Hidden Magic (21 page)

She twisted around to face her. “My mother was addicted to heroin. She died of an overdose.”

Taryn’s eyes misted. “Oh, honey. I’m so sorry. I never would have asked it I’d—”

“No, please don’t apologize. It’s long past time I told you.” Instead of judgment, Jilly found compassion in her friend’s stare and in the aura surrounding her.

They talked until the sun came up. Jilly had no doubt she’d done the right thing by confiding in Taryn and she planned to fill in Haley when she woke. And Zander when he arrived. She had to believe in her own instincts to surround herself with those she could trust.

But after her friends left, the morning ticked past with no sign of Zander. She phoned him but her call went straight to his voice mail. Rather than keep checking the clock, she decided to catch up on some of the sleep she’d missed last night. She headed into her bedroom but when she looked at her boarded up window, all she could think about was Lee Saxon trying to kill her. She grabbed the knife from under the pillow and returned to the living room.

Stretching out on the sofa, she tried to clear her mind of all the thoughts barging in, questions about Hannah and her father, about poor Ricardo and his family.

Suddenly she was walking in the woods, holding Zander’s hand. He kissed her and she marveled at how happy she felt, how safe. Maybe this could work after all. They strode toward the beach, to the spot where she loved to read in the shade of a young pine tree.

The landscape changed to crowded, dirty streets. An intersection in the French Quarter of New Orleans. A woman leaned over a second story balcony and threw her a beaded necklace as if it was Mardi Gras time.

Confused, Jilly put on the necklace so she didn’t hurt the woman’s feelings. Somehow it tightened around her neck, choking her. She gasped and coughed.

“Zander, where are you?” She clawed at the beads, trying to loosen them enough so she could at least breathe.

“Right here.” Lee Saxon gave her a sinister smile. He held a knife covered in blood.

She backed away from him and crashed into someone.

“I’ve got you.” She looked over her shoulder and found Jamal.

Her blood ran cold. She managed to escape the men and ran down Orleans Avenue. But the necklace pulled taut, cutting off her air. She reached into her pocket and found her knife.

Black dots grew before her eyes as she worked at cutting away the beads. The more strands she cut, the more appeared, constricting her neck.

“Save yourself.”

Zander. Why wouldn’t he help her?

Something banged nearby.

She woke with a start. Someone was knocking at her door.

“Jilly?”

She shook herself fully awake at Zander’s voice. Still shaky from the nightmare, she stumbled to the door and let him in.

His clothes were rumpled and a thick shadow of stubble covered his face. He pulled her into his arms and she breathed in the scent of comfort—a hint of his cologne mixed with coffee and male sweat.

She hung on a moment longer than he.

He held her at arms’ length and narrowed his eyes at her. “You okay?”

She burrowed into his chest. “Just hold me.”

His strong embrace replenished her depleted sense of security.

“What is it, baby? Did something happen?”

She led him to the kitchen table. “Just a bad dream. Want some coffee?”

He scrubbed a hand over his face. “I’m all coffeed out. But if you want to crawl into bed with me, I’m there. You’re not working today, are you?”

She shook her head. “I called Eloise last night and told her I needed to take a day to get my mojo back, so to speak.”

He slipped his arm around her waist and drew her against him. “Then you’re free to join me in your bed?”

“I didn’t get much sleep last night. But I want to hear about Hannah. Will she have to face any charges?”

“The DA is dropping everything.”

“Yay!” She took his jacket and they went into her bedroom.

Zander stripped off his clothes. “I need a shower. Care to join me?”

He seemed so comfortable in his own skin, so at ease naked. Of course, he had an amazing body. With no scars. She treated herself to the view of his arms and shoulders, so roped with muscle, the hard planes and ridges of his abdomen. Everything that made him a man reminded her she was a woman and how much she wanted him.

He took her hand and raised an eyebrow.

Desire trumped her self-consciousness. “Sure.” She followed him into the bathroom then waited for him to step into the shower before she undressed. Pulling back the curtain, she watched him lather his hair. Like all other men she’d known, he seemed to wash his entire head.

