The Seventh Immortal (Hearts of Amaranth #1) (3 page)

“
You're something special,”
he answered. “We're just going to have to figure out what that
is.”

Kait felt a shiver run up her spine. Despite
the fact that Spencer seemed like a rather reserved man, his dark
gaze met hers with a surprising intensity. He seemed so focused on
her, as if he couldn't look away. She felt herself blush at his
attention. While she couldn't remember much, she could remember how
she looked from the mirror in the hospital. Her clothes didn't
flatter her. Her hair was barely under control. Still, Spencer
seemed transfixed.

“
Mayor Levin is after me,”
Kait said. “He was keeping me in the hospital I escaped from. Do
you still want to help me?”

For just a second, Spencer seemed to go
pale. Mayor Levin was a frightening and powerful figure in St.
Louis. No one wanted to stand up to him. Nevertheless... “That's
just a bonus,” Spencer said. It sounded like a lie. “I hate the
mayor. Sure, he's kept crime under control... But at what cost?
Fuck him.”

“
What's his deal anyway? I
see his face on those posters everywhere. Creeps me
out.”

Spencer shrugged. “He was elected almost
eight years ago. A lot of people think he saved the city. Brought
in a lot of jobs, cut down on crime, raised property values for the
right folks. Then two years ago in 2014, he did the unthinkable and
consolidated the City and the County. Even made himself the mayor
of Unified St. Louis. I liked the way it was before. Sometimes it
feels like a police state around here. And don't get me started on
the taxes.”

Kait recalled all the cops cars she saw on
her walk from the hospital. “It doesn't always make you feel safe,
does it?”

“
Not at all,” Spencer said.
“Though it convinced me to do a little criminal law on the side.
You need clients where you can get them.”

“
Is that why you helped
me?” Kait asked. She pointed down at the briefcase full of cash.
“You think I might be a lucrative client?”

A smile flashed across Spencer's face.
“Maybe I thought about it,” he replied. “But that wasn't the real
reason.”

“
So what was?”

Spencer was silent. He picked up his latte
and took a long sip, as if that would absolve him of answering the
question.

“
Okay, if you don't want to
tell me... What do I do next?” Kait asked.

“
If you want, I can start
poking around,” Spencer said. “I have a private investigator I like
to use. He's good. He keeps things quiet. I can have him take a
look around into your background.”

Kait didn't know what to say. She just
nodded. That was exactly what she wanted. If there was anything
that could be found in her past, she wanted to know it. “How much
is that going to cost?” she finally asked.

“
My usual fee,” Spencer
replied. “But that's a mere fraction of what you've got there.” He
motioned to the briefcase. “If you want to know who you
are...”

“
You could have just walked
away with my money,” Kait replied. “But you didn't. I guess I owe
you that.”

Spencer reached across the table. Kait took
his hand and they shook on the deal. “I”ll find out everything I
can about you, Katrina Selias,” he said.

“
Please, call me
Kait.”

Taking another long drink, Spencer finished
his latte. He stood up from the table and headed for the door. It
was starting to get dark outside. It was almost night time.
“C'mon,” he said. “I'll get you to a hotel. I bet you need some
rest.”

Leaving the cafe, they headed for a nearby
parking structure. Spencer took Kait to his car, a well-kept black
sedan, and they headed east towards the riverfront. There were
several hotels nearby, but Spencer had an account at the Marriott
Renaissance that he used for clients and witnesses who came into
town for depositions.

As they drove towards the hotel, Kait found
herself becoming more and more aware of her surroundings. It had
been almost two hours since she was taken off the drugs in the
hospital. Ever since that moment, her senses became sharper and
more acute. Her hearing was razor sharp. Her eyes were painfully
sensitive to light. And that wasn't all...

