wondering.”
Brooke always knew just what to say to lighten a situation. With Sissy still pale as a ghost and her cousins’ first reaction, Paige sent a grateful look Brooke’s way, even if it was a mite humiliating.
“ It is nice to meet ye, likewise,” Cael offered, shaking the twins’ hands. “And you also.”
He moved to shake Sissy’s hand, but her aunt sat still as a stone.
“ Sissy!” Paige, Brooke, and Lara said in unison, unable to believe their eyes.
None of the three had ever seen her act rudely toward another human being in her life. That she did worried them.
“ Oh,” Sissy recovered. “Ye have to excuse me young man. It’s that ye made me think of someone I knew long ago.”
Paige dismissed the incident thinking Sissy overly affected from some long ago memory, as did Brooke and Lara, and they continued with pleasantries a few minutes.
“ Paige tells us you’re a wood craftsman. What exactly do you work on?” Brooke nosed.
“ Mostly I craft furniture pieces. I have done custom work for new construction and remodels.”
“ How interesting! Is that what your father did, too?”
“ Something like that,” he grinned, his sensual mouth curving upward.
“ Cael keeps a home in the Northern Highlands. It’s open to the public in the summer months. His wood shop is there, and he works through the winter months.”
“ You must be very talented, Mr. … What did you say your last name was?” Anna inserted herself into the conversation.
“ Maccinnis,” Cael stated. “It pays the bills,” he added lightly.
“ Well, Paige, ye have yer job here in the city. Ye can hardly be traipsin’ off to the Highlands,” Anna snorted her rebuke.
Tension trailed Anna’s words, wrapping the kitchen in its grip. Paige was mortified.
“ Paige can do as she pleases, Sissy,” Brooke leapt to Paige’s defense. “She’s a grown woman with sense enough to know if she wants to be traipsin’ off anywhere.”
Brooke laughed, Lara joining with her.
“ It’s the mother hen coming out in her,” Lara added.
Paige relaxed somewhat at the girls’ comments, knowing Sissy worried overmuch for her. On the other hand, she bristled. She liked Cael. He was kind, smart, and thoughtful; and didn’t deserve to be treated rudely. A few minutes later Paige made her apologies and they departed.
“ As a matter of fact,” Cael started as they stepped out into the black night, “I was wonderin’ if ye would traipse off with me tonight. I want to show ye my home.”
He awaited her response, aware that he was moving quickly yet desperate to remove her from the city after what he’d learned.
After what he’d seen in his dream…
“ It’s not that I wouldn’t like to, Cael,” she apologized. “But I’ve got work.”
“ Ah, I nearly forgot,” he lied, pretending to be casual when he wanted to punch something. “I’m not used to a regular nine to five schedule anymore. How about this weekend?”
“ I’d like that,” she smiled shyly.
Her hair hung in soft curls around her face, the knit tam keeping the night’s chill at bay. Black leather riding style boots came to just below her knees, soft blue denim covering her thighs and hips. The corduroy jacket lined with plaid cotton hid her beneath its bulk, and Cael wished to be indoors where he could relax his guard and appreciate her form without distraction.
Each sound, each smell had to be cataloged, explored. The Druid magic surrounding Paige was very old and very strong, the spells crafted specifically to mask a vampire’s signature. In other words, someone put these enchantments on Paige Kinnell believing that she was vampire. She wasn’t – yet. Cael intended to change that. But it hinted at a dark possibility.
Paige could be half vampire, half mortal.
It would explain why she responded to him, why he was attracted to her scent in the first place. It also made their situation more dangerous than ever. Paige had powerful and ancient
Brooke always knew just what to say to lighten a situation. With Sissy still pale as a ghost and her cousins’ first reaction, Paige sent a grateful look Brooke’s way, even if it was a mite humiliating.
“ It is nice to meet ye, likewise,” Cael offered, shaking the twins’ hands. “And you also.”
He moved to shake Sissy’s hand, but her aunt sat still as a stone.
“ Sissy!” Paige, Brooke, and Lara said in unison, unable to believe their eyes.
None of the three had ever seen her act rudely toward another human being in her life. That she did worried them.
“ Oh,” Sissy recovered. “Ye have to excuse me young man. It’s that ye made me think of someone I knew long ago.”
Paige dismissed the incident thinking Sissy overly affected from some long ago memory, as did Brooke and Lara, and they continued with pleasantries a few minutes.
“ Paige tells us you’re a wood craftsman. What exactly do you work on?” Brooke nosed.
“ Mostly I craft furniture pieces. I have done custom work for new construction and remodels.”
“ How interesting! Is that what your father did, too?”
“ Something like that,” he grinned, his sensual mouth curving upward.
“ Cael keeps a home in the Northern Highlands. It’s open to the public in the summer months. His wood shop is there, and he works through the winter months.”
“ You must be very talented, Mr. … What did you say your last name was?” Anna inserted herself into the conversation.
“ Maccinnis,” Cael stated. “It pays the bills,” he added lightly.
“ Well, Paige, ye have yer job here in the city. Ye can hardly be traipsin’ off to the Highlands,” Anna snorted her rebuke.
Tension trailed Anna’s words, wrapping the kitchen in its grip. Paige was mortified.
“ Paige can do as she pleases, Sissy,” Brooke leapt to Paige’s defense. “She’s a grown woman with sense enough to know if she wants to be traipsin’ off anywhere.”
Brooke laughed, Lara joining with her.
“ It’s the mother hen coming out in her,” Lara added.
Paige relaxed somewhat at the girls’ comments, knowing Sissy worried overmuch for her. On the other hand, she bristled. She liked Cael. He was kind, smart, and thoughtful; and didn’t deserve to be treated rudely. A few minutes later Paige made her apologies and they departed.
“ As a matter of fact,” Cael started as they stepped out into the black night, “I was wonderin’ if ye would traipse off with me tonight. I want to show ye my home.”
He awaited her response, aware that he was moving quickly yet desperate to remove her from the city after what he’d learned.
After what he’d seen in his dream…
“ It’s not that I wouldn’t like to, Cael,” she apologized. “But I’ve got work.”
“ Ah, I nearly forgot,” he lied, pretending to be casual when he wanted to punch something. “I’m not used to a regular nine to five schedule anymore. How about this weekend?”
“ I’d like that,” she smiled shyly.
Her hair hung in soft curls around her face, the knit tam keeping the night’s chill at bay. Black leather riding style boots came to just below her knees, soft blue denim covering her thighs and hips. The corduroy jacket lined with plaid cotton hid her beneath its bulk, and Cael wished to be indoors where he could relax his guard and appreciate her form without distraction.
Each sound, each smell had to be cataloged, explored. The Druid magic surrounding Paige was very old and very strong, the spells crafted specifically to mask a vampire’s signature. In other words, someone put these enchantments on Paige Kinnell believing that she was vampire. She wasn’t – yet. Cael intended to change that. But it hinted at a dark possibility.
Paige could be half vampire, half mortal.
It would explain why she responded to him, why he was attracted to her scent in the first place. It also made their situation more dangerous than ever. Paige had powerful and ancient
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