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  If you start thinking like that, we’ll never get anywhere, he chided.

  I blushed as I apologized for my wayward thoughts. He turned his head in my direction and said out loud, “Hey, don’t be sorry. In all honesty, there is nowhere I would rather be than right here with you, Ella.”

  With that little confession, he placed a light little peck on my nose and turned his face back toward the sky.

  Chapter Seven

  At first, Jonah started thinking about the sky we were currently staring at through the canopy of trees. Within the gaps of leaves and branches was a sky so brilliantly lit with stars, it seemed we were the only two people in the universe. Out here in the state park, there was very little light pollution to make the atmosphere murky. The brilliance of millions of stars littered the black night sky like shining crystals amongst a bed of velvet.

  Slowly, things started to change. The night sky still shone with brilliance as the stars twinkled overhead like crystalline tears, but the trees and branches no longer obstructed my view. I could feel a chill run through my body, but Jonah’s warmth next to me made it bearable.

  The stars began to multiply and were shining so bright, the sky actually looked to be a deep midnight blue. I could even see the misty flow of the Milky Way. Just below the swath of stars was Jupiter, shining radiantly. The fields of stars were so brilliant and plentiful—I could have sworn we were floating through space. Nothing else around us but the dazzling stars, like tiny little holes in the floor of heaven.

  “Come on, Ella. Let’s stand up,” Jonah said as he knelt beside me with an outstretched hand.

  As I stood, I somehow knew where we were. Not because Jonah told me, but because he knew. His thoughts were not separate from mine. Our thoughts were one, together, up at the top of Mauna Kea in Hawaii. The snow-capped mountaintop summit is one of the most popular places in the world to gaze at the stars.

  We took several moments to take in what was quite possibly the most dramatic and stimulating scenery I had ever experienced. Stargazing at the heavens, I could see from Polaris to the Southern Cross, along with all the planets and constellations I had learned to identify over the years.

  “Isn’t it breathtaking?” Jonah asked, as he held onto me tight and stared up at the starlit sky.

  Looking at him, I could see the reflection of stars in his eyes, like diamonds dripping from the universe and winking at me through this beautiful man.

  “You’re deviating from my vision, Ella,” he playfully scolded as he turned to look at me.

  “I can’t help it. Now it is my vision too, Jonah.”

  He reached out and touched my cheek with a tender wisp of his fingers. The contact made my skin tingle, as if I were touched by both fire and ice.

  Just as I thought he was going to kiss me, he interrupted my thoughts and said, “We better head back.”

  Disappointment overtook me and our vision suddenly took a nosedive in the wrong direction. Dark clouds loomed over the star field ominously, plunging me into darkness.

  Ella, don’t focus on anything else but me. Please, Ella. Clear your mind.

  I heard his command but my imagination continued to run wild, overpowering not only his visions but his words as well. Soon his pleading was nothing but a muffled string of sounds.

  He’s leaving me. Just like my mother did. Just like my father said he had to do. Just like my aunt does on a regular basis. Everyone I begin to care for ends up leaving. It’s inevitable. Like I am some sort of disease everyone has to run away from.

  Lost and afraid of the darkness that perished the vision, I began to run. I ran hard, fast. I ran in hopes of finding him, finding someone, anyone who would give a shit. I ran to distance myself from the despair brought on by the darkness.

  I could no longer hear Jonah over the whooshing sound of my blood pumping through my veins. The loud thudding of my heart echoed in my ears. I felt like I was screaming for Jonah. Screaming for my mom. Or just screaming for someone to hear. But, I couldn’t hear my own screams. I couldn’t feel my own voice. It was like I was trapped in a vast space of darkness with no walls for sound or light to reflect off of.

  Ella, go back.

  That angel. That voice. That virtuous voice is my mother. But where did she want me to go back to?

  Go back now. You need to go back. Think of Jonah. He’s there. He needs you. He wants you to go back.

  I tried to talk. To ask where she wanted me to go. But again, no sound left my mouth.

