A Midsummer Night's Demon(27)
“You sure you don’t want me to stick around?”
“No. I’ll be fine. I’m in good hands.”
Her belly flipped in anticipation of being in Ky’s strong arms. Excitement bubbled like champagne in her blood, and she could not wait to see Ky, hear his voice. When Bret handed her out of the boat, Lyn looked in the direction of Ky’s home. It beckoned her, for her future lay within its walls.
“Lyn.” The sound of her friend’s voice made her turn around. “Last chance. Are you sure you want me to go?”
She waved. “Bye, Bret. Be safe going back home. And thanks again.”
Bret started the engine with a tug and shook his head. “Good luck with Mr. Tall-dark-and-handsome, babe.”
****
The sound of a boat engine stilled Ky’s hand on the doorknob. Most people did not venture out on the water this early in the morning. He used his preternatural hearing to listen. The boat headed away from his island. How had he missed its arrival?
The corners of his mouth pulled down in a deep frown. He must have been so distracted by his thoughts of Lyn that he wasn’t paying attention—very dangerous. In his line of work distraction had a way of getting you killed. Yet another reason he should go to Lyn tonight and erase her memories. At least then he might finally be able to move on.
He opened the door, and stepped out into the porch to breath in the crisp air, savoring the myriad scents on the night air. The smell of pines, oaks, and palms mixed with chamomile and jasmine tickled his nose. His eyes closed, his nostrils flared as he inhaled the delicious scent into his lungs. The scent permeated his body, wrapping around him to cocoon him in its warmth. Lyn! She’s here!
Ky opened his eyes to scan the surrounding trees, stepping from the porch. He sent his awareness out to find the one who could complete him. His steps quickened to a blurring speed, the urgency to see her drove him around his house.
****
With the moon hidden behind the thick rain clouds and no light from Ky’s home, Lyn progressed through the scrub brush at an agonizingly slow pace. She placed her feet cautiously, trying not to stumble on the thick roots that hid in the darkness and the understory of the scrub palms. She pushed through the rough fronds. They pulled at her jeans, scratched her bare arms. She should have thought to put on a light jacket before she came or better yet grab a flashlight, but the desire to see Ky had driven everything else from her mind.
She yearned to see him, to touch him. Once she’d made up her mind to accept him, she had become a woman on a mission. Nothing mattered but being with him.
Her desire for him pushed her through the thick growth. Pine needles reached out, clinging to her hair when she brushed by, but she took no notice. Her entire being focused only on getting to him.
Her foot caught behind a thick root, but momentum carried her body forward. She threw her arms out in front of her body, hoping she might find something to brace her fall. Her hands landed on a hard form covered in soft material. She looked up, meeting Ky’s ice-blue eyes as his hands reached out to steady her.
Chapter Ten
Ky’s fingers closed around Lyn’s upper arms to keep her from falling. Her hands splayed across his chest, her touch burning into him like a brand. Lyn. She actually stood here with him, just like she had many times in his dreams.
However, this was no dream. This was real. Very real. His hands ran up her arms to close on her shoulders.
He held her still, struggling to understand what could have brought her here. Could she be in more danger? Had she been attacked again? Why else would she have come? He wanted answers and the woman in front of him had them.
Lyn gazed up into his eyes, a sweet expression on her attractive face. “Hi,” she squeaked.
“Hi, yourself.” Ky’s deep voice held a note of trepidation. He tried covering it with a quip. “What’s a pretty lady like you doing in a place like this?”
Okay so it wasn’t his best line ever, but at least it brought a smile to her beautiful face while he picked the pine needles from her hair.
“Thought I might go for a walk, see what kinds of interesting animals I might find,” she retorted, running the pads of her fingers over his muscular chest.
“Oh, you found an animal.”
She had chosen the correct word. He was more animal than man in that moment. The loss of her had driven most of the sanity from his mind. Being without her for two months made his inner beast crazy and standing there in front of his mate, it fought for control. He struggled to rein it in, keep it from taking what it wanted, and the fact her fingers still caressed his chest did not help.