Page 30 of Cursed Touch
She shook her head. “I can’t. I need some space…”
Vanessa: Can you pick me up?
She hit send and waited while the three little dots danced a few moments later.
Georgia: I thought you went to Carter’s?
Vanessa: I did.
Before she could tap out another message, Carter placed his large hand over the screen. “I’ll drive you home,” he said and handed her her purse. When she raised her gaze to his, a piece of her heart twisted. He looked hurt and confused, and she wanted to fix it as much as she wanted to shake him like a ragdoll until he agreed Georgia could also know his secret.
Georgia: Wish I could, babe, but I’m not in town. I can call someone else if you’d like. What the hell happened?
Her shoulders slumped, and she nodded silently. Carter’s hand on her lower back seared her through her clothes. It felt right, but she was so annoyed with the man, she wanted to rip it off and feed it to him.
Where he was concerned, her emotions flashed hot and cold. A small part of her knew she was overreacting, but the other part feared that if she backed down, it would set the stage for their relationship.
“I live in the Mandolin Apartments on Acadia and Rawly,” she told him after he slid behind the wheel.
Rock music played quietly as Vanessa watched the trees pass by through the window. She breathed in the scents of leather and man. The heated seat warmed her, lulling her to sleep after her two orgasms and the adrenaline within her had plummeted.
She never argued or fought. Carter brought out a side of her she had not known she possessed. She could feel him watching her and her traitorous body came to life. With merely a glance, he warmed her like a clear summer day.
It was absurd how much she wanted this man in her life. He played her body like he’d known it all his life. Her orgasms had been one of a kind, rocking her unlike any other.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart.” His soft words filled the car, even over the music. “My intention was never to insult you or Georgia, but you need to understand that simply knowing what you now know puts you in harm’s way.”
“Then why did you guys bother telling me?” she snapped.
He sighed. “In your case? Not knowing was far more dangerous. As it is, we now know you’ve attracted someone’s attention…”
Her brows pinched as she was reminded what Ethan—no, the woman who had taken over Ethan—had said.“He’s coming… Together you stand; apart you’ll fall.”
“How accurate has Ethan or that… woman been? I mean, how do you really know I’m in danger?”
Carter ran a hand down his face and sighed. “Ethan’s pretty good with his powers. The woman is an ancestor who takes over him. As I drive you home, everything in me is screaming to bring you back to my place. I don’t like this at all, sweetheart. Something isn’t right, but I also have a feeling if I don’t drive you home, it’ll drive a huge wedge between us.”
She bit her lip and stared through the windshield. Vanessa would not admit that every mile closer to her apartment felt wrong. Acknowledging it to herself was bad enough. She was tired of feeling like a crazy person.
His phone chimed with a text, and the screen lit the inside cabin. He pressed the screen on his entertainment center and a robotic voice filled the car. “You have a text from—” Carter sighed while his car slowly read the digits of the unknown number, and Vanessa stiffened at his side.
“Who sent that?” she asked.
Carter looked from the road to her to the phone before returning his gaze to the road. He scoffed. “No idea.”
She pressed her lips together firmly and crossed her arms. They were sucking at being supposed soul mates. Their communication was shit, and secrets still loomed over them like angry clouds threatening to soak them.
He turned into the complex and she guided him to her building, where he found an open spot and parked.
“Thanks for bringing me home,” she said and pulled the handle. The door was still locked, so she slid her free hand along the door panel in search of the lock. “Want to give me a hand?”
“Vanessa?”
She paused at the sound of her name rolling off his tongue. His tone was hesitant and cautious, drawing her attention more than an angry one ever could.
“I don’t feel right leaving you here. Wait,” he said, raising a hand when her lips parted to argue with him. “I have a spare bedroom, and you’re welcome to use it if you want to get some of your things, at least until we can figure out whose radar you landed on.”
His concern was evident. He seemed to have aged ten years since their date. She shook her head. “I appreciate your concern, but I’ll be fine.”
