Born of Silence (Immortal Guardians) (32 page)

“So, how do we get home?”

“Well, that’s the question. I know of a way
I
can get home, but I can’t trace with a passenger.”

“How do you know?”

He seemed surprised at her question.
“I guess we can try it,” he said, stepping close to her. His arms wound around her, linking behind her back. “Close your eyes and just wish to be where I am.”

“Okay.”
Her face was near his chest, his warm, spicy scent filling her nose. She inched closer, wrapping her arms even tighter around him as she laid her head against him.

“If I disappear, I promise I’ll be right back,” he said.

“‘Kay.”

She
fell forward
just as she felt the absence of his heat. Her eyes snapped open
as her palms hit the cold grass. Garrick
was co
mpletely gone from her sight, and
a trill of panic washed through her
as she scurried to her feet
.

He said he’d come back
.
He promised. Calm down
.
Her fingers tightened and her jaw clenched. What if he couldn’t get back to her? What if someone stumbled across her and wondered what she was doing standing around in a green Victorian gown all the way out in the middle of nowhere? What if she was on her own in a completely new country with no way of getting home?

“Dani.”

She whirled around, seeing that Garrick was standing right behind her. Not on
ly was he there, looking as
perfect
as ever
, but she quickly noted that he’d changed clothes. He now wore a fine black suit with
a
bright white collared shirt underneath.

“Well, that was a no go,” he said. “I guess I can’t trace
with
you.”

“Where did you go? And when did you change?”

“My condo. That was the place I wanted to be, so I ended up there. But you didn’t come with. I changed while I was there.”

“I guess so,” she said uncomfortably, folding her arms over her chest.

“Hey.” He stepped toward her
,
wrapping her in his arms. “I told you I’d come back.”

“I know. But, I still wondered.”

His hand came up, lifting her chin. “Don’t ever worry about that. I’ll never leave you alone. As long as you want me.”

She nodded, blinking futilely at the tears that threatened to well in her eyes.

“Okay, I grabbed some credit cards while I was home so we’ll have money for whatever we need.”

“Can’t you just manifest whatever you want? I mean, you got your clothes easy enough.”

“I don’t like to steal,” he said as he pulled a wallet from his pocket.

Dani shook her head. “But I don’t even have ID. There’s no way anyone will let me fly anywhere without ID.”

Garrick flashed a half smile at her and settled her away from him. “Fake IDs are my forte,” he replied, snapping his fingers. In his upraised palm, two sets of passports and driver’s licenses appeared. She reached out and grabbed them.

“Danielle Armani?” she asked, looking at him questioningly. “And Garrick Armani? Really?”

“Hey.” He shrugged. “That’s the name on my credit cards. It’s just easier
if people think we’re married. It
leads to
fewer
questions.”

She shook her head, but couldn’t keep from smiling at him. He looked so handsome with the unsure expression that was plastered on his face. “I guess it’ll w
ork. So where is my change of clothes?
”

****

The walk through the green meadows and hills of
Scotland
hadn’t been nearly as long as Dani had feared it would be, but that still didn’t keep her from pulling off her heels and walking over the grass and rocks barefooted. She had, after all, been barefoot for the last nine years
—and then some—of
her life.
Garrick had promised her a change of clothes once they reached a town. It seemed he wanted to see how people would react to her wearing her fancy dress. She guessed he thought it would be funny.

They reached the small town of
Sligachan
in just over an hour. The town itself didn’t offer much other than a hotel, brewery, and a restaurant, but even those amenities were more than enough for her.

“Oooh, ma dearie,” a plump, gray-haired woman said as she bustled around the reception desk. “Don’t you look all dolled up? Just
beautiful
.”

Dani couldn’t help but smile at the woman’s accent. She’d spoken so fast that she had no clue what she’d said other than “
Oh my dearie
.” Luckily Garrick understood her and picked up the conversation quickly.

“Thank you,” he said smoothly, wrapping an arm around Dani’s shoulder. “We attended a ball last night and—”

“Oooh,” she said again. “Up i
n Portree?
I heard it was wonderful. Ma niece went last night too and she hasn’
a
been able to stop talking about it. You know how the wee lassies love balls,” she said with a grin. “Are you two Americans?”

Garrick had cocked a triumphant grin at Dani as the woman talked about last night’s ball that had in fact happened, before facing the woman again. “Uh, yes. And we’d like to check in, if you have any vacancies.”

“O’ course, o’ course,” she said
,
returning to her station behind the desk. She quickly typed a few things into the computer. “How long wee’you be stayin’ wee’us?”

“Just the night,” Garrick replied, untangling himself from around Dani so he could grab his wallet. “You don’t happen to know if there’s anyone headed to take the ferry to the mainland tomorrow, do you?”

“No that I’ve heard,” the old woman replied. “But I’ll keep an ear out in case I hear of anyone travelin’ that way. Where is it that you’re heading?”

“
Glasgow
,” he said. “We’re getting ready to travel back to the
United States
.”

“Oh,” the woman said cheerfully. “Well then, your stay tonight will be ninety-five pound.” She took Garrick’s credit card and swiped it through the machine before handing it back to him.