But that was where his similarity to other men ended. She’d never been with a guy who cared so much about what she wanted, what she thought and felt. She’d made a point never to give anyone enough of herself to hurt her, yet she wanted to give him all that and more.

Despite wanting it, something inside her refused to completely let her defenses down. She turned her back to him and stood under the showerhead.

Zander’s soapy hands encircled her, gently washing. He cupped her breasts and teased his fingertips around her nipples, which hardened to needy points under his touch.

She sucked in a breath laced with the humid scents of soap, shampoo and Zander. Leaning her head back on his shoulder, she closed her eyes and enjoyed the sensations. His body molded to hers and felt so right that she hardly noticed when he skimmed his hand over her side.

He traced the uneven line of her scar as he kissed her neck and nibbled on her earlobe. She held his arm against her like a lifeline. All she could manage was to stand there as he sluiced her bath sponge over her, cleaning her, caring for her like no one had before.

When he’d finished, he had her sit on the ledge. She gripped the cold porcelain as he knelt in the tub before her and pushed her legs wider apart. Her entire body hummed with need. He lazily stroked a finger along her folds, igniting the sweetest ache deep in her core.

She smoothed a lock of wet hair from his forehead. “I thought you were tired.”

He cupped her cheek and gave her a dreamy smile. “I’m never too tired for this. I can’t wait to taste you, then to dream about it.”

Her desire flared higher. She held her breath as he lowered his head to her sex and teased his clever tongue along her groove. Liquid heat pooled between her legs. She whimpered with need and he answered her request, pulling her sensitive nub between his lips.

He rubbed and sucked and licked, bringing her to the edge of ecstasy. She fisted her hands in his hair as she fell over into a sea of rapture. He drew out her pleasure until she leaned against him, spent and satisfied.

Waves of delight slowly ebbed. Zander grabbed a bath towel and wrapped it around her, drying her, nurturing her. Finally, he got up and pulled her with him. “To be continued after we get some rest.”

She didn’t say a word as she dropped into bed next to him. She couldn’t. All her brain cells were busy elsewhere. But the feelings… This was way more than physical between them, something she’d never expected.

Her whole life she’d been told and shown that she didn’t deserve much, least of all love. Zander’s tenderness seemed to be growing every time they were together.

But love had always meant pain in her world. She was already starting to depend on him. Goddess knew he’d come to her rescue enough. She refused to allow herself to to lean on him too much. Nor was it right to let him fall for her when she’d inevitably have to leave.

She’d never make the mistake of outstaying her welcome. Her dream had portended her future. Sooner or later Jamal would find her. Much as she yearned to stay, it was time to start making plans to disappear again.

* * * * *

Zander opened his eyes hours later but he could hardly see around Jilly’s bedroom. Had they really slept the entire day away? Then he caught sight of the board over her broken window, which explained why the room was so dark. And reminded him how close he’d come to losing her. A glance toward the living room assured him it was still bright and sunny outside.

His stomach growled but he hungered even more for something other than food. The need to protect her, to take care of her, body and soul, took him over. He pulled her naked body closer and she let out the most adorable little squeak. “Time to wake up, sleeping beauty.” When she didn’t move, he kissed his way from her shoulder down to the small of her back.

“Mm.” She rolled toward him and gave him that thousand watt smile he’d so rarely seen. “I suspect I know why you want me awake.”

He palmed her breast and rolled the erect nipple between his fingers. “I bet you’re right.”

Without warning she gave him a shove then climbed on top of him and straddled his lap. Splaying her fingers on his chest, she slid back and forth over his erection. He settled his hands on her waist and guided her rhythm.

“Why do you have to be so damn irresistible?” She leaned down to kiss him.

When she broke the kiss and started to back away, he took her arms and pulled her in for more. He had no idea what it was about her that he couldn’t get enough. It still bothered him that she hadn’t leveled with him completely at first, but he could forgive that, especially if she kept pivoting her hips over him, driving him crazy with wanting.

