Page 8

Stone

A fter clearing away her plate, Serenity hurried into her room to change. I wasn’t sure what she’d heard of my conversation with Aubree, but I wasn’t about to discuss it with Serenity.

Aubree kept calling me, even though I’d broken it off several weeks ago. She claimed she just wanted to stay friends, and that’s why she was keeping in touch, but it was starting to get on my nerves. What had I ever seen in her? Compared to this weird connection with Serenity, Aubree didn’t even register on the chart.

It reminded me of Serenity’s chat on the phone earlier. It sounded like someone was suing her, and it sounded personal. Maybe that’s why she’d taken this job. But what had she done to get sued? Whatever it was, it sounded like the other person was dragging things out .

I wanted to know what was going on. Not that I cared, but if it affected her job with me, it would be good to know. I shook my head, admitting to myself that, even though I didn’t want to care, I did.

After putting away our dishes, I slipped into my room and changed into a black dress shirt, making sure my usual shoulder holster and gun were in place before slipping on my black jacket.

A few minutes later, Serenity came out of her room wearing a sexy, red dress that took my breath away. Before I could say a word, she hurried into the bathroom and shut the door. Holy hell. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh. How was I supposed to concentrate on the job with her looking like that? I was going to have to fight off every guy in the club before the night was over.

Taking a deep, calming breath, I stepped into the living room and stood in front of the big window to watch the city lights sparkling on the streets below. The minutes crawled by before she finally came out of the bathroom.

“I’m ready to go.”

I spun, and there she was, standing in the doorway and looking even more beautiful than I could have imagined. Hot damn. A touch of makeup made her eyes seem bigger. With her red dress and matching red lips, that familiar burn shot to my groin, and I had to work hard to get under control.

I must have made a face, because her eyes widened. Still, her lips twisted with satisfaction, and I held back a groan. Thank God we weren’t taking the bike.

“Uh… good.” That came out gruffer than I’d intended, but she just nodded. “There’s another way out of the apartment. I’ll show you.” If I could even think straight .

“Great. Let me grab my jacket and purse.” She hurried into her room and came out wearing her black leather jacket, with a small purse slung over her shoulder.

“It’s this way.” I nodded down the hallway, and she followed me into the laundry room and to the door at the back. Even the scent of her perfume was intoxicating. “I only use this door after hours, or if I don’t want anyone in the office to know I’m here.”

“I’ll bet that comes in handy.” Was that a hint of amusement?

My lips quirked up. “It sure does.” I ushered her through the door and into the hallway across from the stairs, resisting the temptation to hint that she could use it to come see me any time. “I usually take the stairs down to the next floor before I get on the elevator, but we’ll catch it here since no one else is around.” I locked the deadbolt on my door and stepped down the hall.

At this time of night, the building was empty except for the cleaning crew, and I had to use my key-card to call the elevator. After we got on, I used it inside to send the elevator down to the parking level.

Serenity stood beside me all the way down, tense and clutching her small purse. Was she nervous to be with me? I noticed her hands were bare, and my brows dipped. “How come you’re not wearing your gloves?”

She twitched before glancing my way. “They’re in my purse, but I thought I should leave them off until we get to the club. If something’s coming, I’d like to know beforehand.”

My brows shot up. It sounded like she’d taken my advice to heart, but was something else going on? “Did you have another vision about me?”

She shook her head. “No. But since someone is trying to kill you, we can’t be too careful, right? ”

“Uh… yeah, right.” I wanted to argue that no one was going to try to kill me on the way to the club, but I liked that she wasn’t wearing her gloves.

The elevator doors swished open and I stepped out. “We’ll take my car. It’s right next to the bike.”

“Sounds good.”

She followed me to my car, and I reached to open the passenger door for her, but she grabbed my arm to stop me.

“Wait. Let me touch it first.”

Surprised, I sent her a nod. “Have at it.”

She held her fingers to the door handle. After a couple of seconds, she glanced my way. “I guess it’s okay.”

