She smiled warmly. “I just help people understand what’s troubling them, maybe help them uncover their true desires. I lead them toward the path they want to go down.”
“Oh,” I said, not knowing what I should say. “Is there anything else you wanted to talk to me about?”
Isabella sat back in her chair. “Perhaps I shouldn’t be telling you this as Tristan might get upset. He’s so protective of his privacy.”
I braced myself for what was coming. What did she want to tell me?
“You’re the first woman he’s ever brought home. It’s such as pleasure to meet you. You seem to have brought a change on him, a lightness, and I don’t mean anything to do with the light he sees around you. I mean a lightness to his soul, in contrast to all the weight he feels he’s carrying on his shoulders.”
“Thank you, Isabella. We haven’t known each other long, but I care about him and I’m glad to be of any help to whatever burden he feels.”
“That’s the thing, Maya,” Isabella said. “Tristan’s gift—he believes it’s a curse because he can’t live a normal life. And maybe he’s right. But for any curse, there’s a way to lift it. I don’t believe it’s a curse, though. I think it must be a gift. He must have been given those abilities for a reason. And if he learns to understand them and develop them, he’ll find peace. Maybe even happiness.”
I realized I tilted my head, which I often did unconsciously when thinking. “What do you think the reason might be?”
“I believe that he was born to be a healer. My grandfather—Tristan’s great-grandfather—had an ability to heal people. I don’t know how he did it, but the stories I heard were that he could see things in people the rest of us couldn’t. And whatever he saw in them gave him insight on how to heal them. Tristan must have inherited this gift. His abilities to sense darkness and sadness in people must be to be able to heal that sadness.”
I thought about it. “That would make sense. But Tristan hasn’t described his visions as a very positive thing. Not insightful at all. In fact, they sound rather terrifying.”
Isabella leaned back and smiled. “That’s where I think you come in, Maya. I believe in destiny,” she said. “Maybe you’ve come into Tristan’s life to somehow help him tap into that ability. Maybe he needs you to be all that he can be.”
Whoa, that was a lot to process. As of yesterday morning, I was just a firefighter who had a few harmless fantasies about some hot guy she saw in a club. Okay, maybe I had my weird little fire thing, but still, I was used to that. Now today I’m some sort of partner in healing or something with a guy who I just met? Granted I already felt connected to him in some way, but to work on something that intense together? So life changing?
“I don’t know, Isabella. That seems a little out there to me.”
“I can understand that,” she said. “Just do one thing for me, please. Be open to it. Don’t shut the idea out completely.”
Something about this woman, almost a complete stranger, believing in me made me want to believe in myself. Maybe I didn’t think I hooked up with Tristan for anything more than the hottest sex of my life. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t be open to the possibility that we could be more. Who knows? Maybe we could sort of help each other out somewhat? Isn’t that what people in healthy relationships do—encourage each other to be the best person they can be?
“I can do that,” I said.
Tristan
“I don’t know what it is about her, Dad,” I said as we sat on the deck. “But it’s as if I’m under a spell.”
My father chuckled. “That’s what happens.”
“When what happens?”
“When you find the right one”
I leaned forward in the Adirondack chair. “But how do you know it’s not just—lust? Or infatuation?”
“You figure it out eventually.”
“It’s not easy.”
“No, it isn’t.”
“I don’t know. It’s all moving so fast. I’m crazy about her, but I’m freaked out too. I don’t know if I’m ready for a—relationship.”
“That happens too.”
“Why? Because of my abilities?”
He shook his head. “No, because you’re a guy. We’re all screwed up.”
“Tell me about it.”
My father stood up. “I’m going to get a refill. Need anything?”
I looked at my still-full glass. “No thanks.” I rose too. “I’ll go see what they’re up to.”
Maya
When Tristan walked into the courtyard I was pulled back to the here and now. “Is it safe to come back?” he asked.
“Yes, come on in, Tristan.” His mother stood and said, “I better go find Eric. We’re meeting some friends later. But you two should stay. The house is yours for the evening.” Then as if remembering something, Isabella said, “Hold on, I have something for you, Maya.” She returned in a moment with a necklace—a gold oval with an S carved on it. “Would you wear this talisman, please? It’s for protection. It’s something our family creates for people we care about or want to protect.”
I ran my finger over the smooth metal, running my finger over the carved S, presumably for Stone. Touched, as I just met this woman, I could only say, “Thank you.”
“If I were to bet,” Tristan said, “I’d say Maya is the protectress. Protecting those around her.”
Isabella nodded slowly as if considering that idea. Then she said, “Tristan’s talisman is silver. For healing. Yours is made of copper, for all-around protection and well-being. Focus on it from time to time. It has been consecrated in a circle. But from now on, its energy, it’s effectiveness, comes from within, from you.”
“I will,” I said, putting it on over my head.
After we said goodbye and Tristan’s parents left, we walked back out into the gardens.
“So has my mother grilled you to death?”
“Ah ha. She has a way of coaxing the most hidden secrets out of someone. You know I’ve never told anyone outside of my family about the fire thing before.”
