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.She hadn’t cried this much since she was a child.A shower only added to the sensations whispering over her skin.Memories of his fingers tracing every shadow and hollow, every curve and dimple.His mouth driving her mad with cravings.“This isn’t normal,” she said to her reflection in the mirror.“It isn’t normal to want him like this and be afraid he’ll come to me and more afraid he won’t.”Could she leave? Was it possible to go back to her life in Seattle? Manolito was still trapped between worlds; could she leave him knowing he might never make it back if she didn’t help him?MaryAnn dressed with care, using clothes as armor, as she often did when she needed confidence and to feel in control.Manolito had told her to wear a dress, so she put on slacks and a silky top.She stood trembling, staring at herself, wanting to wear a dress because it would please him.Because he’d look at her with that look of dark hunger she’d never be able to resist.For a moment her hands went to the small shell buttons on her blouse, but she forced her hands down.She wouldn’t give in—not to herself and not to him.If she couldn’t leave him, she could at least stand up to him.Lifting her chin, she walked out into the common room.A young woman sat curled up on a window seat, her long hair cascading down her back like a waterfall.She looked up with a hesitant smile that was not at all real, her emerald eyes watching carefully.“You must be Jasmine.I’m MaryAnn Delaney.Did Juliette tell you I was coming?” She approached the girl slowly, her movements gentle and nonthreatening.This was why she had come in the first place, this young woman with the too-old eyes and the sorrow already etched into her face.Jasmine smiled and held out her hand.“It’s such a pleasure to meet you at last.Juliette speaks so highly of you.”“You reek of Carpathian male,” another voice said, the tone filled with disdain.MaryAnn turned to face Solange.It could be no one else.She was beautiful in a wild, untamed way.She had cat’s eyes, amber, focused and wary.She prowled instead of walked, her quick restless movements graceful and agile.MaryAnn could see the anger in her, deep and held in tight.She had seen too many horrors to ever go back to innocence.Solange wore loose-fitting drawstring pants and a belt around her hips.Where MaryAnn relied on pepper spray, Solange wore knives and guns with familiar ease.She had weapons MaryAnn had never seen before, many small and sharp and very efficient-looking.Her hair was shaggy but suited the shape of her face.Where Jasmine was ethereally beautiful, thin and shapely, with gentle curves and flowing hair, Solange was earthy, with full curves, temper in her eyes and passion stamped on her mouth.“Do I? I took a shower.” MaryAnn smiled at the woman, wanting to soothe her, to help her relax.Solange halted in mid stride, her nose wrinkling.“I’m sorry.That was rude.I have a very acute sense of smell.I shouldn’t have said that.We’ve been roaming in jaguar form and it makes me ultrasensitive.”“No, it’s all right.You’re entitled to say what you think.” MaryAnn sent her a quick, appreciative smile.“Even if you are saying I smell.”“On, no,” Jasmine said, rising to her feet.“Solange didn’t mean that at all.” She sent her cousin a warning look and reached out to take MaryAnn’s hand.“Are you hungry? We were about to make dinner.We just got up a few minutes ago.I’m sorry if we woke you.”“You were crying in your sleep,” Solange said.“I have exceptional hearing, too.Are you all right?”MaryAnn kept her smile serene.Jasmine’s fingers had tightened around hers, and the young woman was trembling.“I’m a city girl.The rain forest is a little scary to me.I’d guess neither of you feel that way about it.Although I did use my canister of pepper spray on a jaguar last night when it attacked me.”Solange whirled around, her dark eyebrows drawing down in a frown.“You were attacked by a jaguar? Are you certain?”MaryAnn nodded.“I was very close to it.”“Did it have a collar on its neck, or a pack of any kind that you could see?” Solange pursued.She was already hurrying from window to window, peering out.“Now that you say that, maybe he did.” MaryAnn kept Jasmine’s hand in hers.The girl shuddered, but kept walking through the wide hall to the large, open kitchen.“I can’t remember.It all happened so fast.”Solange scented the air again, lifting her face and sniffing.“Were you near a jaguar male? A man aside from the Carpathian?”Jasmine gasped and covered her mouth, her eyes going wide with fear.“Are they here? On the island?”“It’s going to be all right,” Solange assured her.“I can protect you, and Juliette wrapped the house in safeguards.As long as we stay inside, we should be fine.I’m just going to check the upstairs, make certain the balconies and windows are all closed and locked.The windows have bars, Jazz.”Jasmine rushed to her, grasping her arm.“Don’t leave me alone again.I don’t want to be alone.”Her young face looked haunted, and for just one moment, MaryAnn saw anguish in Solange’s amber eyes.She put her arms around her cousin and held her close.“MaryAnn is here, honey.I’m just going upstairs.She’ll sit with you and I’ll be right back.Why don’t you get MaryAnn some food? She’s hungry, remember?”Jasmine swallowed and nodded.“Yes, I’m sorry.Of course I’ll get you food.Do you drink tea?” She watched Solange leave the room.“She’ll be right back, don’t worry,” she added.“Of course she will,” MaryAnn said soothingly and wrapped a comforting arm around the younger girl.Jasmine had gone pale beneath the gold of her skin.“Tea would be lovely, thanks.”Jasmine’s hands shook so much the teacups rattled, but she poured both of them a cup of tea, added milk and sank down across from MaryAnn at the table, facing the door, watching for her cousin.“It must be difficult to let Solange out of your sight,” MaryAnn said gently.She concentrated on putting the young woman at ease, soothing and comforting, wanting her to realize she had someone she could talk to.I’m here now.It’s going to be okay.I’ll make everything okay.You’re strong and we can handle this.Jasmine was barely out of her teens, and yet already her world was one of violence and fear [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]