Canyons of Night

Chapter 5

HE WALKED HER HOME SHORTLY BEFORE ELEVEN o’clock, using a flashlight to illuminate the unlit road that wound through the trees along the bluff. The flashlight was for Charlotte’s sake. In spite of the damage to his talent, his night vision was still good, especially when he was a little jacked, as he was now. He had tried to keep his senses tightly shuttered all evening but just being around Charlotte was enough to give him a slight buzz, enough to illuminate the world with a faint ultralight radiance. Enough to keep the sweet ache of semi-arousal going deep inside him.

But Charlotte would have been walking blind without the artificial light. Darkness on the island was absolute once you were away from the town’s small business district and marina. There were no streetlights. The cottages and cabins scattered along the cliffs and bluffs were set far apart and veiled by thick woods. The branches of the trees that crowded close to the edges of the pavement blocked out what light came from the stars and crescent moon.

Charlotte glanced at Rex who rode on Slade’s shoulder. “You two are lucky. You can both see in the dark. Must come in handy.”

“Night vision has its uses.” He wondered how much longer he would have the paranormal eyesight that allowed him to see in total darkness. He wouldn’t need it to know if Charlotte were nearby, though, he thought. No matter how psiblind he became, something in him would always respond to her presence.

“When did Rex attach himself to you?” Charlotte asked.

“Shortly after I got out of—” He stopped abruptly. “After I finished my last job for the Office. I was living in an apartment in Crystal City. Heard a sound out on the balcony one night. I opened the slider and there was Rex. He just sat there for a while staring at me. He looked like he was waiting for something.”

“Food?”

“That’s what I figured. I gave him some leftover chicken. He ate it and then he left. The next morning he was back on the balcony with a nice little rock.”

“A rock?”

“A very green rock, psi green. I knew it had come from the underground rain forest.”

There was no mistaking the unique, acid-green glow that was the hallmark of so much of what the long-vanished aliens had constructed. Aboveground the ancient ruins of their dead cities glowed with green energy after dark. Down below, the endless labyrinth of catacombs they had built were lit with the strange green light day and night. The vast reaches of the bioengineered jungle buried deep in the Underworld were illuminated with an artificial green sun.

No one knew what had happened to the aliens who had first colonized Harmony. But human anthropologists and researchers had concluded that something in the environment of the planet had proved poisonous to them. The psi infused into the walls and buildings of their elegant, graceful cities and into the engineering marvel that was the Underworld had clearly been intended to be the antidote.

But in the end the forces of nature on Harmony had evidently proved too much for the aliens. No one knew if they had simply died out as a species or if they had called it quits and abandoned the planet. Whatever the case, they had vanished thousands of years before the human colonists from Earth had arrived on Harmony. The experts could not establish a firm date for the era of the alien colonists because the green quartz that they had used to construct virtually everything they had built or manufactured was indestructible. It showed no signs of weathering or erosion.

“So Rex brought you a rock from the rain forest to cement your relationship,” Charlotte said, amused. “What a clever, charming gift.”

“He’s been hanging around ever since,” Slade said. “Sometimes he takes off on his own for a while, usually at night. He started doing that here on Rainshadow on the night we arrived. I’ve gone with him a couple of times.”

She laughed. “Isn’t trespassing still illegal?”

“As illegal as it was fifteen years ago when you and I went in. But things have changed.”

“Like what?”

“For one thing, I’m the chief of police now. I can go anywhere I want on the island without having to worry about getting arrested for trespassing.”

“Oh, right. I forgot. You carry a badge. Must come in handy.”

“It does.” He paused, wondering how much to tell her. “But that’s not the only thing that has changed here.”

She must have picked up on the seriousness he had injected into the words because she turned her head quite sharply to look at him.

“What do you mean?” she asked.

“According to Chief Halstead’s notes, the fence was strengthened about five years ago after two people managed to sneak into the Preserve and died on the grounds. The Foundation’s search-and-rescue team brought the bodies out. Then they sent an engineering crew to crank up the power of the fence. It’s definitely much stronger now, a lot harder to get through than it was the night I took you inside. But that’s not the only thing that has changed. The Preserve itself feels different, at least in parts.”

“Really? How?”

“It’s hard to explain. There are still a lot of pretty places, but in some sections the energy is darker and heavier.”

“I recall that it was very disorienting the night you took me in,” Charlotte said. “If you hadn’t been with me I would have been hopelessly lost within ten or twenty feet.”

