The Lost Soul Trilogy (Primani Book 5) (7 page)

Chapter 5: Seduction?

AND SO THE FRESHNESS of spring turned to the sweaty joys of summer, and my days took on a new pattern. I went to work and spent my off time in the mountains or on the lake. Gradually I grew to love my little group of friends. They accepted me here, and I felt wanted. I could count on them if I needed help. Ricki was especially protective, snapping at Sean a few times in my defense. He could be
bossy
sometimes. I still didn’t know what was going on between us. Sean, Dec, and their other friend Killian, showed up where I was more often than not. I wasn’t surprised anymore; in fact, I missed them if they didn’t come around. Correction: I missed Sean and Dec. Killian got on everyone’s nerves, and no one really liked him. He was too intense and far too dangerous for my comfort. His wicked blue eyes didn’t miss a thing. I swear he knew every thought in my head. He usually wore a mocking expression like he knew something we didn’t. His smugness was annoying. Ricki and Dani still thought he was hot though. I had to admit, he
was
hot, but not the sexy kind of hot. He was more the nuclear explosion kind of hot. I didn’t want my body anywhere near him. Now Sean, on the other hand…

I finally admitted to myself that I liked him. He was a mystery though. Who was he? What was he really doing here? My instincts screamed
run away
. He was more than I could handle. But my heart beat faster every time I saw him. There was something sad in those serious blue eyes that intrigued me, made me want to dig deeper. My body reacted every time he was near. I arced towards him like iron to a magnet. I couldn’t resist his pull. I didn’t want to. But what should I do about it? I sat in my lawn chair and gave Sean some thought until I had a plan. Let’s call it Plan C.

Lake Champlain is a very big lake. It stretches between New York and Vermont. There are little pine-covered islands dotted across the lake. I loved exploring these little bits of isolation. Today Sean and I were going off alone. It was the first time we would spend the day together without company. I begged him to take me out on his sailboat the minute I heard he had one. He’d made excuses for a month now, but I finally talked him into it. By the time I used all of my charm, he had no choice. Time to put Plan C into action!

The universe seemed to agree with my plan. His friends were out of town someplace and wouldn’t be around to chaperone. My friends didn’t dare ask to come with us. The weather was cooperating too. The sky was perfectly blue with a breeze. It was going to be hot today. I was counting on that.

The lake sparkled as we cut through the water. Domino was leaning into the breeze with her ears flapping gently. She was in Heaven. I scratched her between her shoulders, and she licked my face. Sean was focused on the water ahead of us. He seemed to be taking us into the open water. Oh, no, no, no. That would not work. We need to park.

He jumped when I came up behind him. “Sean, see that little cove? It’s so cute. Can we go check it out? Please,” I added for good measure.

“I thought we’d cruise a little further down the lake before we stopped anywhere.” His jaw seemed tight, tense.

I tried to pout. “Are you sure?”

“Yes. I’m sure.” He was looking straight ahead, refusing to make eye contact and gripping the wheel with white knuckles.

Fine. He could be that way. I was expecting this. I would have to play dirty to break him down. So I gave his hand a little squeeze and smiled with full firepower.

“Okay, you win, for now.”

I went to the front of the boat. He couldn’t avoid seeing me if he wanted to keep steering it. When I started peeling off my t-shirt, the boat lurched a bit. Probably it took five full minutes to peel off the shirt and my shorts. I did a lot of stretching afterwards. My bikini could not have been smaller. It was a simple suit. It was a deep purple with tiny little straps and push up cups. My breasts were doing their best to escape right now. There was no way he could miss them. I stretched out on a blanket and put in my earphones. The sun would shimmer off of the coconut oil I was slowly rubbing over my arms. I was wearing very dark sunglasses so I could watch him. Oh, he was definitely trying not to look. It was funny to see him struggling with the urge. What I didn’t get was why he was holding back. I could tell he liked me. He did everything he could to avoid getting close though. I was breaking him down with relentless dedication. Today I was bringing out the big guns.

After a little while, I noticed the boat turn towards a secluded cove. I perked up. Was my plan working? I did my best to look sexy. I made sure he was looking before dragging my long hair across my shoulders. Our eyes met. His were bleak as he stared at me. I didn’t understand the expression, but smiled wickedly at the smell of victory.

