Ghostwalker 02 - Mind Game

Dahlia’s neck, keeping them connected. He told himself it was because he needed to stay close to her to keep the energy at bay, but the truth refused to stay in the back of his mind. He was the one that needed the connection. They were at odds, and he needed the reassurance of physical contact.

    “You’re dragging me.” Dahlia pointed it out with a little bite in her voice.

    Nicolas actually snapped his teeth together, inwardly swearing. It was insane the way he was always so off balance around her. Insane, and damned uncomfortable. The worst of it was, she could walk away from him. She might not like it, and she might even fantasize over him now and then, but she could do it. And she was the emotional, fiery one. He couldn’t walk away. He had no idea how it happened, how she had managed to crawl inside of his lungs until he couldn’t breathe properly without her.

    “Get in the cab.” He made it an order knowing she hated orders.

    He didn’t know how it happened. He had been perfectly fine without her for years. He’d never given much thought to finding a woman to share his life. He lived a life of solitude, going where he wanted, not tied to anything emotionally or physically, and it was his preference. Until he found himself in Louisiana with a woman who could shake him up with one look.

    Dahlia slid onto the backseat of the cab. The pressure welling up in her chest was amazing. Anger was hot and furious. Just like the intensity of the passion she shared with Nicolas. She dragged air into her lungs. They fed off each other. There was no other explanation. When she touched Nicolas, he cleared outside energy away from her. When they formed the arc of energy between them, they built the strength and passion of it together, one feeding the other’s intensity.

    She cleared her throat as Nicolas folded his much larger frame into the backseat beside her. She waited until he gave the driver instructions before sliding her hand into his. She waited to see if he’d pull away from her. The waves of anger were still rolling off of him, but his fingers tightened around hers.

    “We’re amplifying each other’s emotions.” She said it in a low voice. Starkly, without embellishment, staring out the window while she did so.

    Nicolas closed his eyes briefly. She was right, and he’d known it all along. The knowledge that he’d been aware of it on some level, yet allowed his emotions to be amplified anyway bothered him almost as much as his need to be with her. What did he really know about her, after all? He looked down at her. She was everything he’d ever wanted, he just hadn’t known it. What the hell was he going to do about it? He rubbed his thumb along her fingers in a small gesture meant to soothe.

    Breathe with me . He needed her to draw him back from the edge of some precipice he didn’t fully understand. Whatever anger had swirled in him so stark and raw and ugly had turned just as fast to a fierce, driving need to merge with her. To drag her as close to him as he was to her.

    He wanted her to need him on the same stark elemental level. It was difficult for him to have to admit he wasn’t as in control of his thoughts and feelings or even his world as he had always believed.

    Dahlia felt the change in the energy as they both began meditative breathing. Rhythmic, controlled, deep. She felt the dark anger evaporate, released with the air moving in and out of her lungs. Out of his lungs. A flash of excitement sent a fresh wave of energy spilling around them. She tried to breathe through that as well.

    What is it?

    You felt that ? Dahlia watched him nod. We’re getting more in tune with one another. I feel the slightest change in your mood and now you’re able to do the same with me. You never felt energy like that before, did you ?

    Nicolas took his time thinking it over. He could catch thoughts at times. He could definitely sense emotions. If he had ever “felt” energy, it was prior to a physical attack on him. Perhaps black anger in a very aggressive person. Was he gaining strengths? He didn’t know if he wanted the same curse as Dahlia had been gifted with.

    It’s just that we actually controlled the energy together, Nicolas . The excitement radiated out of her. Maybe our first try wasn’t that successful, but this really worked. I’ve never really controlled it. I’ve managed it. Kept it under wraps until I could find a place to get rid of it, but we actually breathed