“Back in those days the psi fence and the fear of getting lost was enough to keep out most folks. But now I’m pretty sure that only someone with a heck of a lot of talent and just as much determination could get through the barrier.”

“You said some of the places inside feel different?”

“I spent a lot of time inside the Preserve fifteen years ago. It was an irresistible attraction to a nineteen-year-old guy who had come into a strong talent.”

“I remember,” she said. She smiled, thinking about it. “I felt the lure, as well.”

“The two times I went in this past week I came across some features that were definitely not present fifteen years ago.”

“Such as?”

“Ponds and lakes that seem to simmer with dark energy. Canyons of intense night.”

“Canyons of night?” she repeated, fascinated.

“I don’t know what else to call them.”

“But the beautiful places are still there? That meadow that you showed me that night, for instance. It was like a fairyland. I’ve never forgotten it.”

“It’s still there,” he said. “Still as pretty as ever. But it feels hotter now.”

“Got any theories?”

“Not yet. But I’ve been doing some research online and I’m working on a theory. Ever heard of a paranexus?”

“Sure. According to the Arcane experts it’s a natural geologic hot zone of paranormal forces, a location where there is a confluence of several kinds of powerful natural energy currents. Similar to a vortex, I think. There are records of such places back on Earth and I’ve heard that they’ve found some here on Harmony down in the catacombs.”

“A nexus is more powerful and more complex than a vortex because there are more forces at work. In addition to the energy of the planet’s magnetic field, there are ocean currents and strong tides, as well as tectonic and geothermal forces involved in a true nexus. When they come together in certain ways in certain locations they produce a lot of ambient energy like the kind inside the Preserve.”

“You think it’s a nexus?”

“Yes.”

“How did you do your research on the Preserve?”

“I found some old navigational charts and ships’ logs and diaries from the First Century expeditions. They’re housed in the online collections of the University of Old Resonance. I also turned up a few accounts of the Amber Sea Islands left by smugglers and pirates. I haven’t had a chance to read all of them yet but I can see that a theme is emerging.”

“What kind of theme?”

“Some of the early navigators were convinced that Rainshadow was haunted by ghosts of the aliens.”

She laughed. “Okay, that’s an original notion but I think you can ignore that theory.”

“The first expedition that went into the part of the island that is now the Preserve disappeared. There were two rescue attempts made but in both cases the teams were forced to turn back. The bodies of the first group were never recovered. Later a couple of expeditions were able to get a short distance inside but none of them got far and most of the territory remains unmapped.”

“When did the Preserve go into private hands?”

“Good question. Shortly after the Era of Discord, a corporation called Amber Sea Trading Company claimed most of Rainshadow under the old Exploration Laws that were established to encourage private exploration and development.”

“When did the legal entity called the Rainshadow Preserve Foundation come into existence?”

“A few years after staking a claim to the island, Amber Sea Trading established the Foundation to govern the Preserve. It’s been under the control of the Foundation ever since. Halstead left a phone number to call in the event that anyone else gets lost inside the Preserve. The Foundation will send out a search-and-rescue team.”

“Why do you think you can go into the Preserve without getting lost?” Charlotte asked, very thoughtful now.

“Damned if I know. I have to assume it’s got something to do with my talent.” Or what’s left of it, he added silently.

“There must have been at least a few similar hunter-talents on some of the early expeditions.”

“Which may explain why some of the teams were able to get at least partway into the Preserve,” he said. “But evidently that kind of talent wasn’t sufficient to allow full exploration of the island.”

“Have you encountered anything inside that stops you?”

“Not yet. The night canyons are the most serious obstacle I’ve come across so far. And I sure as hell wouldn’t go swimming in any of the ponds or lakes now. But thus far I haven’t experienced the extreme disorientation that the survivors who have been pulled out by the Foundation’s search-and-rescue teams have reported. I’ve only gone in twice in the past week, though. I haven’t had a chance to do much looking around.”

“Planning on going in again anytime soon?”

He was amused. “You want to go in, don’t you?”

“I’ve never forgotten that first visit.” Her voice turned wistful. “I’ve even dreamed about it from time to time over the years.”

“I’ve had a few dreams about the Preserve, myself,” he admitted. “I’ll take you back inside.”

“Okay,” she said. “I’d like that.”

“But not tonight.”

There was a faint rustling in the undergrowth at the side of the road. Rex went very still on Slade’s shoulder. He sleeked out and his second set of eyes, the amber pair that he used for hunting, snapped open. He bounded down to the pavement and vanished into the woods.