Inside the car, Kait became painfully aware
of Spencer's presence. She could smell the soft scent of his
cologne. It burnt her nose, sending shivers through her brain.
Every time Spencer pressed on the gas, she could hear the subtle
sound of his slacks rubbing against his thighs. When he exhaled,
she could feel his presence. It excited Kait, being so close to
him. She could hardly understand why. Every few seconds, she would
glance at his face. His dark brown eyes would meet her gaze, and
she would shift in her seat.

Once they reached the hotel, she could
barely keep still. Every nerve in her body felt alive. She'd spent
the entire drive thinking about him. And there was only one thing
she could do.

“
You should come up to my
room with me,” Kait said, after she checked in at the front desk.
“Just to make sure everything is okay.”

Spencer didn't argue with her. He followed
her into the elevator. Once more, his scent overwhelmed her. She
wanted to grab him. She wanted to feel his body against hers, but
she knew that she couldn't. She had to wait.

What was she doing? Kait didn't understand
any of the thoughts running through her head, but she didn't care.
It didn't matter what she did. She was immortal. What was the worst
that could happen?

“
You're coming in, right?”
Kait asked when the reached the door. Spencer didn't object. He
followed her inside. And that was it. She couldn't wait any
longer.

Chapter Three

As soon as the door closed behind them, Kait
grabbed the collar of Spencer's suit. She pushed him against the
wall and kissed him. The world was confusing to her, but she could
understand the way he made her feel.

“
What are you doing?”
Spencer asked. Kait didn't answer with words. She placed her hand
on his thigh and began to run it up towards his belt. By the time
she reached his groin, he was already hard. She curled her fingers
lightly around him and he gasped, arching his back. “I don't know
about this...”

Kait pulled her hand away from him. “I don't
know about anything,” she said. “But this feels good, doesn't
it?”

Spencer didn't argue, and kissed her again.
This time, his hands reached towards her. One of them caressed her
cheek, while the other reached under her shirt. The lowest button
on her blouse snapped, letting him run his palm over her
midsection. As she felt his fingers tickle her side, she leaned
into him. It felt good. Too good.

His fingers tickled underneath her ribs, as
if they were afraid to go further. Kait grabbed his wrist and
forced his hand further up her blouse. He formed his hand around
her breast, cradling it in his grasp. Kait felt a bolt of
electricity run from her chest up through her spine. She just
wanted him closer. She wanted him so badly.

Kait grabbed his fingers under her shirt and
made them pinch her nipple. She gasped and lifted her leg, forcing
his body closer to hers.

“
Slow down,” Spencer said,
but Kait knew he was just objecting for the sake of objecting. He
didn't want to stop any more than she did.

Spencer tried to remove his hand from Kait's
breast. She let him, only to guide it down past her abdomen.
Hastily, she unbuttoned her slacks and slipped his fingers between
her legs.

“
I'm not sure.”

“
I am.”

Kait pressed Spencer's hand against her and
gasped. As soon as he touched her, she shivered. And when he
slipped his fingers into her, she arched her back and moaned. It
was everything she hoped it would be. Her entire body felt warm.
She didn't care who she was anymore. She didn't care what she was.
For just a moment none of that mattered.

“
Don't stop,” Kait
whispered, pushing her hips into Spencer's hand.

“
Why would I?”

That was enough to assure Kait that he
finally understood what she wanted. She let go of his wrist,
letting him push his fingers in and out of her as he wished. One
hand wrapped around his waist, pulling him towards her as he
stimulated her. The other returned to the stiffness between his
legs, stroking it under the thin fabric of his slacks.

Kait leaned into chest as waves of pleasure
rocked through her body. The stubble on his chin rubbed against her
forehead. It felt like sandpaper against her skin, but somehow it
only made her more sensitive. The sharp scent of his aftershave
filled her nose, and as she rubbed him through the fabric of his
pants, he gasped. His hot breath tickled her ear.

She wanted to pull off her blouse, push his
mouth down her neck and to the sensitive skin on her breasts. But
to do that, she'd have to pull away from him. She'd have to stop
pressing his hand between her legs. That wasn't an option.

