The P.J. Stone Gates Trilogy (#1-3) (17 page)

Khol laughed. “Well, I don’t think that is true. I think they just do not trust you in general now.”

“That’s all beside the point. I don’t want them to see you here—with me.” I glanced back over at my kitchen window again. Not to mention I didn’t want any little rodent spies to see me either, although it wasn’t like my reputation could get any worse than it currently was.

“They are busy at the moment. I can hear them talking.” He tilted his head and smiled. “And I will be able to hear them if they approach.”

Huh. Good to know
. So he has superhuman hearing of some kind. I tilted my head to study him, almost mirroring his body language. “What are you?” I murmured. The more I was around him, the less creepy things, such as his eyes, became, and I noticed other little things more. For instance how handsome he was, even with his ginormous proportions. And he had dimples. I’d always liked dimples; Bryn had dimples—
Bryn
. I mustn’t get distracted by Khol’s handsome face and forget my Bryn. It was as if Khol was enchanting me somehow. “Are you using some kind of . . . I don’t know—power—to distract me? Some kind of whatever-you-are mojo to make me forget about Bryn when I’m with you?”

Khol met my eyes for a moment before responding. “I possess no such powers. Whatever you feel when I am near is completely you.” He leaned closer to me, letting his leg brush against mine, the heat coming from him washed over me, causing my breath to catch in my throat. Maybe what Jenna had said was true, maybe being with Bryn had sprung me, and my hormones were just going crazy now. If I knew that was the case, I could control it.

“Your friend Jenna knows nothing about these things,” Khol rumbled.

“Stop doing that.” I scowled at him. “It’s creepy.”

But he said nothing; instead, he leaned into me and pushed the hair on the right side of my head behind my ear, letting his fingers blaze a trail of heat down my neck before pulling away. Warmth pooled in my core, and my breathing was coming fast and sporadic. I balled my fists at my sides in order to resist touching him. Just because my body was reacting to him didn’t mean I would betray Bryn. I stared into Khol’s electric green eyes as he leaned back into me, his face skimming along my neck, his breath hot, but his lips never actually touching my skin. He moved up my jaw and towards my mouth, never making contact, stopping just millimeters from me, his face so close I was afraid to breathe. “I told you, I will not take again what isn’t freely given.” His lips almost touched mine as he spoke, which sent a shudder down to my core. My chest heaved as I willed myself to move away, although I seemed unable to. He ran his hands through my hair, grasping tightly at the base of my neck, and oh, I wanted him to kiss me—so badly. I felt like a traitor for wanting Khol’s lips on mine, but I couldn’t help the desire. I didn’t have to act on it though—I wouldn’t let myself.

“No,” I whispered. “Stop.”

Every muscle in Khol’s body tensed before he slowly, ever so slowly, pulled away from me. A part of me mourned the loss of his touch, and yet I knew I couldn’t allow myself to feel that way. He closed his eyes and spoke, his voice low and gruff. “I want you, my little Seer. I will not pretend that part isn’t true. Your power, your body, your very essence is what awakened me from my sleep. I am yours, your willing servant, linked to you first by choice and now by need.”

I swallowed, trying to combat my suddenly dry throat. “Why do I seem to be the main attraction for all you guys around here lately? Why now? Why all of a sudden, when no one seemed to notice me before?” Besides Bryn that is; Bryn always noticed me.

Khol’s eyes remained closed as he spoke, his head tipped back against the base of the tree. “Because you were a pretty girl who is now becoming a beautiful woman—a beautiful and powerful woman who deserves to be worshipped, one that can no longer be ignored, one that I’m trying my best to keep my word to.” He moved lightening fast, like he had the night before in my bedroom, stopping with his hands cupping my face, his eyes boring into mine. “I know that a part of you wants me to kiss you, a part of you wants what I’m offering, even if you are not ready.” I shuddered, unable to deny his words, knowing even if I tried, he would know. “But I will not take it from you, although a part of me yearns to do just that. I will wait.” His hands trembled against the side of my face. “We have more important things to worry about than our petty desires. I will come to you later when I have myself more . . . under control.” He stood abruptly and disappeared.
How the hell does he keep doing that?

“P.J.” My mother came bustling out the back door of our house towards me, barely containing her excitement. “You have a visitor.”