“You guess?”

“I’m not getting anything dangerous. Like a bomb, or fire, or smoke… you know… that sort of thing?” Before I could comment, she pulled the door open and climbed inside.

Shaking my head, I hurried to the driver’s side and got in. She ran her fingers across the dashboard and steering wheel. I wanted to tell her she could do that to me, too, but I didn’t. Finished, she glanced my way and nodded. “Okay. We’re good to go.”

Embarrassingly, it hadn’t occurred to me that my car could be a death trap. At least she was sitting here with me, so that had to mean it was safe. With a shake of my head, I started the car and began the drive to the club.

A few minutes later, we pulled around back to my reserved spot and I opened the door to get out.

“Stone. Wait.”

“Again?” Sighing, I shut the door and turned toward her. “What?”

“I’d like to try something before we go in. Is it okay if I touch your hand for a minute? I just want to see if I get anything. ”

A slow smile crept up my lips, but I tried to play it cool. “Sure.” Shrugging nonchalantly, I held my hand open. As she placed her hand in mine, sparks danced across my skin. Curling my fingers around hers, I waited for what came next. Would she have a vision? Would she gasp or pull away?

She closed her eyes and hardly twitched, holding my hand in a firm grip. Her fingers were warmer than I expected. Still, I studied her reaction. I expected her to cringe or pull away, even though I didn’t want that to happen.

She did neither. Instead, she stiffened and sucked in a breath. Swallowing, she let it out, and her face relaxed. A surge of color spread over her cheeks, and she gently rubbed her thumb across my hand spreading electricity over my whole body.

What was she seeing? Her lips parted, and her tongue darted out to moisten them. A sudden desire to swoop down and kiss those beautiful lips came over me, but I held back, waiting to see what she’d do next.

Finally, her eyes flew open. Her pupils were dilated, holding a dark desire that cut through my defenses. I was ready to lean over and kiss her, but she gasped and pulled her hand from my grip.

Clearing her throat, she whispered. “Uh… I didn’t see anything threatening, so we might as well go in.”

Her heaving chest told me she’d seen a lot more than she wanted to admit, and it involved me. Had she seen us kissing? Or making love? Heat rushed through me. From her flushed face, it was evident I was on the right track, and I leaned toward her, my voice low and husky. “Was it good?”

An even brighter blush colored her cheeks, and her eyes widened. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Um, we should go in.” With jerky movements, she opened the door and scrambled out of the car.

Unable to help myself, I chuckled and pushed my door open. So she saw us kissing, and had obviously enjoyed it. Interesting. I grinned. Did that mean it was inevitable? Or now that she knew, would she make sure it didn’t happen? My smile faded a little as I followed her to the door, her back to me.

I wanted to explore her vision more, but now wasn’t the time, and I tucked it away for later. Right now, we had work to do. The office was locked since it was after business hours, so I swiped my security access card across the lock pad.

Hearing the lock disengage, I pulled it open and ushered Serenity inside. “I want to check the surveillance room before we head into the club.”

“Sure.” Flustered, her voice squeaked. It was so adorable.

Wait, did I just use the word adorable ? What was wrong with me? Women weren’t adorable, they were sexy. What was I thinking?

Serenity followed me to the security office where we found Patrick watching the feed. “How’s the crowd tonight?”

“Just the usual. Not many people yet, but it should pick up in an hour or two.”

“Good.” I glanced at Serenity. “This is Serenity. She’s helping me tonight.”

“Hi.” She sent him a little wave instead of shaking his hand.

“Why don’t you give Patrick the description of our mystery person so he can keep a watch out.”

“Oh, right.” She gave Patrick the general description of a man with a beard and hat, and his brows rose .

“Really? Without the hat, that could be like… half the people in the club.” He glanced my way and I shrugged.

She frowned. “I know, but that’s what we have to go on, so if someone looking like that acts suspicious, keep an eye on him and let us know, okay?”

He nodded and she turned to the door, so I pulled it open and glanced at Patrick. “I’ll check back before we go home. If you see anything out of the ordinary, send me a text.”

