Freaky by Nature (19 page)

Claire couldn’t help her outburst. “I knew it!”

Holly ’s ey es darted from side to side. “Knew what?”

“You’re psy chic.”

“Don’t be ridiculous.”

“You are, Holly , I know y ou are.”

“How can y ou be so sure?” Holly challenged.

“No one sees color like y ou do unless they ’re gifted.”

“How do y ou know?”

“I’m psy chic too. Except, I don’t see color. I’m an em path, I feel

em otion.”

Holly ’s m outh fell open. “Does Brett know?”

“Of course.”

“About m e?”

“No, he doesn’t know about y ou.”

“But he does about y ou?”

Claire nodded. “He’s m y anchor. He shields m e when I’m

around him .”

“How?”

Claire shrugged. “We don’t know. Som etim es twins connect on

a totally different lev el.”

“Twins? You don’t look any thing alike.”

“We’re fraternal twins. Brett’s the only blonde-haired, blue-

ey ed child in the fam ily .”

“How long hav e y ou been psy chic?”

“All m y life,” Claire adm itted. “What about y ou?”

“Since I was six. My parents and I were in a car accident and I

hit m y head. Ev er since then, things changed.”

“Why do y ou hide it?”

“People usually aren’t quick to understand. I learned early

that I shouldn’t let any one know.”

“You can tell Brett,” Claire said.

“I can’t read him ,” Holly adm itted.

“He’s blocking.” Claire laughed. “He thinks he’s so good at it.”

“Can y ou get through?”

“Som etim es.”

“Do y ou ev er get sick?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m here. I needed Brett to run interference

for awhile.”

“I get headaches that last for day s.”

“He can help y ou.”

“May be,” Holly said thoughtfully . “You won’t say any thing

will y ou?”

“Mum ’s the word,” Claire prom ised as she stood. “Now, go get

the green bag. You’re going to buy it.”

Holly sm iled. “Thanks, Claire.”

Claire gav e Holly ’s forearm a squeeze. “I’ll see y ou soon. I

v olunteered to help find who’s causing y ou trouble.”

Newfound confidence prodded Holly to hurry hom e. By now,

Brett had probably dispatched a full-fledged arm y to search for

her. Guilt poked her. She should’v e waited until he awakened but

fear wouldn’t let her. Lucky for her, the coffee shop was only a

couple blocks away .

Holly stepped into the backy ard and adm ired the shirtless

Adonis dozing in the lounge chair, his aura now doused in a

tranquil light blue. Calm . Peaceful. Content. Mem ories of their

lov em aking replay ed in her m ind. Slow. Tender. Heated.

She placed her hand gently on his m uscled biceps and shook

him awake. “Brett?”

He opened one ey e. “About tim e.”

She sm iled and nudged his legs to the side to m ake room to sit.

“Where hav e y ou been?”

“Shopping,” she answered as she sat beside him .

“You left alone to go shopping?”

“No.”

Brett folded his arm s across his glistening chest and raised an

ey ebrow. A sm okescreen of red, y ellow, blue and green env eloped

his body and she felt his swirling em otions attack her. Anger, a

struggle for control. A desire to heal the hurt between them and

sensitiv ity to understand her absence. His sisters had trained him

well.

“I went for coffee and saw y ou at the café,” she began,

“hugging a wom an.”

“She’s—”

”Sshh,” she scolded, “let m e finish. I know she’s y our sister.”

“How?”

“She told m e. I also know she’s psy chic.”

“Claire confessed?”

Holly shook her head. “Yes, but I knew before she confirm ed

it.”

“You knew?”

Holly paused, unsure of the consequences of a confession. Only

one other tim e had she taken the chance and that was a total

disaster. Suddenly the m ulti-colored sm okescreen cleared and

ribbons of turquoise flowed around him . Honesty . Com passion.

How m uch m ore encouragem ent did she need?

“Yes, because I am too.”

Holly held her breath and waited for the earth to shake. She

m ade one last effort to read Brett, but his m ind rem ained closed.

A sly grin crept across his lips. “Sweet.”

Holly cleared her throat. “You believ e m e?”

“Of course.”

“That doesn’t bother y ou?”

