“It does. Not all of my chest. But some.” My voice was deeper than normal. I sounded affected by her touch. Fuck, I was a man. Of course I was. My soul was dark, but my desire wasn’t gone. I still had needs. I just didn’t act on those needs anymore. I hadn’t in a long time.
She didn’t move closer, but it felt as if she did. There was no movement other than her gaze slowly traveling up my arm and neck until her eyes locked on mine. She didn’t say anything. If she had, I wasn’t sure I could have responded anyway. Ophelia was talented. She knew her allure and she used it like a fucking pro. That was dangerous for men and I had no doubt she’d broken many along the way. I studied her eyes, allowed myself to search their depths. For what I wasn’t sure. Deceit, selfishness, or lust were all things I knew how to see now that I’d been blinded by them. The twisted thoughts I’d seen in another and been too naïve to understand weren’t there in Ophelia’s eyes. But then why would they be. She’d lived a life that didn’t distort or tarnish. Her family had taught her love like mine had. I hoped she never got close to the other. Those who don’t understand it are destroyed by it.
“You need to go inside,” she said, breaking into my thoughts. I’d been silently standing over her trying to read her and she’d allowed it. Not once had she blinked or stepped away. I hadn’t met a woman yet that stood so confident under that kind of blatant scrutiny. She stepped back and her hand fell from my chest where it had been resting. Even if she didn’t realize it, she was closing the window she’d left open for me briefly. Almost as if she knew why I was looking and wanted to prove she had nothing to hide. That hadn’t been the case, but it still felt like it.
They were waiting on me inside. I didn’t have to go in there. My gran was gone on home for the night. I owed them nothing. But they were all hurting, and my presence was desired for whatever reason. They were family and that’s what they did. The moonlight touched Ophelia’s face again as she turned toward it. Beauty no longer affected me and although she was unarguably beautiful, there was something deeper that I saw. Maybe it was the carefree spirit I missed and wanted to be near. But leaving her out here was hard and it shouldn’t be. Not just because I didn’t want to be inside that house. There was more there under her skin. I would never know what it was because when I walked inside, I’d leave this all here. In the moment. Right now, standing this close to her, I was showing a weakness. Whatever voodoo Ophelia Finlay was weaving I was a willing participant. That would lead to nothing either of us wanted.
“It’s good to see you again, Eli. Hopefully it won’t be a year before the next time.” She flashed me a pouty look as if the idea pained her. If I could still smile, I would. But not even Ophelia’s voodoo was strong enough to change my past. She stepped around me to walk toward the house. I waited until she reached the top step before I took my eyes off her. The emptiness returned. Odd that I hadn’t realized it had been gone. It was such a part of me that I would have thought I’d immediately recognized when it eased. I frowned at the door Ophelia had disappeared into. She wasn’t a possibility I needed to entertain.
MAY 24 / 9:15 PM
Ophelia Finlay
I WAS PAST that stage in my life. I shouldn’t find him sexy. All those tattoos and that crazy messy hair. No. The last guy I’d dated that looked like him had ended up in jail. He’d thought running from the cops was a good idea instead of pulling over and taking the ticket. I’d had to call my brother to come get me after my ride had been arrested.
Walking directly to the bar, I poured myself a glass of single malt whiskey then headed for the stairs. As tempting as it was to watch the new Eli handle his angry family, I was afraid my attraction to him would just get worse. I’d been attracted to him enough back when he’d been the clean-cut, dependable sort. This, however, was way more intriguing. Which was typical of me. I made terrible choices when it came to men. Eli had let me see him. He’s not flinched when our eyes were locked. I saw the difference there. He was not the same guy. I shivered slightly as I remembered the haunted look he’d not even tried to mask. Was it his gran’s cancer causing such obvious pain? I couldn’t wrap my head around it, but I didn’t think that was it. There was a knowledge there. One that almost warned those that got close enough to keep their distance.