He needed to be inside her. But she got off him and kneeled next to him. “What are you…”

Before he could finish his sentence, she’d closed her hand over his cock and squeezed. And he was done thinking. She pumped his hard-on for a minute then took over with her mouth.

Holy mother of God.

She flicked her tongue over him and cupped his balls. His blood roared in his ears. She licked and sucked and had him so close to coming way too fast.

He clenched his jaw, fighting for control. She gave him one final swipe with her tongue then sat up. “There are condoms in that drawer.” She tipped her chin toward the nightstand next to him.

He found one in seconds and had in on in record time. She straddled him and took him inside her slowly, inch by inch until he was buried in her heat.

He held her hips as she rode him, the erotic friction driving him almost to the brink. She pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. Rocking her back and forth, she moaned, louder and more urgent by the second. Her eyes pinched tight in carnal concentration then gasped as she gave in to her pleasure.

The position gave him the perfect vantage point in which to watch her face as her orgasm hit. He grasped her hips tighter and stroked into her harder and deeper until he shattered in his own climax.

Yeah, he had to keep her close. He couldn’t bear the thought of losing her. Already, she’d worked her way into his heart and he planned to keep her there no matter what.

* * * * *

Jilly was walking to work a few days later with Taryn when her cell phone rang. “That’s me, sorry.” She checked the display and smiled as she answered. “Hey.”

“Hey yourself,” Zander said.

Much as she knew she shouldn’t grow too used to having him around, she had to admit she enjoyed his company. Just talking to him seemed to get her heart pumping faster and inspired a fluttery feeling in her stomach.

She only wished her disquieting dreams would quit. When they’d started a few nights ago, she’d sought Haley’s advice, which was to be extra careful. So she’d taken pains to never be alone. But if there was even a chance Jamal was coming after her she had to go on the run again. She should have left Freedom Bay days ago but she wanted just a little more time with Zander. Her chest tightened with the thought of leaving him but she couldn’t expect him to be her twenty-four-seven body guard for the rest of her life.

“Where are you?” he asked just as thunder cracked in the distance. Dark clouds blotted out the sun making the morning suddenly dreary.

“Here comes the rain. Let’s hurry.” Taryn opened her umbrella then quickened her pace.

Jilly matched her friend’s strides. “Walking to work with Taryn. Her shift at the restaurant starts in a few minutes. Are we still on for tonight?”

Our last together.

“You bet. I’ll pick you up at six, okay? I’m in the mood for Greek food. That place on Bay Street.”

“Yeah, sure. See you then.” Before she left she’d cast a spell to heal Zander’s heart. But there was no avoiding hurting him.

When they got to
Mind’s Eye
, Taryn gave her a hug. “Want me to go inside with you?”

Jilly gestured at Eloise’s Prius in the parking lot. “Boss lady’s here. I’ll be fine.” She couldn’t go on forever counting on her friends to escort her everywhere. Another reason she had to move on. She swallowed back a lump in her throat. “You’ve been a fantastic friend. I can’t tell you how much that means to me.”

Taryn wiped a raindrop from her arm. “Takes one to know one.”

With a final wave to her friend, Jilly entered the bookstore and breathed in the smoky scent of sandalwood incense. She shook off the raindrops from her clothes then dropped her purse behind the counter and glanced at her schedule for the day. A new client, someone named John, was booked for a ten-thirty appointment so she had half an hour to set up and meditate to get in her magical mindset.

Valiente wound around her ankles and meowed. Hmm. The cat rarely made a peep. Must be the storm.

“Good morning, Eloise,” she called toward the open door to the store room. She started to pour herself a cup of coffee. But when Eloise didn’t answer, she paused and set the pot aside.

Valiente jumped up onto the counter and meowed again.

A wave of negative energy hit Jilly, nearly knocking her backward. She gripped the edge of the counter and automatically erected a psychic shield around herself. “Eloise?”

Silence.

She tired the light switch but nothing happened. A chill snaked up her spine. She took a backward step toward the front door. But what if Eloise was hurt? She wasn’t a young woman and she had diabetes.