Read Online The Parting Glass (Caitlin Ross Book 4) by Katherine Lampe - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Katherine Lampe
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weariness was catching up with me, and I wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a century or two.
But instead of retreating down the steps and out the gate, Timber moved closer. Had I thought the air cleared? Now it positively crackled. I shivered. What was going on here?
“You’re lovely,” he said, and my heart plummeted into my stomach. He reached out and brushed my hair. “And you smell of roses and myrrh.”
“It’s an oil I got at the Ren Faire,” I babbled.
“It suits you. Life and death in one package.”
He moved still closer until I could feel his chest brushing against my breasts. Oh my gods, he’s going to kiss me, I thought for one terrifying moment, and wondered if it would be a bad thing. No; I’d known him less than a day. I couldn’t be thinking about kissing him. But he made no further move, just stroked my hair again and then backed off with…was that a sigh? The sound came so softly from his lips, I barely heard it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Nine o’clock too early for you?” His voice was rough, as if it had difficulty passing through his throat.
“No,” I lied, feeling as if I had just awakened from a dream. “Breakfast at Lucile’s?”
“That would be fine, aye. I’ll see you there.”
Then at last he turned and left me. I wondered if I should call him back and confront him. Wondered what would happen if I did.
I watched his back retreat down the front path and off down the street. Only when the shadows swallowed him did I at last unlock my door and seek the solitary comfort of my bed. My final thought before drifting off was that it had been a very long time since anyone but I had slept there.
“He did what ?”
Sage’s voice rang so loudly through the phone that she might have been in the same room with me, and I had to hold the receiver away from my ear until she calmed down. Knowing her for an early riser, I had called her as soon as I had awoken—at the ungodly hour of seven o’clock—and got a cup of coffee into me. I knew I needed moral support before facing Timber at Lucile’s.
“He said I was lovely. Twice,” I added, remembering the compliment that had started the strange evening. “And that I smelled good. And he touched my hair.”
“Well, Honey, people are always doing that.”
True. My long auburn hair seemed to act as some kind of magnet and I often had to put up with total strangers coming up to me just to handle it.
“Yeah, but not like that. Like….” I let my words trail off, not wanting to say what I really thought.
Of course, Sage picked up on it anyway. “If he’s touching you like that you better believe he has more in mind than just your hair.”
“Ummm.”
“And you better decide what you have in mind before the power of decision gets taken away from you.”
I wound the phone cord around my fingers. “Is that the goddess speaking?”
“Just some advice from one girl to another.”
What did I have in mind? I didn’t even know if I liked Timber MacDuff. He was overbearing and arrogant, too full of himself by half. He was also beautiful, talented, magical… “I’ve known him less than twenty-four hours!”
“Does it make a difference?” I heard Erzulie in her deep-throated chuckle.
“Maybe not to you. But you know I’m not one for casual…flings.”
“Sex, honey. You can say sex. Call it what it is.”
The pillows gave a soft “thump” as I fell backward onto my bed. I couldn’t be thinking of Timber that way. He’d come to me for my professional help. It was strictly business between us. Just… He was so… Male. Male in a way I’d never experienced before.
“Caitlin! Are you listening to me?”
Sage’s voice jolted me back to the here and now. “I’m listening.”
“I said, anyway, it doesn’t take magic to see things aren’t casual between the two of you.”
“What?” I sat up straight again. “You saw together us once! How can you say such a
But instead of retreating down the steps and out the gate, Timber moved closer. Had I thought the air cleared? Now it positively crackled. I shivered. What was going on here?
“You’re lovely,” he said, and my heart plummeted into my stomach. He reached out and brushed my hair. “And you smell of roses and myrrh.”
“It’s an oil I got at the Ren Faire,” I babbled.
“It suits you. Life and death in one package.”
He moved still closer until I could feel his chest brushing against my breasts. Oh my gods, he’s going to kiss me, I thought for one terrifying moment, and wondered if it would be a bad thing. No; I’d known him less than a day. I couldn’t be thinking about kissing him. But he made no further move, just stroked my hair again and then backed off with…was that a sigh? The sound came so softly from his lips, I barely heard it.
“I’ll see you tomorrow. Nine o’clock too early for you?” His voice was rough, as if it had difficulty passing through his throat.
“No,” I lied, feeling as if I had just awakened from a dream. “Breakfast at Lucile’s?”
“That would be fine, aye. I’ll see you there.”
Then at last he turned and left me. I wondered if I should call him back and confront him. Wondered what would happen if I did.
I watched his back retreat down the front path and off down the street. Only when the shadows swallowed him did I at last unlock my door and seek the solitary comfort of my bed. My final thought before drifting off was that it had been a very long time since anyone but I had slept there.
“He did what ?”
Sage’s voice rang so loudly through the phone that she might have been in the same room with me, and I had to hold the receiver away from my ear until she calmed down. Knowing her for an early riser, I had called her as soon as I had awoken—at the ungodly hour of seven o’clock—and got a cup of coffee into me. I knew I needed moral support before facing Timber at Lucile’s.
“He said I was lovely. Twice,” I added, remembering the compliment that had started the strange evening. “And that I smelled good. And he touched my hair.”
“Well, Honey, people are always doing that.”
True. My long auburn hair seemed to act as some kind of magnet and I often had to put up with total strangers coming up to me just to handle it.
“Yeah, but not like that. Like….” I let my words trail off, not wanting to say what I really thought.
Of course, Sage picked up on it anyway. “If he’s touching you like that you better believe he has more in mind than just your hair.”
“Ummm.”
“And you better decide what you have in mind before the power of decision gets taken away from you.”
I wound the phone cord around my fingers. “Is that the goddess speaking?”
“Just some advice from one girl to another.”
What did I have in mind? I didn’t even know if I liked Timber MacDuff. He was overbearing and arrogant, too full of himself by half. He was also beautiful, talented, magical… “I’ve known him less than twenty-four hours!”
“Does it make a difference?” I heard Erzulie in her deep-throated chuckle.
“Maybe not to you. But you know I’m not one for casual…flings.”
“Sex, honey. You can say sex. Call it what it is.”
The pillows gave a soft “thump” as I fell backward onto my bed. I couldn’t be thinking of Timber that way. He’d come to me for my professional help. It was strictly business between us. Just… He was so… Male. Male in a way I’d never experienced before.
“Caitlin! Are you listening to me?”
Sage’s voice jolted me back to the here and now. “I’m listening.”
“I said, anyway, it doesn’t take magic to see things aren’t casual between the two of you.”
“What?” I sat up straight again. “You saw together us once! How can you say such a
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