Page 41 of In Dangerous Water

“In the end,” I said, “I suppose I did as Skye suggested...I apologize if you were frightened at the pool.”

“Cordelia.” He shook his head. “I’ve made so many mistakes with you.”

“To be fair,” I said, “webothhave made our share of mistakes in this relationship.”

He sat back against the couch. “I almost hate to ask this, but, that morning in your apartment, after you found the letter on the windshield? What really happened between us? Was there magick involved, or...”

“No,” I said. “I woke up and found that you were in my apartment watching over me...and to be honest it was very distracting.”

He frowned. “Distracting?”

“Let me put it this way,” I said. “I took one look at you and the last thing on my mind was the threatening letter. That morning I wanted a hell of a lot more from you than to simply talk about the stalker, or to ‘discuss the case.’”

“Meaning what exactly?”

“Meaning, that I wanted you toloveme!” I snapped impatiently. “I wanted the man that I adored to drag me off tobed and take me so passionately that my brain would simply shut off. So I could forget all of the ugliness that was directed toward me—for a while at least.”

Tim’s hazel eyes seemed to glow. From where I sat, I could feel that he was struggling to keep his emotions in check.

“So you goaded me into being rougher than usual,” he said carefully.

“Yes,” I said. “But I didnotspell you. If anythingyourreaction to me, it turned me on more than ever before. I could feel your desire...how it surged through you when I told you what I wanted.”

“You couldfeelthat?” he asked.

“Yes,” I told him. “When I saw the images that flashed in your mind, I was bewitched by them. Ifeltthe heavy rush of blood through your body, the race of your heart and the unevenness of your breath. With my psychic empathy, it pulled me under like a tidal wave. It made me desperate for you.”

“I had no idea,” he said quietly. “No idea that you could sense my emotions and be so affected by them.”

“I have very few psychic shields where you are concerned,” I admitted. “I loved you so much, and I thought I was safe to let go with you. Because I knew you would always be there to catch me, and keep me safe, no matter how intense things were between the two of us.”

“Loved—as in past tense?” he asked.

“That’s up to you,” I said. “I’m done hiding who and what I am. I’m not going to do it anymore, not even for you, Tim. You’ll have to take me as I am, or not at all.”

He patted the couch beside him. “Come over here for a minute.”

Cautiously I stood and went over to sit beside him, dropping my hands in my own lap.

As soon as I sat, he placed his hand over mine. “I love you,” he said. “I’ll always love you. I’m sorry about everything.”

“I’m sorry too,” I said. Keeping my eyes on our hands, I tried not to cry. “The water was picking up on my mood today. Again, I hope you weren’t too alarmed by it. I should have found a better way to explain my magick to you.”

“Oh trust me, today’s demonstration wasveryeducational,” he said wryly.

I glanced nervously up at his face. But he was only teasing—and more importantly, he was smiling. “A crash course, if you will,” I added, and that made him chuckle.

“I love you, Cordelia,” he said. “I’ve loved the woman I’ve known for the past two years, but I’ll admit that I’m falling hard for the Cordelia, the psychic empath, and the Elemental Witch, that I’m only starting to know.”

“You make it sound like I’m more than one person.”

He shook his head. “There’s always been a mystery about you... I used to wonder if it was just my imagination. But now that you’ve finally opened up and shared your magick with me, I’m only more fascinated.”

Slowly he leaned in. I sat right where I was and waited. His eyes stayed open when he pressed his lips to mine, and I kept my eyes open as well. Patiently he began to gently kiss my lips. With the tiniest of nips and licks he encouraged me to open my mouth to him.

It was everything I had not to tackle him to the floor and start tearing at his clothes. My emotions were boiling up inside of me, and I struggled hard to keep myself in check.

He lifted his lips a breath from mine. “I love you Cordelia,” he said again.

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