Captivated (Talented Saga #3.5) Read Online Free PDF Page A

closer, wrapped his
strong arms around my waist, and pulled me against him, crushing
the flowers in the process. The white button-down he wore was
cotton, soft and warm against my cheek. He rested his chin on the
crown of my head and stroked my hair.
    “I have been counting down the
minutes until I saw you,” he sent. The
words were what I’d longed to hear. I’d missed him so much it
physically hurt. While we’d only been apart a week, it might as
well have been a lifetime. So much had happened since I last saw
him.
    My arms encircled his waist, and I
squeezed him tighter to make sure he was real. Lately, the line
between reality and fantasy had become blurred. The last thing I
wanted was to open my eyes and realize this was a dream.
    “I’m here, Tals,” Erik sent, answering the question that I was too
afraid to voice. I didn’t want him knowing how clouded my brain had
become, how damaged I truly was. Erik was strong, a fighter, a
rock. Weakness was not in his vocabulary.
    He pulled back, putting enough
space between us that he could study my face. Suddenly, the tears
still tracing hot streaks on my cheeks – and likely ruining my
makeup – seemed ridiculous. Why was I crying anyway? Erik’s visit
was the first good thing that had happened to me in a long time.
Instead of sniffling like a child, I should be jumping up and down
for joy.
    “Look at me,” Erik whispered, the command soft but
authoritative.
    I didn’t want to obey. After all
I’d done in preparation to see him, I was now a mess. And he was
perfect, as usual. His skin was tan, a shade darker than when I’d
seen him at headquarters. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up
to his elbows, revealing muscular forearms. His khaki shorts were
wrinkle-free, even after the hover ride. Thanks to all the anxious
pacing I’d done while waiting for him and the humidity that was
heavy in the summer air Gretchen’s ministrations were proving a
waste. Strands of my chestnut hair clung to my bare shoulders and
upper back and forehead. My feet were dirty since the flip-flops
had provided little protection from the freshly cut grass next to
the landing strip – my literal stomping grounds while I waited for
his arrival.
    Unfortunately, Erik had a strong
handle on my Talents, and that, combined with the fact that the
doctors felt it necessary to increase the dosage of my medications,
made it impossible to refuse his request. Slowly, I tipped my head
back and met his turquoise gaze.
    “I’ve missed you,” Erik repeated,
speaking aloud this time as if sensing that I didn’t want him in my
head. Not that I minded, too much, when he tuned into my thoughts
and emotions, but my head was a confused place lately. At times, I
had trouble discerning which way was up; he didn’t need to know
that.
    I stared up at him, blinking back
the tears that wouldn’t quit. The sun was high overhead, and the
intensity of the orange orb caused me to squint.
    “What, haven’t you missed me too?” Erik teased when
I didn’t reciprocate his sentiments.
    “More than you know,” I whispered,
finally connecting my mouth and my brain. That had been happening a
lot lately, too. There was this disconnect between what my brain
was thinking and what my mouth said. Articulating my thoughts and
feelings was difficult. Thankfully, the only person who cared
whether I spoke was Dr. Wythe, and even he allowed me sit in
silence if I preferred.
    Tentatively Erik lowered his head
until his lips hovered millimeters from mine. His eyes remained
opened, locking our gazes. “Can I kiss you?” he asked
huskily.
    I blinked, confused. Why would he
ask? Since when did Erik Kelley have to ask a girl, particularly
his girlfriend, whether he could kiss her?
    Erik didn’t wait for my answer.
Instead, he gently touched his mouth to mine. The kiss was so
gentle, the contact so slight that I thought maybe I’d imagined it.
But when he drew me closer, pressing one hand into the small of my
back and