  Stop running. Relax. Lie back down and think of lying next to Jonah on the blanket by the lake.

  Without hesitation, and in desperation to see him again, I did as she instructed immediately.

  Envision the sounds of the water lapping against the shore. Think of the sounds the insects make as they sing to their mates. Listen to the sounds of the leaves rustling in the trees as a light wind blows. Now, remember Jonah. Remember his eyes. Remember the beautiful crystalline swirled emerald of his irises. Once you feel the heat of his hands on you, and his breath falling on your face, open your eyes.

  Do it now, Ella. Open your eyes…

  “Open your eyes, Ella. Please, look at me!” I heard Jonah’s voice repeating the now-distant sounds of my mother’s voice.

  Finally listening to their commands, I awoke and saw those stunning green eyes riddled with worry and fear.

  “Oh, thank God you’re all right!” Jonah exclaimed as he grabbed me, lifted me into his arms, and pressed me hard against his solid chest.

  I’m so sorry, Jonah. I shouldn’t have let my imagination take over. I’m sorry…

  “Talk out loud for now, Ella. What happened?” he asked, worry still evident in his face.

  “I…” I stammered, suddenly embarrassed.

  “Don’t be embarrassed. Just tell me,” he pressed, pulling me away from his chest and clutching my face as he forced me to look deep into his eyes.

  “I wanted you to kiss me. And when you didn’t, I guess I tried to take control of the situation. Or… I don’t know. I just felt sad and it all went dark. It was so dark. I couldn’t see or hear anything.”

  “Shit,” he cursed under his breath. “I wanted to kiss you too. But not then. Not in our minds. I wanted our first kiss to be real.”

  “I’m sorry,” I said as I bowed my head in an attempt to hide from him.

  He repositioned us so we were both kneeling in front of each other. Grabbing my face in both his hands, he lifted my gaze to meet his eyes, which were now warm with affection.

  “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I first laid eyes on you today. Your beautiful waves of gold, your stunning eyes of amethyst, your luscious lips of rose, all such an exquisite combination that has totally captured my mind,” he complimented as he stared at me. Brushing his lips ever so slightly against mine, he asked, “Will you let me kiss you now, Orella?”

  “God, yes!” I exclaimed with the long-felt urge to close the distance between us. I held back, letting him… no… wanting, needing him to make the move.

  Chapter Eight

  He edged closer to me, his lips hovering precariously close to mine. A sudden gasp of breath was all I could manage before our lips met.

  His chest pressed hot and hard against the soft swells of my breasts. Our tongues met and tangled together. Swimming in the taste and feel of his warm tongue, I lost all sense of reality. I struggled for air but couldn’t pull away. He consumed me.

  His mouth probed at mine. His teeth nipped and his tongue laved at my upper lip before he moved to the corner of my mouth, continuing his assault along the edge of my jaw to the soft spot just below my ear.

  Forgotten were my doubts and fears. All that existed in that moment was this man. His touch, his kiss, his very nature wrapped around me and filled me with desire and need.

  I wrapped my arms around him, gliding my fingers through his silky, light brown hair at the nape of his neck, pulling him closer. Even the satiny feel of his hair was doing me in. His strong hands held
my back tight and tangled in my hair. I lulled my head to the side, offering my neck as he trailed kisses down my jaw. Throwing my head back gently, I willingly offered him more of me.

  His kisses trailed down the lace-trimmed neckline of my tank top. The wet sensation of his tongue tracing the swell of my breasts made a moan escape my mouth in a sound of pure ecstasy.

  He slowly pecked and licked his way back up to my mouth, devouring me again.

  His strong fingers caressed my cheek and the side of my head as he began to pull away, my lips already going through Jonah withdrawal and my mind crying out for it to never end. Our breaths were short and erratic. Our foreheads pressed together, the tension between us exploding like a firecracker, sizzling through our bodies.

  A dazzling smile spread across his face as he projected a single word. Wow.

