Read Online Sam I Am by Heather Killough-Walden - Free Book Online

waited for him to reply, he continued to trace circles on her hands. The attention was forcing her stomach to knot even more tightly, but it also served as a distraction. The circles he traced were not mere lazy touches; they were ancient Celtic symbols. He knew they were working when her head began to feel fuzzy, as if she were drunk. Oh man , she thought. This is what it feels like when you really like a guy….
    “War brings death,” he said, distracting her again. His tone was so soft, he knew she would have to concentrate to hear him. She closed her eyes as he went on. “And death is something I am quite familiar with.”
    At that, he released her hands and stood. Katelyn reluctantly leaned back to allow him room to get off of the bike. He gracefully dismounted, his long, well-muscled legs flexing beneath the material of his jeans.
    Damn, that’s so fine, Katelyn thought. Again, Sam shamelessly listened. Logan would go nuts over this guy. He’s right up her alley.
    He suddenly looked her in the eye, devouring her own image of Logan as if it were sustenance and he needed its strength to go on. She watched him in a somewhat dazed silence as he gazed down at her and he saw in that moment what she saw as he stood over her. He was tall and formidable, an indomitable figure with the moon and clouds forming an eerie picture over his shoulder.
    “But I don’t want you thinking about death tonight,” he told her as he offered her his hand. His smile was back when she didn’t hesitate in taking it. “Tonight is about the living,” he went on, helping her off of the bike. “Not the dead.”
    She giggled at that, obviously affected by his magic. She was getting giddy. And then she frowned, apparently confused as to why she’d laughed. “Right,” she said, as if to cover up her foolishness. “The living.”
    Sam knew he had her then. She was already lost; he could see it in her eyes, read it in her mind. She was nearly his for the taking. All he needed to do was drive a few things home and he would have her eating out of his hand.
    “Are you up for a walk?” he asked her, using his gaze to wreak havoc on her senses. He watched her swallow, the movement of her throat drawing his attention to the pulse at the side of her neck. He reined in the sudden swell of hunger that rose within him. Her blood was the one part of her he would gladly take. But this was far more important than a mere midnight snack.
    She nodded and let him pull her by the hand. He led her down the trail that cut through the dense woods and sensed the fleeting reservations that ran through her system like a shock wave. He eased it away, effortlessly leeching it from her body with yet another of his abilities.
    “You’re quite lovely, Katelyn,” he told her then, speaking so softly and tenderly that his voice seemed to come directly from his heart. He felt her pulse quicken beneath his fingers, which rested so lightly over the vein in her wrist.
    She cleared her throat. “Thank you,” she whispered. He felt her skin heat up and knew she was blushing.
    “Of course… I mean, your friend Logan Wright is very beautiful, too. I can see why you chose her for a friend.”
    She blinked beside him, her thoughts suddenly unsettled. “I… I didn’t know you’d met her,” she said.
    “Oh, just in passing,” he said, shrugging as if it were nothing. He still did not look at her, his gaze trained on the path before them. “But she’s stunning really, isn’t she?” He cocked his head to one side, as if considering something. “It must be frustrating to walk into a room with her and know that everyone is looking at your friend and not at you.”
    Her grip on his hand slackened a little, but he tightened his own, compensating. He stopped and turned to face her and the expression on her lovely face mirrored her inner turmoil. She was confused. Embarrassed. More than a touch angry.
    “I’m sorry,” he pretended to be concerned, cupping her cheek in