by Nana Malone
Guilt rushed forward for the additional lie, but she didn’t want to give her mother any reason to recall their last exchange in the attic eleven years earlier.
Her mother’s frown turned to a grimace. “It’s probably filthy. I haven’t been up there in years and I’m sure your father didn’t do any cleaning when he was up there.”
Good. “I promise to shower before dinner.” She gave her mother the look that had gotten her just about anything she wanted as a child.
“Oh, just go.”
As her mother returned to her baking, Ali hurried from the room. A wave of uneasiness overrode her guilt, but she shoved both aside and took the stairs two at a time before she changed her mind.
* * * * *
Chapter 13
It was funny. He’d kissed her. They’d slept in the same bed together. She’d even seen him naked. So, why was his stomach churning with nerves as if this were their first date?
Because it was. And he was going to meet her parents. Both of them this time.
The door opened and Ryan learned the meaning of speechless. Ali stood before him, her luxuriant red curls pulled back from her face, making her beautiful green eyes all the more striking. The sexy twist in her hair exposed the graceful line of her neck, which in turn drew his gaze down the length of her curve-hugging black dress.
All of a sudden, his anxiety evaporated. Her mere presence made everything right and the more time he spent in her company, the more he felt a sense of belonging that had eluded him for so many years.
“Wow. Nice dress.”
She dipped her head with a smile. “Thank you. My mother loves any excuse to dress up.”
He helped her into the wool coat she handed to him, then turned her around for a kiss. After, she rubbed her thumb across his mouth, presumably to remove lipstick, straightened his collar, brushed his shoulders, and stepped back to survey his attire.
“You clean up well.”
He laughed. “Thanks.” He’d skipped a tie and left his black, button-up shirt open at the collar. His charcoal sport coat and dark gray slacks didn’t necessarily make a suit, but thanks to her text, were better than the jeans and sweater he’d normally have worn.
Only after she’d shut and locked the door did he remember the gift in his pocket. “I have something for you.”
Her eyes widened when he pulled the box tied with a green bow from his coat pocket.
“You didn’t have to get me anything.”
“I wanted to.” He held it out and then set it in her palm. She glanced up as she untied the bow and he noticed the ribbon matched her eyes perfectly. When she lifted the lid, a soft gasp escaped her parted lips.
“It’s beautiful.” She took hold of the supple leather rope-chain and lifted the polished stone necklace from its black velvet bed. “Is this amethyst?”
“Yes. I read that it helps relieve stress. And if you wear it to bed, it’s supposed to help ward off nightmares.”
She smiled, and tears of appreciation shimmered in her eyes. His heart did a little tumble.
“Will you put it on for me?”
He placed the crystal around her neck and managed to secure the tiny clasp with a minimum of fumbling before she faced him again.
“How does it look?”
The purple stone caught the porch light and sparkled against her black dress. “Almost as pretty as you.”
“Thank you. I love it.”
He offered his arm for the walk to her parents’ house in the encroaching dusk. “How was your day?” he asked.
She hugged his arm. “It’s better now.”
“It wasn’t earlier?”
“After everything that happened last night, I couldn’t concentrate,” she complained. “And then I searched my parents’ attic for a journal I remember seeing years ago, but couldn’t find it. How’d you do?”
“I completed the research for both my papers.”
“At least one of us accomplished something.”
When they reached the house, Ali rang the bell before opening the door without waiting. He started to enter after her, but the sweep of headlights and sound of a car in the driveway drew his attention. Ryan watched the blue Mercedes ease to a stop, and Liz Fielding exited without waiting for her dark-haired male companion to assist. She wore her hair down as usual; her knee length coat revealed bare legs and sparkling, silver heels.
A cold wave of dread washed over him. “What is she doing here?”
Ali returned to his side. “I have no idea.”
“Ah, good, everyone’s on time.”
Ryan glanced into the house to see the pretty blond from the family photographs on Ali’s mantel. She looked more like Ali’s sister than her mother.
“Come on in,” Mrs. Whitman encouraged when he remained in the doorway.
He would’ve preferred to keep the professor from entering, but that wasn’t possible, so Ryan moved inside as Ali introduced him to her mom.
“Nice to meet you, Mrs. Whitman.”
She stepped forward to hug him as she chastised, “Don’t make me feel old now, Ryan. Megan will do just fine.”
When she released him, they shared a smile of agreement. Then she turned to the others who’d joined them in the foyer.
“Liz and Max, I’m glad you could make it on such short notice.”
“Thanks for inviting us.” Max helped Liz out of her coat and gave it to their hostess, along with a kiss on the cheek. Megan made additional introductions before leading the way into the living room where Ali’s dad, Johnny, was setting up glasses at a side bar.
“I hope you don’t mind,” Megan said to Ali and Ryan. “Your dad told me you two are in Liz’s class together, and I figured it’s always a good idea to get to know your professors better.”
“Ryan dropped my class,” Liz stated as she took a seat on the couch and crossed her legs. The side slit in her dress exposed her knee and thigh.