“She has a way of doing that to people. Part of her charm, I suppose.”
I reflected on that. In the short time we’d met, I shared my deepest, darkest secrets. She also shared her hopes for her son and how she believed I might be a key to her dreams. She believed in him. She believed in me. It was rare to meet someone to believe in you these days, let alone trust you so soon in this cynical world.
She left quite the impression on me. I wondered if she had that effect on everyone she met.
Tristan must have been deep in his own thoughts because he arrested his pace suddenly to look at me. “I’m glad you trusted us enough to share it. I’m glad you can trust me.”
Trust. That must be the theme of the day.
“Let’s not count our chickens before they hatch,” I teased. “I mean, you are still a weirdo and all.”
“And so are you, my dear.” He pulled me to his chest and searched my eyes. “Honestly, you don’t think we’re too—out there?”
“I thought your parents were lovely. Is your Dad, you know, like you?”
“Witchcraft is strong in Dad’s family, but he doesn’t seem to have inherited any of the—sensitivities. Not like Mom being a medium and all.”
“Come again now?” I shook my head. “She just read my Tarot cards.”
“She didn’t mention how she can communicate with the dead?”
“Um—no. I think I would’ve remembered that.”
“She was probably too fascinated with you. Same as me. Only my thoughts are far more lascivious. I find you even more alluring now that I know you won’t judge me as much as I feared.”
Without any warning, he bent down to kiss my lips and enclose me in a fierce embrace. My body instantly responded as I melted into his arms and my lips met his with equal enthusiasm.
“How do you set me on fire so quickly?” I asked in between kisses.
He pushed me against the wall of h
is parents’ house. “You’re the one who controls the fire, baby. And you have it raging inside me right now.”
I lifted one leg and he caressed from my ankle toward my thigh. Then he grabbed my other leg and lifted me up, holding me against the wall. My flowing black skirt, which I earlier thought was appropriate for meeting my man’s parents, seemed much more suggestive as it hiked up near the tops of my thighs.
“Here? What if the neighbors see?” I asked.
“That just makes it all the hotter,” he replied. He looked around the neighboring houses quickly. “It’s dark out. They’d only see shadows. Besides, I don’t see any peeping Toms looking for a free show right now.”
When he pressed himself against me there, I moaned. The whole thing felt so wrong—and of course, so right. All the buildup from the night in the cemetery and then outside the building all came rushing back. Who cared if someone peeked? Actually, he was right. The prospect made it all the hotter.
Pinning me against the wall with his weight, he managed to pull my panties down and slide them off one leg and then the other.
“You’re quite deft with your hands,” I said.
“I haven’t even gotten started.” He reached under my skirt and touched me there and I realized just how skilled he actually was with his hands. How he managed to pin me against the wall, touch me, and kiss me was a mystery. But he was so tall and muscular, my weight was probably nothing to him.
“Oh yes. You’re right. This is perfect. Fuck me now before I come right here.”
“Don’t hold back. Go ahead.”
He touched me more intensely, putting pressure on just the right spot.
Oh yeah, there.
I looked around all the bright reds in the garden while the intensity heightened, and then exploded.
“Oh God!” I cried.
“Yeah. Shit yeah.”
Still dazed by my climax, I was surprised when he put me on my feet. “Hold on, baby.” He unzipped his pants and pulled them down just far enough to release his cock. “I want to fuck you up against this wall.”
I looked around quickly to make sure no strangers had wandered into the garden and were watching our little performance. “Hell, yes.”
“And I want to see these.” He unbuttoned my blouse and undid my bra.
I looked down and saw my pale breasts shining in the moonlight. Tristan was right about it being dark out, but the moon was clearly putting the spotlight on us if my breasts were any indication of the scene. If anyone was looking—well, now they’d see a lot. Strange how I didn’t feel uncomfortable about the prospect; the idea of getting caught turned me on all the more.
What was Tristan doing to me? All this outdoor recreation was new to me—and so exhilarating.
He picked me up again and I wrapped my arms around his neck. When he entered me, I gasped. Although we had sex the night before, the full feeling of him inside me was still a new sensation. And it had been so long since I’d wanted someone this badly.
Had I ever wanted anyone this badly?
I met his rhythm and worked myself against him as the friction rose. Oh my God, I was going to come again.
“Damn, Tristan. You know how to push just the right buttons.”
Right there.
Oh. My. God.
My world intensified and exploded once again, but different this time with him inside me.
“That was awesome,” I said.
He let me down gently so I didn’t scrape myself against the house.
“Now lie down,” I said. “I’m not done with you yet.”
“Oh baby, I hope you mean that. Because I don’t want you to be done with me for a long time.”
“We can’t fool around out here all night. Your parents will be back at some point.”
“I meant more than that.”
Knowing full well what he meant, I said, “Don’t worry. Let me take care of you.”
He lay down on the grass and I climbed on top of him, easing myself down over him.
“You feel so good inside me,” I said as the tempo rose. “So fucking good I can hardly take it.”