No matter what Spencer did, it wasn't
enough. Kait had to buck her hips against him, forcing his
fingertips deeper insider her. With every stroke, she came closer
and closer... Her body began to tremble. Her heart began to
flutter. Her head began to swim.

And then, for just a second, everything went
black. Her body exploded with passion. The muscles in her legs gave
way and her mind disappeared. Oblivion... She felt it again. She
felt so close, but it wasn't enough.

The sensation overwhelmed her. It went from
pleasure to discomfort. She grabbed Spencer's hand once more and
pulled it from between her legs. His fingers were slick with her
passion.

This wasn't enough. This wasn't the end. She
wanted to satisfy him the way he satisfied her. Reaching towards
his belt, she began to kiss his neck.

“
Wait... No...”

Before she even heard his objections, she'd
pulled his slacks down to his ankles. She ran her hands up from his
calves towards his thighs.

“
You really want me to
stop?” Kait asked.

Spencer nodded, though she could tell it was
a very painful decision. “I'm sorry,” he said.

“
Don't be,” Kait said,
though she was disappointed. “I got what I wanted... Or at least
the start.” She pressed herself up against him again, to let him
know that she was willing to keep going. He barely
responded.

“
I... I don't know what to
say,” Spencer said. “I never intended...”

Kait smiled at him as she buttoned her
slacks. She was still wet. She still wanted to be touched. No...
She wanted more than that. “How about you?” she asked, again
reached towards him.

“
I can't go home. Not
after... I need to think.”

“
What are you talking
about?” Kait asked.

Spencer held up his left hand. For the first
time, Kait noticed the wedding ring on his finger. “I shouldn't be
doing this. I'm married.”

Kait felt like she'd been punched in the
stomach. All of the wonderful feelings that had been running
through her body just a moment ago disappeared. They were replaced
with guilt and shame that she barely even understood. Why did she
act the way she did? Why was she so careless? Was this a side
effect of her immortality, or something that ran deeper in her
personality that she was just beginning to explore.

“
I... I didn't
know.”

“
It's not your fault,”
Spencer replied. He stared at the floor of the hotel room. His body
was starting to tremble. Kait could tell that he was still turned
on, but that he was unable to go any further, no matter how much
his body wanted it. “I shouldn't have...”

Spencer turned away from her. For a moment,
she thought he was going to leave. Maybe it was better if he did,
but he instead he stepped further into the room. He sat down in one
of the chairs near the bed and held his head in his hands. “What
have I done?” he muttered.

“
Listen, it was a mistake,”
Kait said. She approached him, but he seemed to flinch as she grew
closer. “I didn't know.”

“
But I did,” Spencer
replied. “I've never done anything like this before.” He looked up
at Kait. “I've never met anyone like you before... The worst part
is that I still don't want to stop.”

“
If you didn't want to
stop, you wouldn't have,” Kait told him. She wasn't sure if that
was comforting at all, but she had to say something. He looked like
he was near a breakdown. She could barely handle her own emotional
instability, let alone his.

Spencer reached into his pocket. He held
something in his hand when he withdrew it. It looked like a small,
golden cross. He gripped it tightly, holding back tears. “I need to
go,” he said. “I need to go to church. I need to talk to her.
She'll forgive me. She'll understand.”

“
Your... Your wife?” Kait
asked.

“
No,” Spencer said,
standing up. “My pastor. My wife, she would never... She can't
know.”

Kait didn't think that Spencer was seeking
forgiveness from the right person, but she was glad that he had a
plan to deal with his guilt. She still didn't know what she would
do about her own. Like he was reading her mind, Spencer had a
solution for her:

“
You should come with me!”
he explained. “Confess to God, and all will be settled. Bear your
heart and you will be at peace.”

“
I don't know about that,”
Kait replied. She understood very little about herself, but she
could already tell she wasn't much of a religious woman. Still, she
remembered what was written on the inside of her passport:
find the Gospels
.