Instinctual (9 page)

Cindy.

The earlier unease tripled in intensity as he read on:

Time 6:06 p.m.

Okay, now I’m starting to get worried. In the four years you’ve been working for me, you’ve always been contactable. Is your cell broken? Now, I’m getting the “please check the number and try again,” message. Article was meant to go to print in the morning and I’ve got nothing to give them. Hope you are okay.

Cindy.

Upon reading the last fax he swore loudly. His mouth set in a dismal line in front of clenched teeth. He wasn’t the only one worried now.

He had to find her. He couldn’t help but feel her life depended on it. Something monumental had happened between his last sighting of her at the festival and the present moment.

We’ve got your girlfriend!

The repetitious words stripped him of rational thinking. He was out the door and practically running into the darkness to find Kate in a heartbeat.

Chapter Thirteen

“This is useless!” Kate was stomping her feet like an errant child. So far, endeavoring to retrace the day’s events had taken her from the apartment, past Mr. Matioli’s familiar restaurant that was closed now, and into Market Square, that mainly housed drunken tourists imbibed with costly Italian wine. It was hard to think with all the noise. She felt out of place and almost invisible as party-goers stumbled around her.

“I remember running. From what, though? What could have frightened me so? Think, Kate!” A constant buzz, maybe from the loud music and atmosphere of the night hummed through her body, causing a dizzy spell.

Trying to stay upright, she wandered up the hill away from the belly of the festival to try and help clear her fuzzy thoughts, stopping every few seconds to steady herself.

The labyrinth of skinny, confined passageways gave Kate the creeps at night on her own. Around each bend she half-expected to see a hooded figure wielding a scythe, as if she were immersed in some medieval horror flick. Nervously checking behind, she suddenly felt that wandering around on her own in the dark with so many drunken strangers in town was not one of her brighter moves. She should be tucked up at home in bed. What on earth was she thinking?

Remembering back to last year on festival day, events had played out very differently. Unattached and single, Kate had gathered with friends visiting from the U.S. in Market Square and danced and partied all night until the sun came up without a care in the world, finally able to celebrate the new life she’d struggled to pull together. It was a bittersweet memory.

The air was suffocating and still under the blanket of clouds that had eased in earlier to cover the stars. There was an edge to the night temperature now, away from the body heat of so many people.

Turning down a tight street, although marginally wider than the last, she paused against an uncluttered section of wall no more than about ten feet across. She could almost reach out and touch the building opposite. The street resembled a tunnel with no roof. The two and three story residences appeared to concertina, they were so askew. It was hard to imagine such a slender walkway could exist amongst the clutter, and to make matters worse, one owner had placed large colored urns filled with bamboo out the front in order to pretty up the appearance of such an un-orderly facade. No two homes were the same.

Kate’s eyes shut involuntarily as a reaction to the dizziness that almost floored her. In that moment she really didn’t feel herself. It was as if a large vortex had engulfed most of the day and evening, leaving stolen time and forgotten memories in its wake.

She recalled the odd happenings of the last seven days, not able to make heads or tails of anything. The only solid memory that made sense was the call from her father. Right now he seemed a million miles away and she needed him more than anything. He could always piece puzzles together and help look at things objectively. Surely he would have some answers.

“If I could only get through to him.”

There was no one she could call with her cell in pieces on the kitchen floor and no reception, anyway. It was almost as if forces were building up against her on purpose until she finally admitted to going mad.

In the second it took to think that thought, a more intense frostiness drifted up the alley bringing goose bumps to Kate’s flesh. The same strange sensations she’d been experiencing on and off recently inundated her. The power of the energy snaking through her intensified threefold. Her eyes closed again, as if commanding her body to transport her somewhere else, away from the wafting cold and away from lunacy.

She didn’t like feeling out of control. It was in her nature to have everything orderly in her life, so having a side to her that was purely intuitive and out of her control was not something she particularly enjoyed.

With the commanding chill quickly came a prickly sensation that she wasn’t alone anymore. She’d experienced the feeling of being watched that morning in the crowd. Again, the prickles pulled her nipples tight and surged pleasure between her legs, forcing her mouth to slacken with arousal.

