I said that wrong, he offered, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as his eyes flitted back and forth between hers. For a moment, his thumb stroked the scar and Zoë winced. Was it the scar? Did that turn him off? Ive been saying all the wrong things, and yet, you still want to kiss me?
Kaz, resisting your kisses is futile.
I could say the same. Your mouth is better than blueberries in chia pudding, thats for sure.
Maybe I can teach you that witches are nothing to be afraid of.
Im not afraid of you.
No, he wasnt. But something about her made him stumble over his words and she suspected what it was. Does the scar offend you?
What? No. Well
It does bother you. She pulled a strand of hair across her cheek, an involuntary action shed developed after getting the scar a decade earlier. I cant heal myself.
Zoë, dont hide it like that. It doesnt bother me. You arewell, perfect would be boring. No one is perfect. What does bother me is that you obviously suffered to have received such an injury. I hate that someone did this to you, or something. Was it an accident?
Zoë shrugged. Kind of.
Sighing heavily, he nodded. I get that you dont want to talk about it. Im inexperienced with this conversation kind of stuff. Im more of an action man.
More kisses, less talk? Your kisses are toe-curlers. And as a hunter, you must know about all the various breeds, so its not as if youre a bumbling human who has no clue about witches.
True. Youre as close to human as any breed gets. Though Im not sure how all the magic works. Lets just say Im much better at running away from things like this. Okay?
Things like emotional stuff, she suspected. What guy was good about that kind of thing? But she wasnt going to award him any prizes for such honesty. If she expected more of him, he would give it to her.
You havent fled yet, so Ill mark myself as lucky.
But Im trying, trust me. Id be at the door right now were you not sitting on me.
That creepy, huh?
He shook his head and kissed her quickly on the mouth. I like you, Zoë. But there are things going on in my life right now that could complicate the good stuff happening between the two of us. And believe me, this is very good.
Like things with vampires?
Always with vampires. Im currently working a job that I dont want you to get tangled up in.
Ive no desire to tread the grounds a hunter walks. But... She traced her fingers down his bare chest. I do want to tread this. You cant work all the time, can you? Daylight doesnt seem the optimal time to track vampires.
Its not, but
Then kiss me again.
Sounds good, in theory.
You really are skittish.
He heaved out a sigh.
Zoë sensed a distraction from his deeper thoughts was a necessity. Leaning in, she lingered before his mouth, not touching, waiting to see if he would take what she offered. She dusted her lashes and they fluttered against his cheek.
Kazs kisses touched her lips, her cheeks, the lobes of her ears. He explored down her neck and skimmed his tongue across her breasts exposed curves. The square neckline did not allow for further access, and Zoë bemoaned the prim dress style.
But no. She did and she did not want to tear off clothing. While rushing into kisses, and tastes and touches could lead to sex, that was an entirely different chapter she hadnt even gotten to yet. Happily ever after would come with patience and a slower turn of the page.
She didnt want to scare him off. Especially when hed confessed an urgent need for escape. Slow and exploratory felt right. Because she knew little about him, and suspected she had only peeled back the first layer of Kaspar Rothstein. Beneath, he harbored many layers that she would be wise to cautiously seek out and carefully explore.
The dryer beeped that the cycle had finished. Kaz nuzzled his kisses between her breasts and then up along her neck.
You smell good. Peaches?
And cinnamon. You like? Men usually do like the food scents.
Speaking of which, Im starving.
You should have finished the chia pudding.
Yeah, Im not so into all that healthy stuff.
You should be. She bent to kiss his pectoral. You want to keep these muscles hard as rocks, you should feed them properly.
I eat well. Protein and veggies. But chia? That doesnt sound remotely foodlike.
Okay, Ill give you that. It does require a certain palate. I can make you some lunch. Or how about I take you out for a bite?
Are you talking about vampires now, because Im not sure...
The bites I have to offer dont involve fangs.
A lunch date?
She nodded, hopeful for his positive answer. We can go Dutch. Come on, hunter. I dare you to be seen in public with a creepy witch.
His smirk wasnt so horrible; in fact, it was sexy shy as his mouth gradually caught up to the smile that already beamed in his eye. Lunch, it is.
