Page 30 of Pike

She woke at dawn, a sound from outside jolting her out of one of the snatches of sleep Pike had allowed them. He was beside her, chest rising and falling evenly, his body warm. For a long moment she just gazed at him, memorizing the picture for later.

This was a new experience, she mused. Not the kind of dream she’d expected to come true. She’d never experienced a desire like this before—the kind of desire that grew inside of you until you knew, with absolute certainty, that you’d found the person you’re meant to be with for the rest of your life. Instead of the weak-willed woman she’d always thought herself, an animal had sprung up in her place. A passionate, uninhibited wanton.

She hoped to have the experience frequently.

The searing sex she’d anticipated. One look at Pike had assured her of that. What she hadn’t expected was the tenderness. He wanted her. What a thrill! She refused to let her visions of the future put a damper on her happiness. Not when she already knew their end was inevitable.

She slid from between the sheets and grabbed a towel to cover her nakedness. Then she went to pick up the clothing that they’d scattered across the living room.

Yuck! Everything was stiff with dried and caked muck and grime that smelled of something putrefying. She shuddered and tugged the towel closer around her. Maybe he had a washer and dryer somewhere? The kitchen was a good place to look.

She hummed a little tune, peeking into the refrigerator for something to eat. “What the hell?” Her perusal turned up a number of bottles containing a range of alcoholic beverages and little else.

“You being up this early is ridiculous.”

Lavinia swiveled at his voice, shocked to see him standing buck-naked against the counter, his eyes half-closed and his voice sleepy.

“You should go back to bed,” she told him. “You need all the sleep you can get after our all-night marathon sex session.”

His eyes opened at the mention of sex. “Come here.”

Again, calling her like a damn dog. Only this time there was an undercurrent in his voice. A craving lacking before. She tiptoed closer, her fingers curling into his chest hair. “Maybe I’m the one who’s sleeping. Because if I were awake, I would see how crazy this situation is. I can’t be here in your kitchen trying to find something to eat.”

“Can, and are.” He gently tugged her fingers away from his chest and stretched them out until her palms lay flat. “I can hardly believe it myself.”

She shook her head, eyes closing. “Mmm, your bed is so comfortable. I could lie in it for days. I feel like I ran a marathon. Maybe two.”

In fact, her body trembled the longer she stood upright. Her head felt heavy, which she attributed to the lack of sleep.

“I see. You only want me for my bed.”

A few romps on the California king-size beauty with satin sheets had been a perk. But not the highlight of the evening.

“Tell me about the spell book.”

“Hmm?” Her response was sleepy and soft.

“I want to know what happened. The night you got your powers.”

“I’m sure I told you before.”

“No.” He shook his head. “You’ve always managed to dodge the subject.”

“Well,” she began slowly. “It was a prank. All the kids in school went to the magic shop and touched something.”

Pike laughed. “You became immortal from a prank?”

“It was…like being born again.” Her pitch deepened and became wistful. “The book drew me in. I can’t read Latin, Pike, but there I was. Mouthing these words I didn’t know from a spell on crumbling pages…” she trailed off, and her next statements were rife with disbelief. “There was light. I was sucked backward through a vacuum. All the air rushed out of my body and it felt like my blood turned to stone. I woke up with a clerk screaming over me and accusing me of shoplifting. I didn’t have my first vision until a week later.”

She didn’t tell him the first vision she saw was him.

“Pretty potent for a prank,” he insisted.

“Tell me about it. Sometimes the smallest things can change our lives. I’m still trying to figure out what you see in me,” she continued. “I hate to say it, but the only time men throw themselves at my feet is when they’re dead. You’re not a ghoul in disguise, are you?”

She felt his head shake before Pike murmured, “No, love, definitely not a ghoul.”

“Then you must be alive.” She stared up at his hard, handsome face. Happy he was holding her upright. She wondered what kind of products he used that gave his skin such a healthy glow. While she felt like she was about to topple over, Pike looked positively vibrant. The month-long-vacation-with-a-massage-every-day kind of vibrant.

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