What the hell? I’m outside in the dark, scared shitless, fighting off crushing dizziness and I’m thinking about sex? This is worse than I imagined.

Slowly opening her eyes, afraid of what she’d see, or more to the point, whom she’d see, a scream nearly shattered the window of the adjacent villa. A mortified, resigned, hate-filled scream that she suddenly realized was hers.

“Aagghh.” It was worse than hell.

“Kate? Thank God, you’re safe!”

Kate couldn’t move.

No! He’s not real! It’s just a vision. Yes, that’s it. A vision.

Her eyes closed again, certain that this time when they opened, an empty, cobbled street would be in front of her and not…

Nearly poking her eyes out trying to push away the mirage in front of her, she counted to ten and then focused once again.

Crap! Leaning against the muddy washed wall of the opposite villa and looking more ravishing than anything she’d seen in a long while, stood Jake, lips upturned into a half-smile. His eyes were unsure, yet burning into her with such force she felt like she would detonate at any second. The tight black tee joining the black denim True Religion jeans with matching work boots caused her breath to hitch. Sex on legs had arrived.

Was he more buff? There looked to be bulges in places there hadn’t been before. Not that she was looking.

A knee buckled from under her, causing her to stumble for a second, the wall her saving grace.

“Christ, Kate, you look like shit! What’s happened to you? Where have you been all day? I thought… Jesus… I thought someone had hurt you.” His gravelly voice threw her off guard as he pushed a hand through his thick mane of hair, causing it to stand on end. Jake’s eyes were wide in shock before he angled his head to the side and asked in barely a whisper, “You can see me?”

“Wh…wh…what?” Her worst fears were now confirmed.

It was truly a lost-for-words moment. What was he saying? How did he find her? Was this even real? How could she speak when physically he was the most glorious thing she’d ever laid eyes on? Even better than before, like a new improved version. It was like she was looking at him for the first time. As sharp as she had thought her recollections were of him, it was clear that the years apart had stolen some of her memory. What did he mean, could she see him? Of course she could damn well see him! How could she not?

Her head screamed at her to run but shock had her paralyzed to the spot. His primal scent wafted over, lacing its tentacles around her. He was truly a sight with unruly, chopped hair that looked so divine she just wanted to reach out and let strands of it glide through her shaking fingers. Or maybe she wouldn’t be so gentle. Maybe with all the anger building inside her she’d seize his head forcefully and throw herself at him, claiming his hot mouth, pulling that hair until he yelped. She’d loved that about Jake. Wild, passionate, and intense. Her whole body seemed to lean towards him.

Steady, Kate. Get a grip. Don’t go there.

The buzzing increased in its intensity. God himself was standing before her and all she wanted to do was cry. Yell. Run. Kiss. Ogle. Punch. Ogle some more and then hurt the delectable specimen.

Diamond encrusted, topaz eyes greedily ravaged her body as if they hadn’t eyed another woman since their last time together. She couldn’t move as he mentally undressed her. He was scrutinizing every inch of her. Teasing her. Tasting her with his hooded expression. The power of his gaze stole any memory of where she was. Her head really was giddy now. Seconds, maybe minutes ticked away. Neither said a word.

The intensity of the connection that was so very obviously still there it took Kate’s breath away as she floundered helplessly under his gaze.

***

How was she able to see him? Damn! They really were linked. Either that or Kate’s abilities were getting more powerful. He hadn’t seen her in so long, he didn’t know how much they had developed. Whatever the reason, he was grateful for it. Jake couldn’t pull his eyes away. He wanted her. If he wasn’t mistaken, lurking amongst the shock, her hunger for him was just as strong. He could feel the need amongst her restraint. The lust in her dilated pupils. It was taking every ounce of strength he could muster to keep space between them. The pull had led him here. Her pull. Only, he hadn’t expected to find her unharmed. He was sure she was hurt or in trouble. Normally his instincts were sharp and accurate. Maybe he was losing his touch. Still, he’d found her. And as he stood just out of her reach, he couldn’t believe how breathtaking she was. She’d only improved with age, if that were even possible. All he wanted to do was touch her. Feel her against him. Soothe the desire enough so that he wasn’t in agony. The moment was intimate. He could nail her to the wall and take her in less than a second.

