Reverence

had to have her and protect her at all cost to anyone or anything. Like now.
    If she went into my thoughts now, she'd see that I was gripping the ledge of control and howling with the satisfaction of feeling and seeing her response to me. And when she groaned against my mouth, her little hands gripping my neck and hair, it was all I could do to stay put, refuse to throw her over my shoulder and cart her to the house.
    And then there she was, in my head, sliding her way in and trying to meld our minds. Boy, was I tempted. I let her in for a few minutes- like I had a choice as she slammed her way past my barriers. I saw things in her mind as I always did when we melded our minds. There was one of me playing guitar and she was watching my arms as they held the bass and the muscles rippled. I think she probably embellished on that a little bit and I laughed inside.
    I saw us on the plane together, but I was asleep. She dug through my brain, on a mission to be just as proactive as me when it came to learning about her. She found all sorts of things and I loved how much she loved it.
    Then I saw her favorite memory of me, the one I saw every single time I entered her mind; the day we imprinted, and I was looking at her like she was my everything, because she was. I had looked at her face so closely that day, loving everything there was; freckles, green honest eyes, a mouth that was as perfect as it was dangerous.
    She also saw my favorite memories of her, but when she went deeper, I pulled back, I held my control.
    I pressed my head to hers and was surprised by how much my breathing was crazy. So it seemed she affected me just as much as I her. Well didn't that just bring a grin to my smug face...
    “You can dig in my mind anytime you want, babe, but not like this,” I said as sternly as I could, but chuckled instead when I saw her flushed face. “I want to, you know I do, especially since we were so close last time and were interrupted. I don’t think I could stand to start and not...finish again, ok? Let’s just wait until we know we won’t have any distractions.”

    She started thinking all sorts of things to get my blood boiling again. I pulled her to stand.

    “I better get you inside,” I said into her ear, “before you convince me that the public beach is an appropriate place for such a thing.” I nipped her earlobe.

    “Caleb,” she breathed, her fingers digging into my shirt front, “that’s not helping.”

    “I know," I said and laughed as she swatted at me. Oh, I did know exactly what buttons to push. And I had no intentions of stopping anytime soon.

    She was mine. All mine.

Three

    Defiance Chapter Thirteen

    I had never been in the cells myself, but I knew it was bad down there. And when they brought me down the steps, the smell of mold and stench choking me, I knew I wasn't going to be impressed with the place.
    Then they took my shoes off and made me walk on the disgusting floor to my cell. I felt stuff crunching under my feet. I assumed it was bones or trash of some kind, but tried not to think about it. I sat in the cell and just waited…for something, anything, because there was nothing but a cot in there. Not even light enough to see, just enough to tease my senses from the guards lamp down the hall.
    I didn't sleep because I just couldn't. Then I felt Maggie's heart skip. I sat up at attention and inquired about it. She said it was a spider, which was an appalling attempt to lie, but she slammed her mind shut and kicked me out.
    That's when I knew she was up to something. My legs twitched uncomfortably with the need to make sure she was safe and not up to anything that would get her hurt. But I was useless in here, wasn't I?
    I knew it was going to happen, but that didn’t make me like any of it more, and knowing that Maggie was wandering around out there on a rescue mission was making everything worse. So I sat there simmering in my pity party.
    A while later I felt her and knew she was close. My veins screamed at me to get her away from here.
    Maggie, dang it, get your butt out of here!
    No, Caleb. I'm already here. May as well see the accommodations.
    I growled and banged my fist against the wall. If they touched one hair on her head, I'd…I jerked up to the bars and shook the door latch in vain, knowing full well that they charmed it. Like they did everything else. Cowards.
    Then I heard her, and just her voice was like a punch to my core. I leaned against the bars, but still