He held me tighter, gaining control of my false struggle. “I have never been here with you. So, no, I have not really been here.”
I smiled and absorbed him. My eyes shifted when a white flicker of light shone to the left of us. My smile instantly faded. I left Luca’s grasp on autopilot, feeling pulled to where I saw the light. With staggered steps, I arrived to the location. There was nothing out there. I was sure of what I saw, though.
Luca came up beside me. “What is wrong, Ariel?”
I didn’t know if something was wrong. What happened was so peculiar.
Ariel ….
Chills flowed through my skin at the broken and jagged sound. My eyes darted around the space. “What was that?”
Luca brought his hands to my cheeks and looked into my eyes. “What was what, Ariel? Are you all right? Do you need to sit down?” he asked, worry in his voice.
My eyes continued to search, not connecting with his. “N-Nothing. I-I just thought I saw something.”
“Something like what?”
I blinked, finally finding his eyes. “I don’t know. There was a weird light, and then I thought I heard my name. I guess it’s just been a long night.”
Luca hands left my cheeks. He went off into the darkness, his hands at the ready in front of him. After a few moments, he returned and grabbed my hands. Relief was settled on his face.
Seeing his ease, I closed my eyes and let out a breath. The chills finally subsided.
“Perhaps, we should find a place to settle for tonight,” he said.
I took one last look into the horizon. “Yeah, you’re probably right.”
He put his arm around me, and we headed back to the car.
I couldn’t help but feel like we weren’t as alone as we thought we were.
*
The mysterious light and its voice took over my thoughts that night. I grew restless at what it might mean for me. At what it might mean for us. I couldn’t ignore it. I know what I both saw and heard. My thoughts wandered into darkness. What if what happened at the Falls was them? What if Luca’s people were out there right now watching us? Waiting for us to become vulnerable. My mind attempted to throw off the paranoia, but all that did was bring in more of my worries. What if my absence didn’t direct the Hunters away from the Grinaldi farm? What if Bernadetta and Giovanni were on the verge of an attack, while I selfishly lay with Luca in the comfort of this beautiful lake house? They were mine for such a brief moment.
Luca pulled back my hair. “Ariel?”
There’d been no point in trying to silence my tears. My pain always alerted him. “I’m sorry,” I whispered.
He drew in close behind. His arms encased my body, pulling me into his comfort. “Your tears require no apology,” he whispered into my ear.
I breathed in deeply, allowing the healing of his presence do its work.
“What is it making you sad?”
I didn’t want to tell him about my paranoia of the mysterious light I thought I saw. I opted for my other troubles. “I’m just worried about them, I guess. What if they’re attacked like the people in town and campus because of me?”
He touched my cheek.
I shifted to my back and saw his bright greenish-gray eyes in the darkened room.
He caressed my cheek, and left soft kisses after every touch. “Your heart is so big, Ariel, but you cannot take on the responsibility. It would pain them to see you in harm’s way. You are safer here. And it is not because of you the campus and town were attacked. It could not be.”
I closed my eyes. My tears finally waned in response to his kisses and comfort. “But how do you know?”
“Because the Hunters are pursuing other targets, as well. Not just you.”
“But why does it seem like there are more deaths around wherever I’m located? The campus. Then the town when I went to the farm.”
He sighed. “I believe this to be a coincidence, Ariel. You have nothing to do with the advancement of the deaths. It does not work that way.”
“How does it work?”
“The Hunters respond to the assignments of their superior. When the names appear to them, they assign. They just must be appearing more frequently.”
“How do the names appear?”
“This I am unsure of. It is highly classified. The Hunters themselves do not know of their assignments until they hear word.”
I just wasn’t sure of his words. It just seemed too coincidental. “But, how do you know they’re safe? How do you—”
His kiss stalled my words, and I absorbed it from him willingly. His warmth helped my nerves to settle.
“Please do not worry, Ariel,” he spoke against my lips in a whisper. “Everything will be fine.” He continued his soothing kisses to my cheeks. His lips caressed them softly.
I closed my eyes as he worked. “I’m trying not to worry, but my emotions keep getting the best of me, I guess.”
“Do not ever be ashamed of your emotions,” he said, his soft kisses continuing.
I opened my eyes. “I wish I could be strong like you.”
He stopped his kiss and stared into my eyes. “Your strength is what I desire, Ariel Richmond. Before you, I was not allowed to feel. I could not let myself. It still continues to be a struggle, but when I see you ….” He kissed my cheek. “I am no longer afraid to.” He smiled.
I pulled his lips to mine, overcome by the beauty of his soul.
My choice about leaving had been correct. He needed me just as much as I needed him. I had to trust in his words. I had to believe in their power.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
I ran my fingers over the soft brushes that rested on the easel. The sunlight shined on the set up through the large glass window of the lake house. I stepped away from the canvas and gazed around the space. Surrounded by towering, crystal clear windows, the wooden structure was bright with light. The high ceiling let in the sun’s rays, as well, from the skylights, and seeing the large stone fireplace, had me feeling incredibly warm. I couldn’t wait to cuddle with Luca tonight by the fire. “This place is so beautiful.”
