AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Dear one,” he scolded. “I need you. You, Annelise Drew. I want to be with you. ” He slowly brought my hand to his mouth, eyes locked with mine, and placed a gentle kiss at my wrist. “It appears I’ve grown fond of you. ” He gave me a gentle nip. “And more than fond, aye?”
It felt like the sun rising on my face, I smiled so wide. I gave his fingers a squeeze. “Yes. Let’s go. Let’s get out of here. ”
We walked downstairs and outside, hand in hand. “I need to ask you a question,” I began shyly. My dreams of him had been so vivid, I couldn’t get them from my mind. “Did you have anything to do with my dreams?”
“How many dreams were there?”
I nudged him with my shoulder. “Just answer the question. ”
He laughed. “Are you saying you think I somehow came to you in your sleep?”
“Didn’t you?”
“Trust me, love. When I come to you in the night, it won’t be a thing you’ll sleep through. ”
A shiver of anticipation rolled across my skin.
He patted my hand as he pulled me to a faster walk. “Make haste now. We must move before we’re discovered. ” He gestured away from campus.
I hesitated, joking nervously, “Leaving the path?”
He gave me a reassuring smile. “I promise, you’ll like where I take you. ”
CHAPTER TWENTY
He led me to a place I’d spotted before, a break in the foliage that I’d always assumed fell into a sheer drop on the other side—but there was a trail. It was steep and slow going, with only the light of the moon to guide us. As we descended, the crashing waves grew louder.
A thrill shivered up the backs of my legs, and I worried that Carden was right. Maybe I did like going off the path. Maybe I was a natural-born rule breaker. It didn’t bode well for my time on the island.
As we neared the bottom, I had to use my hands to keep my balance on the sharp incline. Water shimmered along the horizon, moonlight picking silver along the waves.
Carden jumped the rest of the way. From the sound of his landing, there was a small sliver of rocky beach below. Turning, he wrapped his hands about my waist and lifted me up, his grip sliding ever so slightly up my torso. “Come, dear one. ”
The sensation of being held by Carden, of him floating me up in the air and setting me gently down before him, was rapturous.
I felt on the precipice of some new relationship, and it made me feel vulnerable. I was more aware than ever how Alcántara was gunning for him.
When he put me down, I didn’t give myself a moment to second-guess it, I just asked, “Why does Alcántara hate you?”
He took my hand, and waves of pleasure rippled over me, enveloping my body in warmth. “If I answer your questions, will you do a favor for me?”
I gave him a wary look. I’ve had experience with vampires and favors before. “It depends. ”
“So coy you are. ” He chuckled. “I see I have still to prove myself. All right, little dove. I’ll answer you in good faith. ” He leaned close to whisper in my ear, “But I’ll expect something in kind. ”
My skin tightened over my body in anticipation. “Alcántara?” I reminded him.
He began to lead us down the beach. “I’ve known women before, and I can say, you are one of the most tenacious. ”
Jealousy mowed through me. I stopped short, feeling gutted. “You’ve known many women?”
His smile gleamed in the moonlight. “Are you jealous?”
“No,” I lied.
“Ah. Because I’d hoped perhaps you might be jealous. ”
I did a little jog to catch up to him. “You’re trying to avoid my question. ”