  We both shared some pretty erotic images through the moments of our first kiss. There was no way we could, or even wanted to, hide what we thought of each other. Every sexual thought Jonah had about me was not just suggestive and spicy, but filled with admiration and respect for me.

  Pulling away, he said, “I don’t want this to end, but we should get Skip and Cora back to the stables before it gets too late.”

  I nodded and let him help me to my feet. “Could you make sure that twisted stable guy stays away from me? His thoughts were nauseating and I definitely don’t doubt he’s the type of man to act upon them.”

  “No worries, Ella. I wouldn’t let him come near you with a twenty-foot pole. If I could turn him in for being the sick bastard that he is, I would. That’s one of the curses of this gift, right? Not being able to do anything about what you know is wrong because there’s no plausible way of proving it,” Jonah said with a grave tone hardening around his normally gentle voice. He too noticed how sick the man’s thoughts were and I was thankful to have his protection.

  We rode back in verbal silence; all the while our minds were both going a mile a minute. I wanted us to spend more time together tonight and my thoughts sure as hell let him know that.

  Hell yeah, we’re spending more time with each other tonight. I don’t think I could let you out of my sight right now anyway. I need to be with you right now. I’m worried you’re too good to be true.

  The rest of the evening was near perfection. Since the horseback riding left us in a rather undesirable hygienic state, we went back to my house to shower and change. Jonah was prepared with a change of clothes and a movie.

  “I loved Firefly and never had the chance to watch Serenity. I’m so happy you brought it!” I exclaimed as I skipped over to the DVD player and started the movie.

  Settling in under Jonah’s arm, we watched Serenity and enjoyed each other’s company. He smelled divine. Masculine man with just a hint of my shampoo mixing with his spices.

  I must’ve fallen asleep. Jonah shifting beneath me and kissing my forehead woke me. My eyes fluttered open just as he picked me up and began carrying me down the hall.

  I can walk, Jonah, I thought as I looked up at his devastatingly handsome face. I could definitely get used to being under this man.

  No need to walk when I can just as easily carry you, he projected back, smiling down at me as he read my thoughts and turned sideways to enter my room.

  Gently, Jonah set me down on my bed and snuck in beside me, lacing his fingers through mine, and lazily stroking the top of my hand with his thumb. I was now wide-awake as a large bass drum took up residence in my chest, robbing me of air, and making me nervous as hell.

  After about five minutes of innocent hand-holding and not-so-innocent thought swapping, I decided I wanted to go farther. Now that I had a taste of Jonah, I was starving for more.

  Bravely, I sat up and positioned myself over this gorgeous man, straddling his hips. Bracing my elbows on either side of his head, I hovered mere centimeters away from his lips, daring him to close the gap.

  A sexy-ass grin crept up onto his face.

  Digging his fingers into my hips, he lunged forward and took control of my mouth. His taste exploded onto my tongue and sent flurries of pleasure cascading through my body.

  His strong hands began their ascent. Slowly lifting my tank top, his fingers caressed the sides of my back and continued to make their way up.

  After grinding my hips and chest into him for a few minutes, he stealthily rolled us both over so he was now on top.

  Damn. And I thought Jonah looked good beneath me. He looked even more exquisite hovering over me with his strong weight between my legs. The solid muscles of his arms pressed through the t-shirt he wore, making me want to rip it off and toss it across the room.

  God, I want you, I unintentionally projected. I wasn’t embarrassed though. I was thankful of the honesty our telepathic abilities bestowed upon us.

  I want you too, Ella. I want you more than my next breath.

  With our foreheads pressed together, we were both panting, unable to catch our breath between passionate kisses.

  Suddenly, my mom’s voice cut through both our thoughts, as loud as if she were in the same room with us shouting next to the bed.

  Ella! Oh, Ella, please tell me you can hear me. I need you to come back to me. My mom’s words were a desperate plea, as if it were her last hope to communicate.

  As soon as her voice echoed through my head, Jonah jerked his head up and looked around the room.

  “Jonah, are you ok?” I asked out loud, worried he may have heard her.

  “I did hear her, Ella. She said she needs you to come back to her. Back where?” he asked, sounding perplexed.

