Page 16 of Gator's Gambit
I make short work of getting a dressing on her arm and, before my brain can engage and stop me, I drop a soft kiss on it. Almost in stereo, I hear a sharp inhale from both Fancy and Emma, but neither say a word. Silently cursing a blue streak, I settle Fancy’s sleeve over the dressing carefully so as not to hurt her.
“I best get out there to give Dad a hand before anyone comes looking for us. But Fancy, you and I are going to talk about this.”
Calling myself all kinds of ninny, I head back out to give my father a hand at the pit, my thoughts focused on this man that keeps popping up. Who is he, and what does he want with Fancy? She definitely knows more than she’s admitting to. Making a mental note to reach out to Tex again, I get busy helping with the boil.
7
FANCY
I know it’s only in my head, but it’s like I can feel the touch of Godric’s lips as if directly on my skin instead of the dressing. My face heats as I consider what that would feel like – his lips on my naked skin, no barrier to dull the sensation.
“Well, that was somewhat unexpected,” Em declares, a tiny smile on her lips. For the life of me, I can’t find words to reply. She has an unidentifiable expression in her eyes. “I need to get back to the kitchen to help Mama, but do you need anything before I go?
“No, I’m good, thanks. I just need a moment to catch my breath.”
“Stay here as long as you need to. At least it’s peaceful here, no one around to bother you.”
“Thanks, Em. I appreciate it.”
“All good, sugar. You can come on back when you’re ready.” Em, lets herself out quietly, leaving me to pull myself together.
Sitting in the silence of her bedroom, my body starts to shake as shock sets in. Tears flood my eyes, and I double over in my seat as emotion hits. Harsh sobs wrack my frame as I give vent to all the bottled-up fear and tension, not just from today’s attempted kidnapping but from the past few months.
Struggling to breathe as everything pours out, I grip the arms of the chair I’m sitting in to ground myself. It isn’t until I feel strong arms lift me that I realize I’m no longer alone in the room. I find myself settled onto a lap, strong, muscled thighs hard beneath my own.
“That’s it, baby, let it all out. I’ve got you,” Godric murmurs in my ear as he begins to rock me.
Warmth infuses me just as arms wrap securely around me, holding me close. Burrowing into his embrace, as if I were trying to actually embed myself under his skin, I draw comfort from Godric’s presence. He continues to murmur to me, speaking of things long past, sharing memories of when we were children. As I listen to the cadence of his voice, more than the words, the husky tone of his voice lulls me, the tears slow and finally stop.
Godric continues to rock me in his arms, and I become aware of the soft kisses he’s periodically dropping in my hair. As I lay hiccupping against his chest, a heat infuses my body. Through all the trauma, the emotion, the overwhelming fear and anxiety of the past hour, I feel a desperate urge to feel his mouth on my own.
Before I can think better of what I’m about to do, I lay my lips on his. The connection through nothing more than our lips is hot and immediate. His touch is like a surge of electricity – a jolt straight to the very core of me. I turn to look up at Godric and find his eyes dark with desire and some emotion I can’t name but has the heat level in my body rising sharply. It’s as if he’s communicating something directly to my body, or my heart – I’m not quite sure which.
Godric cups my cheek in his palm, angling my head to lay a kiss on me that shakes my world to its very foundation. Sadly, a hiccup interrupts us. He pulls back with a chuckle, then rests his forehead against my temple.
“I know you probably don’t want to talk about what happened today, but in light of that and the events of the other day, I can’t not. Something extremely hinky is going on here, and if I’m to keep you safe, I need to know what it is.”
Heaving a huge sigh, I lean back into Godric’s chest and consider my options. Lying outright is not something I can bring myself to do, but I’m loath to involve him in the mess that is my life currently. On the other hand, if anyone can help me, it’s him.
I lie there for a while, getting caught up in my own thoughts as he rubs a soothing hand up and down my back. Lulled into somewhat of a trance, I startle when he speaks again.
“Pooks?”
Another big sigh passes my lips. Crunch time. If there’s one thing I know about Godric, it’s that he won’t be put off this time. I can hear it in his voice. The man is patient to a fault, but when he’s done, he’s done. There’s no getting around him. Pushing my hair out of my face, I sit up a little straighter – difficult to do sitting as I am in his lap.
“It’s a long story,” I stall.
“We’ve got time.” In typical Godric fashion, he’s having none of it.
Rubbing my forehead, I accept he’s not letting me off the hook like he did the last time.
“A while back, I had a guy come into the store for a tarot reading. He excitedly told me about how he was convinced he’d found the love of his life, and he was hoping a reading would confirm his suspicions.
“I was a little concerned – there was just something about him that set my alarm bells jangling, but it was business, so I pushed my concerns aside. He paid for the reading, and we settled down at the table.
“I went through the usual process of shuffling and putting out intentions for the reading, then started to lay the cards outon the table. The Lover’s card came up, but it was in reverse – so not at all what people think it is.”
“What does it mean when a card is reversed? I didn’t even know that was a thing,” Godric says, a frown on his handsome face.
