Page 15 of The Spider Queen

“Ditto,” he said. His hands reached out to cup my face. He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips and then pulled back to smile at me. “Sleep well.”

Chapter 5

Anita wasn’t home yet which meant I had privacy to study my spider in a cube. And ponder that Hunter No Last Name had kissed me.

It had been nice. Sweet. Tender. Filled with promise.

And it hadn’t freaked me out or made me want to hide. It had intrigued me, making me wonder what would’ve happened if he’d given me the time to kiss him back.

The cube drew my gaze and I quit thinking of Hunter. What type of spider was this? I’d never seen anything like it. I opened my laptop and got to work.

A while later, my eyes burned from staring at the screen and I had yet to find any leads. Sure, there were translucent spiders, but none of the images I’d found resembled the one in the cube.

I sighed in frustration. I would need the help of more educated people. Tomorrow, I’d reach out to those who might be able to identify the translucent spider.

Glancing at the microwave clock told me it was already past two in the morning. I’d been sitting in front of my computer for hours. Standing up, I groaned, my body tight and fatigued. I took the spider in the glass cube with me to my bedroom. If Anita came home and found it on the kitchen table, a girly shriek would rouse me from a sound sleep. Not that I’d blame her. I understood people’s fears when it came to arachnids. Still, I wished for them to understand.

I flipped on my bedroom light and set the cube on my dresser. I’d kicked off my flats hours ago, but in my haste to begin researching I’d stayed in my tight jeans. After washing my face and changing into pajamas, I shut off the light and tucked myself into bed. The glow of the almost full moon filtered through the blinds, illuminating the glass cube, bathing the translucent spider in an ethereal glimmer.

Sighing, I rolled over and fell asleep.

I dreamed of dewy spider webs and a dark-haired man. His obsidian black eyes raked me with their carnality. He held out his hand and my dream-self moved toward him as if drawn by a magnet. When he touched me, I felt my skin vibrate. His fingers dragged down my body, heightening my senses, making desire pulse through my blood. His lips grazed mine and then moved to my neck. He kissed me until I nearly fell over, dizzy with passion. He lifted me into his arms and carried me to a bed with an ornate black bedframe. The man teased my body until I opened my legs and welcomed him inside me.

I woke up drenched in sweat and shivering. It was one of those vivid dreams that felt real, and I awakened confused and bereft. My hand went to my heart as it galloped and thundered like it wanted to leap out of my chest and return to my dream, return to the dark-haired man.

The alarm clock on my bedside table read ten thirty and shafts of morning light peeked through the blinds. I hadn’t heard Anita come in, but that didn’t mean she hadn’t. My cell phone vibrated letting me know I had a text. It was from a number I didn’t recognize but made me smile the moment I realized who it was from.

I asked your cousin for your number. She’s still here, btw.

My fingers flew across the keyboard.Is it awkward?

You’re awake. Did my text wake you up?

Nope, I replied.

There were the three ellipses showing me he was writing a reply. Then they disappeared. While I waited for his answer, I got up and put on my glasses. Everything came into focus, including the glass cube. I went over to it and bent down so I was eye-level with the spider. I frowned. It looked different this morning. A little less opaque and more…solid.

Coffee. I needed coffee.

My phone buzzed, and I glanced at it.I brought you a breakfast sandwich.

You’re here?I texted back.

Porch.

Throwing my hair into a messy bun, I padded my way to the front door. I peered through the peephole to see Hunter holding a paper bag and a travel coffee carrier with two coffees.

I opened the door and leaned against the doorframe, crossing my arms over my chest. His smile was bright, his blond hair tousled from the slight winter breeze. Hunter’s gaze dropped down my body and he shook his head.

“What?” I demanded.

“You look like this first thing in the morning?”

I glanced down at myself. “Yeah. Am I a wreck?”

“Nope.”

I smiled.