Reborn (Shadow Falls: After Dark #1)(31)

She listened as his heart thumped against his chest bone at a normal pace. Of course, he could still be lying, but … why would he when all she’d have to do is ask Burnett?

A slight smile appeared on his lips as if he knew just what conclusion she’d come to. He leaned in a bit. His breath stirred in her hair. “You’re cute when you get mad.”

She shoved him back.

He barely shifted, giving her only an inch, not enough. She could still feel his presence. Smell his skin. See humor dance in his eyes.

“That falls place was creepy, by the way,” he said.

She almost asked if he’d gotten any scent, but didn’t want to be beholden to him for anything.

Yeah, I’ll bet the death angels were eager to put some fire to his egotistical ass. She recalled her other reason for needing a powwow with him. “Last night, were you following me?”

“Following you?”

Her canines came out a bit. “I saw you when I went to meet Burnett at the gate to go to…”

“The FRU case?” he finished.

She clenched her hands. “You were there.”

“Yeah, but I wasn’t following you. I couldn’t sleep and was taking a run. Sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt your little rendezvous.”

So he’d seen her and Steve together. Had she even tried to detect anyone? She growled at the vamp.

His smile widened as if he enjoyed knowing he got to her. Which meant from this moment on, she couldn’t let him get to her. She had to ignore him. Pay him about as much attention as a bug stealthily sneaking across a piece of dead grass.

“Fine.” She pivoted around to leave—to show disinterest—the heels of her black ankle-high boots leaving grooves in the dirt. Adios, asswipe!

“Hey, not so quick,” he spouted out, and flashed in front of her, blocking her path.

Damn, he was fast. Almost as fast as Burnett. No wonder he’d been able to hide from her in the trees.

She crossed her arms over her chest and shot him her best go-to-hell look. He didn’t go anywhere, he just stood there studying her as if she’d given him permission. But to call him on it would mean he was getting to her, so she lingered there as if his presence or his observation of her didn’t affect her at all.

The fact that it did bother her annoyed the hell out of her.

“Can’t you give a guy a break?” he finally asked.

“Arm? Leg? Neck? You name it, I’ll break it.”

He chuckled. And she so hadn’t meant it to be funny. But damn this guy was like a squeaky-voiced mosquito buzzing in her ear. All she wanted to do was smash him between her palms and wipe his remains on her jeans.

She moved around him and continued down the path.

“Can’t we talk?” he asked, sounding as if he was right behind her.

About what? What the hell did they have to talk about?

“No,” she snapped, and continued moving. She wanted to flash away, to put as much distance as she could between him and her as soon as possible, but that would tell him how much he aggravated her.

“Come on. I was even going to give up my stash of blood for you so you wouldn’t have to go off for an hour with that crazy blond vamp.”

She stopped and twisted around so fast he ran right into her. He caught her by her forearms and held her there. Their bodies came together. Her br**sts pressed against his chest. And since her br**sts weren’t that big, that meant they were really close. She pulled away.

“I thought you did that to help the blood drive? Or just to annoy me.”

He shrugged. “Maybe it was a little of all three.”

“Why?” she asked, now more curious and even more leery. She was almost positive she’d run across him before. His scent, his trace, was in her memory bank. And it stirred up vague feelings of danger.

“Why what?”

“Why would you give up blood for me?”

“To talk.” He shrugged. “I think we got off on the wrong foot.”

She listened again to his heart, steady and honest.

“I’m new here,” he continued. “And let me tell you, this place isn’t exactly friendly. You’re the only one I’ve clicked with.”

What? When had they … “We have not clicked,” she snapped. “If you’ll recall, I was going to kick your butt.”

He grinned. “But you didn’t.”

“I would have if Burnett hadn’t showed up.”

“You would have tried. But I’m going to overlook that.”

She barely managed to stop a frustrated groan. “You know, if you weren’t so damn arrogant, you might make a few friends around here.”

“I’m not arrogant. I’m confident. I know they sometimes appear the same, but they aren’t.”

Della had a vague memory of saying almost the same thing to Miranda. But she didn’t have to tell him she agreed. Frankly, having anything in common with this jerk pissed her off.

“Yeah, you just keep believing that.” She swung around and started back down the path.

“What is it? You afraid your shifter friend wouldn’t approve of us hanging out?”

She stopped and swung around again, but this time she put her hands out, prepared to stop him from touching her. Her plan backfired. Now he wasn’t touching her, but she touched him. Her palms pressed solidly against his chest. His heart pumped against his breastbone and the vibration melted in her palms. She could feel his solid mass of muscle, feel the coolness of his vampire skin. She yanked her hands away.