by Weil, J. L.
I had been in the zone.
No one messed with me when I was in the zone.
I was going to show no mercy. My teeth were clenched so tight, my jaw started to throb painfully.
“Morning sunshine,” Travis greeted, grinning like a fool. “When I told him to drag your butt over here, I didn’t think he was going to take me literally.”
“Dammit Chase!” I yelled. “I am going to kill you!”
His lethal grin flashed at me from behind the kitchen counter. “You’ll have to catch me first.” Then he started making a ton of racket.
We both knew there was no way on planet earth I was going to be able to actually grab a hold of him, not unless he wanted to be caught. I cursed this stupid bond for not at least giving me inhuman speeds. Come on, was that too much to ask for? I mean, if I was going to spend the rest of my life running from hell’s minions and defending myself from getting butchered to death, I think I deserved a little compensation.
Apparently the universe and its order of balance had other plans. In my current state, the universe could suck it.
My raging pity party was cut short when Lexi bound down the staircase. “Oh goodie, Angel’s here.” She leaped onto the chaise. “Did you hear? We’re playing hooky.”
Sinking into the back of the black couch, I groaned. And just like that I saw my whole day going to hell. There went staying in bed all day playing the BLOPS II and lounging around the house in my jammies, which I just realized I was still wearing thanks to Chase’s unwelcome arrival. Sometimes my neighbors could be so all-consuming.
“Here.” Travis held out an extra controller. “This will make it better. And if we turn up the volume, we might be able to drown out their voices too.”
Travis – my savior. “You read my mind,” I sighed, breaking a grin for the first time since I’d woken up.
Lexi frowned at her older brother. “You are such a loser. Get a job, bum.”
“I’m MLG little sis,” Travis retaliated, Lexi’s burn doing no damage.
I couldn’t help the smile that started to spread across my lips. First, I was pretty sure Lexi had no idea what MLG meant (major league gamer) and second, the look on Lexi’s face was priceless. She looked like he had just told her he had some highly contagious disease that would slowly eat the flesh from her face.
Or that the mall was closed.
“You should see a doctor about that,” Chase called from the kitchen, unable to miss a chance to take a jab at Travis.
Lexi crossed her arms and gave Travis a smug smile, glad to have someone on her side.
You think after the rough start, breakfast, well it was closer to lunch, would have been awkward and uncomfortable, but the one thing that made this dysfunctional family envious, was their ability to forgive and forget. A grudge never lasted long between Chase, Lexi, and Travis – the whole short temper demon thing. They might razz each other relentlessly, but at the end of the day…they were family.
And they made me feel part of it.
Even if I wasn’t entirely convinced Devin was my biggest fan. He might be…ugh, it was still so hard to think about, dating my mom, but that didn’t mean he necessarily thought I was the best thing for Lexi or Chase. I got the impression he thought I was more trouble than good.
And then there were the strange glances I kept getting from Chase. I’d been trying to convince myself that it was me. But lately, I’ve been catching him staring at me more and more, and not with the usual swoon-worthy gazes. These were more like he was dissecting me or waiting for me to grow a third eye, and whatever he saw had him thrown off balance. As soon as we were alone, I was going to grill him. He was hiding something from me.
I could feel it.
I guess this connection was good for something after all.
After we ate, I assumed I would be free of my imprisonment and head home. I should have known better. Chase had other plans. Plans that involved the two of us. Alone. In his bedroom. My heart was going to need a jumpstart – it had stopped beating.
He pulled me up the upstairs, and surprisingly, I let him. I could only resist the pull between us for so long, and I don’t know why, but it felt like days since we had been alone. Really alone. The fact that I was secretly looking forward to being shut off from the world with just him was alarming.
His fingers interlaced with mine. “If I hadn’t insisted that you come over, you would still be shut up in your room withering away to nothing,” he said, as we climbed the stairs.
He was probably right, but I was definitely not going to admit it. I wouldn’t give him the pleasure. “If you hadn’t shown up, I probably would have prestige again.”
