CHAPTER THREE #2
“No, I’m not trembling.” I did my best to sound firm, but his eyes were such an intense shade of cobalt blue that it was taking everything I had not to sigh and simply melt into his embrace.
One side of his mouth kicked up. “Melt, eh?”
“Stay out of my head, Dex,” I snapped, leaning slightly back and away.
His grip tightened. “Maybe if you didn’t think quite so loudly, I wouldn’t have overheard your thoughts.”
I placed one hand in the center of his chest to hold him—or maybe myself—in check. “Well, sugar, whatever you think you heard, you were wrong.”
Dex’s lips curved in a slow smile. “We could test the theory.”
“Dex—” I managed to say, right before he leaned in and kissed me.
His kiss was warm, soft, and seeking. And my brain fizzled out. It was simply gone. When he lifted his mouth from mine, I stood there, mutely staring and blinking up at him.
“Let’s try that again,” he said, swooping in to kiss the hell out of me.
I gasped in surprise and my mouth opened. Dex took immediate advantage of that. His hands slid around my back, and he lifted me to my toes. Our tongues met once, twice, and then his was deep in my mouth.
Yes! was my only thought.
I’m not sure how long we stood there wrapped up in each other, but when his hand slid from my back down to the end of my casual dress, and his fingertips trailed across the back of my thighs, I jolted hard.
We broke apart, both of us out of breath. I knew that he wanted me. The proof of his desire was currently pressed against my belly. His eyes blazed down into mine and I gulped nervously.
I took one shaky step back, and another. Not because I didn’t want him as well. But because I didn’t trust myself not to dive on him and drag that beautiful man down to the floor to finish what we’d started.
“I wouldn’t fight you,” he said, slightly out of breath.
“What?” I blinked in confusion.
“You can drag me down to the floor, Kate,” he said softly. “Whenever you like.”
My face went red instantly. In defense, I lifted my hands to my cheeks.
Dex only smiled. “You can try and raise your shields again, Kate, but I heard your thoughts when we were kissing and, again, a moment ago.”
My humiliation was complete. “This shouldn’t have happened,” I said. “This was a mistake.”
His smile faded. “It wasn’t a mistake. I’ve wanted to kiss you for over a year.”
I did a double take. “Wait, what?”
He moved closer. “If you hadn’t been shielding so hard against me, you probably would have noticed.”
“I’m older than you are,” I pointed out.
He shrugged. “I don’t care.”
“It’s inappro—”
“Don’t say inappropriate,” he interrupted. “Besides I don’t think that it is. Not at all.”
“Well, I...” My words trailed off when he slipped his fingers along the underside of my jaw and then into my hair.
“I want you,” he said quietly. “And you want me.”
“You work for my friend.”
He tipped my face up to his. “We’re both adults. I think we can handle being together and working next door to each other.”
“We shouldn’t.” I tried to sound firm as he brushed a soft kiss at the corner of my mouth, but my words came out sounding more like a groan.
Dex released me and stepped back. Before I could ask him what he was doing, he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. The shirt dropped to the floor of my apartment in almost a sort of dare.
Lord almighty, I thought, as he stood there naked to the waist. Circe had joked that Dex was romance novel cover material.
Now seeing him, I could only agree. Lean muscles on full display, a sprinkling of dark chest hair that tapered down in a line to disappear below the waistband of his jeans.
He was beautiful. There was no other word for it.
“That’s not fair,” I heard myself say.
He smiled, moving close once again. “You think it’s fair that I could hear your thoughts about me, tonight?”
“Thoughts are private,” I said, yet my hand was now lying against his chest. “You shouldn’t have been eavesdropping.”
“You wondered what sort of lover I would be.”
My chin came up. “And if I did?”
He brushed a kiss over my cheek and then trailed more kisses to my ear. “I’d be happy to give you a demonstration,” he whispered. “If you like.”
“I’m not interested in a casual sex,” I told him as he began to kiss up the side of my throat, and I stroked my fingers across his defined abs.
“I’m not interested in casual either.” He nipped my ear. “I’ve waited a long time for this, Kate.”
I groaned.
“I’ve been dreaming about your hair,” he said, running his fingers through it. “All these curls. Say yes, Kate.”
Tilting my head back, I met his eyes. “Yes,” I said.
***
I woke the next morning, and sunlight was streaming through my windows, bright against my face. Keeping my eyes closed against the light, I smiled and stretched my arms over my head.
The night before had been amazing, and I wondered if Dex would be up for another round before we had to go to work. Rolling over toward him, I opened my eyes fully expecting to see him beside me. I frowned when I realized that he wasn’t there.
“Dex?” I called, sitting up in my bed.
Listening intently, I realized that no one else was in the apartment with me. Shocked, I climbed out of bed, tossed my robe over my shoulders and went to look to see if he’d left me a text, or a note...or something.
There was no message on my cell phone but I did spot a small note left in the center of my kitchen table. I picked it up. “Kate,” I read out loud. “Gotta go. Something came up. I’m sorry. Dex.”
Stunned, I stood there for a moment. The emotions that began to trickle in were embarrassment, hurt, and a small amount of shame. “Well, sonofabitch,” I muttered. “Never had someone sneak out on me before while I’ve been sleeping.”
Like I was a one-night stand.
“Something came up?” I re-read the note as anger started to seep through. How dare he treat me like I was some casual hookup?
I checked the time on the clock on the kitchen stove and swore. I had less than thirty minutes to get downstairs and open the shop. Rushing to the bathroom, I dropped my robe and dove into the shower.
After drying off, I pulled my hair up into a wet, curly ponytail. I slapped on some basic cosmetics and chose my outfit for the day on a sort of automatic pilot. My mind was spinning with questions as I tossed on a casual black swing dress.
Why didn’t Dex wake me before he left?
What in the hell had actually ‘come up’?
Because as far as I was concerned, us getting together had been pretty spectacular. He’d seemed more than satisfied after...So why had he left like that?
Glancing at the mirror above my dresser, I slid a pair of silver and peridot dangly earrings in place. I pulled a few tendrils loose from the ponytail to curl around my face. It was then I noticed that I was so distracted, I hadn’t put any mascara on.
I stomped back to the bathroom, yanked out my makeup case and applied mascara. Considering my reflection, I found that I didn’t like what I saw there. I looked—vulnerable.
For a moment angry tears swam in my eyes. Furiously I willed them not to fall. “Don’t you dare cry,” I said to my reflection. My soap dispenser began to shake, and my toothbrush in its holder began to rattle. “Get a hold of yourself, Hekate,” I muttered.
Gripping the edge of the bathroom vanity, I took a few deep breaths and tried to compose myself.
After a moment the objects on the bathroom sink stilled and my emotions and my magick were under control once again.
I took another deep breath and blew it out slowly.
It had been a long time since my magick had slipped away from me.
It concerned me more than a little that it had happened just now.
Deliberately I released my grip on the edge of the sink and went back to my bedroom space. I found my shoes and slipped them on.
“Perhaps it had simply been a store emergency,” I said to myself. “Like a plumbing or electrical problem, and he rushed over to the bookstore to fix it.” There was probably a rational explanation and maybe...I was overreacting.
Telling myself to not jump to conclusions, I grabbed my things and headed down to open The Apothecary Shoppe. Dex would be there, I was sure. Working away in the bookstore, repairing whatever had broken, or shelving stock for Lorna.
There was an absolutely logical reason for him leaving as he had. I needed to calm down, not act like a crazy woman, and give him the chance to explain.
In fact, we’d probably laugh about it later…
Unfortunately, that did not happen.