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“Your gut never lies,” I reply simply, watching her closely. “I’ll get you home.”
“Xander.” She swallows hard, peering up at me. I notice that the wind has picked up a bit, but that’s not unusual this far out into the ocean. “I don’t like being afraid all the time.”
“I know, baby.”
Without any prompting, Lorelei leans into me, wraps her arms around me, and rests her cheek on my chest, clinging to me.
“I know I shouldn’t do this. It’s stupid and unfair to us both,” she admits. “But damn it, this is our place. And I just need a minute.”
“You can have all the minutes you want.” My body hums in awareness. Not just sexual, though that’s always under the surface with Lorelei. It’s the knowledge that I can touch her, be so close to her, that has my entire being on high alert.
“It’s not fair,” she says again, shaking her head. “It sends you mixed messages, and it’s not fair.”
“It is mixed messages,” I agree and then laugh when she glares up at me. “Hey, you said it first.”
“You’re supposed to say it’s okay.”
“Nothing about us is okay, and you know it.”
She rests her cheek on my chest once more without answering me, and we stay like that for a long moment, pulling in the power of the water and the air around us. I always felt so fucking strong after being out here with her, and this is no different.
Not only is it our special place, but it also bolsters our powers, and that always led to amazing sex.
Not that the sex wasn’t always out of this fucking universe. It was just different on the water.
But that’s not what we’re here for.
“We have to go back,” I murmur, but she only holds on more tightly. “Lorelei, talk to me.”
“Something is about to happen.”
“Where?”
“Right here. Shit, Xander. I dreamed this, and if it happens like it did in my dream, then you’re going to die. And I swear to all the gods and goddesses, if you die on me, I will never forgive you.”
“Whoa. I’m not going to die today, and neither are you. What’s going to happen?”
She looks up at me, and I see her eyes are black. She opens her mouth, but no words come out.
“Shit.”
I take her shoulders in my hands once more and begin chanting a spell.
“I call on the Water and the Air in surplus, banish that which tries to destroy us. I call on the Earth of the ocean and the Fire of the sun, protect us and guide us, thy will be done.”
There’s a scream on the wind, and then Lorelei blinks. I see her eyes clear, going back to their deep, moss green.
“What in the actual hell?”
“I’m getting you home,” I reply as clouds form above and lightning streaks across the sky. “If you could work a calming spell for this water, that would help a lot.”
“On it,” she says, her arms already moving as she begins her spell. It works. The wind dies down, and the clouds clear. Within minutes, I can see the shoreline.
Lorelei doesn’t stop speaking the spell, chanting it over and over again until I’ve docked the boat, taken her hand, and led her ashore.
We turn together to look out at the harbor and bay, seeing that the ocean beyond is perfectly calm, the sun shining, and birds flying as if nothing at all happened.
“Please, Lorelei, let me stay with you.”
“No.” It’s a whisper, with less heat behind it than she had yesterday. “I can’t, Xander.”
“And I can’t leave you alone. So, what do you propose we do?”
“I don’t know.” She shakes her head slowly. “I guess I could move in with my mom and aunt. Technically, I can work from anywhere.”
“You need the water. They don’t live on the water.”
She lifts her gaze to mine, and I see her lower lip tremble. Then, she firms it and squares her shoulders. It’s as if she reminded herself to be fierce.
“I’m sorry. I know I’m only giving you more mixed messages, but you can’t stay in my house, Xander. You just can’t.”
“Lora—”
Before I can argue further, both of our phones ring.
“Damn it.”
Chapter Three
Lorelei
Saved by the damn bell.
“Hello?” With my phone at my ear, I silently will my heart to stop hammering in my chest. I was this close to conceding and allowing Xander to stay with me.
And as Julia Roberts once said, “Big mistake. Huge.”
“Are you okay?” Breena demands in my ear.
“I’m fine. Are you okay?” Xander walks a few steps away, his phone also pressed to his ear, talking intently to whoever is on the other end of the line.
“I’m mad,” Breena replies. “Really mad. And headed right into pissed off.”
“What happened?” The scene from the boat only moments ago pops into my mind. “Were you attacked?”
“I was toyed with,” she says, indignation heavy in her voice.
