She reached the steps and looked out towards the gate to find... nothing. No one stood waiting. Her heart dropped and she scanned the street looking for him.
Nothing.
Lexia had a sudden, overwhelming urge to cry. She wanted to go home, curl up in bed, and sob like the world was ending. Tears welled in her eyes and she swiped at them, angry with herself. Get a grip, Lexia, he’s just a man. But he wasn’t just a man, he was exciting and a little wild, he was gorgeous and a badass, but he could be so kind and sweet; he could make her heart race and make her feel so mad she wanted to scream. He was like no one she’d ever known and it didn’t matter how many times she told herself there was something off about him because with one single touch he made her feel alive.
She walked home, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. When her dad got home she told him she wasn’t hungry and went to bed. As soon as her head hit the pillow she let the tears fall. She felt so weak and pathetic and it just made the tears fall faster. She cried until her tears had run dry and she lay staring out at the sky watching the sun set and the moon rise.
At around nine o’clock she heard a soft knock at the door and her dad’s footsteps as he went to answer it. She listened and jumped to her feet when she heard the familiar voice—Lincoln.
“Lexia!” her Dad’s voice growled up the stairs.
“Shit!” Lexia muttered. Leaping off the bed, she ran downstairs completely forgetting the state she was in from hours of crying.
When Lexia reached the front door it was to find her dad red-faced and fuming with anger while Lincoln stood looking as stunning as ever. He was leaning against the porch, carefree and completely oblivious to the fact that her dad was about to blow a gasket.
She smiled at Lincoln then turned to her dad. “Yes?”
“Yes, yes! Lexia, explain to me why a fully-grown man is calling for you,” he said through gritted teeth.
God, seriously, could you be any more embarrassing?
“Well...” What am I going to say?
“If I may Mr. Granger, I have been out of town and returned later than expected. I just wanted to let Lexia know I was back.”
Lexia stood speechless. How was Lincoln pulling off sweet and harmless? Her dad seemed just as stunned; he stared at him for a moment, seemingly speechless before he asked, “And why would my daughter need to know that you were back in town?”
“Jesus, Dad! I’m nearly twenty and Lincoln is a friend.” She glared at him suddenly feeling angry. She wasn’t a child and she’d done nothing wrong. What did her dad think—she’d stay single forever?
Lincoln glanced at her, a flash of emotion crossing his face before he returned his attention to her dad. “I can see it’s a bad time. Nice to meet you, Mr. Granger, Lexia.” His eyes locked with hers for a second and with that one intense look, Lexia was hooked; she’d missed him so much and seeing his face just made her want him more. Lexia turned and stomped up the stairs ignoring her dad’s shouting.
“Lexia, come back down here and explain yourself!”
She slammed her door and flopped on the bed. Her dad thundered up the stairs and opened her door. He stood in the doorway, the light from the hall casting him in a silhouette. She couldn’t see his face but she knew he was mad.
“Look, he’s just a friend and I had no idea he was coming over. Just like he said, I expected him back earlier.”
“Lexia, he’s a grown man and they only think of one thing.”
“God, are you serious? Do you really not trust me that much? I’m not stupid, Dad, and I’m not a child anymore but really, he’s just a friend, nothing has happened between us. Now leave me alone, it’s been a long day.”
He stood there for a second longer then turned and left without saying a word. Lexia jumped to her feet switching on her light. She glanced at herself in the mirror. “God did I really go downstairs like this?” she muttered.
Her eyes were bloodshot and the skin around her eyes was red and puffy. Lexia rubbed some cream on her face then applied some foundation hoping it would cover up the blotchy patches. She straightened her clothes, slung on a long coat leaving it undone, and climbed out the window. The moment her feet hit the floor she ran away from the house heading into the darkness of the trees.
Lexia couldn’t see Lincoln in the dark but he couldn’t have gone far. She jogged towards the road careful not to land on the gravel, the last thing she needed was her dad seeing her sneak out.
