To Save a Vampire - A.K. Koonce Page 0,66
hands on me. My face flames at the thought and I look up to find Asher smirking down at me, probably reading my thoughts that are written in red all over my face.
Jim’s fingers fumble over a few strings, a faint resemblance of music hidden under misplaced chords. He’s patient with his faults in the way only an elderly man can be. Asher’s eyes never leave his grandfather and neither do Shae’s.
I’m here. I’m present in this moment. Finally. I feel the love and emotion filling this room as memories and laughter pass between us. And I’m a part of it. In a strange way, I fit here. I’ve never felt that before.
Within minutes, a song is strummed under confident but worn hands. Shae hums softly to the music. Jim’s eyes drift from his steady fingers to Shae. An adoring look passes between them.
The slow melody ties together and fills my body. I sway lightly on my feet until I’m pulled into Asher’s side. His hard body halts the trance I found in the music. He moves to stand behind me, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, holding me against his chest. His head tilts down and leans against mine.
A warm feeling spreads over me. A safe but frantic feeling buzzes through my body. I’ve never felt like this before. No one has ever held me like this before. No one has ever looked at me the way Asher is looking down at me right now, his lids lowered and his gaze searching mine, searching for something deeper than the surface. His hands trail down my arms lightly. A tingle breaks out over my skin at this touch. His hands slip easily into mine at my sides. His thumb brushes back and forth against my knuckles, in time with the music.
He pulls me with him as he walks backward slowly. The two of us slip quietly from the room, the melody following us up the stairs.
Ripper has taken notice of our little getaway and prances at my feet. He seems eager to get outside. As soon as Asher opens the refrigerator door, the dog shoots off like a shadow in the night. I’m not worried about him. Not here. Everything is so peaceful here, not even my thoughts are threatening anymore.
Asher leads me through the decaying house. I pause when he turns to walk up the stairs, his hand resting on the broken railing.
“You’re sure we should be walking around up here?” I ask, glancing at multiple broken boards on the stairs.
He leans toward me, lowering his eyes to mine. The moonlight reflects in his gray eyes. His body is so close to mine I can feel his warmth through my thin shirt.
“I’d never let anything happen to you,” he says in a whisper, his forehead leaning against mine.
I close my eyes and breathe him in. His clean scent fills me, and I’m reminded how different we both are here. How much we’ve both changed since that first day I sat across from him at the compound. How much I truly do trust him. He’s not the pike, and I’m not that glaring girl who’s unsure if she hates him or not.
“I’d never let you hit the ground anyway,” he adds with a quiet laugh, his breath fanning over my face.
I narrow my eyes at his unfunny use of sarcasm. Just when I thought we had both grown up during our journey. I trust him and he says something like that. What a mood killer. What a jerk. What an as—
My thoughts are cut short when he grabs me by the waist and throws me over his shoulder. I muffle a shriek as he carries me up the creaking stairs. I slap my hands against his broad shoulders; his deep laughter vibrates through my body as I’m jostled about with every terrifying step he takes in the death trap that is this house.
At the top of the stairs, he carefully lifts me off his shoulders until my feet touch the wooden floor below. His hands linger on my hips and my fingers grasp his shoulders. The fear of falling through the stairs is only partially on my mind now.
His body is angled into mine. His smug amusement is still present on his arrogant face.
“Do you ever get a girl’s permission before manhandling her like that?” I ask, trying to sound annoyed even as my hands have a mind of their own. My fingers trace the collar of his shirt until