“What?” The look on his face was comical as we walked over the threshold of his room.
Sometimes, I forgot that he knew next to nothing about games. My mouth twitched as I tried to hide my grin. “Nothing.”
“How about we make nothing into something about me and you…preferably on my bed?”
“I don’t think there is room for me with your inflated ego in the way,” I commented, yawning. Still, I climbed into his bed, happy to lay my head on his pillow. His dark and erotic scent flirted with my senses from the sheets. Sighing contently, I inhaled deeply before I even realized what I was doing.
His head joined mine on the pillow, and he was smirking. “That’s not the only thing that’s inflated.”
Color morphed into my cheeks.
The look in his eyes was full of pure wickedness. “Did I shock you, my virginal angel?”
“What makes you think I’m a virgin?” I knew I was skirting a fine line toward danger. A part of me must like to walk right on the edge of a rocky cliff. Chase could be unstable and hazardous, yet I didn’t care.
“This,” he murmured, brushing his thumb over my lips. “You blush every time I touch you.”
I sucked in a sharp breath. The heat from his thumb was like magic. “I do not.”
He arched a brow, his way of calling me a liar.
Blast him.
“That doesn’t mean anything,” I huffed.
“Really? Let’s put it to the test.” I didn’t like the gleam in his eyes. It radiated trouble. “I bet you’ve never been kissed here,” he challenged, and I watched stupefied as he lowered his head, slowly kissing my shoulder. “Or here,” he murmured against my flushed skin.
I watched as his dark head traveled to my collarbone. Then his lips were kissing the sensitive alcove of my neck. But nothing prepared me for his mouth nibbling on my bottom lip, or when his fingers skirted the edge of my cotton waistband. My eyes were steamy. My insides turned into mush. And I didn’t think I was going to last another ten seconds without moaning.
Then he whispered in my ear, “Your turn.” He wanted me, to do to him the same in return.
I knew I was playing with fire, but what fun was it if you didn’t get burned once in awhile. And while I was at it, why not kick it up a notch. Straddling him, I kept my eyes glued to his, fascinated by the change of colors. Bending down, I whispered in his ear, “You asked for it.”
His silver eyes darkened to coal laced with the most mesmerizing streaks of glittering gold. Pressing my lips softly to the spot where his neck and shoulder met, I felt his pulse quicken under my mouth. It was an empowering feeling, knowing that I could do that. I let my lips trail down his neck taking little nibbles at the rapidly beating vein. This time it was him who sucked in a sharp breath, and I smirked. But it wasn’t long before I found myself caught in my own web of seduction.
Tilting my head back, I’d lost the ability to breath. His eyes were completely topaz and shimmered with passion. It was overwhelming, unsettling, and made my blood rush. Those perfect lips whispered my name right before I seared them with mine. Then the room shattered with electrifying heat. His hands were under my shirt, tugging it over my head before I could even register it was gone.
“Hmm, I love the way you smell, the way you taste,” he murmured dreamily. “Like fresh
peaches and wild berries from the vine. It lingers on my lips for hours after I kiss you, taunting me. Your scent follows me everywhere. On my clothes. In my car. In my room. In my dreams. It doesn’t matter what I do or where I go, you are everywhere. You’re a part of me.”
I stared at him like I didn’t recognize him. His words touched my very soul, and I didn’t even know where to begin to explain how he made me feel. I wasn’t good with caring and sharing – I just plain out sucked at it. With my luck, I would ruin what was the best moment of my life. So I didn’t say anything.
Instead, I fused my lips to his again, trying to show him what I was unable to say. What I was still unable to admit to myself.
I was falling for him – hard.
I had no more than touched his lips with mine when I heard his bedroom door swing open, followed by a low groan. His hands kept me from moving as I glanced over my shoulder.
Lexi stood in the doorway. “Ugh,” she complained. “Can’t you two get a room? The whole house doesn’t want to see you sucking face twenty-four seven.”
