Dark Hollow Road (Taryn's Camera Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

was burning something somewhere. Maybe, along with her newer sixth sense, her other senses were becoming stronger as well.
    Not giving it another thought she went back inside and closed the door behind her.

Chapter 3
     

     
    T he house was so quiet Taryn thought she could’ve heard a mouse sigh. After spending a few weeks in Matt’s condo with the close proximity of people around her and the heavy noise of traffic and the occasional airplane, it felt odd to be out in the country again, tucked away from everything.
    He was so still beside her that she reached over and touched his back to make sure he was still breathing. The softness of his pajama top was light as a feather under her hand. She was sleeping in a nightgown and it had bunched up around her waist; now the fleece of his pants brushed against her naked leg. She could feel the heat of his skin through the bottoms, and it was somehow comforting.
    He snuggled with her in his sleep without even realizing it. Whenever she needed to turn over or get up and go the bathroom in the middle of the night it always took a few seconds to unwind an arm or leg and slide out without waking him up. They’d made love (that’s what he called it–she still didn’t know what to call it) twice that night. She was exhausted. For some reason, being physical with him always left her feeling drained in ways she’d never experienced before. When she came out from under the flurry of activity Taryn found herself feeling parched, dry, dehydrated. She needed to drink and to drink long. Sometimes, before even getting dressed, she found herself in the kitchen, downing an entire can of Coke or drinking juice right out of the bottle. Her stomach turned into a bottomless pit.
    The first time they’d been physical it had been awkward. She didn’t know who started it, since they were more or less asleep at the time, but her money was on herself. In typical Matt fashion they’d actually talked about it first, several days ahead of time. He wanted to; she wasn’t sure it was such a great idea. They were both already a little confused as to what they were doing with each other. Her very presence was confusing to Matt. But they were both lonely and underneath the weirdness of having sex with someone you remembered when they were a genderless child, it didn’t sound like an ultimately terrible idea.
    She’d told him she’d think about it.
    Being a practical sort, he took thought as a step in the right direction and had gone out and stocked up on candles, massage oil, condoms, and lubricant–all of which he proudly brought back in a Walgreens bag and showed her over dinner. She’d tried not to laugh and failed.
    Two nights later she’d woken up to find herself topless with her leg hooked around him and his face buried in the softness of her stomach. That time it was quick and to the point but early the next morning, as the sun was just starting to chase away the shadows of the night, they’d tried it again and this time taken their time. It was sweet, slow, and gentle.
    Now, it wasn’t always slow (or gentle) but it remained sweet. Taryn was afraid of breaking his heart, if not his back, but she didn’t think she could stop.
    She was nervous about starting her new job but hoped once she got started she’d find her groove. And she was excited about being there. Matt was staying with her for two weeks and then returning home for a few days for a meeting he couldn’t miss. He promised he’d be back, though, right after. They had no problem with him telecommuting for a while; it was the first time he’d taken an extended period off from work in seven years.
    Although Taryn should have, by all accounts, felt content, the gnawing feeling continued. She still couldn’t put her finger on it. The house was beautiful, the grounds picturesque, the college staff welcoming… she had Matt there with her. And yet…
    Something was off.
    She didn’t want to over-analyze anything or travel down