The Awakening (31 page)

              He looked down at his bare feet.

              She smiled. "I see you went wading without me!"

              Guilty silvers glanced up at her. "You wanna go down and get your feet wet?" He tugged at her shoe.

              She shook her head, giggling. "But Turk here might!"

              Turks tail slapped against the rock at the sound of his name. He whined happily, as Nolan reached for him. He set the dog gently on the ground, unclipped, and handed Raina the leash. He knew he wouldn't need it. He murmured a word or two to the dog, and then they scurried down the bank.

              Turk was hesitant at first about the water, but when he saw Nolan beckon to him, he didn't hesitate. He splashed his way over, and Nolan laughed, keeping him down. The last thing he needed was to be soaked from head to toe.

              Raina watched happily for a few minutes, not wanting to take her eyes from the sight. Then she remembered her camera, and could not miss this opportunity. She began shooting, capturing the sweet moment between man and dog. Another roll of film filled the pocket of her hoodie. She was going to make good use of it for sure. She wanted as many pictures of Nolan as she could get. Who knew how long she would get to keep him. She woke up each day with that feeling....that the time between them could be fleeting.

              The play between the two went on for a while, and then Nolan’s eyes turned back to her, almost sensing her melancholy. He smiled, tilted his head in question. Raina blushed at the intimate glance, and he decided enough play...he wanted time with her.

              Raina’s heart leapt, as they climbed back up.

              Turk was kept down, since his fur was soaked, but Nolan hopped up beside her. He grinned that boyish grin. He didn't say anything for a moment, just swung his feet.

              Raina stared down at the perfect appendages, and smiled, remembering the conversation at the coffee shop. She giggled and shook her head.

              He glanced down at his feet, then back at her. "What’s wrong?"

              She blushed. "You have nice feet."

              His brows lifted. "Feet?"

              She blushed.

              He grinned. "Should I say thank you?"

              She turned her face away, and again pink tinged her face. "There is nothing physically imperfect about you," she complained.

              Nolan frowned. "You haven't seen all of me."

              "I mean...no scars, no wrinkles...except when you smile. You have these laugh lines around your eyes. Even those are perfect. Me? I have so many little imperfections."

              Again he frowned. "I've seen none."

              She sighed, "I have stretch marks on my too round hips...my lashes are blonde, and I look like a child without mascara...my lips are too thin..."

              "Aelan," he growled. "I said I've seen none." He was visibly upset by her demeaning her appearance.

              She felt her heart pull, seeing his sincerity.

              "You want to see my imperfection?"

              She nodded, holding her breath. She had to see to believe.

              It’s like he read her mind because he teasingly murmured, "Doubting Thomas."

              Her eyes meet his. "Yes, I have to see to believe!"

              His face gentled. "And after I show you, I will hear no more about what you believe to be imperfections about yourself?"

              She sighed, "Deal."

              He paused for a moment, almost unsure of what he was about to do.

              "It’s the only thing I really carry with me from my real life...my mortal life. I'll never have a scar, a blemish while I'm immortal because I heal. But we keep the scars from the past." He spoke this, preparing her.

              Raina nodded again, unblinking. She felt her pulse jump, when he went for the buttons of his shirt. She followed each down, as it came undone. She waited for the reveal a little too anxiously, and blushed when her eyes went to his, and he was watching her.

              He opened his shirt, and of course all she saw was perfection at first. There was no fat on him what so ever, but he was far from skinny. The muscles of his chest were well shaped, and temptingly etched and toned. His abs were jealousy inducing...there was more than a six pack there. She should have at least looked away a little embarrassed, but she couldn't even look away from him. Was he teasing her? Where was the imperfection here?

              He let her look, and found more than a little satisfaction. He worked hard to look this way...and if he approved of anyone’s interest, it was Raina’s.

              "What am I looking to find? Envy?" she teased.

              Nolan smiled crookedly. He pulled his shirt farther back on his left side.

              Raina gasped. There it was...the bullet wound. It was round and puckered with the scarring. "Oh it had to have hurt," she whispered. Unthinkingly, she reached out and traced her fingers over it. She saw the muscles in his stomach contract at the contact, but she ignored it. She felt the scar again. "I'm so sorry you went through that."

              He held his jaw tight, loving and hating the contact of her fingers. She was so innocent in her motives. The thoughts he was entertaining were not. He chose to focus on her face instead, and saw her concern...her love.

              "I survived," he teased.

              She shook her head. "I can't believe he shot you! I could just kill him!"

              Nolan laughed, shaking his head.

              Raina felt the muscles under her fingers tense with the laughter. She laughed too. "Well obviously I can't kill him, but you know what I mean."

              "It hurt," he answered her question. "I can't remember anything hurting worse." He shrugged. "I knew I was dying...whether I bled to death, or the shock took over my body."

              "I hate thinking of you dying!" she blinked back tears.

              He bit back a gasp, as she leaned in and set a gentle kiss against his abdomen, right over the scar. His heart sped up. He wished to remind her of their boundaries, but in the same thought, wished she would forget them! Her touch again was in innocence. He knew this by the tears on her cheeks. He claimed his thoughts again, and relaxed his body.