I looked at her balefully from my spot on the ground. “I thought I was still being punished. Must be an important visitor.”

“The fact that he wants to see you at all after what happened with Bryn—well, it means you still have hope, and I’m not going to let anything stand in the way of that.”

“Oh, so it’s a
he?
I guess it’s safe to assume that he isn’t a Guardian or anyone of that ilk, you know the unacceptable kind of guys for me to associate with, ones that won’t be on your Sudding list.” I crossed my arms over my chest and raised my chin defiantly. If my mother wanted me to see this guy, then I had no desire to do so.

“Now, don’t you ruin this. I only want what’s best for you, peanut,” my mother whispered excitedly as I heard my father’s voice growing closer. “He’ll be out in a second.”

“Fabulous,” I grumbled. Well, I wasn’t going to get up for whoever it was. I looked up to see my father escorting none other than Jeremy into my backyard. He grinned at me as my mother hurried over to join my father, and the two of them went back inside without another word. Well, I guess I could be trusted alone with a Gatekeeper, just not any Guardians. “What are you doing here?” I asked, trying not to sound too accusatory.

“Just came to see how you were doing after your first day back at school. I know it must have been pretty rough, all things considered.” He sat down next to me where Khol had been, and just like him, he was careful not to touch me when he sat.

I picked at some blades of grass, averting my eyes. “Yeah, don’t really wanna talk about it. But thanks anyways.” I lifted my head and met his deep brown gaze, unable to keep myself from being annoyed with him. “You know, I do appreciate you helping me today, and being so nice—I do—”

“But? I sense a ‘but’ coming.” Jeremy eyed me with his deep brown, soulful eyes.

I sighed. “Yeah, there is, if you come over like this, my mom is going to start printing up our wedding invitations and naming our first child. She seems to think you’re my only prospect at the moment, and well, I’m sure you know how it is.”

“Yeah, I do. My mom is the same way. It’s just, well, I wouldn’t mind all of that—with you.”

My mouth dropped open. “What? You can’t be serious? You barely know me. You can’t—”

“There’s just something about you,” he interrupted. “I can’t quite put my finger on it. I wanna be with you, P.J. I thought girls all believed in the whole love at first sight kind of thing. I mean, I don’t love you.” Jeremy flushed. “Not yet anyways—but I could. I know that I could.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa. You know I love someone else. You
know
that. It’s been like a week since he was ripped out of my life. And I don’t plan on giving him up so easily.” Seriously, what had I just asked Khol about guys noticing me so much more all of a sudden? I’d gone from a drought to a flash flood. But the one I really wanted was nowhere to be found.

Jeremy frowned, picking at some blades of grass himself. “You
love
him? No, I didn’t know that part. I just knew you had feelings for him.”

“Even if I had feelings short of love for him, it’s still only been a week.” I sighed. “Look, Jeremy, you’re wasting your time with me.”

“So what do you plan on doing? He’s a Guardian, P.J., and even though I would never judge you for your indiscretion, are you willing to give up your friends and family for him? Are you willing to become an outcast to be with him? To be completely shunned from our world?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. I would do anything to be with Bryn. “Yes,” I whispered. “I would do anything to be with him.”

“Oh,” Jeremy said. “Even still—I can’t just give up on you. No girl has ever gotten into my head like you have. I can’t stop thinking about you. And your power—the way it feels when it connects with mine is beyond believable.”

I let out a frustrated groan. “I don’t wanna hurt you, Jeremy. Despite not wanting to be with you romantically, I still like you. I still want to be friends.”

“Friends,” Jeremy grunted with displeasure.

He then abruptly leaned into me, crushing his lips to mine. I barely had time to mentally process what was going on before his tongue was sliding into my mouth, and just like with Khol, I found myself kissing him back. And as much as I hated to admit it, my body responded to his as well. His hands snaked up into my hair, his thumbs pressed against the sides of my jaw, and I couldn’t help but let out a little moan.
He’s such a good kisser
, I numbly thought as his tongue massaged and played with mine.

