Eliza Gayle Witch Bundle (paranormal romance), Eliza Gayle [books suggested by bill gates txt] 📗

“There’s some goggles and earplugs in that box up there if you want them.” He indicated the box at her feet. “It’s a long, noisy ride so I would suggest it.”

Perfect. She would have some time to think about what had happened and what she needed to do next to prevent something bad from happening without worrying about small talk.

Chapter Three

Hours passed, and Jessie had barely moved from her seat. She’d eaten some food, which she really needed, and once when they were traversing slowly through some tree-crowded areas, she’d stood up and stretched her arms and legs. He’d watched the denim shorts tighten across her ass when she’d bent down, which took his breath away as he’d entertained a fleeting thought of taking her just like that, maybe even with her wrists tied to her ankles.

Dangerous thoughts.

His cock pulsed and ached in his pants even now as he shifted for the tenth time, trying to find a comfortable spot. Hell, he’d been hard and ready since yesterday, and back at the docks he’d come damn close to taking her right then and there with no finesse, no preparation, just heat and lust on his brain. Something had stopped her, something his magick had felt for a fleeting second. Something familiar.

They needed to talk, but it would have to wait since the boat engine drowned out everything around them. Not much farther and they would be at his place, his only sanctuary that no one else visited. Ever. He looked forward to sharing it with her despite their past. He wanted to see her reaction to his surroundings, see if she was the woman he thought she was.

He slowed the boat to a crawl before finally cutting the engine and letting the craft flow along with the current.

“Why are we stopping here? Is everything okay?” She had turned in her seat, her gaze soft and questioning.

“We are getting close to our destination, I want to listen to the river for a while, make sure nothing is amiss.”

She nodded in understanding. His Jessie understood magick more than a normal human did. Not understanding why that was troubled him.

Noah let his eyes close, concentrating on his other senses, especially sound. All of his thoughts about Jessie were pushed from his mind. Instead he focused on the sounds of the swamp, the water moving, the occasional bird…even the unseen wildlife like the snakes and gators hiding in the reeds could be heard if you listened hard enough. Once he had a handle on the familiar he tuned them out one by one, allowing him to listen for the unusual, for what didn’t belong in his swamp.

Hearing nothing out of the ordinary, he pushed on, concentrating inward and called his magick, letting it build in his chest before releasing it one small strand at a time, seeking the unknown. Even with his eyes closed he saw Jessie, her aura wrapped with his magick. Not even his most spiritual self could stay away from her. Maybe he shouldn’t have been so quick to discredit his brother’s words regarding the prophecy and the women they were destined for.

He pushed those thoughts away. There would be time for that later once they were secure, for now his responsibility was to her safety. He continued past her, following that wisp of power that now traversed the full range of his habitat. This path gave him brighter colors and sharper sounds, but nothing unexpected. Pulling back, he opened his eyes to see Jessie watching him, longing clear on her face. Noah fought the sudden and overwhelming need to drag her close to him, instead he forced his focus on the simple task of restarting the engine and getting them on their way again.

* * *

The strange moment broken, Jessie turned back around in her seat and watched the water in front of them. The dark swirl of the swamp pulled at her thoughts. What the hell just happened?

The connection between them was not only constant, but she found it unnerving as hell. Not knowing whether her own brand of magick would return, and what that meant, plagued her. Maybe if she could talk to her mother she might have an idea of what could happen to her, especially when it came to Noah. Although, trusting her mother not to mislead her was a dangerous proposition. She dabbled with dark magick all the time and Jessie saw where that got her. A half-demon child with more power than the average witch. It was a real bitch.

Now here she was with the one man she should fear the most, pulling at her entire being despite the truth. When Jessie had found out Noah wasn’t just an ordinary mercenary-hunting bad guy, but instead a demon hunter fueled by hatred, she’d run as far and as fast as she could. Not far enough, obviously.

In front of the boat, a wall of trees too close together to pass through loomed. She turned to look at Noah and ask him what now, when the boat made a hard ninety-degree turn to the left. Her stomach lurched as she grabbed the edge of her seat and waited for the boat to right itself. When she looked behind her again he was laughing. Bastard. But she bit at her bottom lip to prevent her own grin from spreading across her face. She would so not give him that satisfaction.

His laughter rumbled louder behind her as he traveled along the edge of trees to a small unseen opening. Another hard turn to the right and they were through the trees in what could only be described as a sort of cove. And there on the land in front of them sat a gorgeous, dark wood log cabin, so pretty it took her breath away.

Noah steered the boat right onto the grass before killing the engine. He hopped down from his perch and jumped out of the boat landing on the soft grass right next to her. He held out his hand to help her. “Welcome to my home.”

“Your home? You live here?” She grabbed his hand, letting him assist her and