After anchoring the boat, he hesitated for a minute, seemingly torn, and looked skyward. I held out my hands, and he took the first steps that would change my life forever.

Resigned, he reached out, and I tugged him to the deck. Oddly hesitant, he hovered above me while I leaned back on the blanket. His eyes searched mine. They were that wicked shade of ocean that I wanted to drown in. He was trying to tell me something, but all I could see was infinity in those eyes. I wanted to follow him anywhere. He held my gaze, challenging me to look away. I couldn’t drop my eyes. I was suddenly very aware of a power in him I only vaguely sensed before. A trickle of fear crawled between my shoulder blades. But it was far too late for second thoughts.

Sean was resting on his elbows above me. The hard muscle of his chest brushed against my breasts; his thighs pressed mine, until we were connected from head to toe. Every nerve in my body twitched, crying out for him. I wanted to run my hands over his bare shoulders, but I couldn’t move. I was paralyzed and hypnotized. The seconds dragged; the silence broken only by my heartbeat thudding in my ears. Still, he watched me, eyes on mine, as if he were trying to read my soul.

My thoughts exploded like fireworks. Every memory, every thought I’d had about him raced through my head until I made a startling discovery. Somewhere along the way, I’ve fallen in love with him.

He stroked my lower lip with the pad of his thumb, those beautiful lips of his curling into the barest hint of a smile. Leaning close, he dragged his mouth over the shape of my face once, twice, and again, before whispering against my lips, “If I look into your heart, Mica, what will I find?”

Mesmerized, lost, I answered, “You. Only you.”

His mouth came down on mine in a kiss that stopped my heart. A current passed through my lips to my toes. I vibrated with it, desperate to arch against him, needing to touch him, to sink into him, but I still couldn’t move. I lay in beautiful agony as his lips move over mine, his tongue sweeping into my mouth, tasting, stroking, demanding a response. Tiny lights sparkle behind my eyes as a tidal wave of need crashes through me. I want more than kisses, more than this. I want everything he can give me. With a groan, he wraps his arms around me, dragging me tightly against him, skin to skin, heart to heart. Every inch of me was pulsing with the need to move closer. My skin was too tight and too hot, raw and exposed. My heart was skipping beats, and I couldn’t quite catch my breath. The sensation turned to pain, and I moaned against his lips. He dragged his mouth away and laid his forehead against my shoulder, his breathing ragged, heart thumping. Raw power surged through him, and my instincts were screaming again.
Run, run
. I was getting in way over my head here. But I didn’t have the will to move, didn’t
want
to move. I was shaking inside. He lifted his head, looking down at me, his expression somber, eyes dark with intensity. I felt naked and vulnerable. I lowered mine.

He pressed a soft kiss on each of my eyelids, murmuring, “It’s too late for that now, Mica. We’ve already crossed the line. I’ve seen what’s in your heart. There’s no reason to hide.”

I opened my eyes. The sun bathed him in a beautiful golden glow. This time when I tried to arch against him, my body obeyed. His mouth moved over my neck, nibbling, tasting my skin before slanting over my lips once more. The strange current passed through me again, a hot rush of power that curled my toes. This time, I didn’t fear it. I relished it. It was intoxicating as it sang through my veins, making me light and weightless. I wanted more. I wanted to float away in it. My fingers were digging into his back when everything went black.

“Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

My eyes popped open at once. I blinked in the sunlight, disoriented. Domino was stretched out on the blanket with me, regally surveying the shore. Sean he hauled me upright. I expected him to immediately step back like he usually did, but this time he didn’t. Instead, he held me at arms’ length, strong fingers entwined with mine.

“Regrets, Mica?” His eyes were unreadable in the bright light.

“What did you do to me?”

“You’re avoiding the question.”

“So are you.”

Neither of us was willing to answer the question so we called a truce. The rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. We went ashore on a quiet little island. I brought a picnic basket, and we sat and nibbled on the fruit and cheeses. There was a shy feeling between us now. I wanted to ask how he felt about the kiss on the boat, but I was afraid he might regret it. He asked if I had regrets. I did, but probably not the kind he was thinking about. I regretted… what exactly? That we didn’t go further? That I fell asleep somewhere along the way? That I didn’t tell him I loved him? That he didn’t tell me he loved me? If I was being honest, I would admit to all of the above. I should be freaked out, but I wasn’t. Deep down inside, I knew this was meant to be. No matter what happened now, I would not regret that strange intimacy I had with Sean.

