His voice was low and his question soft, as though he didn't want to ask but he couldn't stop himself either.
I turned to put my back against one side of the pool and pulled my legs up to my chest, wrapping my arms around them. "Because I wanted to."
He didn't respond in any way, not even a nod. He just sat there and stared at me with hidden eyes.
"Why did you think I kissed you?" I asked, arching a brow at him.
"Because I wanted you to."
My heart gave a single, hard thud against my breastbone and I inhaled a shaky breath. Wow. Okay, that wasn't quite what I expected him to say. I thought maybe he would admit he found me attractive but say it wasn't the right time. Or that I was human and it could never work. Anything but that.
"Why would that be a problem?" I asked.
He waited a few seconds before he answered and my hands clenched my arms where they wrapped around my legs as I waited. Jeez, it was like pulling teeth getting him to answer my questions.
"The connection between us is stronger now that we shared blood," he finally said. "And even though I work very hard at blocking my emotions from you, I couldn't be sure that I wasn't projecting my thoughts. Not completely."
"I don't feel anything from you," I said, my arms relaxing. He opened his mouth as though he meant to argue and I shook my head. "It was there during the blood exchange, but then it was like...you slammed a door in my face. You're right next to me and I still have no idea what you're thinking or feeling. Do you sense anything from me?" I asked.
"Not really. I'm blocking you as well as I can. I can sense your presence or if your emotions were extremely heightened, such as in terror, but nothing else."
"Okay, then you know that you had nothing to do with that kiss."
His expression finally changed and I saw the tiniest hint of a smile on his mouth. "That's not entirely true."
I had to laugh, just a little, because he had kissed me back. At least at first. And it had been amazing.
Without thinking, I lifted my hand from the water and touched the tips of my fingers to my bottom lip. Though his eyes were still shadowed, I knew he watched me.
I lowered my hand because my skin suddenly felt hotter than the water surrounding me.
"What do we do about this?" I asked.
He shrugged and I couldn't tear my eyes away from the play of muscles in his shoulders and chest. "I don't know. I haven't courted a human since I was one."
"Courted?" I asked, laughing.
He scowled at me. "What would you call it?"
"Dated? Hung out with? Spent time with? Had a relationship with?"
"Okay, all of those," he growled.
My heart rate spiked before I spoke again. "I guess the most important question is if you would want to spend time with a human."
"I'm spending time with you now."
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling and, if I hadn't been naked, I would have gotten out of the pool and stomped away.
But I was trapped in the water unless I wanted to flash my naked ass at him.
When I lowered my gaze, I gasped and shrank back against the pool wall.
Marcus was right in front of me, his face fully in the light since the dream began. His eyes weren't glowing, but his gaze was intense.
"I like spending time with you," he whispered.
"Okay."