“Will do.”

I ushered Serenity out, and we made our way to the door beside the bar. Slipping inside the club, no one but the bartender paid any attention to us. I sent the bartender a nod, and led Serenity to my usual corner table where I could watch the crowd. Serenity slid into her seat without touching anything.

“If you’re nervous about what you touch, you might as well wear your gloves.” Reaching out to take her hand was way too tempting without them, since I wanted to see if I could give her another arousing vision. I held back a grin.

She let out a long sigh before taking a pair of black lace gloves from her bag. After slipping them on, she visibly relaxed. Our waiter, Macy, came over to take our orders. I didn’t want anything, but Serenity ordered a Diet Coke with lime.

While waiting for her drink, Serenity glanced around. “This place sure looks different from this afternoon.” Her eyes lit up with excitement, and she caught my gaze. “Is it okay if we do some dancing? You never know what I might pick up on the dance floor.”

My brow rose. “I wasn’t planning on it.”

“Oh… well, I think I’ll check my bag and jacket, just in case.” She looked toward the bar. “Where’s the coat-check?” Ma cy brought Serenity’s drink, setting it down in front of her. “Thanks.”

“Why don’t I check your things? I need to walk around and see who’s here tonight. If you see anything, come find me. I won’t be far.”

Her brows drew together. “Maybe I should come with you?”

“No, that’s not necessary.” I’d never be able to focus with her right next to me. “It would be better if we we’re both looking from different vantage points, so we don’t miss anything.”

She shrugged. “Fine. But be careful, okay?”

I raised a brow, secretly loving that she wanted to keep me safe. “You really think I’m going to get killed in the middle of this big crowd?”

She handed over her bag and jacket and gave me a sweet smile. “You never know.”

With a slight shake of my head, I strode to the coat check room. After securing Serenity’s things. I made a short circuit around the club, keeping an eye out for trouble, and purposefully avoiding looking toward her. Several minutes later, however, I caught a flash of red in my peripheral vision. Turning, I spotted Serenity on the dance floor beside a man who looked like he was trying hard to impress her.

She barely smiled at him, keeping her attention on the people around her, like she was looking for the guy she’d seen in her vision. I couldn’t fault her for that, but something twisted in my gut to see her dancing with some loser.

The guy leaned over to whisper in her ear, and wrapped an arm around her waist. She stiffened, but he didn’t seem to notice. Growing bold, he put his other arm around her waist and began to sway to the music .

Serenity put her hands on his shoulders, but did her best to keep some space between them. When his hand moved lower toward her ass, fire roared inside of me. That was enough. I strode to his side and grabbed his arm, shoving him away from her.

He took a few steps back, anger darkening his face. “What the hell, man?”

I dismissed him and glanced at Serenity. “You okay?”

Her eyes widened. “I’m fine.”

I turned to the man. “She came with me, so she’s off limits.”

His brows drew together. “Well, she didn’t tell me that.”

“ I’m telling you, so get lost.” I glared at him, unable to hold back the seething anger in my gut.

“Fine. But it’s not my fault she wanted to dance with me. Maybe you should pay more attention to your date.” He frowned at Serenity before stalking off.

“Now you’ve done it,” Serenity said.

“Done what? Did you really want to dance with him?”

“No, of course not. But you’ve made a scene. Everyone’s looking at us. You’d better dance with me if you don’t want to look like a total jerk.” She raised her arms to my shoulders and began to sway. A slow second later, my hands came around her waist, and I began to move with her.

“That’s better.” She arched a brow. “Do you normally treat your dates like this?”

“I don’t bring dates here. Ever.” My gaze dropped to her lips. “I don’t have to, women usually come to me.”

“Yeah… I saw enough of that on the surveillance video.”

“So why were you dancing with that guy if you didn’t want to?”

She huffed out a sigh. “I couldn’t see much from my seat, and he asked. So I thought, why not? I’d have a better chance at keeping an eye on everyone from the dance floor.”

