A Gift from the Goddess

Book 2 Ch#8

“Alright a little game sounds tun,” I finally replied “But you‘ll be disappointed to learn these sa 40 uiterior motive in talking to you You‘ve just piqued my ouliouity, is all 

I tried to laugh it off but Kieran didn‘t seem to notice as he immediately set his drink dowi ks. expression tuming serious as he looked me over. Almost as if I could feel hin soniniwing even Iittle detail about me 

But that confident look of his. It took all I had to just calm my heart down, the nervous thumping inside becoming so loud that I was worried he‘d hear it. 

For a man who could seemingly read me so well could he really pull this off? 

“Your eyes give you away a lot,” he started, leaning forward enough that I could still hear him as he spoke in a low voice. “Don‘t get me wrong, they‘re very pretty, but they also betray you.” 

At this proximity, his scent was beginning to overwhelm me. His compliment wasn‘t helping either. I’d never been affected by small things like that before, but with him, it felt almost 

involuntary.

“I think you‘re probably reading too much into it,” I replied quietly, smiling, “Besides, I thought you were meant to be guessing my thoughts, not theorising my tells.”. 

*That’s true….

He moved in a little bit closer again, and I felt as though I became trapped by his gaze alone, unable to move away even if I wanted to. Which, of course, I didn‘t. 

No, at this distance, I was helpless to stop myself from thinking about how flawless his features were. How his defined jawline was such a perfect shape that I could easily picture how my head could fit under it, nestled against his neck comfortably, 

“Mine,’ that word repeated inside my head, but I bit it back. 

“You‘re thinking... ‘why am I so attracted to him?‘” he said, sending a jolt of surprise through me 

But after quickly scrambling to find a logical explanation, I realised it was clearly just a magician’s trick. He was influencing my thoughts with his behaviour so I‘d be pressured to think what he wanted me to.

I laughed his guess off and simply called him out on it. 

“How incredibly vague yet conceited of you to think so,” I said, amused. “I thought this was a game of guessing my exact thoughts, not giving yourself a backwards compliment.” 

However, this didn’t seem to deter him in the slightest and a smirk spread across his lips 

“You‘re thinking.. why does he make me feel this way?** 

I laughed again 

“I just told you that you can‘t use ambiguous statements to win It‘s like bogus fortune telling. 

pot going to wor=–* 

And then his hand reached out and touched mine, tincing lightly against my skin Spreading those spaiks through my body that made my breath catch in my throat 

I stared at his hand as he gently enveloped my own, the warmth starting to make me foto concentration.

*Mine.’ That same unrelenting thought kept trying to force itself aloud, 

He closed the final bit of distance between us, coming in until he was speaking almost diiectly into my ear. His scent making it impossible to breathe without his influence. And with one hand holding my own, his other moved to my waist to hold me in place. 

“You’re thinking.. ‘why does it feel like sparks against my skin?” 

In surprise, I sharply looked back up towards him, only I found myself now merely inches away from him. So close, I could feel the warmth of his breath against me. 

My gaze trailed down from his eyes until I became fixated on his lips, those thoughts from earlier starting to invade my mind once more. Wondering just what it would be like to feel them moving against mine. To taste what they looked to promise me. 

“Mine.’

His hand then moved, coming up until it found my cheek and his thumb started tracing along my jaw. Sending more sparks through me. But the entire time he did that, I was still transfixed on his lips, watching them closely as he continued to speak.

“You’re thinking… that you want to kiss me.”

started to sweep me away. Letting myself relax into the touch that made me feel so many emotions all at once.

I could do. Nothing I wanted to do. Like a spell, he had me now completely at his

‘Mine… mine….‘ 

in closer, so close our lips were almost touching, I felt as a shiver went through

him... and I finally felt

started to give in, my own hand moving forward to

I was about to make contact, his

“…Mine…,” he whispered.

it was enough for reality to kick

took a step out of his grasp, hugging my arms to my chest in horror

demanded. “How could you possibly know that?! Out of every single word you could possibly say, you somehow manage to say

heid up his hands to calm me, but it

a big deal I

like a light matter it felt

*I asked how

just happened, taking a momento tealise just how crazy the whole encounter was Something that was

I asked in

to have. My feeling of illness and lack of control, my inability to

was and eyed it warily. It didn’t explain my initial reaction, but perhaps he’d also done something to me back when he disarmed

you do to me?”

it.. or maybe not expecting me to realise

said, offended “Just calm

tried to move closer but I instantly matched

Don’t touch

attention of a few people around us, briefly turning their heads to what the commotion was. Their faces filled with confusion and intrigue as they fed off the

attention “Give me a moment to

made me succumb to a state of unknown A state where I had no control. And, in my life, control was everything. He should be lucky that his attempt of drugging me didn’t

* Raven”

I’m

that risk. Not to mention that this man was clearly mentally ill if he could so easily drug a woman and then have the

saw it, this was going to

snatched my purse away from the counter and immediately started walking to the exit as fast as possible. Slow

to chase me without

out sounding from

meet the eyes of my

a taxi. Checking to make sure I didn‘t randomly pass out or show other side effects of the drug. Telling myself

effect I was feeling wasn’t fatigue or drowsiness, as I would have expected. No, it felt almost like.. loneliness. As if something

was waiting

shook off the thoughts instantly and gritted my

like it. A drug with such a specific yet fast chemical reaction that it didn’t seem possible. A scientific

my mind as I arrived back to my bedroom. Doing everything I could think of to stop myself from feeling the effects. But, ultimately, there seemed to be no

was still only one thing on my mind as I slept

Kieran.

awoke the next day feeling slightly better than when I‘d gone to bed. And though the thoughts of

day or so before the effects wore

only hope. This feeling

voice said suddenly from my door,

I recognised it immediately.

Gavin

yelled back. I was far too tired from the

it wasn’t only Gavin alone… I knew instantly what

said. “Did you sleep

No. No.

don‘t do this, sir,” I

lield nie land out, presenting ing with the familiar ljaridcuffs I