Guarded, page 19
part #2 of Tidewater Series
“Yep, she’ll be fine here,” Shelley said, glancing at Dev as he opened the door. A soft blue-white light surrounded him. At first she thought it was coming from the lamp in the hallway, until the colors shifted around him, appearing to cling to him as he moved into the room.
Lucy squeaked and her little body tensed, threateningly. Shelley quickly tucked her back in the cage and latched the door.
“Everything okay, Shells?” Dev asked after she straightened. He stroked a finger down her cheek. “You’re flushed.”
Little did he know his touch was making her blood race. It took every ounce of restraint she possessed, and the knowledge that Lucy was watching them, for Shelley not to give into her seemingly never-ending urge to kiss him again. And again. And again.
His full lips quirked up into a sexy half smile that mesmerized her. His gentle caress of her cheek slid down to her neck. He cupped her chin in his hand, tilting her head back until she stared into his sensual gray eyes. The light around him, which had been a pure blue-white light pulsed to a clear, vibrant red that seemed magnetic. Drawing her closer to him.
Deciding restraint was the losing part of valor, Shelley brushed her lips against his.
The light touch, barely a kiss, exploded through her. Every one of her senses was on fire. His taste, salty and clean, made her hungry for more. Driving her fingers into his silky hair, she tugged him down and kissed him again.
Dev groaned, then his arms went around her, lifting her off the ground. He tugged her tight against him, surrounding her completely. Yesterday’s kiss had been hot. Tonight’s was scorching.
He kissed her like he’d done it a thousand times before, but would never get bored. He kissed her as if it were their first time touching, pure and raw. And still he kissed her until she was drowning in the sensation of pleasure. And she prayed he’d never stop.
But he did. Slowly. Carefully. First setting her on the floor again, then unwrapping his arms and cupping her face between his huge, warm hands. Finally, he pulled back from her lips, taking care to kiss each of her cheeks, her forehead, the tip of her nose.
Shelley, awash in sensation, couldn’t open her eyes. The pleasure was too much.
Dev chuckled. “Wow.”
She peeked an eye open then both flew wide at the sight that greeted her. Dev was bathed in a deep red light that encompassed his body. It seemed to emanate from the center of his chest and pulse like a heartbeat.
Shelley stepped back from him, tripped over her duffle bag, and nearly fell on Lucy’s cage. Lucy chattered at her angrily.
Dev extended a hand to her. A distinctly non-glowy hand. Whatever color she thought she saw was gone.
I’m losing my fracking mind.
“Sorry,” Dev said, when she didn’t move fast enough. “I’d always wanted to sweep you off your feet, but that’s not quite how I pictured it.”
“Oh, that was bad.” She laughed and accepted his proffered hand. Once standing on her own, she said, “If not for being named Shelley Grace, I’d have no grace at all.”
“I don’t think that’s true.” Dev’s watch beeped. He pressed a button on it and said, “We’d better hurry. Jules is making her mother-in-law’s lasagna, meatless-style in your honor. If we’re late, Seth might just eat the whole thing.”
He grabbed her by the hand as if he’d done it a hundred times before, and escorted her down the stairs, out the door, and to his car. He opened the door for her like she’d seen men do in old black-and-white movies.
Sliding into the car, Shelley’s body hummed with pleasure. Pleasure from his touch. Pleasure from his attention. Pleasure from the sense of belonging she hadn’t experienced in a very long time.
She decided not to examine that last too closely. Everything ended.
* * *
TEN MINUTES LATER, Dev parallel parked his car outside of Seth and Jules’s brownstone apartment building. Shelley hadn’t said a word since he climbed into the car. The ride over had been quiet but companionable.
He cut the engine and Shelley reached for her door handle. He stretched across her body, covering her hand with his. “Let me.”
She glanced at him, one eyebrow arched. A slow, seductive smile curved her lips. “I appreciate the offer. Lord knows, I don’t want to risk chipping this fine manicure on your Lexus.”
