Page 26 of Joshua's Mistake
Chapter 5
She knewJoshua had been inside her dream. It was strange she hadn’t remembered that part of the night they’d been attacked. Even in her nightmares she had managed to block the worst of the memory. Now she’d shown it to Joshua she remembered the horror of seeing Jake’s mind defiled after they had already killed him. What had that guy been doing to him and why?
The bedroom was empty. After what he’d seen, she wouldn’t have been surprised if he’d left her, but he was at the edge of her mind, quieter than before, but definitely there.
She pulled on her clothes from the day before, wishing she had time to do some laundry and walked to the bathroom. Once she was a bit more presentable she made her way into the common rooms. It was eerily quiet, but she found Joshua sitting cross-legged on the floor in the middle of the living room. He was wearing a pair of khaki cargo shorts and no shirt. Even relaxed his chest and abs were impressive. His eyes were closed and his palms rested on his knees.
She quietly admired the way his arms bulged with muscle. Her nipples hardened against the inside of her shirt and her clit pulsed. He was beautiful. Of course, he knew she was there as she had not shielded her mind. His eyes popped open and he smiled.
“I’m surprised you didn’t leave me,” she said.
His mouth turned down though his gaze never left hers. “I won’t.”
“You’d be safer.”
“People like us don’t look for safer.”
She found herself nodding her agreement. She sat down on the floor in front of him.
“Where’d you get the clothes?”
“I keep some stuff of mine here for emergencies and vacations.”
“What are you doing?”
“Meditating.”
“You didn’t strike me as the New Age or Eastern philosophy type.”
That smile turned her insides to jelly. “A long time ago I realized if I didn’t find some way to keep the world at bay I was going to end up in an insane asylum. I spent a few years traveling around the Asian Pacific learning how to compartmentalize and block out the constant drone of thousands of minds. I’ve spent even more time studying with a shaman in Nevada.”
“Does it help?”
“I could show you.”
She shook her head. “Another time. I don’t think I could quiet my mind right now.”
“Okay.” He got up in one smooth motion and reached his hand down to help her up.
Taking it, she noted both smooth skin and rough calluses as opposite and strange as the man himself.
He kissed her cheek. “Do you remember the dream?”
“I do now. I must have blocked that part out.”
“I can understand why. Banta is a pretty scary guy.”
Her heart raced. “You know him? Who is he? What did he do to Jake’s body?”
“His name is Troth Banta and yes, I know him. A long time ago we served together and then he took one path and I took another.” Joshua moved toward the kitchen, running his fingers through his cropped hair.
“Maybe you’d better start from the beginning.” She sat down at the table and watched him pour coffee and grab an apple from the fridge.
“Do you want coffee?”
“No, I don’t drink coffee.”
“Tea, water, vodka?”