“Ugh,” Charlotte said. “Nature in the raw.”

“What do you expect? Dust bunnies are omnivorous and they are predators.”

“That may be true, but as far as I’m concerned, there’s a reason why grocery stores were invented. Makes things ever so much tidier.” She glanced toward the night-shrouded woods where Rex had disappeared. “I take it he doesn’t have any trouble navigating the Preserve with you?”

“As far as I can tell Rex has no problem at all inside. But dust bunnies get around in the Underworld just fine, too. They seem to be well-adapted to heavy psi environments.”

He stopped. Charlotte stopped, too.

“Something wrong?” she asked.

He aimed the beam of the flashlight at the graveled lane that intersected the road. “This is your driveway.”

She smiled. “Good thing you noticed. It’s so dark out here, I didn’t even see it. If I’d been on my own, I would have kept walking.”

They followed the narrow, rutted drive through the trees and into a clearing. With the canopy of overhanging branches gone, the starry night sky sparkled and glittered in all its glory.

Charlotte looked up. “It’s incredible, isn’t it?”

He watched her face, fascinated. He could have watched her all night long, he thought. In spite of the control he was exerting over his senses, he went a little hotter.

“Yes,” he said. “Incredible.”

“This was one of the things I have always loved about the island,” she said. She headed toward the front steps, fishing her key out of her purse. “Back in Frequency the city lights combined with the glow of the ruins make it impossible to see anything but the moon and the brightest stars. But here the night sky is always an amazing sight.”

He followed her up the steps, wishing he could think of a way to make the night last longer.

Charlotte’s cottage was set on a bluff overlooking a rocky cove and a handful of small, neighboring islands. Unlike his own spartan cabin, her place had a quaint, cozy look. Small and compact, it consisted of two floors, a gabled roof, and a wraparound porch. Baskets of flowers hung from the eaves of the wide, overhanging roof.

He studied the scene for a couple of seconds, trying to understand why Charlotte’s cottage looked so different from his own. It wasn’t just the flowers, he thought. There was something else about the place. Then it came to him. It looks like a home, he thought.

Charlotte was just about to unlock the door when the vast waves of eerie green light flooded across the heavens. The night lit up as though it had been ignited by supernatural energy. She gave a small shriek and jumped. The key clanged on the wooden porch.

“What in the world?” she gasped. “Oh, my goodness, look, an aurora. You can see them only a few times a year here on the island. Atmospheric conditions have to be just right.”

“I remember seeing an aurora the summer I worked at the marina,” he said. “This is the first time I’ve seen one since then.”

She laughed. “Maybe it’s a good omen, hmm?”

“It’s a natural atmospheric phenomenon,” he said. “Not an omen.”

“Give me a break. Surely a man who can come up with a phrase like canyons of night can allow me a little poetic license here.”

He smiled. “You’re right. Maybe this is an omen.”

He switched off the flashlight and guided her down the steps to get a better view of the spectacular display.

“Talk about special effects,” Charlotte breathed.

“No movie studio could produce a light show like this.”

The brilliant green lights crashed and cascaded endlessly across the night sky, creating an otherworldly effect that dazzled all of the senses.

Energy heightened in the atmosphere. Slade realized that Charlotte had jacked up her talent a few degrees in order to savor the full effects of the aurora. His own senses responded, not to the rippling, glowing lights in the sky but to Charlotte’s energy.

He knew then that he had miscalculated badly. He had told himself that sex with Charlotte did not have to be complicated, just a simple case of two adults who were attracted to each other acting on that attraction. But he had been wrong. Sex was going to be very complicated. In that moment, however, entranced by Charlotte’s upturned face and the air of wonder and fascination that shimmered around her, he did not give a damn about the potential complications.

He put his arm around her shoulders, acutely conscious of the delicate, feminine body beneath the light sweater she wore. Her scent stirred the banked fires deep inside. He turned her toward him. She did not resist.

“Charlotte,” he said. And stopped because he could not think of what to say next.

“I know, I know,” she said, her voice a little husky now. “You’re not long for this island. You’ve got plans for the future that don’t involve hanging around here. We’re just two talents passing in the night, blah, blah, blah.”

“I may have said blah, blah, blah, but don’t think I actually said that we’re just two talents passing in the night.”

She put her hands on his shoulders and smiled up at him. Her eyes were luminous pools of mystery.

“How about two talents who happen to find themselves stranded together on an island,” she said.

He pulled her closer. “I don’t think I said that, either.”

“No, I did.”

“That works.”

