Kindred (Book 1 The Kindred Series) (43 page)

  
They played for almost two hours, until somehow Cassie managed to win all of the pennies.
Tossing in the last hand, Devon leaned forward as Cassie
happily
scooped up her winnings, which would be returned to the jar.
“I guess you are lucky,” he remarked, his eyebrows lifted boyishly.

   Cassie grinned back at him. “I suppose so.”

   “Well kids, it is getting late, don’t forget that you have school tomorrow,” her grandma said gently.

   Cassie shook her head.
“Subtle grandma.”

   “I try dear,” she replied brightly. “Devon it was a pleasure to meet you.” She extended her hand to him, grasping tightly hold of his.
“You must come by more often. We will get everyone together to play next time. Perhaps we’ll teach them Faro, maybe it will be the one game that Cassie can’t win.”

   “I doubt it.
”
H
e
flashed
the beautiful smile Cassie was sure had melted many female hearts before, and her grandmother appeared to be no exception
. “But it will be fun to see if we could beat her.”
   “Yes, yes it would. Goodnight kids.”

   Her grandma kissed her lightly on the cheek before slipping from the room. “I suppose I should be leaving,” he said softly.

   Cassie nodded, licking her lips nervously. “Yes.”

   She followed him to the back door, standing
anxiously
by as he opened it slowly. She stood silently,
impatiently,
her body screaming for his touch. Bending low, he wrapped his hand gently around her neck, caressing her briefly as he bent to her ear.
“It will be easier if you just leave your window open for me tonight.”

   Cassie froze, trapped like a dear in the headlights as his
words
seared into her. There was no describing the feeling of longing that slammed through her. She had never felt this hopeful, wanting, confused, helpless, and needy
before
. In that moment she knew, that for him, she would do anything.
No matter how many doubts she had about him, she knew her feelings for him would
always
win out.

   She did not know how to feel about the complete loss of control she had over herself around him, but in that moment she couldn’t bring herself to care.
She could only manage a small nod as his fingers stroked lightly over her cheek. “
See you soon
,” he said softly, brushing a light kiss on the bridge of her nose.

   He pulled reluctantly away, turning swiftly and heading out the door. She watched him until she was sure that he made it safely to his car, wishing she could go with him to make sure he arrived
safely
at home, or wherever he was going until he came back. Her heart pounded with worry, but it also took all she had not to
flee to her room
to
eagerly await his return.

   Her grandmother was leaning against the doorway of the dining room, smiling softly
when Cassie came back through
. “He seems like a very charming, very nice man.”

   Cassie stopped, trying to keep her face as impassive as possible while her heart
pounded
like a jack hammer
. “Yes, he is.”

   Her
grandmother’s
grin widened, a knowing gleam sh
one
in her bright eyes. “You seem to like him very much.”
   “I do,” Cassie admitted.

   She stepped away from the doorway, moving with
brisk
agility as she came forward to clasp hold of Cassie’s hands. “I’m glad for you dear,
but you must be careful.”
   Cassie sighed heavily, squeezing her hands tightly. “I know grandma, I am being careful
,
I promise.”

   She smiled brightly. “I’m not talking about out there dear.” She nodded toward the windows. Slipping her hands free she pointed to Cassie’s chest. “I’m talking about in here.”

   Cassie swallowed heavily, knowing that it was already too late to be careful with h
er heart
. It was no longer hers to be careful with.
“I will,” she said hesitatingly.

   D
ropp
ing
a kiss on her
grandmother’s
soft cheek,
she
forc
ed
herself not to run as she quickly left the room. Her hea
rt pound
ed eagerly
with every step.
Reaching
her doorway,
she froze,
her legs locking
in place.
He was already standing by her window, his arms folded over his chest as he le
aned casually against the sill
. His eyes were dark in the night; his hair tussled across his forehead.
He looked utterly tempting and wonderful.

 
She did not know how he had gotten
t
here so fast,
nor
did
she
care. She was just glad he was there. He unfolded himself, his
muscles
rippled
mouthwateringly
. Power and
desire
radiated from him as he took a small step forward. A small twinge of fear shot through her
, but it
was
also
filled with excitement.
Her doubts wanted to surge forth once more, but
she
shoved them aside
.
H
er need for him far outweigh
ed
any misgivings she had.

   Closing the door, she made her way swiftly
f
o
r
ward. His arms enveloped her
,
pulling her tight against him. She clung to his hard body, needing the strength that he gave her, needing the comfort he provided
. All of her hurts and aches and fears were forgotten as his hands entwined in her hair, cradling her head gently against his
shoulder
.

