Darkness Rises(32)

What the hell am I doing? she repeated just before he deepened the kiss and she stopped thinking.
Her heart pounded in her chest, thudding against her ribs so determinedly she thought Étienne must feel it.
If he didn’t before, he did then as he moved forward, crowding her against the counter and pressing his large, muscular body into hers.
It felt so good. He felt so good. Tasted good. He even smelled good. Familiar. Bathed as he had been in the soap she used every day, the citrus aroma blending exquisitely with his own masculine scent.
As Étienne leaned into her, every muscle tightened, pleasure dancing through her everywhere they touched.
He slid his arms around her. Heat simmered inside her, preventing Krysta from pulling away. Her breasts pressed against his hard, muscled chest. His rippling abs melded to hers. Her hips settled against his arousal.#p#分页标题#e#
I have to stop, the voice of reason intruded. He’s a vampire.
His arms tightened as he continued to tease and tempt her with his tongue.
I don’t sleep with vampires. I hunt them. I destroy them. I loathe them. Damn, he can kiss. I want to tear his freaking clothes off.
Krysta almost moaned a protest when Étienne drew back. Peeling heavy lids open, she stared up at him and caught her breath.
His eyes glowed a brilliant amber. Sharp fangs peeked from between parted lips. And both totally turned her on because he looked like he wanted to devour every inch of her.
Damn.
A growl rumbled forth from deep in his throat as he lowered his head and stole another brief, hard kiss.
Oh, yeah.
Then he ruined it (and did her a favor, she would later grudgingly admit) by again withdrawing and taking three determined steps backward.
Her heart continued to pound. She noted with some chagrin that she was practically panting. And her body tingled everywhere.
That would bother her a lot more if she hadn’t noticed the large bulge straining against the front of his pants that told her more than words that he had been as affected as she had.
He cleared his throat. “I’m not a vampire.”
She blinked. “What?”
“I’m not a vampire.”
“Said the man with the glowing eyes and glinting fangs. Not to mention the super speed and strength.”
“Vampires are not the only preternatural beings who boast such characteristics.”
Oh, shit. There were other preternatural creatures out there?
He shook his head and motioned to the futon. “Will you sit with me so I might explain?”
Krysta nodded, a bit dazed, and followed him over to the futon.
They sat simultaneously and turned toward each other, knees touching.
She liked that their knees touched. Liked the casual contact as much as she had liked the kiss. And wondered where exactly along the way she had lost her damned mind.
Vampire. Vampire hunter. Remember? she mentally chided herself.
“I’m not vampire,” he repeated, stretching an arm along the back of the futon. “I’m immortal.”
Krysta stared at him. Weren’t all vampires mostly immortal? Unless slain, that is? They didn’t age or get sick, after all, and could withstand a lot of damage that would kill humans. “What’s the difference?”
“The difference is that vampires are human before their transformation. I and my immortal colleagues, on the other hand, were like you.”
Her heart, already misbehaving from their recent make-out session, began to beat a little faster. “I don’t know what you mean. I’m human.”
“No, you aren’t. Or rather I assume you aren’t because your brother isn’t. Is he your full brother or your half brother?”
“My full brother. And he’s human. We both are.”
“No, you aren’t. You’re different.”
How did he know that? She hadn’t said or done anything to reveal her peculiar gift. And tonight was the first night he’d had any direct contact with Sean.
Wasn’t it?
A gentle smile curled his lips. “Don’t look so panicked, Krysta. If with anyone, your secret is safe with me. I’m just like you. Or I was once. Born with special talents and abilities ordinary humans don’t posses. In centuries past, we called ourselves gifted ones.”
“Gifted ones,” she parroted. Other than her brother and her parents, she had never met another gifted one before.
“My brother,” Étienne continued, “was born with the ability to teleport. Yours was born with the ability to heal with his hands.”
“How do you know that?”
“I followed you home that first night and watched him heal the worst of your wounds with a touch.”
“What, like through the window?” she demanded. What the hell else had he watched, the perve.
His face creased with a disgruntled frown. “Yes, but I’m not a perv. I didn’t watch you shower or anything. I just needed to know who you were. You tried to kill me, remember, and thought me one of the vampires you hunt.”