“Catching anything that others may not see?” I leaned in and whispered my question against her ear. I felt a shiver come from her body at the contact of my breath but didn’t let it move my train of thought. Now was not the time.
“There’s a scent that seems unnatural to the rest of the apartment, but I can’t put my finger on it. Other than that, the killer is patient and organized. This doesn’t read like a crime of passion. It’s too methodical.” She looked around for anything that would give her a clue as to who the killer was, but there wasn’t anything abnormal to me.
“I know this sounds crazy, but even though it’s pretty neat in here, something feels chaotic.”
“I feel it too. Hard to pinpoint, though,” I admitted, and she looked at me with a face that said she was stumped.
We stayed for another thirty minutes, looking around for anything significant, talking to neighbors about Amanda. She was well-liked by them all. She kept quiet and didn’t bother anyone. Not a loner, but usually was just tired from working so much.
“We’ll go talk to her coworkers and church friends tomorrow. See if she had any enemies, or if something was going on that the neighbors didn’t know of.” Echo guided me toward the elevator; I guess we were done here.
She was tense the whole way back to the bar, her hands gripping hard then relaxing in a steady rhythm.
“You wanna talk about it?”
She looked at me, and then focused back on the road.
“I feel something inside me wants out. It’s hard to hold it in, sometimes. Animals are very instinctual, and apparently, I should have used a certain instinct while at the scene.” Her words made sense. It made me curious as to which animal thought it was needed.
She parked in front of the bar and hopped out of the car, standing by the front door impatiently, waiting for me to unlock it for her.
Once she was inside, she tossed her jacket to the floor seconds, then kicked off her shoes before her clothes shredded before my eyes.
“Holy shit.”
Even though I knew what her powers were firsthand, it was still a shock to see a big-ass lizard in the spot where a beautiful woman had just been standing.
The giant Komodo dragon flicked its tongue out and walked around, tasting the air around it. I knew Echo was the lizard, but I stood very still nonetheless, watching her do her thing.
It was maybe three minutes after she changed that the lizard’s body started to lengthen and ripple, turning back into a human woman. Instantly I grabbed her discarded leather jacket and placed it over her bare shoulders.
“Thanks. Sorry to do this again, but could I borrow some clothes?” She sounded slightly out of breath.
“You don’t need to change into an animal to be naked around me. No need to be so dramatic,” I teased, and it worked to ease the tension in her posture.
“I’ve got some new sweatpants calling your name.” I helped her stand. I walked up the stairs first, so I wouldn’t be staring at her bare ass in a leather jacket the whole way to my apartment. My control over the need to touch her could only take so much. Just the thought of seeing her in nothing but the leather was hurting my brain and other anatomical bits.
She knew her way around and went straight into my bedroom.
And me, being the dumbass I was at the moment, followed her in.
She shucked off her jacket, not caring that I was there, taking in every inch of her beautiful tan skin, committing it to memory.
She was mine. Her eyes, her hair, her skin, her animal spirit—it was all meant for me, and I was hers. I felt it deep in my soul. She was my match in every way.
Chapter Fifteen
Echo
I knew his gaze was roaming over every inch of my body, and I couldn’t find the fucks to give. There was this strange connection between us, and it made me feel completely comfortable around him, even naked. I changed into his clothes, and once I was covered up, I faced him. I didn’t see any hints of shame on his face from looking, only adoration and awe gracing his expression. It was strange feeling as beautiful and womanly as he was making me feel right now. Especially after knowing I turn into animals.
There was just something different about him. I felt it even when I was a cat, and I knew it had nothing to do with the fact that I needed him to survive at the time.
“I smelled something down there where Lisa had been attacked. Like a waxy smell, very strong. Komodo dragons can smell prey ten miles away, I’m guessing that would have been useful for comparing the scents of the two scenes.” I walked past him to leave, but he grabbed onto my arm. My head turned toward his, and I felt déjà vu.
“What does your tattoo mean?” he asked, his usual swagger missing from his words.
“I saw it when I helped you change back the first time, and now I need to know.”
“Dreamcatchers were once used by my people to protect their loved ones from harm. Now it’s a touristy thing for bad dreams. The spider’s web between the wood would trap the evil that wanted to hurt us. I try to be a dream catcher, protecting people from harm. The two feathers hanging below are for my parents, to help remind me of my cause. Protect people from going through what I did.” The final words were barely above a whisper. The dream catcher tattoo on my hip was one of the only vulnerabilities I let myself have. The tattoo and my car. Both meant so much to me, both left me open.
Slowly and gently, his grip pulled me back toward him. I stared into his eyes and wondered if he was going to try and kiss me again. Would I let him?
There was no denying there was something between us, even if he was sometimes annoyingly charming and I stayed in perpetual eye roll around him.
“You don’t need me.” He pulled me closer until I could feel the heat coming from his body, caressing my skin.
His hand left my arm, moving up softly until it reached my jaw, settling there like a cradle.
“I don’t need you,” I whispered.
A small smile touched his lips, and I found myself looking at them.
“You don’t need me, but you feel this hunger as much as I do.” His head descended, our breath mingling, lips an inch away from connecting.
“What is it?” I felt something for him, and it was beyond anything I’ve felt before. It was raw and untamable.
“The instinct to claim what’s yours.” His words tickled my lips before they brushed against me softly, slow and gentle.
I also thought that kissing was meant to be this clashing of desire and red-hot passion, but this was something completely different.
Asher knew me without me needing to tell him how I felt all the time. I never get close to people. I’m a bitch, and I know it most of the time, but it’s better to be standoffish than lose more people I care about.
This kiss was him showing me that I could let him in. Building trust, instead of letting this craving between us consume my thoughts and scare me away.
His lips were perfect and controlled with each press against mine. I was starting to feel the desire to push for more, to caress his tongue with mine, to enjoy the strange current that flowed between us in a soothing rhythm.
“Have dinner with me?” He pulled back to look at my uncontrolled expression.
“I should probably get home; we’ve got a busy day tomorrow.” I took a step away, and his hands dropped to his sides. His eyes were spearing into my soul, trying to understand if he had pushed me too far, and I was running away or not.
“Do you have employees to cover you?” I asked, and he nodded. A small smile on my lips gave him what he wanted.
“Anything I can do to convince you to stay for a late dinner? I make a mean peanut butter and jelly…maybe some fresh bottled water?” His stupid, charming grin was back to trying to convince me to stay.
I was about to tell him I’d pass when my stomach growled.
“I’ll take that as a yes.” I swear his grin widened.
Without another word he came closer, pressed a single peck to my already kiss-glistened lips, and then walked out of the bedroom.