I decided I didn't care and took off my dress. I stepped into the shower and hurried through a hot one. It had been forever since I'd slept by myself. I stood over my open luggage and stared down the dresses I'd brought. Tomorrow I'd have to get all dressed up and pretend to be their leader…
Wait. It hit me like the ceiling had collapsed on me. I was such an idiot! No wonder everyone treated me so strangely and no wonder Donald was such a jackass.
I had acted like a scared little rabbit out there. I shut my mind off so I had no idea what was going on and what everyone was thinking and I was blindsided because of it. They wanted to use me as a pawn, as an object of worth and not a person…and I had let them. Oh, how could I be so stupid!
No. More.
Tomorrow, I would keep my mind open at all times. I would not cower behind Caleb's family and I wouldn't let Donald think I was here simply for him to display his traditional side. And Marla and Marcus? I wouldn't let them humiliate me and turn everyone against me before I even got to know anyone.
I was the Visionary for a reason. I was Caleb's significant for a reason. I was brought into this point of my life for a reason. I was me…for a reason. No one was going to take the reins of my own life but me. Tomorrow was a new day and I was going to make it my own.
I pulled on a yellow polka dot camisole and some white cotton boy short underwear and climbed into bed. My hair was still wet, and I hated to go to bed with wet hair, but I was in no mood to stand around in that bathroom and see if the wall plugs were compatible in London or not. I wanted to just think.
I lay there, looking at that gorgeous molded white ceiling. I grabbed my cell off the top of my purse, but there was no signal. I wanted to call Dad, but I guess that would have to wait. I was sure he was worried sick. I'd put him through a lot lately, and Bish, too. Ugh…I rolled over to press my face into the pillow. It smelled like lemons.
It was almost comical how hard it was to fall asleep now. I felt uncomfortable. I rubbed my feet together, but that didn't help. I rolled to my side. I even pulled a pillow down to lay beside me as if it were Caleb, but still no help. I eventually rolled onto my back, slipped the lamp switch, and just decided to strategize about the next day.
I would walk with my head high. I would show them that both of my tattoos, the Visionary one and the mutualizing one, were both worn with pride and affection. I would show them that Caleb wasn't some stupid kid who couldn't take care of things. He was my guy, he was my protector, he was my everything. And…what…the…
There was a foot hanging from my ceiling- no, through my ceiling. I sat up and blinked a few times to see if I was really awake or had fallen asleep somehow. The foot jerked and moved, I heard muffled curses and then there was a whole blue jeaned leg…and then two. Then someone fell through the ceiling toward my bed. I somehow muzzled my scream and scooted over just as he fell onto the other side of my large bed with a bounce. Caleb glared at the ceiling.
"You suck at that, just so you know, Uncle Kev."
I looked up to see a man's head sticking out of the ceiling. "Sorry. You're not as little as you used to be, you know," the man grumbled and then changed his gaze to me. He smiled and winked. "You're welcome." A pair of shoes fell through the ceiling as well, landing on Caleb stomach, then he was gone.
"Caleb," I breathed as I sat up further. "What are you doing here?"
He grinned and I noticed he was barefoot with his jeans and a white undershirt on. He slid closer on his knees and pulled me to him. "There was no way I was letting you out of my sight tonight."
I giggled silently and hugged him, my spirits lifted. He was the balm to my ache still, and always would be.
His hands drifted up my legs...and didn't stop. I realized he was going to stop at the hem of my shorts, but I wasn't wearing any so he had no stopping point. When he realized the same thing, his hands gripped me, he stopped breathing and his heart beat fast against my chest.
He finally let his breath out slowly as I stayed perfectly still. His hands moved a little to confirm what he already knew I was wearing and I fought not to shiver. He leaned back and looked at my face closely. "What the hell are these, Maggie?"
"They're b-boy shorts," I stuttered.
"These are not shorts," he rumbled.
"I didn't think I'd see you tonight," I defended in a whisper.He bit his lip and cocked an eyebrow as he looked me over. "You wore these because you didn't think you see me?" He chuckled at my confused expression. "I'm just…joking, baby." He sighed a long meaningful sigh. "I think you better put something on though, before I stop being so in control."
