Luminescence (Luminescence Trilogy) (19 page)

“Sophie
giving you a lesson in
auras?” he asked, as in he reached in for more chips.

“I’m getting a crash course.
What about you, c
an you see auras?” I asked, praying he would say no.

“No
pe
, unfortunately that’s never been one of my talents. Just Sophie.”

Well thank goodness someone was on my side for once. I turned to Lily who was now cutting up pieces of bread. She was the ideal of what I envisioned a stay-at-home mom
was like
. “What is your gift?” I asked curious and caught up in the wonder of it.

“I’m so glad you asked.
I am healer of sorts. I dabble in herbs, potions and remedies.
”
She was proud of what she could do. You could hear it in her tone – honest respect for such a powerful gift.

“And Jared and John?”

Gavin laughed. “Jared will have to show you
. M
y dad and I share the same
defensive
energy
.”

Now I was intrigued
by the fact he would
n’t
share Jared’s magic
. “Where’s Jared?”
I wondered aloud.

“He’s at class,”
he informed, loving that he was torturing my impatience.

“You are not going to make me wait. Tell me,”
I demanded
, making them all laugh at my intolerance
.

Still gr
inn
ing he replied,
“
Nah
, it’s more fun this way.”

Fun for whom
I wondered.
If I had magic right then, I would have turned him into a toad.
It
was
hopeless; I knew a losing battle when I saw one
.

We sat around a little longer, snacking and me listening to their stories about magic. All of it sounded so
mystical, electrifying
, a dream.
Who wouldn’t think it would be kickass to be a witch?

I left before it got too
late. Tonight I promised
my aunt I’d
cook dinner and I was meeting up with Tori and
Austin
tomorrow to hang out.

Utterly pathetic, I couldn’t help but think about
how
much I would miss not seeing Gavin tomorrow. Between
classes
during the week, after school at my house, him showing up at my work, I felt disappointed that I wasn’t going to see him one day.
P
itiable, I know.

He walked me out to my car.
This was the first time we were along since last night.
“Are you okay,” he asked looking down at his unlaced boots.
There was guilt tracing his words. In my eyes he had nothing to feel guilty for.

I took his hand. “I’m fine. You are always saving me. One of these days you’re going to get tired of coming to my rescue.”

He smirked, looking a little more like the confident Gavin. “I’m not so sure about that.”

I grinned back at him. I didn’t want any awkwardness or guilt lying between us.

“Are you busy tomorrow?”
he asked.

I silently groaned and wished more than anything that I wasn’t bus
y
.
Relishing in the few moments we ha
d alone together, I stalled
. “Unfortun
ately,
i
t’s
movie night with Tori and
Austin
.” His face fell slightly, but I was sure it was all in my
imagination
.

He reached around me to open my door, brushing my body in the process. My belly jumped on contact and I don’t know what came over me.
Maybe it was the
near death experiences from last two nights
or the fright I had for him possibly getting hurt. Maybe it was because
he never let me down and no matter what might lurked
inside of him, he made me feel incredible
– like no else ever had
.

I leaned
into him before he had a chan
c
e to pull away
and
put my hand on his waist steadying myself.
He smelled
like dark sin
and
I wanted time to cease.
I don’t know if it was him or me who made the move, but if I had to guess, it was me. His lips melted to mine in a searing kiss that whisked all the way to my toes.
Both of his hands went on either side of the car, boxing me erotically in. His hands never touched
me
but I swear they were everywhere.
Our lips rushed over each other.
Caught in pleasure like never before,
I teased the hoop from his lip with my tongue, loving the coolness against
the
heat in my mouth
and trying to push him further
.
Toying with his mouth, I tempted him to take the plunge.

His lips broke from m
ine
and trailed down my throat
over the pule that hammered there
.
“You taste like strawberries,” he murmure
d against my neck causing a shudd
er to rack through my body.
Our lips met again and I dug my hand into his silky hair.
His name tumbled from my lip
s and with the moonlight overhea
d
,
I gave into him. Where he was concerned, I had no control.

We were so wrapped up in each other
that we didn’t see the
beam of headlights
that came out of nowhere and shot across his driveway. W
e both
sprang
from each other’s arms.
Shaken
Gavin
ran a hand through his messy hair and
jammed
both
hands in his pockets. Like he was afraid he would reach for me again.
I sunk back against the car
hugging my arms over my chest.

Jared walked up, dimples grinning. “That was hot,” he said as he passed
us
by
to the house.

The moment was broken even while my insides were
still humming.

“See you Mo
nday,” he said
huskily
as I got into the car
and
he
shut the door
.
I drove
home in a heart pounding daze.
It wasn’t till I got home that I realized I’d miss my chance to ask Jared what his powers where.
My mind had been too muddled with the exotic taste of Gavin.

Chapter 20

MOVIE NIGHT WITH MY BEST friends was never without its drama. I felt the need to try and get our friendship back on track. We hardly did any of the things we used to and it was eating at me. So I was on my way to Tori’s where she and Austin were no doubt picking some horrid slasher bent on scaring the crap out of us. We’d been doing this exact thing since we were little.

