Enchantment (131 page)

Even
with
only
his
e
y
e
s
touching
her
and
his
hard
hand
on
her
ar
m
,
she
w
a
s
still
drowning in
desire,
wanting
to
feel
his
bite
again
when
he
cl
i
m
a
x
ed.

H
ow
embarr
a
ssing.

She
real
l
y
wanted
to
escape
his
piercing gaze. “I
thought
we
could
go
for
a
walk,” he
said.

He
w
a
s
killing her.
Didn’t
he
understand?
Couldn’t
he
see
the
how
unco
m
forta
b
le
she
wa
s
? “It’s
been
a
real
l
y
long
da
y
,
K
errigan.
I
think
I
s
hould
j
u
st
go
to
bed,”
Meeka
replied, rubbing
her
hot
cheeks.

“Want
so
m
e
co
m
pa
n
y
?
”
He
s
m
irked.

“I…”
Of
course
she
wanted
his
co
m
pa
n
y
.
More
than
he
could
ever
know,
but
what
good
w
ould
it
do,
except
to
increase
the
pain
alrea
d
y
per
m
a
n
ent
l
y
e
m
bedded
in
her
heart?

I
have
to be
strong.

Meeka
laughed
unco
m
for
t
ab
l
y
,
not
sure
exact
l
y
what
to
sa
y
.
“Might
be
dangerous
for
y
o
u; after
all,
I
al
m
ost
killed ever
y
o
n
e.”

“I’m kidding,
precious.
I’m
sure
y
o
u
’re
tired.
We
all
are.
Can
we
j
u
st
take
a
short walk
?
”
he pro
m
pted as
his
hand
sliding
d
o
wn
her
a
r
m
,
capturing
her
hand.

The
war
m
th
of
his
hand
engulfed
her
w
hole
bod
y
.
It
w
a
s
the
kind
of
heat
s
he’d
longed
for all
her
life,
and
one
she
realized
was
forbidden
to
her.
Love
had
no
place
between
th
e
m
;
she w
a
sn’t
going
to
drag
him
down
with
her.

“I
think
I’ve
had
enough
of
outside
tod
a
y
,
but
thanks,
a
n
y
w
a
y
.
”

“Meeka,
don’t…
Y
ou
can’t…
I
m
ean,
please
j
u
st
come
with
m
e
one
m
ore
t
i
m
e.
Let
me
try to…
We
need
to
talk.
And
we’re
not
going
outside,” he
finished
in
a
rush.

“Where
are
y
ou
taking
m
e
?
”

“It’s
a surprise I’m
s
ure
y
o
u
’re
going to like.
It
m
a
y not
be as
appealing
as
the
cave with
the strea
m
, but
I’m
sure
y
o
u
’ll like
it.”
He
looked
into
her
e
y
e
s.

“Kerrigan,
h
o
w
big
is
this
hous
e
?
Does
it
ever
en
d
?
It’s
like a
th
e
m
e park.” “Yes,
of
course
it
has
an end.
What’s
a the
m
e par
k
?
”

“Never
m
ind
.
”
Meeka
followed
obedient
l
y
,
silent
l
y
resolving
to
take
w
hat
she
could
get. Me
m
ories
w
ould
be
all
she’d
ever
have.
Why
not
shore
up
a
few
m
ore
for
those
cold,
lone
l
y nights
she
knew
were
coming?

They
c
a
m
e
to
a
door,
which
Kerrigan
opened
with
a
wave
of
his
hand.

Meeka
gasped
in
awe
at
the
flowers,
plants,
and
water
ponds.
The
s
weet
s
m
ell
of
a
m
a
r
y
l
l
i
s
, r
o
ses,
lilies,
and
lilacs
inundated
her
senses.
It
was
breathtaking
l
y
beautiful
and
tranquil.

“Do
y
o
u like
it
?
”
He
asked
hopeful
l
y
. Meeka
was
at
a
lo
s
s.
“
It’s
m
arvelous.”

They
walked
along
a
s
m
all
path
until
Kerrigan
stopped
beside
a
gra
s
s
y
spot.
Tenta
t
ive
l
y
,
he pulled
her
down
beside
hi
m
.
Meeka
bent
to
sit
cross-legged
on
the
blanket.
Her
w
hole
bo
d
y ached,
but
not
as
bad
l
y
as
her
heart.
S
he
looked
aw
a
y
, t
r
y
i
ng to
be
interested
in
the
foliage.

“I’m
sorr
y
, Meeka. This
probably isn’t
the
m
ost co
m
forta
b
le place
for
y
o
u to
sit.
I
just
real
l
y need
to
explain
s
ome
things
to
y
o
u.”

Meeka
didn’t
think
she
could
go
through
this.
S
he
was
m
e
n
ta
ll
y
and
p
h
y
s
ic
a
l
l
y
exhausted, and
alrea
d
y
the tears were rea
d
y
to
flow. She
didn’t need
h
i
m to
spell out all the reasons
w
h
y
she had
to go.