Chapter 5
Seated at a tiny table for two beside a window that overlooked the streets crowded with tourists, Kaz felt as if he were being watched. And not by the gorgeous witch across the table, who was digging into her crème brûlée. Her blue eyes flashed up to his and she smiled before forking in a generous bite.
Want a taste? She tilted her head. Kaz? You seem distracted.
Uh, sure, Ill take a bite. Anything that makes you smile that big must be great.
She served him a taste.
Kaz didnt indulge. Didnt have the time for it. Since joining the Order ten years ago, his life had become disciplined, and his diet militant. Picards grocery was his usual stop for frozen meals he could pop into the microwave. He rarely ate in restaurants, unless he was on a date, and dates were few and far between because he never had a day off to actually meet women. He was always on call, which meant he didnt hang out in nightclubs or bars.
Instead, he had to beat up vampires to get the girl.
Apparently, that method worked for him.
Zoë devoured the dessert, and Kaz split his attention between her and his surroundings. It was difficult to completely let down his guard in public. No wonder his relationships never lasted long.
What was a relationship?
Whatever it was, it was beginning to appeal more and more. Had she been in many? Did he appeal to her as much as she did to him? Could a knight ever attract a woman looking for stability? Did she want stability?
Well hell, who didnt?
It had been a long time since hed thought about that night Tor had found him behind Madame du Mondes Dance Emporium, bloody chair leg clutched in his white-knuckled grip. Man, had his life taken a one-eighty for the better since then. Though, most certainly a strange turn.
Is it something outside? she asked. Ive not had your full attention since the salad. Im sorry to bore you
Dragging his gaze from the window, Kaz forced himself to pay attention to the only thing that he should have in focus. Its not you, Zoë. She was all kinds of pretty to command his attention. Do you know how exciting it is watching you eat? Im trying not to stare at you so much you want to start calling me a creep.
I could never do that. Youre too handsome to be creepy.
He wished hed never said that about witches. It would remain a sore spot for her, he felt sure.
Do you ever feel like youre being watched? he offered as a means to change the conversation. I cant put a finger to it. I usually can tell when vampires are nearby. This feeling Im having is...out there. Thats not a good way to explain it, but its the only words I can summon.
She nodded knowingly, and set down her fork. Youre sensitive to the paranormal breeds. Thats why you can feel it.
It? Feel what?
FaeryTown, of course.
Faery
While the Order had only touched on faeries during training, Kaz did know FaeryTown existed within Paris. It was sort of a fourth dimension overlaid upon the mortal realm. A place where faeries lived amongst mortals, yet could not be seen by them. It was also where vampires in the know went to get their dust fixes.
Why didnt you tell me where we were? He darted his gaze around the small restaurant and out the window, but wasnt sure what he expected to see. Wings? Right now?
She nodded.
I should have been told.
Wow. You hop right up that anger scale with little provocation, dont you? I didnt think it necessary because its not as if most people are aware of it. And youre not a vampire, so
So, its important to me to know these things, Zoë. Dont keep significant information like that from me.
She leaned back, toyed with her fork, but left her half-eaten dessert alone. Hed offended her, had spoken harshly when she could have no reason to understand his anxiety. It had been a bad idea to go out for lunch during a job. Did he want to hook up with her that badly?
Yes.
Sorry. Kaz turned his focus to her pouty pink mouth. Once again, I said the wrong thing to you.
Im not taking offense, but I am surprised at your reaction. So were in FaeryTown. What of it?
A lot of it, actually. Especially since Kaz was tracking the source of the Magic Dust. Could it be in FaeryTown? Made a hell of a lot of sense. Why hadnt he considered this angle of investigation until now?
Probably because he had no known way of accessing such a realm.
Lets say Im curious about my surroundings and this very obvious feeling of unease I mentioned to you. I mean, can they see us?
She nodded.
But we cant see them.
Not unless they want you to see them, which is rare. A faery could be standing right next to you, or even sitting in that very spot.
Kaz jostled on his chair, but didnt go so far as to stand up. The idea of someone sitting in the exact spot where he was right now... You have to admit thats disturbing.
Not if you dont think about it. She was so calm about the possibility their conversation was being observed.
Kaz propped a concealing hand along the side of his mouth and spoke quietly. Isnt there some way for a human being to see faeries?