Page 11 of Now You See Me
“Please do.” Her head tilts as I slide onto the bench across from her. “I can see the imprint of your body on the cushion.”
“My body’s invisible, but it’s still solid.”
She leans forward, a wistful sigh floating from her lips. “I bet it is. I haven’t forgotten our conversations.”
My cock pushes against the front of my pants, eager to show her just how solid it is. That can’t happen, yet I find myself resting my forearms on the table, getting closer than I should. “I wanted to call you. I should have, because you deserve the entire story, starting from the beginning, about how half the town turned into monsters.”
“Oh, I know that part. Leroy told me about the scientist who made a toxic batch of punch for a community Halloween party.”
“Leroy from The Sunnyside Motel?”
She nods. Sweetly. Innocently. “He’s been really helpful since I got to town. And when I told him I’ve decided to move here, he said there’s no rush for me to check out of the motel. He offered to let me keep my room for as long as I want, and he’ll give me a reduced monthly rate that’s equivalent to renting an apartment.”
“You can’t stay there.” It’s one of the rare times when I’m glad to be invisible, because she can’t see my jaw clenching or the possessiveness in my gaze.
“Why not?”
“Because Leroy has ulterior motives. He’s a player, and you’re a beautiful, unattached woman.”
“I don’t feel unattached,” she says, her eyes searching the place where my face should be. “I don’t want to be unattached.” She slides her hand across the table as if she means to touch me, but stops short. “I want to be with you, and I think you want that, too.”
“My heart’s already with you. It’s never going to be anywhere else.”
Lips that should be kissed breathless—something I’ll never be able to do—curve into an achingly beautiful smile. “That’s all I wanted to hear. It’s all that matters.”
“But it shouldn’t be. You deserve someone who can give you everything. I’m not just invisible, Elise, I make things invisible. That’s why I wear the metal-mesh gloves. To prevent contact.”
“Has that happened? Have you touched someone and they became invisible?”
“No. I haven’t had physical contact with anyone since the night I changed.”
“What about the scientist who created the toxic punch?” she asks. “Does he think you’ll make other people invisible if you touch them?”
I grunt a laugh. “That man accidentally turned half a town into a grab bag of monsters. I wouldn’t trust him to hypothesize about the weather during a torrential downpour.”
“Well, there’s one way to know for sure. Take off your gloves and touch me. I’m not afraid of becoming invisible. I used to wish I were. It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”
“I’m not. Especially not with you. If my touch changes you, and you ever became ill or were injured, there’d be no way to properly assess your condition. I couldn’t live with myself if something happened to you because of me. You’re too important. You’re the sunshine in every day of my life.”
“That’s beautiful.”
“You’re beautiful. Inside and out. You should be with someone who can give you all the things I can’t.”
“If it’s my decision to make, then I’ve already made it. I want to be with you.”
“Without seeing me? Without ever touching me? Is that going to be enough for you?”
“I see you, Roan. I’ve seen the most important parts of you for months now.” She curls her delicate fingers over my gloved hand. “What about this? Do you feel safe touching like this?”
The blender noise behind the counter masks my groan. Even with a layer of steel mesh separating us, I can feel the warmth of her skin. The pressure of her touch is like a match strike, and my entire being is kindling. “Safe from harming you, yes.”
“Then, we have options, if you want to try them.”
“There’s nothing I want more than to try every possible option with you.”
The least subtle whooping imaginable rings through the coffee shop. My eavesdropping employee’s stamp of approval.
“I’m taking the rest of the day off,” I call over my shoulder. “Close the shop whenever you’re ready to go home, Mel. And feel free to give people free coffee.”