He brought his mouth down on hers and kissed her beneath the radiant green night skies. Heat and energy flashed in the atmosphere. Charlotte made a small sighing sound and melted against his chest. Slowly, he reminded himself. You don’t want to screw this up by running too hot.

But the fires of passion were already flaring and getting hotter by the heartbeat. Against his better judgment he deepened the kiss. It was okay. He could handle this. He was in control. It was just a kiss.

Charlotte’s mouth softened and opened under his. He felt her fingers tighten on his shoulders. A shiver swept through her. The knowledge that she was responding to him was making him reckless.

He eased his hands down her sleek back until his palms rested on the enticing curve of her hips. He cradled her snugly against his thighs. He heard Charlotte’s sharp breath when she felt his erection through the fabric of his jeans.

“What’s the matter?” he asked into her ear. “Didn’t you realize how much I want you?”

Her fingers clenched tighter around his shoulders. “It’s not that,” she said tightly. “It’s just . . . never mind.”

She kissed his throat and then he felt her teeth on his earlobe. There was a sense of urgency about her now, as if she was suddenly desperate to leap off an unseen cliff. He almost laughed.

“It’s okay,” he said. “We’ve got all night.”

“No,” she said. “We don’t. We need to do this now. Before I—Never mind.”

“Before you what?”

“It’s not important now.”

“Whatever you say. Maybe we should find a bed, first?”

“There’s one in my cottage.”

He scooped her into his arms and carried her up the front porch steps. She managed to find the key where she’d dropped it, fumbled, got the lock opened, and then they were inside.

“The lights,” she whispered. “On the wall.”

“Don’t need them,” he said.

“Oh, yeah, right, the night-vision thing. Wow, that’s handy.”

“Oh, yeah.”

He got her up the stairs to the second floor and down a short hall to a bedroom. There he fell with her onto the bed. He managed to sit up long enough to get her shoes and his boots off and then they were locked in sensual combat on the quilt.

She twisted into his body. He found the sweet, vulnerable skin of her throat. He was playing with fire but he was satisfied that he was still in control.

He removed her glasses and set them carefully on the nightstand. Without the crystalline armor of the lenses, she suddenly looked more innocent and vulnerable. It brought back a vivid memory of how she had looked that night fifteen years earlier. He leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Ack.” She turned her head aside, batting at his shoulders with both hands. “Don’t do that. I promised myself you wouldn’t kiss me like that.”

“Like what?”

“Like you did that night. As if I were your kid sister.”

He grinned. “Trust me, I never thought of you as a sister, not fifteen years ago, not tonight.”

“You’re sure?”

“There are some things a man knows with absolute certainty.”

“Okay, then. If you’re sure.”

He kissed her on the mouth, letting the heat rebuild. When she groaned and shuddered beneath him he unfastened her sweater and peeled it off. He slid his hands under her blue pullover. The fine bones of her rib cage felt bird-light and bird-delicate under his big hands. Her breasts were small, full, firm, and ripe, the nipples like berries between his fingers. He squeezed gently and Charlotte seemed to levitate off the bed.

“Ah,” she gasped. “Yes.”

She got his shirt open, got her hands inside. When he felt her palms on his bare skin another wave of heat rolled through him.

He raised his head to look down at her. Charlotte’s eyes burned with passion. He knew that his own eyes were equally hot. The scent of her body acted like a drug on his senses, threatening to suppress what remained of his control.

He’d thought he could handle this, but things were getting out of control fast.

He could not resist moving one palm down to the crotch of her pants. He could feel her heat even through the fabric. He cupped her and pressed hard.

“Yes.” She clutched at him.

There was more than urgency in her hoarse voice now, he thought. There was an element of desperation. He did not understand it but the desire to sink into her was so strong now that he did not want to take the time to ask questions.

It wasn’t until he started to undo the fastenings of her jeans that he realized that his fingers were trembling and his mind was clouded with need. Shock slammed through him. The atmosphere in the small, shadowed room was too hot, way too hot.

His senses flared higher and suddenly he was far out on the spectrum, heading into the red zone, staring into the dark storm of psychic oblivion that awaited him.

He had to crank it down a few notches, he told himself. He could do that. Grimly he reached for and found his control. He was still rock hard, still ready to explode, but he was able to partially close down his senses. The dark storm receded.

He went back to work undressing Charlotte but he discovered she had gone very still beneath him. Her fingers wrapped around his wrists. She stared at him with wide, unfocused eyes.

“No,” she said. “No, that’s enough. Please.”