“Hmm.” I grunted, unsatisfied.

We swayed in silence for a long minute before she raised her gaze to mine. “So… tell me something about yourself, something that no one else knows.”

“Why?” I scoffed.

She rolled her eyes. “So I can get to know you better.”

My brows rose. “Why would you want to do that?”

“Well…” She huffed. “I’m trying to figure you out. Sorry if that’s a crime or something.”

“It might be.” I grinned, pulling her a little closer. “You might not like who I am.”

She searched my face. “And what if I do?”

Heat pulsed through me. “That might be even worse.”

“How about I go first, then? So you’ll know what I mean.” Swallowing, she ran a finger over the collar of my shirt. “I like to snack on peanut butter. Sometimes I leave the lid off the jar, and take little finger-dips all day long.”

She met my gaze like she was daring me to complain, so I one-upped her. “I don’t mind that. In fact, I’d lick peanut butter off your fingers anytime.”

Her eyes widened, cheeks flushing a brilliant crimson, but instead of taking the bait like I’d hoped, she pressed on with her questions. “Your turn. Tell me something you like to do.” She paused, a glint of mischief in her eyes. “Aside from licking peanut butter off my fingers. Which… you don’t actually know if you like.”

“Yet.” I grinned. “But… since you’re forcing the issue, I guess I’d say that I like to take off on my bike for a few days at a time. Just me, the bike, and the open road.” I lifted a hand from her waist and lightly traced one finger over her wrist, gently brushing her skin all the way along her arm, ov er her bare shoulder, and down her spine, where her silky hair fell over the back of my hand.

She shuddered, taking a deep breath, and I leaned in to whisper in her ear. “I like the back roads, the ones that few people travel. I like to find unexpected places, and I often do.” I pulled back a little, a lopsided smile lifting a corner of my mouth. She smelled so good.

“I usually end up in a small town where everyone knows everyone else.” I grinned. “You’d be surprised at how many people you get to know when you’re on a motorcycle. I once found the best apple pie I’ve ever tasted on a trip like that.” My mouth watered just thinking about it. Or maybe it was because of Serenity. “I’d like to go back there sometime.”

She gazed at me, like she was a little dazed. “That sounds amazing.”

I tilted my head, leaning in a little closer. “And what about you? Tell me a secret. What’s something you’ve always wanted to do?”

The music thrummed rhythmically, almost hypnotically as I gazed into Serenity’s gorgeous blue eyes, now shadowed mysteriously in the dim room.

She bit her lower lip, hesitantly, before finally blurting, “I’ve wanted to be a PI since I was a kid.”

I blinked. “And that’s a secret? Why?”

“Well…” She shrugged. “It’s not a secret I kept from my family, but I stopped telling people after I turned eleven.” She bit her lips again, making me want to bend down and taste them.

“Okay… and what made you want to be a PI?”

“Oh… well… I love to read, and mystery is my favorite genre. Solving cases and putting the bad guys away just seemed so… noble. And, if I’m honest… a little romantic. But I love the challenge of figuring things out, you know? ”

Her eyes shone with determination, and, in that moment, I would’ve agreed with anything she said. “I can see that. So now you’re a PI. How long have you been one?” I knew several investigators, but I’d never heard of her.

“It’s a recent development.” She blushed again. “It took over two years, but that was because I had to work full-time. Then there was the accident… and I got waylaid.”

My stomach turned ice cold, and I stopped moving. “You were in an accident? What happened?”

She shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal, but from the pain in her eyes, I knew it was all an act. “Car accident. They ran a red light and plowed right into me. I was pinned in the seat and nearly bled out before they got me out of there. It gave me nightmares for a while.”

“Holy shit. That’s awful. But—you’re okay now?” I studied her face, resisting the urge to check her for non-existent injuries.

“Yes.” She swayed to the music, pulling me with her. “I’m fully recovered… for the most part.”

