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.”

my eyes a little as the pleasure of his presence started to sweep me away. Letting myself

him and there was nothing I could do. Nothing I

‘Mine… mine….‘ 

shiver went through my body.

I finally felt that last piece of restraint

started to give in, my own hand moving

was about to make contact,

“…Mine…,” he whispered.

was enough for reality to kick

of his grasp, hugging my arms to my chest in

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

up his hands to calm me, but it did little to seatbe my

he said “It’s not a big deal

didn’t feel like a light matter it felt lay

said, gutting my teeth *I asked how you knew that How you knna say

over everything that had just happened, taking a momento tealise just how crazy

I asked in a hushed

my inability to make rational decisios All of it could only

didn’t explain my initial reaction, but perhaps he’d also done something to me

do to me?”

eyes went wide, clearly not expecting me to say it.. or maybe not expecting me to realise the truth. Either way, I didn’t trust

what? No!” he said, offended “Just

tried to move closer but I instantly matched

touch me!”

around us, briefly turning their heads to what the commotion was. Their faces filled with

attention “Give me a

succumb to a state of unknown A state where I had no control. And, in my life, control was everything. He should

* Raven”

I whispered. “No… I’m not doing this. Fuck

of punishment would be worth that risk. Not to mention that this man was clearly mentally ill if he could so easily drug a woman and then

saw it, this was going to end in disappointing hum

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

be able to chase me

out sounding from somewhere behind me.

kept walking, refusing to meet the eyes of my father

was constantly checking myself as I made my way home via a taxi. Checking to make sure I didn‘t randomly pass out or show other side effects of

I would have expected. No, it felt almost like.. loneliness. As if something was hollowing out my chest the further I travelled away from the event. A string tying

was waiting for

thoughts instantly

gave me, I’d never seen anything like it. A drug with such a specific yet fast chemical reaction that it didn’t seem possible. A scientific

my bedroom. Doing everything I could think of to stop myself from feeling

off into sleep, there was still only one thing

Kieran.

next day feeling slightly better than when I‘d gone to bed. And though the thoughts of him still lingered, I felt as

it would take another day or so before the effects

hope. This feeling

suddenly from my door,

I recognised it immediately.

Gavin

yelled back. I was far

it wasn’t

father said. “Did

no. No. No.

sir,” I

the