She waved her short, unpolished nails in the air. Damn, she was beautiful. Without makeup or polish, she was the sexiest woman on the planet. And her sense of humor jacked up her beauty to a full-on eleven.
“Can’t have that, now can we?” Dev laughed and hurried out of the car.
He’d just opened her door, when he heard the noise behind him. Somewhere down the sidewalk, just beyond the lamp post a dog growled. The guttural sound was menacing.
Shelley had already slammed the door closed before Dev had a chance to warn her. The dog growled again, lower. Louder.
“Where is it?” she asked, becoming a human statue beside him.
As if in answer, a large German shepherd stepped out of the shadows. The fur on its body stood up in a line down the center of its back. Its tan and black coat appeared more sinister beneath the twilight sky.
“Can you talk to it?” Dev whispered from the corner of his mouth. He inched slowly to his left, hoping Shelley would do the same.
“I’m trying, but I don’t think it’s working. All I’m getting are random images of him leaping into the air and devouring a steak. I can’t be sure, but I think I’m the steak in that scenario,” Shelley replied back. “Where are we going?”
“Into the building. If this dog is going to attack, let’s make him work for his meal.”
Shelley exhaled a breath that puffed white in the chilly night air. The temperature was so cold, the hair on the back of Dev’s neck stood up.
The dog whimpered then pawed the ground. Oddly, it backed into the shadows as if it had changed its mind.
Dev took Shelley by the elbow and urged her sideways up the short flight of steps to the building’s front door, keeping his gaze on the shadow where the dog had gone. Dev twisted the knob and pulled open the door when the dog launched itself at the steps.
Sharp, white teeth dripping with spittle aimed for his face. Dev threw up an arm to shield himself, only to tumble backward through the open doorway. Just like that, the door slammed closed and the dog barked ferociously, throwing itself against the glass.
“Did it bite you?” Shelley, who he’d fallen on top of, squirmed out from under him. She scooted around, then bent over him, her hands sliding up his arms and chest, searching for wounds. “Are you bleeding?”
“No. How did you pull me inside?” Dev glanced to the door where the dog was still barking and scratching on the glass pane. Then he recognized it. “Holy shit! That’s Theresa’s dog.”
“The door just sort of popped open, and I grabbed you.” Shelley sat back on her heels, trembling. “Who’s Theresa?”
“Seth’s daughter.” Dev sat up, dug his cell phone out of his pocket, and dialed. The moment Seth answered, Dev cut to the chase. “Seth, T’s dog is down here. I think it’s gone crazy or something. It tried to attack Shells and me.”
“Crap! I’ll send her down.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Dev argued, but was talking to static.
Above them, a door opened and slammed closed. The sound of feet pounding down the steps preceded three people—Seth, Jules, and Theresa appeared on the landing. Theresa, Seth’s curly haired, brunette daughter, let a leash dangle from one hand as she stared open-mouthed out the window at her dog attempting to claw its way inside.
“Wait,” Shelley said, rising to her feet. “I think it’s me. Give him two minutes after I leave, and I’m sure he’ll be fine.”
“What’s going on?” Theresa asked, confusion all over her face. “I’m so sorry. He got out. He’s never attacked anyone before. Are y’all hurt?”
“No, T. Everyone’s okay.”
Shelley turned to the girl, apology written all over her face. “Look, Theresa, I didn’t do anything to your dog. I think I scare him for some reason. I’m positive once I’m out of sight, he’ll be back to normal. Is there a back door out of this place?”
“You’re not going outside until the dog is on a leash,” Dev said, afraid Shelley might just sneak out through a window if she couldn’t find a door.
“Dev—” Shelley began to protest but Jules cut her off.
“Dev’s right, Shelley. Come with me. We’ll let Theresa and the guys sort this out.”
Shelley nibbled on her lip as if uncertain, but allowed her sister to lead her up the stairs.
“What the hell happened?” Seth asked.
“I’m not sure. Shells got out of my car and the dog was there. It just sort of, uh, lost it.” Dev tried to explain without getting into too many details. He wasn’t sure how much Theresa knew about her father’s fiancée or their inherited family crifts.