“For the most part?” What did that mean? Before she could answer, the music changed to a loud, boisterous song, and everyone started going wild on the dance floor.

Her face brightened. “Oh! I love this song!” She began to move to the beat, taking my hand to follow her lead. I moved with her like she’d cast a spell over me. The sheer joy on her face reminded me of that photo of her niece, and warmth filled my chest. Laughing, I let go and enjoyed the moment.

I couldn’t remember the last time I’d abandoned my hardened persona. But with her, it was easy. My awareness of everyone around us never faded, but I couldn’t help grinning every time she laughed. I caught sight of one of the waiters staring at me with his mouth open, and I chuckled .

As we continued dancing, touching her became easy, almost like it was second-nature. She kept touching me as well and I welcomed it, each tingling caress muffling the alarm bells going off in my head.

A magnetic pulse drew me to her, and my body responded like we were meant to be together. The pull was too strong to resist, so I gave in and rode the wave into the perfect storm. I reveled in her touch and the dark desire in her eyes. Gazing at one another, we swayed in time with the beat, slowing as the song changed to one of love and longing. I couldn’t look away to save my life.

A flush stained her cheeks, and her lips parted. They were close enough to taste, but before I could lean in and kiss her, movement caught my eye. As a man reached for her, I pulled her away.

“Serenity?” He scowled, looking her up and down. Serenity’s face filled with shock. “What the hell are you doing here?” He shifted his glare to me. “Who the hell do you think you are? Get away from my wife.”

“Wife?” My stomach dropped. She was married?

“I’m not your wife anymore.” Serenity’s hands balled into fists, her glare fierce.

“The hell you’re not. Last I checked we were still married.”

“Yeah, well, last I checked it’s because you won’t sign the damn papers.”

“Of course not. You owe me. You ruined my life.”

“ I ruined your life? You selfish son of bitch.” Her voice shook. “I nearly got killed, miraculously survived, and that ruined your life?”

“Yeah, it did.”

She paled.

“Because now you’re a freak who can invade anyone’s privacy just by touching them.” He glanced at me like he’d won the argument. “Did she tell you that? Did you know that she can ruin your life just by touching you?”

My jaw tightened. “You know what?” My voice stayed deadly calm. “I think you’d better leave.”

“ I’d better leave? You’re the one dancing with a psycho. If you’re smart, you’ll get as far away from her as you can.”

I signaled Macy, who hurried off toward the front entrance. “If you’re smart, you’ll stay away from her. Now. Get out.”

His expression turned ugly. “Who do you think you are? You can’t kick me out of here.”

I raised a brow, a slow satisfaction building in my stomach. I was ready to kick this guy’s ass, but sometimes having someone else do it is far more satisfying. “Yes… I can do exactly that.”

One of my bouncers arrived, right on cue. “You needed me?”

“Yeah, show this asshole out.”

“You got it, boss.” He turned to Serenity’s ex. “Come with me.”

“No way!” His eyes widened. “I have every right to be here.”

I narrowed my gaze. “No… you don’t.”

“Like hell!” He leapt at me, swinging wildly.

I easily stepped aside and grabbed his arm, twisting it behind him. “Looks like I get to do the honors after all.”

“Hey! Let me go.” His voice squeaked as I held him tight.

I didn’t bother to respond. Instead, I forced him out in front of me and pushed him through the crowd, my bouncer clearing the way.

“Brandon?” One guy peeled off and followed. “What did you do?”

Now I had a name. Brandon .

Seeing me, the other bouncer opened the front door. Without pausing, I marched through and shoved Brandon to the sidewalk.

His friend ran by me to catch him. “What the hell, man? We just got here.”

“It’s not my fault!” Brandon glowered at me. “I have every right to be here. I paid my fee and I’m going back in.”

He tried to shove past me, but I pushed him away. “Pathetic.”

Brandon bared his teeth and came at me again, but his friend grabbed him. “Dude, stop.”

Serenity stepped up beside me, shaking her head at her ex. “For heaven’s sake, go home, Brandon. You’ve had too much to drink.”

