Grave Secret Page 0,20

Lizzie said. That woman, she's Texas all the way through, huh? And the sister, Kate? I think she's interested in your brother."

"He's not my brother," I said automatically, though I called him that myself about half the time. I took a deep breath. "In fact, we're engaged," I said.

Tolliver rolled over and fixed me with a sharp eye.

"Oh... well, that's just... great. Congratulations to the two of you." Victoria didn't sound thoroughly delighted. Had she been interested in Tolliver herself?

"Let me know the date of the wedding and where you're registered, okay?" Victoria said, more brightly.

"We haven't planned that far ahead," I said, thrown off balance and scrambling to get my conversational feet back under me. "You need to have a word with Tolliver? He's right here." Tolliver was shaking his head no, but he took the phone from me with a dour look when Victoria told me she'd like to talk to him.

" Victoria, hey. No, I was awake. Yeah, we're together. We haven't set any dates, though. We'll pick a date soon. No hurry." And he gave me a significant nod, looking right into my eyes.

Okay, got it, Tolliver. No pressure from you. Except who'd told Iona we were getting married in the first place? I turned my back on him and bent to rummage in my suitcase for clothes.

After a second, I felt a finger stroking in a very interesting place. I froze. Stealth-attack sex. This was something new. My body decided that I liked this, and didn't pull away and slap Tolliver's hand. The stroking grew more aggressive, more rhythmic. Oh, oh, oh. I wiggled. Then I felt the warmth of him behind me. Though he was still talking to Victoria, he was sounding more than a little distracted.

"Yeah, I'll call you back," he said. "I've got another call coming in."

The phone snapped shut. Something more substantial replaced the fingers.

"Are you ready?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Yeah," I said, and reached out to brace my palms against the wall. And then the sharp upward curve of his penis pushed into me, and we rocked together.

Tolliver was all about keeping things fresh.

I hadn't been very experienced when we admitted we were interested in each other. But I was learning a lot from him, and the adventure of it was giving me a whole new light on his nature. I'd thought I'd known him so well that he couldn't surprise me. I'd been wrong.

I gave a sharp cry, a sound I was startled to hear coming from my own throat, and he echoed it a second later.

"Why do you think Victoria called?" I asked, when I could talk. We'd collapsed on the bed after disengaging, and we were wrapped around each other in a very happy way. "It seems a little off base that she'd just call to say thank you. An email or a text would have been more in line." I kissed his throat.

"She was always fascinated by you," Tolliver said, and that was completely unexpected.

"Ah... that way?"

"No, I don't think she's gay or bi. I think she just finds your ability, and the whole thing with the lightning, really interesting. Maybe even fascinating. Over the past few years, Victoria must have asked me a hundred questions about how you do what you do, what it feels like, what the physical effects are."

"She's never asked me anything."

"She told me once that if she asked you questions, you might think she thought you were a freak or had some kind of disability."

"Like I was in a wheelchair or had a big birthmark on my face? Something I might feel self-conscious about?"

"I think she was showing sensitivity about hurting your feelings or making you feel different. I think Victoria kind of holds you in awe." Tolliver sounded a little chiding, which maybe I deserved. After all, if Victoria had been trying to spare my feelings, I shouldn't disparage her efforts.

"It just seems strange she wouldn't want to come right to the source." By which I was hinting that I thought Victoria had wanted reasons to talk to Tolliver, rather than that she was genuinely interested in my little problem.

"Maybe she had both things in mind," Tolliver said, admitting and giving due credence to my suspicion. "But I don't think she's ever been very interested in me. It was you. I think Victoria has a kind of mystical streak. I think your ability feeds into that."

"Like seeing the Virgin Mary on a piece of toast, or something?"

"Something."

"Hah." I turned