  
“Cassandra.
”
H
e sound
ed
like a starving man who had just
been giv
en
a meal. She shivered, her fingers d
u
g into his hard back as she tried to pull herself closer to him
. He shifted her slightly holding her more firmly against his right shoulder, but she could not get close enough
.
She would
never
get close enough.

CHAPTER 19

   Devon was standing by the window, staring at the night when she woke early the next morning. The sky was still dark, but the stars had blinked out and the moon
had
disappeared. Though she
did
n’t ma
k
e a sound
upon waking
,
he
t
urn
ed
toward her. A small smile played over his
full
mouth, but his eyes remained hard and distant.

   Frowning, Cassie tossed back her blankets and climbed swiftly to her feet. She was surprised to realize that she had fallen
asleep with her clothes on.
She padded silently over to him;
the hardwood
was
cool against her bare feet. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight against his side.

   “Anything out there?” she asked quietly, trying to
sound light but knowing that she failed. There r
eal
ly might be something out there, lurking within the shadows, watching them.

  
“Just a few early birds.”
His fingers tightened upon her waist, he briefly nuzzled her hair. He inhaled deeply before kissing her temple lightly and straightening from her.

   Cassie studied the early
mornin
g; the sky was lightening to gra
y,
a
few birds were already chirping
. She could see nothing wrong with the morning, or sense anything evil out there. Still
, she
moved closer to him, her fingers entangling in the soft cotton of his shirt.
His hard muscles rippled beneath her touch
.

  
They stood silently together, watching as the sun r
o
se over the horizon
and
t
he sky flam
ed
with a brilliant
array of colors.
I
t was one of the most beautiful, wonderful
, serene
moments of her life. The light played over his magnificent face, highlighting the hard planes of it, and illuminating his stunning eyes. 

  
He kissed her gently, his lips brushing briefly over hers. A firestorm of emotion and feeling boiled through her, crashing over her like waves on the sand. She felt the loss of his
kiss
as acutely as she would
have felt the loss of a limb.
“I’ll see you at school,” he said softly.

   Cassie managed a br
ief nod, her body already ached
fr
om
the separation that was about to ensue.
He kissed her briefly again, reluctantly releasing her. Swiftly, with startling grace, he moved through her window
.
G
rasping hold of the tree limb
he
sw
u
ng himself rapidly down.
Cassie watched in awe as he leapt from the tree, still ten feet
from the ground
,
and
land
ed
effortlessly
upon the ground.

   Cassie lifted a
n
eye
brow, his agility le
ft
her breathless with wonder. Turning
away from the window she hurried to the bathroom, eager to go to school.

***

   Devon slid his car into park, his eyes slowly drift
ed
over the students gathered by what had become his parking spot. They were mostly female, but there were a few boys that had followed the girls. Devon ignored them. He had no interest in
any of them
.

   Throwing the door open he climbed swiftly from the car, not noticing the
longing stares that followed his every move. He foun
d her instantly among the crowd;
her aura
was
like a homing beacon that he could not ignore. His fingers twitched slightly, his need to hold her again
was
almost consuming.

   She looked up at him,
smiling b
right
ly
.
She radiated a life force that lit her from the inside out, causing her fair skin to glow, and her exquisite eyes to gleam in the bright morning sun.
The tightness constricting his ch
est since he had left her, relaxed
.
In all of his many years, he had
never come across someone as un
ique and magnificent as she was;
h
er outer beauty
was
only dimmed by he
r
inner beauty.

 
He had never felt this way about someone before, never knew it was possible to need someone so much that he could hardly think. He recalled Annabelle, and her
unwavering
feelings. He understood her better now, understood what she had needed and desired. Understood now what he could never
have
give
n to Annabelle
,
what she had truly been feeling,
what she had needed,
and
that realization
terrified
him.

  
But he knew that it was to
o
late to do anything about it now. He could try and leave, but he would not get far
without Cassie
.
A
nd if what he suspected was true, Cassie would be greatly hurt, if not destroyed
,
by his disappearance. He had not wanted
Cassie
so ensnared in his life, so entrenched in his world of dar
kness and monsters
.
B
ut once he
’
d met her
,
he’d had no choice in the matter
.
I
t had instantly been taken away from him
.
And unfortunately
,
if what he suspected and feared might be true
,
she no longer had a choice either
.