Untouched (5 page)

She had definitely cultivated quite a reputation for herself in the industry. They called her
The
Ice
Queen
, and she really couldn’t blame them. In Hollywood and the world of fashion, hugs and kisses were thrown around like candy. Her obvious avoidance of such things did not go unnoticed. The mere idea of kisses and her mind went right back to Dante. A hint of a smile played at her lips as she drifted to the cradling arms of sleep.

Then she began to dream.

The
dream
started
the
same
as
it
had
since
the
night
she’d been attacked. Terror filled her mind. She hid behind the bed attempting to make herself as small as possible, which was no easy task considering her stature. Her lips trembled. She hugged her knees tightly and rocked back and forth, telling herself it was just a nightmare and repeatedly attempted to wake up, but no relief came. Fear gripped her heart as relentlessly as the wind that howled through the window. The storm raged outside. Wind and rain whipped through the room, spraying her shivering body.

He
would
find
her. He always found her.

She
heard
footsteps
in
the
hallway
and
knew
he
was
coming
for
her. Kerry willed her shaking body to settle and peered over the top of the bed. The doorknob rattled as he tried to open it. She’d locked it to keep him at bay. Kerry hunkered back down behind the bed, squeezed her eyes shut, and squished herself into the corner behind the nightstand, hoping the long silk drapes would provide her some cover. She prayed he would leave or that she would wake up and be safely on the plane beside Dante. Her pounding heart threatened to burst out of her chest. Her breath came in short ragged gasps.

Then
she
heard
it.

Silence.

Kerry
stilled
and
strained
to
hear
noises
around
her, but there was nothing. No AJ bursting through the door. No more storm outside. Hope glimmered cruelly in her mind. Was it over? She latched on to that wispy bit of optimism and struggled to squelch the all too familiar fear that nagged at her. She opened one eye and found the room empty with a beam of sunlight streaming through the window. The blue silk drapes fluttered lightly by her feet. Kerry unfolded her stiff body and stood slowly on unsteady legs.

She
leaned
back
into
the
corner, allowing herself time to register the sudden change to her surroundings. The room was once again serene. No evidence of the nightmare remained. Her breathing slowed, and she closed her eyes, listening to lull of the ocean. The cry of seagulls, familiar and soothing, calmed her soul and chased away the last shards of fear. The remaining bit of tension flowed from her tired body, while the warm sea air brushed long strands of hair across her face, and the beginnings of a smile played on her lips.

A dream,
she
breathed.
Finally I’m having a dream. Not a nightmare. Thank you
. The words rushed from her lips in one huge sigh of relief.

You’re welcome.
The
familiar
voice, deep and male, floated around her in the ocean breeze.

Her
eyes
flew
open. Dante. She looked wildly around the room, but he wasn’t there. She even went so far as to look under the bed and in the closet. He was nowhere in sight, but she knew he was there. She could feel his energy around her, enveloping her like a warm blanket. She wandered back to the open window and looked out at the beach below, and that’s when she saw it. Sitting there on the sand was a giant red fox. The same fox she had seen when Dante touched her.

It
sat
perfectly
still, staring back at her with enormous amber eyes, which burned brightly in the sunlight. Its thick red fur fluttered in the breeze, and its long bushy tail swished slowly. They stared at one another for what seemed like an eternity. She found herself inexplicably drawn to it, mesmerized by its gleaming eyes. She couldn’t have looked away even if she wanted to—and she didn’t want to. The warm ocean breeze brushed her long hair off of her face. The sky outside her window swirled with unnatural shades of lavenders and blues, and Kerry found herself blanketed by a serenity she’d never experienced.
Peace. This must be what peace feels like.

The storm is over, Kerry.
Dante’s seductive voice surrounded her as the unusual animal trotted away down the beach.
Sleep.
Kerry
closed
her
eyes, lifted her face to the sun, and surrendered to the tranquility.

Dante woke up from his nap on the plane feeling hopeful for the first time in years. Finally, after so much time and so many failed efforts, she had recognized and acknowledged him in the dream realm. Not only had she seen him, but she’d heard him as well. It had been their first true connection. He’d hoped that when she woke up there would be some residual effects of their shared experience.

He awoke before she did, and his heart ached at the look of serenity on her lovely face. Her mouth curved in a delicate smile, and one lock of long dark hair rested along her high cheekbone. In that moment she reminded him of Snow White. He hated to wake her and disturb what was certainly her first peaceful sleep in weeks, but they were last people left on the plane. The flight crew hovered impatiently by the cockpit, obviously eager to clean and ready it for the next group of travelers.

He whispered her name softly, but she didn’t stir. After several low whispers he decided to speak with her as he would any other Amoveo—telepathically. Would she hear him? She had a very strong mental barrier that he’d been barely able to crack. However, their connection in the dream realm proved she was beginning to let down her defenses. He took a deep breath and tentatively reached out to her mind with his.

Kerry.
Her brow knitted together, and she moaned softly. A smile crept over his face as he realized she could hear him. He let out the breath he’d been holding.
Kerry. It’s time to wake up, princess.

