He narrowed his eyes at her strange behavior. “I don’t know exactly. It’s more a feeling than anything. When I was young. Eight years old or so. I found a book in my father’s library about Pagoria. I think it may have been a journal of someone who had researched the city. But I remember reading it and these images exploded into my head. Like long lost memories coming back in full force.”
She leaned forward in fascination. “Whose journal was it?”
He shook his head and pressed his lips together. “I don’t know. My father came in. When he saw what I was reading, he fell into a rage. He threw the book into the fire and told me never to speak of Pagoria again, that it was a fool’s idea.”
“How odd.”
“I thought so too. I had read just enough though, that it had piqued my interest. And the images wouldn’t die. They burned so brightly in my mind that I couldn’t let it go. That was the day my interest in Pagoria was born. I began digging up every bit of information I could find about the city. I scoured our library in search of any mention. When I went off to school, I continued my research, and over time collected quite a bit of information.”
She pursed her lips then twisted them as if she was pondering her next statement. Then she looked at him as if deciding whether to speak at all. Finally, she released her breath and said, “Have you ever considered that you are remembering events from a past life?”
His face froze in surprise. Of all the things he thought she might say, this wasn’t one of them. So why wasn’t he laughing at the absurdity of her suggestion? Of course he wasn’t remembering things from a previous life. He didn’t believe in reincarnation. He was much too level headed for such religious nonsense.
But then she didn’t think him a loon after listening to his ramblings. He shook his head. Was she the missing piece of his soul? Someone fated to be a part of his life? How else could he explain the feeling that an important piece of himself had been put together?
“I’m afraid I don’t know what to say,” he finally managed. “You’ve caught me completely off guard. On the surface, it sounds quite absurd.”
He glanced at her, gauging her reaction to his words. Would he anger her by being so candid?
“And yet, you cannot otherwise explain the vividness of these images you recount,” she said, her expression calm. “I’m not trying to make a believer out of you, Ridge. I am merely challenging you to consider a possibility you may have previously overlooked.”
“That you didn’t laugh me out of the house is welcome enough.”
She lifted a brow. “As the historical society did to my father when he last gave a lecture there?”
He flinched. “Touché. I suppose I deserved that.”
She sighed. “No, you didn’t. My apologies. My anger leads me to say careless things sometime.”
“You are an incredible woman, India,” he murmured. “I’ve never met another woman like you.”
Her cheeks colored and she looked away. He reached a hand out to cup her chin and gently turned her back to look at him. He rubbed his thumb over her full lips, his breath catching in his throat. How had he ever imagined himself in love with Lucinda?
As his thumb fell away, her tongue nervously wet her bottom lip. With a low groan, he leaned forward and captured her mouth with his. He swallowed her soft sigh as he sucked her bottom lip between his teeth, nipping and nibbling before allowing it to escape.
“What it is about you that I lose all reason?” he whispered against her skin.
She drew away, her eyes glowing softly. Her lips were swollen, full, tempting still. She looked sensuous, the epitome of womanhood. And he wanted her so badly, he ached from head to toe.
“What if I told you Pagoria was much older,” she whispered.
He blinked in surprise, his mind struggling to switch gears.
“You said you believed it to be nearly three thousand years old,” she prompted.
“Yes, I believe I said as much,” he mumbled, still trying to regain control of his pounding pulse.
“I believe it’s much, much older.”
“How much older?” he asked, scooting back on the settee. The more space he put between them, the better chance he had of resisting the urge to haul her up to his bed.
“I believe it may predate the biblical Garden of Eden.”
Chapter Thirteen
India watched shock, then blatant disbelief spread across Ridge’s face.
“Do you know what you are saying?” he asked incredulously.
