I settled in the bed wearing just a tank and shorts since I felt sure he’d not even bother to check on me tonight. The air seemed warmer or maybe it was just me.
I thought about what Calum was doing to prepare to come get me tomorrow. What Dr. Green and my father were doing to make it all happen. Why I was saved by Cas? I still don’t know who was supposed to have killed me that night.
The Elves.
“The Elves?” I whispered to him. Why would they want to hurt me?
You risk their separation. They’ve been told you’re the enemy. They want to be left alone.
Alone?
I was starting to drift off. I felt like I was already dreaming when I heard him answer.
I love you!
I thought he said something I recognized as I floated into dreamland. It was lost then though I was sure of what I heard. He was standing in front of me in the gardens at my home holding hands and looking up at Orion. We followed the path of the stars down to the belt of Orion naming each star. I saw the same spread in front of me.
Are you in my dream?
Only if you want me to be.
Can we go anywhere?
It’s your dream.
Then take me to the stars. I don’t want to be anywhere else but with you.
As you wish!
And we went up and up and up until I couldn’t remember anything else but the sound of the air moving around me and the smell of his cologne I will never get enough of.
This is a dream, right?
Yes!
My eyes opened after hours with him, my face was wet with prespiration. I’d shed the covers and felt a draft on the one leg that was hanging off the side of the bed.
I sat up. It felt so real. It couldn’t have been because I’m exactly where I was when I laid down. I looked down seeing that I was still wearing my favorite pink shorts and tank.
Seeing the balcony door closed, I opened it to feel the breeze. It felt wonderful. My hand hurried to my shoulders as I felt the chill hit me. The ring. It was gone!
Frantic, I searched the bed, the shower, the floor everywhere. It was gone. Then I had a thought. Could he hear me? All this chaos in my head. The crazy girl talk. My dream. He’d said he loved me in the dream. Did I really hear that?
And I meant it.
Huh! I gasped. Cas? Can you hear me?
Yes! And I you.
I lost my ring.
It’s okay. I prefer to hear you.
I kind of like the thought of hearing you. I didn’t think I would. Can you see me? A fear rose in my chest still ignoring what was said. It was too soon. Or was it. Can a person find their perfect match and know instantly?
Can you see me?
No! I felt bold like I'd never been.
Boxers or briefs?
Neither!
Huh! I gasped.
And you?
A girl keeps her secrets, but the night air feels wonderful on my skin.
I know.
WHAT? You said you couldn’t see me. I backed up into the room.
He laughed inside himself. It sounded strange in a thought pattern. I can’t. But your thoughts before gave you away. I'm just lying here pretending to need sleep so I can try to feel what you might be feeling. It makes me feel closer to you.
I thought about what he’d mentioned in my dream. It was a dream, right?
I think so. It’s hard to say. I’ve never heard anyone before to know if I could hear thoughts and dreams. But I think that it was your subconscious talking maybe, because you answered me and I answered you. And you say you don’t remember it?
He asked another question before I answered. And you didn’t see where I was in the dream, only what we said?
Yes and no. I liked it.
Neither of us said anything for a long time.
My room is really great. I’m starting to think the only reason you have this balcony is to see the moonlight.
I grabbed the blanket from the end of the bed and wrapped in it sitting against the rail.
I can think of a couple other good reasons to add to it now. I caught a minor hint, but wasn’t sure yet if I should act on it.
I feel like the moon is a sun. Like it’s warming me.
The moon is my sun.
I think I understand what that means. You know everything my mind thinks. I’m not sure that is a good thing.
Why not? I love the way you think.
I felt my neck again uneased by the admissions. Where is the ring?
Silence. The air moved around behind my back. I bent my neck sideways to cover it with my blanket. Before it made it, I felt something touch my neck. I should have jumped, but I knew. I closed my eyes waiting for him to right himself and move around me.
Why do you affect me so? “I didn’t mean to think that. See, you hear my hidden thoughts you shouldn’t be allowed to know.”
His hands stretched out pulling around my neck. He signaled to pick my hair up. I did. And he clasped the necklace kissing my neck slowly, his lips ridiculously warm. I felt myself fold down in the melting stage of the kiss. So obvious, I was starting to almost pant.
My thoughts guarded now, I waited for him to sit or move somewhere else at least but instead crouched beside me, shirtless, and not the least bit cold. Hej!
“Why can’t I walk around shirtless like that so you could feel uncomfortable?” He makes my temperature rise too fast.
His eyes wide and away from me for one long second, “You could, but I would be severely distracted and unable to control myself.”
“From what?” I was worried he was hinting at the idea he could hurt me.
He shook his head and looked down between his knees at his bare feet.
“What,” I demanded and watched his face still making sure I didn’t miss a detail. “Could you hurt me? You wouldn’t accidentally kill me, right?” I didn’t sound rational.
“No. You thought I meant…Kissa, your mind is impossible. I didn’t mean…Stace, I could never hurt you. I meant…” He stood.