A flicker of raw panic shot through him. Had he hurt her?

“Are you all right?” he said.

“Yes, I’m okay. I’m sorry. It’s just that things are moving too fast here. I mean, we haven’t seen each other for fifteen years and now here we are in bed together.”

“I got the feeling a few minutes ago that you didn’t think that was a problem.”

“I’m really sorry. This is my fault. I know that.”

She sounded miserable. He leaned over her, resting on his elbows so that he could frame her face with his hands. “I’m not trying to assign blame here. I just want to know what’s going on. You went cold on me like a de-rezzed light. Something I did?”

“No, of course not. It’s me. My problem. I’m sorry.”

“Stop apologizing and tell me what the hell went wrong with the two-talents-stranded-together-on-an-island concept?”

“I thought that logic would work,” she admitted sadly. “I should have known better. I made a mistake. You’re not an easy man to read.”

“Care to explain?”

“Think about it, Slade,” she said earnestly. “This is a small community and you are the chief of police. That makes you a very high-profile person in town. For the next six months or however long you’re here, we’ll be running into each other at the post office, the grocery store, the coffee shop, the bookstore. You know how it is.”

“No. Explain.”

“It would be extremely awkward for both of us if we sleep together tonight and then in the morning one of us concludes that it was all a mistake,” she said.

“You suddenly decided that one of us would regret it tomorrow?”

She cleared her throat. “I’m not one hundred percent certain, but yes, I think there is a strong likelihood of that.”

“And you went with the worst-case scenario?”

She sighed. “Better to be safe than sorry. I think.”

“Which one of us did you decide was going to regret having sex tonight?”

“Does it matter?” She sounded anxious.

“It matters.”

She drew a deep breath. “Okay, then. You. You’re the one who would have regretted it. I think. Like I said, it’s a little unclear.”

For an instant he was too shocked to speak. After a couple of seconds he pulled himself together, pushed away from her, and sat up on the edge of the bed. He looked down at her.

“How the hell do you know that?” he asked.

She levered herself up on her elbows. “You’re sure you want to go into this?”

“Yes, damn it,” he said through his teeth. “Not like the mood hasn’t already been ruined.”

She took a deep breath. “Okay. I guess I owe you an explanation.”

“Yes.”

“A few minutes ago when you were running hot?”

“What about it?” he said. “You were pretty damn hot yourself, as I recall.”

“I saw your aura rainbow,” she said quietly, apologetically. “Sex always produces a lot of psi, you see, and I was jacked myself and—”

“I don’t want a lecture on para-physics. What did you see in my rainbow that made you freeze up on me?”

“It was obvious that you felt deeply conflicted about what was happening. You wanted the sex, all right, but I got the distinct impression that there was something about our encounter that you were dreading. I assumed that it was the thought of having to face me in the morning. Or maybe you were worried that I’d get too emotionally involved and you didn’t want to hurt me. I don’t know. Sorry.”

“Stop saying that.”

She sat up and slipped off the opposite side of the bed. “I don’t know what else to say.” She found her panties and hastily stepped into them. “If it’s any consolation, I run into this problem a lot.”

“You do?”

She pulled her crumpled top over her head and snatched her glasses off the nightstand. She plunked the glasses on her nose. “It’s probably the reason Arcanematch was never able to match me successfully.”

“No kidding.”

“Every time they sent me out on what was supposed to be a serious date I ended up viewing the man’s rainbow. Once I saw it, I just knew things weren’t going to work out. Things always fizzled after that.”

He pulled on his boots, got to his feet, and faced her across the bed. “What is it with the rainbow reading?”

She struggled into her jeans. “Look, you’ve been very fair about this. I knew going in tonight that whatever we had together wasn’t going to be long-term. You made that perfectly clear. I was okay with that. Going with the flow. Rezzing with the frequency, as they say. But then I saw your rainbow and realized that you were anticipating a full-scale disaster.”

He shoved his fingers through his hair. “You misread the situation. Or my rainbow.”

“I could live with the commitment-free scenario but I don’t like the idea of you regretting things afterward.” She drew herself up. “A woman has her pride.”

He tried hard to follow her logic. It wasn’t easy. After a few seconds he abandoned the attempt.

He circled the bed, closing in on her. She retreated quickly until she came up hard against the wall. He stopped inches away and planted his palms on either side of her head.

“You are not nearly as good at reading rainbows as you think you are,” he said.

Her mouth fell open. “But I am. I’m the best. Just ask anyone at the Arcane lab where I was tested.”

