are more families like yours?” She couldn’t imagine there being anyone like the Chiassons, with their vivid blue eyes and warrior attitude.
“A few.”
When his eyes dropped to her chest, Olivia realized she was still naked. Her breast swelled and her nipples puckered under his gaze.
She swallowed loudly and gathered the sheet in her hand. Vincent looked at her as if she might shatter at any moment. And she just might after everything she had witnessed and learned that night.
How could she not believe it though? The stories of strange sightings had made their rounds through the small town often. Olivia herself had heard peculiar sounds late at night, but her grandmother had told her it was just the animals of the bayou.
Olivia leaned into Vincent’s hand when he cupped her cheek. She wished they had all night to themselves, but there was something dark and dangerous after her.
“I wish my life was different,” he said, a small frown marring his forehead. “I wish I had asked you out years ago. I wish...for so many things.”
He was telling her that they didn’t have a future, that what happened between them wouldn’t happen again. Olivia hadn’t been looking for a relationship, but she had never expected to end up in Vincent Chiasson’s arms.
She pulled his hand from her face and smiled. “I’ve been out in the world, and I’ve seen what it had to offer. I thought I had found the man who would be my husband, but it turns out what I was looking for was right here at home.”
“Olivia, no,” he said and rose from the bed. “Don’t do this. I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t be in any kind of relationship.”
It took her a minute to realize why he was pulling away. “You’re afraid.”
He paused in the process of pulling on his jeans. “I’m not scared to give my heart to someone.”
“No. You’re scared of losing someone.” How could she not have seen it before? He kept a wall between himself and the world, a protection from the wickedness that invaded his life.
Vincent fastened his jeans and grabbed a shirt from his closet before he pulled it on over his head. “I care about you. Because of that, I won’t subject you to what every Chiasson woman endures.”
“The love of their men.”
His face hardened. “Death. Most by the hands of the creatures we hunt.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but he left the room before she could. For several seconds, Olivia stared at the doorway hoping he would return.
When he didn’t, she dressed and ran her hands through her hair before she stepped into the hallway. Only to draw up short when she spotted Lincoln nonchalantly leaning against the wall.
He pushed away and slowly walked to her. “Vincent is a complicated person. He’s stubborn as hell, and he thinks he has to shoulder everything himself.”
“He won’t ever let me in, will he?”
“That’s the thing, Olivia. He did let you in. That’s why he’s pushing you away so hard. Vincent hides many things, but the one thing he could never hide was his fascination with you. He got drunk the night you left Lyons Point.”
Olivia’s mind reeled with the news. “He never even looked at me before tonight.”
“Oh, he looked. Always. We followed you home many late nights just to make sure you arrived safely.”
Was that why she had never been afraid in the bayou? Did she know that someone watched over her? Thinking back, she remembered her grandmother often looking into the trees after Olivia got home.
“Did my grandmother know what y’all did?”
Lincoln nodded and gathered his long dark hair at the nape of his neck to tie it off. “She knew it was Vincent who looked out for you.”
“Why didn’t he ever say anything? If he only knew the outrageous things I did to get his attention.”
“Our parents died on the same day, but the hours between when our father found our mother and his own death has stayed with Vin. We were both there, but he saw much more than I did.
“A few.”
When his eyes dropped to her chest, Olivia realized she was still naked. Her breast swelled and her nipples puckered under his gaze.
She swallowed loudly and gathered the sheet in her hand. Vincent looked at her as if she might shatter at any moment. And she just might after everything she had witnessed and learned that night.
How could she not believe it though? The stories of strange sightings had made their rounds through the small town often. Olivia herself had heard peculiar sounds late at night, but her grandmother had told her it was just the animals of the bayou.
Olivia leaned into Vincent’s hand when he cupped her cheek. She wished they had all night to themselves, but there was something dark and dangerous after her.
“I wish my life was different,” he said, a small frown marring his forehead. “I wish I had asked you out years ago. I wish...for so many things.”
He was telling her that they didn’t have a future, that what happened between them wouldn’t happen again. Olivia hadn’t been looking for a relationship, but she had never expected to end up in Vincent Chiasson’s arms.
She pulled his hand from her face and smiled. “I’ve been out in the world, and I’ve seen what it had to offer. I thought I had found the man who would be my husband, but it turns out what I was looking for was right here at home.”
“Olivia, no,” he said and rose from the bed. “Don’t do this. I don’t want to hurt you, but I can’t be in any kind of relationship.”
It took her a minute to realize why he was pulling away. “You’re afraid.”
He paused in the process of pulling on his jeans. “I’m not scared to give my heart to someone.”
“No. You’re scared of losing someone.” How could she not have seen it before? He kept a wall between himself and the world, a protection from the wickedness that invaded his life.
Vincent fastened his jeans and grabbed a shirt from his closet before he pulled it on over his head. “I care about you. Because of that, I won’t subject you to what every Chiasson woman endures.”
“The love of their men.”
His face hardened. “Death. Most by the hands of the creatures we hunt.”
She opened her mouth to reply, but he left the room before she could. For several seconds, Olivia stared at the doorway hoping he would return.
When he didn’t, she dressed and ran her hands through her hair before she stepped into the hallway. Only to draw up short when she spotted Lincoln nonchalantly leaning against the wall.
He pushed away and slowly walked to her. “Vincent is a complicated person. He’s stubborn as hell, and he thinks he has to shoulder everything himself.”
“He won’t ever let me in, will he?”
“That’s the thing, Olivia. He did let you in. That’s why he’s pushing you away so hard. Vincent hides many things, but the one thing he could never hide was his fascination with you. He got drunk the night you left Lyons Point.”
Olivia’s mind reeled with the news. “He never even looked at me before tonight.”
“Oh, he looked. Always. We followed you home many late nights just to make sure you arrived safely.”
Was that why she had never been afraid in the bayou? Did she know that someone watched over her? Thinking back, she remembered her grandmother often looking into the trees after Olivia got home.
“Did my grandmother know what y’all did?”
Lincoln nodded and gathered his long dark hair at the nape of his neck to tie it off. “She knew it was Vincent who looked out for you.”
“Why didn’t he ever say anything? If he only knew the outrageous things I did to get his attention.”
“Our parents died on the same day, but the hours between when our father found our mother and his own death has stayed with Vin. We were both there, but he saw much more than I did.
Similar Books
