Untouched (15 page)

Dante gave a brief nod of acceptance as she withdrew her hand. He had barely noticed that they’d left the city limits and were now in the rural area of Braithwaite. Route 39 had flown by in one monotonous blur. They turned down a long, winding dirt road. It was so narrow that two cars could not pass at the same time. Someone would end up having to back up. Thick with brambles and sprawling cypress trees, it gave the impression of driving through a tunnel. For those few moments, it seemed as if they were the only people left on the planet.

They rounded the corner, and the old house came into view. It became glaringly clear why Pete had questioned this shoot location. Their car pulled up to a stop, and the tires crunched in what was left of a circular gravel driveway. The three sat in silence for a moment, taking in the timeworn sight before them.

A massive old plantation house loomed largely before their eyes. The white paint had long since chipped away on most spots of the wooden siding. The once black shutters, now a pale gray, hung sadly and sporadically on several of the windows. The large front porch, which at one time was undoubtedly welcoming, looked forlorn, and the columns that framed it seemed to weep under the weight of the sad old house.

Most of the windows were either cracked or broken and looked miserably over the unkempt landscape. The large driveway circled around an ancient stone fountain with a dancing cherub; its water had dried up long ago. It sat strangled beneath gnarled, overgrown thorny vines and jumbled brambles.

The photographer, Arthur, and Jacqueline had obviously arrived earlier in the morning and set everything up. Kerry consistently requested a closed set. A shiny white trailer trimmed in chrome sat parked to the right along with their various cars. Lights and camera equipment sat waiting at the foot of the steps, which led up to the massive porch. To the right of the old house sat a rundown little cottage, and it brought Dante right back to reality. He knew that Joseph Vasullus lived there.

Dante, his eyes fixed on the little hut, got out of the car and scanned the area with his mind. No danger lurked nearby, but one question nagged at him mercilessly. Could he trust anyone?

Well, you could start by trusting the two of us. Really. Dante, how insulting.
William’s terse voice caught Dante by surprise. He looked to his right and saw him sitting in a massive oak tree. His bright white feathers spotted with brown glowed amid the green leaves. His sharp black eyes were fixed on Dante. Even in his Falcon form he looked stiff. Dante stole a glance at Kerry, but she seemed too entranced by the old house to notice the rather unusual bird.

Sorry. Is Steven here too?

I’m back here to the left of the house. Relax brother. I see you got her out of the dream realm.

Dante put on his sunglasses and scanned the area for Steven. Sure enough, he saw him hunkered down in the overgrown grasses.
Yes, I did. We have a problem.

And
this
is
news?
Steven chuckled.

As Dante relayed the latest developments and told them about the note and his suspicions, he watched Kerry as she moved easily amid the unusual surroundings. Her long body moved with sinewy and graceful fluidity. She climbed the one or two steps and opened the door of her trailer. Suddenly, she stopped in the middle of the open doorway. Dante watched, fascinated, as she looked around the property surrounding the house. He could see she was looking for something specific.

Within a few minutes her gaze landed on William, who sat up in the oak tree in the form of his falcon. Slowly, her attention turned to Dante, and even from this distance he could feel the intensity of her anger. Her voice slammed into him with the strength of a physical blow.
Holy
shit! Is that one of your animal friends?

Dante cringed. He should’ve known she would pick up on their communication. Based on how angry she looked, he also should’ve told her there would be other Amoveo in the area.
That
is
William, and he’s here to help us.

Before he could finish his thought, she dropped her mental shield and shut him out. With one last look of disdain, she went into the trailer and slammed the door. As he stood in the driveway helplessly staring after her, Steven’s teasing voice whisked into his head.
Man
you
suck
at
this.

Kerry hadn’t been this angry in a very long time. She had heard the expression—make your blood boil—but she never really understood it until just now. First he dumps a ridiculous amount of outrageous information in her lap, and then he has the audacity to spy on her with more of
his
people
. As she worked on her hair, she could swear she saw actual steam rising from her head. When she had walked up to the trailer to get ready, she had detected an odd buzzing sound in the air around her, but it had been even more than that. The sound resonated and vibrated through her body and around it.

When she stopped to listen more closely, she heard voices within the buzzing. As if phone lines got crossed. She heard Dante’s voice, or felt it; she wasn’t really sure which. As soon as she spotted that weird bird she knew. Part of the energy she felt and heard came directly from that enormous bird in the tree. The second she laid eyes on it she knew it wasn’t a regular bird. First of all, it was massive. Secondly, it was far too exotic to be in this far-flung area. It looked like it belonged in the Arctic or something. Either way, it definitely wasn’t a normal bird.

Truthfully, she didn’t know what she was more upset about. That he secretly brought in more of these Amoveo guys or that he’d been speaking to someone else telepathically. She had stupidly assumed it was something just the two of them shared.

Annoyed at her girlish jealousy, she furiously coiffed her hair into a sixties-inspired, bouffant hairdo and applied the dark dramatic makeup that Jacqueline had requested. Kerry always did her own hair and makeup for reasons that were obvious only to her. She’d become skilled enough at it that most clients let her do it herself. In the beginning of her career, it saved the clients money, since they didn’t have to pay the additional expense of hair and makeup staff. Once she’d established herself, people took it as a unique quirk. On the rare occasion a client refused, Kerry would simply pass on the job. This usually led to them giving in and letting her do it herself.