“Your talent may be as good as it gets but I am here to tell you that it is not infallible, not by a long shot.”

“What do you mean?”

“I may have some concerns about my personal future but I can guarantee you that I would not have regretted sleeping with you tonight. Not in a million years. Not ever. Regardless of the outcome.”

“But I saw the tension in your rainbow,” she said. “I could tell that you were deeply conflicted about the consequences of a physical relationship with me.”

“You sound like a para-shrink. Personally, I have had enough of para-shrinks.”

She winced. “Men hate it when I start talking like this.”

“No shit.”

“The history of my social life is filled with disastrous first dates. Well, sometimes I make it to two or three. Once in a while I get all the way to five.”

“If you start talking like this on every date, I can see where there might have been a few problems,” he said.

“In fairness to myself, I have to say that I’ve tried keeping my mouth shut in hopes that I’m wrong.”

“Must have been hard for you.”

“I gave all my Arcanematch dates at least three chances,” she assured him.

“How very broad-minded of you.”

“The point is, I gave the professional matchmakers a chance. But in the end it always turned out that my rainbow-reading intuition was accurate the first time. More accurate than their parapsych profiles. If I tried to override my intuition I invariably had a panic attack.”

“Are you having a panic attack now?”

“No.” She frowned, as though somewhat confused. “Probably because we stopped in time.”

“Your intuition told you that I was the one who would have regrets so you pulled the plug before you found out whether or not that would actually happen. And before you found out if you would have a panic attack.”

“Like I said, a woman has her pride. Besides, I thought it would be easier, socially, for both of us that way. We have the next six months to get through together here on this island.”

“You make it sound like we’re doing time in a prison cell together. Do you really think it’s going to be easier to deal with me at the post office and the grocery store now after what just happened between us?”

She exhaled slowly. “I didn’t handle this very well, did I?”

“Let’s just say that I feel like banging my head against this wall.” He pushed himself away from her. “I think I’d better go back to my place now.”

“Okay, but one question before you leave,” she said quickly.

“Now this I’m pretty sure I will regret. What?”

“Were you by any chance conflicted about having sex with me tonight because you’re on the rebound from that Marriage of Convenience that you told me about?”

“No. That was easy.” He turned to go. “I’m leaving now before this conversation deteriorates any further.”

“Maybe it’s a physical problem that worries you?” she said very earnestly. “Have you seen a doctor?”

“Forget hitting my head against the nearest wall.” He kept walking. “I think I’ll go back to my place and pour myself a real big glass of Hot Ruins Whiskey.”

There was a lengthy pause behind him.

“Good night, Slade. I’m sorry I screwed this up.”

The sad wistfulness in her voice stopped him in the doorway. He turned around and walked deliberately back toward her.

“Did you forget something?” she asked.

He clamped both hands around her shoulders and hauled her close.

“Promise me something,” he said.

“What?”

“Promise me that you will not say another word until I am back out there on the road and too far away to hear you.”

“Okay.”

He took one hand off her shoulder and put it across her lips. “Hush. Not a single word.”

She nodded once but said nothing. Her eyes were wide and deep and full of an expression of bewilderment that he found very gratifying.

“For the record,” he said, “there is no physical problem involved.”

She blinked but she did not try to speak.

He took his finger off her mouth and tightened his grip on her shoulders. He kicked up his senses a few notches, not trying to focus, not going into the danger zone, but hot enough so that Charlotte would be aware of the energy. He kissed her before she could think twice about speaking.

He did not kiss her the way he had earlier. He did not ask for a response. He was not trying to seduce her now. His only goal was to leave an indelible impression.

She did not go up in flames when his mouth came down on hers. She froze, shocked or stunned or maybe simply dumbfounded. He held the kiss for a short time, letting her feel the heat.

He raised his head. “There will be a second date.”

She blinked several times. “What?”

He touched her full lips with his forefinger. “No talking, remember?”

She looked at him with a dazed expression. “Huh?”

“Forget it. There’s really no point in trying to make you stop talking, is there?”

“Probably not.”

“Just remember.” He brushed his mouth against hers once more. “There’s a second date coming up.”

He walked out of the bedroom before she could think of anything else to say.

He went out onto the porch and into the night. The green waves of the aurora still flooded across the sky. He realized his senses were still a little heightened. He walked down the driveway to the road and started back toward his cabin.

Rex materialized out of the woods, chortling a greeting.

“Sounds like your night went a lot better than mine,” Slade said. “But there will be a second date. She owes me that much.”