Deception (24 page)
He couldn’t contain a convulsion.
“Besides, it’s not as if I’m limited to just Rancho del Cielo. We’re not exactly in quarantine here. There’s available men in San Diego. Even Orange County if I want. I could sleep with any number of them.”
“You can’t go around having unprotected sex with people until you get pregnant! It’s stupid and it’s dangerous!” Trump card. It was one thing to let Miranda get away with manipulating him. It was something else to let her get into that kind of trouble with other men. She’d behave now, he was sure.
Except she looked like he’d just stolen her bunny. She lowered her leg and any trace of a smile melted away. Suddenly, she seemed so uncertain and almost afraid, he wanted to scoop her into his arms and just hold her for a while.
Which would lead in all the wrong directions. He had to make sure she understood, and comforting her wasn’t the way to go about it.
“I guess you’re right,” she conceded. “It’s not the same world out there as it was when we were kids. It wouldn’t be safe.” She took a moment to consider her options. “I guess that brings me back to young Andy.”
“Will you stop calling him young?” Josh rubbed his bleary eyes, willing away the idea she’d conjured of her and Young Andy Raymond. Damn, now she had
him
doing it.
“Who? You mean Young Andy? Young, young, young Andy Raymond.” She was too damn giddy about ruffling his feathers.
“Youth isn’t everything when it comes to sex. In fact, it’s usually detrimental.” He leaned toward her. “Experience goes a long way.”
“That’s a good point. Maybe not Andy. I mean, if I’m going to sleep around, I might as well enjoy it.”
Oh, for the love of God.
“You’re not sleeping with anyone!”
“I don’t remember asking permission, Josh.” She rose to her feet, putting her hands on her bare hips in a few lithe movements he shouldn’t have noticed. Unnerved at facing her waist level, he stood too. Unfortunately, for him, the space between the two lawn chairs they’d been sitting on didn’t allow for two adults to stand. He ended up wrapping an arm around her still-wet form to steady them both, and she pressed flush against him. The mixed smell of coconut lotion and Miranda, tempered by chlorine and wide green eyes blinking in surprise, dizzied his senses.
Or maybe it was just feeling her again, his body automatically taking her weight as if it still remembered the one time he’d been allowed. The time he’d been trying for years to forget. Now it was impossible to ignore the electricity he’d only ever felt with her. The air around them crackled almost audibly. His arm tightened on her at about the same time that she rose on her tiptoes and tentatively pressed her lips to his.
He needs their energy. Their essence. Their very lives…
Black Aura
© 2008 Jaycee Clark
If anyone needs a vacation, it’s Lake Johnson. After her psychic abilities failed her—almost costing a friend’s life—she hopes a little time away in Taos, New Mexico will ease the self-doubt haunting her. Perhaps what she needs is the distraction of sexy gallery owner Maxamillan Gray.
Women look great on canvas, Max has learned, but in real life they’re a pain. Although the mysterious Lake definitely gets under his skin, he’s wary after having been betrayed one too many times before.
As Max and Lake cautiously explore their attraction for each other, Lake becomes aware that Max’s edgy, complex daughter has been targeted by a building malevolence. The problem—getting Max to believe her. And convincing herself she can trust her own instincts.
If she can’t do either, it’s only a matter of time before a soulless madman steals Max’s daughter away—and another gifted young woman dies.
Warning! This work depicts a merciless villain, a sexy hero who will do anything to protect the ones he loves, and an eccentric heroine who the hero really wants to paint…preferably naked. Contains sex, graphic language and violence.
Enjoy the following excerpt for
Black Aura:
Max broke eye contact and glanced at their coffees sitting between them. “This has been fun, but I’m hungry. You want to go eat?”
That was such a loaded question, but she let it go. The twinkle in his eyes said he heard her thoughts.
“You like spice?” he asked, leaning even closer towards her.
Lake’s gaze dropped from his eyes to his lips. What would they feel like on her? She’d bet he knew how to use his mouth. “I uh…” She frowned. “Spice? As in ‘and everything nice’?”
“I sincerely hope not.”
“Yeah, same here.”
That corner of his mouth edged sexily up again. “As in hot. Food.”
“Food.” Food.
His flash of teeth made her want to bite him.
She sat back, quickly. What the hell was wrong with her? For months she’d been celibate. Granted she’d thought about…okay, maybe
fantasized
once or twice about Max. But this? This was
fast.
This was fast and furious and she wondered,
what the hell
. Had she learned nothing?
“What?” he asked.
It wasn’t fair to paint him with the black brush and poisoned paint that her last fling had left her with. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, centered on herself and tried to…
feel
. She missed feeling, knowing what was what, not only around her, but within herself.
To hell with it.
She opened her eyes and focused on Max. “Nothing. Spicy food is fine.”
His narrowed eyes watched her. Did the man miss anything, because it sure as hell didn’t feel like it.
As they stood, he opened his wallet. She put her hand on his arm. “I sort of roped you into this.”
The straight-on stare stopped her even before his words. “I don’t let women pay. Period. You have a problem with that?”
Men were so damned touchy. If she said no, she sounded like she wanted a sugar daddy and if she said yes, she sounded ungrateful. She shrugged. “Whatever you want.”
They headed for the door, his hand again on the base of her spine. Not just to pull her chair out, but to guide her around the other tables through the dimly lit coffee shop to the door. Outside, on the sidewalk, the chilled evening air danced over her and she shivered.
Max looked up and down the street. “We could go to Benita’s. Great New Mexican food.”
She grinned. “I love New Mexican food, the subtle flavors, spicy but not red chili spicy, ya know?”
