Janvier had watched her carefully tonight, seen no indications of pain from her injury, so he accepted her words, and they moved off into the delicate flakes falling from the sky.
“I love snow,” Ash said with a sigh. “Bad for tracking when it falls, but it’s so forgiving on the world, so peaceful.”
He watched small flecks collect on her eyelashes, knew she’d grow ever more beautiful to him as the years passed. Reaching for the gloves he’d slipped into his coat pockets before leaving to pick her up for dinner, he said, “Put these on.” They were her size, ones he’d bought because she was so often without gloves.
Tilting her head, she pinned him with the dark eyes that saw too much. “I’ve realized something about you, Janvier.”
He waited to hear what she’d say.
“You like to take care of people.”
“Is that a bad thing?” He couldn’t change his elemental nature, couldn’t unmake that part of him.
“No.” A spreading warmth deep within, Ashwini accepted the gloves, tugged them on over chilled fingers. It was odd to be taken care of, to be valued in such a way, but now that she’d conquered her initial confusion and fear at his tenderness, it felt like a gift. “Most hunters can take care of themselves.”
“So can most vampires of my strength,” he said with the confidence that made him so attractive. “That doesn’t mean I would not be delighted if you showed a care for this Cajun’s hide.”
Ashwini thought of the way he’d looked at her after the kiss in the bar, took in the faint half smile that didn’t match the shadows in his eyes, and knew it was all going wrong. In trying to protect him, she’d rejected him. “Janvier?”
“Yes?”
“I’m keeping a secret from you, a huge, terrible, bad thing.” There, it was out.
He stopped in the shadow of a private club, his expression grim. “You won’t tell me this secret?”
“I can’t.” It made her too angry, too afraid of how it would change everything between them, the cowardice closing up her throat. “But you have a right to know, and once you find out, you’ll hate me for allowing this relationship to go so far.”
“Ashwini, I’m yours.” Utter disbelief intermingled with temper. “Hating you is an impossibility.”
Her already brittle heart threatened to shatter. “You don’t know what I’m keeping from you.”
“I don’t need to know—and neither one of us has ever been in control of the thing between us. It has its own stubborn, relentless will.” He thrust one hand into his hair, began walking again, his next words so angry the heat of them seemed to melt the snow. “The only way it would die would be if you repudiated me.”
Stopping again, the two of them now on the fringe of the Quarter, he faced her. “Is that what you want to do?” His tone was raw, his hands fisted. “To tell me that you don’t want me?”
“You’re an idiot.” Hauling him to her by gripping the open sides of his jacket, she kissed him in frustrated fury. “I’m trying to protect you.” She released him, strode off ahead.
He caught up to her, his eyes bright with temper and passion both. “Well, don’t. I’m a big vampire. I can handle any secret you have as long as you’re mine.”
“Damn you.” She slipped her left hand into his right. “You’ll regret this.”
He wrapped his fingers around hers, the hold blatantly proprietary. “I will never regret you!”