“Fine. No permanent damage,” she said, misunderstanding the question.
I didn’t clarify. If she wasn’t thinking about Blake or her stepfather, I didn’t want to remind her. I put a single egg and a slice of toast on a plate and set it before her. After plating up the other three eggs and remaining toast, I joined her at the island.
She ate a few bites then turned to look at me.
“What are we?”
I paused, afraid to hope I’d understood her question correctly. Turning, I finished my bite of food as I studied her. She sat there, calmly returning my gaze. Surely, if she was asking about our relationship, she wouldn’t be this calm. Every time I’d mentioned it in the past, she’d blushed or quickly found an excuse to leave the room. And, her talk about having no room for any distractions still rang in my mind, too.
“I’m not sure I understand the question,” I said warily.
She blushed and stood.
“I get this.”
She leaned forward and planted a light kiss on my nose.
“And I get this.”
She buried her face in my neck and inhaled, trailing her nose against my skin. I nearly lost it. She was so close. All she needed to do was open her mouth and plant her teeth into my skin and it would be done. She’d be mine. I closed my eyes and struggled to hold myself still.
“And I’m told—”
I shuddered at the feel of her breath on my skin. She quickly pulled back, and I wanted to howl.
Her eyes were wide as she looked at me. Did she know the animal she’d just stirred?
“I’m sorry,” she said, stepping away.
I rose, shadowing her retreat with an unwavering advance. “Don’t be. I’m fine. Finish your question.”
Tell me you’re ready, I pleaded silently.
She stopped moving backward. I didn’t stop advancing, though, until I stood within six inches of her, drowning in her unique scent.
“I, uh, was just going to say that...um.” She cleared her throat nervously. “You said I’m yours, and that biting equals an engagement. But, I don’t understand where that leaves us now. What are we?”
Excitement and anticipation filled me.
“As you asked, we are friends,” I said carefully. Then, I leaned in, covering her arms with my hands and holding her steady as I brought my mouth to her neck. Brushing my lips over her skin, I let myself dream of more. She helped my dreams by bringing her hands to my chest. They didn’t roam like the night on the bike, but lay lightly on my shirt, heating me further.
“But,” I said, letting my words raise bumps on her sensitive skin, “I hope we are friends who are working their way to dating.”
I brushed my lips against her skin again, waiting for her reaction. When she remained still, I pulled back slightly. “I’m not good at being friends. I struggle with the boundaries of friendship.”
She swallowed hard and withdrew her hands. “What boundaries?” The words were a bare whisper.
“Friends don’t get this close. They don’t touch each other like I just touched you. And, I really want to be that close.”
I could smell she wanted that, too.
“What else?” she said.
She was tempting me. Innocently, though.
“You’ll have to let me know,” I said, retreating for both our sakes. “You set the boundaries.”
I went back to the island but couldn’t sit right away. Closing my eyes, I took a few calming breaths. Not only was I completely turned on, but the change was clawing at me. While I struggled with myself, she quietly remained where she was.
As soon as I sat down, she joined me. We didn’t talk again, and her anxiety didn’t disappear. But the confusion was gone.
* * * *
She stayed up in her apartment, and I went down to check on the kids. Winifred was teaching them how to count to ten using little candies. It made me smile. Her methods were the same when we were cubs. Jim had taken a long time learning how to count to ten.
“Did you have a good breakfast?” Winifred asked without looking away from Aden’s counting.
“Yes. A good night’s sleep seemed to help.”
“Good. Perhaps you’d be willing to play a game with these two when we’re finished so I can talk to Michelle.”
I want to be sure she understands what we’ve put into motion and why we’re concerned that it’s been a month since Richard’s death. Perhaps, given that information, she’ll be willing to tell us more about Blake.
I nodded so Winifred knew I understood her.
“I’d be happy to play for a while.”
I helped Liam with his counting then entertained the kids while Winifred was upstairs. It didn’t surprise me when she returned not long afterward and told me there was no news to share.
Near lunch, I excused myself from their sandwich-making fun to plan a special moment for Michelle. She’d stayed up in her apartment the whole morning, and I didn’t want her to withdraw from me again.
Up in the rafters of the garage, a small patio table and two chairs waited from before I’d left. I pulled them from storage, dusted them off, and carried them up to the third floor. The rain fell softly as I set two places out on the porch. I kept things simple with sandwiches and tea, then went to knock on her door. Through the glass I saw her sitting in the kitchen, her head bowed over her tablet.
I knocked on the door, and she looked up in surprise. There was no fear in her eyes, though. I smiled and motioned for her to come out onto the porch. When she stood and winced, I was glad I’d thought to make lunch for her.
“Hungry?” I asked as she looked at the table behind me. She nodded, and I went to hold out a chair for her. “I heard what Nana said about trying to find Blake.”
“I have premonitions.”
I finished pushing in her chair then sat across from her. My first thought was that my mother wasn’t alone. My second thought was to wonder what she had seen that had her telling me now.
“Did you see what happens if we go to your old address?”
She glanced down at her sandwich before answering.
“No, I don’t have those kinds of premonitions. Mine are about the stock market.”
Stock market? I couldn’t hide my surprise.
“I know,” she said. “Not very interesting. But think of what you could gain by controlling someone with my ability. The money. Power.”
“I don’t want money or power. Just you.”
She blushed and picked a bit of meat from her sandwich.
“Blake’s tasted that power. If your laws can’t control him, what makes you think finding him will help? All it does is expose us. He will go straight for Liam and Aden. Through them, he can control me again.”
Are you listening to this? I sent Winifred.
I am. We need to find Blake. But we won’t involve her any further.
“Nana won’t ask again,” I promised. Then, to lighten the mood, I grinned and said, “Want to spike your tea?”
Winifred yelled at me from the first floor, and I chuckled. Michelle smiled slightly, too, and picked up her sandwich, finally taking a bite. It was only a few minutes before another question started bugging me.
“Why did you tell Sam which stock to invest in? Why not just keep it to yourself?”