of you against the world?"
She nodded, hesitated, then said, "Dani and I had
problems with our step-mother. So that made our bond even stronger."
Josh stood on the sidewalk with Lexa, entranced with the
gold in her hair shimmering under the streetlight's glow. "Are you going
to the Halloween Party by yourself?"
"Yes."
"I could pick you up."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
She ducked her head and took her keys from her purse.
"It just isn't." She turned away to open her car door.
Deciding to confront her head-on, Josh clasped her
shoulder. "Lexa, why are you running from me?"
CHAPTER FOUR
"I'm not running." Lexa could feel the heat of
each of Josh's fingers burning through her jacket and blouse.
"Then go to the Halloween party with me."
Lexa knew she shouldn't. She suspected the more time she
spent with Josh, the more time she'd want to spend with him. How had she
gotten herself into this mess? She looked up at him and that was a mistake.
His honest blue eyes enticed and excited her. Couldn't she have a taste of spending
some time with him? Just a taste?
"All right. I'll go with you. But..."
"But?"
"But I can't get involved with anyone right now. If we
go, we go as friends."
His gaze was filled with questions he didn't ask. Maybe
because he guessed she wouldn't answer them. He smiled. "That sounds
good to me."
***
Yes, friendship sounded good, Lexa thought as she poured
herself a cup of punch. But deep down, she knew more than friendship was
simmering between her and Josh.
They'd arrived an hour ago and had been socializing most of
that time with Clare and her friends. Lexa felt very safe...until she looked
at Josh. History had never seen a sexier or more handsome Dracula. His long
legs encased in slim black trousers, the black turtleneck hugging his chest,
the dramatic black cape trimmed in red. He'd discarded the mask soon after
they'd arrived.
Someone's IPOD attached to a dock and speakers blared songs
from the fifties and sixties. Lexa took a sip of punch.
A hand on her shoulder startled her.
"Okay, gypsy, let's see how good you are at the
jitterbug."
She turned around, knowing the voice as well as she knew her
own. "What if I don't know how?"
Josh grinned. "Something tells me you do. And if you
don't, I'll teach you."
She set down her cup. "The jitterbug was one of the
few dances I enjoyed learning when I was twelve and taking dancing lessons. At
that age, I didn't want a boy any closer than the next room. It sure was
better than the fox trot."
"And now?" He was teasing and serious at the same
time.
"Now, I don't dance with boys."
Hot, dark desire sparked in Josh's eyes. He took her hand.
"Let's see you jitterbug, gypsy."
She and Josh matched their basic step and then begun. Her
full red skirt swirled around her when he twirled her; her white satin blouse
clung as he spun her, guided her, pulled her into a sidecar position and swept
her in a circle. When the dance was over, he pulled her to him and gave her a
giant hug. "You were terrific."
His damp heat met hers and locked her to him. Her arms had
automatically circled his back to return the hug. But she felt his belt buckle
against her stomach, she smelled intoxicating male, and when she gazed into his
eyes, she wanted to stroke his face. Impossible. Totally impossible. Where
was her common sense?
She pulled out of his embrace and fanned herself with her
hand.
"Need a breath of fresh air?"
"Sounds good."
They were only standing outside a few moments when Lexa
realized fall was gone and winter was making its entrance, at least after the
sun went down. She shivered.
"Do you want to go back in?"
Lexa took a few deep breaths, needing the sense-clearing of
the colder air. "No. Not yet."
"Lexa, I want to see you again."
"Josh..."
"Give me a good reason why we shouldn't have fun
together as we have tonight."
"You don't
She nodded, hesitated, then said, "Dani and I had
problems with our step-mother. So that made our bond even stronger."
Josh stood on the sidewalk with Lexa, entranced with the
gold in her hair shimmering under the streetlight's glow. "Are you going
to the Halloween Party by yourself?"
"Yes."
"I could pick you up."
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"Why not?"
She ducked her head and took her keys from her purse.
"It just isn't." She turned away to open her car door.
Deciding to confront her head-on, Josh clasped her
shoulder. "Lexa, why are you running from me?"
CHAPTER FOUR
"I'm not running." Lexa could feel the heat of
each of Josh's fingers burning through her jacket and blouse.
"Then go to the Halloween party with me."
Lexa knew she shouldn't. She suspected the more time she
spent with Josh, the more time she'd want to spend with him. How had she
gotten herself into this mess? She looked up at him and that was a mistake.
His honest blue eyes enticed and excited her. Couldn't she have a taste of spending
some time with him? Just a taste?
"All right. I'll go with you. But..."
"But?"
"But I can't get involved with anyone right now. If we
go, we go as friends."
His gaze was filled with questions he didn't ask. Maybe
because he guessed she wouldn't answer them. He smiled. "That sounds
good to me."
***
Yes, friendship sounded good, Lexa thought as she poured
herself a cup of punch. But deep down, she knew more than friendship was
simmering between her and Josh.
They'd arrived an hour ago and had been socializing most of
that time with Clare and her friends. Lexa felt very safe...until she looked
at Josh. History had never seen a sexier or more handsome Dracula. His long
legs encased in slim black trousers, the black turtleneck hugging his chest,
the dramatic black cape trimmed in red. He'd discarded the mask soon after
they'd arrived.
Someone's IPOD attached to a dock and speakers blared songs
from the fifties and sixties. Lexa took a sip of punch.
A hand on her shoulder startled her.
"Okay, gypsy, let's see how good you are at the
jitterbug."
She turned around, knowing the voice as well as she knew her
own. "What if I don't know how?"
Josh grinned. "Something tells me you do. And if you
don't, I'll teach you."
She set down her cup. "The jitterbug was one of the
few dances I enjoyed learning when I was twelve and taking dancing lessons. At
that age, I didn't want a boy any closer than the next room. It sure was
better than the fox trot."
"And now?" He was teasing and serious at the same
time.
"Now, I don't dance with boys."
Hot, dark desire sparked in Josh's eyes. He took her hand.
"Let's see you jitterbug, gypsy."
She and Josh matched their basic step and then begun. Her
full red skirt swirled around her when he twirled her; her white satin blouse
clung as he spun her, guided her, pulled her into a sidecar position and swept
her in a circle. When the dance was over, he pulled her to him and gave her a
giant hug. "You were terrific."
His damp heat met hers and locked her to him. Her arms had
automatically circled his back to return the hug. But she felt his belt buckle
against her stomach, she smelled intoxicating male, and when she gazed into his
eyes, she wanted to stroke his face. Impossible. Totally impossible. Where
was her common sense?
She pulled out of his embrace and fanned herself with her
hand.
"Need a breath of fresh air?"
"Sounds good."
They were only standing outside a few moments when Lexa
realized fall was gone and winter was making its entrance, at least after the
sun went down. She shivered.
"Do you want to go back in?"
Lexa took a few deep breaths, needing the sense-clearing of
the colder air. "No. Not yet."
"Lexa, I want to see you again."
"Josh..."
"Give me a good reason why we shouldn't have fun
together as we have tonight."
"You don't
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