Shadow Lake Vampire Society - Wendi Wilson Page 0,60
he basically knew nothing, except that my father’s killer ran to the Siskiyou Mountains to hide with his bad vampire buddies.”
My tone went from irritated to flippant by the end of the sentence, and I flinched internally when Levi’s eyes turned on me before quickly skittering away. I was sure I sounded like an ungrateful bitch, which was the last thing I wanted him to think of me.
“Thank you for taking me to see him,” I said, my voice softer and filled with emotion. “I really appreciate you trying to help me figure this out.”
“I’ll always help you, Piper.”
Something about his phrasing sent heat coursing through my body. My hands fisted into my dress, the red sequins scratchy against my palm.
Why did that “always” sound like forever? Stop it, Piper. Warren has no idea what he’s talking about.
Levi and I had known each other for what, a week or so? And the first few days of that, we’d been at odds. I couldn’t let Warren’s word choice get into my head like this. Warren Thornberry had no idea what he was talking about.
Love? Bullshit.
“You look really beautiful tonight, by the way.”
“You already told me that,” I tittered, cursing myself for the nervous edge to my voice.
“No, I said you look amazing which isn’t the same as beautiful,” he said, quietly. “What I should have said was you were amazing. Seeing you in there with Warren Thornberry...” He shook his head. “Even vampires are afraid of him, but you weren’t.”
“Oh,” was all I could manage. Did I tell him I didn’t know enough to be afraid of Warren Thornberry. My heart rate kicked up a few notches, and I started to freak out, knowing he could hear it. Which only made it beat faster.
“So, I just wanted you to know—all joking aside—that you were divine. Plus, you… in that dress…”
His hand snaked over and squeezed mine before prying it away from the fabric of the dress and interlacing our fingers. My breath started coming in little pants, and I prayed he wouldn’t notice. Or that he’d at least be gentleman enough not to mention it.
“We’ll find the truth, Piper,” he continued. “We’ll find the vampire who killed your father.”
“Thank you,” I breathed, and there was no mistaking what his touch and his words were doing to me.
I sounded like I was thanking him for something much more pleasurable than a few words of promise. I glanced over to see a muscle ticking in his jaw. Great. I was taking everything he said out of context and now he was pissed. Awesome.
Forget Badass Piper. Meet Hussy Piper.
My self-recriminations were cut off as the car suddenly veered to the side, tires squealing on the asphalt as Levi slammed on the brakes. My heart leapt in fear, my desire snuffed out as I clutched the door handle and pushed back against the seat.
“What’s the matter?” I squeaked as soon as the car jolted to a stop. “Was something in the road?”
Before I could blink, Levi was in my personal space, his cool, minty breath caressing my skin. I sucked in a sharp breath, holding it until his lips brushed against my cheek. The air slowly seeped from my lungs as his feather-light kisses trailed over to my ear.
“I can’t take it anymore. I just need to taste you.”
Before I could freak out over the vampire connotations of that statement, his mouth was on mine. His tongue teased my lips open, dipping in to steal a taste. A groan vibrated in his chest as he deepened the kiss, and my hands crept into his dark hair, gripping the soft strands in my tight fists.
Levi groaned again, this time deeper. More animalistic. His hand snaked up to the back of my neck, his fingers kneading the tension I hadn’t even realized was building there. As my body relaxed, his kisses slowed and grew softer until his lips were nipping softly at mine.
“Delicious,” he whispered, kissing me softly once more before pulling away and leaning back into his seat. “But I have to stop. I can’t lose control and chance hurting you.”
His dark eyes reflected the green lights in the dash as his smile and sigh of contentment made me blush. I wanted to look away, to hide my burning face, but something about his gaze was hypnotic, freezing me in place.
“I can tell you’re freaking out about what Warren said,” he whispered, reaching over to brush a thumb over my cheek.
“Wh-what?” I stuttered, my brain misfiring