coffee. Nikoli didn’t want all the girls that threw themselves at him? How could he deny this thing between them then, if he wanted her half as much as she wanted him?
The backdoor opened, creaking on its hinges. “The animals are fed and watered, Joyce,” Nikoli said. Claire tried to act nonchalant, casting him a nod in greeting, but inside her pulse was pounding in her ears.
“ Thanks Nikoli, you’re an angel.”
“Good morning, Claire.” Nikoli eased himself into the seat directly across from her while giving her a pointed look. “I trust you slept well?” he smirked at her.
Claire almost spit her coffee out on the table. What was he playing at? “Good morning, Nikoli,” she replied calmly. Two can play at this game indeed, my Guardian, she thought to herself. “I did sleep well indeed, though it might have been better.” She met his smirking stare with a sweet smile. Taking it up a notch she swept a bare foot up against Nikoli’s leg under the table, caressing his calf with the ball of her foot. “And you? How did you sleep?”
Nikoli bit his lower lip sexily. His smirk turned into the small, tight smile Claire was beginning to know so well.
“ I slept well, Claire, thank you for your concern,” he replied cordially as under the table he caught her foot with his free hand, gave it a quick squeeze of warning, then guided it back to the floor, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’m so glad to hear it,” Claire purred at him, watching him intently. She rose from the table. “Joyce, is there a bathroom down here?”
“ Sure thing honey, right through the living room, you know the way.” Joyce waved her on with one hand, still flipping pancakes with the other.
Claire headed off to the bathroom, aw are of Nikoli’s intense eyes upon her as she walked away. Once in the restroom she sat down on the closed toilet with a sigh, her head in her hands. Why did Nikoli have such a hold over her? And why did he beckon her to him with one hand while pushing her away with the other? His mixed signals were driving her nuts!
Claire sat like that a few minutes, breathing deeply, trying to regain her sel f-control. He didn’t want her? Fine. She could turn it off too, ignore it like he did. She had too much self-respect to keep flirting with a man that invited her attentions only to cast them aside. Claire pulled herself together and rose to splash some water on her face at the sink. She patted her face dry with the towel and took one more deep breath as she steeled herself to remain calm and cool with Nikoli, no matter how she was drawn to him.
She left the bathroom to cross the living room back to the kitchen when she found herself against the wall, Nikoli in front of her with an arm on either side of her, pinning her in place. He looked furious.
“We only have a moment, ” he growled at her. “Joyce went to collect eggs from the chickens. Now what are you playing at, that whole business under the table?” His eyes glittered dangerously.
Claire’s reso lve to play it cool dissolved. “I’m sorry, I thought you were flirting with me,” she sputtered. “I was flirting back!”
Nikoli’s eyes bore into hers. “ Did you know Claire, that on top of being fast, and strong, vampires have heightened senses?”
Claire shook her head mutely.
“Every time your pulse increases when I’m near I can hear it. Every time we’re in proximity to each other I can feel your temperature increase, the sheer heat of you for me.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I can smell when you’re aroused, Claire, even right now.” He dropped his arms, freeing Claire to move away from the wall, but she remained still. Nikoli spoke in his sexy quiet tone. “I don’t need to feel your skin against me, feel you caressing me, to know you’re attracted to me.” He rubbed his face with his hands in frustration. “I can hear it, I can feel it, I can smell it. It pulls me to you and I struggle to control myself.”
The backdoor opened, creaking on its hinges. “The animals are fed and watered, Joyce,” Nikoli said. Claire tried to act nonchalant, casting him a nod in greeting, but inside her pulse was pounding in her ears.
“ Thanks Nikoli, you’re an angel.”
“Good morning, Claire.” Nikoli eased himself into the seat directly across from her while giving her a pointed look. “I trust you slept well?” he smirked at her.
Claire almost spit her coffee out on the table. What was he playing at? “Good morning, Nikoli,” she replied calmly. Two can play at this game indeed, my Guardian, she thought to herself. “I did sleep well indeed, though it might have been better.” She met his smirking stare with a sweet smile. Taking it up a notch she swept a bare foot up against Nikoli’s leg under the table, caressing his calf with the ball of her foot. “And you? How did you sleep?”
Nikoli bit his lower lip sexily. His smirk turned into the small, tight smile Claire was beginning to know so well.
“ I slept well, Claire, thank you for your concern,” he replied cordially as under the table he caught her foot with his free hand, gave it a quick squeeze of warning, then guided it back to the floor, his eyes never leaving hers.
“I’m so glad to hear it,” Claire purred at him, watching him intently. She rose from the table. “Joyce, is there a bathroom down here?”
“ Sure thing honey, right through the living room, you know the way.” Joyce waved her on with one hand, still flipping pancakes with the other.
Claire headed off to the bathroom, aw are of Nikoli’s intense eyes upon her as she walked away. Once in the restroom she sat down on the closed toilet with a sigh, her head in her hands. Why did Nikoli have such a hold over her? And why did he beckon her to him with one hand while pushing her away with the other? His mixed signals were driving her nuts!
Claire sat like that a few minutes, breathing deeply, trying to regain her sel f-control. He didn’t want her? Fine. She could turn it off too, ignore it like he did. She had too much self-respect to keep flirting with a man that invited her attentions only to cast them aside. Claire pulled herself together and rose to splash some water on her face at the sink. She patted her face dry with the towel and took one more deep breath as she steeled herself to remain calm and cool with Nikoli, no matter how she was drawn to him.
She left the bathroom to cross the living room back to the kitchen when she found herself against the wall, Nikoli in front of her with an arm on either side of her, pinning her in place. He looked furious.
“We only have a moment, ” he growled at her. “Joyce went to collect eggs from the chickens. Now what are you playing at, that whole business under the table?” His eyes glittered dangerously.
Claire’s reso lve to play it cool dissolved. “I’m sorry, I thought you were flirting with me,” she sputtered. “I was flirting back!”
Nikoli’s eyes bore into hers. “ Did you know Claire, that on top of being fast, and strong, vampires have heightened senses?”
Claire shook her head mutely.
“Every time your pulse increases when I’m near I can hear it. Every time we’re in proximity to each other I can feel your temperature increase, the sheer heat of you for me.” He dropped his voice to a whisper. “I can smell when you’re aroused, Claire, even right now.” He dropped his arms, freeing Claire to move away from the wall, but she remained still. Nikoli spoke in his sexy quiet tone. “I don’t need to feel your skin against me, feel you caressing me, to know you’re attracted to me.” He rubbed his face with his hands in frustration. “I can hear it, I can feel it, I can smell it. It pulls me to you and I struggle to control myself.”
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