As the receipt started printing, Dani stepped toward the counter and placed her hands against the glass. “There doesn’t happen to be any clothing stores around here, are there?”

“No,” the woman replied. “At least, no very close. You’d
have been better shopping
in Portree than here.”

“Thanks.” Dani smiled as the woman handed her the receipt and key for their room.

“Just follow this around back and go upstairs. Your room is the first on the right.”

They thanked the old woman and followed her directions to their room. As soon as the door closed, Garrick faced Dani. “Okay, what size are you?”

“Enjoy that, did you?”

“What?”

“You just had to let someone see me in this.”

“You’re beautiful. I want everyone to see you in it.”

Dani’s mouth shut and she tried to keep herself from blushing.

“What size are you
?
” he asked again.
“I’m going to get you clothes.”

“Oh. Well, can you get me like, jeans and a t-shirt? Something
normal
?”

Garrick laughed. “Sure. Whatever you want.”

Her s
mile vanished. “
I don’t know my size
, though
. The last time I knew my size I was fourteen.”

His
grin
faded as well. “That’s okay. I’ll eyeball it. Why don’t you go in and take a bath
?
I’ll be back in a little bit.”

“’Kay. Remember, something normal.”

“Got it.” Garrick laughed and disappeared, leaving Dani in their room all alone
.

She eyed the bathroom door and sighed. It was time for
that long bath she’d been dreaming about for days.

****

It was impressive, really, how Garrick had nailed Dani’s size exactly. He’d popped into Macy’s and went straight for the women’s department, grabbed a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, then he traced to his condo, booked two tickets from Glasgow Airport to Newark and returned to their room as Dani got out of the tub.

She checked herself out in the mirror, turning this way and that as she admired the pants and light blue sweater he’d gotten her. Grinning, she ripped off the tags and
froze.
“One hundred and fifty dollars? For these pants? Are you
crazy
?”

“Yes,” he replied automatically. “And no. That’s the cost of good pants.”

“I’m sure thirty-dollar ones are just as good,” she argued. “That’s what I grew up wearing.”

No
,
y
ou’ve spent almost half of your life locked in a hole wearing only the clothes that you came in.
“They’re not. And I seriously doubt any thirty-dollar jeans would look as good on you as those do.”

Dani closed her mouth, blocking off whatever retort she’d planned to throw at him. Bl
ushing, she turned away
. After a moment’s silence she said, “Do you even wear jeans?”

“Jeans?” He snorted. “I have. But no, as a general rule I do not wear jeans. I appreciate the finer things in life.” Although, seeing her in those tight jeans made him appreciate this particular pair of pants immensely as they showcased one of the finer things life had to offer. “How was your bath?” he asked, shaking his other trail of thought out of his damned mind.

Dani rolled her eyes. “There wasn’t a tub in our room. Only a shower.”

“That’s just as good.”

“No, it’s not. I’ve had years and years
’
worth of showers. Next time I want a bath.”

He knew she wasn’t actually mad
.
S
he still radiated happiness from the shower she had taken, and the scents that filled the room proved just how much she’d enjoyed it.
Their room now smelled like a flower garden.

Finally she faced him again after throwing the tags away. She fluffed her hair, dragging her fingers through the soft waves. “Well, now what do we do?”

He only knew one thing:
t
hey definitely needed to get out of the room before he actually did all the things his mind was suggesting. “I don’t know about you, but I’m hungry. Let’s go get something to eat.”

Hopefully that would be enough of a distraction.

Dinner couldn’t get over fast enough.
And it sure as shit hadn’t been a distraction.

The little mewling sounds Dani made with each bite had his cock hardening, and he couldn’t take his eyes off her. Even the other patrons were gawking at her as though they, too, were turned on by her sounds.

The way she’d
gazed
at him in the dark room, her features lit solely by candlelight
,
was almost more than he could bear. She radiated beauty no matter the lighting. No matter the setting.

“I forgot how good food is,” she said just after swallowing a piece of steak. “This is so much better than
…
well, you know.” She grabbed her Dr. Pepper
and
sucked on the straw, drawing the dark liquid into her mouth and down her throat. “Mmm. And Dr. Pepper. Ambrosia.”

He smiled, reveling in watching her enjoy her meal so thoroughly. She had looked at every item on the menu, questionin
g what some items were and squinc
hing her nose when he’d explained them to her. She finally found something that was as American as it was Scottish. A nice, medium-well steak. He had ordered one as well, having opted for the medium-rar
e, which she’d immediately squinc
hed her nose at yet again, making him laugh. How her nose could looked so damned cute in candlelight was anyone
’
s guess.

“How is yours?” she asked for the fifth time.

“It’s good. No complaints here.”

“Good.” She popped another piece of steak in her mouth and her eyes nearly rolled back.

They both only had a few more bites before he could whisk her
back to the hotel
and show her
exactly what she was doing to him. It was only a matter of time. He signaled the waiter for the check so that there would be no time wasted, and by the time the guy brought the check by, Dani had polished off her last bite. Garrick quickly paid the bill plus a generous tip and led Dani out into the night.

They walked up the tiny street to the hotel, while she focused on the stars above. “It’s been a long time,” she whispered. “You don’t know how many times I’ve wished I could see these.”