Outside, the dog stopped barking and sat down on the stoop.
Theresa glanced at Dev, then at her father, then up the stairs, then back at the animal. “Do you think it’s safe?”
“She said wait two minutes. Let’s do that.” Dev scrubbed a hand through his hair. It was going to be an interesting dinner.
* * *
“DOES THAT HAPPEN to you often?” Jules asked as she led Shelley into an apartment on the second floor. It was sparsely furnished but clean and neat. On the wall over the fireplace hung a picture of a blond Jules and two other people.
“It’s not usually that bad,” Shelley admitted, stepping nearer to examine the painting more closely. Upon inspection, she realized it wasn’t a painting at all, but a photograph on canvas.
They looked like the perfect family. Happy.
“That’s Big Jim and April,” Jules said, moving to stand beside her. “I was big into my assimilation phase back then. You know, I wanted to look like them. I even wore colored contacts. Danged things got caught in my eye one night, and I had to go to the ER to get one of them removed.”
“Ouch.” Shelley glanced at her sister, whose hair was so like her own. “Decided to go back to your natural color?”
“Yeah. That phase didn’t last long.” Jules turned and cocked her head. “Did you go through that too?”
“What?”
“The assimilation phase? Where you wanted to look like your adoptive parents?”
Shelley didn’t miss the odd note in Jules’s voice. What was she digging for?
“Not really. Jill and Nate, my adoptive parents, already had red hair. People just assumed I was theirs. Plus, we moved to Baltimore not long after the adoption, so no one ever knew I wasn’t theirs unless we told them.”
Jules nodded her head slowly, then led the way into her kitchen. With a wrought-iron, glass-topped table pushed to one side of the room, there was space to move around, despite the small size. “Want a drink?”
The apartment smelled vaguely of strawberries, but no spices. Where was the dinner Dev had mentioned? “Sure. Got any apple juice? Jules, are we eating out?”
Jules pulled a bottle of juice from the fridge and poured it into two glasses before returning it to the refrigerator. Handing Shelley the wineglass full of apple juice, Jules said, “No, we’re eating across the hall. I’m not sure where they’re going to put the dog yet, and Theresa left her purse in Seth’s apartment.”
Shelley scratched her head in confusion. “You two don’t live together? The way Dev talked, I thought you did.”
“Oh, we do. But I’m still the legal tenant of this place for another year. I’d just signed the lease when I met Seth.”
“How long have you been together?” Shelley asked, sipping her drink.
“We met in October.”
Shelley nearly choked on her juice, coughing at the ridiculously short time before they decided to move in together, let alone get engaged. Jules pounded on Shelley’s back until she stopped coughing.
“Isn’t . . . isn’t that a little fast?” Shelley wheezed.
Jules laughed. “You’d think so, wouldn’t you? But if you’d been here, you’d understand. Some people are together their whole lives and never know each other. Others meet and boom . . . instant connection. Seth and I are the latter. Plus, he knows all about my crift and other weirdness and is okay with it.”
“I assume you mean the ghosts. You still see ghosts, right?”
“I do. It’s not like when we were kids, though. I’ve started to learn how to better deal with the crift. I’m even assisting lost spirits now. Not long after Seth and I met, I helped him with a case. So it’s good, a lot less of a curse than it used to be.” Jules smiled.
Maybe.
“What other weirdness?” Shelley had to know. “What could be stranger than seeing ghosts . . . besides talking to animals?”
“You’d be surprised.” Jules laughed, leading the way back to her living room. She settled on one side of an overstuffed beige couch and patted the seat next to her. “Let’s just say, Seth can’t hide his moods from me.”
Sitting down on the comfy sofa, Shelley frowned in confusion. “I don’t think I understand. You mean, you make him talk? Or did you develop telepathy over the years?”
“Gosh, no!” Jules shivered. “The last thing I want is to hear anyone else’s thoughts. Hearing the dead is bad enough to keep me awake some nights. No, what I mean is I can see his aura, so I know his mood.”
