Page 17 of Bound By Blood

With a sigh, she moved out of the way, felt her heart skip a beat when he stepped inside.

He closed the door behind him, then followed her into the living room, stood there while she switched off the TV.

She turned to face him, her arms crossed. “So, what brings you here at this time of the morning?”

“I couldn’t sleep.”

“Take a pill.”

He felt his anger stir at her flippant reply. “Why did you leave?”

“Excuse me?”

“Tonight. Why didn’t you wait for me?”

She sat on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap, her head tilted back slightly so she could see his face.” It was late. I didn’t know how long you were going to be gone, so”—she shrugged one shoulder—”I came home. No law against it, is there?”

“Hey, I’m sorry if I offended you or …” He blew out an impatient breath. “Look, I just wanted to make sure you got home all right and you did, so I’ll say good night.”

Kaitlyn bit down on the inside corner of her lower lip as she watched him turn and walk away. What was she doing? If she didn’t say something, he would leave. Did she want him to go? What if she never saw him again?

“Zack, wait!” Jumping to her feet, she hurried after him.

He stood on the porch, his expression implacable.

“I’m sorry,” she murmured, not quite meeting his gaze. “I don’t know what came over me. I …” She tapped her foot nervously, uncertain of what she wanted to say, not knowing how to phrase it. If he wasn’t a vampire and she asked him if he was, he would think she was some kind of nut. On the other hand, if he was, she wanted—needed—to know.

“Listen, Katy, you don’t owe me any apologies, or anything else. We had some laughs. If you want to end it—”

“No! I mean … no.” She clasped her hands to her chest. “Tonight, at the casino, when you were confronting that man …”

“Yeah, what about it?” he asked, then paused, his eyes narrowing. “How do you know about that?”

“I followed you downstairs.”

“Is that right?”

She shrugged. “I got tired of waiting.”

He regarded her a moment. “So, you were saying?”

“What? Oh, when you were confronting that man, I thought … that is, I felt something … peculiar.”

“Peculiar? In what way?” He cursed his inability to read her mind. Knowing what she was really thinking would make everything so much easier.

“Never mind. I probably just imagined it.” She slid her hands into the pockets of her robe and curled them into fists. Why was it, whenever he was close to her, all she wanted to do was wrap her arms around him? What strange power did he have, that his presence should affect her so strongly? She had dated other handsome men, been held in their arms, tasted their kisses, and been unmoved. Yet a simple look from Zack, a smile, a word, and she wanted to be in his arms, naked in his bed.

She told herself again that it was nothing more than a bad case of lust, but it was getting harder and harder to convince herself that there was nothing more to it than that. “It’s late. Maybe we can talk about it tomorrow night.”

“Sure, Katy, whatever you want.”

She smiled, thinking her nickname sounded like an endearment when he said it. She looked up at him, waiting, hoping he would kiss her good night. Just when she had given up hope, he pulled her into his embrace and lowered his head to hers.

She folded her hands over his shoulders as his mouth claimed hers in a tantalizing kiss that aroused every cell and nerve ending in her body. She pressed herself shamelessly against him, wanting to be closer, to feel the hard length of his body against hers. He tasted so good, smelled so good. Felt so good. She was sorely tempted to exert her preternatural power over him, to invite him back inside and have her way with him, and then wipe the memory of it from his mind. She had never done such a thing before—never even considered it—but there was a first time for everything. She pondered the wisdom of it another few moments, then sighed. The fact that she couldn’t read his mind gave her pause. Perhaps it wouldn’t work. There was no doubt she could get him into her bed. He was a man, after all. He wasn’t likely to say no. But if she couldn’t read his mind, maybe she wouldn’t be able to erase the memory.

When he kissed her a second time, she wondered if that even mattered.

They were both breathless when, at last, he eased away from her.

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