by Nia Arthurs
“Maybe.”
She blows out a breath. “Wow.”
“Did seeing that version of him scare you?”
“It wasn’t scary.” In a shaking voice, she admits, “It’s just that I wasn’t…”
“What?” I gently rub her back.
Kaz looks up with brown eyes swimming in guilt. “I wasn’t happy to see him.”
My hands still on her back.
She shakes her head. “I’m terrible, right?”
“No, you’re not.”
She forces a smile. “You’re just saying that.”
“I’m always honest, remember?”
She picks up the glass and rolls it around on the table.
“Would you like to leave?” I ask.
“Leave?” Ashley returns, her arms laden with drinks. “We just got here!”
“She’s right. I don’t want to go yet.”
“Kaz…”
“Please, Morgan. I don’t want to think about anything else right now.”
“Here.” Ashley plunks a mug in front of Kaz. “This is just what the doctor ordered.”
She scrunches her nose. “What is it?”
“Something that’ll make you forget all the bad things.”
“I’m not going to die, am I?”
Ashley shrugs. “You might pass out.”
Kaz smirks and knocks the drink back.
“I brought an iced water for you, sir.” She slides the drink over.
I tip it up in appreciation.
Ashley winds her arms around Kaz. “Let’s go dance.”
“Want to come?” Kaz asks me.
I shake my head. “You go ahead.”
The ladies leave.
I sip on my water and keep my eyes open for her fiancé’s doppelgänger. A few girls approach the table, asking if I’m with anyone. I point to Kaz, who’s dancing with Ashley.
As the girls file away, my gaze lingers on Kaz.
She’s letting it all out on the edge of the dance floor. Her hips sway from side to side as she moves to the music.
I don’t know if she’s just a naturally good dancer or if that drink Ashley brought knocked down her inhibitions, but she’s flinging her hair and grooving with abandon.
A smile curves my lips. She’s captivating enough to make me feel tipsy without drinking a drop of alcohol.
It’s strange how deeply she’s embedded herself in my life.
I honestly can’t remember the days before Kaz.
Up until this point, I wasn’t living.
I was just existing.
Lately, that’s changed.
Because of her.
Because of Kaz.
When the ladies return, I have another round of drinks ready.
Nodding to Kaz, I smile softly. “Feel better?”
“Much.” She falls into the chair beside me. To my surprise, she places her head on my shoulder and wiggles close. “I’m exhausted.”
My eyes whip to Ashley.
“She’s smashed.”
“Kaz?” I turn slightly so I can see her face.
She winces. “You’re too loud.”
“I think you should go home now,” Ashley whispers, meeting my eyes. “I can’t field off any more guys for you. It’s exhausting.” She points to Kaz. “This woman is too popular.”
“Kaz,” I nudge her up, “ready to leave?”
“No.” Getting up, she climbs into my lap. “Give me a minute.”
Ashley laughs. “Honey, Morgan isn’t a bed.”
“I know.” Kaz scrunches her nose. “He’s too hard.”
I am.
In every way.
My hands swoops in to hold her a little closer.
Kaz sighs. “I want to go home, Morgan.”
“I’ll take you.” I start to rise when she digs her slender fingers into my shirt.
“No.”
“No?”
“Home.” She glances into my eyes and begs, “I want to go home.”
My body goes stiff.
She’s talking about the other earth.
Where she belongs.
Where her parents, friends and fiancé are.
Where I’m not.
My heart yowls in pain.
“I want things to make sense again.” Kaz lifts the chain that had been hidden beneath her dress. “Please, Morgan.”
“Okay, honey. Whatever you want.”
The necklace pops free and bounces against her chest.
I catch sight of that blasted ring.
It shimmers in the light.
A warning.
A reminder.
Kaz will never be mine.
20
Kaz
I’m drunk.
I know this because Morgan keeps scolding me and mumbling about how handsy I am tonight.
But I don’t think I’m handsy. I just like touching him.
Is that so wrong?
Oh, wait.
It is.
I’m engaged.
To Miles.
But my fiancé is on my earth.
Except he’s not.
His doppelgänger showed up at the club tonight just to remind me of who I belong to. Oh, man, I guess I’m not drunk enough to forget about all this craziness with doppelgängers and alternate dimensions.
Ashley lied when she said that drink would take all the bad memories away. It did the opposite. It feels like I’m trapped in my head, surrounded by nothing but my guilt and confusion.
There’s too much noise inside me.
Pure chaos.
But that panic goes away when I touch Morgan.
I test the theory out again. Easing my seatbelt off, I scoot across the stick shift and cuddle into his side, nuzzling my head against his shoulder and feeling his hard muscles beneath my hands.
Yes, I like this.
My body melts into his.
He smells like fresh cologne and soap.
Like he just stepped out of the shower.
I sniff the collar of my navy top in comparison, making a face when I catch my own stench. I smell like sweat and vodka.