Lexia stopped, she was sure she’d heard something. Looking into the darkness she couldn’t see anything but then her senses stirred and her stomach dropped when she realized she hadn’t brought her knife.
“Shit!” Two gold eyes flashed in the darkness.
Lexia stood her ground, facing him straight on. She looked right into his eyes. “Where have you been?”
He growled low in return, taking a step forward. “You really do have terrible timing. Could you kill me tomorrow after I’ve chased down this hot guy?” Lexia laughed to herself. Why the hell am I talking to you?
The panther cocked his head and Lexia held her breath; did he really understand her? As if he could read her mind he growled again then stepped back into the forest. She heard him move a pace then the forest was silent. Lexia shot off, afraid he might come back. She reached the street and looked around but she couldn’t see Lincoln.
“Goddam, panther!” she growled, spinning around and slamming straight into a hard-muscled chest.
Lexia gave a startled yelp. “Shush, it’s just me,” Lincoln whispered.
“Shit, how do you always manage to sneak up on me?”
He laughed. “Who were you goddamming?”
“Oh, err, no one,” she lied.
“So how did you convince your dad to let you out?”
“I didn’t, I climbed out the window,” she smiled.
“Lexia! I’m seeing an all new side of you,” he said with a mischievous smile.
For a second they just stood staring at each other and Lexia wondered what she was doing. She’d not thought about what she would do once she’d found him. She’d just acted on her feelings and so here she was looking into his hypnotizing eyes wondering what her next move was.
“So want to go for a walk?”
“Err, sure.” Lincoln turned and started to head into the trees, Lexia paused.
“Lincoln?” He turned around with a dangerous gleam in his eyes.
“You scared?” He stretched out his hand to her and Lexia looked at it; was she scared? No. So she place her hand into his, their fingers locking together. Little electric shocks snaked up her arm and she had to suppress a shiver.
“You realize there’re wild animals in this forest?”
“Nothing that’s going to eat you and it’s only a little way up here.”
“What’s a little way up here?”
“You’ll see.” He smiled and her tummy did a flip; how does he affect me with just one smile?
Lexia walked in silence, the further into the forest he led her, the darker it got. She could hardly see a thing and her pace slowed so that she didn’t trip on the unseen obstacles at her feet. She cursed herself for letting him lead her into here; somewhere in this forest was a panther. She looked around trying to spot danger. Lexia could imagine him, slowly stalking them, his lean graceful body not making a sound as he crept nearer and nearer; what would she do if he attacked? She had no weapon and what would Lincoln think if she started to fight a panther with her bare hands?
Something rustled to her right and Lexia picked up her pace which made her stumble. She tightened her grip on Lincoln’s hand and wildly looked around, searching for two gold eyes that were surely following them.
“Lexia, you’re okay; nothing’s going to get ya.”
“I’ve seen things in these forests; this was a bad idea, let’s go back.”
He laughed, “What things? We’re nearly there now. Come on, I’ll protect you.”
Lexia looked at his face. Yes, he cou
ld laugh at her all he wanted but he wouldn’t be laughing when a big black panther bit down into his flesh. She moved closer to him and took some deep breaths. “Okay.”
As she followed him, Lexia tried to calm her racing mind; she was no good to him if her imagination was running wild. Relaxing her grip on his hand, Lexia took another deep breath trying to clear her mind and as she did she felt a rush of adrenaline course through her. She suddenly felt calm and powerful, her senses sharpened. She could easily walk through the dark trees and the only danger she could feel was coming from the man’s hand she gripped. Lexia ignored the warning in her mind; she knew Lincoln was dangerous but that’s what made him so exciting, he wasn’t just another boring schoolboy.
Lincoln found it strange that Lexia was so frightened of this forest; she kept glancing around looking for something. She was the enemy, yet right now she was just a frightened girl; maybe this was all just a trick? But the more time he spent with her, the more harmless she seemed. Well, maybe not harmless, he laughed to himself. She squeezed his hand tighter as a rabbit dashed off; maybe she was looking for the panther? You’re holding the panther’s hand, he thought. He laughed to himself again.