Satisfied that she’d achieved the desired effect, Kerry turned to the rack of lingerie for the shoot. She eyed the hanging pieces carefully and found that Jacqueline had tagged each one with a number. To her surprise, number one also included a black satin trench coat, in addition to the lingerie. She removed the first garment, and a slow smile spread over her face. She remembered what Jacqueline had said at dinner—
the
beauty
that
lies
beneath.
Her smile faded as darkness crept into her mind. The images from touching Jacqueline flashed through her memory. That man in the vision was so angry and completely focused on getting to Kerry. She shuddered and shook her head, refusing to allow the memory to surface.

Without wasting more time she removed her dressing robe and quickly donned the satin and lace ensemble. The black satin bra and panties were paired with a lace garter belt and black silk stockings. Kerry slipped on the patent leather stilettos and took one final look in the mirror. Her alabaster skin seemed even whiter than normal today as she pulled on the jet black trench and tied it tightly around her waist. She couldn’t wait to see the look on Dante’s face when she walked out in this getup. She may struggle in several areas of her life, but no one could work a camera like she could.

Kerry stepped out of her trailer and found Dante standing guard just outside the door. He looked at her with that sexy smile. He practically devoured her with his eyes as he offered her his hand. Mustering up all of her self-control, she refused it.

“I’m still annoyed with you,” she said. “It’s going to take more than flashing me those sexy eyes.” Even though that look melted her to the core, she certainly couldn’t let him know that. “You’re not off the hook yet. Later, after this is over, you’re telling me everything. Got it?”

Keeping his eyes locked with hers, he nodded in agreement and extended his hand to her again. She held his gaze for a moment before she placed her fingers in his. Kerry reveled in the sensation of flesh against flesh. The thought of it used to terrify her, but Dante had changed all of that. Her lips curved, and her body burned under his hot stare as images of their naked bodies filled her mind in rapid succession. Her eyes grew wide with surprise, and he raised her hand to his lips.

“Careful, princess,” he murmured. “It’s not polite to look so surprised.” He smiled wickedly. “I thought you might need some inspiration while you’re working today.”

He placed a hot, sweet kiss along her knuckles, which promptly sent delicious waves of pleasure all the way down to her toes. Heat crept up her cheeks, and she glanced at the others to see if they’d noticed, but they were all too busy getting ready. Her gaze flicked back to Dante, and he winked. Kerry quickly snatched her hand away and without a word went over to the shoot setup. The gravel crunched under her heels, and the hot Louisiana air clung to her.

The air seemed thick enough to swim through, and just when she thought she couldn’t stand it for another second, a gentle breeze lifted her hair off her neck, providing a welcome respite. Kerry let out a sigh of relief and reveled in the momentary break from the heat. However, every second of the walk over to the house she could feel Dante’s eyes on her, which only served to raise her temperature further. The man’s effect on her was nothing short of carnal. Hot, tempting, and intense.

Kerry walked to the steps of the house and waited for Jacqueline and the photographer. The two were in deep negotiations about how and where to shoot. The photographer, Layla Nickelsen, hailed straight out of New York, but looked more like a gritty, documentary filmmaker than a fashion photographer. Her bright red hair was tied up in a messy bun, and her fashion choice consisted of khaki shorts and a white tank top. She had not a stitch of makeup on her freckled face, and her serious green eyes were locked on Jacqueline.

“Look, I’m just saying that we’re going to need more than one day. It’s already close to ten,” she said with a quick glance at her watch. “My assistant bailed on me at the last minute, and the lighting here is going to go to shit in about three hours.” She threw Kerry a nod and a wave. “Hey. I’m Layla—the photog. Good to be working with you.”

“You too,” Kerry said. Although she got the distinct impression that Layla didn’t mean a word of it.

Jacqueline cradled Jester in one arm and waved dismissively with the other. “No problem,
cher
. Joseph assured me we could use the property for the week if we need it, and I booked Kerry for three days just in case. Didn’t I?” she asked the cat, not Kerry. Jester meowed his acknowledgement loudly.

Kerry nodded politely and squirmed under Jester’s unwavering yellow-eyed stare, which now looked all too familiar. He continued to meow after her as she made her way up the steps of house. “Yes, you did, and three days is all you’re getting out of me.”

She turned to the two women, but they were once again deep in conversation. The only one giving her full attention was Jester. Eyes locked on the cat, Kerry reached out to it with her mind.
What
are
you
looking
at
pussycat?
Jester meowed even louder and purred like a car engine. Jacqueline didn’t seem to notice as she and Layla continued to discuss their opinions on where the best spot to shoot was.

Kerry stood on the old creaky porch and leaned against one of the large pillars. Interesting. The cat seemed to hear her. She was just grateful it didn’t talk back. Kerry shook her head and smiled at the insanity of what she had done. She looked out over the rambling property, and something inside of her had the overwhelming urge to run. Not run away. Just run. Freedom. She longed for freedom.

The sound of a twig snapping caught her attention. She looked down to find that Dante had followed her. She walked slowly along the length of the porch, trailing her fingers along the rough railing. She kept her eyes locked with his as he shadowed her every move. Their seductive dance became instantly enhanced when his mind touched hers.

I
see
you’re using your abilities more.
He threw a glance toward the cat
. Given the nature of our race, it shouldn’t surprise you that animals are sensitive to our telepathic abilities.

Kerry arched one eyebrow.
You
heard
me?

Yes.
He smiled.
You’re new at this. You’re a strong psychic and are quite capable of keeping people out of your thoughts. You’ll get the hang of it the more you use it. You kept me shut out for a long time whether or not you knew it. As you become more comfortable with your abilities, you’ll have more conscious control.