Kerry’s eyes flew open wide, and her gaze immediately locked with his. She sat up quickly and pushed the hair from her face—a look of confusion swiftly replaced with obvious disdain for her traveling companion. She made a sound of disgust. “Don’t call me princess.”

Dante chuckled and stood up, gathering his belongings. She hadn’t even realized she’d heard him in her mind. He glanced at the flight attendant with the plastered-on smile that couldn’t hide her annoyance no matter how much she tried. Her energy waves filled the plane and were giving him a headache. Usually he was very good at filtering human emotions, but Kerry had him distracted in more ways than one. He stole a look at her, wondering if human emotion impacted her the way it did all Amoveo. The pained look he saw on her face was answer enough.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly.

Kerry shook her head, waving him off. “Just sick of traveling I guess. I have a bit of a headache.” She squeezed her eyes shut and rubbed at her temples, trying to relieve some of the discomfort.

Dante turned his attention to the sour-puss flight attendant. “Sorry we’re holding you up ma’am,” he said with the most charming smile he could muster. He knew the effect he had on most women, and now was as good a time as any to use it to his advantage. Dante flirted shamelessly with her, and almost immediately the energy she gave off changed. He felt his own headache ease and knew that Kerry would be feeling better as well.

“It’s quite alright. You and Ms. Smithson take your time,” she said with a coquettish grin. “I’ll be at the door of the plane. If you need anything at all just let me know.”

Dante turned around and was surprised to find Kerry standing right behind him. Her arms were crossed tightly over her breasts, and her intense eyes glittered with anger.

“If you’re done flirting with the stewardess, would you mind getting the hell out of my way? I’d like to get off the plane sometime this century.” The irritation in her voice matched the look on her face.

“No need to get jealous.” He smirked, and before she could respond, he turned and led the way out of the plane. Kerry followed him into the terminal, while muttering some very painful suggestions about where he could stick his comments.

They made their way through the midafternoon Sunday travelers with surprising ease. They reached the baggage claim area, and Dante waved at Peter, who’d been waiting for him them as planned. Peter was the driver for Inferno Securities and Dante’s right-hand man. He traveled wherever Dante needed him. As a former NYPD detective he had the best defensive driving skills Dante had ever seen.

Over the past few years he had become not only an asset to the business, but a good friend as well. He greeted them both with a big smile, and his gaze landed directly on Kerry. While he certainly couldn’t blame Pete for staring at her, something dark inside of him began to stir. Jealousy? He was jealous? Shit.

“It’s good to see you, sir.” Although he spoke to Dante, he hadn’t taken his eyes off of Kerry. The two men shook hands, and Dante positioned himself closely to Kerry.

“And who is this handsome devil?” Kerry smiled sweetly at Pete, and Dante felt the darkness bubble up. Peter was handsome and had a welcoming, easy smile that women loved. Dante straightened his back against the unfamiliar jealousy.

“Peter. I’d like you to meet Ms.—”

“Kerry Smithson. Of course. Every red-blooded man on the planet knows who this lovely lady is,” he said with a smile and a nod. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, ma’am.” He hadn’t tried to shake her hand. Her “germ phobia” was fuel for the tabloid fire, and as a result, very well known.

“The pleasure is all mine, Pete.” She winked and delivered a smile that Dante wished had been for him. This was going to be nightmare if she insisted on flirting with every man in New Orleans. Dante had the overwhelming urge to punch Pete’s lights out, throw Kerry over his shoulder, and take her out of here.

She was right. He was a Neanderthal.

Great.

“Pete, stop flirting with our client, and go pull the car around,” he said as casually as possible, although he knew it sounded harsher than he wanted. “Ms. Smithson and I will get the bags and meet you out front.”

“Yes sir, Mr. Coltari.” He gave an exaggerated salute and nod before he left.

“Oh, cut the Mr. Coltari crap,” he called after him.

Dante and Kerry walked over to the bag carousel to the sound of Pete chuckling his way out the door. Dante refocused his attention on the travelers around them, scanning their minds, assuring no hidden threat loomed. Nothing stood out except for the few people who had recognized her. He would never understand the human obsession with fame. He could, however, understand why someone would notice Kerry. The mixture of her stature and undeniable beauty conjured up the expression
tall
drink
of
water
. For Dante, there couldn’t have been a more appropriate way to describe her, since his thirst for her increased with every passing moment.

They stood there for a minute or two in silence, watching the bags of varying sizes ride round and round, waiting for someone to claim them. Very quickly Dante felt Kerry’s eyes on him, studying him. He looked down into her dark eyes, and his heart flip-flopped.

He was in big trouble.

How the hell could he keep her safe if she had him all twisted up? The knowing smile on her face told him she knew exactly what kind of effect she had on him. He cleared his throat and turned his attention back to the bags passing on the conveyor belt.

“So, Mr. Coltari?” He shot Kerry a look of disapproval, but all it did was elicit an amused smile. “What’s his deal?” She nodded toward the door.

“What do you mean?” He spotted her massive bags and hoisted them effortlessly from the conveyor belt.