fell int

staring at her brother and Charlyn and Rob

call me?" I asked again, rag

t. You have any

wear I ha

mind your fucking bu

" Mom chipped in. "He is yo

her off. "You never asked for my opinion at all, so if my spea

stormed out of the dining ro

.

otstep echoed too loudly, every door creaked under my nerves. I kept imagining Lucian'

. I looked haggard. I was trying to convince myself that it was overs

door drew my attent

r, we need

with a smile on her face.

your new family, please don't start. I have a

eps towards me. She stopped in fr

e paused and brushed her fingers softly into my hair. "But please, I ne

n the morning. I'll apologize to Rob

nd she pulled me into a hug, wr

Won't you apo

mumbled s

ome downstairs for dinner. I asked the

er a sli

.

about her college friends, but I only half-listened. My mind kept drifting to Lucian. He didn't speak much,

anne whispered, nudging my arm. "

back. She giggled, completely ob

k. It was infuriating. Everything about him screamed control: his posture, the sharp lines of his jaw, the

rlier on. That didn't speak wel

ine. "I'm glad you owned up to your mistake, kid. I'm sup

harlyn shrugged her shoulders and went back

ucian and I found him st

flatly. No warmth. No inflec

careful not to give him a

r interactions were minimal but electric. The environment was ten

n I wasn't paying attentio

room; the house was quiet, the only light coming from the glow of my screen. I was

zr

ipped a bea

s voice, low and controlled, yet somehow

hard. "Talk

a couch, arms crossed. His presence was oppr

dy, though my pulse was betraying me. "I'm not the o

"I am no predator.

laptop aside. "Problem? You think I'm

is proximity was dangerous. My pulse raced, and I ha

be part of a family like mine. You ne

thing sharp, piercing, commanding, stopped me. He didn't ne

ck up my laptop, but really, I w

I clutched my laptop to my racing

oo

wondered if he realized how close he had come