"Yeah," I agreed, but I couldn’t help myself. Did he know how incredibly hot he was in his bare feet and white t-shirt? Did he even realize that his hands were still sitting right under my butt on my legs? Did he know how grateful I was to him for somehow finding a way to come to me even when he'd been forbidden not to?
I kissed him with every intention of mutualizing with him. Call me brazen, call me testing his control, call me anything you want, but I couldn't have waited another second. My body, my imprint, demanded for him.
He pushed me back easily to the bed and took my arms to press them over my head. I whispered to him, "Why do you always do that? Hold my arms down?"
"Because if you touched me right now…" He shook his head like he couldn't even think, and started kissing me again.
I opened my mind and waited for the tingle, the spark, the cooling of my blood, but it never came. I was warm, in fact I was on fire, but that was hormones, not mutualizing.
He pulled back and looked confused, too. Then his look morphed to one of anger. He sat back on his heels and laughed humorlessly. "Those bastards," he growled.
"What?" I sat up. "What did who do?"
"They charmed the room," he explained. His ran his hands through his hair. "I thought it was strange before that I didn't feel anything when you touched me, when I was in her earlier. But I just assumed we were both too worked up, too upset, and that was why."
"You mean," I worked it out in my mind, "they got someone to use their ability to make it so that there are no abilities is this room?" He nodded. I hadn't heard any of his thoughts and he was right, I had felt something strange when he'd kissed me before when he said goodbye. It felt weird because it was just us and no imprint. "No healing touch, no reading minds, no…mutualizing?"
"Nope."
I sighed in exasperation. They were testing the limits of my control. "And your Uncle? The one who shot you through the ceiling?"
"Uncle Kev," he explained.
"Yeah. His ability is to…what? Because if he was the one who did this, I'll…go break all of his light bulbs."
He chuckled silently. "His ability is to do basically what he did. He can put objects, or people, through walls, doors, and apparently the ceiling." He smiled. "Were you surprised?"
"Uh, yeah." I bit my lip in thought. "So even if you sleep in here with me, we'll still withdraw by morning, won't we?"
"Yeah." His smile turned into a frown. "They had to have done this before we came. They knew we were going to fight them on it. They wanted to cover all of their bases."
"Why is our sex life so interesting to them?" I blurted. He gave me a look that could have melted bones. "I meant, our…mutualizing life…you know what? Whatever, you know what I mean."
He laughed. "You are so cute flustered."
"Not flustered."
"Not?" he challenged and leaned closer. I gulped and he laughed again. "Get dressed, gorgeous. I'm taking you out of here."
"Where?"
"Get. Dressed." He grinned as he leaned back on the bed, putting his arms behind his head on the pillows. "Go ahead," he ordered. "Get some clothes on."
I realized he was going to see me strutting around in my boy shorts while I found some clothes. Fine. If he wanted to see, and he apparently did, he could look all he wanted to. I had found my second wind, my reasoning, my gumption and I wasn't going to be silly, little, scared Maggie anymore.
I smiled as I stood up and waltzed over to the suitcase. I pulled out a pair of jeans, my only pair of jeans that I had brought, and started to slip them on. I felt him at my back. Even though I couldn’t read his mind right now, somehow I just knew that he wasn't going to be able to just sit there and watch.
It was very empowering.
"Mean," he taunted and kissed the back of my neck.
"I was just doing what you told me to."
"Touché." He kissed my neck once more and looked around the room. "You'll need a sweater or something."
"I have a cargo jacket in that bag," I said and pointed as I buttoned my jeans. I slipped on my blue Converses just as he brought my jacket. He helped me put it on then put his shoes on quickly. "What about you?"
"I'll be fine. Come on."
"Are you going to tell me where we're going?" I asked as he dragged me to the door.
"Nope." He opened the door and peeked out. He gave me one last look. "Be very quiet. Church mouse quiet."
"Got it," I whispered.
He took my hand and we both stopped for a second as our touch hit us. I could feel him again just by stepping into the hall. I sighed and soaked him up. It was true then, no question, they had charmed my room.