There are things I’ve not felt. Things I’ve not seen. I shouldn’t have been looking, but I couldn’t stop myself. I turned my head knowing my cheeks were glowing red in a very uncomfortable situation for the non-societal girl. I just buried my head in my knees in total embarrassment.
He was facing away sitting silhouetted in the moonlight. He ran his hand through his hair and left it sitting on the back of his bare neck. It rippled as he moved his hand back hidden in the front of him. I put my head back down.
I heard him move back towards where I sat. He tugged my hand as I folded upwards, my blanket falling to the ground after a minute passed. Everything on me froze as I realized I hadn’t put enough clothes on. I was clothed, just not enough to keep him sane I guessed. I snatched the blanket and wrapped it back around me seeing him look as if he might keel over any second. He folded it the rest of the way watching my eyes the whole time. I just watched him act the gentleman he was.
“You don’t realize how hard it is to walk away from you. I was teasing you, not threatening you. I am truly affected by you and weakness is new for me.”
“A weakness?”
“Yes, I can’t seem to talk logically around you or remain a gentleman.”
“Maybe that’s because you’re half naked and I can’t concentrate in the least.”
He smiled down at me, “You could still take off your shirt, if you like.”
I blew the hot air out my mouth upward to keep from screaming, “You are…in bad need of a cold shower.”
“You can join me.”
“You need to go back to your room.”
“You coming?”
I walked towards him where he was leaning on the balcony, hair blowing in the slight wind, arms folded neatly, one leg crossed, and tilting his head just enough to look smoldering and sexy beyond belief.
I believe my intention was to put my hand out towards him and just prove my aggravation, but it didn’t go down that way.
As soon as I stepped into his personal space, he reached out throwing his arms around my middle, lifted me slightly in the air elevating me to his height, and said the unbelievable.
“No, you’re not coming to my room because I don’t want to mess this up.” He kissed my neck just beside my neckline. “Yes, I need a cold shower because if I don’t, I’ll combust before I leave this balcony.” He kissed a series from my ear to the corner of my mouth. “And yes, I will not give up. I’ve waited for a very long time for you.” He kissed me full on. His tongue merged into mine. I couldn’t stop the shiver that ran through from head to my toes. He pulled tighter making the blanket hug me. His tongue reached farther threatening a fire in me that was going to spread fast and devour me if he didn’t stop. I gave in. I wanted it. I pulled one arm free and wrapped my fingers into a twist of his hair. I was going to lose control. He realized my urgency and pulled me back. He sat me on solid ground and forced my height to be averted back down to his biceps staring at me. My breathing was out of control. At least I noticed, so was his.
“You will be the death of me,” he said through puffs.
“I hope that is teasing again,” I whispered through my own ragged breaths.
He pulled me back. I would totally go for round two.
He kissed me gently on the forehead, “I will go now. Let you get some sleep.”
“Don’t.” I didn’t know what I was saying. “I mean, stay here. Just lay beside me. You’re so warm. And I don’t think I can sleep knowing your lying in the bed on the other side of that wall.” He seemed reluctant. I couldn’t read the whys, but I could guess it was somewhere between the want to and the dangers of it. When I thought he was going to say no, he nodded a yes. I walked back to the bed dropping the blanket on the floor. I didn’t want to seem embarrassed by my tank and shorts.
“Better slip that blanket back around you,” his voice was distant and unreadable.
“Why?” I analyzed that too quickly. The wrong way.
“I have to spell everything out.”
I waited.
“I am not going to be able to hold you wearing that and keep from touching you. You're not wearing enough. Leave it at that.”
I slipped over to the dresser and pulled out a pair of black yoga pants. I slipped them on over my shorts and slid under the covers. He lay down beside me, but too far. I didn’t have any idea what I thought I was doing, but I just couldn’t stop myself from any of it. I patted just beside me.
“I didn’t expect this bossy directive girl to come other with a knife in hand.”
“Me neither,” I snorted.
“What happened?”
“You. I’ve never been so forceful, much less the fact that you know my innermost thoughts, and yet you still like me. The real me.”
“You are amazing.” He pushed closer, turning me sideways to face the moon, and bringing his body up against mine. I went frigid when I could feel all of him. Head to toe.
“You okay?” he asked putting a hand on my hip on top of the covers. With this? I couldn’t help but hope for more kisses.
“Oh, yeah, mostly. I think. Um, maybe…” He moved away. I regretted it immediately. I had an idea. “Let’s think about something else.”
“Hard to do,” his sigh was long putting his hand back on my covered hip flexing it several times.
I smiled inside and out. “Um, what is your favorite childhood memory?”
“Well, I once caught a Frisbee in my mouth.”
I pulled my head to the ceiling, “What?”
“I was in the park once, my friend Joel was throwing a Frisbee, and I caught it in my mouth.”
“On purpose?”
“Yeah. I wanted to see if I could.”
“Okay! Are you half Werewolf or something?” I laughed.
He roughly said, “NO!” and then calmed after playfully tickling my arms with feathery fingers. He was in what I knew to be the “spoon position” to sleep. Just sleep.
I felt my eyes droop. I was warm. Safe.
“I feel very safe with you,” I murmured.
No word came from him and my breathing slowed.
