The skin on skin contact instantly caused electric pulses to run right up her arm and straight down to her groin, where she felt a rush of wetness between her legs.
Her eyes snapped up to his, and her breathing became hindered as their gazes locked. Her heart pounded in her chest from the blood rushing through her veins.
She squeezed her thighs together to try to relieve the yearning between her legs that hadn’t totally gone away since this man had entered the bar, and was oh, so much worse now.
Really, what iswrongwith me?
Nik inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring slightly, and she watched as those strange eyes of his seemed to shine even brighter. The muscles on the side of his jaw bulged out as he clenched his jaw, and his hand tightened around hers.
So. She wasn’t the only one affected by the touch. Good to know.
Chapter 6
Nik nearly groaned aloud as the scent of her arousal hit him. The thought of her wet and aching almost made him forget they were in a public place with watchful eyes. His body reacted immediately and against his will—muscles hardening as his blood sped up to match the flow of hers, and his gums ached as his fangs descended. He struggled to get himself under control as he clung to her small hand, fighting the need to pierce her soft skin, afraid to move for fear of what he might do.
But then Emma abruptly pulled her hand from his, and the spell was broken. At the loss of it he curled his own hand in on itself to try to keep the warmth of her there.
Delicately clearing her throat, she repeated, “So, Nikulas, I ask again, who are you? Where did you come from? Because I know you’re not from around here.”
Nik discreetly rubbed the heel of his other hand over his throbbing erection and tried to concentrate on the conversation. “Originally? I was born in Estonia. But my brother and I, and some others in our family, have been here quite a long time.” He paused, contemplating how much to reveal about himself. “We actually live in Seattle, Washington.”
“And what brings you all the way here to PA?” Emma asked.
Having discreetly readjusted himself in his jeans to a slightly more comfortable position, he focused again on her lovely face. “You.”
“Me?” she scoffed. “Forgive me if I have a hard time believing you. I’m just a small-town girl living a very unexciting life. How could you possibly have any interest in me?”
“Because that brother I mentioned? He’s missing too. And I think he’s with your sister, and I think you can help me when we find them.” He held up a hand as she opened her mouth to interrupt him. “Just hold on. I’ll answer your questions, but first, I need you to tell me exactly what happened the night your sister went missing. Everything. No matter how unimportant or unbelievable you think it is. You might be shocked at how little surprises me.”
He watched, fascinated, as her every thought and emotion flitted across her expressive features. Doubt, confusion, hope, and finally…joy.
“I knew it!” She slammed her hands on the table again. “I knew she wasn’t dead!” A full-on, dazzling smile broke out across her face, and Nik’s lungs stopped working altogether.
Fucking hell.That smile—all white teeth and bright eyes sparkling with elation—lit up her entire face. He found himself unable to look away, even if he’d wanted to. It was like seeing the sun again after all of his hundreds of years of darkness. This slip of a female was bringing out things in him he hadn’t felt for…a very long time.
And he didn’t like it one damn bit.
Sitting back and placing a hand over his heart, like that would help it start to beat again, he blinked a few times to break the connection and attempted to disguise his reaction to her with a cough before asking, “And how did you know that?”
Emma stopped smiling and frowned at him instead. Squinting at him suspiciously, she answered his question with a couple of her own. “How do you know she’s with your brother? And how do you know they’re still alive?”
“Because if my brother was dead, I would feel it. Like, literally. Right here.” He put his hand back over his heart. “And correct me if I’m wrong, but I think you have a similar connection with your sister.” Nik waited for her to deny it.
She didn’t.
“Look, I know you don’t know me, and I know you have absolutely no reason to trust me. But that’s exactly what I’m asking you to do.”
He leaned forward again and trapped her hazel green eyes with his so she couldn’t look away. “Emma, please. I need you to tell me what happened that night.
Looking away to watch the dancers, who had gone from slow dancing toJust Like Heavento fast dancing toPianoMan, she gave him a lame story. “All I remember is being at the carnival with Keira. I remember walking through the field where everyone parked their cars, though it was pretty late so most people had already left. Ours was parked way out toward the tree line where the woods started. Next thing I remember, I was in the ER, and Keira was gone. They said it was a bear attack.”
She recited the words with no emotion. Sitting back in his seat, he followed her gaze over to the dancers, who were now harassing the bartender for another drink. “You’re lying.” He tried, and failed, to keep the disappointment from his voice.
Her eyes whipped back to his face. “What did you say?”
“You’re lying. I think you remember a whole lot more than you’re letting on.”
“How dare you?” she hissed at him. “Who the hell do you think you are, accusing me like that?”
