Not All Who Wander are Lost Read Online Free PDF Page A

charge.
     
    Soon, they had reached the cottage. Finn came around to help her down from the truck. As she slid out , her soft body skimmed his lean one. For just a moment, their eyes met and it seemed like the world stopped. The moment passed too soon, and she found herself standing in front of him. “Thank you for the ride,” she murmured.
     
    “It was my pleasure,” Finn breathed. He seemed almost as shaken as she was. “OK, then. I’ll get your car taken care of and bring it by later.” He paused for a few moments, then smiled tentatively. “Would you like to have dinner with me? Nothing fancy, but I know a great place for burgers. After I bring the car, I mean?”
     
    “That would be nice.”
     
    “I’ll see you later then,” he said getting back into his truck.
     
    Crimson walked up to the door. She turned to watch him leave and saw he was watching her too. Smiling to herself, she unlocked the door and went inside. No sooner had she closed the door, when she was seized with an abject panic. What was she doing? She shouldn’t be feeling this way for her charge. She shouldn’t be feeling this way at all. But despite the panic, all she could think about were his soft green eyes, how she wanted to touch his hair. It was wrong, so wrong!
     
    Leaning back against the door, she took a deep breath. Relax, she told herself. Breathe just breath.  A soft ringing sound brought her out of her reverie. It was the crystal. She went in to the bedroom to see who was calling. It was Ivy. Thank heavens, she thought, Ivy can talk me out of this.
     
    “Hello sweetness,” Ivy trilled. “What’s got you all a twitter?”
     
    “I’m so glad it’s you, Ivy. I need your help!”Crimson exclaimed.
     
    “That’s my job, how can I help?”
     
    “It’s my charge. I don’t think I can do this. I think there has been a mistake. Can’t I just come home?”
     
    Ivy looked thoughtful for a minute and then began to laugh hysterically.
     
    “What in hell do you find so funny? I’m having a crisis here!”
     
    “Oh girl you’ve got it bad,” Ivy said, still laughing. “I’ve never seen this side of you before. Frankly, I didn’t think you had it in you.”
     
    “Stop it! This is serious!”
     
    “I know. I’ve seen pictures in the file. He is quite the specimen. Maybe if you can’t handle it, I could have him.”
     
    “No! He’s mine…I mean, oh, I don’t know what I mean. Tell me what to do? Seriously, Ivy, I’m freaking out here.”
     
    “What has he done to get you so, what did you say? Freaked out?”
     
    “He asked me to dinner. And shut up, I’m just trying to sound Human.”
     
    “Is that all? Honestly Crimson, haven’t you ever been on a date before? Oh. You haven’t, have you? It’s simple really, just go to dinner and be yourself.”
     
    “Myself? Really? That’s your advice? Have you forgotten that he’s my charge? I’m here to protect him, not romance him.”
     
    “Why can’t you do both?”
     
    Crimson threw herself down on the bed. “I must have been insane to think you could help with this. It is not a joke. I feel so, so, frustrated. I don’t know how to handle these feelings. He looks at me, and I can’t breathe. All I can think about are his hands and his mouth, this is so wrong! I should be thinking about strategy and how to keep him safe, and all I want to do is get him naked…shit, did I say that out loud?”
     
    Ivy laughed even harder.
     
    “Stop it! You are not helping!”
     
    “Crimson, sweetheart, this is not such a big problem. This is a simple assignment. He’s not in any foreseeable danger. You are just there to look after him. And he’s, what do they say in the Human world? Hot. Smoking hot. Why not have a little fun while you are there?”
     
    Crimson thought about what Ivy was saying. She felt a little better, not much, but some. “I don’t know how,” she said