“I know,” he said. He slid his hands under my shirt to feel my breasts. “Makes me wish I met you a long time ago.”
This time when the intensity rose, I felt his excitement rising with it as he met me with increasingly deep thrusts. When I called out his name and exploded all over him, he grabbed my shoulders and pumped deep inside me. And then I collapsed onto his chest.
We lay there panting for a few minutes, our limbs entwined around each other on the cool grass. Then Tristan rolled me off him to lie next to me and propped up on his elbow. “Hey Maya, I want to show you something inside.”
“I think you just showed me something quite impressive.”
“Ha! Well, thank you. I meant something to cool off.” His grin was so mischievous, like a little boy.
“What is it?”
“Come with me.”
I readjusted my clothing and followed him into a pantry where a big freezer took up much of the space.
“My parents have an ice cream freezer.”
“I wasn’t expecting that, but that’s awesome. I’m eight thousand degrees right now.”
“Look inside. All those flavors.”
“You frickin’ rock, Tristan.”
“Let’s mix and match,” he said, grabbing some sundae glasses. “And maybe, I’ll lick some off of you.”
“Damn, you treat me good. And like I said, you rock.”
Chapter Seven
Tristan
Her long shifts at the firehouse were torture for me as I waited for her. I looked at the clock repeatedly while I worked in the lab, trying to distract myself from the ache of missing her.
When she finally had a night off, I asked her to meet me at Vamps that evening.
She wore a blue cotton dress that matched her eyes and had buttons all down the front. Perfect for a casual day at the beach. Or a naughty night. Blood rushed into my cock as I thought about unbuttoning them, one by one.
But that wasn’t why I invited her here. We could have fooled around in my loft. I wanted to show her something. I led her downstairs, but then hesitated on the stairwell.
She sensed my hesitation. “What’s wrong?”
“I’ve never invited anyone in here before. It’s been my secret space.”
She looked at me with such a naughty grin that I instantly hardened. “I can keep a secret.”
When we entered the library, she ran her fingers down the spines of some leather books. “What a collection.”
“My favorites.”
“You collect books?”
“Books have been my companions for as long as I can remember. And they’re filled with people who are different, outcasts. Without them, my life would have been a whole lot lonelier.”
“No friends growing up?”
I shook my dead. “Friendships were too difficult for me. It’s hard to play games with someone when you’re staring in horror at the shadows around them. Besides, I preferred to be alone. Step back. I need to take care of something.” I pulled a book forward on the bookcase—Dante’s Inferno—which triggered a hidden lever underneath it. The bookcase twisted to the side.
“Splendid,” she shrieked. “It’s as if we’re in the game Clue. I love that game!”
“I love games too. But spicier ones than board games.”
“I’m all ears,” she said.
“I’ll keep that in mind. Now I want to show you some other things.”
Her eyes widened as my lab was revealed by the moving bookcase. She looked at me and asked, “May I?”
“Please.” I gestured for her to go on in.
She entered the lab and moved along one shelf after another. “So many bottles and jars. So many books. What is this? What do you do in here?”
“Experiment. Make things, brew potions.”
“Potions? Like what?”
“Mostly I’ve been trying
to find a cure to my curse.”
She looked at me with such concern in her eyes that I was momentarily disarmed. I appreciated how much this woman might actually care for me. Not just as a lover, but as a person.
“I’m really touched that you invited me in here. And I’m honored that you trust me with your secret.”
For a moment, I was at a loss for words. When I found my voice, I said, “It’s cathartic being able to share it with someone. My mother has been on my case about being too isolated for years. Now I’m starting to understand why.”
“You know something, Tristan? Maybe your mother is right about the other thing as well. Maybe we did meet for a reason.”
I had to tease to lighten the serious tone that dominated the conversation. “Hot sex?”
She laughed in surprise at first, but then returned a coquettish gaze. “Naturally. But maybe there’s more. The way you see me in some light, my thing with fire. I don’t know, but maybe there’s something to it.”
“Okay, maybe there is,” I conceded. “How in the hell would we even go about figuring it out?”
She scanned the jars on the shelf again. “No freakin’ clue. I don’t even know what the heck you have going on down here.”
“I know what you have going on down there,” I said, giving her a lascivious look. “And I love it.”
“You’re incorrigible, aren’t you, Mr. Stone?” she said. “I guess you have one thing on your mind right now. Maybe we should try for some erotic inspiration?”
“My favorite kind,” I said and moved in to pull her close. Gazing into those sparkling eyes again, I thought I’d get lost. And when she leaned in to kiss me, I never wanted to be found.
We kissed standing up in the middle of the lab, but then made our way back to the velvet-covered sofa as if in some sort of sensual dance. I pressed myself down on top of her as I kissed her neck.
“Experiments,” she said. I looked up to see her eyes scanning the shelves again.
“Shh. The only experimentation I want to do right now is on your body.”
“Ooh, I like the sound of that. Consider me a willing participant.”
Fiery Nights Page 8
