Sea's Sorceress Read Online Free Page B

Skye?”
    “Magic. Lots of it.” His eyes skimmed down over her mouth and her lips began to tingle. Her stomach fluttered. Would he kiss her? Did she want him to? Yes . She almost closed the distance herself. She just didn’t want to talk about her feelings for him. He’d be kind, sweet when he told her he didn’t love her. She couldn’t bear that and so she changed the subject.
    “Want to tell me about that?”
    “Liv almost died today.”
    “What! Skye. You told me she was all right!”
    “She is. Now.” He took her hands in his, eyes bright with excitement. “I wish you could have been there, Rhia. I told you it was amazing. Ryan healed her. Well, Jack, Allie, Devin and I lent what energy we could, but Ryan saved her. She was bleeding out.”
    “He healed her?”
    “Yes. I was thinking we could try something like that with your father.”
    The hope in his voice broke her heart. Hadn’t she already tried everything within her power? With Devin’s help, she had cast a circle and pleaded with the goddess to heal her Da. Nothing had worked. He was still sick. Cancer was devouring her father’s body and his time. Dr, Kate O’Connell–and if Skye’s prediction was right, soon to be Mrs. Ryan Corrigan and Skye’s sister-in-law–had given him a couple of weeks, but in truth nobody thought he would make it that long. Two days ago, he’d driven himself to Kate’s clinic alone, but this morning he hadn’t been able to get out of bed. He wouldn’t even eat. She had seen the agony in his eyes when she’d carefully hugged him before heading in to town to open up. To know her touch caused him such pain broke her heart.
    “Skye.” She squeezed his hand and was surprised when he twined his fingers through hers. “I know you mean well, but magic won’t help him.”
    “I want to help, Rhia. Let me ask.” Skye pressed a kiss to her hand in an old fashioned gesture.
    “Devin has already tried. There is nothing more to do, nothing more anyone can do. I have to get back to work. Thanks for the meal.” She picked up her bowl and glass, set them on the counter, and walked back into the dining room.
    Well, that was awkward. For a split second she had thought he would kiss her. Did she want him to? Did he really think about her like that? And how could she let herself think about Skye when her father was dying?
     

 
    Chapter 3
     
    He’d almost kissed her and that hadn’t been half of what he wanted to do. What would she taste like? How would she feel underneath him in the dark? No, in the firelight where he could watch her skin flush pink from his touch. At the last second, Skye had remembered there was a room full of customers on the other side of the door and she didn’t know how he really felt about her. They didn’t have long until closing. He’d let Rhiannon escape into work.
    He was wiping down the countertops and stove when the kitchen door swung open and Maegan sauntered through.
    “Nice to see you back, handsome. How’re the brats?” She flipped her long blonde hair behind one shoulder. What in the world could he have seen in her?
    “What do you want, Maegan?”
    “Dangerous question, lover. Come home with me and I’ll show you. Shift’s over. I’m taking a break. If little miss bossy bitch can share the kitchen with you, then so can I.”
    “You have to be the most self-centered woman I’ve ever known.” He felt his thin thread of control strain with the effort not to snap. “You need to leave. Now.”
    “What?”
    “Get out. We’re over. We’ve been over for awhile now. I can’t stand to look at you. Understand?”
    “Skye! Whatever’s got you so upset lately, we can work on it.”
    “What’s got me upset? Upset? Why don’t you try mad as hell. I don’t like cheats, Maegan. I know you slept with Sullivan. You brought him into your bed not an hour after I had left it. You were an idiot to try that. Did you think I wouldn’t find out? If you wanted to play games, you should