Free Timeless (Pandora Book 1) by Kali Argent

wave of jealousy hit her like a freight train, and Charli bit the tip of her tongue to hold in her gasp. She’d always been intuitive when it came to reading people, but it hadn’t extended beyond keen observation, or so she’d thought.
    The more time she spent with Vane, however, the more powerful her newfound ability became. So far, it only happened in sporadic bursts, and she had no idea how to control it. Worse, she’d be lying if she said it didn’t scare her a little.
    “Y–Yes,” she stuttered when he continued to stare at her. “Xavian said it would better if he stayed close.”
    “I’m sure he did.”
    Now, she could hear the jealousy, and a small part of her thrilled to the idea. She’d spent most of the night staring up at her ceiling while straining to hear the creak of the back door. She and Xavian had heard a loud crash in the alley during dinner, but when he’d gone to investigate, all he’d found was an overturned trash can.
    When midnight came and went, she’d worried something had happened to Vane. Her pleas for Xavian to find him had been met with steadfast refusal, and in the end, she’d had no choice but to crawl into bed and wait.
    It had been just after sunrise when a knock at the back door of the shop had woken her. Dressed in only a T-shirt and a pair of faded, plaid shorts, Charli had hurried down the stairs behind Xavian, only to be greeted with a silent nod and a guarded expression from Vane.
    Things hadn’t gotten much better after that, not until she’d mentioned leaving for brunch. She wished she knew what had happened to snap him out of his surly mood, because she much preferred this version of Vane without the side order of detachment and indifference.
    “I need to call Sage and let her know I won’t be able to make it to brunch.” She picked up her cell phone from the countertop and turned on the screen. “Are you sure you don’t want to sleep? You’re also welcome to the shower.” Images of him naked and wet in her shower nearly sent her into cardiac arrest.
    “I mean, not that you smell or anything. I’m not trying to say that I think you need a shower, just that I have one if you want to use it.” More flashes of his smooth, tanned skin slicked with soap came to mind, and a rush of moisture dampened her panties. “Well, of course I have a shower. Everyone has a shower, right? Maybe not some people, but most people. How else would they—”
    Without warning, Vane palmed the back of her neck and pulled her toward him, slanting their mouths together in a gentle but heated kiss. Then his tongue parted her lips, dipping into her mouth to caresses and explore while shock held her immobile.
    His tongue stroked her own in a slow, coaxing glide that hardened her nipples and tripped her pulse into a gallop. Shaking off her stunned paralysis, Charli threw her arms around Vane’s neck, dragging him closer as she arched against his chest.
    A needy moan bubbled up from her throat, while she busily mapped the hard muscles of his chest and abs through the material of his fitted shirt. When she tried to slide her hands beneath the hem in her quest for warm, bare skin, Vane stopped her. Gathering her wrists into one hand, he ended the kiss and rested his brow against hers.
    “I’ve wanted to do that since the first time I saw you,” he confessed.
    “Me, too.” She didn’t know why they were talking. Charli tried to free her hands to continue her exploration, but Vane held tight. “Please don’t stop.”
    Vane grinned before pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. “Xavian’s coming up the stairs now.”
    Groaning, Charli fell against him and buried her face against the side of his neck. “We could always send him back out for milk and eggs.”
    Laughing quietly, Vane petted her hair and caressed her back before easing her away so he could stand. “This isn’t the time or place. Call your friend, prya. ”
    It was the second time he’d called her that, but like