For a split second, Blake’s hand stops moving.
“You’re certain?” he finally says.
“Definitely. They’ll be doing the exchange at 2:00am.”
I close my eyes, trying to fade out the memory slightly of the man kicking the girls.
“Alright, so we can set up our trap,” he resolves. “I’ll get Interpol involved in a little bit.”
“Okay,” I sigh, leaning into him.
We continue to sit for a moment, listening to the sound of water droplets in the cave make music against the rocks.
“What about the other part?” he says after a few moments of silence.
“What are you talking about?”
“You said part of the reason you wanted to come along was for the girls. But that wasn’t to prove anything—it was to get them out alive. So, what did you have to prove?” he urges.
I bite my lip, trying to decide what to say and what to keep to myself. I’m only just starting to parse it all out for myself—and I’m not sure what any of it means yet. I don’t understand after all this time why I’d want to open myself up again. Why him? Why now?
“I don’t know—I guess not being able to read you—it’s made me curious. There isn’t much I don’t know—and what I don’t already have as knowledge, I pick up pretty quickly.”
“Okay?”
I sigh. “I guess I wanted to spend time with you to understand what makes you so different.”
His body relaxes a little and his fingertips start to caress the side of my neck. I close my eyes again, focusing on it.
“And what have you found out so far?”
“Not sure. I guess I’ll need to keep digging.”
“Oh, you’re digging, huh?” he chuckles.
He’s trying to give me something to think about—something other than the dizzying effects of my vision.
“Sure, why not?” I laugh. It feels good to laugh—ushering in some lighter energy.
“Warn me when you find something out, would ya?”
“You’ll be the first to know.”
“Wonderful,” he says, twisting his fingertips through the tendrils of hair at the back of my neck.
“What about you, Blake?”
His fingertips halt their playfulness and his back stiffens.
“What about me?”
“What made you want to prove me wrong—or to be near me? Did it really have anything to do with wanting to prove I wasn’t who I said I was? Honestly, after getting to know you more, I don’t think you’re really that kinda guy.”
I pull my head from his chest to look him in the eye. My head lulls listlessly to the side, but I take a deep breath, holding it upright.
Warmth rushes through his cheeks, even in this dim light I can see it, and his gaze narrows.
“Honestly?” he finally says.
“No, lie to me,” I say, sticking out my tongue.
Blake rolls his eyes and shoots me a sexy smirk.
Butterflies escape from my solar plexus and I bite my lip.
“I think a part of me always knew you had something special. But—it wasn’t about your psychic stuff. There was something about you—the woman you are. Being around you—it’s like…I can’t even describe it. It’s like finding something you didn’t know you were looking for. Like there was something you misplaced, but it had been so long since you last had it—you forgot it even existed. I know that sounds stupid—”
“What? You weren’t looking for all this?” I say, brushing my hands along my body, and shooting him a dorky grin.
He laughs again, returning his fingertips to their dance along my neck.
“Not even a little bit. I was perfectly happy just living in my own little bubble with Aiden. But now…” his voice trails off.
“Now?”
“Well, I’d like to see where this could lead,” he says.
I sit up so I can get a better look at him. He bites his lip, shrugging sheepishly.
“Glutton for punishment, I see.” I poke him in the rib and raise an eyebrow.
“Guess you could say that.”
“Poor fool,” I say, shaking my head and grinning.
“I’ll be the judge of that,” he says, holding my gaze for moment. His eyebrows flicker up and down as he processes whatever’s flashing through his mind.
“Will you do me a favor, Blake?”
“Sure, anything,” he says without hesitation.
“When we’re through with all this—when it’s all said and done and we’re back in Helena, can we grab that cup of coffee you asked for? I mean, for real this time.”
Blake’s dimples emerge in a slow, deliberate smile. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
I nod. “It’s done, then.”
“So it is,” his chin dips in acknowledgment.
My strength feels like it’s returning and I adjust again.
“You do know, this means having an actual conversation, though. Right? Telling me more about you—and not freaking out about it. We’ve been through a lot, but I’d like to learn more about the real Blake Wilson.”
“Deal. I’d like to learn more about the real Diana Hawthorne, too,” he smiles. “Magical psychic stuff notwithstanding, I’m sure there’s a lot more to you than meets the eye.”
I raise my eyebrows, “Oh, you have nooo idea.”
Even in the low light of Blake’s flashlight, the weight of his gaze pulls me into it, making my breath hitch in my throat. Something has magnetized me to his eyes and even if I wanted to, I can’t look away. The hints of green and gold hidden in the depths of his eyes are so—familiar.
The familiarity gnaws at my insides—like a memory you’re trying desperately to cling to but no matter what you do, you just can’t recollect it.
“I—I don’t know what this is between us, but I’m happy I deliberately bumped into you,” Blake says, the magnitude of his words drawing me in.
My heart thumps awkwardly, skipping beats as I try to stay grounded—but I’m losing grip fast. This time, it has nothing to do with my abilities.
“I am, too. But—I just—I mean, we’re in a weird situation right now, you know, trying to find the girls. We should be focused on—”
His face moves, almost in slow motion, toward me. Those big brown eyes of his