  “How can you hear my mother’s voice? I thought her voice was just a dream. A figment of my imagination. My memories.”

  Jonah shook his head as he said, “I don’t know how or why, but she is definitely communicating with you, Ella.”

  We both sat still, Jonah still hovering over me, positioned between my legs as I gripped his strong biceps with my fingernails. After several minutes of waiting, staring, and exchanging thoughts, we didn’t hear any more from my mother. Writing it off as a fluke, I smiled up at him and brought my head off the pillow to meet his lips.

  Just as my lips pressed against his warm, soft skin, I heard her again. This time, even stronger.

  Ella. I can sense you. I know you’re there. Wake up!

  I looked at Jonah and his lips were moving with the words my mother was saying.

  “Jonah, that’s not funny,” I scolded as I started to push him off me. The fact he would make fun of this situation was infuriating.

  His lips began to move again with my mother’s words. Wake up for me, darling. Things have been so lonely without you. Come now. Wake up. Wake up!

  I shook my head and backed away from him, frantically crawling backwards until I ran into the headboard. I felt the tears threatening to brim my eyelids, but the sharp prick of tears was nothing compared to the confusion that wracked my brain.

  I felt my body slip, free-falling through blackness. You know those dreams where you feel like the bed is tipping backwards and you’re sliding precariously close to the edge, ready to fall with the slightest breath? Well, I had already plunged into the darkness below. I couldn’t actually feel anything. I could only sense I was falling, like you would imagine wind ripping through your hair and weightlessness overtaking your senses.

  Wanting to see Jonah’s face again, I desperately tried to think of him, worried this whole thing was just another meditation experiment gone bad.

  The feeling of falling into a never-ending abyss suddenly came to a halt. Not so much with a jolt or any sense I had landed, but just the feeling that it was done, that my mind had imagined the falling and I was secured snugly in my bed.

  Faintly, I heard the sounds of machines beeping. Cold, sterile air coated my sensitive skin, giving me goose bumps all over my body. The smell of disinfectant assaulted my nostrils, making me very aware my Jonah was nowhere near.

  I felt a warm, soft hand stroke my forehead as I attempted
to open my eyes. I winced at the pain brought on by the barrage of bright lights above me. My eyes were coated with the stickiness you feel when you’ve been asleep for too long and my vision was covered in a thick haze.

  “My Ella. Oh God, Ella. You’re here!” I heard my mother’s voice shriek through obvious strained tears. The sound of her high-pitched excitement made me jump.

  I slowly turned my head and tried to focus on my mother’s face. She was really here? But how?

  “You’re in the hospital baby. It’s ok. Don’t cry,” she assured me as she continued petting my forehead. Was I crying? Of course I was. The one person I wanted as much as my mother was no longer next to me. He said he wouldn’t leave.

  I felt like I wanted to talk, wanted to ask what the hell was going on. But I couldn’t. My voice just would not work.

  My entire body ached. Every muscle felt weak and horribly painful. Almost like I had a full body charlie-horse doing spasms under my skin.

  Since I couldn’t make my voice work, I just stared at my beautiful mother and let my mouth and mind form the words I couldn’t seem to say out loud, “What happened?”

  In an attempt to push away her uncontrollable sobs, my mom sucked in a ragged breath and said, “You’ve been in a coma for six years, Ella.”

  The End of Part One

  “Ut imago est animi voltus sic indices oculi.”

  (The face is a picture of the mind

  as the eyes are its interpreter.)

  — Marcus Tullius Cicero

  Chapter One

  A blanket of stars reflected in her amethyst eyes, like sparkling crystals among a rippling body of water at sunset. I’ve never experienced a woman more stunning than the beauty that haunted my dreams.

  Amethyst. What an odd color for a woman’s eyes. Odd… yet absolutely breathtaking. I couldn’t get her stare out of my mind. They were the most captivating eyes I had ever seen… or dreamed about. I didn’t actually see them, although my dreams had every feeling of reality.