And To Cherish Read Online Free Page A

beating. Rhythmically. Steadily. Inexorably. Each one sending more sensation. More awareness.
    This was worse than terrible. Yet nothing stopped it. Nothing even slowed it. The return of sensations just kept happening. Without one bit of permission. She felt the chill of each misted breath as it hit her cheeks. Cherish stepped into the shadows, avoiding anything to do with the moonlit path before her. She was in the garden area alongside the hotel’s pool. Looking over shrouded lawn furniture.
    This is all the farther she’d managed to move?
    Damn everything
.
    She needed help. There was only one place to get it. She pulled a cell from her inner pocket, pushed the buttons for her three-digit code, and that’s when she noticed that her hand was shaking. That was disconcerting.
    “V.A.L. Headquarters. Lizbeth speaking. How may I direct your call, please?”
    “May I speak with Akron?”
    “Who is calling, please?”
    “Cherish.”
    “Last name?”
    Cherish felt herself flush. In the shadow of night? By herself? Recounting her bastard status bothered this much? After so many years? Oh. This regeneration thing just kept getting worse and worse.
    “Tell him Cherish from St. Louis is calling. He’ll know who I am.”
    “Very well.”
    There was a click. A slight hum of white noise, and then Akron’s voice filled the speaker with the sound of her name. The man was probably speaking in a normal range. It was intense and loud. Annoyingly so. Cherish moved the cell phone a fraction from her head because her ear started ringing. That was another issue she was placing at the feet of this mating curse.
    “I...need some help. I’ve got...trouble.”
    Cherish had been an introvert. Shy. Rarely seen. Never noticed. Those personality traits had been buried along with her. So, why did they start manifesting now? As if more than a century of time hadn’t passed? She winced as she finished.
    “Lizbeth? Access the Abyss Link. Bring up St. Louis. Report anomalies, please.”
    “I don’t have access to the Abyss Link, Sir.”
    “Why not?”
    “The politically correct thing to say is that I haven’t reached a level in my training that would allow it. But I think the reason is my trainer...and his archaic, preconceived, ill-advised, and incorrect notions of my gender.”
    “Let me guess. You are referring to Nigel Beethan.”
    “I hope I don’t regret saying this, but you should already know. He is a chauvinistic asshole. One – I might add – who even managed to miss the women’s movement that happened during his generation. Need I go on?”
    Akron gave a heavy sigh that echoed through the earpiece. Cherish moved the phone farther from her ear.
    “Forgive me, Cherish. It appears I have a small housekeeping issue to handle on this end. Can you spare me a moment to correct it?”
    “Of course.”
    “Lizbeth, please. Have Nigel fetched for me. And you may wish to avoid this chamber for the time being.”
    “Yes, Sir.”
    There was a span of silence. Cherish’s heart was thumping so mightily it hurt. She didn’t know if she should stay on the line or not. And she didn’t dare ask. The sound of a door opening and then closing came next.
    “Nigel Beethan!”
    Cherish jumped, moved the phone to her other ear, and rubbed at this one. She was grateful not to be in the same room with Akron. And she’d really hate to be on the receiving end of his attention. But for some reason, Nigel sounded completely immune.
    “What is it, Sir? And you don’t have to yell. I am in the same castle as you are. I’m even in the same room.”
    “Why doesn’t Lizbeth have access to the Abyss Link? I specifically instructed you to see to it.”
    “I don’t trust her.”
    “Excuse me?”
    “Just because you trust her, doesn’t mean I have to.”
    “Are you questioning my judgment?”
    “Oh...yeah. Pretty much. That’s exactly what I’m doing. I mean, you are the one who placed me at Old Aberdeen Ferryden turntable that night. Made