Megan paused in the doorway. Her gaze flicked from Liz to Ryan in the uncomfortable silence. A strange expression crossed her face, then disappeared. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”
“It’s fine,” Ryan assured her with a forced smile. “Scheduling conflict, that’s all.”
“Of course it’s fine,” Liz agreed. “And we can still get to know each other, can’t we, Ryan?”
She flipped her hair back over her shoulders, and above her scoop-neck, smoky-gray dress, Ryan noticed the winged-pendant she’d worn that day in the coffee shop. He felt the pull of her gaze as if she was the flame and he the moth.
An appropriate response deserted him as he fought against looking into her eyes. His will faltered, lowering his resistance.
“Come say hi to my dad.”
Ali’s voice and the warmth of her hand closing around his broke the spell he’d been falling under. Or whatever it’d been.
“Thanks,” he whispered, and gave her a grateful smile as they moved to the other side of the room.
“My mom means well, I swear.” Her eyes pleaded for his understanding. “I promise we’ll leave right after dinner.”
“Relax Ali, it’s okay.”
Dinner was completely normal, and Ryan was able to take his own advice. Liz was nice, and even funny at times. As comfortable as Johnny and Megan were with Liz and Max, he wondered how long she’d been with the guy. Not that he sat there staring at the two of them, but he also couldn’t help but notice her frequent touches on his arm, how she leaned in toward him when she laughed.
Seeing their interactions, he began to consider that maybe he’d imagined the episode in the coffee shop and in the living room a short while ago. The possibility made him feel like an idiot, but mostly it brought relief. Until Ali spoke and he realized she’d noticed where his gaze had focused yet again.
“Aunt Liz, I noticed your necklace the other day. It’s very unique—can I ask where you got it?”
She lifted her hand to caress the body of the fairy with one finger. Her gaze met Ryan’s for a br
ief second before shifting to Ali. “This was given to me from my aunt when I was about your age, maybe a little younger. She passed years ago, but I still wear it to keep her memory close.”
“Oh. I thought it was new. I’m sorry about your aunt.”
The slight note of disappointment in Ali’s reply struck him as odd; however, when he glanced over, her expression was unreadable.
“It’s quite all right,” Liz murmured. “Your necklace is equally interesting. Did you know amethyst is said to bring a deeper understanding of death and rebirth?”
While the rest of the table looked at Liz, Ryan felt Ali’s gaze. Before anyone could speak, Liz spoke again.
“Do you believe in the rebirth of souls, Alison?”
She turned her gaze to Liz, her eyes narrowed slightly as if contemplating her answer.
“I read up on the meaning of the stone before I gave it to her,” Ryan stated to steer the conversation away from the answer Liz waited for. “It’s also supposed to protect against psychic manipulation.”
Liz just smiled, Max cleared his throat and a moment later, Ali’s father thankfully changed the subject. The feeling of being watched made him cast a quick glance about the table. Megan’s gaze met his, but after a smile, she lowered her attention to her plate.
After dinner, Ryan was very careful to keep his attention on Ali. He reached over to link her fingers with his, and she glanced up through her lashes with a soft smile. His focus narrowed to her alluring scent of wildflowers, the sensual glide of her thumb as she rubbed small circles on the back of his hand, the heat of her thigh pressed against his on the close confines of the couch.
While her mom served apple pie a la mode, Ali mentioned Ryan’s high school football career—brief though it had been. Max was a former college player, and with Johnny’s career in the NFL, sports conversation ruled until Megan and Liz declared the subject off-limits for the rest of the evening.
Ryan finished his dessert and sat forward to set the empty plate on the serving tray. Ali handed him hers, too.
“Mom, that was delicious, but now I’m so full,” she moaned.
A chorus of agreement followed. Megan moved to get up from her chair, but Ryan stood and waved her back down. “I’ll take these into the kitchen. You relax after all the work you did today.”
She sat back in her chair. “Ryan, you’re welcome for dinner anytime.”
Ali’s laugh stood out from the rest, and he lifted an eyebrow in her direction. “Ali, you want to show me where the dishwasher is?” A moment of privacy would give him a chance to search for the lingering flavor of apple pie on her enticing lips.
“It’s to the right of the sink. You can’t miss it.”
“Really?” he asked in disbelief.
She laughed and groaned at the same time. “Really. I can’t move just yet.”
He was almost to the kitchen when he heard Liz say something about opening another bottle of wine. When he set the tray on the counter by the dishwasher, the click of heels sounded on the tiled floor.
He turned around with a smile for Megan, then froze when Liz sauntered into the room, hips swaying as she twirled a lock of hair around her fingers.
His gaze locked on the fairy pendant, and his heartbeat began a steady increase.
“Ryan, I need your help reaching a bottle in the pantry. Do you mind?” Her low, sultry voice stirred sexual awareness to life.
Yes, he minded. Instinct told him to return to Ali in the other room, and yet some unseen force kept him there, dulling his ability to think coherently.
“Sure,” he found himself saying, and the next thing he knew, he’d moved past Liz into a large walk-in pantry with a floor to ceiling wine rack against the back wall.
“I need that one, right there.”
She’d moved directly behind him. Her hand appeared over his shoulder to point at her choice, and the heady scent of roses nearly overwhelmed his senses. Strange, he didn’t remember smelling them at all through the evening.
