funny. I have to take this stuff as it comes.” She looked between them. “I’m not sure I like the fact you guys will always know how I’m feeling, though.”
“We think it’s a consequence of the bond being forged between us,” answered Michael. “It allows us to protect you by knowing your location and always know where you stand emotionally so that we can support you.”
She considered him. Michael seemed much more sensitive than Christian, yet every bit as protective of her.
“When did this psychic link thing start to happen for you?” she asked them.
Christian took a sip of his beer and set the bottle back on the table. “For me, it happened after our date.”
“Me too,” answered Michael. “After last night.”
Her eyebrows rose into her hairline. Riiiight , after she’d had sex with each of them. Her face flushed as she realized she’d slept with both these men during the last forty-eight hours.
Most women would be really jealous of her.
She took a bracing sip of her water. It was sweet and pure, from a well on her property. “Okay,” she breathed. “It’s all good.”
“It is?” Michael asked. “You seem uneasy.”
She laughed. “Well, you would know, wouldn’t you?”
Christian glanced toward the barn. “How’s the art coming?” Apparently he thought it best to change the subject. Probably wise at this point.
“I’m almost done with the piece I’ve been working on since…Louis.” Her heart made a little dip that she now knew both these men would sense. She cleared her throat and took another drink of water. “I’ll finish it up on a day that’s not so cold and rainy.” Maybe . She pushed her food around on her plate. They might be able to feel her emotions, but they shouldn’t be able to tell when she was lying.
Christian changed the subject again, this time to the topic of the construction job his company was working in Sweet Rock. Soon they were on comfortable, mundane topics, talking of the regulars in the Twisted Kiss and some of the characters in the town where they’d all grown up.
“Remember old Mr. Addison?” asked Michael, sitting back in his chair and pushing his plate away.
“That old wolf? Didn’t a vampire get him in the last skirmish?” asked Christian. Every once in a while, the conflict between the vamps and wolves flared into little miniwars, not unlike gang fights.
“He was found trying to kill one of my kiss, a pregnant woman.” Michael nodded. “Yep, a vamp got him.” He paused. “Really, really got him.”
Christian snorted. “I’m not surprised. He was a nasty piece of work. Some of the old ones are. They remember so much of their lives before the virus turned them that they’re bitter. Take their hate out on everyone around them instead of just accepting what they can’t change. Are the older vamps like that?”
Michael nodded. “Sure. I think that affects us all.”
“Everyone but humans,” Kylie broke in. “We’re just plain bitter.”
Christian offered her a lazy smile that made her stomach do a slow flip. “You’re not, Kylie.”
“My dad was. Seems like lots of humans are.”
“What was your dad bitter about?”
“My mom’s death.”
The room went silent. Finally Michael said, “Everyone’s got reason to be bitter over a loved one’s death. The virus left a path of carnage that will never be forgotten.”
Kylie raised her glass. “To never forgetting those who have gone before us, be they human, vampire or were.” Her mind was on Louis as she looked between the men. Michael held her gaze, seeming to understand that.
“I’ll drink to that,” said Christian, raising his glass.
They all clinked glasses and drank deeply.
The skies grew darker and the rain began to come down harder. Eventually, they rose and cleared the table.
She returned from the kitchen to collect more dishes and Christian passed her in the entryway, closer than he needed to be. The scent of him, leather and the faintest
“We think it’s a consequence of the bond being forged between us,” answered Michael. “It allows us to protect you by knowing your location and always know where you stand emotionally so that we can support you.”
She considered him. Michael seemed much more sensitive than Christian, yet every bit as protective of her.
“When did this psychic link thing start to happen for you?” she asked them.
Christian took a sip of his beer and set the bottle back on the table. “For me, it happened after our date.”
“Me too,” answered Michael. “After last night.”
Her eyebrows rose into her hairline. Riiiight , after she’d had sex with each of them. Her face flushed as she realized she’d slept with both these men during the last forty-eight hours.
Most women would be really jealous of her.
She took a bracing sip of her water. It was sweet and pure, from a well on her property. “Okay,” she breathed. “It’s all good.”
“It is?” Michael asked. “You seem uneasy.”
She laughed. “Well, you would know, wouldn’t you?”
Christian glanced toward the barn. “How’s the art coming?” Apparently he thought it best to change the subject. Probably wise at this point.
“I’m almost done with the piece I’ve been working on since…Louis.” Her heart made a little dip that she now knew both these men would sense. She cleared her throat and took another drink of water. “I’ll finish it up on a day that’s not so cold and rainy.” Maybe . She pushed her food around on her plate. They might be able to feel her emotions, but they shouldn’t be able to tell when she was lying.
Christian changed the subject again, this time to the topic of the construction job his company was working in Sweet Rock. Soon they were on comfortable, mundane topics, talking of the regulars in the Twisted Kiss and some of the characters in the town where they’d all grown up.
“Remember old Mr. Addison?” asked Michael, sitting back in his chair and pushing his plate away.
“That old wolf? Didn’t a vampire get him in the last skirmish?” asked Christian. Every once in a while, the conflict between the vamps and wolves flared into little miniwars, not unlike gang fights.
“He was found trying to kill one of my kiss, a pregnant woman.” Michael nodded. “Yep, a vamp got him.” He paused. “Really, really got him.”
Christian snorted. “I’m not surprised. He was a nasty piece of work. Some of the old ones are. They remember so much of their lives before the virus turned them that they’re bitter. Take their hate out on everyone around them instead of just accepting what they can’t change. Are the older vamps like that?”
Michael nodded. “Sure. I think that affects us all.”
“Everyone but humans,” Kylie broke in. “We’re just plain bitter.”
Christian offered her a lazy smile that made her stomach do a slow flip. “You’re not, Kylie.”
“My dad was. Seems like lots of humans are.”
“What was your dad bitter about?”
“My mom’s death.”
The room went silent. Finally Michael said, “Everyone’s got reason to be bitter over a loved one’s death. The virus left a path of carnage that will never be forgotten.”
Kylie raised her glass. “To never forgetting those who have gone before us, be they human, vampire or were.” Her mind was on Louis as she looked between the men. Michael held her gaze, seeming to understand that.
“I’ll drink to that,” said Christian, raising his glass.
They all clinked glasses and drank deeply.
The skies grew darker and the rain began to come down harder. Eventually, they rose and cleared the table.
She returned from the kitchen to collect more dishes and Christian passed her in the entryway, closer than he needed to be. The scent of him, leather and the faintest
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