Page 124 of Cryptic Curse

She studies it in silence for a while, her face unreadable, and then says, almost too softly for me to catch, “They look like something ancient.Like if you knew the right words, you could bring them back.”

I have to keep my jaw from dropping.That exact thought crosses my mind every time I look at the Lomax.

She turns to the last one.

“The Sound of Saturn,” I say.“It might be my favorite.”

The fifth planetis crafted out of layered ceramic, its ring smooth and textured like bone, with streaks of fused glass trailing behind it in a wide arc, almost like a comet’s tail.When you look at it indirectly, it looks like the planet’s still spinning, still echoing.

Daniela steps to the side to catch the shimmer of the glass from a different angle.“Why Saturn?”she asks.

“That’s the one she said kept showing up in her dreams.”

“Who?”

“The artist.Juno Reyes.”

“Reyes?”Her eyes widen and the color drains from her face.

I rush to her side, wrap an arm around her shoulder.“Everything okay, honey?”

She doesn’t respond right away.Just stares.

“There was a…man in Colombia.One of my father’s friends.His last name was Reyes.”

I squeeze her shoulder.“Reyes is a common last name.I’m sure there’s no relation.”

She squeezes her eyes shut, shakes her head a bit.Finally she opens them and looks up at me, a small smile tugging at her lips.“I’m sure you’re right.”She looks back at the paintings.“So… You like stars.”

I blink.I guess I never saw the connection between these three pieces.I just liked them all.They spoke to me.Made me feel…safe.

Just like Ted Tucker did.

Oh, shit.

I attempt to shrug nonchalantly.“Guess so.”

“Me, too.”She looks back to the artwork.“You have an eye for beauty.”

I glance at her then, appreciating her own unique beauty under the soft glow of the lights.“I like to surround myself with beautiful things.”

We end in my large recreation room—or my man cave, as I call it—and settle on the comfy leather couch.

I long to take her in my arms and kiss her deeply.

So when she looks at me, her eyes shining and her lips slightly parted, that’s exactly what I do.

38

DANIELA

Hawk’s lips touch mine.Gently at first, and then he slides his tongue into my mouth.

We’ve kissed before.

Hell, he gave me an orgasm with mere words last night.

But this kiss…