Kristen here.
She found him. Simon wasn’t surprised. He knew she would hunt him down eventually. Her scent came to him before she did. He waited patiently, hearing the little click of her heels against the roof tiles. She’d have to get new shoes. Soundless ones that didn’t give her away at every turn. He’d talk to Yori about it later.
Her slim silhouette stood out against the milky glow of the sky. He dropped the cheroot he’d been smoking and ground it out with his heel.
“Well then,” he said.
She took another step closer, her hips swaying under a silk tea gown. Monday slumming, he supposed.
“Show me,” she said.
Despite his weariness, he smiled. She was nothing if not relentless. “It is too dangerous, Monday.”
Her hair was down, a spill of black water over her shoulders and down her back. The part down the middle shone white she came near enough to touch. Luminous eyes gazed up at him, unwavering. “Show me.”
With a sigh, he straightened. “Come here, then.” His voice was a husk of its natural strength. Odd heat touched his skin. He shrugged it off then dismayed as it flared higher when she took a step closer.
“Your hand.” He held out his own. Her arched brows knitted, that round mouth of hers pulling into a moue of caution. “I’m not going to bite it, Monday,” he said with some asperity.
As expected, her firm chin lifted and she put her hand into his. The moment they touched a pricking current ran between them. His pulse leapt at the familiar buzz, and underlying it another flush of heat that washed behind his neck. His fingers curled over hers, holding her there.
“You feel something,” he said. “When you touch me.”
Her eyes widened but her mouth pinched. She did but didn’t want to admit. He could have phrased it better but the devil in him liked tormenting her.
“You do,” he said.
She tried to pull free and he held fast.
“Yes,” she said finally.
His hold relaxed a touch. “I do as well. We all do. The Electus. Every one of us feels that current of power when we make physical contact with one another.”
She frowned. “Why do I?” Her voice was just above a whisper, frightened.
Something inside him twisted. He didn’t want to lie to her. He never did. But there was only so much a person could take in one evening. He feared Monday had her fill. He struggled to answer when she spoke again.
“Is it because of my father?”
“Your father felt it, certainly.” It wasn’t really an answer.
Pearly teeth nibbled on her plump bottom lip. “What does it mean?”
They were still holding hands. He was aware of every moment she held on. “It means we can try.” His thumb traced her knuckles. They were soft yet scarred. The pads of her fingers were rough with calluses.
She looked at their joined hands, his so much darker and bigger than her lean, white hand. A shadow passed over her features. “Not the hand of a lady,” she said. He could almost hear her mother’s admonishments ringing in her ears. Monday was a duke’s daughter. It would be expected that she have unblemished hands. Rot, all of it. Rot when she had given the world more than any one woman should.
“No.” He let her go. Their hands drifted apart. “The hand of a craftsman. Useful hands.”
She slanted him a look as if waiting for the taunt. Finding none, her slim shoulders relaxed. He was close enough to feel her heat, smell the freshness of newly washed hair. He took a step back.
“Come on then.” He moved to the door. “I can’t show you here.”
Silently they padded through the dark house, down to the bowels of it where the kitchens were. Her skirts whispered as she walked, a conversation with her thighs that he found himself straining to hear. END
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Very nice, Kristen :) Claire here- still sitting right where I was yesterday on 12400 words, after a truly feral day with my toddler, who refused to have a nap at all and hasn't detached herself from me for thirty seconds today, except for that one time, when it turned out she'd been coloring in our insurance paperwork with a marker...
*Eye twitching* I fear this is my first zero count day for NaNo, and it makes me sad. I'm all good with my overall count- still 2000 ahead- but I was on such a roll, and I know just where I want to go next, and gah- the child has, as I type, just fallen asleep at 4pm, which guarantees she won't be in bed properly until midnight tonight, and DH is (naturally) out with the boys, leaving me with sole custody.*Sob*.
I'll share some my NaNo snippet on the weekend, but today the only highlight was hearing a song in the car and having one of those "YES!" moments, where it really resonates with the story and what's happening in my head right now.
At the moment, Len has just officially asked Kit to go out with him, and she's just officially turned him down- and he's told her he's leaving town, and doesn't know when he'll be back.
Along came the Kings of Leon with their new song, Pyro. Fabulous! Oh, this is so, so where Len is right now. I love it. And I think it will be a nice placeholder in my brain for all the swirling emotions in my story when I finally get a chance to write again.
I am lookin' into this Nano. But I have to say: WOW! That's great, I can't wait to read more. Hopefully when it's published. ;)
ReplyDeleteBrilliant stuff Kristen - same goes for the excerpt on the NaNo page too!
ReplyDeleteHope things worked out okay after all Claire; don't worry, you're still way ahead of most of us in the North East [g]
Kings of Leon, yay!