Broken (The Captive #5.5)(10)

The kiss only lasted seconds but when he pulled his lips away from hers she could still feel the warmth of him against her, still feel the strange sensations he aroused within her. His eyes were latched onto hers as his mouth hovered just inches away from hers. She had to put some distance between them if she was going to have any chance of gathering her scattered thoughts. Taking a step away, she recalled too late that they were standing on a boulder.

Her foot slipped away into nothingness, her arms whirled in an attempt to keep her balance. Atticus leapt forward, grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her forward. She'd just been trying to get some distance from him but now she found herself brought up firmly against him. She couldn't help but marvel at how broad and solid his chest was as her forearms were pinned against it.

His hands slid briefly down her arms and over the wool of her mantle before slipping away. "Careful Genevieve, don't want you to get injured."

"Genny," she whispered when all other words failed her. "Please call me Genny."

A sexy smile curved his full lips. A twinkle in his eyes called for her to kiss him all over again, but that could prove even more treacherous than falling off this boulder. He was a nobleman, but even more than that, he was the nobleman. Even if he wasn't related to the last king, he was the prince amongst their people. Becoming entangled with him would only get her tossed aside one day; much like Marie had repeatedly been over the years. And the one thing she had always vowed to never do, was become was anything like Marie.





CHAPTER 4


Atticus kept hold of her hand as she stepped off of the rock. She lifted the mud-coated hem of her mantle, holding it above the ground as they walked through a muddier patch of the forest. Her scent had been quite alluring but it was nowhere near as enticing as the feel of her skin against his. Without meaning to, he slid his thumb over the back of her supple hand. He realized he could become lost to her as his gaze moved to her full mouth.

She glanced at him from the corner of her eye; a smile curved her mouth before she looked away again. He forced his attention away from her before he walked into a tree. "How old are you Genny?"

"I am twenty-two, what of you?"

"I just turned twenty-five. Is your family from France?" he inquired.

"My mother is; why do you ask?"

"Genevieve and Camille are French names."

She laughed as she dropped her skirts back down. "I never really thought about it, but I suppose they are. My mother came here before I was born, her name is Marie."

"And your father?"

"I never met my father."

"I see." He knew it wasn't unusual for vampires outside of the aristocracy not to know their entire family. Even inside the aristocracy it wasn't unusual for siblings to have different mothers or fathers. Most couples were originally joined for breeding purposes only, once they had accomplished their goal they often went their separate ways after. "Did she meet your father in England?"

"She did. From what she tells me he was a wealthy vampire that she only knew for about a month. She didn't know she was pregnant until after they had separated. Camille's father was also from England, or at least I'm pretty sure he was. There were so many men back then it was hard to keep them straight…" Her voice trailed off as she shook her head.

"And now?" he asked.

"Now she has been with Felix for the past six months."

"And Felix is?"

He didn't miss the flicker of scorn in her eyes before she covered it up. "Felix is the newest man to support her."

"And what of you and your sister?"

"We're almost to the town," she said abruptly.

He'd been so focused on her that he hadn't realized where they were heading until she spoke. The potent scent of livestock and manure filled his nostrils, in the distance he detected the jingling of a cowbell and the loud pitch of voices. Beneath it all though he could smell the enticing scent of blood and hear the sound of numerous heartbeats.

"A human village," he murmured.

"It is."

"Do you have to feed?"

She shook her head and held her fingers up before him; she wiggled them as she smiled at him. "I support my sister and I."

He glanced between her hand and the village just beyond the trees. "Do you come here to steal often?"

"As often as I can. If you don't want to come…"

"No, I'm coming." He kept hold of her hand as he pushed back another branch and held it aside for her to pass. They stepped onto the muddy dirt road about a half a mile away from the town. If anything, he could use some blood right now, being around her was arousing his hunger even more than what he was used to, but as he passed their first human he realized it wasn't their blood that he craved but hers.

It was an unsettling realization, one that he'd never experienced before, but as he looked at the blue vein running just under the pale skin on the side of her neck, his fangs pricked and saliva filled his mouth. As a vampire this wasn't something he was supposed to experience, but in that moment he would have chosen her vein over any humans. Vampires didn't share blood with each other. He most certainly had never done it, but he still would have given anything for just a taste of her.

Unable to resist, he moved closer to her. She glanced questioningly up at him as his fingers slid over her cheek to wrap around her neck. With a gentle tug, he pulled her toward him and kissed her again. A small sound escaped her but she didn't fight against him. Her palm flattened against the place where his heart would have beat if he were human. He'd never once thought about the lack of a heartbeat within his chest but the instant his lips touched hers again, he had the sensation of his heart doing a brief kick against his ribs. He'd kissed many women over the course of his life but never once had he come close to experiencing the feeling of coming alive like he did when his mouth connected with hers.