enjoying the flash of surprise on his face as I kneeled next to him. This had been a day for revelations. Painful revelations that were still tormenting my mind. Would it hurt to try for a few that might feel good instead? To find out something new about myself that would result in something other than a full-blown anxiety attack? Maybe I deserved a treat. Just for a minute or two.
I reached out, tentatively touched his arm. Oh. Cold, hard. Nice. I paused: no visions. Ran my hand down to his fingers, linked mine into his. Still no hint of what his future might hold: no tears, no heartbreak, no agonising pain. Nothing apart from the very delicious sensation of my flesh on his. He’d gone very still, and a small warning sign flashed in my brain: he was
absolutely
still, like a predator tricking his prey …
I ignored it, and touched his chest, feeling only one thudding heartbeat where there should have been more. Yep, definitely dead. He looked on in curiosity as I moved further down his body, slipping my hand beneath his T-shirt and up on to his torso. Yikes. That felt really, really good – lots of ridges, smooth skin over hard muscle. Still no visions, not even that tiny spider’s web of sensation that warns me one is on its way. Different sensations instead, as I traced the contours of his abs, then further up. Nipples, erect; a trail of silky hair. Wow. So this is what a man feels like. I suddenly understood why everyone is so obsessed with sex.
‘Might be an idea to stop that now, Sleeping Beauty,’ Luca said, his voice edgy and frightening, all playfulness gone. ‘I may be dead, but I’m not
that
dead. Get away from me for a moment, or I might hurt you.’
I snatched away my hand and flew to the other side of the bed, scrambling off it. I settled myself down in a chair under the window, and hoped that was far enough. Great. I find a man I can touch without fear of seeing the future, and replace it with one that wants to drink my blood. Could life get any more complicated?
Right at that moment, the door to the bedroom burst open, and Gabriel stomped in, puffed up so tall with High Kingly magic he had to stoop to fit under the frame. He was, literally, almost seven feet tall, and built to match. I really needed to add that to the barrage balloon full of questions that were piling up.
His fists were clenched, and he glared at Luca, who was grinning up at him smugly. He was apparently unimpressed by the Popeye routine.
‘Are you all right, Lily?’ said Gabriel. ‘I felt … something odd.’
Ah. Yes. That would be me experiencing full-on sexual arousal for the first time ever. There wasn’t really a polite way to phrase that, so I just nodded, let the blush have its wicked way with me, and stayed quiet.
‘She started it,’ said Luca, unfolding himself from the bed and shoving his way past a now-deflating Gabriel. ‘Quite the little minx, this Mother of the Mortals.’
He waved, leaving the room, and I found myself unable to meet Gabriel’s eyes. I knew they’d be flaming violet. And quite possibly a tiny bit angry.
‘I’m fine,’ I said at last, once I realised he wasn’t going to start the small talk. ‘Luca came to say hello, and, well … did you know that’s the first time I’ve ever touched a man’s chest?’ I blurted out. Dignified, as usual.
‘And that’s the way you chose to start?’ he asked. ‘With a vampire drummer?’
The drummer. Of course. They were always the ones to watch, quietly dangerous in the back. Explained the fabulous arms as well. I quickly shut down that train of thought, uncertain when Gabriel’s pesky telepathy would kick in.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘Didn’t mean to upset you. It was just … I needed it, I suppose. After everything that’s happened. To be able, finally, to touch someone. It’s been … for ever. I got carried away.’
I knew I had no need to apologise. Despite his belief that I was his mate, I still hadn’t consented to that
I reached out, tentatively touched his arm. Oh. Cold, hard. Nice. I paused: no visions. Ran my hand down to his fingers, linked mine into his. Still no hint of what his future might hold: no tears, no heartbreak, no agonising pain. Nothing apart from the very delicious sensation of my flesh on his. He’d gone very still, and a small warning sign flashed in my brain: he was
absolutely
still, like a predator tricking his prey …
I ignored it, and touched his chest, feeling only one thudding heartbeat where there should have been more. Yep, definitely dead. He looked on in curiosity as I moved further down his body, slipping my hand beneath his T-shirt and up on to his torso. Yikes. That felt really, really good – lots of ridges, smooth skin over hard muscle. Still no visions, not even that tiny spider’s web of sensation that warns me one is on its way. Different sensations instead, as I traced the contours of his abs, then further up. Nipples, erect; a trail of silky hair. Wow. So this is what a man feels like. I suddenly understood why everyone is so obsessed with sex.
‘Might be an idea to stop that now, Sleeping Beauty,’ Luca said, his voice edgy and frightening, all playfulness gone. ‘I may be dead, but I’m not
that
dead. Get away from me for a moment, or I might hurt you.’
I snatched away my hand and flew to the other side of the bed, scrambling off it. I settled myself down in a chair under the window, and hoped that was far enough. Great. I find a man I can touch without fear of seeing the future, and replace it with one that wants to drink my blood. Could life get any more complicated?
Right at that moment, the door to the bedroom burst open, and Gabriel stomped in, puffed up so tall with High Kingly magic he had to stoop to fit under the frame. He was, literally, almost seven feet tall, and built to match. I really needed to add that to the barrage balloon full of questions that were piling up.
His fists were clenched, and he glared at Luca, who was grinning up at him smugly. He was apparently unimpressed by the Popeye routine.
‘Are you all right, Lily?’ said Gabriel. ‘I felt … something odd.’
Ah. Yes. That would be me experiencing full-on sexual arousal for the first time ever. There wasn’t really a polite way to phrase that, so I just nodded, let the blush have its wicked way with me, and stayed quiet.
‘She started it,’ said Luca, unfolding himself from the bed and shoving his way past a now-deflating Gabriel. ‘Quite the little minx, this Mother of the Mortals.’
He waved, leaving the room, and I found myself unable to meet Gabriel’s eyes. I knew they’d be flaming violet. And quite possibly a tiny bit angry.
‘I’m fine,’ I said at last, once I realised he wasn’t going to start the small talk. ‘Luca came to say hello, and, well … did you know that’s the first time I’ve ever touched a man’s chest?’ I blurted out. Dignified, as usual.
‘And that’s the way you chose to start?’ he asked. ‘With a vampire drummer?’
The drummer. Of course. They were always the ones to watch, quietly dangerous in the back. Explained the fabulous arms as well. I quickly shut down that train of thought, uncertain when Gabriel’s pesky telepathy would kick in.
‘I’m sorry,’ I said. ‘Didn’t mean to upset you. It was just … I needed it, I suppose. After everything that’s happened. To be able, finally, to touch someone. It’s been … for ever. I got carried away.’
I knew I had no need to apologise. Despite his belief that I was his mate, I still hadn’t consented to that
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