Tori, page 12
But he’d been there for her.
She hadn’t exactly been there for him.
When was it time to let the past go? When was it time to move forward? And in what direction? She wanted him in her life. She just wanted him on her terms.
How selfish.
And immature.
So much made more sense now. She’d been so upset after losing Granny, so hysterical that almost anything anyone did that wasn’t fully supporting of where she was pushed her in the wrong direction. As a result, she’d taken the wrong path, and the problems between her and Devon had blown up. Add Grandfather’s jeers ringing in her ears, and she’d run not from Devon so much as from everything.
She owed him an apology.
She rolled over, Jessie slipping off the bed to head outside into the early morning sunshine, leaving her alone with her sleeping guardian.
He’d always been there for her.
She watched him sleep. So close to his face, she could see the stubble of his beard, the fatigue from the last few days. She hadn’t considered the cost to him.
His eyes flew open, and she jerked back.
He reached out and snagged her close.
“Hey,” he murmured in sleep-colored tones. “Didn’t mean to scare you.”
“It’s okay. You just startled me.” She rested against his chest, happier than she’d been in a long time.
“How are you feeling?”
Listening to the breath rumbling through his chest, she grinned and shifted away slightly so she could look up at his face. “I’m fine. Better than fine, actually.”
Deep-blue eyes gazed intently into hers, searching.
She let him look. Could sense the gentle energy he sent out. “It’s okay. I’m fine. I understand what happened last night and that you brought me back.”
His gaze narrowed. “Glad you understand it. Lord knows I don’t.”
“No, but you knew enough to not let me go last night.”
Leaning up on his elbow, he looked down at her, the look on his face making her heart lurch. Making her aware of the intimate setting they were in, the heavy emotions flying around them.
The intensity of the pain in his gaze.
“Let you go?” he shook his head slowly and whispered, “Never again.”
She slid her hand up behind his neck and gently pulled him down to her. “Good thing,” she whispered. “I did a very foolish thing leaving you before.”
His gaze widened. She placed a finger against his lips and whispered, “Later.”
She reached up and kissed him.
The feel of his lips, the dry warmth of his touch, the sheer joy of being able to touch him…it was special. Her heart swelled. She withdrew slightly but his head followed, staying close, almost touching, their breath mingling. His lips a heartbeat away. She relaxed back down onto her pillow, her eyes locked with his, asking, and receiving the answer she needed. He followed her down to the warm sheets, his body resting beside her, his thigh thrown across her legs, pinning her down.
She was fine with that. This was exactly where she wanted to be.
“I missed you,” she whispered against his lips.
He paused, pulled back slightly, and looked down at her. “Not as much as I missed you,” he whispered, his voice catching.
When he lowered his head this time, it was as if he was intent on proving it to her. He didn’t taste her lips, he ravished her mouth. He didn’t just caress her body, he stoked a fire that had lain cold for a long year. A fire that eagerly jumped into flame at his sure touch.
She twisted under him, her body reveling in the nerve endings waking to his touch. Hell, they woke up screaming for more. He quickly stripped the few clothes she wore and tossed them to the floor. His own boxers followed.
Not content to lie there passively, she slowly stroked and caressed his back, the long, lean muscles along his spine to the round, hard muscles of his buttocks, ready and waiting for her touch. God, she loved this. Sex had always been so good with him.
She took a deep breath and the scents filled her nostrils. The sheer maleness of him. The shampoo he used on his hair. The aftershave triggering memories of days past. The sounds he made when she stroked him, just there. The moan when she scraped her nails along his hipbone.
The way he’d pause, then kiss her like there’d been no other women in his life. She hoped there hadn’t been, but she had no plans to ask him. She didn’t think she could take it if there had been another, but she had no right to expect such a thing.
Determined to throw off the depressing turn of thought, she slid her hand down between them and encircled him with her fingers. A shudder rippled through him, and she smiled against his lips.
“Witch,” he muttered thickly. “Two can play that game.”
And he slid down her body, his fingers racing ahead, remembering, exploring, blazing a trail for his lips to follow. And follow they did. Stoking the fire with each kiss, with each taste of his tongue, until she was crying out for him.
“No,” he whispered. “I’m not ready.”
“But I am,” she said. “Come to me.”
“Are you?” His fingers speared her damp curls, stroking just inside the plump folds. “Maybe you are.” He reared up and spread her thighs. She lay open to his gaze, staring up at him fearlessly, until he lowered his head and kissed her on the nub at the center of her. His tongue laved the tiny nerve endings, which were screaming for more.
“Enough,” she cried, and reached down to grab his hair, pulling him up to her. In one movement, he had his hands on her hips to hold her still, and he seated himself deep inside. They both stilled. She wiggled slightly, trying to adjust to the size of him. God, it had been a long year.
“Don’t do that,” he growled, resting on his elbows above her.
“Don’t do what?” she said, and wiggled some more. “That or this?” And she clenched her inner muscles.
A hard shudder wracked his body and he started to move, driving his body forward and setting a pace that was brutal and yet at the same time not enough.
