Page 25 of Seph

She tripped on her weak ankle. He caught her. Their lips were inches apart—

He’d breathed out her name, his hands tightening on her back—

And she’d stumbled away, pushing him off and cursing.

Never been kissed—until that one wonderful disastrous night in September.

Still a virgin.

Simeon Crow had probably bedded thousands of women. She wouldn’t be one of them, even if the hopeful note whenever he said her name lifted her heart out of the permanent pit it seemed to live in these days.

She should tell him to go away. Now. Scram.

“Come in, Simeon.” Her brain veered sharply out of alignment.

This was why her life was so messed up. Too many contradictory things living in her head at all times.

“Emily, you’re not going to believe this.”

“Ialreadydon’t believe this. Why are we still doing this? Why are you here? I can walk. I can fight. I don’t currently haveanything to fight against, but I’m not taking my eyes off of you!”If I did, if I decided he was harmless, I’d have to leave town.

This is the only place that’s ever felt like home...

Or I’d have to believe he loves me.

I don’t know how anyone could love me.

“It’s not about training. Well, a little bit—” Simeon pushed his way in, and his body pressed against hers in passing.

She ducked as he came near her. “No kissing!”

Simeon gave her a look as if she was completely mental. “I wasn’t going to kiss you. Unless you kiss me first.”

“I wasn’t going to!”

“Your loss.”

“Smug much?” Emily sidestepped the vampire and retreated as far from him as possible, leaning against the window overlooking the street. She froze at the sight of a moonlight-silver sports car halfway on the sidewalk, halfway on the street. “Simeon! Did you steal that car? Does being undead mean you suck at parking?”

“Oi! Do you want to talk about the last time you were behind the wheel? I— Sorry.” He stopped and shook his head. “The car’s a loaner for a week. I have a mission, and I need help.”

“A mission? What are you, the V-Team?”

“For vampire? Ha, you’re a laugh riot. Hades should have met you. Well, I suppose he might have. Or does an underling handle that sort of stuff?” Simeon mumbled to himself, hand scratching his dark locks into a tumble of little spikes.

“I don’t get the joke, but I’m being serious. What kind of mission? Who in their right mind would give you a mission?”

His cold blue glare cut through her and made her feel small and guilty.

That’s no way to talk to the guy who made it his own mission to hunt down evil for decades. The man—I mean monster, who saved your life.

Some part of me believes he’s trying to be good.

That part of me gets bigger every day, no matter how much I try to silence it.

“Sorry. Who gave you a mission?” she repeated without the venom this time.

“No worries. Look, I agree. I don’t seem to be the mission type—unless it’s foryou. For you, Emmy, I’d do anything.”

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