Crouching Vampire, Hidden Fang(26)

 

“When did I let him touch me?” I asked Kristoff.

 

“That morning when we were in the restaurant, he touched you, touched your hand and your knee, and pulled you close to him, and you said nothing!”

 

My own hands did a little waving about. “Trust you to remember that and ignore the important stuff!”

 

“What important stuff?”

 

“Important things like the fact that I told him we had just slept together! I thought that was a pretty definitive statement!” I shot back.

 

His eyes burned, his breath hot on my face as he leaned in to me. Once again, the scent of him made a heady aphrodisiac. “You said that just so I couldn’t!”

 

“I said it so he’d know he wasn’t the man I was interested in!” I yelled.

 

An odd look crossed Kristoff’s face. “You didn’t want him?”

 

“No!”

 

“Then who . . .” His eyes narrowed suddenly, his words coming out with a hiss. “The sacristan . . .”

 

“Oh, for God’s sake.” I gave in to my desires and twined my fingers through the soft, silky curls on his head and pulled his mouth down to mine. I was well aware we had an audience, but at that moment, nothing mattered but showing Kristoff that he occupied a place in my heart, not Alec.

 

“Awww. That really is sweet, in an odd sort of way,” I heard Allie say over the wild beating of my heart. I didn’t pay much attention to her words, my mind and body wholly focused on the man who was kissing me with a fever that left my brain reeling and my heart soaring.

 

“Much as I regret interrupting this fascinating, if somewhat confusing scene, we do have a hearing to conduct.” Christian’s voice cut across my thoughts.

 

Kristoff’s lips moved on mine, his tongue gently probing and tasting, his body hard as he pulled me closer, his fingers biting into my hips. I wanted to capture that moment and hold it, unchanging, forever, a perfect state where passion mingled with desire and need and the beginnings of something I really didn’t want to name. How on earth could Kristoff believe I preferred Alec to him? How could he not understand?

 

You said you were his Beloved. You wanted to see him, not me. How could I think otherwise?

 

 

 

 

 

CHAPTER 5

 

 

 

 

You talked to me!

 

“I don’t know, Christian. They’ve been apart for two whole months. I think they deserve a little reacquaintance time.”

 

You did the mind thing!

 

“I’m not disputing their need for time together, my love. I simply would prefer that we finish up here before they indulge in acts better suited to a more private situation.”

 

Of your own free will you mind-thinged me!

 

“Might I point out that you are the one who detained Kristoff? Personally, if I were Pia, I’d jump his bones right in front of you just to make a point, but she appears to have more dignity than I do. That really must be one humdinger of a kiss, though. I haven’t seen them stop even once to breathe.”

 

Kristoff’s sigh was a mental one, brushing around in my mind with a disturbing sense of intimacy.

 

Why did you not tell me you didn’t want Alec?

 

I broke off the kiss, moving back a few steps, my fingers touching my still-burning lips. He might be easier in his mind now that he knew I wasn’t secretly pining for Alec, but that hadn’t really changed anything between us. He was still mourning the loss of his love, and there wasn’t anything I could do to change that.

 

“I’m sorry,” I said, turning around to apologize to the vampires. Allie grinned at me. The others had less pleasant expressions.

 

“If you’re quite through?” Christian inquired politely, his eyebrows raised in gentle chastisement.

 

“We haven’t seen each other in a while,” I said lamely, waving a vague hand toward Kristoff. “Obviously, there are some issues we still have to work through.”

 

“Ones I trust you will discuss at another time,” he said with a pointed look at Kristoff.

 

“Assuming you allow Pia the opportunity to visit me while you have me incarcerated, certainly,” Kristoff answered with no little sense of irony.

 

“Nice one,” Allie said, nodding approvingly, adding, “What?” when her husband turned a frown on her. “I can root for both sides, you know.”

 

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” he said with a touch of indignation.

 

“Only when you’re right, my little mashed potato of love,” she answered.

 

Christian’s expression bore an uncanny resemblance to the one I’d seen on Kristoff’s face, but it slipped away quickly enough when he glanced back toward us, eyeing me a moment before saying, “Your argument, albeit out of place, was regardless convincing. I admit to finding it confusing as well.”