“What is your favorite childhood memory?” he whispered really close to my ear with his head nestled into the back of mine. I felt the necklace fall away but didn’t have enough conscious alertness to check it. I jostled my eyes open and felt him breath against me. Peace. That’s all I can do to describe it. Safe. I’ve never felt this way.
“I don’t have any,” I drifted slightly away from awareness.
“How about the day I first saw you?”
“I didn’t know that day. Just you.” His hand flexed against my hip like he was having a hard time with this.
“But if you had, maybe you would have a great memory to hold on to.”
“Maybe,” I was drifting off. I don’t know what made me like this tonight. It just felt so right.
Chapter Ten
…what they can help, and what they cannot.
The sun poured endlessly into my window the next morning. I rolled backwards feeling no one there and wondered if it was all a dream.
Wrapped in the covers, I rolled back feeling the necklace. It was there lying on the sheet beside me. I peeked out sideways and found no one. When I searched the room it was empty. It wasn’t a dream since I know I went to sleep with the ring in my possession and it was still here. And the blanket was still wrapped around me, not the sheet.
I rolled back over to where Cas would have been had he still been there when I woke up. My head hit something. I rolled the rest of the way, raised my cheek knowing it was some type of box.
A jewelry box.
I was so eager and reluctant all at the same time. No one is watching. But he is listening, I know it.
I opened the top off very slowly. A burgundy ribbon closed over a shiny silver box made a scraping noise as I lifted it causing me to look around for snoopers. Well, only one snooper and he was the giver.
I closed my eyes waiting a second longer to find the prize. When I opened it, my mouth did a cross between a big O and giant smile all in one.
Inside the box was a gold chain with a burgundy deep red heart pendant. At the top of the pendant a small diamond was nestled in the groove right at the middle. It was familiar. It looked remarkably like my mother’s. I held it up twirling it about marking the rising sun glittering against it.
Without hesitating I scooped up the ring dropping the chain part of it into the box. The new chain slipped and I failed to clasp it. It took me a few seconds to pull it back and ready it to close. I changed my mind quickly and dropped the ring onto the bed and clasped the chain feeling the chill of it hit my skin.
…orange soda, French bread, and every fruit known to man…
Is that you, Cas?
…huh…you took off the ring…Stace…
Don’t come in. I’m not dressed. Just heard you.
Why did you take it off?
I was in the bathroom now, hurrying myself to be ready.
I found something this morning. Do you know anything about it?
Maybe!
Thank you! It’s beautiful.
Then it’s fitting.
Will it block you?
No, it is simply because I wanted you to have it.
I put it out in front of my face and looked at it in the mirror then took it back off to shower. I took it back off to shower. I took longer than I intended simply because the vanilla shampoo, vanilla soap, and vanilla bubbles were flying above me and popping down. I am in love with the shower.
A soft chuckle went through my head. In my haste to protect my new ruby red charm, I neglected to guard my thoughts.
I stepped out, drying off and lathering in even more vanilla lotion. I wondered yesterday who put all of it here. Surely not Cas. Surely he didn’t know my obsession with vanilla. I finished with a favorite fitted teal green t-shirt and flare jeans. My favorite peace sign belt from the day I arrived, and my secret favorite, cowg
irl boots under my jeans. My hoodie lie on the bed in wait. I was ready. I re-clasped the necklace and opened the bathroom door anxious to find Cas. Fiddling with the box of jewelry I’d accumulated, I opened the balcony and enjoyed the air to calm my heart rate down to normal.
He had a way of showing up at precisely like a damsel in distress kind of moment. But I was no damsel in distress kind of girl. I could take his kind and any other in three seconds flat. He was here for other unknown reasons I wasn’t clued into yet. YET! And I hoped to find out just what that was. SOON!
Cas, the predator, irked me. For a man that bulked up and long legged, it should be a little more difficult to be stealthy. And I was the prey. A very willing prey.
“Hello there.” A deep voice echoed from the bed. A bedroom voice. And he definitely had the bedroom hair going on, not that I noticed before.
“What are you doing here?”
“Um, door was open.”
I glanced at the balcony he nodded towards. “Not a normal opening for invited or uninvited guests.” I walked over to the dresser finding my watch and earrings to put on turning my back to him.
I felt his eyes watching my every move.
“Define normal.”
“I can’t anymore. And not sure I want to.” Yet, Calum…
Your charm is missing.
“Oh!” was all I managed. I could feel his rage and jealousy hit me. Why did I think of him? Because he seems more in the norm?
I fiddled with the sheets as if to make the bed but more just to have something to do at moment.
He stopped me with his hand on my arm sending heat racing upward, “Stace…I want a chance…” I froze in the middle of my reach for the pillows.
“I don’t know. I don’t know what is right, right now,” I sighed too loudly.
I tried to move. He just moved his hand to hold mine interlacing our fingers together. I watched him traced the back of my hand with his thumb. His eyes looked up in a deep stare that was every bit as intense as a kiss. He was speaking to me all through this pleading, wanting, yellow eyed look. And I couldn’t get enough of it.
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