Her mouth watered. How could she be scared, confused and horny all at the same time? “The bed shaking and the bottles moving? That was you.”
Her jaw dropped and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she actually spoke. “What does that mean?”
“It means you now have magical abilities you didn’t have before. Unless you were able to make things move just by thinking about it and waving your hands.”
She lifted her hands from her hips to wrap the towel more tightly around her—and the bottles of lotions and hair products on the bathroom console table shook. She froze, the towel now only partially covering her body.
Rio sighed and finished tucking the towel around her. “Or even by not trying.”
Now she was really too afraid to move. “This is insane. I must be dreaming.”
He pinched her arm, just a gentle squeeze, but enough for her to wince and reach for him. The bottles on the console rattled again.
“Oh my God.” Her voice held a definite squeak. She squeezed her eyes closed, wanting to shut out the world around her. “What’s going on? Why is that happening?”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, Rio said, “Think of it as a force field around your body that you control with your mind.” When her eyes popped open again, he 46
Seduced and Enchanted
sighed. “Yes, I know it sounds nuts. But if you want to be able to leave the house, you’ll have to learn how to control it.”
“Why do I have to leave the house?” Okay, that was a really stupid question.
Rio’s smile returned, a completely natural expression, and it gave her hope that he actually knew what he was talking about. “Well, for one thing, you have a job. For another, I’ve got a friend you’re going to want to meet. He’ll have answers.”
Answers sounded good. But she still had to get out of the house without bringing it down around her.
“Fine.” Rosie took a deep breath. “Show me what I have to do.”
Rio lifted Rosie in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. He had her stand perfectly still while he dried her again and dressed her in the robe he found thrown over a chair in the corner.
Then he picked her up again and sat her on the bed. Her body was so stiff he was afraid she’d break, but her eyes followed his every movement, occasionally slipping to his ears, as if checking to see if they’d changed into normal ears while she wasn’t looking.
Pushing that thought aside, he said, “Okay, let’s do a little experiment first.” He stood in front of her, staring straight into her eyes. “I want you to clear your mind. Try to think about nothing. Then I want you to move your foot as if you’re kicking a ball.”
Her head cocked to the side out of habit. She didn’t seem to notice and nothing moved. “My foot?”
He nodded. “Let’s just see what happens.”
She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. It took her at least thirty seconds but then she opened them, firmed her mouth and kicked out with her left foot.
Nothing moved, shook, rattled or even trembled.
“Anything?” she asked, staring straight at him, as if afraid to look around.
47
Stephanie Julian
He smiled easily, shaking his head. “No. All right, now I want you to move your hands. Slowly, okay.” If he was right then—
Rosie lifted her right arm, fingers outstretched as if she were reaching for something.
And the pictures on the wall directly across from her rattled. Her eyes widened again, fear replacing the determination.
“Hey, it’s okay, babe.” He reached out to clasp her shoulders and squeezed gently.
“Slowly put your hand down and move your head.”
Again it took her a few seconds, her gaze glued to his, but finally she lowered her hand and tilted her head to the side. Nothing happened.
Her eyes narrowed as her brain worked. “It’s just my hands?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s my guess.”
She frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Actually it does. Most Etruscans use their
Her jaw dropped and her mouth opened and closed a few times before she actually spoke. “What does that mean?”
“It means you now have magical abilities you didn’t have before. Unless you were able to make things move just by thinking about it and waving your hands.”
She lifted her hands from her hips to wrap the towel more tightly around her—and the bottles of lotions and hair products on the bathroom console table shook. She froze, the towel now only partially covering her body.
Rio sighed and finished tucking the towel around her. “Or even by not trying.”
Now she was really too afraid to move. “This is insane. I must be dreaming.”
He pinched her arm, just a gentle squeeze, but enough for her to wince and reach for him. The bottles on the console rattled again.
“Oh my God.” Her voice held a definite squeak. She squeezed her eyes closed, wanting to shut out the world around her. “What’s going on? Why is that happening?”
Placing his hands on her shoulders, Rio said, “Think of it as a force field around your body that you control with your mind.” When her eyes popped open again, he 46
Seduced and Enchanted
sighed. “Yes, I know it sounds nuts. But if you want to be able to leave the house, you’ll have to learn how to control it.”
“Why do I have to leave the house?” Okay, that was a really stupid question.
Rio’s smile returned, a completely natural expression, and it gave her hope that he actually knew what he was talking about. “Well, for one thing, you have a job. For another, I’ve got a friend you’re going to want to meet. He’ll have answers.”
Answers sounded good. But she still had to get out of the house without bringing it down around her.
“Fine.” Rosie took a deep breath. “Show me what I have to do.”
Rio lifted Rosie in his arms and carried her back to the bedroom. He had her stand perfectly still while he dried her again and dressed her in the robe he found thrown over a chair in the corner.
Then he picked her up again and sat her on the bed. Her body was so stiff he was afraid she’d break, but her eyes followed his every movement, occasionally slipping to his ears, as if checking to see if they’d changed into normal ears while she wasn’t looking.
Pushing that thought aside, he said, “Okay, let’s do a little experiment first.” He stood in front of her, staring straight into her eyes. “I want you to clear your mind. Try to think about nothing. Then I want you to move your foot as if you’re kicking a ball.”
Her head cocked to the side out of habit. She didn’t seem to notice and nothing moved. “My foot?”
He nodded. “Let’s just see what happens.”
She inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. It took her at least thirty seconds but then she opened them, firmed her mouth and kicked out with her left foot.
Nothing moved, shook, rattled or even trembled.
“Anything?” she asked, staring straight at him, as if afraid to look around.
47
Stephanie Julian
He smiled easily, shaking his head. “No. All right, now I want you to move your hands. Slowly, okay.” If he was right then—
Rosie lifted her right arm, fingers outstretched as if she were reaching for something.
And the pictures on the wall directly across from her rattled. Her eyes widened again, fear replacing the determination.
“Hey, it’s okay, babe.” He reached out to clasp her shoulders and squeezed gently.
“Slowly put your hand down and move your head.”
Again it took her a few seconds, her gaze glued to his, but finally she lowered her hand and tilted her head to the side. Nothing happened.
Her eyes narrowed as her brain worked. “It’s just my hands?”
He nodded. “Yeah, that’s my guess.”
She frowned. “That doesn’t make any sense.”
“Actually it does. Most Etruscans use their
Similar Books