Pushing my nose back into Morgan, I inhale his fragrance.
That’s better.
He eases away. “Kaz, what are you doing?”
“Sniffing you.”
“I got that.” He laughs. “I meant, why did you take off your seatbelt?”
“Because I want to be close to you,” I say frankly.
His lips twitch.
I sigh. “I’m tired.”
“Just get back in your seat and I’ll crank it down so you can lean back.”
I consider it. “No thanks.”
“So you’re just going to stay glued to me like this while I drive?”
“Can I?” I ask happily.
“No.”
I pout. “Morgan…”
“You’re drunk,” he says again. “And you need to wear your seatbelt.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Yes, you are.”
“Can a drunk person count backwards?” I proceed to countdown from ten to one. “Six, four, three—”
“You skipped five.”
I scowl at him. “No, I didn’t.”
“Yes, you did.”
Fighting Morgan is annoying. I’d much rather cuddle.
Pressing up on my knees, I eye the steering wheel and wonder how I’ll get myself into his lap without banging against the bottom of his dashboard.
I’m pretty thin, but Morgan’s knees press far too close to the steering wheel to make room for even a sliver of my body.
If I sit with my back to the door it might work though…
“What are you thinking?” Morgan asks, his lips curling up.
“Can’t I just take a nap?”
“Of course.” He gestures to the passenger seat. “Over there.”
Though it doesn’t compare to actually curling into Morgan’s lap and sleeping on his chest in total peace, I guess I’ll hav
e to make do for now. I don’t want him to get angry with me.
With another heavy sigh—just to let him know how disappointed I am, I crawl back over the stick shift and wiggle into my seat. Clothes rustle in the silence as Morgan eases over me and pulls the seatbelt from the holder.
I close my eyes as his clean fragrance fills my bubble, but then I open them so I don’t miss his muscles bulging close up to my face.
In the shadows, his skin glows luminescent.
Green eyes whisper powerful secrets.
I arch my back, allowing my chest to brush his and gasping slightly when heat stirs between my thighs at the slight contact.
Morgan freezes. “Kaz…”
“Yes,” I answer breathlessly.
“Behave.”
“What did I do?”
“You’re drunk,” he growls. “But I’m not. Don’t make this any harder for me.”
I try to puzzle through what his words mean, but my head is starting to ache and I can’t think right.
Why would I make anything harder for him? He’s Morgan. He’s perfect with his science lingo, and his intelligence and his confidence in everything he does.
I’m just a lost girl from another world.
If not for Miles, I’d be a nobody.
“Morgan…” I whisper.
He grunts as he reaches over a little further and clicks my seatbelt into place.
I lick my lips. His name rolls off my tongue like chocolate fudge brownies. “Morgan…”
“What?”
“Nothing. I just really like your name.”
He pulls back and I lift my chin. His mouth hovers over mine, so close I could bridge the distance between us within a heartbeat. I could give in to the fire that’s been raging inside me since he picked me up tonight.
No, that’s wrong.
The fire started way before then.
When we kissed in the garage today.
My stomach tightens.
If I could just taste his lips again, I would be satisfied.
Just one more time.
Morgan collapses into his chair before I can cross that line.
Disappointment slams into me. I don’t know when I’ll have this kind of liquid courage again. Pretty soon, he’ll fix the machine and I’ll be back in my world.
“This isn’t going to work,” Morgan mumbles, gripping the wheel and staring straight ahead. His jaw flexes and he glances over at me. “Do you know how badly you’re tempting me right now?”
I shake my head.
He starts the car. “Stay over there and don’t touch me.”
“But—”
“I mean it, Kaz.”
I huff. “But I’m tired.”
“I rolled your seat back.”
“It’s not the same.” I fold my arms over my chest. “Why can’t I touch you?”
He doesn’t answer.
“I want to and you want it too.”
“Do I?”
“Don’t you?”
He chuckles. “You’re drunk.”
“I'm not that drunk.”
Morgan’s gazes have been getting more and more intense lately and, when our bodies collided earlier today, I felt his excitement pressing into my stomach.
I’m not naive.
I know what that means.
“You keep staring at me,” I say calmly, making sure my words don’t slur. “You always stare at me.”
“I told you. It’s for science.”
“And tonight?” I fold my arms over my chest. “You were watching me dance for science?”
He grits his teeth. “Let’s talk about something else.”
“Like what?” I yawn.
“Tell me about Miles.”
My body stiffens and I turn on my side so my back is to him. “No.”
“Why? He’s your fiancé.”
“Don’t you think I know that?”
Morgan’s voice is smug. “Is there a reason you don’t want to discuss him tonight?”
I grit my teeth. Thinking about Miles only makes me feel guilty.
Morgan knows that and he’s playing me like a violin.
Evil man.
“Why did you fall for him?” he asks.
“You’re being petty.”
