“Did you forget that he kicked your ass earlier?”
One side of Cyrus’s mouth lifts higher than the other. “I like this side of you.”
“What side?”
“This. The feisty side.”
“You call it feisty; I call it smart.” I cross my arms in front of my chest. “I don’t want something to happen to you because you’re protecting me.”
He steps closer, leaving inches between us. “I’m a grown man, Violet. I am very capable of making my own decisions. If something were to happen to me, I can assure you it would be on my terms, not yours. This might surprise you, but not everything is your fault.”
Bright blue eyes look into mine, then to my lips. When Harrison kissed me, I was nervous. When Cyrus looks at me, emotions I’ve never felt before fill my body. Every part of my body wants to close the distancebetween us. I fight the urge to throw my arms around his shoulders and place my lips on his.
“Violet,” he whispers.
“Yes?”
“Can I…Can I…” I don’t wait for him to finish. I step on the tips of my toes, pressing my lips to his firmly. At first, it feels awkward, but it doesn’t take long for Cyrus to respond. His lips press into mine as his hands cup my cheeks. His lips are soft and gentle as they press on mine, never pushing any further than a simple kiss.
Cyrus pulls away first. “I was going to ask if I could get you something to eat, but this works too.” The smile that covers his face seems to carry less weight than before. His lips press into mine once more, sending shock waves to my toes. I want to open my mouth like I’ve seen in magazines.
He pulls away for the second time. “Thank you, Violet.”
“For?”
“This,” he answers. “For trusting me…for sharing yourself with me.” His lips push into mine once more, this time moving further than before. Teeth push against my lip as he nudges my mouth slowly open. Sensations I’ve never felt before race through my body, begging for more. More kissing, more contact, more everything.
As quickly as he kissed me, he stops. His actions remind me of an animal sensing danger. “What?” I whisper.
“Feel,” he answers. “Send your energy away from here, and tell me what you sense.”
I do what he suggests, not feeling anything different than before. I shrug. “Nothing.”
“Relax, Violet. Let your instincts take over.”
I take a deep breath, releasing it slowly, and concentrate on sending my energy in a 360-degree circle. It’s there that I find what he’s talking about. The faint trace of something paranormal. “What is it?” I ask, opening my eyes.
“Vampire,” he answers.
“Do you know who?”
He shakes his head. “No, but they’re powerful.”
“Callum?” I ask.
“Possibly. There’s no way to tell until whoever it is gets closer.”
Terrin appears from nowhere. “Do you feel him?” he asks, startling me.
“Feel who?” I ask the immortal child.
“Father,” he answers.
Cyrus makes eye contact with me. He kneels in front of the child. “You feel Callum?”
“Yes,” Terrin whispers, as if the ancient vampire can hear him. “He’s coming.”
“You might want to fill me in on this plan quickly,” I add.