He grabbed the bottle and turned to hand it to her, only she didn’t take the wine. She eased closer, her gaze locked with his.
“Have you and Ali made love, Ryan?”
The unexpected question shocked him, and he answered without thinking. “No.”
Her lips curved into a pleased smile. A silver-tipped flame glowed in her blue eyes, simultaneously mesmerizing and terrifying. Every cell in his body screamed for him to get out. Bottles clinked against their metal resting spots when he backed up and collided with the wine rack.
Her palm flattened on his chest. In a distant part of his mind, he knew exactly what was happening.
“Easy,” she murmured. His heart raced beneath her touch. As she slowly slid her hand up to the back of his neck and pressed her body against his, she added, “I won’t hurt you.”
Her words triggered his flight response, flooding his blood with adrenaline, and yet he couldn’t move. “Ali…”
“Will never know,” Liz assured him. Then she smiled while threading her fingers through his hair to bend his head toward hers. “Maybe you should’ve worn the necklace.”
He didn’t want to kiss her, didn’t want to feel the forbidden hunger rising up within his body, but he was powerless to stop her lips from connecting with his.
He managed to control his response until Liz forced her tongue into his mouth. His nerve endings were jolted by a powerful surge of energy. Mindless desire took control. The bottle in his hand slipped from his grip to shatter on the tile floor.
A loud gasp snapped his eyes open. Over Liz’s shoulder, he saw Ali standing in the pantry doorway. Crystal clear clarity returned the moment his gaze locked with her wide, pain-filled green eyes.
* * * * *
Chapter 14
Ali backed up as Ryan shoved Liz away.
“Ali…”
She shook her head. Tears blurred her vision. God, she’d believed him when he told her nothing was going on between them. Despite Liz’s obvious inference, Ali had believed Ryan.
“Please, let me explain.”
Liz smiled at his plea. She didn’t say a word to defend herself as she smoothed her dress and wiped the corners of her mouth. Footsteps sounded behind Ali, and then she was surrounded by her mother, father and Max.
“What happened?” Her mother moved her aside. “Oh, Liz, your dress.”
Crimson red and dark shards of shattered glass covered the floor. The wine had splattered on everything, including Liz’s dress and Ryan’s pants. Good. She hoped it stained.
“Ryan accidentally dropped a bottle,” Liz explained calmly.
Lying witch.
“Johnny—grab me the roll of paper towel,” her mother requested over her shoulder.
Liz picked her way through the mess, her gaze narrowed on Ali. Ryan remained frozen where he stood until Ali turned to leave. From the corner of her eye she saw him moving toward her and she pushed past her dad to hurry for the door. She didn’t want to hear a word the lying jerk had to say.
“Sweetheart, where are you going?” her father called after her. “Ryan, what—?”
Ali glanced back to see Ryan following her as she started to pull the front door shut behind her. Her fingers fumbled with the lock and managed to turn the little knob just before she slammed the door shut. She stole a few precious seconds to remove her high heels, but once they were off, she bolted for her house. He’d catch up, but she needed any time she could steal to stem her tears.
Only a few strides in, she heard the door bang open, and Ryan called her name again. His footsteps pounded on the driveway behind her and she ran faster.
She almost reached her house when his hand clamped on her arm and she was swung around. Momentum carried her into his arms, but she shoved at his chest, hitting over and over with the shoes in her fisted hands. Her lungs burned from the cold air as her breath caught on a sob.
“Ali, stop.” He backed away from her weapons. “Would you please listen for a minute?”
“She kissed me,” he insisted. “I didn’t do anything.”
“Exactly—you didn’t even push her away,” Ali accused as she continued toward her house. The cold air had penetrated the thick material of her dress, and her feet were turning to ice on the cement drive. She’d put her shoes back on, but she could get away faster without them.
Ryan followed. A second later, warmth encompassed over her shoulders in the form of his sport coat. She shrugged it off and increased her stride. “Don’t. Go away and leave me alone.”
“She kissed me,” he repeated. “I swear to God, Ali, I wanted to push her away, but I couldn’t. There’s something about that fairy necklace. Like she casts a spell with it or something. Just like the legend says.”
She rounded on him with all the fury burning in her trembling body. Her emotions needed release, and she lashed out, hoping to hurt him as much as he’d hurt her. “My God, would you shut up about that stuff? It’s ridiculous! Witches aren’t real. Neither are ghosts and reincarnation.”
“Don’t say that. You have to believe—”
“No I don’t,” she screamed, yanking off the necklace he’d given her. “I can say the name Alianna a hundred times and no ghost is going to appear.”
“Ali—”
“Alianna, Alianna.” She raised her hands and face to the starlit sky, and shouted, “Alianna!”
He gripped her arms and yanked them down to her sides as he hauled her close. “Stop it,” he ground out, his voice full of alarm. “What if she hears you?”
“That’s the beauty of not believing.” She wrenched free and tossed the amethyst stone at his chest. “I don’t care.”
He caught the necklace on its fall to the ground. “You have to care. If you don’t believe, she’ll tear us apart like she always does.”
