Eyes to the Soul (36 page)

She knew the memories would be some of the sweetest.

She didn’t recognize it at first. Then it came again, the gentlest of kisses on her cheek. Then her forehead. She smirked. “I thought I was the one that was blind, not you. But you apparently can’t see where my lips–”

And her lips were taken in a long, drugging kiss, and she’d never been kissed like this before. And oh God, had she missed out. Heat raced down her spine and curled her toes. She reached up to grab his shirt and tug him closer and she kissed him back.

Sensations roiled inside as she was lifted, turned, and placed on his lap. “Perfect,” she murmured and wrapped her arms around his neck.

He deepened the kiss, greedy yet contained. She was up against that control of his. She wanted him to lose it. She wanted to be the one who made him lose it, as she instinctively knew he hadn’t allowed himself to with a woman before. She didn’t want to be one of the women in his life – she wanted to be
the
woman for the rest of his life. She slid her hands down his chest, then came up underneath the shirt he had on. Thankfully it was something lightweight and stretchy, but as smooth as butter. Her fingers touched his skin for the first time, and she moaned. He was hard and soft, lean muscle and bone. Her fingers stroked and caressed. She couldn’t get enough of him. He felt so good. Being held like this felt so wonderful, and she knew what was to come would be even better.

But he was playing with her. Worried about her. She could sense that reserve again. That indecision.

She didn’t want indecision to be between them. She wanted him.

She reached up and grabbed the side of his head, pulled back slightly and whispered, “Yes.”

He hesitated.

She frowned.

“Do not be worried about me.”

“It’s fast. You haven’t known me for long.”

She heard the litany of excuses she’d have used for any other man. Not this one. He was so much more than she’d ever expected to have in her arms. She wanted it all, and she wanted it all now.

“I’m sure.”

He dropped little kisses on her closed eyes, on her cheeks, then on the side of her neck, but he was thinking. It was as if she could hear the hum of the wheels turning in his head.

She smiled. “You don’t believe me.” She leaned back so he could see her face. “Then you need to look at my aura, my energy, and read the truth for yourself,” she said simply.

There was a long moment, as if he was doing just that…and she waited.

Then his mouth closed over hers, hungry, greedy, and demanding.

For a short second she felt the fear that he’d take everything she had to give. He’d accept nothing less. If she gave him everything and then lost him…

Then she couldn’t think as he deepened his kiss and took her on the ride of a lifetime.

*

Stefan knew he
shouldn’t do this. Knew he should have cleared the air first. Had intended it. Then she’d said that about her feelings, and he’d shoved all his reservations to the side and let himself take something from life that he wanted. Had wanted for some time. Knew he’d never get tired of wanting.

She didn’t see herself as he did. As a strong, valiant woman who had been dealt so many blows in life that she’d created a family of ghosts to keep herself from being alone. She’d done so well, on both an energy level and in the physical world. He didn’t know too many people who would handle her stalker like she was.

Emotion had welled up. He’d intended on kissing her lightly, but her response took that control away from him and he’d ended up kissing her with all the passion and need he’d kept bottled up deep inside for so long.

Heat and longing surged up to his heart and he could no more control the response raging through him than he could pull back and put a stop to this. He didn’t want it to stop. He wanted to take her to his bed and keep her there. Keep her safe forever.

Just then she lifted her head. “I don’t want him to hurt you,” she said fiercely.

And he realized who
he
was.

He gathered her up and strode inside. She never made a sound, just stared at him with those huge silver eyes – and that look of complete trust.

He whispered as he carried her one step at a time up to his bedroom loft, “He won’t. Don’t worry about that. That’s never going to happen.”

“He could,” she whispered. “He’s very capable.”

Stefan knew more nasty things these entities were capable of than he wanted to know, and there was no point in lying. “He might be, but so am I.”

And he had a vast network of people he could call on to help.

“Are you sure?”

“I am.” Clear and definite. He glanced down at her as he walked over to the bed and lowered her to the huge duvet. “Are you?”

*

Eric slept better
these days. The relief on his mom’s face when he’d told her that made him happy.

She wouldn’t understand dragon slayer or monster or defending the castle. She was just Mom. Stefan knew though. Eric had felt him come by, loved hearing his voice telling him that all was well. It always made him feel safe.

He loved the idea of living in a castle. Being a dragon slayer made him grin. Stefan could teach him. Stefan was good.

The bad guy hadn’t been back since Stefan secured the outside wall.

Maybe he’d never come back now.

He dropped off to sleep.

C
elina looped her
arms around Stefan’s neck and tugged him down on top of her.

“Easy,” he murmured, “I was going to take off a layer of clothing.”

Her hands dove under his shirt even as a giggle rolled free. God, she felt good. Young, sexy, happy – carefree.

She tugged the shirt as high up as she could then gave up, letting her hands roam over the expanse of skin.