Tori had a huge theatre room on the first floor of her mansion – it was seriously large. Her Tudor style brick home was on the other side of Holly Ridge and the driveway was like a mile long with a gated entrance. I let myself in through the double front doors, her step-mom was probably at some outrageously priced spa and her dad lived at work.

Whatever movie they were bickering over was echoing down the vast hall – just like old times. Smiling, I kicked off my shoes and headed down the hallway. The smells hit me the closer I got – popcorn, butter and brownies. They were our signature snacks, creatures of habit. She had one of those old fashion popcorn makers; I could hear the pop-pop-pop noise as I pushed open the door.

The two of them were standing in front of the towering shelf that housed movies of every genre lining the back wall. “Hey guys,” I greeted. Tori had the pillar candles lit around the room. Their sweet aroma mixed with the buttery popcorn.

“Good you’re just in time,” Tori replied, the bangs of her light brown hair hung over her chocolate eyes.

“So what are we watching,” I asked plopping into one of the huge leather recliners.

“It’s a toss between the new
Saw
or
Final Destination
. Tori’s being a diva,” Austin proclaimed eyeing her, hand on his hip.

They were always on each other. I think they enjoyed the squabbling, like an old married couple.

“I am seriously not the only diva in this room,” she animatedly retorted, pushing the hair from her face.

“Alright guys I’ll decide.” Thinking I could end this before it got out of hand.

“No,” they unanimously bellowed.

“
Final Destination
is fine,” Tori conceded, pulling out the case.

Just like I thought – they both claimed my tasted in films sucked. Whatever. As long as we got this film rolling.

She opened the DVD case and hit about a gazillion buttons before the movie actually started to play. Her TV and Blu-ray equipment frightened me as much as blood and gore.

She hit the light switch as Austin took the recliner next to me. He handed me a bowl of popcorn with a brownie in the middle. I settled in my seat and waited for the credits to role.

“You better not jump in my lap,” Austin warned grinning. He looked so cute in his Dolce and Gabbana gear and smelled like expensive cologne.

“Funny, just remember
you
sat next to me. It’s not my fault if you lose an arm.” I was notorious for jumping out of my seat or grabbing whoever was lucky enough to sit beside me. I couldn’t help it, scary movies made me skittish.

“Sometimes you’re more fun than the movie,” he teased, but I’m sure there was truth to it.

I threw a piece of popcorn at his head and then shoved a handful in my mouth.

“You’re going to regret that later,” he threatened. It was only a matter of time that he got me back. “Where’s dark and sexy tonight? You should have brought him along. He could have been dessert.” Austin practically drooled at the prospect and I was right there with him. I hated to admit it, but I missed him – a lot.

I shrugged. “I don’t know. I didn’t think about it,” I admitted, not completely true. I always thought of him.

“Does he taste as good as he looks?” Austin purred.

“Better,” I assured, amused. Both of us smiling like fools, I refocused my attention back into the movie, which was difficult now that I’d pictured Gavin.

  Halfway through the film I managed to only attack Austin once and his arm survived. But he started to lean out of me reach. It was around then that I began to get a chill. Not the kind where I was cold, but the crept out kind. I tried to convince myself that it was just the movie but my body wouldn’t listen. My concentration was blown and I couldn’t shake the ghostly feeling that someone was watching me, like those moving eyes in a painting. The images on the projection screen forgotten, I scanned the candle lit room trying to find the source of my discomfort. I even stared hard at the cinema posters hung on the walls. Mentally I made a note to ask Gavin about ghosts. In the mean time I was going to pretend that this paranormal activity was a hoax.

“Austin, knock it off,” I whispered, even though I knew it wasn’t him.

“What?” he asked, confusion flickering in his eyes.

“Nothing,” I grumbled, incapable of shaking the negative vibes that started to crawled over my skin like centipedes. The feeling of being trapped onto my own horror set. Even scarier, no one else knew it. Now that I knew real evil existed, I was more on edge.

The vibe permeated the air and slithered along the floor, withering between the recliners. There wasn’t anything visible to be seen, but I could picture it all the same. My eyes ran over the row of recliners behind us and I tucked my feet underneath me. No way was that creepy thing tugging on my toes.

“What are you staring at,” Austin whispered watching me.

He rattled me out of my trance. I had to pull my eyes from the floor. “Nothing,” I mumbled, not wanting him to think I was off my rocker – a true possibility.

“Are you sure? No offense, but you look pale and your eyes are weird,” he stated honestly.

Tori leaned out over her chair. “What is going on?” she demanded of the interruption.

A sweeping wind came barreling across the room. I studied both of their faces waiting for the astonished look – it never came. The movement gave me goose bumps and the instinct to run; it prickled at the back of my neck. Moments later the room was engulfed in darkness as the flames from the candles extinguished – that got their attention. I heard Tori’s gasp and Austin prattled, “What the hell.”

“That was bizarre,” Tori complained, hitting pause.