read your book.” She leaned forward, spontaneously placing her hand on his arm. His muscles twitched under her thumb.
Under her thumb. He’d have laughed out loud if his heart wasn’t lodged in his throat. It was the most bizarre feeling in the world, this sense of suspense, the simultaneous dread and almost painful arousal, this certainty that everything was about to change.
“You created a world so real to me I could feel it, hear it, smell it, taste it.”
He was going to implode. It took everything he had to sit still under her touch.
“Your hero really got to me. It was his flaws that drew him to me. He wasn’t always heroic, but I never had a doubt he’d succeed. In fact, the more he doubted himself, the more confident I became in him. I don’t think I’ve ever so completely identified with a fictional character.” Hersmile suddenly faded as she looked into his eyes. He had no idea if the ferocity of his reaction showed in his expression. Her hand tightened on him for a moment and then she pulled it away quickly as if she’d been burned.
He noticed the vein in her temple flicker, and she swallowed nervously.
He wanted to reassure her that he was harmless, however he felt anything but at the moment. He had to end this … possession she had of some part of him he couldn’t control. He wanted to let go, to give into it and follow it where it would lead him. Lead them. She’d created the dragon after all. His dragon.
“Fairy or sorceress,” he murmured. Which was she?
“I … I don’t—” She stood and moved back. The breeze tore at her hair, sending it up in fiery spikes around her head, wrapping the thin cotton of her dress tightly against her skin.
He stood too, but moved away from her, fists tight, pulse hammering. He let the boat drift, not caring if it capsized or floated out to sea.
Jordy nervously smoothed her dress. As if that helped. Her frame was slight and yet he had this burning need to run his hands over the shape the wind had so clearly defined for him.
Insanity. He kept his gaze on the water until he could bring himself under control.
“We’d better get going,” she said, her voice a bit uneven. “I don’t want to keep your grandfather waiting.”
Cai opened his mouth, then shut it.
He didn’t speak again until the dock at Crystal Key came into view. “Thank you for helping me out with Alfred. About the investigation, I mean. It’s just better if he doesn’t have to be bothered with this.”
“No problem.”
He darted a glance her way, before maneuvering the boat up to the dock. She wasn’t looking at him.
“Your home is lovely,” she said, the polite visitor once again. “Is it all yours? The island I mean.”
“Yes.” He cut the engine and tied off the boat, but before hopping to the pier, he faced her. “Listen, I’m glad you enjoyed the book. I, uh, about back there, it’s—”
She cut him off with a light smile. “No need to explain. Your job is much like mine, isolated. It’s nice to know when something you’ve labored over is appreciated. But I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“You didn’t embarrass me.” She’d felt something of what he did back there, he knew that. But, if she was going to gloss it over with polite platitudes, he should simply let it go as well. Nothing had happened. Nothing really had changed.
He wished like hell he could believe that.
He helped her up, careful to touch her no more than he had to. “I have to work,” he said shortly. “Just have Dilys come and tell me when you’re ready to leave and I’ll take you back.”
They were almost to the edge of the yard when she stopped. “I know I’m an outsider here.” There was more than politeness in her tone now. There was frost. “I know you’re worried about your grandfather. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Cai almost laughed out loud at that. He’d never been more afraid in all his life.
“I don’t want anything from you and the only
Under her thumb. He’d have laughed out loud if his heart wasn’t lodged in his throat. It was the most bizarre feeling in the world, this sense of suspense, the simultaneous dread and almost painful arousal, this certainty that everything was about to change.
“You created a world so real to me I could feel it, hear it, smell it, taste it.”
He was going to implode. It took everything he had to sit still under her touch.
“Your hero really got to me. It was his flaws that drew him to me. He wasn’t always heroic, but I never had a doubt he’d succeed. In fact, the more he doubted himself, the more confident I became in him. I don’t think I’ve ever so completely identified with a fictional character.” Hersmile suddenly faded as she looked into his eyes. He had no idea if the ferocity of his reaction showed in his expression. Her hand tightened on him for a moment and then she pulled it away quickly as if she’d been burned.
He noticed the vein in her temple flicker, and she swallowed nervously.
He wanted to reassure her that he was harmless, however he felt anything but at the moment. He had to end this … possession she had of some part of him he couldn’t control. He wanted to let go, to give into it and follow it where it would lead him. Lead them. She’d created the dragon after all. His dragon.
“Fairy or sorceress,” he murmured. Which was she?
“I … I don’t—” She stood and moved back. The breeze tore at her hair, sending it up in fiery spikes around her head, wrapping the thin cotton of her dress tightly against her skin.
He stood too, but moved away from her, fists tight, pulse hammering. He let the boat drift, not caring if it capsized or floated out to sea.
Jordy nervously smoothed her dress. As if that helped. Her frame was slight and yet he had this burning need to run his hands over the shape the wind had so clearly defined for him.
Insanity. He kept his gaze on the water until he could bring himself under control.
“We’d better get going,” she said, her voice a bit uneven. “I don’t want to keep your grandfather waiting.”
Cai opened his mouth, then shut it.
He didn’t speak again until the dock at Crystal Key came into view. “Thank you for helping me out with Alfred. About the investigation, I mean. It’s just better if he doesn’t have to be bothered with this.”
“No problem.”
He darted a glance her way, before maneuvering the boat up to the dock. She wasn’t looking at him.
“Your home is lovely,” she said, the polite visitor once again. “Is it all yours? The island I mean.”
“Yes.” He cut the engine and tied off the boat, but before hopping to the pier, he faced her. “Listen, I’m glad you enjoyed the book. I, uh, about back there, it’s—”
She cut him off with a light smile. “No need to explain. Your job is much like mine, isolated. It’s nice to know when something you’ve labored over is appreciated. But I’m sorry if I embarrassed you.”
“You didn’t embarrass me.” She’d felt something of what he did back there, he knew that. But, if she was going to gloss it over with polite platitudes, he should simply let it go as well. Nothing had happened. Nothing really had changed.
He wished like hell he could believe that.
He helped her up, careful to touch her no more than he had to. “I have to work,” he said shortly. “Just have Dilys come and tell me when you’re ready to leave and I’ll take you back.”
They were almost to the edge of the yard when she stopped. “I know I’m an outsider here.” There was more than politeness in her tone now. There was frost. “I know you’re worried about your grandfather. You have nothing to fear from me.”
Cai almost laughed out loud at that. He’d never been more afraid in all his life.
“I don’t want anything from you and the only
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