“I am glad you like it.” Luca walked up behind me and leaned into me. “We should be able to stay here for a while.”
I let out a sigh of relief. I was glad we were able to stay put. And in an environment as beautiful as this, my happiness couldn’t be more fulfilled. I was ready to enjoy our peaceful seclusion.
Luca brought his arms around my waist and pulled me close to him. “I figured, you could paint ….” He brought his lips to my neck, his soft kisses lining my skin. “And I could cook.” He slid his fingers into my silk bathrobe and caressed just under my navel.
I laughed, his touch tickling me. “You can cook?”
He pulled his hand out of my robe, but left his arms around my waist. “I guess there is a lot about me you do not know,” he whispered in my ear.
I shimmed away and crossed my arms. “Speaking of, you still owe me a Q & A session,” I joked.
He walked over to the glass coffee table. After picking up my sketchpad, he came back and handed it to me. He then took to the black leather couch. Laying down, he crossed his legs at the ankles. “I am ready to let you into my psyche if that is what you desire.”
I laughed. “Here? Now?”
He nodded, flashing me his rockin’ smile.
I put down the sketchpad on the end table and walked over to the window. Placing my hand on the cool glass, I said, “How about out there?”
He joined me at the window and kissed my neck. “If that is what you desire.”
*
“So, do you speak any other languages?” I lifted my arm from the hot water and watched my skin glisten in the sunlight.
“I do.” He kissed my neck.
I giggled, his lips tickling me. “Care to elaborate?” I leaned my neck away from his lips. I’d never get anywhere if I let him get too close. Thank goodness we were at least wearing bathing suits, otherwise there would be no dis
cussion going on in this hot tub.
Laughing, he held me closer from behind. “There are too many to list in one day.”
“How about the one’s from home? Unless English is your language there?” I turned to face him and arched an eyebrow.
“There is not really a proper name for it here. Not in your language, anyway.”
“Is it something I could learn?” Obviously not overnight, but maybe one day.
“It is not really something you can learn. It is more of a feeling.” The heat of his lips approached my neck again.
I stood from his lap. “Can we try it?”
Giving up his previous pursuit, he smiled. “Sure.”
He got up and grabbed my hands. Holding them out, he placed his hands upside down underneath. His eyes flickered up from their view of our hands, and he stared into my eyes.
We stood there in silence, nothing happening.
“What’s supposed to happen?” I asked.
“Concentrate. Listen for my voice,” he whispered.
I listened for a moment, and again heard nothing. I sighed. “I still don’t hear anything.”
He lifted his hand to my cheek, and stroked my skin with his fingertips. “Put away all other thoughts from your mind. Fight through the matter. Find my voice.” He placed his hand underneath mine again.
I relaxed my shoulders and let my mind go. I released everything from my thoughts as he instructed, my mind blank with no distractions.
Ariel.
Holy shit.
Ariel, can you hear me?
Wow. The sound was his voice, but it was different. The tones were like a harmonic underwater language floating through the air of my subconscious. Breaking my concentration, I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck. “That felt amazing.”
He laughed gently. We sat back down and he gathered me in his arms again. Sitting there, we watched the Falls in the distance.
“How does it work?” I asked after a while.
“It is just like any other language. You open your mouth to speak except, in this case, you open your mind. There has to be a mutual connection. You cannot reach the other person if they are unwilling. You have to understand one another.” His lips grazed my ear.
I closed my eyes. “How come I can do it?”
“Because of me. I am letting you in. I could never keep you out.” His lips continued to stroke my ear. Pulling back my hair, he cleared my neck. His kisses went there next as he massaged my shoulders.
“So—” Jeez, he was distracting. I pulled away and faced him. “I know this is probably a really dumb question, but why do you look so … so—”
“So much like you?” He tiled his head to the side with a half smile.
That wasn’t exactly what I was going to say. Perfect? Yes. Sexy? Oh God, yes. I guessed his answer was good enough. I nodded in response.
“It is said that some of our earliest ancestors were human. I suppose this is why we look similar.”
“How can that be?” I think space travel would be highlighted in my grade school textbooks.
“I do not know. It is just what we believe to be true. It is in our ancient history. We are told the people of our world are made up of many different societies located throughout the galaxy, but how they arrived has been lost over time.” He brought me in closer. Casually slipping his fingers underneath the hem of my tankini top, he caressed my stomach.
My mouth went dry, and I fought to turn my moan into a sigh. “You’re okay with that? Just believing it to be true?”
He relaxed his hands. “Do you know how your world began?” he whispered in my ear.
“I have my personal beliefs.”
“Are they proven to be true?”
“I believe them to be,” I said, now seeing where he was going with his questioning.
“And that is enough for you?”
I gazed his way with a smile. “Yeah. I guess it is.”
“Well, I think you answered your own question then.” He gave a half smile.
I laughed. “I guess you’re right.”
He pulled me in again. Making for my lips, he massaged my back.
“No, I still have more.” I waded to the other side of the tub.