And then it happened—I wasn’t quite sure what it was at first, but I somehow knew it had something to do with his powers and my powers intermingling. I was yanked out of my body like when I had visions before, and yet at the same time, I was still very aware of Jeremy’s body touching mine. I gasped into Jeremy’s mouth as a vision slammed into me—white-hot light, images coming at me almost too fast to interpret. It was more of an impression than a vision, but it was bad, very bad—those things, those “aliens” in so many people. They were everywhere, hiding and yet in plain sight. They had a plan, a plan they’d already set in motion. I could almost
see
it, and yet it was just out of my grasp.

Then I was jolted back into my body when I felt myself begin to peak. Jeremy’s powers swirled in and around me, pummeling all of my senses at once as he kissed me. His hands slid down my body to pull me closer to him. Everything about the kiss was overwhelming and all encompassing, and yet he wasn’t actually doing anything with his hands or body that should have caused that kind of reaction in me. My whole body was spasming with ecstasy from little more than a kiss. I moaned into his mouth, my hands digging into his shoulders. He then pulled away, staring down at me as my eyes fluttered open, little aftershocks still racking my body. I bit my lip, not knowing what to say to him.

He didn’t seem to have the same tongue-tied problem. “That was amazing,” he murmured.

“What—what was that?” I sputtered, guilt crashing over me like a tidal wave, threatening to drown me. First Khol and now Jeremy . . . what would Bryn think?

“I’m not one hundred percent sure. I can manipulate all kinds of energies, but I’ve never been able to do
that
before. It was like I could feel our powers intertwining when we touched, and then . . .” His voice trailed off as he flushed, a small smile playing across his lips. “You did, didn’t you? You know?”

I blushed and averted my eyes. I supposed I might as well be honest with him because I got the sense that he already knew what he had done to me and he was just pretending that he couldn’t tell. After all, how could he not know when he had known before that I was still a virgin just by reading my energies? “Yeah,” I breathed, still not looking at him. “You?” I couldn’t help but to be curious. I wanted to know if he had been affected the same way I had been.

“Yeah . . . no. I have a little bit more control than that over myself.”

I narrowed my eyes at him angrily. “So what are you trying to say? That I have no control over myself? Do you think I’m easy or something because of what happened with Bryn?” I knew my anger was misplaced. Jeremy seemed like a genuinely nice guy, and I didn’t actually think he’d meant anything by his comment, and yet I needed to be angry with someone. I needed to yell at someone because I hated myself for betraying Bryn. “You did that on purpose, didn’t you?” I hissed.

“No, and you know I didn’t. Don’t be mad at me because you feel like you betrayed Bryn or something. Maybe it’s better you figure these things out now before it’s too late.” Was I that obvious that he knew right away why I was really angry?

“Too late for what?”

He stepped towards me, and I backed up, causing him to throw up his hands in a sign of defeat. “Before you two do something really stupid, and then you figure out down the line that he isn’t right for you.”

“And I suppose you think you’re right for me?”

His brown eyes flashed with emotion as his lips pressed into a thin line briefly before responding. “Yeah, I do.”

“And why is that? Because you just made me . . . well . . . you know?” I couldn’t bring myself to actually say it.

Jeremy grunted, his lips turning up slightly at the edges. “Partly; you can’t deny we have good chemistry, P.J.”

“I have
better
chemistry with Bryn. I love him. I don’t love you.” It was just like a guy to think everything was all about sex. There is more to chemistry than just sex. Okay, fine, sex plays a huge part in it, but other things go into the mix, like emotions—emotions like love.

“So, you’re not even willing to give me a chance after that? Won’t you at least go out on a second date with me? Didn’t that kiss at least warrant that much?” Jeremy’s face was pleading and not the least bit arrogant or cocky. I would have at least expected a touch of egotism after that little performance. Hell, I would be a little smug if the shoe were on the other foot, and yet his deep brown eyes only held a kind of desperation. “Please, P.J., give me a chance, a real chance. That’s all I’m asking for.”

I looked away from him, not wanting to see his sad eyes anymore. I wasn’t cruel after all. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I love Bryn.”

“If you love him so much, then you shouldn’t be worried about going out with me again. You could go out with me, give us a real shot, and if you really love him as much as you say you do, well then, I won’t be able to steal you away. You owe it to yourself to find out, don’t you think?” I didn’t say anything, not really liking where the conversation was going. “The only reason to not go out with me is because you know you don’t really love him, at least not the way you say you do. Don’t you think you owe it to him to find out if you truly love him?”