water and I stared outside. The rugged shoreline passed in a blur through my window. And Brennan was right. It didn’t take long to get there.
Before I knew it, we were climbing back out again in a sandy parking lot. I planted my feet and looked around.
“I don’t see any ruins,” I observed. All I could see was an empty beach and the lake. A beautiful view, but no ruins.
He chuckled. “We have to walk a little ways.”
He had a picnic basket in his hand and I gulped. I was sure that he hadn’t packed what I needed to eat. Mortals tended to frown on blood-drinking. Just thinking about that part of my secret made my heart pound erratically in my chest and Brennan turned to me, his expression puzzled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked curiously, concern evident in his voice.
“Nothing,” I quickly assured him. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I can feel that something is wrong. I can’t explain it, so don’t ask me to. But I can feel that you are upset… or nervous… or scared. Or something.”
He searched my face. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I replied limply. “There’s just a lot about me that you don’t know.”
“But I’d like to,” he answered softly. “Anything that you want to tell me, I want to hear.”
“I doubt that,” I muttered. He turned back to me, his face set determinedly.
“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t doubt it. There’s nothing you can say to me that will scare me away.”
“Again, I doubt that,” I replied. “If you knew everything there was to know about me, you would run away and hide.” I chewed my lip for a second as I thought. “You know,” I mused, “That might not be a bad idea. Over lunch, I’ll tell you everything.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You want me to run away and never see you again?”
I sighed. “No. But I don’t want you to get hurt. Being near me—it could get you hurt.”
He looked at me doubtfully as we walked. “Oh, really? By whom?”
“By any number of people,” I snapped. “But you can begin with me.”
“You’re going to hurt me?” he asked dubiously. “I have to tell you- my heart is a little tougher than that. Do your best.”
Before I could think, before I could even breathe, I blurred into movement, plowing Brennan over and straddling him as I held him to the ground with goddess strength. He squirmed but couldn’t move me and I made a mental note. He hadn’t learned how to tap into his demi-god strength yet. I ignored his astonishment.
“Your heart isn’t what I’m worried about,” I answered softly as I dipped my head and ran my tongue along his bottom lip. As the connection between us practically snapped with electricity, I nipped at his lip lightly, then released my hold on his hands… opting to run my own against his sides lightly. I ached to inhale his soul and I clenched my jaw tightly to prevent it.
Brennan’s breath caught in his throat and he hesitated, perfectly calm with his hands on my back. He didn’t try to get away, he simply lay perfectly still. He remained calm as he gazed trustingly into my eyes.
“I’m not afraid,” he replied. “So, again- give it your best.”
“You don’t want that, trust me,” I whispered as I backed away from him, allowing him to sit up. I scrambled to my feet and offered him a hand. He took it and I pulled him to his feet.
“Maybe I do,” he replied, his voice sexy in its huskiness. “Maybe I’m willing and able to take whatever you’ve got to give.”
I stared at him in confusion. “Are we still talking about me scaring you?”
He laughed and the moment lightened.
Holding out his hand, he asked, “Shall we?”
I realized that we were standing at the foot of a sandy trail that seemed to lead into the trees that lined the bluffs, all of which hugged the shore. There was no one around us- not a single soul. If I walked back there with
Before I knew it, we were climbing back out again in a sandy parking lot. I planted my feet and looked around.
“I don’t see any ruins,” I observed. All I could see was an empty beach and the lake. A beautiful view, but no ruins.
He chuckled. “We have to walk a little ways.”
He had a picnic basket in his hand and I gulped. I was sure that he hadn’t packed what I needed to eat. Mortals tended to frown on blood-drinking. Just thinking about that part of my secret made my heart pound erratically in my chest and Brennan turned to me, his expression puzzled.
“What’s wrong?” he asked curiously, concern evident in his voice.
“Nothing,” I quickly assured him. “Why do you ask?”
“Because I can feel that something is wrong. I can’t explain it, so don’t ask me to. But I can feel that you are upset… or nervous… or scared. Or something.”
He searched my face. “What is it?”
“Nothing,” I replied limply. “There’s just a lot about me that you don’t know.”
“But I’d like to,” he answered softly. “Anything that you want to tell me, I want to hear.”
“I doubt that,” I muttered. He turned back to me, his face set determinedly.
“Don’t,” he said. “Don’t doubt it. There’s nothing you can say to me that will scare me away.”
“Again, I doubt that,” I replied. “If you knew everything there was to know about me, you would run away and hide.” I chewed my lip for a second as I thought. “You know,” I mused, “That might not be a bad idea. Over lunch, I’ll tell you everything.”
He raised an eyebrow. “You want me to run away and never see you again?”
I sighed. “No. But I don’t want you to get hurt. Being near me—it could get you hurt.”
He looked at me doubtfully as we walked. “Oh, really? By whom?”
“By any number of people,” I snapped. “But you can begin with me.”
“You’re going to hurt me?” he asked dubiously. “I have to tell you- my heart is a little tougher than that. Do your best.”
Before I could think, before I could even breathe, I blurred into movement, plowing Brennan over and straddling him as I held him to the ground with goddess strength. He squirmed but couldn’t move me and I made a mental note. He hadn’t learned how to tap into his demi-god strength yet. I ignored his astonishment.
“Your heart isn’t what I’m worried about,” I answered softly as I dipped my head and ran my tongue along his bottom lip. As the connection between us practically snapped with electricity, I nipped at his lip lightly, then released my hold on his hands… opting to run my own against his sides lightly. I ached to inhale his soul and I clenched my jaw tightly to prevent it.
Brennan’s breath caught in his throat and he hesitated, perfectly calm with his hands on my back. He didn’t try to get away, he simply lay perfectly still. He remained calm as he gazed trustingly into my eyes.
“I’m not afraid,” he replied. “So, again- give it your best.”
“You don’t want that, trust me,” I whispered as I backed away from him, allowing him to sit up. I scrambled to my feet and offered him a hand. He took it and I pulled him to his feet.
“Maybe I do,” he replied, his voice sexy in its huskiness. “Maybe I’m willing and able to take whatever you’ve got to give.”
I stared at him in confusion. “Are we still talking about me scaring you?”
He laughed and the moment lightened.
Holding out his hand, he asked, “Shall we?”
I realized that we were standing at the foot of a sandy trail that seemed to lead into the trees that lined the bluffs, all of which hugged the shore. There was no one around us- not a single soul. If I walked back there with
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