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“You did.”
“I said you couldn’t. Nor can anyone else.”
She drew back a little so she could see his face. “Why is that?”
“It’s my own form of revenge. Should anyone find my lair and take my life, theirs will also be forfeit.”
She shuddered as she imagined being trapped down there in the dark for days or weeks with no food and no water. “Has that ever happened?”
“Not until today.” He stroked her cheek. “You have all the tenacity of a pit bull.”
“I don’t like secrets. It’s not fair for you to have them when I can’t.”
“Hasn’t anyone ever told you that life is unfair?”
“What other secrets are you keeping from me?”
He sighed in resignation. “What do you want to know, Kadie?”
She shrugged. “I just want you to promise that you won’t lie to me. You’ve taken away my freedom and everything that’s familiar to me. You’re all I have, and I want to know that I can trust you to be honest with me.”
“All right, Kadie. I promise not to lie to you.” Though he could not promise he would always tell her the whole truth.
Kadie rested her cheek on his shoulder and closed her eyes, content to be held, to feel his hand lightly kneading her back and shoulders. Vampire or not, she felt safe in his arms. He was impossibly strong and powerful. Nothing could hurt her as long as he was with her.
There was no sound in the house. Gradually, she became aware of his skin beneath her cheek. His cool, bare skin.
“Rylan?”
“Yes, Kadie?”
“Why are you naked?”
Laughter erupted from his throat, filling the room with pure, masculine amusement.
Stiffening, she frowned at him. “Did I say something funny?”
Still laughing, he shook his head. How had he lived so long without her? He had laughed more since Kadie arrived in Morgan Creek than he had in years. He was surprised by how good it felt.
When she started to slide off his lap, he wrapped his arm around her waist, holding her body to his. “I felt your fear in the tunnel,” he explained with a grin. “I thought it might be more important to find you than pull on my pants. Next time you need rescuing, I’ll take time to dress first.”
She stuck her tongue out at him, then wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed his cheek.
His laughter turned to a groan as she wriggled in his lap.
“What’s wrong?” she asked. “Am I hurting you?”
He inhaled sharply. “You have no idea.”
“I’m sorry. Should I get up?”
“No.” He buried his face in her hair as desire shot through him. He was an old vampire, practically indestructible, yet this fragile creature had the power to humble him, to bring him to his knees in ways no one else ever had. He had spent his life guarding his existence, hiding his true nature from the world, refusing to let himself care for those around him because he knew from experience that, in the end, they would wither and die.
And then Kadie had come along. Young, innocent, and ignorant of his kind, she had burrowed deep into his heart and taken root there.
He undressed her slowly, raining kisses on her cheeks, her neck, the hollow of her throat. He caressed her, delighting in her warmth, in the little sounds of pleasure that rose in her throat as his hands moved over her.
Stretching out on the sofa, he settled her on top of him and kissed her until she cried for him to take her.
Murmuring her name, he rose over her. He could never let her know the power she held over him, he thought as he buried himself deep within her. Never let her suspect she had the power to destroy him.
Kadie blew a strand of hair out of her eyes, her heart still pounding, her body bathed in sweat, Saintcrow’s taste still on her lips. They were lying side by side on the sofa, their bodies still joined together. His eyes were closed and she studied his face. It was a strong face, a handsome face. She moved and his arm tightened around her. “Don’t go.”
“My foot’s asleep.”
Grunting softly, he lifted his leg from hers.
She loved being in his arms, feeling his body next to hers. He was so masculine, so tall and strong, with incredible powers at his command. What must he think of her when she was so weak, so human?
“I think you’re beautiful,” he said, his voice husky. And anything but weak. She had captured him, heart and soul. If she ever suspected the power she held over him, she could have anything she desired.
She tangled her fingers in his hair. “What’s it like, to live so long? You must have done everything there is to do, seen everything there is to see. How do you stand it, when there’s nothing new, nothing to look forward to? No surprises left.”
He opened his eyes. “You were a surprise. Totally new and unexpected.”
“Me?”
“I’ve never known anyone like you before.”
“I’ve never known anyone like you before either,” she retorted with an impish grin.
“Kadie, I’m being serious here.”
She shook her head. “I’m just ordinary, no different from thousands of other women my age.”
“Are you accusing me of lying when I’ve just promised to tell you the truth?”
“No, but . . . you must have known hundreds of women. What makes me so different?”
“There’s no one else like you.” He cupped her cheek in his hand, his thumb playing lightly over her lips. “I’m not sure how to explain it. You may think you’re like everyone else, and to other people, maybe you are. But I perceive you differently. The beat of your heart, the scent of your skin, the sound of your voice . . . You’re beautiful to me in ways others don’t see.” He stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. “Your skin is softer than the petals of a rose, your hair is like silk in my hands.”
She blushed at his praise.
It was on the tip of his tongue to tell her he loved her, couldn’t live without her, but he swallowed the words, afraid to appear vulnerable, afraid she would take advantage of his love and ask for her freedom. He would willingly give her anything. Anything but that.
Later that night, after Kadie was asleep, Saintcrow drove to town. He didn’t often mingle with the other vampires, but lately, he had sensed some unrest among them, especially among Vaughan and Lilith. He wasn’t surprised to find the whole vampire community gathered in the tavern when he arrived. Nor was he surprised when Lilith bolted out of her chair.
