Page 16 of Lust
She should have felt shocked. She should have felt pissed. Angry. Furious. Even numb, indifferent. Why did she care? Why didhecare? But seeing Joe in a hedonistic act she’d never thought him capable of stoked a long-denied desire within her. Hot, sweaty, prickly lust curled around her every nerve ending. Her nipples pebbled. Heat rushed between her legs. She plucked her blouse from her damp skin.
At her movement, a half wicked smile grew on Joe’s face.
Who was he?
She scrambled to the side, knocked the plant, and cursed. Her boot hit something soft. She looked down and gaped. The rats. They were both dead. Pale yellow smoke curled from her palms like mist in a forest. It smelled funny. Poison?
“What the fuck is going on?” she gasped.
Then she saw the state of her yin-yang tattoo. Only a few hours ago she’d been so full of her sin that she’d blacked out and beaten a man in a berserker rage. Her tattoo should have been closer to fully black, but it wasn’t. It was perfectly balanced.
Mate.
He’s your mate.
There was no denying it. She wasn’t broken. This yellow substance was her power. She stumbled back, hit the rail of the fire escape, and glanced across at Joe.
He knew something was wrong, and Liza had the sudden sense of being caught in a trap. As if knowing his prey would flee, Joe pushed Tanya from his lap, and lurched to his feet, eyes luminous and locked on Liza.
Get out of here. Now.
She hurdled over the railing and raced down the ladder. Her heart thudded so hard it almost jumped out of her chest. But she kept going. She didn’t look back. She took one fire escape landing after the other, vaulting over rails, landing, launching, and repeating.
When her boots hit the sidewalk, she dared. She looked up.
Joe stood with his palm on his window, watching her.
Liza ran.
* * *
Liza pushedthrough the big heavy doors of the one place she knew she’d feel at peace—the Cardinal City Cathedral. It was almost closing time, but it was her favorite time. Fewer people. Less sin. More innocence. This was her process to balance the turmoil in her system and, despite her tattoo saying she was fine, she needed to settle her nerves. A few minutes in the cathedral after having too much lust in her system was like taking a cold shower.
She walked down the aisle and headed toward the front. The only person in the cavernous room was a dark-haired figure kneeling by the prayer candles through an archway on the side. Good. Liza didn’t want to be disturbed. When she got to the front, she slid onto a wooden pew and sat with her fists on her knees, staring up at the crucifix hanging sadly on the wall behind the altar.
Liza took a deep breath through her nose, letting the incense in, but try as she might, she couldn’t relax. Her mind whirled. Her body buzzed. It felt like a million ants were in her veins, itching and skittering. Her shirt stuck to her sweaty skin. Was it sweat? She wasn’t sure.That yellow mist.
Forcing herself to be brave, she looked down at her balled hands. Trembling, she opened them.Oh, God. That’s not normal.Ochre yellow residue coated her palms, sinking darkly into the cracks of skin like nicotine stains. She rubbed her palms on her jeans.
Dead rats.
She gulped air. Then gulped again.
Sanity dangled on a thread. One push and it would fall.
She squeezed her eyes shut and forced herself to think logically.
Go through the scenario one step at a time. Starting with Joe.
He hated her.
Stop. Go back.
He didn’t want her there. He’d been avoiding her because he’d said she’d gotten mean. Jaded. There was more to it, there had to be. He had a girlfriend. Maybe that was why. But they didn’t seem to act like a couple who’d been together for two years. Liza got the impression Tanya was unwelcome at the poker night.
So was she.
Visions of the scene she’d glimpsed through his window slammed into her mind. Joe and Tanya kissing. Joe backing off. Them arguing. Then her trying again. Him capitulating. He was so bored... until he’d found Liza’s scarf. He’d inhaled as though Liza’s scent was a lifeline. And when he’d caught Liza watching, he didn’t freak out. He didn’t act in any way like he had when he’d pushed Liza out of his apartment. No, hegot offon her watching him.
