the kitchen, snatched her up like he was some sort of caveman and hauled her upstairs--and he hadn’t wanted to let her go down again to eat.
They couldn’t honestly have thought the old woman was in any danger, could they? She didn’t like Higgenbottom, and she’d been pretty ticked off about the woman manhandling her, but she was an old woman. She wouldn’t have clobbered the old bat.
Of course they didn’t know that, and Higgenbottom had said she’d been with Simon since he was a baby. Obviously, they’d all known her for years and years, because Audric had said they’d been living here for five years.
She thought that was what he had meant, although that was another puzzle, because none of them looked to be older than their late twenties. That would mean they would have been in their early twenties, or maybe not even that old, when they’d moved into the house.
That was hard to swallow.
She dismissed it as a puzzle for another time, though, bringing her mind back to the kitchen escapade. Abruptly, she remembered Simon had said that Audric was worried she would get hurt, not the old woman.
That was when she remembered that, just before Audric had grabbed her, she’d noticed Mrs. Higgenbottom was wearing contacts, colored contacts, because her eyes, the real color, was the same as Audric’s, Simon’s--all of the men’s.
* * * *
Raina had no more idea why it was that she felt so guilty watching Simon than she did as to why she was drawn to watch him to start with. Since her curiosity had driven her to find out where Simon went when he left the house, though, and she’d discovered he always walked out to stand on the beach and stare out to sea she hadn’t been able to resist watching him when he left the house if she was able to reach a window where she could watch him.
There was just something about the way he stood so still for so long that did something to her, that created a yearning inside of her that she couldn’t completely understand. His back was as ramrod stiff as ever, his shoulders erect, not slumped with dejection, but she still felt that she could sense loneliness and pain in him. And that drew her almost as much, though in a vastly different way, as her absolute fascination with the aura of power that surrounded him, and the less exalted, but equally distracting, lust she felt every time he came within her vicinity.
She had never been around a man that had that kind of effect on her, that she had only to look at to feel the urge to hump something--preferably him--as if she’d just shot up with some potent aphrodisiac. And the strange thing about it was that she wasn’t entirely sure of what it was about him that made her feel that way. He was handsome and had a body that had a serious pant factor, but the other men were handsome and built well, too--Audric was gorgeous and he really turned her on, but she didn’t feel like she was going to melt just from looking at him. Her brain didn’t take a holiday every time she looked at his mouth--or his eyes--or his hands. She didn’t feel weak kneed and faint and clumsy and stupid whenever he passed through the room.
It was almost as scary, the way he made her feel, as it was enthralling and she could never decide whether she most wanted to run from him, or toward him.
Mostly, though, if she could command her feet to move at all, she ran from him, afraid he’d see the really embarrassing effect he had on her.
She had a bad feeling, though, that he knew how he effected her and that was why he always scowled when he got a glimpse of her because he hadn’t looked at her once as if he welcomed her mindless adoration. He hadn’t even looked vaguely interested until he’d seen Audric kissing her and she didn’t flatter herself that she’d actually figured that much into the lust factor--mostly because all of them had the glazed look men got on their faces when they watched a porn.
“Raina!”
Raina nearly jumped out of her skin at
They couldn’t honestly have thought the old woman was in any danger, could they? She didn’t like Higgenbottom, and she’d been pretty ticked off about the woman manhandling her, but she was an old woman. She wouldn’t have clobbered the old bat.
Of course they didn’t know that, and Higgenbottom had said she’d been with Simon since he was a baby. Obviously, they’d all known her for years and years, because Audric had said they’d been living here for five years.
She thought that was what he had meant, although that was another puzzle, because none of them looked to be older than their late twenties. That would mean they would have been in their early twenties, or maybe not even that old, when they’d moved into the house.
That was hard to swallow.
She dismissed it as a puzzle for another time, though, bringing her mind back to the kitchen escapade. Abruptly, she remembered Simon had said that Audric was worried she would get hurt, not the old woman.
That was when she remembered that, just before Audric had grabbed her, she’d noticed Mrs. Higgenbottom was wearing contacts, colored contacts, because her eyes, the real color, was the same as Audric’s, Simon’s--all of the men’s.
* * * *
Raina had no more idea why it was that she felt so guilty watching Simon than she did as to why she was drawn to watch him to start with. Since her curiosity had driven her to find out where Simon went when he left the house, though, and she’d discovered he always walked out to stand on the beach and stare out to sea she hadn’t been able to resist watching him when he left the house if she was able to reach a window where she could watch him.
There was just something about the way he stood so still for so long that did something to her, that created a yearning inside of her that she couldn’t completely understand. His back was as ramrod stiff as ever, his shoulders erect, not slumped with dejection, but she still felt that she could sense loneliness and pain in him. And that drew her almost as much, though in a vastly different way, as her absolute fascination with the aura of power that surrounded him, and the less exalted, but equally distracting, lust she felt every time he came within her vicinity.
She had never been around a man that had that kind of effect on her, that she had only to look at to feel the urge to hump something--preferably him--as if she’d just shot up with some potent aphrodisiac. And the strange thing about it was that she wasn’t entirely sure of what it was about him that made her feel that way. He was handsome and had a body that had a serious pant factor, but the other men were handsome and built well, too--Audric was gorgeous and he really turned her on, but she didn’t feel like she was going to melt just from looking at him. Her brain didn’t take a holiday every time she looked at his mouth--or his eyes--or his hands. She didn’t feel weak kneed and faint and clumsy and stupid whenever he passed through the room.
It was almost as scary, the way he made her feel, as it was enthralling and she could never decide whether she most wanted to run from him, or toward him.
Mostly, though, if she could command her feet to move at all, she ran from him, afraid he’d see the really embarrassing effect he had on her.
She had a bad feeling, though, that he knew how he effected her and that was why he always scowled when he got a glimpse of her because he hadn’t looked at her once as if he welcomed her mindless adoration. He hadn’t even looked vaguely interested until he’d seen Audric kissing her and she didn’t flatter herself that she’d actually figured that much into the lust factor--mostly because all of them had the glazed look men got on their faces when they watched a porn.
“Raina!”
Raina nearly jumped out of her skin at
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