Page 49 of Crimson Storm

After another long look, he did, shifting his weight and rolling onto his back just next to me. For a moment, we lay side by side, breathing and recovering.

“I’m not sure where along the way this happened, but it’s moved past guilt over my uncles’ actions,” Shane said. “Now it’s much more than that. I care for you, Abigail. You know that by now, don’t you?”

I sighed, looking up at the rafters instead of at his earnest face. “Why?”

My money was on the queen bee pheromones, but I couldn’t tell him about that. Besides, I still didn’t know if it even affected humans.

Shane pushed up on an elbow, rolling onto his side to look down at my face. “What’s that supposed to mean? There’s all kinds of reasons why. You’re smart, funny, sweet… and you’re so beautiful you take my breath away.”

The unexpected comment—and the absorbed expression he wore—stolemybreath. “Do you... have athingfor vampire girls or something?”

His smile crashed. He looked hurt. “No. Well, maybe. But it’s not just that. Is it so hard to believe I just like you? That I’m attracted toyou?”

Yes.Because I let myself believe that about Reece, and it turned out I was laughably, tragically wrong.

“I don’t know,” I mumbled. “Shane... I don’t know what to say.”

For a long moment he just stared into my eyes. Then his gaze shifted to my lips. “You don’t have to say anything,” he whispered.

Before I knew what was happening, his mouth was on mine. At first, I was so shocked I didn’t respond. And then I did.

The response probably wasn’t the one Shane was looking for. My fangs emerged, and my stomach growled, my thirst roaring to life. He jerked back.

“Oh—I forgot about your blood addiction. Does kissing me bother you?”

Yes.But it wasn’t for the reason he assumed. The second his lips touched mine, a vivid image of Reece had popped into my mind.

“Um... kind of. Listen, I have a confession to make. That story I told you about blood addiction? Itistrue... about some vampires, like Kelly. But not about me. There’s another reason I wouldn’t drink from you back at your uncle’s house.”

Shane’s brows drew together. “What is it? Do I smell bad or something?”

A surprised laugh barked out of me. “What? No. Why would you ask that?”

“Well, Marjorie said some humans smell better than others. And some smell distinctlyunappetizing.”

I rocked my head back and forth. “No. You smell just fine. I didn’t bite you—couldn’t let myself bite you—because of what happened with Josiah.”

“But I already told you I haven’t been bitten that many times. I won’t turn.”

“I can’t be sure of that. There’s a chance that with me, it might take only one bite. I could never do that to another person—certainly not to you after all you’ve done for us. Believe me, you don’t want this life. Especially now with the way things are going under President Parker. It’s a really bad time to be a vampire.”

He nodded in understanding and then he blushed deeply. “So then...” He stopped and swallowed. “If kissing me doesn’t make you want to bite me... can I kiss you again?”

Sitting up, I scooted away from him. He sat up as well, and his mouth quirked with amusement. “I guess that’s a ‘no.’”

“Shane, I like you. Very much. You are truly a nice guy, and I can’t thank you enough for helping us get this far, for keeping me from flame-broiling a few minutes ago. But I have a history that makes getting involved with anyone difficult.”

“What happened with your friend Josiah doesn’t bother me,” he said. “You had just turned, you’re remorseful about it, and I know you’d never hurt me.”

“That’s not the history I’m talking about. There’s a guy. A vampire.”

His hopeful expression changed into something resembling embarrassment. “Oh. I thought you said you didn’t really date. Well actually you said there was a boyfriend once, but I thought it was in the past.”

The word “boyfriend” seemed so trite, so inadequate to describe what Reece had been to me, but I didn’t know what else to call him, so I didn’t correct Shane.

“It is. It’s over. He’s... not available.”

“I remember. You said he made an ‘eternal commitment’ to someone else.”

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