She looked back at the bird. “Who are you?” she demanded. The bird squawked at her.
“I’m pretty sure it’s just a bird. But since you two have been having an intimate little conversation about kissing and all, maybe you should name him.”
Growling, embarrassed she’d been duped by a bird, she dropped down to the ground. As soon as her feet hit, Steve caught her and pulled her into him. His hands, which fit perfectly, felt so firm and yet tender around the curve of her waist. What was it about his touch that just felt so darn right?
“So now you and the bird have a thing going, huh?” Humor twinkled in his eyes, and his brown hair, flipping up on the ends, looked a bit mussed. He wore a light brown T-shirt with some sport logo and a pair of jeans, and he wore them quite nicely.
She placed her hands on his chest with full intent to push him on his ass, but the feel of his skin against her palms sent her embarrassment packing. Suddenly, the desire to teach him a lesson was gone, and she simply wanted to touch him. His masculine chest, warm and with firm muscles, had her wanting to run her hands up to his neck and pull him down for a kiss.
Then the laughter in his eyes and his special spicy scent sealed the deal. It was so damn hard to be mad at him—even when he was poking fun at her. Or not really poking fun, but teasing, in a totally unhurtful way. He didn’t tease to be mean; his teasing even made her feel special.
Too nice, she thought. Steve was too nice.
“You’d better not laugh,” she said, trying to sound angry, but it didn’t come out with any animosity.
“I can’t help it,” he said. “Being with you makes me happy. I waited up half the night to see if you’d come to me. I’m glad I wasn’t wasting my time.”
“I didn’t come to see you,” she said. His words vibrated in her head. Being with you makes me happy. A warm pool of goo went straight to her heart.
Her lying heart. “I was running because I couldn’t sleep.” That was true, she told herself, but she’d thought about him when she’d come out. She’d wanted to see him. And this wasn’t the first time, far from it. At least three times a week she came out at night, and ninety percent of the time she ran into him. Oh, Lordie, she needed to stop counting on him.
He leaned his forehead down on hers. “I don’t believe you.”
“You’re impossible,” she said.
“You’re beautiful,” he countered. “Now what was it you said about the bird being a good kisser?”
She cut her eyes up at him. “Don’t push your luck.”
“I’ve always had to push with you,” he said, sounding a little more serious. “If I didn’t, you wouldn’t have given me the time of day.”
“I still won’t give you the time of day,” she snapped.
“Yeah, but you just admitted liking my kisses.” His lips brushed against hers.
She pulled back. “I admitted to liking the bird’s kisses.” She couldn’t stop herself from grinning. Damn, he made her happy. And that was dangerous.
“I’ll remember that the next time I shift. Any kind of bird you like best?”
Then he kissed her—a soft, sweet kiss that pretty much made her putty in his hands.
She let herself get swept away for several seconds, maybe a minute; then she pulled back, gasped for air, and put her hand on his chest to stop him from coming back in for more.
“We shouldn’t…”
“Why not?” he asked.
“Because I’m not…”
“Ready to commit.” He frowned. “I know, you’ve told me that a dozen times. And I can accept that, but out here, it’s just you and me. We’re not committing, we’re just … kissing.”
“But you know where this will lead and I’m not ready for that either.” She looked away, partly out of embarrassment, and partly because she thought she heard something in the woods.
He touched the side of her face and made her look back at him. “Look, I enjoy kissing you, and if that’s all I can get, then that’s what I’ll take. At least until you’re ready for more.”
“What if I’m never ready and you’re just wasting your time?” she said.
He pulled her against him again. “I think I can persuade you to change your mind.”
“You think you’re that good?”
“I know I am,” he said, and chuckled. “A little birdie told me,” he teased.
She punched him in the ribs.
And right then she heard that noise again. She swung around, lifted her nose up, and got a whiff of another vampire. A vampire and fresh blood. Lots of blood.
Chapter Five
“What is it?” Steve asked, obviously sensing her quick turn to mean trouble.
“Vampire?” she muttered, and took another deep breath, half expecting it to be Chase, the panty perv.
But nope. This scent was different, and she could tell that even with the tangy, fresh aroma of blood mixed in. Human blood. B negative and … another type.
Della felt her eyes grow brighter.
She stared up and barely made out the bloody vampire passing overhead. She half considered going after him or her.
Before she could decide, another vampire scent hit, and this one she recognized. Della pulled away from Steve.
Burnett dropped beside them. He wore only his jeans, and his hair looked sleep-mussed. The man was all muscle and brawn. “Are you okay?” he asked.
“Fine,” Della and Steve said at the time.
“Someone jumped the north fence,” Burnett said, giving them a suspicious look.
“I know,” Della said, trying hard not to notice the man’s chest. The camp leader might be old, or at least too old for her, but he could do Diet Coke commercials. “I heard and smelled them. They flew past. I think they’re gone.”
“Yeah,” Burnett said.
“Did you catch the scent?”
“Yes,” she said. “With blood. Two different types.”
Burnett’s jaw muscles tightened. “Human?”
She nodded.
He growled. “What are you two doing out at this time of night?”
Della internally flinched. “I couldn’t sleep,” she said, and since it was the truth, her heart didn’t race.
Burnett glanced at Steve. “I was…” Steve’s heart fluttered with a lie. He glanced at Della and said, “I was hoping she couldn’t sleep.”