Shelley frowned. “Come again?”
Now it was Jules’s turn to frown. “Do you know what an aura is?”
“Charisma?” Shelley said, fairly certain that was the wrong answer.
“Think of auras like they’re lines of color. Each color represents a different emotion. For example, the color red respresents passion. Passion in the most positive sense is love. But the negative is hate. A green aura can mean someone is at peace or is incredibly jealous. Blue is intuitive or despairing. Yellow is hopeful or afraid. Instead of seeing colored lines, I see them around Seth. Although, I’ve never seen yellow around him. Mostly, he’s red or green. Loving and protective. Darn, I’m not sure I’m explaining this well.”
Oh, Jules explained it well enough.
“I think I got the idea. This aura, does it pulse like a heartbeat around his body?”
Jules’s eyes widened, and she set her juice glass down on the table. “Can you see his aura too? Seth’s the only living person I can do that with. Can you do it with other people?”
“Yes . . . well, no. Not exactly.” Shelley rubbed her forehead. “It just started yesterday. Or maybe it’s nothing. I might just be imagining things.”
Jules blew a raspberry at her. “You don’t believe that. I don’t believe that. You asked a specific question because I think you can see auras.” She frowned and said more to herself than to Shelley, “Dang, I thought that was special.”
“You thought what was special?”
“Seeing Seth’s aura. But if you can do it too.” She shook her head. “I guess it doesn’t mean what I thought it did.”
“I can’t.” When Jules didn’t look relieved, Shelley added, “I can’t see Seth’s aura. I see Dev’s.”
Jules’s eyes sparkled and her lips twitched. “You see Dev’s? And this just started? You never saw it when you were in college?”
“How did you know we went to school together?” Shelley asked, then answered her own question. “Dev told you.” She exhaled slowly and ran a hand through her hair, only to snag it in her ponytail. She searched her memory. “I don’t remember seeing any weird lights around him back then. Except . . .”
“Except what?” Jules urged when Shelley didn’t immediately continue.
Shelley took another swallow of juice, stalling for time and trying to sort out her memories. “I thought I saw something the first time I met Dev.”
“Really?”
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s not what you think. I was Dev’s tutor. He was late for his first session with me. I waited for him for close to half an hour. It was cold and the sun had gone down. I got this creepy feeling I was being watched. I tried to call Dev from my cell, but the school was notorious for dead cell zones.
“Next thing I know, I’m knocked to the ground. Some guy is ripping my backpack off my shoulder. I tried to scream, but the guy slammed my face into the cement. I saw stars and thought I was dead. Suddenly he was off me and running away. With my backpack. When I looked up, I saw—”
“Dev?” Jules asked, a wide grin on her face.
“No. Cam, my ex-fiancé. Although he was a stranger at the time.”
Jules’s smile dissolved. “What does this have to do with Dev?”
“Dev’s roommate, Cam, saw the attack and scared away the mugger. Turns out, Dev called him to tell me he was running late. They had a big football game coming up, so Dev had stayed late for extra practice. Anyway, Cam was escorting me back to my dorm room, when Dev caught up with us. At first, I didn’t see anything, but then Dev caught sight of the bruise over my right eye, and I don’t know. He seemed to . . . this is going to sound nuts but . . . radiate a green glow. It pulsed like it was coming from the center of his chest. Until you mentioned seeing Seth’s, whatchamacallit, aura, I thought it was just stress. My eyes playing tricks on me.”
“No, it’s definitely real. You described what I’ve seen with Seth.” Jules patted her arm. “Just another Scott family crift.”
Shelley smiled at the use of the surname they’d been born with . . . Scott.
Muffled voices floated in from the hallway. Seth popped his head in. He glanced around until his gaze landed on Jules. A slow, contented smile slid across his face.
“Hi, Precious. T’s taken the dog home. She said not to wait dinner on her. Would you two like a little more time, or do you want to eat now?” He gestured across the hall with a nod.