With a muffled curse he sat up, straddling her on his knees. She stretched her hands upward, following the trail of the shirt as it was yanked over his head.

“We could take our time,” he muttered, coming back down on top of her.

“Next time.” She smiled. “Next time slow and easy. This time there is too much need, hunger—”

His mouth covered hers. Greedy, hard – famished after a long drought, he feasted on her mouth, her lips. Shudders rippled up and down her back. She wrapped her legs around him and realized he still had his pants on. So did she.

Restless need driving her now, she couldn’t remember it ever urging her on like this before. She slid her fingers inside the waistband of his pants and pushed the fabric down – only it wouldn’t go over his hips. Frustrated, she stroked upward to just inside his shoulders and pushed him hard. He rolled to the side and she dove for the closure to his pants.

Her fingers immediately got sidetracked by the healthy bulge underneath. She closed her hand around him and squeezed.

He roared and rolled her down onto her back with a hard kiss she took to mean
stay there
. The mattress shifted as he got off.

“We tried it your way,” he said. “Now we try it my way.”

Hearing the sound of his zipper going down she bounced to her knees, crossed her arms and pulled her shirt over her head, tossing it in the vicinity of the floor to the left. Still wearing the barest of a lace bra, she scrambled to her feet and quickly disposed of her pants. She didn’t recognize herself. Her eagerness. This sense of playfulness. This wasn’t her. Or it hadn’t been her.

Until now. Just as she straightened and kicked the cotton pants to the floor she was lifted, swung in a wide circle, shrieking and laughing so hard she could feel tears in her eyes. Then slowly, so exquisitely slowly, she was laid down on the bed.

She opened her arms and smiled her welcome. She’d thought he’d lie down as he had before. She waited, a little puzzled when he didn’t. She heard him take a few steps then return.

She waited.

A heavy rose scent filled her nostrils as soft petals stroked down her skin. Her gaze widened, a gentle smile on her lips. She murmured, “Roses.”

“A red rose,” he answered softly. “A beautiful specimen, just like you.”

The faintest warmth washed over her cheeks. “You say the nicest things.”

“You’re easy to compliment. There is much to admire. To respect.”

Tears collected again. She held them back. She couldn’t believe this man, so strong and sure, could see anything of value in her. “I’m glad you see that, but I’m afraid you’ll think less of me the better you know me. I’m no angel and have not done well by many.” She frowned, hating to give voice to such talk. But her eagerness was waning. Her mood shifting.

She turned her head to face the last of the sun’s rays, loving the warmth on her eyes, her cheeks.

And the lightest of chills settling on her bare skin.

Until she realized something warm and tingling was drifting up her bare legs, her hips, across her belly to rise up across her ribs and between her breasts. She covered it with her hands and found nothing there. But the heat spread outward. Not sexual, but sensual. Not hot, but warm – so deep inside she knew she need never be cold again.

“Stefan?”

“I’m here.”

“What are you doing?”

“Easing your energy, helping you to relax.”

“I was relaxed,” she said dryly.

“Balancing your energies then.”

She frowned “Why and why now?”

The smile in his voice intrigued her. “You’ll see in a moment.”

She relaxed again and let heat slide through her, around her, inside her darkest, coldest places. A heavy sigh worked its way up from way down below. She shuddered as a second, heavier one escaped.

And she relaxed a little further yet again.

As she lay there under his ministrations she sensed something else. It was his energy working on her energy. She could feel the intense concentration he was using. The sexual need he was holding back. She didn’t know why but she had to let him do his thing. And as she felt his barely controlled hunger her own ignited.

“Stefan,” she cried.

“I’m here.

“I want you with me.”

“I am.”

“I want you physically with me,” she said.

“And I want you with me emotionally, energetically, and physically.”

Emotions roiled through her but she didn’t have time to sort them as a heat she never could have imagined spread out and filled her from the inside out, her very cells swelling with this energy.

“This is madness,” she cried, her head turning from side to side.

She felt the weight on the bed shift, a shadow blocking the light, and then the sweetness of his lips easing the confusion – and taking control of the flame. Fire surged between them as he released the reins of his own. She sensed him there in that energy. Slightly back and slightly distant.

Her body came alive, pulsating with hunger. From his words she knew so much more was out here for her to experience. He’d shown her some. She wanted more.

So much more.

She clasped his shoulders and tugged him down on top of her. He braced himself slightly above her on his elbows. None of that. She knocked his elbow out from under him and when he stretched out full on top of her, she cried out in joy. Her hands drank greedily from the expanse of never-ending skin. She didn’t need her eyesight to tell her he was gorgeous. Her fingers slid down his spine, loving the silky skin under her fingertips to the swell of his buttocks. Lean muscles rippled under her caress, his hips pressing against her pelvis. Instantly she widened her legs. He settled deeper against her.