Page 25 of Beneath My Skin

Dax took her hand and raised it to his lips for a kiss, stopping centimeters from her skin. “You’re just as Mariella described you.”

“Oh?” The response was a mere breath and Lynn’s cheeks flushed.

“Yes, a dwarfish middle-aged woman with prune-like skin and a bad attitude.”

Her mouth dropped open and I hastily covered a snort that was half embarrassment and half pleasure. I hadn’t said anything of the sort, but damn, it was great to see her reaction.

“I beg your pardon!” she finally spat out.

“Aunt Lynn, I…I—”

“I beg your pardon, Lynn, because as Mariella said, this is not a good time. We were just getting started when you barged in and interrupted us. I’m sure you understand.” Through it all he kept his voice friendly and pitched low, but he rubbed his free hand across his bare chest in a very masculine gesture, leaving no doubt as to what he was inferring. His gaze was cavalier, his posture almost provocative.

Lynn let him shuttle her out the door, completely speechless and with only a bemused expression on her face. From the window I saw Lynn standing in the driveway for a moment looking like we’d just told her the sky was green instead of blue. Then she turned and slowly walked away as if in a daze.

“What was all that about?” I asked Dax breathlessly. He’d shut the door and removed the towel from his wound, and I could see fresh blood seeping from it. I grabbed his arm and forced him back to the dining table so I could apply a bandage.

“That was me doing something you’ve wanted to do for far too long. You shouldn’t let her talk to you in such a manner.”

“She’s my family.”

“Family is what you make of it. Family stands by you. They care for you. They certainly don’t treat you with disrespect.”

I managed to get a bandage on his shoulder wound, then fetched an oversized T-shirt from my closet. It was something I sometimes slept in, but it was clean and would work for now. “Here, put this on.” I helped him maneuver into it.

“Smells pretty. Like you.” He flashed me a grin.

“And it sounds like you’re feeling better. Please tell me you’re well enough to think about our next move.”

“Our next move is to get you far away from Jacqueline,” he said.

“Can’t she just call you back?”

“She thinks I’m out cold for the next…however long. I’m sure once she realizes I’m fine she’ll summon me. She knows she can’t kill me without a magical backlash on her. However, she’ll be expecting you to come to her.”

“And are we going to? Come to her, I mean?” I asked.

“It depends on you and whether you think you’re ready.”

“Hell no, I’m not ready. Are you kidding me? I’m just a girl from Connecticut.”

“You have no idea what you’re capable of. I highly doubt you’re just a girl.” His tone was mocking. But there was something else there besides humor. Respect?

“Are you kidding? I’m as white-bread-picket-fence-milk-and-cookies as they come,” I protested. With the exception of a few abnormalities. “You have to have realized that by now. I think we’ve spent enough time together that you know me.”

“Have you ever heard of hidden depths?” Dax replied. He held out his hand to take mine in a steady grip. “Think about it, Mariella.”

I didn’t want to think about it because it was life-altering. Bigger than realizing you had a demon inside of you at age six. Some things you learn to live with. Some things bend the fabric of your reality. I felt like this was one of them.

“But until you’re ready, we need to keep moving,” he said and stood. “No reason to make ourselves sitting ducks for Jacqueline.”

I couldn’t argue with that. But where would we go? What would we do? I grabbed the first aid kit, because that wound would need more attention before long. “How’s your shoulder?”

“It hurts enough to warrant drugs. Got any pain-killers?”

“I thought genies didn’t need aspirin,” I said with a smirk as I rummaged through the cabinet next to the sink for something appropriate. Ibuprofen would have to do. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and handed both to him.

Then I let out the breath I’d barely been aware of holding. So much mattered now, I realized. So much it was too much. And the fear of that had held me back.

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