She met his every push with her hips raised, and still he rode her deeper and deeper. He shifted her leg to hook up over his hips and drove in again. This time she cried out and gasped in joy as he went right to the heart of her. She was so damn close. He raced faster and faster, then reached down and stroked the nub hidden in her curls.
The climax ripped through her, her body arching as she rode through it, until he gave a shout, shuddered, and collapsed beside her.
*
Was a homecoming ever more sweet? With Tori trembling in his arms, Devon knew his own heart had swelled to its breaking point. He cuddled her close. He hadn’t even considered that getting to this point was possible. The weird scenario last night had changed all of that, and he couldn’t be more grateful. She was special, and he’d needed her in his life for a long time. A year, to be exact. He closed his eyes, waiting for his own body to slow down. In reality, it just wanted to hit repeat and go again.
He hadn’t known a time he wasn’t interested in taking Tori to bed. She was the hottest, most caring lover he’d ever had. And he’d do anything he could to have her be in this relationship a hundred percent. To know that she was committed. She’d blown his world apart when she’d left…
“Thoughts?”
“I don’t think I can stand it if you walk away again.”
He felt her surprise, the jolt of rejection to the idea as her body jerked slightly. He crushed her closer then released her. She had to want to be here. She had to want to stay, or it wouldn’t work. And he was desperate to have it work.
So he let her go.
He rolled over onto his back, his arm still around her, and stared up at the dome ceiling. He swallowed and closed his eyes.
Silence.
And he knew it was over.
That this, his dream for the last year, was done and gone. He wanted to get up and walk out but didn’t think his body would answer his commands.
He felt her shift on the bed, the mattress squeaking under their combined weight as she raised up to look down at him. He didn’t dare look back.
“I didn’t want to leave,” she whispered. “I don’t even remember what the argument was about.” He stiffened. Neither did he. He’d been more angry at her response than at whatever the stupid issue had been in the first place.
“But I wasn’t running from you.”
His eyes opened and narrowed. He opened his mouth to speak, but she laid a finger over his lips to stop him.
“I know I ran, but I wasn’t running from you. I was running from the grief. The memories. The guilt. The pain. You and whatever argument I’d let boil into something too big to handle was a part of that. I needed to break away and to sort myself out. I needed to go away and I couldn’t leave you. So I let that become big enough to make the break happen.”
He stared at her. What the hell? He tried to formulate his thoughts, to find an explanation, but there was no understanding this—or maybe it was women in general. He wanted to understand, if only to know how he’d recognize it if it happened again.
“It wasn’t you,” she whispered painfully. “It was me.”
And then she wouldn’t say anything more. She curled up at his side and fell asleep.
Lucky her. He wasn’t sure he ever would again.
Chapter 20
It was late morning by the time Tori walked out into the kitchen. Her stomach was clawing at her from the inside. She needed food, and they needed to move.
She’d glanced at Devon, sleeping soundly beside her, and slipped out of bed as quietly as she could. She’d showered and dressed, pleasantly surprised at finding her old clothes still here after all this time. And loving it, even if they were slightly big now. They were like pulling on a warm hug of memories. Now in the kitchen, she needed to address another issue. Food. But the cupboards were more bare than full, and the cooler was empty. Too bad her sister hadn’t brought something with her. They could use a good meal. Then again, they could get that as soon as they went back to town, either at the Center with Genesis, or by shopping to stock up Genesis’ small apartment.
She had no idea where Devon was living now. Especially if he’d walked away from Grandfather. She thought they all lived on the sprawling estate—land that, according to Genesis, she and her sisters apparently now owned. She grinned at the idea. She’d love to boot that grumpy old man out of the damn place. He’d been ruling this town since forever. Who the hell did he think he was?
According to Genesis, he’d known all about the forged documents but had no intention of doing the right thing and handing them over. When she could, that would be one of the conversations she’d bring up with Matt. The Paranormal Council did have the money and the power to make sure Grandfather obeyed the laws, if they chose to do so.
She puttered around the kitchen, realizing there was only leftovers or oatmeal for breakfast, and as for the oatmeal, there was no milk. She did find granola bars. Warming up the last of the pasta, she arranged the little bit of food on a plate, added the two granola bars, and traipsed back to the bedroom with her meager offerings, only to find Devon was still asleep.
She placed the plate down on the small table and went to nudge him awake. He rolled over onto his belly and opened his eyes. “Hey.”
“Hey back.” She sat down beside him, her gaze drawn to his back and the scar dancing across his spine. “There’s almost no food here, but I brought the little I found. The teakettle is on, but there’s no coffee here.”
“No coffee?” he murmured. “That’s guaranteed to send me back to town.”
“Granny wasn’t a fan of coffee, so we never drank it growing up. We all developed a taste for it later in life, though tea is still our drink of choice.”
He grimaced. “I prefer something stronger.”
She laughed and stroked a finger along his back. “The scar is fading.”
“The pool does great work.”
