Joley snatched it out of the air and took a bite. "This is awesome, Hannah. You outdid yourself. Did you use the new sugar cookie recipe you were telling us about?"
"Holy crap," Tyson burst out. "This isn't funny anymore. You nearly gave me a heart attack. How the hell did you all do that?"
Libby tilted her head to one side so that her hair slid over one eye leaving her looking mysterious and maybe that little bit like a witch. He'd never noticed that before.
"I don't actually know. I'm hoping you can explain it to us since you know so much more than we do. We've always been able to do things, but maybe we just think we can. Maybe we're deluding ourselves that the tea and cookies float in from the kitchen and that Sarah closed the drapes and Elle moved the chair."
"Or that I know exactly what you're thinking right now," Elle said. "I wouldn't mind if you managed to get rid of that for me. It's very uncomfortable knowing too much about people and feeling their emotions all the time."
"So what am I thinking right now?" Tyson challenged.
"You want to think we're all crazy, but the possibility that it's true excites you. You'd like blood samples and even to hook a couple of us up to an EEG monitor so you can scan our brains to see if activity changes when we do whatever it is we do. You're mostly excited about the possibilities to science. You're having a difficult time reconciling the two as they seem complete opposites. They aren't, you know. Magic is really energy which you've really known and have considered all along, but threw out the idea of as preposterous."
"You want to hook up our brains and study the activity?" Libby echoed.
Tyson leaned forward, his eyes glittering with sudden excitement. "Libby, she was dead on. She's either the real thing or she really has superb insight into people. I do want a blood sample and maybe even tissue samples. I'd like to know if there's anything different in your genetic makeup."
Libby put a hand to her heart. "You're so romantic, Ty. Whenever you talk like that I want to just fling myself into your arms."
"You're being sarcastic and whoever is controlling the cookie platter, send it my way. They smell good." He shook his head. "You of all people, Libby, should recognize the importance of this to science. If your family can really do such things as telekinesis and healing, which by the way, there is absolutely no proof of, it would be a remarkable discovery."
Sudden temper flashed through Libby. She'd been feeling somewhat amused and even a small bit guilty, but now she just wanted to throttle him. "I not only opened up my life to you, Tyson Derrick, I asked my family to do the same. Now you're looking at us as if we're a bunch of your little pet rats. Worse, you still doubt I can do what is so much a part of me. If you deny my ability to heal, you're denying me, who I am."
Elle, I need a very sharp knife.
You can't kill him.
Libby glared at her younger sister, jumped up and stalked into the kitchen. Ty frowned and leapt up to follow her.
"Do you have to be so emotional over everything, Libby? It's only logical for me to be excited about a discovery of this magnitude."
"You think I'm emotional? Emotional?" She repeated. Maybe she was acting a little out of character, but he was driving her to it. "For the last several days you've made it clear you thought my family was conning people out of money, although we've never taken a penny using our gifts. You have to be shown the truth in order to believe we might actually be able to do what everyone else says we can and then you want to study us for the pure love of science." She turned away from the counter, knife in her hand.
Tyson's expression hardened. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Proving to you I can do what I say I can."
He took another step until he was within striking distance. "Give me the knife right now, Libby."
She scowled and lifted her left hand palm up, putting the tip of the blade against her skin. Tyson moved so fast she was shocked when his fingers settled around her wrist like a vice, jerking her arm up and away from her palm.
"I was only going to make a small cut so you could see for yourself."
"No, you aren't." He tossed the knife into the sink and tugged on her wrist until she came up against his body. "You are not going to cut yourself to prove a point. If it's that important, I believe you. Okay? I believe you, Libby. Your sisters can float cookies, read minds and you can heal." His voice trailed off as realization donned. Each time she brushed his ribs, there was less pain. His sternum hadn't hurt for a while now. He hadn't even noticed, but now that he was contemplating the possibility that her family was for real, he realized it was true. There had been bruises on his ribs and shoulder, ugly purple splotches, and they had faded away far too quickly. He swallowed, going pale. "You can . . . heal people. Me. Jonas."
Fear blossomed as he stared down at her face. The pale skin. The dark circles. Her fragile, ethereal appearance. Her ghostly appearance. She'd nearly died saving Jonas. That's why he hadn't been able to see her all those days. Her family had kept everyone away because Libby was dying. Had the same thing happened when she'd healed him of a brain injury?
He pulled out a kitchen chair and sank into it, his legs weak, as he remembered her staggering out of his room. "Oh, God, Libby." He covered his eyes with his hands, trying to wipe away the memory of the agony on her face that day at the hospital. "You almost died, didn't you?"
Libby wanted to comfort him. He looked so completely shocked, almost horrified by the dawning knowledge. Ty looked like a man who'd taken a body blow.
He shook his head, standing up. "I can't think about what you've done, or how it affects you. Not right now. It's too much. Believe me, I was impressed enough with the cookies." He lifted his head to study her, his gaze dark with sudden intrigue, emotions fading to the background where Tyson was most comfortable with them.
Libby could actually see the change take place. The scientist was back and he was looking at her with a quizzical contemplation. She backed away from him. "Whatever you're thinking, just stop now before you get yourself in more trouble. You aren't conducting a study on us."
"Just think about it logically, Libby. If it was turned around, wouldn't you want to figure out how it's done? There has to be a high level of activity in the brain and we have instruments to measure and map it out."
"I'm not a freaking study of yours, Ty." Libby tried to pull away from him so he wouldn't see the tears swimming in her eyes.
"Of course you're not. Damn it, Libby, don't you cry. I wouldn't have the least idea what to do and I've already said and done enough idiotic things today. I'm a litt
le out of my element." His heart was still pounding with the realization of his discovery. He was desperately trying to lock away the knowledge that she could heal and that she was risking her own health in doing so. He needed to be alone to think about that one. Now she was going to cry. He was beginning to sweat.
"You've just admitted you're an intelligent man. Am I supposed to believe you can't figure out how to talk decently to a woman? Figure it out, Ty, because I'm not waiting around while you do."
In desperation, he framed her face with both hands and bent his head down to hers, his mouth taking possession. If he couldn't find the right words to say, he was determined to show her exactly how he felt. Libby held herself stiff at first, although her lips were soft and she opened her mouth to his when he tugged on her lower lip. Heat blossomed and spread, from him to her. Electricity arced, small sizzling licks along his veins, from her to him. Her body softened, melted into his so he could feel her imprinted on his skin. Hell, maybe all the way to his bones.
Her mouth was hot and exciting, and so responsive Tyson forgot he was in her house with her sisters close by. One hand tangled in the silk of her hair and the other slid down the curve of her spine. He swore the earth spun on its axis.
"Libby!" The protest came from a distance.
Tyson caught Libby's soft sigh and drew it into his lungs. His arms tightened, his body reluctant to step away from hers. He rested his forehead against hers, breathing deep. "I'm coming back for you tomorrow."
"Okay."
"I'll be on the motorcycle so dress warm."
"Okay."
He lifted her chin and brushed her mouth with his. "I'll wait a day or two before I creep in and take everyone's blood."
She flashed him a small grin. "Good of you. My sisters will appreciate it."
Joley raised her voice. "Your sisters would appreciate a little break from the hormone rush."
"I'm going now," Tyson announced and forced his body away from Libby.
10
"YOU can't go with him on a motorcycle and that's all there is to it," Sarah said. "What are you thinking, Libby? Have you lost your mind?"
"I've been on a motorcycle," Joley pointed out. "In fact I've been the driver."