Leif held up both hands. “Leave me out of this one.” He slipped an arm around my waist and bent down to kiss the top of my head. Being with him was just so easy.
“We’re going to feed you, Wyatt, for all your hard work.” I said teasingly and Miranda giggled.
“What was all his hard work? Sitting in a chair and saying, ‘That’s gorgeous get that one,’ to every dress I tried on?”
I laughed and Wyatt shrugged. “What? I can’t think you’re beautiful no matter what you put on?” Miranda smiled up at him and slid her arm around his waist. “I love you,” she said without any hesitancy. I became a little uncomfortable in Leif’s arms. I hoped he didn’t get any ideas because those were not words I was ready to use in any form.
“I love you more,” Wyatt replied, smiling back down at her.
“Get a room,” Leif said jokingly and my tension eased. He seemed to always be able to do that for me. I watched as a soul walked around, studying people as if he were lost. That happened sometimes too. I always wondered if they were new souls, confused as to what had happened to them. It always made me sad. The soul looked over at me and I gave him a small smile but quickly turned away. I didn’t want him coming up to me and speaking. I wasn’t in the mood for talking souls at the moment.
“So, Pagan, where do you want to eat?” Leif asked and I glanced over at Wyatt who was mouthing, “Mexican” to me.
I smiled and turned back to Leif. “Tacos sound good.” Leif chuckled. “Are you sure, I can see and read lips, too, even though Wyatt seems to think I can’t.”
“No, really, I want Mexican. Salsa and chips sound good.”
“Mexican it is.”
We all turned and headed into the Mexican restaurant located inside the mall. The tingling sensation that someone was watching me caused me to glance back. The soul I’d noticed earlier had followed us and stood several feet away staring at me. I could tell by his lost expression he was a normal soul. The kind I’d dealt with all my life. I turned away as if I didn’t see him. Ignoring him was for the best. That way he would continue on instead of wasting time with me. There was nothing I could do for him now.
* * * *
Please be in my room, please be in my room. I chanted in my head as I walked upstairs past my mom’s room where I heard her typing vigorously on her computer. I stepped inside and nearly sighed in relief at a very amused Dank lounging comfortably on my bed.
“I told you I would be here. Why do you doubt me?” I shrugged and thought about the fact he hadn’t been with me all day.
“Did you really want me to tag along on your date?” he asked and I smiled and shook my head. “I didn’t think so.
Besides you were with friends and out in public. All was well.
I was making sure of that.” He spoke in a casual tone as if we weren’t talking about supernatural beings. He nodded his head toward the dress hanging up in my closet, “Pale pink. I like it.”
I blushed, thinking about the fact I’d only tried on pale pink dresses. The way I’d felt when he had suggested pale pink kept replaying through my mind and I couldn’t think of any other color to try. I ducked my head and went to get my sleeping clothes.
“Kendra is wearing red,” he said simply and a sudden burst of jealousy startled me. Dang it! Why did I care? And why did he have to tell me what she was wearing? Kendra was the last person on earth I wanted to hear about. He could hear or feel my thoughts. Getting a handle on my emotions would be really good about now.
“That’s great. I’m sure she’ll be stunning.” I managed to say with only a very small amount of venom dripping from my words.
“I hate the color red almost as much as I hate blond hair,” he said with an amused tone. I started to respond but stopped myself. I didn’t believe him but what was the point in calling him on it? It wasn’t as if I couldn’t see him and Kendra together all day long every day. It was as if he constantly jabbed a fist through my stomach every time he touched her or whispered in her ear. I turned my back on him and walked over to my jewelry box to find jewelry to match. It was better than thinking about Kendra in a red dress with Dank’s hands all over her.
Warmth pressed against my back causing a shiver to run through my body. I reached for the edge of the dresser to keep from losing my balance and crumpling to the floor. I knew Dank was behind me. Even though I didn’t understand it, I knew only his touch would cause this strong reaction. I let my head fall back onto the solid warmth of his chest.
“She means nothing to me.” Dank’s voice sent tingles down my neck and across my chest. “I would never lie to you, Pagan,” he said urgently against my ear. I opened my eyes to gaze up at him, wanting to see the blue of his eyes. His lips touched the tip of my ear and made a trail up my face. Both his hands gripped my waist pulling me hard up against his body. “You tempt me. I can’t be tempted. I’m not made to be tempted but you, Pagan Moore, you tempt me. From the moment I came for you I was drawn in. Everything about you…” One of his hands left my waist and moved up to gently caress my arm. “You make me crazy with need. With want. I didn’t understand it at first. But now I know. It’s your soul calling to me. Souls mean nothing to me. They aren’t supposed to. But yours has become my obsession.” He lowered his head to my shoulder and kissed the curve of my neck. His hand moved over to slip beneath my shirt and the heat from his palm rested on my bare stomach. A pulse of warmth surged through me and he pressed me tightly against him to keep me from falling. “I want to kill that boy every time I see his hands on you.” He kissed a path up my neck and I arched my neck in response to give him better access. Nothing had ever felt like this. His touch was like a drug. “I want to rip his arms from his body so he can’t touch you again.” A low, familiar growl vibrated against my back.
“But I can’t have you, Pagan. You’re not meant for me.” His voice sounded tortured. I wanted to comfort him. He’d claimed me too. Somehow, he’d walked into my world and become the center of it. He was all I wanted. I started to tell him just how much he meant to me when he picked me up and laid me carefully on the bed, hovering over me. I reached up to him wanting to feel his body against mine again but he pulled away.
“Please,” I whispered.
Dank closed his eyes tightly as if he were in pain. “I can’t, Pagan. It would destroy us both.” And then he was gone.
Chapter Eight
Leif kissed my cheek before leaving me at the door of my English Literature class. I’d started riding to school with him every morning. Each morning it had been increasingly more difficult to leave the presence of Dank and walk into the realness of Leif. After sleeping with Dank’s voice singing in my ear all night, I seemed to crave his presence even more.
An intimacy now existed between us. After having his hands on my body and his lips against my skin, nothing had been the same. He’d lain down beside me last night and held me against him as I fell asleep. I needed Dank. The words he whispered in my ear at night assured me he wanted me too.