The sun was getting lower across the water. We probably needed to head back, but I didn’t want this time to end. I must have looked disappointed because he came over to sit on the blanket. He pulled my back against his chest. Domino curled against his side. We sat there in silence, but it was a comfortable one. I was safe in his arms. He kissed the top of my head, and I felt hope for the first time in many months.

Journal Entry: 6 Jun

Wow, today was amazing. I’m in love with Sean!!! He’s so… unbelievable. He’s so much more than just another guy. There’s just something about him. I can feel some of the broken pieces coming together inside of me. I am not afraid when I’m with him. He’s scary and I’m sure, dangerous, but I feel safe with him. He treats me like I’m fragile. My heart doesn’t ache for my lost life, lost innocence. I feel peace. I feel chaos. I don’t know what to do about him!

Chapter 6: Disclosure

I TRIED TO KEEP it on the down low; really I did. What we had was so personal I didn’t want anyone to know. It was impossible to hide the change though. Our friends noticed something was going on as soon as they saw us together. I lit up like a candle when I saw his face, and he gave up trying to fight his attraction to me. He spent his time with me, and everyone knew we weren’t just friends.
My
friends approved because they knew what I had gone through, and Sean was gentle with me. He would protect me from Scott and his friends if they tried anything else. I glowed with happiness every time Sean was around. Plus, he was smokin’ hot! What friend wouldn’t approve of that?

On the other hand, Dec and Killian
didn’t
approve. Dec seemed amused by the whole thing and treated me like a favorite cousin. But he gave Sean a hard time when he thought I wasn’t listening. He didn’t approve, but he accepted us. Killian was angry with both of us. He spent his time glaring at me and bitching at Sean. I didn’t understand what his problem was. He acted like I wasn’t good enough for Sean, and that really hurt. Tonight we were playing pool downtown, and I was ready to murder Killian. He’d been scowling at me since he got here.

I finally snapped, “Killian,
what
is your problem?”

His eyebrows jumped up. “
My
problem? It’s not
my
problem you should be worried about. You have no idea what you’re messing with. You’re in way over your head.”

He stalked out before I could respond. Confused, I turned to Sean and Dec for answers. Cursing under his breath, Sean was clearly angry, and Dec was trying to smooth things over when the night took an even shittier turn. Scott and two of his friends sauntered into the room. Rolling my eyes back in my head, I thought, oh great! Perfect timing. I’d been dreading this moment for a week now. Officer Halliwell called us to let us know Scott was released early for good behavior. The state was too broke to hang on to such a model prisoner. I tried to steer Sean out of the room, but it was too late. He’d spotted Scott and crossed his arms with a dangerous gleam in his eyes. If Scott and his friends were street thugs, Sean and Dec were mercenaries. They stood, backs to the wall, sizing up the three thugs. My money was on them. They looked like they could rip the other guys into little pieces.

Scott spoke first. “So Mica, I see you’re still skanking around town. This your latest fuck-buddy?” He sized up Sean, and added snidely, “She’s good isn’t she, man? I wouldn’t mind taking another crack at that.”

One of Scott’s friends decided to chime in. “Man, I’m gonna take a piece of that after we kick the shit out of these two pussies here.”

Sean smiled, showing both canines, and suggested in a friendly tone, “Why don’t we go outside? I don’t want to get blood all over the bar.” He was already heading out the door before I could react.

My face went white. This was not good. Dani called for Aric and Kevin. Why couldn’t Scott just leave me alone? He was such a dick. I was tired of being afraid of him; at this point, I would
help
kick his ass.

Dani and I came running into the alley just in time to see Scott and Sean squaring off. Dec stood with arms crossed, daring the others to jump in. The cocky one made a kissing sound at me. Ricki let out a growl in her throat. I shushed her and patted my purse. I was carrying concealed now… My new stun gun would discourage Scott’s friends. I wasn’t going to be anyone’s victim--ever again.

