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Authors: Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
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invitation I couldn’t refuse."
He felt twitchy, wanted to ease her tremors, but was unsure of how to go about it. After seeing her grandmother, Kelsie Connor might have bought into the ancient-enemies scenario.
"Why did you help me?" she asked. "To save for yourself the pleasure of having a Slayer?"
"You haven’t yet grown into that stake in your hand, so where would the sport be in that?" Hayden said.
"I know about you. Did you come after me, all the way to Florida?"
"I left Ireland to avoid the word Slayer altogether.
To avoid this moment, in particular."
He watched her think that over. Her lush lips parted. "I didn’t know about myself," she said.
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
71
"I get that now."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"You fought like a girl," he said, grinning. "Not like a Slayer in tune with her talents."
The wide-eyed Connor didn’t let the comment anger her. Although her face was as white as a sheet, she offered a hushed "Thank you." Two simple words that Hayden saw she meant. A sentiment that had the similar effect to a stake through his heart. Because with those words she’d uttered, the war was over.
"You’re welcome," he said.
Her eyes met his. "What now? We just go on our way, hoping that someday we won’t want to take up where this left off?"
"Do you think you might change your mind?"
"No."
"Can you walk away this time, and forget about me, Connor?"
"No."
Hayden studied her more intently, his pulse still erratic at the thought of what that bloodsucker might have done to her. The depth of this emotion was new, and unusual. He felt protective. The big bad vampire wanted to watch over the same Slayer more or less assigned to seeing to his demise.
"Then I think you owe me," he said, trying not ruin the effect of his statement by offering her the smile that tugged at his lips… Because he was completely certain about how she could make this up to him. And it involved a bed.
Love thine enemy…
"Go to hell on the owe you thing," she said. "And 72
Vampire Lover
what’s so amusing?"
"I was wondering if you’ll forget that I saved you?"
"No one ever forgets their first."
Ah, Connor was sassy, all right, Hayden thought, if somewhat out of her league now, with that stake visibly wavering in her hand.
He could smell the scrapes in her skin from her tussle with the undead. The accompanying scent of blood was adrift, and tempting, but not nearly as tempting as her shirt, torn open at the neckline to expose a triangle of creamy, unblemished skin.
Skin unadorned by the special silver necklace.
Hearing the sound of wood striking stone, Hayden knew that Connor had dropped her weapon. He tried to understand what this meant, mentally, but his body had no such problem in translation, and took him toward her before he thought to pull back.
Her eyes were on him, disconcertingly green.
Within her gaze was a strange, knowing light.
Intelligent. Calculating. Nothing innocent about it.
He looked at her uncertainly. With twelve inches separating them, doubt again crossed his mind. Have I been had?
"Let me see," he said, testing his theory. "You don’t really fight like a girl?"
"Not usually."
Was she hiding a grin?
"You aren’t going to tell me that—"
"I knew you’d come, and wanted to see what you’d do? See if you would jump in to help me, true to your word about not wanting to see me harmed?" Connor said.
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
73
He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
She went on. "That I figured you would be doing the same thing? Waiting to see if I’d stake the monster or not?"
She let him sweat that out for a beat, then shook her head. "The answer is no to all of those things. It would have been something I’d do, though. Just so you know."
Hayden said, with relief, "You didn’t know about being a Slayer."
Connor made a face as she moved a sore shoulder.
"I had no idea."
"Now you do?"
"Oh, yes. I’m getting more and more used to it as the hours fly by."
"Do you
He felt twitchy, wanted to ease her tremors, but was unsure of how to go about it. After seeing her grandmother, Kelsie Connor might have bought into the ancient-enemies scenario.
"Why did you help me?" she asked. "To save for yourself the pleasure of having a Slayer?"
"You haven’t yet grown into that stake in your hand, so where would the sport be in that?" Hayden said.
"I know about you. Did you come after me, all the way to Florida?"
"I left Ireland to avoid the word Slayer altogether.
To avoid this moment, in particular."
He watched her think that over. Her lush lips parted. "I didn’t know about myself," she said.
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
71
"I get that now."
She eyed him suspiciously.
"You fought like a girl," he said, grinning. "Not like a Slayer in tune with her talents."
The wide-eyed Connor didn’t let the comment anger her. Although her face was as white as a sheet, she offered a hushed "Thank you." Two simple words that Hayden saw she meant. A sentiment that had the similar effect to a stake through his heart. Because with those words she’d uttered, the war was over.
"You’re welcome," he said.
Her eyes met his. "What now? We just go on our way, hoping that someday we won’t want to take up where this left off?"
"Do you think you might change your mind?"
"No."
"Can you walk away this time, and forget about me, Connor?"
"No."
Hayden studied her more intently, his pulse still erratic at the thought of what that bloodsucker might have done to her. The depth of this emotion was new, and unusual. He felt protective. The big bad vampire wanted to watch over the same Slayer more or less assigned to seeing to his demise.
"Then I think you owe me," he said, trying not ruin the effect of his statement by offering her the smile that tugged at his lips… Because he was completely certain about how she could make this up to him. And it involved a bed.
Love thine enemy…
"Go to hell on the owe you thing," she said. "And 72
Vampire Lover
what’s so amusing?"
"I was wondering if you’ll forget that I saved you?"
"No one ever forgets their first."
Ah, Connor was sassy, all right, Hayden thought, if somewhat out of her league now, with that stake visibly wavering in her hand.
He could smell the scrapes in her skin from her tussle with the undead. The accompanying scent of blood was adrift, and tempting, but not nearly as tempting as her shirt, torn open at the neckline to expose a triangle of creamy, unblemished skin.
Skin unadorned by the special silver necklace.
Hearing the sound of wood striking stone, Hayden knew that Connor had dropped her weapon. He tried to understand what this meant, mentally, but his body had no such problem in translation, and took him toward her before he thought to pull back.
Her eyes were on him, disconcertingly green.
Within her gaze was a strange, knowing light.
Intelligent. Calculating. Nothing innocent about it.
He looked at her uncertainly. With twelve inches separating them, doubt again crossed his mind. Have I been had?
"Let me see," he said, testing his theory. "You don’t really fight like a girl?"
"Not usually."
Was she hiding a grin?
"You aren’t going to tell me that—"
"I knew you’d come, and wanted to see what you’d do? See if you would jump in to help me, true to your word about not wanting to see me harmed?" Connor said.
Linda Thomas-Sundstrom
73
He raised his eyebrows questioningly.
She went on. "That I figured you would be doing the same thing? Waiting to see if I’d stake the monster or not?"
She let him sweat that out for a beat, then shook her head. "The answer is no to all of those things. It would have been something I’d do, though. Just so you know."
Hayden said, with relief, "You didn’t know about being a Slayer."
Connor made a face as she moved a sore shoulder.
"I had no idea."
"Now you do?"
"Oh, yes. I’m getting more and more used to it as the hours fly by."
"Do you
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