eyes. Carol transformed then, her hair falling in wild tangles as she shot up into her human form. It wasn’t the only thing wild about her. Her clothing was in complete disarray, torn now from her transformations in a way it hadn’t been in town. It barely covered her.
Carol seemed to know it, too. She shifted provocatively, seeming to enjoy Kevin’s eyes on her as glimpses of her flesh shifted beneath the cloth.
“Like what you see, Kevin?” Carol laughed as she said it, reaching out a hand to trace down Kevin’s chest through his shirt. “I know I do.”
“Carol,” Kevin said. “I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
“It sounds serious,” Carol said. She rolled her eyes. “Not more vampires.”
Kevin shook his head, trying to stop himself from pulling back. It wouldn’t exactly work, asking Carol to be his fiancé while shying away from even her touch.
“No, it’s not that, but it is serious,” he said. He tried to work out how much to tell her. Would she go along with it if he explained everything? Would she agree to simply pretend? The truth was that she had no reason to pretend. Especially not when it meant tricking her brother. Which meant that Kevin couldn’t afford to explain all the details, even though that would end up hurting her later on. Was he okay with that?
“I hope this isn’t going to be all about Briony , then,” Carol said. “Because these days, it seems like it’s always either vampires or her.” She rearranged her clothing again, but not to cover her any better. “I bet we could think of better things to talk about than your ex if we wanted.”
Yes, Kevin decided, he was absolutely fine with it.
“Actually,” he said, “I wanted to talk about us.”
“Us?” That seemed to make Carol pause. “I didn’t think there was an us. I mean…” she bit her lip. “I didn’t think you noticed me.”
“It’s pretty hard not to,” Kevin said, absolutely truthfully. “And with Briony not here, I’ve been thinking about you a lot more recently. That, and I’ve been thinking about what you said before, about me being nearly a king. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. And I can’t deny that there’s something between us. I think it’s something big.”
Carol looked up at him carefully. “What are you saying, Kevin?”
“I’m saying…” Kevin took a breath, steeling himself to force the words out. “Carol, will you marry me?”
The kiss caught him by surprise. Carol threw her arms around his neck, but didn’t move up on tiptoes to kiss him. Instead, she pulled him down to her level to kiss him, her mouth rough, almost fierce, against his. Her hands tangled in his hair almost painfully, and Carol seemed to enjoy the small sound of protest he made, at least if the way she kept kissing him was anything to go by. Her tongue started to explore his mouth hungrily.
Kevin had to admit that there was something about being this close to a powerful, aggressive woman like this. One who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it. It was something that was surprisingly attractive, and Kevin could feel himself responding when Carol’s hands started to drift lower than his chest.
“Of course,” Carol whispered to him, her voice husky, “once you become the king, you’ll need someone to show you the ropes. Someone to guide you. I hope you’re prepared to listen when a woman tells you what to do, Kevin.”
But there was still Briony to consider. Whatever Carol made him feel, it wasn’t even close to the way he felt every time he was around Briony. It wasn’t the
Carol seemed to know it, too. She shifted provocatively, seeming to enjoy Kevin’s eyes on her as glimpses of her flesh shifted beneath the cloth.
“Like what you see, Kevin?” Carol laughed as she said it, reaching out a hand to trace down Kevin’s chest through his shirt. “I know I do.”
“Carol,” Kevin said. “I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
“It sounds serious,” Carol said. She rolled her eyes. “Not more vampires.”
Kevin shook his head, trying to stop himself from pulling back. It wouldn’t exactly work, asking Carol to be his fiancé while shying away from even her touch.
“No, it’s not that, but it is serious,” he said. He tried to work out how much to tell her. Would she go along with it if he explained everything? Would she agree to simply pretend? The truth was that she had no reason to pretend. Especially not when it meant tricking her brother. Which meant that Kevin couldn’t afford to explain all the details, even though that would end up hurting her later on. Was he okay with that?
“I hope this isn’t going to be all about Briony , then,” Carol said. “Because these days, it seems like it’s always either vampires or her.” She rearranged her clothing again, but not to cover her any better. “I bet we could think of better things to talk about than your ex if we wanted.”
Yes, Kevin decided, he was absolutely fine with it.
“Actually,” he said, “I wanted to talk about us.”
“Us?” That seemed to make Carol pause. “I didn’t think there was an us. I mean…” she bit her lip. “I didn’t think you noticed me.”
“It’s pretty hard not to,” Kevin said, absolutely truthfully. “And with Briony not here, I’ve been thinking about you a lot more recently. That, and I’ve been thinking about what you said before, about me being nearly a king. I’ve been thinking about that a lot. And I can’t deny that there’s something between us. I think it’s something big.”
Carol looked up at him carefully. “What are you saying, Kevin?”
“I’m saying…” Kevin took a breath, steeling himself to force the words out. “Carol, will you marry me?”
The kiss caught him by surprise. Carol threw her arms around his neck, but didn’t move up on tiptoes to kiss him. Instead, she pulled him down to her level to kiss him, her mouth rough, almost fierce, against his. Her hands tangled in his hair almost painfully, and Carol seemed to enjoy the small sound of protest he made, at least if the way she kept kissing him was anything to go by. Her tongue started to explore his mouth hungrily.
Kevin had to admit that there was something about being this close to a powerful, aggressive woman like this. One who knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to take it. It was something that was surprisingly attractive, and Kevin could feel himself responding when Carol’s hands started to drift lower than his chest.
“Of course,” Carol whispered to him, her voice husky, “once you become the king, you’ll need someone to show you the ropes. Someone to guide you. I hope you’re prepared to listen when a woman tells you what to do, Kevin.”
But there was still Briony to consider. Whatever Carol made him feel, it wasn’t even close to the way he felt every time he was around Briony. It wasn’t the
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