Free Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology by Amy A. Bartol, Tiffany King, Raine Thomas, Tammy Blackwell, Sarah M. Ross, Heather Hildenbrand, Amanda Havard, C.A. Kunz

me.
    "Violet," Mattie says softly from behind. My heart flutters with desire at the sound of his voice, and then it pumps harder with fear. The basic survival urge of fight or flight nearly overwhelms me. I have no fight left in me at the moment, so there is really only one option. I stiffen and hurriedly place the card in the lock, shoving the door open. "Wait, please!"
    The anxiety in his voice makes me hesitate. I glance over my shoulder; he 's still bare-chested, wearing the damp, gray dress pants that belonged to Ellis.
    " How did you find me?" I ask, leaning against the doorframe for support.
    " I've been following you since you left." He uses his thumb to point over his shoulder at his Escalade next to the Mercedes.
    " I didn't see you."
    " I didn't want to scare you, so I didn't use my headlights. I was afraid you'd wreck."
    " Couldn't you just use your super-alien powers to levitate my car and save me?" I ask, my voice thin and raspy, sarcasm my only weapon. 
    " I don't know—maybe—I couldn't risk it. You're too important to me. I'm a little weak right now."
    I pale because he 's serious; the information unsettles me even more. "Are you okay?" I ask, worriedly.
    He scoffs for a moment, highlighting the ridiculousness of my question, but answers, "I'm physically fine, just weaker than normal."
    " Is Clyde okay?" I begin to panic. I left without finding out.
    Mattie 's eyebrows rise in surprise before he says reassuringly, "He'll be okay. He heals quickly. So-wah contacted Ned. He'll take care of him. Are you okay?" Mattie asks.
    I shake my head. "I don't think so. No." My chin trembles for a moment before I clench my teeth and swallow past the lump in my throat. "I'm pretty sure I'm not okay. I don't think I can talk about it right now, Matteyo."
    I make a move to enter the room, but pause and cringe in a bracing way when Mattie extends his hand to me and says, "Wait."
    He reads my fear and lowers his hand, balling both of them in fists. The starkness of his gaze roots me where I am as he comes closer. His shoulders round protectively towards me as his face nears mine. "I'd never hurt you, Vi. Never."
    I look into his blue eyes. His eyebrows rise slightly as he drinks in every inch of me, hesitating on the curvy parts of me that I know he likes the most. He 's so incredibly handsome that the effect is nearly blinding. At a foot taller than me he oozes raw, masculine power. It used to thrill me, and at the same time it made me feel safe—to be held in his arms—so wanted—so beloved. A part of me is desperate to feel his touch again, even after everything that has happened tonight. Loving him is slowly unraveling me.
    " Everyone thinks I'm crazy, Matt. I must be crazy," I say in a self-effacing way with a small hitch in my voice, "because the Mattie I knew would've told me who he was."
    " I wanted to tell you." His hand reaches out, leaning forward and tucking my hair behind my ear. His fingers linger in it.
    " Why didn't you?"
    " I calculated the risk and it was too high. Losing you was something I couldn't afford."
    " Why were you even with me? We're clearly not meant to be together."
    He frowns at that. "Do you remember the day we met?" he asks, his finger moving from my hair to the sensitive spot behind my ear. The feeling of his skin on mine is primal; it causes my heart to skip a beat with a growing ache for him.
    " Yes," I murmur. "I brought my students to tour your gaming facility at Source Products."
    " You did something else. You brought a gift with you."
    I color in embarrassment and look away. "I didn't know what to get you to thank you for the art grant you gave the school. I mean, what does one give a billionaire?" I ask softly.
    He smiles for the first time and I have to reach out and place my hand on his outstretched arm to steady myself. He leans a bit closer to me, saying, "I was about to go into a meeting with several heads from the automotive industry when my assistant brought your box into my