“How else am I supposed to deal with your mental cruelty?” He sneered. “Meanwhile, you’re out here pretending to be normal. You know it won’t work. Not when you’re a psycho.” He shook his head. “You know what? Before I knew what you were, I was happy you survived that accident. But now I wish you would have died. A freak like you doesn’t deserve to live.”

Serenity gasped, and her hands flew to her mouth like she’d been slapped.

Rage filled my chest, and I shoved Brandon away from her. “Get out of here. Now. Before I do something you’ll regret.”

“Mind your own damn business. She’s my wife. I’ll say whatever the hell I want to her.”

I got in his face, staring him down. “Not while I’m here, you won’t.”

Brandon swore and took another swing at me. I sidestepped him, and he threw a punch at my face. I easily sidestepped again and grabbed his wrist, twisting to pull his arm behind him and forcing him to the ground. Cold rage filled every part of me, and I had to strain to keep it in check.

I held his wrist in a firm grip and placed my knee on his back. He screamed and hollered that I was breaking his arm. He wasn’t wrong; just a little more pressure, and I could easily dislocate his shoulder. But I shouldn’t do that. This guy was an asshole, but he wasn’t a criminal I could beat the hell out of without repercussions.

Frowning, I let up slightly so he’d stop screaming, but kept him in a tight hold. “Don’t ever talk to Serenity like that again. Is that clear?” I jerked his arm back, just to make my point.

He yelped. “Okay! Okay! Just let me go!”

By now, an even bigger crowd had gathered, but his friend was smart enough to keep his distance. I let Brandon go and grabbed his upper arm to pull him up. He jerked away, stepping back until he was out of my range. Glancing at Serenity, he sneered. “I’m telling my lawyer about this. It won’t look good for you in court.”

I took a step toward him and he flinched. Realizing he’d shown weakness, he surged toward me again, but his friend grabbed his arm. “Come on Brandon, let’s go. Why are you even fighting over her? She’s not worth it. Think about the divorce. Think about the money.”

Something clicked in Brandon’s eyes, and he let his friend pull him away. They continued down the street and got into a car parked on the side of the road.

As they drove away, I turned to Serenity. Seething, she glared after them, but behind her rage, tears were gathering in her eyes, and I could tell it was taking everything she had to hide how much he’d hurt her. Seeing that broke something inside of me, and I wanted to chase down that son-of-a-bitch and beat him until his own mother wouldn’t recognize his face .

Letting out a breath, I glanced at the crowd. “Nothing to see here, folks. The party’s in there.” I jerked my chin at the door, and the bouncers helped direct people inside.

Swallowing my anger, I stepped toward Serenity.

She stiffened. “I’m fine.” But her voice shook. In fact, her whole body trembled.

“Well, I’m not.” Still enraged at her ex, I tugged her against my chest and rubbed her back.

“Oh.” Her breath caught, but she slowly let it out and relaxed into my arms. I held her until she stopped trembling. “Let’s go get your things.” Keeping my arm around her, I walked her back into the club, doing my best to shield her from curious gazes. I held her while we got her purse and jacket, and didn’t let go until we’d gone through the back door and into the parking lot.

At my car, I moved to open the door, but she pushed my arm away.

“Wait. Let me touch it first.”

I waited, watching her peel off her glove and reach for the handle. Brushing the cool surface, she swallowed before nodding. “It’s fine.”

I pulled the door open and she got in. Heading to the other side, I slid behind the wheel and started the car. After backing out, I pulled onto the road and glanced her way. “Your ex is a piece of shit.”

She nodded, but didn’t say anything, finally letting her mask fall and the tears come.

“Just so you know. If I ever come across him again, I will beat the hell out of him.”

She sniffed. “Really? Even if I didn’t want you to?”

“You really don’t want me to beat him up?” I didn’t believe that for a second.

A tiny smile pinched one corner of her gorgeous mouth. “He’s not worth the trouble. Besides that, he’s suing me, so I need to be careful.” Pausing, she sent me a trembling smile. “But once that part is over, I wouldn’t stop you.”

