Agent (CENTURIES series: Book #3)

26

I woke up feeling heavy, yet somehow well-rested. It was as if my mind had been cleared and my heart had been unburdened, but my body was still fast asleep, even as I opened my eyes and blinked in the bright morning light. The first morning I had woken up here had been amazing and unbelievable; the cicadas had been singing and it had been sunny outside, warm.

And this second morning it was particularly warm.

I titled my head sideways and found Vince still sleeping soundly next to me. I didn't wake up on his chest or even in his embrace as every cliché scene would have it, but instead laid next to him, looking at how his chest rose and fell with every deep breath he took. A light snore came from his lips, informing me he was still fast asleep.

How lucky was it that we didn't have to go anywhere today. We had a entire day in Italy to ourselves before we returned to the States tomorrow to investigate my boss.

Squeezing my eyes shut, I tried not to think about it. Everything in my head was still so squishy. The knowing Howard was involved, the telling Vince about my past, the mention of Anthony...

He would probably always be an unanswered question in my life and would probably always hold a spot somewhere inside me, but now as I looked at Vince, I knew it was no longer in my heart. Something had happened last night while Vince had listened and let me unburden myself. I couldn't quite explain it, but everything just seemed... brighter somehow – lighter.

I could see colors better. I could see the distinctive small shades of black in Vince's hair, I could see a scar behind his jawline I hadn't noticed before. I saw the tattoo on his arm that curled its way onto his back, and I saw freckles on his skin I hadn't paid much attention to before.

It was like my eyes were allowing me to notice these things now that Anthony had gotten off my chest. He had been like deadweight on my heart, body and senses, and now that it was gone, it was like I had superpowers.

Vince was still sleeping, but I couldn't wait for him to wake up. My body felt awake all of a sudden, eager to try my new powers out. It wanted to remember what touching someone and meaning it felt like. It wanted to indulge in pleasures and sweetnesses it hadn't sensed before. It wanted... love.

Carefully, I lifted my hand and let it trail down a vein in his arm that laid on top of the covers. I saw his fingers twitch when my index finger pressed down and feathered over his skin, but he didn't wake up. The light snores continued.

I had never noticed how soft his skin was. I also hadn't noticed all the small cuts and old white scars that now popped into my vision as I leaned up on my elbow and explored his arm, until my finger wanted to go further. I let it travel up to his shoulder, up to his tattoos, and let it follow the pattern for a moment. I wondered if there was a meaning behind the tattoo or if it was just a labyrinth of black ink.

Finally, my finger trailed over his right pec. My eyes flipped up to his face when his snores stilled for a moment, but then a second later continued.

I took a deep breath. The sensation of feeling his skin traveled up my arm and through my body, until it landed in my stomach and made it flutter nervously. But this was the good kind of nervous. The kind one got the night before one's birthday, almost anticipation-like.

His nipple pebbled when I let the very tip of my finger circle around it. It brought a smile to my lips as he grunted something in his sleep and stirred ever so slightly. It was affecting him in his dreams and it made me grin.