“I’m here for my lesson,” I tell her exuberantly, grinning.
She pulls her bottom lip in with her teeth for a second before letting it go with a sigh, drawing my attention to how luscious and kissable they look. “Fine…but not here.”
There’s too much excitement building inside me at the idea of going somewhere with her. Anywhere that’s not her workplace is much closer to a date than, well,nota date.
“Where to?” I ask, watching as she resumes moving.
As she passes me, heading toward the door, my nose is filled with the smell of lavender. I inhale deeply as I follow her, letting the scent and the sway of her hips guide me out of the store in a trance.
Once we’re outside, I catch up and walk alongside her. “So, where are we going?”
“You’ll see.” She glances over at me through the corner of her eyes, her long lashes hiding parts of her sparkling eyes.
I nod, simply agreeing. “Okay.”
Her footsteps slow to a stop, and I only make it a few steps ahead of her before I stop as well, facing her. She hasher hands on her hips, eyebrows furrowed, and eyes glued to me.
“You’re just going to trust me blindly?” One of her brows raises.
With a shrug, all I can do is smile. “Yes, because I trust you—you got me out of the woods. You showed up to my art show. You’ve only been kind.”
It’s all true, though I leave out the underlying reasons for trusting her. The undeniable draw I feel to her is something I need to indulge in—time withheris something I need to indulge in.
She looks away, her tail whipping behind her as she scans our surroundings. Eventually, her eyes find mine again, something new in them, something that piques my excitement.
“Do you trust me enough to shadow travel with me?” A rare smile graces her face, small and subtle, but there, nonetheless.
There’s only one logical answer to her question. “Absolutely.”
The airy laugh that leaves her is almost surprising, not matching her usual hardened exterior. It’s a beautiful sound, one that makes me want to grab my paintbrush and just let it glide over a blank canvas.
Any sound she makes, any glance she gives me, just every little thing about herinspiresme. I can only imagine the creativity that would flow through me at the mere brush of her skin, let alonemore.
“Follow me, then.” She leads me off the sidewalk until we stand under the shade of a tree.
Once we’re both entirely covered by the shadow, sheeyes me up and down. Her eyes lock with mine, and slowly, she snakes a hand around my waist. The sensation of her fingertips through my cotton t-shirt sends a buzz throughout my entire body.
There’s a reddish hue to her cheeks, one that would probably go unnoticed if it weren’t for how close we are. That, accompanied with the way her tail whips around, makes me think that she might just be nervous—and that means she might feel how I do.
She doesn’t say a word as the world shifts around me, a blur of darkness overtaking everything in my vision except for her. She is the only constant for a few moments, a cool breeze dancing around us, searching for a gap between us to slip through.
It’s over almost as quickly as it began, and we’re surrounded by scenery almost as breathtaking as she is. White crystals protrude from the walls, varying in levels of transparency.
There are lanterns around, already on and illuminating the area. Did she plan to bring me here the entire time? Gods, shedoeswant to teach me.
“They’re calcite and quartz—they form naturally here in the conservation area.” Her voice echoes slightly off the walls, the ceiling high above us with crystals hanging down. “Because it’s so deep, this cave hasn’t been found yet by anyone else. It’s my secret place.”
My heart skips a beat, a combination of feelings swirling inside me. She trusts me enough to show me something important to her, which is a total win. But she alsodidsay she thought about killing me, and I definitely wouldn’t be found here.
That is definitely a risk I am willing to take.
“What do they do, benefit-wise?” I ask, watching as she drags her fingertips gently across the pointed tips of the formations.
“Calcite is good for clearing negative energy, and it also can boost motivation.” She loops around the room of the cave, approaching me. “Quartz is similar—it can help amplify energy and aid in mental clarity.”
Nodding along, my breath hitches in my throat as she stops just short of me, staring up. “I’ll make a note of that.”
Her hand extends, hovering above my chest by mere inches. “You do something to me, Carson.” For the first time, there’s hesitancy in her voice.
