Free Frostbitten by Becca Jameson Page A

overloaded with the storm.”
    She nodded. Perhaps .
    “Anyway, clairvoyance is when you know all about something just from touching it. Have you ever had that experience?”
    Shit .
    “You have.” He smiled.
    She squirmed from of his grasp once again. Every time he laid a hand on her, she lost the ability to think. “You have to understand. I’ve been alone here my entire life with just immediate family as visitors. I had no idea anything about me was unusual until you showed up.”
    “But, what about your mother? You must have had some sense that things weren’t quite normal, or you wouldn’t have kept your abilities a secret from her.”
    She shook her head. “You have it backward. I thought she was the strange one. I didn’t want to hurt her feelings, I guess.” She wandered toward the kitchen area to get more coffee. She could go a long time without eating. Her wolf side ensured that. But coffee, that was another story. “So, when you touch things, you don’t get a feeling about them? That’s just me?”
    “Well, your father does too, but no, not the rest of us. Maybe you have other siblings with similar abilities.”
    She grabbed the coffee and scooped some into the filter. On impulse, she grabbed a handful of the grounds and let them fall through her fingers. She closed her eyes, experimenting with her newly named talent. Central America…somewhere tropical…harvested by men and women with darker skin than her own and black hair…
    She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder. “Holy hell, Adonia. You can tell all that?”
    She dropped the grounds, letting the last of the deep rich coffee spill between her fingers back into the bag.
    “You’re incredibly educated for someone raised this far from civilization.”
    “It was one thing my mother insisted upon. She had my grandparents bring me books every time they came. I’m well read, that’s for sure. Most of my adventures have been in my head. You can travel to amazing places with a little imagination.” She grinned up at him, but his expression caught her breath.
    He stared down at her with admiration and…jealousy, not a hint of antipathy.
    “When I was a child, I knew things. I sometimes struggled to eat when my mother took me hunting. It took years for me to learn to block the thoughts I had when I touched my food. I could visualize perfectly a deer’s family, its offspring, its parents, its habitat…” She sucked in a deep breath. “I thought I just had a vivid imagination most of my life. I might become a vegetarian now.” She grinned.
    “That must have been difficult…and lonely.” He stroked her back.
    She didn’t lower her gaze, knowing what his nudity did to her physically every time she glimpsed his lower body.
    “What can you tell about me?” He froze, his hand rigid on her back as he clearly struggled not to release his contact with her.
    She turned to pour the coffee now that it had finished percolating, effectively breaking the connection with Zephyr. “Honestly, nothing.” She stepped back toward the fire. “Other than knowing you were coming, I can barely read you. It’s disconcerting. Especially now that the pieces are starting to fall together.”
    “Huh.”
    “What do you suppose it means?” She resumed her seat.
    “Well, again, I’m betting you’re so focused on the storm, your other senses are being pushed aside temporarily. Perhaps when you let go of your need to keep me as your own personal sex slave, you’ll regain some of your other abilities. It’s just an idea. But, it makes sense. It must take a hell of a lot of energy to maintain this level of blizzard conditions.”
    “Ha ha.” My sex slave. Ugh .
    “Hey, don’t get me wrong. I’m not complaining. But, if you want me to worship your body day and night, all you have to do is ask. You don’t have to actually hold me hostage. I’m a sure thing.” He stepped in front of her and knelt before her, bowing dramatically as though she were