Page 129 of Fated In Blood

I sipped my coffee, considering him as he drifted over to the windows, determined not to look at me. He’d laid that heart of his on the line yesterday and what had I said in return?

Nothing.

Not a single word.

“Where did you go last night?” I waited while he debated whether or not to sit down before finally pulling out the chair opposite me. Even sitting, he towered over me, elbows braced on the table, one huge hand making his cup look ridiculously small. The thin, gold ring strung on the chain around his neck glinted.

“Out. I had things to do.” He wouldn’t meet my eyes, and I ground my teeth together.

“What kind of things?” I counted to ten, and when he didn’t answer, added, “Out where?”

“Just out.”

I set down my coffee. Beneath every answer was a seed of hurt.

This went far deeper than jealousy. He’d given me part of himself, and I’d given nothing in return. True, I was about as emotionally stunted as a person could get, but even I could see how that would wound someone.

“I came out of the bathroom and you were gone, but you’d stood there a long time, waiting. Do you know why I was in there for so long? I was crying and I didn’t want you to see.” His knuckles turned white as he gripped the cup.

“My entire life, nobody ever bothered to do anything as nice as what you and Riordan did for me, nobody ever took care of me like that. I didn’t know how to handle all of that emotion, and I’m sorry it took me so long to get myself together, but I was coming out to thank you.”

I stood up and rounded the table, Blake looking slightly alarmed when I stopped in front of him. “You were already gone, so I’m thanking you now.” I wound my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his cheek, his whiskers scratching my mouth.

“Thank you for taking care of me, Blake Marten. Thank you for taking me to see Aria, for keeping me safe, but most of all, thank you for opening up to me yesterday and telling me how you feel. I should have said something.”

I tipped my forehead to his and closed my stinging eyes. “But I couldn’t find the right words. But even the wrong words would have been better than nothing.”

“And now?” he asked quietly. “What about now?”

“Now…I don’t trust easily, Blake. So far, my survival has depended on me not trusting anyone.”

I straightened up. “But I would like to fix that. I would very much like us to trust each other. I’d like to be…friends.”

He lifted a brow. “Friends?”

“To start. I’m also not opposed to a little groveling.”

His eyebrows went up. “Is that me groveling or you groveling, because now I’m confused.”

I punched him in the arm and only ended up hurting my knuckles since his muscles were like a stone wall. “You’re doing the groveling. I’m doing the magnanimous forgiving.”

“It’s kind of early in the morning for groveling, don’t you think?”

“Never too early, in my opinion, and besides”—I nodded to his cup—“you have coffee, what more could you possibly want?”

I meant it in jest, but Blake dragged his eyes down my body, so slow and deliberate, bottom lip caught between his teeth, heat boiled up inside me like an exploding sun.

I can think of something I’ve been wanting for a long, long time, little slayer. His nostrils flared and my nipples peaked, warmth settling between my legs like a fire about to ignite.

What the hell was I doing?

This was madness. Riordan had just left my bed.For the last time, my little voice of reason reminded me. Even so, I shouldn’t want more, probably didn’t deserve more, but…but I wanted Blake, too, which was utter madness.

Frankly, I could barely handle Riordan.

Blake would definitely put me into overload. Possibly break a hip if we weren’t careful.

“Sit down and drink your coffee, Evangeline.” His voice was about three shades deeper and as rough as sandpaper. “I told you I’d fix my mistakes, and that’s what I intend to do.”

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