Page 35 of Hooked on a Witch
She faced him when he entered. “I’m taking a shower. Then I’ll make us something to eat. We can talk before we pop back to the regular world.”
“Showering alone?” Innuendo laced his tone.
Oh, God. He was putting it on the table.Be strong even though that small taste had been so good.
“Yes, alone. By myself. That, out there… I just wanted to get out of the water. It worked.”
“Mmhm.” His eyebrows slowly rose.
Her face heated. “I should apologize, but a girl’s got to do what she must when faced with someone like you. You can use the guest bathroom. I think it’s stocked with basics.” She pointed up the hall. “Look in the closet for some clothes. My father’s stuff will probably fit you.”
She’d have to pilfer through her mom’s drawers for fresh clothes. Her heart clenched. It hurt to think about her mom who’d first brought her here long ago. They’d talked about dimensional travel over a game of checkers. She hadn’t understood most of the discussion and barely paid attention. Her mom had tried several times over the years to discuss it more in depth, but Shannon thought if she allowed her mom to finish the discussion, to tell her everything about inter-dimensional travel and her future abilities, then it paved a path for her mother to die, which was an inconceivable possibility prior to two months ago.
What would her mom have done about Merck to get out of the water? She’d have probably kneed him in the balls and sent a huge wave to pull him away. Shannon should’ve thought of that.
“What’s wrong?” he asked.
She chanced meeting his gaze. The concern in his eyes startled her. She choked out, “Nothing. I need a shower and then I’ll make us some food.”
His eyes narrowed for an instant. He didn’t buy it. The tension of his jaw and swirling colors in his aura indicated he wanted to push her to get the truth. “I don’t eat seafood.”
“Wasn’t planning on cooking any.” Her eyes started an admiring scan down his naked chest.Stop it.No more appreciating how incredible he looked since he’d ditched his shirt.
She swallowed and realized he might be totally freaked out about being here, maybe even about the concept of alternate dimensions. “I’m sorry I can’t take you back to your dimension right now. I want to get home too, but…” She chewed on her lower lip. “I’m zapped and need some time to recharge. Please don’t be mad at me for bringing you here. I didn’t see another option.”
She pivoted fast and almost smacked into the wall in her haste to leave.
“I’m sorry about us being here, but we’re somewhere safe,” she shot over her shoulder without looking back.
***
Mad at her? No.
Stunned by this place? Yes.
His brain could barely wrap around the concept of multiple dimensions. That and the fact she could travel here at whim. Now that was a useful skill.
He glanced out the window into what looked like a perfect beach day. If she hadn’t brought them here, she’d be a snake girl after they scratched her, a state that wasn’t reversible, and he might be dead.
He was tempted to follow Shannon into the shower and make their trip to this bizarre alternate reality memorable. This time, kissing with clothing off.
His entire body grew hot.
He resisted going to her. Something had scared her out there on the water during their kiss. Whatever it was hadn’t been about him. Maybe it was because the kiss hadn’t gone the way she’d planned. She’d clearly initiated it to distract him. It’d worked. He respected the hell out of her for using whatever she could to escape. But their connection had burned so hot they’d both been lost to it.
Her kiss was no longer that of a virgin teenager. Today’s kiss had been that of a woman who’d sampled and knew how to enjoy sensual pleasure. The urge to hunt down and kill every other man who’d ushered her into advanced kissing surprised him. Their chemistry was real and unique, not something he’d experienced with another woman. No one could fake that kind of mind-boggling attraction.
Jesus, the gods had set a daunting test in front of him. How as he supposed to protect Shannon when he could barely keep his hands off her?
Although he hated being manipulated by gods, Bythos was right. He wasn’t ready to die. Battling evil filth might be exhausting, and as Shannon pointed out, a thankless task, but he worried what would happen when the black-magic deviants were left unchecked by his absence. That meant he’d keep his ass glued to Shannon’s and ensure her safety.
