Her body tensed. For a second, uncertainty had her in its clutches. Could this thing that had come through the veil shape-shift? Shit! "Baby, what's the matter?" Carlos said, lifting his head from her throat to stare into her eyes.
"Nothing," she squeaked out. "It just hit me that it had been that long, and I was like, 'Oh, wow, a whole year, damn.' That's deep."
He laughed and shook his head. "Did I tell you the other thing I love about you is you're crazy?"
She nodded, forcing herself to laugh. "I really am, honey."
"Good, then your secret's safe with me," he said, chuckling and pulling her to him again. "I'm crazy, too--for ever messing with you, woman."
As she held him and he laughed, there was nothing more she wanted to do than to banish her muse in the flesh. There was too much at stake, her man's happiness and what they had together. A temporary lapse wasn't worth all that. And Carlos had been the salt of the earth, all his mess aside. She wanted to kick herself for even going near a seduction. Carlos's tender kisses across her jaw made her want to seal away any hurt this could bring him. She wondered if Eve had gone through this yang. How in the world did she bring herself to explain some mess like this to Adam?
Then a very bizarre idea formed in her mind. What if the muse, alone, hadn't come up with everything from pure ether? "In the Dark," Carlos owned. The brother' had branded that one into her mind and body, puhlease. Muse had to step off on that one.
Feeling more confident, she returned Carlos's kisses harder, but her mind was also working on a stopgap solution. If she composed in bed with Carlos, what would happen? If that off-the-hook muse was crazy enough to step through the rip and come into her room now, then together, she and Carlos could deal with it. At the very least, her man would know she was being stalked by a very aggressive cosmic fan, whom she hadn't slept with, and maybe the trust in their relationship could be salvaged.
Conversely, if the muse finally saw that he didn't have exclusive rights to her inspiration, then maybe he'd go in grace and take his ass back to where he was supposed to be.
"Wanna do something we haven't done in a long time?" she whispered, flicking her tongue along Carlos's jugular.
"Yeah . . ." he breathed out. "I'm down."
"Let me light a couple candles, the old-fashioned, slow way... we can slip between the sheets, and how about if I compose with you on the fly?"
She watched his lids lower and felt a slight shudder run through him. They needed to make up, repair the rift between them before anything got in the middle of their bond. So many new insights were pouring into her mind that it could barely hold them as she watched his reaction. Silently she swore she'd never travel the uncharted waters of blind, jealous rage again--made sense that one came home and sealed the fissure in a relationship after a lapse. The moment the line got crossed, the spirit registered the breach in the hull; the mind went into panic then damage-control strategy. The body became the solder to take the pressure off and seal the vessel of the relationship from incoming, rushing tides of change so it wouldn't flood with problems and tank. That kinda mess would drown the whole crew. Lord, she understood so much better... and apparently just in the nick of time.
Carlos hadn't answered her verbally, just stripped off his shirt and walked over to the bed, unfastening his jeans and kicking off his unlaced Tims. She smiled, loving him as much as the relaxed intimacy that now cloaked them. It was something to be cherished, so she took her time going around the room, lighting tallows and enjoying the anticipation that made the vibe thicken around them.
Every now and then, she glimpsed over her shoulder to catch the utter appreciation in his expression. His eyelids were heavy, but his eyes burned silver beneath them as they watched her strip away her clothes to join him under the covers. No, nothing was worth risking this.
She slid against him, her skin catching fire as it ignited his, and she leaned down to land soft caresses on his forehead and eyelids with the barest brush of her mouth. "Wounded, lover... I'm sorry," she crooned softly. "I