was gone, and he led me down the road and across the main highway. He had me curious when we entered the dense tree line on the other side of the road.
"Are you taking me out to the woods as a trick?" I asked, half serious.
He glanced over his shoulder, lashes hiding his eyes. "And what would I do out here to you, Kitten?"
I shivered. "The possibilities are endless."
"Aren't they?" He made his way easily around the thick brush and vines tangled together on the floor of the woods.
I was having a hell of a time not breaking my neck on the many exposed roots and moss-covered rocks. "Can we pretend we did this?"
"Trust me, I don't want to be doing this either." He jumped over a fallen tree. "But bitching about it isn't going to make it any easier." Turning around, he offered me his hand.
"You're such a joy to talk to." I briefly considered ignoring it, but I placed my hand in his. Static passed from his skin to mine. I bit down on my lip as he helped me over the downed tree before dropping my hand. "Thank you." Daemon looked away and continued walking. "Are you excited about school?" What? Like he cared? "It's not exciting being the newbie. You know, the whole sticking out like a sore thumb. Not fun."
"I can see that."
"You can?"
"Yeah, I can. We only have a little bit more to go."
I wanted to question him further, but why put the effort into it? He'd give me another vague answer or innuendo. "A little bit? How long have we been walking?"
"About twenty minutes, maybe a little longer. I told you it was fairly hidden."
Following him over another uprooted tree, I saw a clearing ahead beyond the trees.
"Welcome to our little piece of paradise." There was a sardonic twist to his lips.
Ignoring him, I walked into the clearing. I was amazed. "Wow. This place is beautiful."
"It is." He stood next to me, one hand cupping his eyes against the glare from the sun bouncing off the smooth surface of the water.
I could tell from the stiff set of his shoulders, this place was special to him. Just knowing that kind of made my stomach flutter. I reached up and put my hand on his arm, and he turned to face me. "Thank you for bringing me." Before Daemon could open his mouth and ruin the moment, I dropped my hand and deliberately looked away.
A creek divided the clearing, expanding into a small, natural lake. It rippled in the soft breeze.
Rocks erupted from the middle, flat and smooth-looking. Somehow, the land had been cleared in a perfect circle around the water. Large patches of flat, grassy land and wildflowers blossomed in the full sun. It was peaceful.
I went to the water's edge. "How deep is it?"
"About ten feet in most parts, twenty feet on the other side of the rocks." He was right behind me, doing that creepy, quiet walking thing. "Dee loves it here. Before you came, she spent most of her days here." To Daemon, my arrival was the beginning of the end. The apocalypse. Kat-mageddon. "You know, I'm not going to get your sister in trouble."
"We'll see."
"I'm not a bad influence," I tried again.
Things would be much easier if we could just get along. "I haven't ever gotten into trouble before."
He slipped around me, eyes on the still waters. "She doesn't need a friend like you."
"There isn't anything wrong with me," I snapped. "You know what? Forget this." He sighed. "Why do you garden?" I stopped, hands clenching. "What?"
"Why do you garden?" he asked again, still staring at the lake. "Dee said you do it so you don't think. What do you want to avoid thinking about?"
Was this caring and sharing time now? "It's none of your business."
Daemon shrugged. "Then let's go swimming."
Swimming was the last thing I wanted to do.
Drowning him? Maybe. But then he kicked off his sneakers and took off his jeans. Underneath, he had on swim trunks. Then he whipped his shirt off in one quick motion. Dayam. I'd seen guys without their shirts on before. I lived in Florida, where every guy felt the need to walk around half-dressed. Hell, I'd seen this half-naked guy before. This shouldn't be a big deal.
But man, I was so wrong.
He had a great build, not too big but more muscles than any boy his age should have.
Daemon moved with a fluid grace to the water, his muscles flexing and