“Yes, I know.” He frowned and looked at his watch. “I should have made reservations.”
She shrugged. “It’s okay. It’s spur of the moment.”
“Fulfilled hope is a better term.”
“Ah.” She liked this. This excitement mixed with anxiety. “Let’s walk.” She held her hand out to him and he took it after only a moment’s pause, his warm and comforting.
“It’s cold tonight.”
“Snow’s coming back,” she agreed.
Her heels clicked along the sidewalk, and they moved to the side to let a group of college students by, or maybe just a group of young friends.
As they made the three-block walk to Benita’s, neither said very much. However, it wasn’t the normal awkward silence of many first dates, it was more the comfortable silence of friends.
They neared the restaurant and she could see they wouldn’t be eating, at least sitting down to dine, anytime soon.
“Well, damn,” Max muttered.
“Carry-out?” she asked, and then realized that might be read as—
“Works for me.”
Stop worrying, for crying out loud, she thought. He was nice, she’d watched him for months. His aura was a calming blue, with the occasional color burst. But that was normal, at least to her, for very talented people. It was like an actual light bulb going off when they had ideas. She wondered what his aura was like while he painted. Or what it was like when he made love… And
where
did that thought come from? She concentrated on the menu he handed her.
They ordered their food, sipped tangy margaritas and munched through two baskets of salty chips and salsa while they waited.
Loaded with three carryout bags, she laughed as they made their way back.
When they again stood in front of the coffee shop, he jerked his head towards the gallery. “Want to come to my place to eat?”
“Because it’s so much closer to the paints?” she asked.
“I said nothing about paints.” He blinked. “Sorry. You’re just a great subject.”
“At least I’m a great something.” Okay, so hot thoughts must be put on hold since the man lived with his daughter.
Probably a good thing to go slow. Slow allowed one time to think. And thinking was good. Perhaps if she’d done more thinking in her life previously, then she might not be so torn up about what to do in her life now.
For a woman who had always just followed where fate led her, she’d questioned more in the last several months than in her entire life.
Thank you, fate.
And second-guessing was exhausting. Fate, roads, belief.
Shaking off the thoughts that never left her completely alone, she focused back on the sexy man beside her. Instead of entering the front door of the gallery, he walked around to the side to an arched adobe gateway with a tall wooden turquoise gate. The latch clicked as he opened and held the gate for her. She strode over the flagstones laid in the ground. Here at the back, a staircase led up to the second floor.
“I bet this courtyard is beautiful later in the year,” she said softly.
He grinned. “I admit, I like gardening and yes, it is. Maybe you’ll see it then.”
She licked her lips. Would she still be here? “Maybe I will.”
The door at the top of the steps opened and Alyssa barreled down the stairs, her black heeled boots clunking with the ease and grace of youth. “Later, Dad. Don’t wait up.”
“Alyssa.” He juggled and almost dropped one of the bags until Lake reached out and caught it. “Where are you going?”
“Dad, I’m fine. I’ll be in later.
Really
later, so have fun. I’ve got my cell phone, feel free to call, just not too many times. I’ll be with Mark.”
“Mark?” He frowned. “But Thad, aren’t you guys dating?”
Alyssa laughed. “Mark and I are
talking
about school, Dad. Jeez, it’s not a date. And even if it was, Thad’s…” She shrugged and walked backward towards the gate. “We’re just, you know, casual.”
“Casual,” Max said.
The whirling burst of energy all but danced out the gate. The latch clicked into the silence. Cars drove by on the street and both adults were left standing holding bags.
“Ahhh,” Lake said into the baffled silence. “To be young and carefree again.”
“She’s never carefree.” He drew in a deep breath. “And what the hell does casual mean?”
“Do you really want to know?”
His eyes held no humor as they locked on hers.
“I think it means, mind your own business.”
He scoffed.
“Be thankful for times like these.” She looked at the gate with thoughts of youth and fun in her head and just like that, darkness swept in.
Black fog. Alyssa walking, hurrying, thinking…
Broken images.
Fear.
Evil…
The vision wasn’t clear…
Darkness trailed through the air, tentacles swirling closer and closer to Alyssa…
The images broke, scattered.
Eyes in containers.
From before.
Lake jerked and almost dropped the bag.
“Hey, you okay?” Max asked her in his deep voice.
Lake could only stand there like an idiot staring at the gate. The gate Alyssa had gone through, walked through, seemed to mock her.
Darkness still hung in the air. She shivered.
What did it mean? Did it mean anything?
“Watch out for her,” she said softly.
“What?”
“Alyssa, watch her.” She licked her lips. “Nothing, sorry, just…nothing.”
He frowned and said, “Come on, you’re cold. Let’s get inside and eat.”
The truth was, she was no longer hungry. For months she’d had shields in place, even as she had wanted to reconnect with herself. Yet when she lowered her shields, rarely could she…could she…
feel
or sense to any degree she used to. But not this time. This time, the feelings had all but blindsided her.
What did they mean?
She had been of no help before, not when she needed to be, not when it really mattered, when it really counted.
And only once had she had this feeling before, when Cora had almost died.
This darkness, an overcast sky, shrouded her senses. Was this real? Was she projecting feelings from the nightmare before?
“Hey?” His hand on her shoulder pulled her back. “Lake? You okay?”
She looked at him, then back at the gate. The feeling deep in her gut was the same—she had to do something. Maybe this was fate giving her a second chance to help, to stop the darkness she’d missed before.
She tried to smile and walked up the stairs.
Now she just had to figure out how to stop the darkness.
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