The Silent Goddess: The Otherworld Series Book 1 by N.K. Vir Read Free Book Online Page B

witty even charming, she had clumsily invited him to her house.  In actuality she was surprised he had come at all.  A draw slamming ripped her back to the present.
    “Dammit Annie where is it?”  Demanded Kat pulling open cabinets she kept muttering, the words escaped Annie’s hearing.  “Ah ha!” she exclaimed in triumph wiggling the corkscrew in front of Annie’s face.  “Since when do you keep this with the wine glasses?”  Annie shrugged in response.  The moving of small articles lately in her house seemed like the least of her worries at the moment.  Her mind was too preoccupied with the incredibly attractive new neighbor and these strange feelings of lost memories to care about…
    “Clever Brownie,” Kat praised.  “Well it makes sense anyways after all,” she said popping the cork out of the bottle, “you need them both to enjoy a little liquid courage.  You do have a very practical Brownie.”
    “I do not have a Brownie,” Annie insisted absently.
    “Shush, you’ll upset him,” Kat said shoving two glasses of wine into her hands.  “Now take your courage and go entertain your gorgeous guest before I forget that I have a boyfriend,” she said shoving Annie out the door.
    Annie returned to the garden to find Duncan squatting in front of her newly planted meadowsweet.  She couldn’t be sure but she thought she heard him whispering; to her plants.
    “Are you talking to my flowers?”  The words escaped her mouth before her brain had time to filter them.  Mentally she kicked herself, not only for her words but for her tone.  It sounded as if she were accusing him of something evil.
    He didn’t seem startled by her sudden appearance instead he inhaled deeply.  Annie watched as his broad shoulders rose higher with the breath, he held it for moment then exhaled slowly as he stood.  Annie sucked in her own breath as he did so.  A memory sparked to life; of a different time, a lake, a handsome boy so much younger than this one but with the same stormy blue eyes and careless dark hair.  Annie watched spellbound as the memory and the present flickered in her mind, both fighting for her attention.  Neither the boy from the past nor the man before her spoke; both were wearing identical looks, waiting, watching and hoping.  Once again Annie’s mouth spoke without consulting her brain.
    “Who are you?”  She asked the boy from her memory. 
    To the man in front of her, “Why do I think we’ve met somewhere else before?  It’s like I should know you.”
    He took a step forward and the faint memory flickered once then was gone leaving only the present standing before her.  Annie shook her head blinking rapidly to clear her vision.  Absently she raised a glass to her mouth and began drinking.  Realizing she was being rude she offered him the other glass.  He accepted the offering.  It was then she realized he had not answered her and for some unknown reason she wanted an answer.
    As if he had read her mind he began to speak. “I believe we met this morning remember?  My name is Duncan Norris,” he said taking another step closer.  He smelled clean, like freshly cut pine trees she noticed.  It had always been one of her favorite scents.  “And yes,” he said softly.  “I was talking to yer flowers.  I told you they remind me of home.”
    “Of you ,” she heard whispered across her mind making her shiver.
    “Oh my god Annie, why didn’t you tell me you had a brownie?” she heard a screeching voice from behind her.
    Annie pivoted startled sloshing the contents of her wine glass on to her hand.  She licked the spilled contents of her drink off her hand while she glared at the owner of the voice that interrupted the most intense moment she had ever experienced.  The excited voice belonged to Robert her swarthy pirate-styled friend.  Robert was tall with skin the color of mocha and bright knowing amber colored eyes that always sparkled with mischief.  His moods