Deadly Fate (Krewe of Hunters #19)(66)

The simple sound of her words sent something electric sweeping through him, arousing him ridiculously. They weren’t even touching.

He smiled, coming a step closer to her.

“You would sleep with me because...?”

“Because you are...you,” she said softly.

He loved the way she said it.

He took another step.

“Great answer,” he told her. “Very seductive.”

“It’s my answer. I mean, Amelia would have slept with you because of...being afraid, I believe, whereas...”

“What makes you think I would have slept with her?”

“I think she believes it’s easy to persuade any man.”

“Really? That doesn’t say much for men.”

Clara smiled. “I don’t think she meant it as an insult. Just biology. But I don’t believe that I... Well, I don’t think I’m quite as...persuasive.”

“Hm. And you were doing so well with your Southern charm, mollifying Kimball.”

Another step closer.

“I’m sure Amelia would have done better,” she said.

“Ah, well, I’m not so sure I would have slept with her. Honestly.”

“Oh?” she said softly, looking at him.

“No. Not even if we had met under normal circumstances, I mean. She’s not...”

“Your type?”

“I don’t think I have a type. She just isn’t someone I would have felt attracted to.”

“Ah.” She was quiet a minute. “And me?”

He smiled at that, taking the last step and taking her into his arms. “Do you really need me to answer that?”

“Actually, yes,” she told him.

He ran his knuckles down the soft side of her cheek, looking into the sky blue pools of her eyes.

“Am I attracted to you?” he whispered. “Actually, yes.”

She smiled. A huge smile. “So...does that mean that if I kiss you, you could help, as well?”

“Yeah, I could try that.” He paused, serious for a moment. “You know, we don’t have to sleep together, even kiss. I intend to protect you with my dying breath, whether we sleep together or not,” he told her.

His knees, he realized, were trembling. He hadn’t felt like this in forever.

He hadn’t let himself. Caring for people seemed to put them in danger.

But this, he couldn’t stop...

“Oh, my God,” she murmured, and she moved closer to him, so close that he could feel the heat and shape of her against him, causing the trembling in him to stop and a heated constriction to begin.

“I’m not good at this, am I?” she whispered.

Oh, no, you’re very, very good! he thought. But she was speaking; she needed to speak. He savored the feel of the burning within him and just held her as she went on.

“We did talk about this, Amelia and I. She said that I was an actress, surely I played the part somewhere along the line. And I have played the part, but this is real life, and when it comes to real life... I guess I should tell you that I’m a little out of practice, it’s been a while, I am career oriented, well, not really, not above all else in life, just that my last relationship—with an actor, go figure—didn’t go so well, and onstage playing a part is one thing, but when it’s really you... I’m sorry, I’m ridiculously nervous, and I can’t seem to stop talking. I’m woefully out of practice, not that I haven’t thought that someone would come along somewhere along the way and I’ve stayed on birth control pills... That may be more than you wanted to know, and oh! Well, I mean, really, I’m trustworthy and I—my God! I’m still talking and I—”

“I can help you stop!” he told her, and he pulled her closer, molding his mouth down over hers, tasting sweet and seductive warmth and a hint of peppermint. Her lips parted to his and he made the kiss slow and leisurely, as if he could come to know her, really know her, through the depth of a kiss. When their lips parted, she said, “I talk too much.”

“I can take care of that,” he murmured.

And he kissed her again. Her arms encircled his neck, her fingers playing at his nape. “And when I first met you, I just thought that you were a...”

“A what?” he murmured, his lips teasing at her throat then.

“Well, I thought you were trying to kill me, and that...”

He lifted her hand and teased the palm and wrist. “You do have one mean right hook,” he assured her.

“And you do have a way of sweeping someone off their feet,” she said.

“You ain’t seen nothing yet!” he teased.

And swept her off her feet.

Her arms curled around his neck and they lay down on the bed together. He felt her lips tease along his neck and a sweet raw ache began to tear at him. He rose above her, lowering his mouth to hers again, sweeping aside the silk of the robe, moving his lips and tongue over her collarbone, down to the valley of her breasts. The silk she wore created a heightened sensuality to each touch, and yet it was in the way; she slid her hands beneath the soft wool of his sweater, running them up his midriff, and he paused to pull the garment over his head. She laughed then, fingers on the buttons of his shirt.

“My Lord,” she murmured, “you do have enough clothing on!”