“This is my room,” growled Chase, literally growled in his throat, eyes illuminating in the semi-dark room. A shudder of fear and excitement raced through me as he teetered close to the edge of no control.
“Oh,” she exclaimed as if just realizing where she was. “God, you guys are worse than rabbits. And I thought Travis was bad.”
“Out!” demanded a very annoyed Chase. “And lock the damn door.”
Ten seconds after the door clicked, I started giggling. The moment was ruined.
“I am going to strangle her,” he vowed, staring at the ceiling with his hands streaked through his messy hair.
That only made me laugh harder.
“You think this is funny?” His hands gripped my waist and yanked me against him.
The giggle perished in my throat, I gulped. Nope. When he looked at me like that, there was absolutely nothing humorous about it. Instead I felt…
Hot.
Excited.
Achy.
“Your eyes…”
“What about them?” I asked feeling entranced.
He shook his head. “I keep trying to convince myself that I am seeing things, that it couldn’t be possible.”
“Is this what you haven’t been telling me? What you’ve been hiding from me?”
He cocked a brow. “What makes you think I’ve been hiding things from you?”
I gave him a droll look. “You really don’t think that this link we have is one only sided, do you?”
He shrugged. “I guess that was too much to expect. I was really hoping that you wouldn’t be…affected by what happened.”
“Okay, you are starting to scare me now. What is wrong with my eyes?”
“They change.”
The eyes in question widened like alien saucers.
“No, not like mine,” he said, reading my thoughts. “They remind me of a mood ring Lexi once wore. She was going through one of her phases and never took the damn thing off. Your eyes…they change colors with your mood. Not drastically, but enough that I notice.”
“Meaning, my mom could notice. Anyone could notice,” I added somberly.
He nodded his head.
“Well on the up side, you seem to be the only one who pisses me off lately. Maybe no one will notice.”
“Maybe…” But he sounded anything but swayed. It was more like he agreed for my benefit, to make me feel better.
I was sure this wasn’t good. If my eyes were changing because of our shared bond, what else did I have in store to look forward to? What other surprises awaited me?
Chapter 7
Halloween was like the best holiday ever. Hello free candy. Who can turn that down? I might be a senior in high school, but that didn’t stop me from dressing up and enjoying my inner child.
…Or having to take crap from Chase.
Apparently the sight of me in my costume was hilarious. He probably didn’t even know what I was. I was reluctant to admit how intoxicating his laugh was, realizing how little I actually heard it.
However, he was still a complete jerk. Some things never change. Chase might be incredibly gorgeous and I might be the teeniest bit attracted to the clad (okay more than a tiny bit,) but that didn’t mean that most days, I didn’t think he was a douche.
He looked me up and down, taking in the patched block dress I made myself, the red wig, and the stitches I’d drawn on my face. While he took his fill at the whole package, I tried to ignore what his gaze was doing to my body. Whenever Chase was near, it defied my wishes to be unaffected by his presence. Damn, uncontrollable body.
“Are you supposed to be homeless?” he asked, grinning widely. There was still a chuckle in his voice.
I started to shut the door in his face only to be stopped by his foot in the threshold. I glared, crossing my arms. “For your information bucko, I’m Sally Stitches.”
He just stood there looking blank.
I sighed heavily. Did he ever watch movies? “From A Nightmare Before Christmas.”
“Never seen it,” he said, looking unimpressed.
“You’re in luck,” I declared, yanking him inside. I secretly grinned. “We can rectify that immediately.”
He looked me from head-to-toe again, and once more I tried to ignore what his eyes did to me. It wasn’t easy. Especially since not that long ago we had been vertical, on his bed, doing things that still made me blush. He needed to stop affecting me like this. After all, I was only human, well mostly human I think. The jury was still out. “Why didn’t you go for something more girly?” he asked seriously.
“You mean slutty.” I was going to dropkick him. Soon.
He shrugged. “Your words not mine.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’s what you were thinking.”