“Hell no. You can’t read m e, any way .”

“Actually , I can.”

“You can?”

She nodded. “That’s why I left.”

The look of utter confusion on his face forced her to explain. “I

see aura in color first,” she explained. “When we m ade lov e last

night, y ou were bathed in fuchsia.”

“Pink?”

“Bright red-pink. The color of pure, undisputable, eternal

lov e.”

“I scared y ou.”

“Yes.”

“Because y our feelings for m e are not as strong.”

“No!” she said breathlessly . “My feelings are just as strong. I

didn’t know if y ou could handle m y talent.”

“Claire calls it a gift, Holly .”

“I’m not sure that’s how I would describe it.”

“Is that what causes y our headaches?”

“Yeah, except that the last few tim es I’v e seen things, I hav en’t

had a headache.”

“When I’m there.”

“Yes.”

Brett braided his fingers through hers. “Claire say s I’m an

anchor, a shield. Som ehow, I’m able to help her and I m ust do the

sam e for y ou.”

“Thank y ou.”

“You’re welcom e.”

“Albert labeled m e a freak. When I told him , he m ade m e his

personal science experim ent.”

“Albert was a jerk.”

“That’s why he found Marla.”

“Your psy chic ability didn’t lead him to Marla.”

“I don’t know where to go from here.”

He lay back against the chair and drew her against his bare

chest. She tucked her head beneath his chin and released a

contented sigh.

“Let’s just see what happens,” he suggested easily .

She placed a light kiss against his neck. “I’v e heard that

som ewhere before.”

“No m ore running.”

She nodded in agreem ent.

“Prom ise, Holly .”

“I prom ise.”

***

Shadow paused in the front doorway of Steele’s house, puzzled

by the sound of running water.
What the hell?

Silent as a m ouse, he kicked the door closed, threw his duffel on

the sofa, and am bled down the hallway .

The heat floating on the air led him to the bathroom where the

door was cracked open and the sweet sm ell of peaches enticed him

inside. Bracing his body against the doorfram e, he folded his arm s

across his chest and settled in to enjoy the v iew behind the

transparent curtain.

The sexy siren stood beneath the shower spray as water

droplets chased the soap down her slender neck, across her lush,

full breasts and pooled inside her belly button. He watched,

m esm erized when the ov erflow of soap tricked lower, down her

slender thighs, and caressed her long legs until they splashed

against the tub.

He shifted to accom m odate his erection that now stood at full

attention. Dam n, Steele’s sister tem pted him worse than the dev il.

“Enjoy ing the v iew?”

With a sly grin, he raked his ey es back up the length of her

body to m eet her m asked surprise.

He stepped to the tub and casually pulled open the curtain.

“You already know how m uch I’m enjoy ing this, Claire.”

“Well, stop,” she spat as she grabbed a towel and spoiled his

fun.

“Too late. Besides, y ou knew I was standing here.”

“No, I didn’t. This is Brett’s house, rem em ber?”

Shadow cleared his throat.
Steele’s
house and
Steele’s
sister.

“Yeah, I rem em ber.”

Claire m ov ed her ey es down the length of his body until they

rested on the undisputable bulge between his legs. “Obv iously

y ou’re m ore excited to see m e that I am y ou.”

His arousal twitched at her sarcasm . Rather than answer, he

fed her m ental flashes of just how m uch he enjoy ed seeing her.

She fidgeted with her towel. “If y ou don’t m ind, close the door

on y our way out.”

Shadow chuckled and turned to leav e. “Just rem em ber, Claire

Baby , I’m alway s a shadow in y our m ind.”

“What’s that supposed to m ean?”

He sm irked as he left the bathroom . “You’re the psy chic, y ou

figure it out.”

Claire rubbed the towel ov er her hair and then finished dry ing

her body while desperately try ing to keep her horm ones under

control. Leav e it to Shadow to m ake an entrance. She sm irked. She

had to be honest with herself. When she felt him standing in the

doorway , she alm ost told him to grab his rubber ducky and com e

under the water to play . No doubt he could hav e worked all the

tension from her m uscles.

But he didn’t hav e to know that and if she had her way , he

wouldn’t
ever
know that.

