Read Online Only You (The Mephisto Covenant Series) by Stephanie Feagan - Free Book Online
Authors: Stephanie Feagan
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two of the six candles in the candelabra lit, lending an air of intimacy that was helped by the light of the fire. Something far beyond my comprehension tugged at me, demanding my attention, but I was lost and didn’t know what to do. Our eyes met again and I had the sudden certainty that I’d remember this moment all the rest of my life. “Did you love her?”
I saw it in his eyes, no , but he said out loud, “It doesn’t matter now. She’s gone, long ago.”
“Did she leave you?”
“She died.”
“Do I look like her?”
“No. But you’re like her in another way.” He walked toward the bed and stopped just at the edge to set Olga down. Tail straight with indignation, she went to curl up at the end. He loomed over me and I bent my neck to look up at him.
“ Let me touch your hair,” he whispered. “Just this once.”
It was a strange request, something I’d never allow any guy to do for any reason, but the way he asked, the look in his eyes . . . I couldn’t refuse. Reaching behind my head, I pulled the ponytail loose and my hair fell across my back and shoulders. He lifted one hand and gently stroked down before slipping his fingers into the middle to cradle my head. I could feel his warm palm against my nape as he bent lower and whispered, “Don’t stay, Mariah. They’ll try to talk you into it, but don’t. Go home, marry a nice boy, have some babies and live to be very old.”
His face was scarce inches from mine . He was closer than I ever let anyone come, and I began to feel anxious. I caught the tangy sweet scent of oranges, which seemed very odd. “I intend to go home.”
“Good.” I thought he might kiss me, but he didn’t, and I was glad and sad all at the same time. I’d never been kissed. I’d never wanted it. Never expected to want it. How strange that my first stirring of curiosity was for a guy who’d insulted me. He did seem genuinely sorry, and now his gaze moved across my face as if he was memorizing it, as if it mattered.
His expression was sad when he released me and stood straight. “Goodbye, Mariah. I wish . . .”
“What do you wish?”
He huffed out a breath and said, “A happy life for you.”
Then he was gone and I stared at the imprint of his boots on the rug where he’d been. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something momentous just occurred, but it hadn’t. He petted my hair, told me to go home and have a happy life, and he left. Other than him disappearing into thin air, nothing at all out of the ordinary about it.
So why did I feel as if someone just walked over my grave?
***
I’d gotten out of the shower, which Mathilda insisted I take, and slipped back into the white robe when Sasha knocked and came in. I was struck all over again by her beauty. Small wonder Jax was in love with her.
She saw me in the doorway to the bathroom and said with a wide smile, “Key just called. He’ll be here with Jordan in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll get dressed.”
“Yer clothes are clean and waiting for you in the closet,” Mathilda said.
“Thank you.” It was a very big closet. I went inside, closed the door and quickly dressed, wishing all over again that I had something else to wear. Back in the bathroom, I blow dried my hair, pulled it into a ponytail, then returned to the bedroom.
Mathilda was gone , so Sasha and I sat and made small talk until there was a knock at the door. She swung it open, and there was Kyros, holding my sister’s hand.
Sasha s aid, “Mariah and I were just talking about cats.”
As Viorica stepped into the room, Olga wound around her ankles, meowing loudly, but she didn’t pay her much attention; all of her focus was on me. I got up from where I’d been sitting at the end of the bed. She was petite and beautiful, more so in real life than in press photos or on television, and she had that same ethereal light that Sasha had. Her hair was glossy and dark and her eyes were the color of bluebells, just as they’d
I saw it in his eyes, no , but he said out loud, “It doesn’t matter now. She’s gone, long ago.”
“Did she leave you?”
“She died.”
“Do I look like her?”
“No. But you’re like her in another way.” He walked toward the bed and stopped just at the edge to set Olga down. Tail straight with indignation, she went to curl up at the end. He loomed over me and I bent my neck to look up at him.
“ Let me touch your hair,” he whispered. “Just this once.”
It was a strange request, something I’d never allow any guy to do for any reason, but the way he asked, the look in his eyes . . . I couldn’t refuse. Reaching behind my head, I pulled the ponytail loose and my hair fell across my back and shoulders. He lifted one hand and gently stroked down before slipping his fingers into the middle to cradle my head. I could feel his warm palm against my nape as he bent lower and whispered, “Don’t stay, Mariah. They’ll try to talk you into it, but don’t. Go home, marry a nice boy, have some babies and live to be very old.”
His face was scarce inches from mine . He was closer than I ever let anyone come, and I began to feel anxious. I caught the tangy sweet scent of oranges, which seemed very odd. “I intend to go home.”
“Good.” I thought he might kiss me, but he didn’t, and I was glad and sad all at the same time. I’d never been kissed. I’d never wanted it. Never expected to want it. How strange that my first stirring of curiosity was for a guy who’d insulted me. He did seem genuinely sorry, and now his gaze moved across my face as if he was memorizing it, as if it mattered.
His expression was sad when he released me and stood straight. “Goodbye, Mariah. I wish . . .”
“What do you wish?”
He huffed out a breath and said, “A happy life for you.”
Then he was gone and I stared at the imprint of his boots on the rug where he’d been. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something momentous just occurred, but it hadn’t. He petted my hair, told me to go home and have a happy life, and he left. Other than him disappearing into thin air, nothing at all out of the ordinary about it.
So why did I feel as if someone just walked over my grave?
***
I’d gotten out of the shower, which Mathilda insisted I take, and slipped back into the white robe when Sasha knocked and came in. I was struck all over again by her beauty. Small wonder Jax was in love with her.
She saw me in the doorway to the bathroom and said with a wide smile, “Key just called. He’ll be here with Jordan in about twenty minutes.”
“I’ll get dressed.”
“Yer clothes are clean and waiting for you in the closet,” Mathilda said.
“Thank you.” It was a very big closet. I went inside, closed the door and quickly dressed, wishing all over again that I had something else to wear. Back in the bathroom, I blow dried my hair, pulled it into a ponytail, then returned to the bedroom.
Mathilda was gone , so Sasha and I sat and made small talk until there was a knock at the door. She swung it open, and there was Kyros, holding my sister’s hand.
Sasha s aid, “Mariah and I were just talking about cats.”
As Viorica stepped into the room, Olga wound around her ankles, meowing loudly, but she didn’t pay her much attention; all of her focus was on me. I got up from where I’d been sitting at the end of the bed. She was petite and beautiful, more so in real life than in press photos or on television, and she had that same ethereal light that Sasha had. Her hair was glossy and dark and her eyes were the color of bluebells, just as they’d
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