Fateful 2-Fractured by Cheri Schmidt Page A

about the guards or anyone else, because,”
one corner of his mouth lifted, “I have a plan.”
    A gasp from her stirred his hair. “Tell
me!”
    “Nope, it’s a surprise.” Looking away, Ethan
hesitated before adding, “I do need to go away for a couple days to
prepare for it, though.”
    Danielle’s lips twitched into a pout.
“You’re not going to Benjamin again, are you? Please tell me it’s
not that.” Because that hadn’t worked out so well.
    He chuckled. “Relax. I’m not going to visit
any vampires this time, and I’ll have two bodyguards with me. I
have no worries that I’ll be safe. I just need you to be patient
and trust me.”
    “You do remember that patience isn’t one of my stronger points,
don’t you?”
    “I’m fully aware of that,” he said while
laughing. “Come here.” With fingers curling around her nape, he
pulled her closer, and left a trail of kisses all over her face and
lips. “You said you love me, but do you trust me?”
    “I trust you. But ... I still worry about
your safety, even more so, now that you’re mortal like me.”
    Frowning at that comment, he moved the
kisses to her neck, and she laughed uncontrollably as he found that
ticklish spot. “That’s payback for calling me weak.” When his mouth
moved away from the place that drew giggles from her, he said,
“Have faith in me.”
    “But— When are you leaving? How long will
you be? Will you actually answer your phone this time? And will you
call me?”
    Again he matched his eyes with hers, “I
leave tomorrow. I’ll only be gone for two days. And yes, I’ll
answer my phone, and yes, I’ll call several times a day.”
    “But you said that last time,” she
complained, shifting so her legs crossed over his.
    His fingers curled around her knee. “This
time will be different, and it’s just two days.”
    “Is that two days and three nights, or two
days and one night or—” Ethan gently placed a hand over her mouth
to shut her up.
    She tried to scowl at him with just her
eyes, but all that earned her was a bit of soft chuckling which she
could feel vibrating through his whole torso.
    Mumbling under his hand she tried a
narrow-eyed look.
    Smirking, Ethan sighed and lifted his
hand.
    “Take me with you,” she said.
    “Absolutely not! That would spoil the
surprise!”
    She groaned. “But I’m not ready for
you to leave tomorrow .”
    He raised an eyebrow and let his love for
her smolder in his blue gaze, showing her the Ethan from her
forgotten spirit-life. His thumb landed on her lower lip as he
encouraged her lips to part with gentle pressure. Aligning his
mouth with hers, he blew into her face like a vampire, like Alex
had. Closing her eyes, she drew it in. Obviously he knew exactly
what he was doing, the scoundrel. Would he ever play fair?
    “Feeling better?” he asked.
    The spellbound smile on her face was
replaced with her returning pout as she remembered that he still
meant to leave. “Not really. You’re still leaving.”
    “Yes, but it will be worth it.”
    That determination of his was written in
every line of his face, and she knew she couldn’t talk him out of
it. “All right.” She gathered his face between her hands, noting
the stubble scraping at her fingers. “You’d better kiss me. I need
something to hold me over.”
    Triumphant mirth sparkled in his eyes and he
angled his mouth over hers. Those blond whiskers shadowing his face
rasped against her cheeks and chin.
    They would have kept feasting on the
delectable caress if someone hadn’t knocked on the door—again
interrupting them whenever they moved this from quiet chatting to
kissing. These vampires had uncanny timing and she wondered if it
was planned or coincidence.
    Ethan lifted his wrist and looked at his
watch. “It’s time to get you home.”
    “No…” She grabbed his arm to see for
herself. It was eight-thirty. They’d allowed them to stay after
dark. “How did we not notice the sun had set?”
    “My