Changing Beauty (The Deadly Beauties Live On 2)

I cover my face, but the sound of a soft, rumbling chuckle has me looking back up to see Thad looking thoroughly amused.

He reaches over and pulls my hand into his, kissing the back of it so softly.

“Sweet girl, that party was two nights ago. You don’t remember anything?”

Two nights? Holy shit.

“I… Well… No. Nothing that won’t sound crazy, anyway. It happens… crazy dreams, I mean. This is certainly the longest it’s ever gone on.”

He continues running those amazing lips up and down my hand, distracting me completely. “I see. Well, it’s a good thing I found you. You took off, and I’ve been searching all night.”

He searched all night for me? Now I feel even worse.

But I thought I was missing for two nights—the night of the party and then last night. Before I can say anything, he blows out a heavy breath that leaves a knot tightening in my stomach.

He’s met his limit of crazy. I can see it in the tense way he’s stayed. I can’t blame him either. I just hope he doesn’t say it aloud before we get closer to my house. I’d hate to cry in front of him just to ice the pathetic cake.

“Does the name Reese ring any bells?” he asks randomly, confusing me.

“No. Why?”

He shrugs, keeping my hand against his lips as he continues driving. “No reason. Just curious. How long have you been blacking out?”

Frowning, I try to think

back. “For as long as I can remember, I guess.”

“What happened these past two years? You sort of went off grid?”

What’s with the third degree? Obviously I don’t ask that aloud. He’s the one tracking down the crazy girl wrapped in a sheet. I can answer a few random questions.

“I traveled. I never got to travel before, so I finally traveled. I guess… I felt compelled to travel. Life sort of pushed me in that direction, even though I really wanted to go to college.”

“Where’d you travel?”

Leaning back, I take in his profile as he continues to strum those soft lips over my hand. Every time he speaks, I felt the heat of his breath and the vibrations of his voice against my skin. It’s relaxing me, even though I wouldn’t have thought it possible to relax after my bizarre morning.

“Italy. Rome. France. Ireland. Australia… A little bit of everywhere all over the world.”

“Oh?” he asks, still seeming lost in thought. “How did the food taste there?”

I frown as I try to recall a memory, finding nothing but images in my mind instead of any mouthwatering memories. That’s weird.

“I… can’t remember.”

He nods as though he was expecting that answer. “Any smells that you can recall? I know in Italy, I love smelling a true pizzeria. I also love the smell of the air in Ireland. It’s fresh—fresher than anything I’ve ever experienced anywhere else. I almost didn’t leave when I went to visit.”

Squirming in my seat, I once again find the absence of any sensory memories. Taste, touch, smell, sounds… All I have are random images popping into my mind—blurry memories at best.

“I… I can’t remember,” I echo, slowly feeling deflated. Why can’t I remember?

“So visuals only?” he asks, acting as though he’s solving a puzzle.

I don’t speak, mostly because I never thought of it until he pointed it out. Now I feel like I’m missing something. The memories I once held in high regard seem less convincing. Everything in my memories is much too perfect. There was never even a bad storm, or a stumble. Hell, there wasn’t even a missed step.

“What about when you were little? Did you ever see anything odd? Like maybe a wolf hanging around? Possibly a black wolf?”

Cold seizes my blood, and he clutches my hand a little tighter when I start to pull away. How could he possibly know that?