Page 26 of Beneath My Skin

This was it, I thought, wringing my hands as I watched him down a few pills and water. This was the end of the line for my particular brand of ordinary. Whatever Dax and I decided to do to take down Jacqueline after this point, it was a road I couldn’t reverse out of. It was straight ahead and barrel through or…dead end. Full stop.

It was enough to make a girl think.

What did I want? Where was I going? I was twenty-six years old without a serious relationship to my name. Sure, having a boyfriend wasn’t the meaning of life. But I’d like to at least experience what I could before I died tomorrow.

If I died, I tried to correct myself. For some reason, it didn’t quite stick.

But I could do nothing by myself. I needed his help. “Dax,” I put in hesitantly, staring at my feet. “How long does it really take for a djinn to heal?”

He looked at me for a long moment before taking another gulp of water. “Faster than a normal human. But when the wound is almost clean through and caused by magic, not fast enough. Why?”

“I thought you said she didn’t hurt you that badly!”

His machismo was back. “I’m a big boy. I can handle it. I was just trying to help you out so you didn’t feel squeamish.”

“For my benefit, eh?” Hands went to my hips. “There goes my idea of spending alone time with you. I mean, I wouldn’t want to hurt you.”

I started to turn away but was unsurprised when he reached out to grab my arm and halt my progress. “What? What is this about alone time?”

“No, forget it. I wouldn’t want anything to happen to you before you have a chance to heal. Or before the aspirin kicks in.” I tried to play innocent but it wasn’t my forte. My flirting was rustier than a sack of nails left out in the rain for a year. The finer points of the art of seduction escaped me.

He stood and faced me. “Why are you blinking like that? Did you get something in your eye?”

I broke his hold on me, lips pursed. “I guess I’m not being very clear.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I just…” I lowered my gaze to the floor “We might die when we confront Jacqueline. She gave me until tomorrow to come to her.” And tomorrow was coming fast. The sky darkening. The twilight cold. “And I…I kind of like you.”

Liked him enough to want to jump his bones. Staring at him now, green eyes taking in my face, dusky skin golden in the muted light, my mouth went dry.

This might be my last day on Earth. I didn’t want to spend it regretting how I hadn’t really lived. “Why not take the chance to be together while we have the chance? I don’t want to go to my grave without taking this risk.”

“Mariella,” he said slowly. Shifting closer. “Are you saying you want to sleep with me?”

“I know we haven’t known each other long. It’s been, like, the blink of an eye. But contemplating one’s mortality kind of makes one realize time is precious. Don’t you think?” It came out in a rush.

Instead of answering, Dax took me into his arms. Afraid I was getting the chauvinistic charmer version of him I’d met that first day, I kept my eyes on the floor. He was going to let me down gently. To tell me it was a horrible idea for X and Y and Z reasons.

“I’ve been thinking about getting you in bed from the moment you hit me with your car.”

It wasn’t the best pickup line in the world. But it warmed my heart. “You hit my car.”

“Demon and all,” he continued, “would you like to accompany me back to my bottle?”

“The medallion around Jacqueline’s neck? Are you sure it’s safe?”

“It’s the only place we are truly safe,” he replied.

“Can your shoulder handle the trip?” I asked with only the smallest kernel of sarcasm.

“You let me worry about my shoulder. Suddenly I’m finding it’s not quite the worst wound in the world. Besides, I had a terrific seamstress sew me up. Practically good as new.”

“Sure, if your seamstress was Leatherface.”

“Come.” He reached down and took my hand, pulling me in close to him. “Take a deep breath.”

“I know the drill. Let’s go.”

I closed my eyes and inhaled.

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