He straightened up and gave me an ornery look. “I am sorry. Please continue, Ms. Richmond.”
I gave him a smart look, then settled my expression. “There’s still so many questions I have,” I said, glancing away in awkwardness, “about when we met.” I gazed back at him.
His expression went serious, and he strengthened his gaze on me. “I will tell you anything, Ariel. Anything.”
I nodded. “You said the plans stopped, and you realized it that day in the woods. What exactly made you, um ….” I lost the words, not really knowing how to phrase what I wanted to ask. “When did you start to—”
“Care for you so?”
That was it. He always knew the perfect thing to say. “Was it like Gemini said? In the hall that day?”
He smiled shyly. “Was it not obvious?”
Was it before, or after he stepped over me in the hall that day that I missed? “No, you were kind of an asshole when we first met.” I laughed.
His head drooped a little bit. “I do apologize for that again. I was not anticipating you that day and reacted rather poorly.”
I waved off his comment. I knew his reasoning and it didn’t matter anymore. “It’s all in the past. So?”
“Well, I was waiting that day to make sure you did not arrive and—”
I pointed at him. “Wait, going back to that. How ….”
His eyes averted from mine, and a nervous smile tugged at his lips.
My thoughts soared, thinking about how he could have possibly stalled my arrival. I ticked my finger as soon as I realized. “My alarm clock.”
He nodded, shame evident in his eyes.
Good God, and there was more. “And my contacts were definitely not in that spot the previous night and …. Oh my gosh. My car. You didn’t?”
He clenched his teeth, giving a crooked grin. “Guilty.”
And here I thought I just had a dark cloud over my head that day.
“There is one question I have for you. How did you arrive on time? I studied you for a few weeks prior, and your daily patterns were very consistent.”
I raised my eyebrows and my mouth went agape. “You’d been studying me?”
He slouched in his seat. “Yes.”
Good Lord he was good. I guessed if I ever needed him to take someone out for me I wouldn’t have to worry about that. Wait a sec. “You were at the coffeehouse the day Piper and I moved in, weren’t you?”
His brows shot up. “You knew I was present?”
I guessed he was good, but not as good as my stealthy skills. “Let’s just say, I had a feeling someone was watching me that day.”
“Sorry. I was alerted of your room change and had to verify what class you would be in, so I knew which class to join, as well.” He gave a hesitant laughed.
I shook my head at him. “I don’t know whether I should feel flattered or just kind of creeped out.”
“Well, you do seem to lead a very interesting life. For instance, one day you were dancing in your room saying something about ‘all the single ladies.’”
Oh God. How mortifying. That day was unfortunately the anniversary of a certain ex-who-should-not-be-named. In fact, the relationship ended so badly that every year on the break-up date I partake in my annual “Single Ladies Day.” I like to recreate the YouTube sensation. Not something I was proud of, but hey, a girl had to get by some way. Oh, right. He asked me something. “Yeah, let’s not dwell on that event. As far as arriving on time, well, you can thank Blaine Duncan for that. He happened to be rolling up on his moped and gave me a ride.”
His eyebrows furrowed. “This Blaine Duncan. He does not seem to be my ‘biggest fan’ so-to-speak.”
I shrugged. “That’s just Blaine. He just doesn’t like seeing people get hur
t, and well, he had his suspicions about you. He told me he saw Lila all over you in the class he had with you two. When he saw me on a date with you, he grew concerned I was being played. Also, one day, a bunch of us saw you and Lila walking together in the quad. And you two looked really chummy.” I cringed, thinking about that day.
“I see.” He glanced up, looking into the empty air with a delightful expression on his face. “That was a good day.”
Okaaay …. Saying I was annoyed was an understatement. “Why? Where were you two going?” I tried to keep my voice from reflecting the irking feeling that just brewed inside.
His eyes focused on mine and he smiled. “It was not that, at all. I was just very content that day and, frankly, I would have gone with her anywhere.”
My eyed ticked. “Why?”
“I was thinking about you. I had just witnessed your reaction to the painting I ….” He tilted his head from side to side. “Enhanced hours earlier to get you the gala entry. I was pleased by how you took to it.” He shook his head with a look of content, thinking to himself.
I think I just melted a little inside.
“I guess I was just very focused on that when she approached. Though, at the time, I did not understand why she was being so overly friendly. I suppose Garrett had something to do with that. Anyway, she was my lab partner in our Chemistry class. She asked to go over one of the labs we did that she had trouble on. We went to the library.”
My mouth made a small “o,” feeling a bit sheepish. “Well …. That’s nice. And you were probably helping her with her books because it was a nice thing to do, right?” I couldn’t help but want to verify that last bit.
He nodded. “She said she injured her shoulder that morning playing tennis with her trainer. I thought it best to aid her.”
Wow. And the award for biggest pre-judgmental blunder goes to …. Wanting to get away from the shame that was me, I attempted to redirect our topic back to where we were. I tried to keep the grin off my face from his previous admission. “So, you were explaining to me about the hall—”
The Crimson Hunt Page 25
