Read Online Shadow of Time - Book 1: (Paranormal Romance) by Jen Minkman - Free Book Online Page B

her lap, tuning it up a bit. When she looked up again, she caught Josh staring at her hand as it touched the strings. His gaze wandered upward and he looked into her eyes. Hannah bit her lip. The only thing she heard was the wind in the trees and her own frantic heartbeat.
    She broke eye contact and looked down at her hands. And suddenly, she was playing her own song. She wanted to play this song for him alone.
    The only thing Hannah focused on was controlling her breath and getting rid of the ball of cotton in her throat. When she finally started singing, she somehow remembered every word of the lyrics she had written down only yesterday.
     
    Look at me
    Look for me
    Oh, embrace me
    Hold me strong.
     
    I have wandered the ages
    I have roamed the earth
    I have crossed space and time
    for your song.
     
    I have waited
    I am waiting
    I will wait for you;
     
    One and thousand summers long.
     
    When the last chord faded, Hannah looked up, meeting Josh’s eyes. He was staring at her so intensely that her brain flatlined.
    Josh put down his drink, shifted onto his knees and leaned over to her, putting one hand on hers – the hand that had plucked the strings – and using his other hand to push away a stray lock of hair from her face. Then he pressed his lips to her cheek. It felt so warm, so familiar, and yet so brand new.
    When Josh moved away from her, he finally broke the silence. “That was the most beautiful song I’ve ever heard,” he said earnestly.
    A shaky breath escaped her lips. “Thank you,” she whispered with a blush.
    He smiled faintly. “Don’t thank me. I should thank you for singing to me.”
    Hannah looked down at the neck of her guitar. Her heart was dancing in her chest. She’d sung her new song for Josh alone! If only he knew she’d written the lyrics with him in mind.
    Josh scrambled to his feet , gazing at the road. “Is that Nick?” He tilted his head to an old, green Jeep coming around the corner.
    Hannah put away her guitar and got up too. “Yeah, that’s him,” she said, when she saw a brown-haired guy wearing aviator sunglasses sitting behind the wheel.
    “Do me a favor, ” Josh said in a serious tone. “Please stop being insecure about your music. You really don’t need to be.”
    “O-okay,” she stuttered, a bit overwhelmed.
    “Good.” He put his hand on her arm for a moment before walking down the steps and getting his car keys out to move the Mustang and make room for Nick’s Jeep.
    As the two guys sat down at the table to go through Nick’s notes, Hannah installed herself on the porch steps with a book. She didn’t read a single word, though – all she did was listening to the warm timbre of Josh’s voice, telling Nick about the history of his people. The kiss he’d pressed to her cheek played over and over in her mind. By the time Emily showed up at the log cabin, Hannah was glad to be able to take a walk and get things off her chest.
    “Hey Em,” she said, putting her book down. “Where’s your car?”
    “At home. My dad gave me a ride this morning. I can drive back with Josh later.” She waved at him and then eyed Nick. “Who’s that?”
    “Come on, let’s go for a walk.” Hannah steered her friend awa y from the cabin before she’d strike up an entire conversation with Nick. There’d be plenty of time to do that later, and right now, she just wanted to get away for a while.
    Emily chuckled and followed her obediently. “Sure. Are we going to talk about, uhm, someone ? Is that why you’re herding me out of here?”
    They strolled down the sandy path toward the beach. Hannah stayed quiet.
    “So. You look sort of – dreamy,” Emily ventured after a minute.
    “Hmm? ”
    Her friend chuckled. “Don’t play innocent. You really like Josh, don’t you?”
    Hannah gave up. “Yeah. I do.” She smiled faintly. “I just played my new song for Josh. Alone.”
    “Wow! What did he think?”
    “He said he’ d never heard a more a beautiful song. And