Chapter 22
Silvery moonlight streamed through the bedroom window, shining enough light for me to see what I was doing. I should be asleep. Tuesday morning, and school was going to come soon enough, and I should be exhausted after messing around with onyx all evening, but I wanted to get this done before I forgot.
I carefully wrapped the white rope around the center of the piece of opal. The rope was thin, leaving most of the stone bare. It would work, at least temporarily. Kat would be able to wear it under her shirt.
Most likely, she was going to fight me on the opal, but that was one battle I wasn’t going to lose. Speaking of Kat…
Lifting my chin as I felt the warm tingle along the back of my neck, I smiled as I placed the opal and the white rope into my desk drawer. I turned toward the bedroom a second before the door cracked open. Slim fingers curled around the door.
“Kitten…” I chuckled. “Breaking and entering again?”
“I didn’t break anything. I let myself in.” There was a moment, and then Kat poked her head in, brow furrowed. “You’re awake,” she whispered.
“Uh-huh.”
Her frown increased. “You were supposed to be asleep.”
My lips kicked up on one side. “For what reason?”
More of her head appeared. Her hair was pulled up in a topknot. “I wanted to sneak into your bed and surprise you.”
“I can make that happen.” I started to stand. “I’ll go crawl into bed and pretend to be asleep.”
She pouted. “Not the same thing.”
“No?”
Kat shook her head. “No, because you’re awake.”
“All right then.” I sat back down, grinning. “Are you going to come into my room or stay halfway in the hall?”
“I don’t know yet.”
I chuckled. “Kitten…”
Huffing, she slipped inside my bedroom and closed the door behind her. Muscles tightened all over when I got a good look at her. Wearing striped cotton shirts and a long-sleeved shirt that was amazingly thin, she was dressed for bed.
I toed my desk chair around so I was facing her as she made her way across the room. “Your mom is going to be very upset if she catches you not in your bed.”
“She won’t catch me. I was quiet and stealthy—”
“Like me?” I reached out, catching one of her hands.
She grinned. “Better. Like a ninja.”
Chuckling, I tugged her into my lap. The chair groaned under our combined weight. She placed her hand on my bare chest as she dipped her head to mine. My lips brushed overs hers. “When I left your house, you were half asleep.”
“I napped.” She slid her hand up my chest and looped her arm around my neck. “I woke up and couldn’t fall back asleep.”
Leaning back in the chair, I dragged my thumb along the side of her jaw. “You were missing me.”
“Maybe.”
“Just admit it.” I swept my finger over her lower lip.
She pressed a soft kiss to the tip of my finger. “I don’t need to admit anything, because if your ego gets any bigger, it’ll need its own zip code.”
I snorted. “I know something else that’ll need its own zip code if it gets any—”
“Oh my God.” Kat laughed. “Don’t even finish that sentence.”
Chuckling, I kissed her, and she melted into me. Everything and nothing had changed between us since Saturday night. Each kiss and touch seemed to mean infinitely more, and I didn’t think it had to do with the sex. Though the sex was really awesome. It had more to do with the whole almost-dying part.
Both of us knew there was no guarantee of tomorrow, but what happened Saturday had been a real harsh reminder that no second was promised. It made every moment with her more precious.
“Why aren’t you asleep?” Her lips brushed mine as she spoke.
I kissed the corner of her lips. “I was missing you.”
“Shut up.”
Folding my arms around her, I held her tight as she pressed her cheek to my chest. “Just wasn’t sleepy.” I rested my chin atop her head.
“Hmm…” She wiggled a little, getting comfortable. “Were you thinking about Sunday night?”
I kissed the top of her head. “I was thinking about Saturday night.”
Kat laughed. “Whatever. You were not thinking about prom.”
“Maybe I was. I have big things planned for you.” That was the truth.
“What stuff?”
“It’s a surprise.”
“Tell me,” she demanded.
I laughed. “Then it wouldn’t be a surprise, Kitten. You know how these things work. I keep it a secret until the perfect moment.”
She sighed. “You’re no fun.”
“And we’re probably going to break this chair.”
Snorting, she squirmed out of my lap. “I should probably head—” Her words were cut off when she squealed as I picked her up, carrying her to the bed.
I dumped her on it.
Kat squeaked like a little toy. “Oh, you’re so gonna get it.”
“I hope so.” Climbing over her, I prowled up her length and planted my hands on either side of her head. “You’re going to stay the night with me.”
She placed her hands on my chest. “I just need to get back next door before my mom wakes up.”
“Doable.”
Kat lifted her head, but before our lips met, I asked, “You were thinking about Sunday night, weren’t you? That’s why you’re awake.”
She bit down on her lower lip. “Yeah, I was. Kind of hard not to.”
Understandable. We were down to days, and I knew it was wearing on everyone’s mind, including mine. But I didn’t want to spend the next handful of days worrying about Sunday. I wanted to live them.
I wanted to live these days with Kat.
And tonight, I didn’t want her thinking about anything but us. Lowering my mouth to hers, I kissed her softly, smiling when her fingers found their way into my hair. I made sure she didn’t spend a second more worrying about Sunday.
Chapter 23
When I first saw Kat in her prom dress, I was more than willing to skip the whole damn dance so I could have her all to myself. And while I normally had no problem acting on my selfishness, Kat deserved this night.
Ms. Swartz had clutched her camera in her hand like it was going to run away from her while I’d waited for Kat in their living room. She’d come down the stairs, absolutely gorgeous in the red gown.
Damn.
Red really was my favorite color.
Lips painted to match her dress had parted as she’d eyed me. I didn’t wear tuxedos often, but when I did, I made them look damn good.
But she had looked beautiful, and as her mom had taken a thousand pictures of us, I couldn’t stop staring at her. I’d spent every moment of the dance staring at her, and when she’d said she was ready to go, I couldn’t get her out of there fast enough.
The moment we got inside my car, Kat stared at me expectedly, and I cast a long, knowing glance in her direction. “You’re dying to know, aren’t you?”
“Yes.” She nodded eagerly. “You should tell me.”
Kat really had no idea what I had planned for her tonight, and I wanted to keep it that way. Thank God the weather was nice. A little cool, but no rain. It made what I wanted to do perfect.
I managed to keep her in the dark on the drive back home. Parking the car in the driveway, I turned to her. “Stay in the car, okay?”
Looking entirely suspicious and excited, she nodded. I grinned as I stepped out of the car and hit record-breaking speeds as I raced down to the lake.
Covered with a canvas, the cooler was where I left in. On top of it were several thick blankets and pillows. Waving my hand, I spread them out around the branches piled inside a stone circle. The blankets spread out, along with the pillows, forming a comfortable nest.
Placing my hand on one of the branches, I summoned the Source. Sparks flew, igniting the dried-out branches. Flames swirled down their crooked lengths. Thin wisps of smoke billowed up.