“Hmm…” she murmured absentmindedly. “It was a different experience for me this last time. I had a year’s worth of healing to happen.”
He reared up. “Did you need more time here? We can stay longer.”
“No, I was there a long time.” She shrugged. “The pool kicked me out this time. It doesn’t usually do that, though. We often just sat there and relaxed, as if it were more a regular swimming pool. So I’m not sure what’s changed.”
“Maybe the healing you needed to do wasn’t in the pool, and it knew it at that point. Maybe it figured if you left, you’d do what you needed to do, then you could go back.”
She laughed. “That’s a whimsical point of view.”
“Not sure about that. It was working on you a lot. There were weird lights and all kinds of things coming from the pool room. As I’d been unconscious most of the time it had worked on me, I didn’t know if that was normal or not.”
“Weird lights?”
“Yes.” He shifted on the bed to lean up against the headboard. The sight of the sprawled male on her bed gave her a warm, cozy feeling inside. He was so damn masculine. So foreign to her. His body so strong and yet caring.
“There were colors and weird energy. Not big waves like the ones outside, but the same type of energy,” he said, accepting the cup of tea she handed him. “And a little disconcerting, now that I realize it’s the same energy from outside.”
“The pool is ancient,” she said as she climbed up on the bed. She reached over for the plate of food and held it up for them to share.
They ate in silence. She knew something was changing, easing between them. But they’d have to leave soon.
That time sooner than she was ready for. An hour later, with the place locked up and settled for their absence, Tori turned with fond regret and led the way to the caves. Devon walked quietly at her side.
“I don’t understand something,” he said. “Last night. It was as if you wanted to go join the energy. What was that about?”
“I did. It felt great. It felt like home.”
Silence.
She risked a glance at him, wondering where he was going with this. “Why?”
“Just wondering what you’d have done—what would have happened if I hadn’t stopped you?”
“I don’t know. I’d seen Granny stand out in the middle of an electric storm like that before and assumed that I’d have stayed until I had that urge to join in. Maybe that’s how she felt when she died.” Tori felt more than saw his startled look and shrugged. “I can’t say. Do any of us know what happens when we die?”
“No,” he answered shortly. “And I’d like there to be a hell of a long time before either of us find out.”
She laughed. “True, but it comes to all of us at one time or another.”
The entrance to the caves was up ahead. She slid into one of the narrow hidden entrances that had been Granny’s special way inside and walked up the long incline.
She motioned toward the green luminescence that lit the tunnels and caves with a gentle glow. “This energy, this color, is normal. If it was anything other than this, I’d be worried.”
“Okay, that makes me feel better.” He reached across and grabbed her hand. Instantly, sparks flashed. There was no pain, but the surprise made him drop her hand and step back. “Please tell me that was supposed to happen, too.”
“Not as strong as that, necessarily, but shocks are definitely normal down here, particularly with two people with abilities.” She studied his face for a long moment. “And your abilities are working again, aren’t they?”
He nodded. “They appear to be, at least a little bit.”
“Good.” Satisfied, she turned back to the tunnel. “This goes on for miles down here. Keep your senses alert. Maybe you’ll sense something before we come to it.”
“What are you expecting to find?” he asked curiously.
“I’m hoping to find nothing but tunnels and healthy pools, but there’s no doubt that something is affecting the forest, and that could mean it originates here or in the other caves.”
“I’ve never been down here, and I didn’t know there were other caves,” he said.
“Most people don’t know about the others, but there is a large string of them on this energy reserve, similar to all energy reserves. They are an enclosed system, and if you damage one, you damage all three. When the pools were damaged, the negative energy would move outward, even after the pools had healed, and likely it’s what’s causing the same trouble. We also don’t know if the same guy that was using those black rocks had something to do with the forests.”
“And how would that have anything to do the shooting yesterday?”
She shook her head. “Likely nothing. But I have to deal with one problem at a time.”
He stayed quiet after that. She led the way through the tunnels, watching as the various branches led off in different directions. In truth, she wanted to skip and dance for joy at being here again, but the reverence she felt toward the power of the caves kept her humble.
Granny had handled this energy like a pro. Then again, she’d had decades to work with it. Aligned her life to be one with it and in the end had joined with it. Tori couldn’t have been happier for her. It was what she’d wanted. And what Tori would love to see for everyone who had the abilities her granny had.
She continued down a path toward a junction. The tunnel that branched off to the left was dark. She started to walk past and stopped. No, it was too dark.
Following her instincts, she turned and headed inside the tunnel, Devon silently walking behind her.
*
Devon couldn’t believe the difference in his abilities down here. They were stronger and clearer, and the energy that surrounded the two of them was bright. Not peaceful, but buzzing. He didn’t have the same feeling, but he could see that by staying down here and absorbing some of that for himself, it would have a similar effect. Maybe it would fade over time as he adapted to the energy, but he wasn’t at all sure he would.
The dark tunnel did the same thing, but differently. It pulled at him. Disturbed his energy. Gave him an uneasy feeling, like he’d been rubbed the wrong way. Not bad but not…right.
