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“No. But you keep them at arm’s length. For a reason.”
“They wouldn’t understand me, if they knew everything about me. In fact, if Michael had any idea the things I’m capable of…” She rolled her eyes. “It’d send him over the edge. He’d think for sure I’d been practicing witchcraft with Lisette on the sly.”
“And when it comes to her, you’re all too aware of her age. And her increasingly limited life span.”
“The village will be a much bleaker place witho
ut her, that’s for sure.” She brushed away the tears that crested the rims of her eyes and slid down her flushed cheeks. After polishing off her wine, she asked, “Why are we even talking about this? It’s very depressing. I’m starving and our dinner is getting cold.”
“And you really can’t afford to lose any more weight. There’s not much to you these days.”
She hadn’t worn anything other than the nightgowns and robes Sheena had brought her, since the satin was cool and soft against her back. The bleeding had stopped and she didn’t need the lightweight bandages any longer, just the aloe twice a day. She suspected her regular clothes would hang on her at this point.
Jade sliced her pieces of ham as Davian refreshed her glass. When she sampled the stuffing, she nodded enthusiastically. “Mm, apples and cranberries. Nice touch. I wouldn’t have thought to add them.” She was a basic cook, never crafting anything too fancy.
The meal was the best she’d had since the last one her mother had made. Jade was so thrilled with the food and so ravenous that she devoured everything without uttering another word.
In the dark corners of her mind, however, she realized she was avoiding a key point she’d someday have to address. A compelling notion Davian had brought to light. But she wasn’t ready for the mental debate. She’d had a horrific few weeks following the fire wraith’s assault. No doubt one of the reasons she’d been so interested in Algebra lessons from Sheena was because the complex equations engaged her brain and kept her thoughts from other impossible-to-solve problems.
Following dinner, they cleaned the dishes and finished the bottle of wine. Davian sprawled partially on the sofa—since he was much too big for it—and she stretched on top of him. His hands rested on her hips, because he was wary of touching her bare skin.
She said, “I’m almost fully healed.” She didn’t want him fearing he’d hurt her. And, in all honesty, she wanted him to touch her. Everywhere.
“Did you glean anything new from this experience?” he asked.
“Yes… I have a terrible time concentrating on one specific wound to repair. I should practice separating sensations. Like when you grazed your finger along the cut at the back of my head. I felt that and was able to focus on it.”
He scowled. “I’m not liking the sound of this.”
With a smile, she assured him, “I would practice with pinpricks, not burns and lacerations.”
“Hmm.” He obviously wasn’t convinced—or on board with her.
“Anyway, I’ve had enough of the pain.” She kissed him. “How about we pick up where we left off with that last dream?”
One side of his mouth lifted. “Enjoyed it, did you?”
“Very much so. The waterfall was beautiful.”
“How does it work?” he asked. “When I weave a fantasy in your mind… It doesn’t interrupt your progress or impede your healing efforts.”
“I can’t really explain it, except to say it’s easy to follow your lead and not put any serious thought into it, so I can leave my focus elsewhere. It’s almost as though I’m cloaked in serenity—and it’s completely mindless. More instinctual, so I don’t have to think about my actions.”
“But you would have to divide your attention if we were to have a conversation.”
“Correct. So please don’t be offended when it’s one-sided.”
“I presumed that was the case.”
She fiddled with a button on his shirt. “Are you done quizzing me? I’m a bit muddled from the Algebra lesson.”
His fingers skimmed the side of her face and curled at her nape as he guided her to him for one of his sizzling kisses. Her insides instantly blazed.
“Oh, that is so much better.” The heat flooding her veins overrode everything else.
She slipped the disks on his shirt flap through their small holes and pushed away the material.
“Christ, you truly are magnificent,” she said as her palms smoothed over his chest. Her lips grazed his warm skin. “And so delicious.”