“Just reminding you of why we can’t do this.”
I move my chair to straighten. Since we’re doing this, I might as well sit up. “I’ve always loved Miles.”
“Always?”
“We got engaged in preschool.”
“I think you mentioned that.” Morgan strokes his chin, leaving only one hand on the wheel. “What was that about?”
“My dad’s company hit a rough patch and we needed more money. Miles’s parents offered to invest in exchange for our connections. Sometimes, in business, it’s tough getting in the room and being taken seriously. Even mega-superstars like Miles’s father need the right connections.”
“What does that have to do with your marriage?”
I peer at him. “What do you mean?”
“Where do you come into the deal?”
“My parents were getting more from the alliance than the other party so they had to balance the scales.”
Morgan scowls. “You mean they sold you.”
“No, they didn’t.”
“They got money in exchange for marrying you off. It was a business deal.” He pounds his fist against the steering wheel. “And you were in preschool.”
I glare at him. “You’re getting the wrong idea. I love Miles.”
“Do you?” His green eyes meet mine. “Do you really love him, Kaz?”
“Of—”
Suddenly, Morgan yanks on the steering wheel and hurls the car to the side of the road.
He throws it into park.
Slips his seatbelt off.
Reaches over to me.
Holding my chin between his palms, he pulls my face close.
My breath stutters in my lungs and my heart beats like crazy. I close my eyes, angling my lips and waiting for the sweet relief of his kiss. It’s the only thing that can quench the burning in my body.
“See that?” Morgan whispers over my lips.
I crack my eyelids open, my pulse skittering in my veins.
He slides a finger down my cheek. “What are you feeling, Kaz?”
“I…” My eyelashes flutter.
“You still think you love that guy?”
“It’s complicated.”
“You want us both?”
“Morgan…” I croak.
“I’m not going to tell you what you feel.” He drops his hands and moves away. Immediately, I miss his warmth and gravitate to him, but the seat belt cuts into my chest and lashes me back.
Morgan puts the car back on the road. “I just want you to make that choice for yourself. You deserve that.” He grinds his teeth together. “You deserve that much, Kaz.”
“And what about you?” I ask, heat still flashing in my chest.
Morgan glances over.
“That girl… the one you lost… do you still love her?”
21
Morgan
Do you still love her?
It’s a simple question, but it’s one I haven’t touched since Grace left. It’s dynamite waiting to explode. A grenade without the pin. Only a fool would venture close and I’m no fool.
I’ve closed the door on that season in my life. I put a lock on it so no one would dare approach for fear of getting their head bitten off.
But in one breathless second, Kaz tore that lock off and broke all the chains. She set those demons free to dance around me, to terrorize me with the pain of a thousand scars.
“You do.” She straightens her shoulders, frowning at the road ahead.
“It’s complicated.”
Her eyebrow arches. “We’re a pair, aren’t we?”
I glance over and catch sight of her plump lips. Kissing her again has been on the forefront of my mind all night. And it’s on hers too. I ca
n’t count the number of times she’s tried to climb into my lap.
Kaz has been throwing hints left and right and my body wants to catch all of them. Wants to get in between those thighs and all over that dark skin. Wants her mouth gasping my name until morning.
If we cross that line, there’s no going back.
Not for me.
I don’t do flings. Short-term goals. Momentary satisfaction.
Maybe with other women.
Maybe in another season of my life.
But Kaz has captured my attention and I know getting a taste of her will not be enough.
I’m already struggling. Lately, she’s been popping into my mind at random. I’ll wonder how she’s doing, if she’s okay, if she’s happy. Sometimes, I catch myself smiling just thinking about her and then I’ll feel restless when I remember that she’s going to leave.
I’m walking a tight rope. One wrong move and I’ll plummet straight into an addiction I can never recover from.
But for her? She’ll leave me behind and run to that Miles guy.
Even if she wants me now, even if I rock her world for one night, she’ll wake up tomorrow and choose him in a heartbeat. She’ll leave me to spend happily ever after with him and, again, someone I love will cross into a world that I can’t follow.
Living with the pain of loss since childhood with my mom and then my ex was enough for me. I’m no glutton for punishment. Even if every inch of me is crying out to be buried inside her, I’m going to keep myself in check.
The car gets stiff with silence.
My plan to sober her up with a deep conversation is working. Kaz is no longer trying to touch me, but I don’t know if her fascination with my past is any better than dodging her advances.
She folds her arms over her chest. “How did you two meet?”
“Should we listen to some music?” I reach for the radio.
She smacks my hand away. “You asked about Miles.”
“That’s different.”
“Oh, is it?”
I give in. “It was at a conference.”
“What did she do?”
“She was a data analyst for the meteorological station.”
“She liked the weather?”
“Storms were her favorite.”
My chest aches as I remember Grace sitting by the window during a heavy rain, her breath fogging up the glass and her eyes glued to the lightning.