“I’ll tell you what I am thinking,” he purred. His voice had suddenly gotten low and seductive.
That was the signal that I was in trouble. My body responded instantly to his insinuation. “Nope,” I said, waving my finger in the air. “Not tonight. Don’t even think about it. Tonight, you are not distracting me with your sexual prowess.”
“My what?”
“Just sit down. And keep your hands to yourself.”
He gave me a crooked grin. “I thought you liked my hands.”
“Don’t flatter yourself.” I knew I was giving off mixed signals, but I just couldn’t help it.
“Do you want me to prove you’re a liar?” he challenged.
One day I was going to make Chase Winters eat his words. I ignored him and popped the movie into the DVD player. Snuggling onto the couch next to him, I kept an ear out for the trick-or-treaters I was pretty sure weren’t coming. There was a giant bowl of assorted candy by the door. The good kind, it was brimming with chocolate goodness. Since we pretty much lived in the boonies, I don’t even know why mom insisted we buy candy. Really, how many trick-or-treaters did she honestly think we were going to get?
I’ll tell you.
Five. And two of those were Lexi and Travis. At least they understood the fun in dressing up.
The upside – I got all the leftover candy. Not that my hips needed the extra pounds, but my sweet tooth wouldn’t be able to ignore the temptation. It was kind of like my body being unable to ignore Chase. He tasted so good, but afterward you felt guilty.
On most days I thought my house was haunted. On Halloween, I was absolutely certain. All night I’d heard eerie noises. So when the ceiling above my head creaked, I should have expected it. Instead I acted like a scared little mouse and jumped into Chase’s lap, so much for the hands off policy.
His arms prevented me from tumbling off the couch. “Don’t worry Angel Eyes. I’ll protect you from the scary ghosts.” He smirked, mocking me.
“Hilarious,” I replied sarcastically…on second thought... “But seriously, are there such things as ghosts?” I asked hesitantly. It was plausible, right? I mean, I had a half-demon on my couch.
His sparkling silver eyes studied me, and then he burst out laughing to my exasperation.
Was that a yes or a no?
Luckily he was saved from my fists of fury by the doorbell. I’d been contemplating using them on him if he kept laughing at me. Trick-or-Treating had ended, but I figured there might be a few stragglers. Turned out, the straggler was Lexi.
“Am I interrupting something?” she asked, peering over my shoulder. “Or are you guys ready to go?”
Ugh. How could I have forgotten?
The sacred Spring Valley Halloween Bash.
It wasn’t so much that I had forgotten we were going, it was that I had been so caught up in the movie and not passing out candy. “Umm. Yeah totally ready. Right Chase?” I turned around expecting to find him stretched out on the couch, but he was right behind me. “Dammit. You know I hate it when you sneak up on me.”
He gave me a snarky grin. “I wasn’t sneaking,”
“Whatever. Let’s just go,” I muttered.
Spring Valley’s Halloween Bash consisted of an empty cornfield, piled with more pickups than I thought possible, a mile high, very unsafe looking bonfire, and the scent of un-chaperoned mischief. Stalks of dried and shriveled corn blanketed the ground. The bed of one of the many pickups blasted the newest Taylor Swift song, and there were red solo cups littered everywhere. The only source of light in the otherwise blinding night was the out of control fire and, of course, KC lights.
“Are you sure you are ready for this?” Chase asked, close to my ear.
I refrained from elbowing him.
Lexi, the sexy Grecian goddess, walked on the other side of me. Her hair tumbled in perfect pale ringlets down her neck. Her costume was a maxi-mini in glittering aquamarine, the same color of her eyes. She looked more Hollywood than horror.
“How the hell did you get Travis to let you leave the house wearing that?” Chase rumbled, getting his first real glance at his cousin. Travis and Chase more than often thought of Lexi as twelve-year-old girl. They could be domineering and fiercely protective to the point of suffocation. Sometimes the only course of action was blackmail.
