CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

 

 

My hope dashed when I saw the text was from Catherine.

How did she find out about PTA???

I thought for a moment of possible ways.

I don’t know. Could Evie have told her after she admitted being a vampire?

Yeah, maybe. I don’t think she would have unless she thought she was protecting us in some way.

That makes sense.

I’ll check in with her tonight. Maybe ask her what the Family thinks.

Sounds good.

I supposed it really didn’t matter how Liz found out. Once the paranormal cat was out of the bag, nothing was going to stop Liz from digging until she found the answers she wanted. I sighed, wondering if she’d reach out to me again or not. And what my reaction would be if she did. More importantly, I wondered if the Family would eliminate her. I suspected Liz was right, though; she was too visible to be taken out now without drawing undue suspicion.

A knock disturbed my thoughts. I was thankful for the interruption and headed to open the door.

“Jacob!”

“Hi, Mia.” He searched my face, for what I was uncertain.

I gestured inward. “Did you want to come in?”

A smile lit up his face. “Yes.”

I followed him, confused thoughts swirling in my mind. Why was he here? I appreciated the view of his backside as we walked to my couch. We sat, our knees inches apart. The air between us charged.

“What can I do for you, Jacob?”

“I saw Liz’s show.”

“Ah.”

“I wanted to, um, check on you.”

“You did?”

Hurt shined in his eyes at my question. “You don’t think I’d be worried about you?”

I shrugged. “I honestly don’t know. We didn’t leave things very…positive.”

His cheeks reddened. “I didn’t know what to say before. I don’t like being lied to.”

“I don’t think I lied to you. Lie of omission, maybe.”

He reached for my hands, the familiar spark making us both smile. “That’s not what I meant. I’m screwing this up.” His hands tightened around mine. “I’m not blaming you for anything. I missed you.”

“It’s only been a day.”

“I still missed you.”

“Me too.”

We sat in silence, lost in each other’s eyes. Then he frowned. “But, this—” He released me and stood. He walked to my sliding glass doors, stared out at the water, or maybe the mountains in the distance.

“Is what we feel real? Liz said you can bewitch people with your voice.” He turned and I saw the fear and desire.

“Yes,” I responded simply. “That’s true. I can entrance people.”

“Entrance,” he repeated with a nod.

I approached him. When he stiffened, I stopped, tears pooling in my eyes. “I didn’t do that to you. I promise.” Some of the tension bled away, but I still felt a wall between us.

“Let me tell you who I am and then you can decide if that’s something you want—” I coughed “—can live with.” He nodded. “Although I am humanoid, I’m not human. I am a nixie.” I chuckled at his confusion. “Most people have never heard of us. A nix, or a naiad, is a water spirit.” Understanding dawned in his eyes.

“When you stayed underwater without breathing?”

“Exactly. A nixie can live on the land, obviously, but needs to return to the water regularly to stay alive.”

“You live in a desert,” he contradicted with a smile.

“I do. Hide in plain sight, right? Besides, why do you think I live in The Lakes? And have a pool?”

“Makes sense.” His eyes clouded again. “What about—?”

I blew out my breath, knowing this was the make or break moment for us. “Nixie are sometimes called sirens. Are you familiar with them? You could say we’re cousins. They’re the more destructive members of our family.” He reflected my smile.

“Yes, I can entrance people with my voice. I’m quite the spellbinding singer, in fact. But,” I frowned, “I don’t like doing it and so only do it when I feel that it’s truly necessary. I’ve never done it to someone I … cared … about.”

“You care about me?” Desire pooled in his eyes.

I caressed his cheek, feeling the bristly stubble. He must not have shaved this morning. “I do.”

His hand captured mine against his face and he brought my palm to his lips for a delicate kiss. “I care about you too.”

Tingles shot through me at his words and his touch. I leaned forward in anticipation but he leaned back, releasing my hands. “What?”

He looked so earnest I almost laughed but my stomach rumbled with worry. “I need to apologize,” he started.

“That’s not—” I interrupted to tell him it wasn’t necessary but stopped.

Jacob smiled crookedly. “Yeah, it’s necessary,” he responded to my unspoken sentiment. “You frustrated me.” I opened my mouth to object. “Please, let me say this.” I closed my mouth and nodded.

“You frustrated me,” he repeated. “Because of my insane attraction to you.” We both smiled. “And also, because I knew you were keeping something from me. I never thought you were a killer. But, I knew it was something. Being another species is a pretty big something.”

He stared at me and I could feel the electricity in the air between us. I wanted more than anything in this moment for him to take me in his arms.

“Then I had to worry that what I felt wasn’t real.”

I couldn’t help it, I interrupted. “I never entranced you. You just legitimately find me sexy.”

Jacob laughed a deep belly laugh. “I know. I believe you. And, I definitely find you sexy.”

“The feeling is mutual.”

“I’m glad.”

Unable to wait for him to make his move, I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head against his shoulder. I listened to his heart beat and his breathing. “Oh, and I’m about 200-years-old.” His arms tightened around me for a moment and then relaxed. He chuckled, low and sexy.

“Man, you are really robbing the cradle, aren’t you?”

The last of my tension dissipated and I pulled back to gaze into his eyes. “Yes, I am,” I said with a smirk. “There’s a lot about me that you still don’t know.”

“I look forward to learning every single thing,” he assured me.

The heat and electricity between us increased. “Kiss me.”

Jacob did. A sigh escaped me. His lips, sweetly at first and then with more insistence, pressed against mine. I didn’t know where we were headed, in this moment or as a couple. Right now, this was all I cared about. Being together. After our long lingering kiss, Jacob pulled away and I saw the light in his eyes.

“By the way, what are you going to do about Liz’s big reveal?”

“I don’t know. We’re all out of the closet now. I guess that’s a wrap!”

 

Or is it?

Here’s a sneak peek at Episode 4…