              Raina sat back, sniffing, and wiping the tears.

              "Thank you for caring," he whispered huskily. He pulled his shirt close again, but was too distracted to button it.              

              Raina smiled sadly.

              "I accept the scar though for what it is. I have nothing left of my old life. I have no family...just this scar. No reminders of the past in the form of something that is mine. Thanatos and Elenora are here...but they are not part of me." He shook his head. "Nothing of who I was stayed with me."

              Raina laid her hand next to his hand on the rock. "That’s not true," she whispered.

              He turned to her. "What do you mean?"

              Her blue eyes softened and roamed his face. "Who do you look like? Your looks didn't change when you became immortal. Except for your eyes."

              He shrugged. "I'm tall like my father...had his eyes, dark grey. My mother’s lips, so I was told. I have my grandfather’s chin...his smile." He smiled. "I always liked being compared to him. Loved my grandfather...respected him."

              . "So...every time you look in a mirror you have part of your past...your memories. When you see your face, you should see them."

              Grey eyes turned to her and lit. "You're right," he whispered.

              Raina looked pleased. "I usually am."

              He chuckled.

              "You respected your grandfather?"

              Nolan looked down at the stream. "He's the reason I became a doctor. I followed in his footsteps."

              Rania’s mouth fell open. "You never told me you had been a doctor!"

              He nodded. "I had gone on house visits with him from the time I was eleven. He taught me all I needed to know. He was a good healer." Nolan’s eyes clouded.

              Raina bit her lip.

              He shrugged. "I tried to be just like him." He reached up to rub the side of his neck and blew out a breath.

              "Is it hard still...to remember how it use to be?"

              His face softened. "On one hand, yes...I miss them still, my family. But if I dwell on the past...I can't enjoy the present...my future. In fact, I've spent very little time enjoying the present...until now."

              Raina lifted her brows. "What do you mean?"

              Nolan wet his lower lip, and turned shy. He swung his feet and grinned. "I can enjoy my present now because... you."

              Those words set free the butterflies in her stomach. She smiled. She shoved her shoulder into his, the immobile shoulder. "I'm enjoying my present too," she said softly.

              Nolan turned his face to her. "Even with all the hiding...running about?"

              She laughed. "It makes it an adventure."

              He grinned back.

              Raina had to swallow at the intense look in his eye, despite the carefree grin. She decided to press back in to his past. "Did you have a big family?"

              "Two sisters," he answered. He smiled sadly. "Lillian and Mary. They were younger than me...and very dependent on me as the big brother." That stopped him short, and again, the neck rubbing commenced.

              "Are you thinking about...when you had to leave them?"

              He closed his eyes. "They couldn't know. I wrote a couple times...then I stopped. I had hoped they'd believe I'd been in an accident, had an illness. I couldn't continue to write to them, and explain why I didn't come to visit. It was a very confusing time for me."

              "And on top of all of that, you had Thanatos dogging you."

              He nodded. "I've grown use to him now. I don't fear what he will do to me. Only what he can do to those I love."

              Raina’s pulse jumped and she waited for him to continue, but he wasn't going to. "I worry what he may do to you," she admitted.

              He bit his bottom lip. "I know you do Raina, and that makes me nervous. I don't want you hurt trying to protect me."

              She smiled. "Someone has to watch over you. You have no family? Let me be your family."

              His brow drew together. "I can't take losing another."

              Raina bumped her shoulder against his again. She was finding the contact easier than the words.

              "Enough of the heavy," he sighed. He no longer wanted to go down memory lane. "How about I ask some questions now?"

              She smiled. "Sure!"

              He grinned back. “I don't even know your favorite color."

              "Purple," she said without hesitation. "Yours?"

              "Blue," he said easily. He met her gaze. "The color of your eyes precisely."

              She blushed.

              "You're an animal lover," he observed. "Is it all animals in general?"

              She gave a shrug. "Pretty much."

              "And your favorite?"

              Raina shrugged. "You'll think it silly, but...well; I have a soft spot for alligators."

              Nolan laughed in surprise. "Al...Alligators? Honestly? Alligators?"

              She blushed. "Is that weird for a girl?"

              He grinned. "No, not...really. I just...you're serious?"

              Raina covered her face in embarrassment.

              "Why?"

              She peaked at him between her fingers. “Why?"

              "Why alligators?

              She blushed. "They are so mysterious....powerful...a little cold...I...I really don't know." For a second she thought of Thanatos....he was kind of an alligator himself in that respect.

              "Ever see one live?"

              Raina frowned and shook her head.

              He smiled. "We'll have to make that happen."

              Raina smiled back. "I'd like that," she agreed.

              Nolan nodded. "Consider it done." He had a secret twinkle in his eye.

              Her eyes twinkled back up at him.

              "What about books?" He continued in his questioning.

              "Twilight," she said again with little hesitation. "Oh there are others...but I am a romantic, so it is my favorite!"