Claire hung up her towel and threw on a pair of shorts and a

tank top before she headed back down the hall to confront Shadow.

He sat on the sofa, his legs stretched in front of him and his

hands folded behind his head. Relaxed. Sm ooth. Cool. Claire was

sorely tem pted to clim b in his lap and chase som e of that coolness

away .

“What are y ou doing here?” she said instead.

Shadow gav e her a sideway s sm ile. “You know why I’m here.”

Claire returned his sm ile. “You’re so cocky . I didn’t know until

Brett told m e.”

“He pulled y ou in too?”

“By accident. I showed up unannounced.”

“You’re not here by accident, Claire.”

“I needed a break.”

“I don’t think so.”

“How would y ou know?”

“Because I know y ou. You cam e because y ou felt Steele’s

frustration.”

Dam n him for being such a know-it-all. “Hav e y ou m et

Holly ?”

She nodded.

“Max say s she owns a fitness club,” he said casually . “Is she

hot?”

She winced at his interest. “Does it m atter?” she snapped. Her

cheeks began to warm with jealously .

Breathe. This is Shadow. Your brother’s best friend. Totally off

limits.

An easy sm ile parted his lips. “If I didn’t know better, Madam e

Claire, I’d say y ou’re jealous.”

She forced a sarcastic laugh from her lips. “Yeah right. You

forget I know y ou, Shadow.”

“But y ou’v e nev er seen m e naked.”

“So?”

His em erald ey es flashed. “I’v e seen y ou naked.”

“Do y ou think I should share that inform ation with m y

brother?” she countered.

He shifted slightly . “No.”

“Then stop teasing m e. Besides, Brett’s already got dibs on

Holly .”

“Really ?”

“Are y ou disappointed?”

She reached for his m ind, searching for his reaction. Firm ly

placed walls m et her probe. Locked securely with a
do not disturb

sign. Dam n Brett for teaching him to block.

“I’v e nev er m et her,” he answered sm ugly .

“She’s quite attractiv e,” she adm itted, “but scared to death.”

“What’s y our take?”

“I hav en’t gotten any thing y et. I’ll v isit the gy m tom orrow.”

Silence fell between them for a second.

“You better get a head start on y our beauty sleep,” he

suggested lightly .

She squinted narrowly . “What are y ou try ing to say ,

Shadow?”

“Relax, Claire.” He sighed. “I just m eant y ou look tired.”

“I am exhausted,” she answered carefully , “and I am going to

bed.”

She turned her back to him , purposely adding an extra sway

to her hips as she headed to the bedroom . “Do I need to lock the

door?” she asked ov er her shoulder.

The look in his ey es told her she’d just baited a hungry lion.

Then, with sm ooth subtlety , he sprawled out on the sofa and

folded his arm s behind his head. “I don’t know. Do y ou?”

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Brett entered SEALs, Inc. and followed the sound of v oices to

the back of the building to Cpt. Sterling’s office. In his usual laid

back m anner, Shadow lounged in one chair in front of the desk, his

feet propped on the edge. Sterling appeared his usual kick-ass self

behind the desk, Av iator shades in place ov er his ey es.

“You’re late, Steele.” Max gestured for him to sit in the v acant

chair next to Shadow.

“Your wife’s fault,” Brett said as he lowered him self to sit. “I

had to swing through the driv e-thru before I dropped her and

Holly off at Hawke’s.” He glanced at Shadow. “Where’s Claire?”

“I left her hom e in bed.”

Max had the balls to snicker.

Shadow glared. “She’s exhausted and she had a headache.”

“Sucks for y ou,” Max answered.

“Let’s get on with this.” Brett glared at Shadow. “I’ll fill her in

later.”

Max nodded and brought Shadow up to date. “Next order of

business is planting a bug on Bannister. Shouldn’t be too dam n

hard.”

“You think he’s our perp?”

“Not necessarily , but I’ll bet he’s connected som ehow.”

“What about Albert’s ex-wife?”

“Clean. And other than greedy , both kids appear innocent.”

He turned to Brett. “You find any thing else?”

Brett tossed his next confession through his m uddled brain.

Although he knew both m en would accept what he had to say

without question, he found him self reluctant to let go of the secret.