Lincoln felt it the second she calmed down. He told her he’d protect her and as she’d taken a deep breath and loosened her death grip, a wave of energy had rushed through her. His skin tingled where he held her and he tensed waiting for her to make a move but she didn’t, she just quickened her pace and relaxed. His beast rose to the surface. He didn’t trust her, this woman full of trickery and power; how was she making him fall for her, why couldn’t he kill her? He forced the panther back and led Lexia into the little clearing. The moment they passed through the trees she gasped and looked to the sky, a look of delight crossing her face. He smiled at her as she wandered around the moonlit clearing; the sky was clear tonight and lit by a thousand stars shining down on them.
He walked up to her entranced with her beauty; she didn’t hear his approach as she stared into the night sky. He ran his fingers over her face making her gasp and step back. “Who made you cry?” She looked confused for a second then turned away walking around the clearing.
“No one.”
“Someone did. When you came to the door, you’d been crying.”
“It doesn’t matter, Lincoln.”
“I don’t like it when you’re sad.” He was startled by his comment but it had just slipped out and it was true. The moment he’d seen her face, he wanted to push past her dad and take her into his arms.
She turned back to him with a smile. “I’m not sad anymore; I love the forest and being here now when it’s so peaceful... It makes me feel free... alive.”
Lincoln stared at her stunned; how had she just described exactly how he felt? He followed her movements as she sat on a rock leaning back on her elbows. She tipped her head back and gazed at the stars, the moonlight lit her face and her hair cascaded onto the rock. His breath caught in his throat and he had an overwhelming urge to take her now; she was magnificent, unlike anyone he’d ever met. He strode silently toward her looking over her body, she had her leg bent up exposing her smooth, toned thigh and her top had pulled up as she’d stretched out, her breasts straining against her low neckline. Lincoln ran his finger across her skin trailing from her collarbone and over the top of her breasts; he bit back a moan as she gasped, looking at him with desire.
He waited to see what she’d do next but she just stared at him with fire burning in her eyes, so Lincoln placed his hand on her exposed skin running it up and around the back of her neck. He pulled her upright, pressing his body against hers. She sucked in a breath, eyes widening and her breaths coming out in shallow pants. He slowly lowered his head not taking his eyes from hers and softly brushed his lips across hers. Fire burned through him and she moaned softly opening her month for him. He pressed his lips to hers again and began to deepen the kiss when a howl cut through his senses and he shot upright, the panther coming to the surface.
Lexia stumbled backwards as Lincoln abruptly let go of her, she felt dizzy from his kiss and shocked that he’d just stopped. He paced the clearing and froze the second he heard another howl.
“We need to go now,” he said, striding to her. He took her hand and dragged her into the trees.
“Lincoln? It’s just a wolf.”
“Wolves can be nasty and they never travel alone.”
She heard the howl again and this time she felt afraid, she’d killed a wolf and he’d been alone. She hoped it wasn’t the wolf’s mate.
“Okay, will you walk me to my door?” He paused for a second looking into her now frightened eyes; how did she do this to him? She was supposed to be a killer and now she was afraid, looking to him for protection.
“Of course,” and he ran his knuckle over her cheek.
When they reached her house, she stood below her window and turned to him. Lincoln looked down at her and realized she was waiting for a goodnight kiss, her eyes still held fire in them. Lincoln wondered what he’d done, kissing her and taking her into the clearing all pointed to the start of a relationship. He’d made a terrible mistake, but his eyes moved to her lips without his control; he needed to kiss her, he needed to feel the rush from her touch. Just once more, he told himself.
Lexia stood breathless from the kiss. Lincoln smiled at her and she turned and started to climb. When she jumped quietly into her room she turned and whispered, “Goodbye, Lincoln.”
