Page 17 of A Midlife Vanishing Trick

“Yeah, well, you’re welcome, I guess.”

This comment only seemed to make Johan angrier. He took a step closer, a menacing look in his eyes. “You brought me into this world of yours, away from the Ice Melter.”

“In my defense, I thought I was going to die, and I wasn’t going to die alone,” Stanley said, certain this man was completely insane. Shouldn’t he be grateful he didn’t have to live on Frost Mountain anymore?”

Johan snarled and attacked, hurtling his fist at Stanley’s face. He dodged the punch easily, but then Johan kicked hard in the ribs and knocked him into a wall. With a grunt, Stanley slid to the ground, clutching his side. Johan stood over him, chest heaving.

“I can’t find a way back home,” he said. “And even if I did, there’s no telling I’d ever find the Ice Melter’s cave. You took me from my master, my home, everything I knew and cared for.”

Through his pain, Stanley smirked. “Isn’t that what you Collectors do?”

The man’s wolfish eyes gleamed with murderous intent. He struck again. This time, Stanley was more prepared. He caught Johan’s fist with one hand. When Johan attempted to kick him again, he ducked out of the way and launched a swift kick at Johan’s leg, knocking the man off balance. Johan hit the ground with a pained grunt and winced from the impact. Then, Stanley sprang to his feet and delivered a swift kick in the ribs for good measure.

“I don’t know what the hell your problem is,” he said. “I knew you would be trouble when I heard you were here in Torpe, but you’re insane, too. Why would you want to go back to Frost Mountain, of all places? You should be thanking me for bringing you to Earth.”

In a flash, Johan was back on his feet. He raised both hands, and Stanley saw black claws extend from his fingertips. For a second, Stanley considered shifting as well, but then it occurred to him that they were being watched. A couple of people had stopped to see what was going on.

Johan saw them, too. Stanley wasn’t sure if Johan was stupid enough to shift in public. But Johan wasn’t stupid. He’d no doubt been observing the place and the people. On Frost Mountain, he could have shifted in public view with no consequences. But this wasn’t Frost Mountain. On Earth, revealing himself as a supernatural would not end well for him.

The man quickly retracted his claws and stepped back. Stanley hoped no one had noticed them.

Glowering at him, Johan said, “This isn’t over.” He cocked his head. “You’ll pay for what you’ve done. I’m going to give you the death you should’ve had in the cave.”

Chapter Six

“I Shouldn’t Have Come Here”

Allison chastised herself.Okay, so maybe going down to the barn again hadn’t been such a great idea.

Her instincts had warned her to stay away as they had over the past few days whenever the thought of him crept into her mind—which, she’d come to realize, was most of the time. Why should she go back to him after what he’d done?

Good question,Allison thought.

She found him brushing one of the horses, his bare back to her. He was humming a tune she didn’t recognize. Allison stood in the doorway, adjusting her dress. She’d considered wearing jeans and boots but had opted for something more feminine. On her way to the barn, she’d convinced herself that she’d worn the dress becausesheliked it, not because Stanley would like it.

She ignored the other horses in their stables. She had eyes only for Stanley. He worked just as hard as he always had, if not harder. Over the past couple of days, she’d seen him tend to the horses and the cattle with the cowhands, riding around the ranch not at all like a man who’d been missing for four years. He acted as if no time had passed at all.

But she could see that it had. Just looking at him, she knew this wasn’t the same man from four years ago. He’d gotten a haircut a couple of days ago and now looked a lot less like a hobo. His features were more defined, and she’d noticed his now-visible jaw chiseled.

It wasn’t just the hair, she knew, taking a few steps farther into the barn. He still had his broad back to her. Even scarred, the sight of it was enough to send a tingly sensation spreading through her body. His muscles clenched as he worked; his back glistened. Whether the moisture was water or sweat, Allison had no idea, but it was mesmerizing to see.

She’d felt those muscles the day he came into her bedroom. But that was as far as she’d gotten before she’d stopped herself. If she hadn’t, she might have gotten to explore him a bit more. Even now, her curiosity prodded her, and she wondered what might happen if she’d moved her hands lower, much lower ...

Stanley had always been an excellent lover. That was one of the many things she’d adored about him. And she was willing to bet the ranch that he hadn’t changed one bit. The way he’d kissed her the other day had nearly melted her insides. She could think of a few other places she’d like to feel that hot, delicious mouth of his.

A gentle breeze blew into the barn, causing Allison’s dress to flutter around her thighs. She bit her lip. What was she even doing here? She started to back away toward the barn doors.

“I remember when you’d come down here to watch me work,” Stanley said from across the barn, stopping her before she could take another step. “You would stand and watch for hours until you were tired of standing, and then you’d sit.”

He still had his back to her. Allison bit down harder on her lip. Had he known she was in here the whole time?

“We’d talk and laugh while I worked. And when I was done working in here, we’d head back to the house, have a nice dinner, and go up to bed together.” Stanley turned away from the horse he’d been working on and faced her, dropping the brush. He wiped his hands on his jeans as he slowly approached her, a grin unfurling on his handsome face. Even after a trip to the barber, his dark beard was still speckled with grey.

“I ... I ...” She forced herself to look away, anywhere but at him. Not that it helped. She could feel his blue eyes boring into her. And she could feel her body responding to him touching her without touching her, caressing her with his burning gaze.

What had she been thinking coming down here?

“I miss that,” Stanley said. He didn’t stop until he was right in front of her, and she could feel his warm breath on her face. “I miss you.”

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