,” Tori said, swaying nervously from foot to foot. “Dante will be with me so you don’t have to worry or anything.”

  Kerrigan’s smile dropped as she looked at the floor and then back to her daughter. “Tori, can we talk?”

  “I’m not trying to sound mean, Mom, but can it wait? I’m sort of in a hurry.”

  “It’ll only take a minute. Promise.”

  “Okay, sure. What’s up?”

  “I know I’ve been a tad bit overprotective . . .”

  Tori’s brows shot up.

  “Okay, a lot overprotective, but you know I’m just trying to keep you safe, right? I’m not really crazy about the level of responsibility that’s been laid at your feet, but it’s there nonetheless, and it’s not going away. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re my daughter, first and foremost. Maybe I get a little crazy with your training or throwing up barricades around you to make sure no one or nothing gets to you, but I do it because I love you. You know that, don’t you?”

  Tori nodded and then wrapped her arms around her mother to pull her in for a hug. “Yeah, I know. I love you, too.”

  Despite her grumblings, she knew her mother was only trying to look out for her. She couldn’t say she wouldn’t have done the same if their roles had been reversed. And considering all that Kerrigan and Dominic had been through to bring her into the world, while somehow managing to save their own lives, they had plenty cause to worry.

  “Okay, well go on . . . get out of here.” Kerrigan took Tori by the shoulders and turned her toward the set of stairs that led to the third floor. “Don’t want to keep Prince Charming waiting.”

  Tori groaned, but ran up the stairs as quickly as she could if for no other reason than to get away from a very embarrassing situation. Thankfully, Dante wasn’t around to witness the spectacle because he’d be unbearable to live with if he had. And what in God’s name had gotten into her mother? She seemed way too chipper for . . . well, anything.

  Half an hour or so later, she was back at the fairy mound with no clue how in the hell she had found it. The pull again; annoying at times, but pretty darn handy at others.

  Butterflies fluttered in the pit of her stomach when she saw Dante’s motorcycle parked outside, but she rubbed her sweaty palms on her thighs and trudged forward anyway. Why did he make her so nervous? She’d been in very
close proximity to him over the past couple of weeks, so being alone with him now shouldn’t be unlike any other time. She rolled her eyes at herself. Pathetic. She was being utterly pathetic. God, she needed to get a grip on herself and act like the adult she wanted her parents to believe she was, not an awkward little girl with pigtails all atwitter because the cutest boy in the school just might like her.

  “Have fun. Take a walk on the wild side. Live a little,” she mumbled, not quite sure she had convinced herself.

  She blew out a breath and brushed her hands over her hair to make sure it wasn’t flying all over the place, and then stepped through the vines covering the entrance. She stopped for a moment to give her eyes the chance to adjust to the low lighting. The candles were all lit, but the fire pit sat cold. She looked around for Dante, but she didn’t see him anywhere.

  “Dante?”

  “Over here, Angel.” His voice came from the far back corner.

  Tori walked farther inside and around the furniture draped with his clothes until she found him sitting in the hot spring.

  “Please tell me you’re not naked in there.”

  A crooked grin pulled at the corner of Dante’s mouth, and then he turned around. Flattening both of his hands on the ground behind him, he lifted himself out.

  “Oh my God! I don’t want to see it!” she screeched, turning away with her hands covering her eyes.

  “It?” He laughed. “To what are you referring, Angel? My cock?”

  “Yes! Cover up or something. Don’t you have a towel?”

  “If you want to see my cock, all you have to do is say so. I have no shame, I assure you.”

  “I do not want to see your . . . your . . . it!”

  Dante laughed even harder. “Ah, the lady doth protest too much, methinks. What’s even more amusing is that you can’t even say the word. I’d wager you’re even blushing under your hands, aren’t you? Come on, say it for me. I’d love to hear the word cock spill from your perfectly innocent lips.”