Scott threw a punch at Sean’s face that caught him in the cheek. I winced at the sound. Sean didn’t even flinch. I couldn’t bear to watch, but I couldn’t look away either. From the beginning, Sean was in complete control. He moved with the precision and speed of a trained fighter. It was
not
a fair fight. Scott was strong but clumsy, throwing himself at Sean, hoping to take him down with sheer brutality. After the first blow, he didn’t land another shot. Sean worked him over with cold precision. The other thugs sized up him up and decided against getting involved. Dec’s expression turned mocking as he looked hopefully at the two guys. With wary expressions, they stood back and watched their buddy get the shit kicked out of him.

Scott was a mess. His face was bleeding from his nose, cuts above his eye, and one cheekbone. His gut had to be killing him. I was hoping for a few cracked ribs. He finally staggered to one side and collapsed to his knees. Sean raised his boot to kick him when Killian appeared out of nowhere.

“Sean! He’s down! You’ve made your point.” He glared around the alley, daring anyone to step in. No one said a word.

Ricki dug her nails into my arm with a sharp inhale. “Oh my freakin’ God!”

I couldn’t argue. He
was
fierce…

Grabbing Scott by the shirt and shoving him into his startled friend, Sean snarled, “Get this piece of shit
out of my sight before I finish this permanently. And you, dirt bag, you might want to reconsider
taking a piece of that
if you want to keep your dick attached to your body.” The guy backed away, face white. Sean shot him a feral smile. “Just some friendly advice.”

The whole fight had taken less than three or four minutes, and the cops hadn’t made it there yet. Aric and Kevin regarded Killian and Sean with a cross between fear and respect. They backed out of the alley as the sound of sirens closing in broke the tension. We scattered and ran to the cars. In the confusion, Sean grabbed my hand and yanked me behind another store’s fence. He swung me around and kissed me hard. My head filled with little flashing lights as the current that was Sean coursed through my blood.

That was the first night I let him stay with me. I didn’t think it was a good idea, but he insisted. He must have been riding on some wave of testosterone because he was determined to stay.

“Mica, I don’t trust those guys. They’re not going to give up.” He was facing me in the front seat of his car, outlining all of the reasons I should let him spend the night.

I had no arguments that made sense. The truth was I was a wreck. My emotions were all over the place. I didn’t want to be alone in the dark. I didn’t want to face the nightmares that would surely come. They always did when I ran into
him
. I would get very little sleep once the dreams started. Sean could protect me, and I needed him tonight.

We lay on the bed, with Domino between us, talking until late in the night. We talked about everything and nothing at all. Eventually I dozed off, and the dream came back. I was running through the endless hallways again, but this time, I could clearly see Scott’s face behind me. He was carrying the hunting knife. I was screaming as usual. But this time I was screaming at him to come and get me. I stopped to face him with a gun in my hand. I was ready to fight back.

“Baby, wake up. You’re dreaming.” Sean shook me awake.

I snuggled against him, grateful to let the dream fade. “Can I ask you something?”

He rubbed his hand down my arm, and said, “You can ask me anything.”

“Okay, then. What are you doing here?”

“Lying in bed with a gorgeous creature… What kind of question is that?”

“No, not
here,
I mean here, in town. You and your friends… you aren’t like the other people around here. They’re all so
country
. That’s not who you are.”

He pulled away from me and sat up. “That must’ve been some dream. I’m not anything special, Mica. Don’t make too much out of me.”

“But what about the fight? You’ve had training, I can tell. And your accent? Come on, Killian is like this military commando guy. He probably kills people for fun. Say what you want to, but you aren’t from around here.” He didn’t respond. “Give me a break! I’m not an idiot.”

He was pacing by the window until the silence stretched. Finally he sat down beside me. He told me his story. It was true they weren’t from around here originally. Their parents came from the U.K. as political refugees after a terrorist attack nearly killed them. The U.S. government agreed to grant them asylum in exchange for the research information they would provide. Sean’s father, Killian’s mother, and Dec’s father were involved in biological research in Switzerland. He wasn’t allowed to give me any details on that though. I hung on his every word.

“So what are your parents doing here now? Are they still doing research?”

“Yes and no. I can’t talk about that. Let’s just say they are in and out of the country a lot so the three of us stick together. We’re all old enough to live alone so it’s okay for them to travel when they need to. We agreed to finish school here, and then we’ll be out on our own.”

“Do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“Not biological ones, no. But I think of Dec as my little brother. We’ve hung out since we were pretty young, and I try to keep him on a short leash, but you know him. He’s always doing something.”