Stop looking at me like that, baby. I never could control myself around you. Nothing has changed. In fact, I feel like I’ll die if you don’t let me touch you.

His body shook with the pain of his self-discipline. How long could he hold himself back? It was excruciating to stand before this enchantress and not take.

Here they were, facing off in what was sure to be a fiery showdown. The moment of truth. He had certainly taken her by surprise but now that he was under her spell his mind had turned to dust. He just needed time to enjoy the view. To have her look at him for a while longer. There were no words to portray the heavenly beauty that befell him. The calm before the storm. She was picture perfect. And yet? There was something else about her… The way color swirled at her shape, especially around the head. Pink. Green. White. The translucence of her skin in the dark of night. Pale, almost shimmering. Lips with a blue tinge. He moved sideways to gain a different perspective, trying to place what was different. His head was cocked to one side, a hand on his chin. He used his peripheral vision to assess what had changed about Kate. She appeared solid at first but the more he looked, the more he realized that that wasn’t the case.

It only took a moment to understand what was wrong. Brows slashed, his face contorted in a sudden realization of truth.

What the…?

“Fuck!” His eyes closed as he shook his head, talking more to himself than Kate.

***

Kate was livid. The spell had been broken. “Fuck what? What the hell are you doing here, Jake? Stay away from me! I never want to see you again!” Each word tumbled out of her mouth. This was all some crazy nightmare. A nightmare she’d already been through once and had no plans of living through again. How could she survive again? It was as if the years of healing had vanished instantly and her scarred heart was now tearing in exactly the same places as before.

The air around them became bitter as Kate spat her anger at the glorious creature that was Jake. She held his fiery gaze, trying to gauge the emotion on his face. Was it terror? Fear? Remorse? Shock? Desire?

Not wanting him to see her moment of weakness, she fought off the shaking that threatened to drop her to the ground.

Jake’s hand reached out as if to touch her and then dropped to his side.

“Kate! What’s happened to you?”

“What’s happened to me? What the hell happened to you? You drove off into the night and I never saw nor heard from you again. You could have been dead for all I knew and now you show up here out of the blue asking what’s wrong with me? You’ve got some nerve!” Her voice was cracking with angst. It was all too much.

“When I saw you earlier you looked… amazing! Don’t get me wrong, Kate, you still take my breath away, but something’s happened to you.”

“You saw me today? When?” Kate knew the answer but needed to hear him say the words. Desperation was in her high-pitched voice at the thought of what Jake was about to say. When he didn’t immediately answer, she shouted. “Tell me!”

“This morning. Why?”

“Where?”

“At the festival… I—”

“Shit! I knew it! I’ve known it all along. Last week—!”

“What are you talking about, baby?” His attempt at concern spiked her anger even more.

“Don’t baby me! I’m not your baby! You know damn well what I’m talking about. You’ve been stalking me. This morning at the festival, I sensed you were following me. I had feelings… God! And last week, I felt you then, too. Hell! Today has turned into a nightmare and somehow I think you’re the cause of it!” She gasped, trying not to completely lose it, eyes bulging.

“Talk to me. What happened today?”

She didn’t want to talk to him. Not ever. Just his being in Vernazza had turned her world upside down. Standing too close to him was so painful it was killing her.

“Go away, Jake! Leave me alone! I don’t want to speak to you, see you, or be anywhere near you, ever. I hate you!” There. It was out. Stinging words she’d wanted to say for so long now but had never been given the opportunity. There was a certain amount of truth to them. Almost. Hate? She wasn’t sure. There were too many other emotions swirling around inside that she didn’t know if she would ever get over. Like still needing him as much as air and water. Having him standing close enough to almost touch was tearing her in two. Anger and arousal were a wicked combination. Jake’s eyes mirrored her sentiment. They always had. He could hide nothing.