He smiled at her and for a second she thought she’d seen sadness fill his eyes but then he was gone and Lexia stood looking out into the dark night wondering why she felt filled with dread all of a sudden. She felt overwhelmed; she wanted to climb back out the window and chase him down, never let him go again. She shook her head and got ready for bed. Of course I’m going to see him again.
Chapter 13
Lexia spent Saturday morning in bed. The past few weeks had finally caught up to her and her father was away for the weekend so when the light shone through the crack in her curtains, she rolled over and stuck a pillow over her head.
A while later some part of her brain registered the sound of vibrating but she never fully woke, until loud knocking sounded at the door, rolling over Lexia pulled her covers over her head and tried to ignore it.
“Lex get your backside down here!” Alice yelled.
Moaning Lexia walked over to her window and called out, “Keys under the pot.”
She was back in bed, her head under the pillow when Alice flopped onto her bed.
“Get up will you! We have a party to shop for.”
“Alice I’m really not in the mood for a party.”
“Lexia,” she moaned.
“Aww Alice don’t make me feel bad, I’m not in the mood for people.”
“But Lex I can’t go alone! Come on you’re supposed to be my best friend!”
Lexia pulled the pillow off her head and glared at Alice, “I am your best friend and I still don’t want to go!”
“Fine! But you’re still coming shopping!” Alice hit her with the pillow. “I’ll be in the car you have five minutes!”
**********
Hours later Lexia walked the street of Deadwood, bags in her hands, which mostly contained the many clothes Alice had bought.
“Can we go to your house now please?” Lexia Begged Alice.
“Okay! Are you sure you don’t want to buy a dress for tonight?”
“I’ve told you I’m not coming!”
“Fine” she huffed.
They started to walk in the direction of Alice’s house but then Alice stopped, looking into a shop window.
“Alice, no! You said we could leave”
“Oh come on Lex! Look at that dress,” the door chimed as she walked into the store.
“I’m going to kill you!” Lexia huffed following her.
She sank into a chair and waited as Alice chatted to the shop assistant and they wandered off towards the changing room together.
Lexia’s
eyes narrowed, her mouth a hard line. Why am I always running around after her!
Alice emerged out of the changing room, the multicoloured dress clinging to her skinny frame. She laughed and joked with the assistant and each time Alice smiled in delight, Lexia’s fists squeezed tighter. Were they really going to keep talking like she wasn’t there?
Lexia almost laughed at herself; why did she feel so mad? This is how it had always been between them.
“Oh sweetie, that looks lovely on you!” The shop assistant almost sang.
Lexia stood abruptly and the chair fell to the floor making the two of them jump. Alice turned around and looked at her like she was being hysterical and the wave peaked; all that anger that had been building finally crashed.
She stood there trembling. It boiled in her blood and then a small part of her asked, what are you doing?
She felt so mad, out of control even, and her friend looked at her in confusion and then her eyes met the shop assistant; the bright, sparkly girl had fear in her eyes.
That’s when Lexia realized she’d lost control, she needed to leave before another wave hit.
“Lex, wait!” Alice called at Lexia as she ran from the store.
Lexia never heard her. She crashed through the door and straight into a group of people, two of whom tumbled to the floor and Lexia just carried on, barging past them. She needed to get away; she could feel it now, the power in her blood taking over, controlling her rational thinking. What’s wrong with me?
She barrelled through another set of people and then into a man as he walked alone but instead of him staggering out of the way, he felt like a brick wall and Lexia stumbled. She bent over, gasping, as a cloud of darkness swept over her. She looked up but the man had gone.
An echo of a memory tumbled through her mind. Lexia was back in the club with Lincoln, they were dancing and his every touch made Lexia lose a bit of herself. She was lost in the feel of him, his hands on her body, the heat that seemed to seep into her bones but someone knocked into her...the spell was broken and the feeling she’d felt then still lingered in the air now; it was exactly the same.
Lexia (The Deadwood Hunter Series) Page 9