Dec was a clown, and I wished he was my brother.

“What about Killian?” I couldn’t imagine him as anyone’s
brother
. I wasn’t even sure he was human!

A shadow passed over his eyes. “Uh, Killian’s complicated. He’s important--just like you are.” He paused, looking oddly regretful.

I reached over to squeeze his fingers. I didn’t like to see anyone sad, but I was a definite sucker for puppies and black-haired blue-eyed Irishmen named Sean. We sat for a long time, each lost in our own thoughts. My head was swimming with this new Sean. Some truth at last! He explained the accent and the secrecy. But that didn’t really explain everything… I thought back to the video tapes from the night I got home so mysteriously. Then there was the strange energy that surrounded him. There was definitely something more to him than he’s telling me. But for now, I would pretend to believe it and see what happens. I would have to hope he didn’t read minds!

As if on cue, Domino thumped her tail against my leg. I glanced over at Sean to find his eyes closed. Was he sleeping? His normal fierceness was gone, and in its place was a gentleness that was surprising. A rush of emotion brought a lump to my throat. I stared at his hand in mine. It was heavy with sleep, fingers long and beautifully shaped; a sprinkling of fine, black hair was scattered at the wrist. Hesitant to wake him, I stroked it softly. He hadn’t moved so I traced the muscle in his forearm, marveling at the blood pulsing close to the surface. That was funny. I’d never noticed that before. I considered my own arm. Did my skin feel that way? I couldn’t check though since I was still holding his hand.

His fingers twitched against my palm. I held my breath. Oh, please don’t wake up! I’m not done exploring yet! He relaxed again. Unable to resist the urge, I got really bold and ran the back of my hand along his arm. The fine hairs were soft against my hand. Once again, I could almost feel his blood surging like a river beneath his skin. Suddenly my fingertips started tingling. I rubbed them together, enjoying the sensation. Oddly numb… Puzzled, I dropped my eyes to his arm for clues and nearly fell off the damn bed in shock. Sean’s entire body was surrounded by a soft golden haze. I blinked several times, but the faint light was still there--and it was getting brighter by the second. What the hell?

Sean’s eyes snapped open in a startling blaze of blue fire.

I yelped and launched myself off of the bed. His hand flew out and grabbed me before I fell. I didn’t see him move. He reeled me in until we were up close and personal.

Nose to nose, he growled, “Oh, no you don’t. You’ve been playing with fire.”

I tried to squirm away, but he held me too tightly. I wasn’t going anywhere. I tried to wrench my wrist away and just managed to hurt myself. He was still tense, but his face was under control again. He didn’t look capable of setting me on fire with his eyes anymore. Surely that was a good sign?

“I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to wake you up or… whatever. You were so warm I couldn’t resist touching you. I’m sorry.” I really, really was. And scared out of my mind. Yep. That too.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed like a man praying for patience. After another second of staring into my eyes, he scrubbed his fingers through his hair, making it stand up in spikes like a porcupine. I stifled a smile. The worst must be over. He didn’t seem mad, and hey, he wasn’t glowing anymore. That was a relief.

His face went through a series of expressions so quickly that I almost burst out laughing in spite of the weirdness I just witnessed. Anger, frustration, guilt… then finally resignation and grudging amusement. When he spoke again, his harsh voice was smooth with the sexy Irish lilt again. “Mica, darlin’, I don’t know what to do with you. You’re making me crazy!”

I wriggled my hand, mumbling, “Yeah, well, if you’re not going to set me on fire, could I have my wrist back? I think I sprained it.”

The faraway growl of thunder woke me out of a heavy sleep. Groggy, I looked at the clock. It was 4:00 in the afternoon. I’d been sleeping for probably 12 hours. My stomach growled in protest. Yeah, yeah, you’re hungry; stop nagging. I got up to let Domino out, but she wasn’t there. Wandering to the bathroom, I called her. Nope, she’s not in here. Where was she? I threw on some shorts and started for the door when I saw a note from Sean. Aw, he was so sweet. He didn’t want Domino to wake me up today so he took her with him. He had to work but would bring her back tonight. Perfect! I wasn’t done grilling him just yet. I was in the opening stages of my interrogation when I fell asleep last night. I had more questions for my mystery man.