I nodded. “It’s a deal.” Glancing at the time, I shook my head. “I’m afraid that taking out the trash means there’s not time for you to change.”

She sighed. “Oh well. It’s okay. I can put my jacket on.” Working around her seatbelt, she slipped her arms through the jacket and stuffed her gloves into her purse. Before closing it, she pulled out a tissue and wiped her nose. After checking her reflection in the visor mirror, she dabbed at her eyes and settled back into the seat.

I waited for her to say something about her husband, but when she didn’t, I spoke up. “So… on top of getting divorced, he’s suing you? What’s that about… are you a secret billionaire or something?”

“Hardly.” A sardonic laugh burst out of her. “He says it’s for mental cruelty, because of the stress from the accident .” She made finger quotes. “But all he really wants is the insurance settlement money.”

She laughed at the irony. “He thinks I’ve got it stashed away somewhere, but I don’t. It’s gone… I had to use it to pay all the hospital and doctor bills. I had insurance, but it barely helped, and the bills piled up. After I paid them and my lawyer’s fees, I used the rest to pay off the mortgage.

“Now, he wants half of what the house is worth, along with half of the settlement money. My lawyer says he won’t get it, but Brandon’s promised to tell everyone I’m a psychopath if I fight him on this. My lawyer says I can’t lose, but it’s going to cost me a ton of money in fees. Plus—” She waved her hand. “It’ll ruin my reputation.

I shook my head. “No it won’t. I mean… a lot of men say their exes are psychos.”

Her mouth flattened, and she stared at me with a raised brow .

My eyes widened. “What? They do.”

“I know.” Shaking her head, she pressed a hand to her forehead. “I shouldn’t let it get to me, but it does.”

“So, is that why you took the job?”

She sent me a furtive glance. “Mostly. Plus, working for Vanetti is a real boost to my business. I should be able to get more clients with his recommendation, you know?”

“True.” I shook my head. “The accident must have been bad, but I don’t understand why your husband would turn on you. You’re a beautiful woman. You’re smart, and funny, and you’re… sexy as hell. It doesn’t make sense.”

Her lips twisted. “You’re forgetting something.” She held up her hands and wiggled her fingers. “I’m psychic. I have psychometry, remember?”

“Well, sure, but didn’t he already know that?”

“It’s a recent development.”

“Oh.” My eyes widened, things clicking into place. “How recent?”

“It’s a result of the accident I was in. Brandon couldn’t handle it, and he… left me.”

I nodded. “Okay.” Well, damn. But it still didn’t make a lot of sense to me. Besides being beautiful, even in the short amount of time I’d known her, I could tell that Serenity was an all-around good person. “So what was it? He didn’t want you to touch him?”

“You nailed it. At first, it didn’t bother him… probably because I didn’t tell him everything I saw.” She shrugged. “I mean… when it’s no big deal, what’s the point, you know? But when I had a vision that didn’t make sense, I asked him about it, and he freaked out. After that, he never wanted me to touch him again.”

“Why? Was it something bad he’d done?”

“No! That’s the thing… it wasn’t.” Her brows drew together. “I just saw him in a cemetery, and he had a bo uquet of flowers in his hands. I wasn’t sure if someone had died while I’d been in the hospital for the last two months, so I asked him about it.”

She blew out a breath. “He turned white and told me to stay the hell away from him. Later, he told me he remembered visiting his great-aunt’s grave, so that was probably who it was.” She shrugged. “I never saw the name on the headstone, so I figured that had to be it; but Brandon changed after that.”

She shook her head and let out a big sigh. “He said he couldn’t live with the way I was now, and he left me the next day.”

“That must have been hard.”

Her lips thinned, and she nodded. “Yeah… well, someday he’ll be out of my life for good. And that day can’t come soon enough.”

“No kidding.” I slowed down and pulled into a parking lot beside a stand of trees. “We’re here.”