“Why are you here?” she asked, her voice a rough whisper.
“Two reasons. First, I’m seeking refuge for my daughter.”
Her eyes flashed with not so much surprise but shock and betrayal.
“I only recently learned of her existence,” he said defensively. “I would never keep something like that from you. Not ever.”
She seemed to consider that before saying, “And the other reason?”
Kaj tilted his head, let his eyes drop to her mouth, but he didn’t lean down. “I’ve come to claim what belongs to me, Acadia. Once and for all.”
“Which is?”
“You.”
The slight hitch in her breath had his entire body hardening, but he knew better than to pursue her yet.
Before she could come up with a retort, Kaj stood tall.
“I fully intend to accomplish both.” He turned away, needing to return to the dining room. “And I have no intention of leaving until the latter is settled once and for all.”
As he descended the stairs, Kaj could feel her eyes on him, and that need, the one he’d been fighting for so long, bore down on him hard.
Frustrating, that was what that vampire was.
Infuriating.
Exasperating.
And so obscenely handsome, it felt strangely taboo for her to be staring at him so. She couldn’t count the times she’d dreamed about him over the past year and a half, seen those brilliant green eyes or that luxurious black hair, the hard angles of his face, the chiseled line of his jaw. His image was forever burned into her brain, never to be forgotten.
Acadia watched Kaj walk away, her heart in her throat. It wasn’t quite as painful as the last time she’d seen him retreat, though. That horrible day was forever imprinted on her mind, a recurring nightmare that often woke her in the day.
She couldn’t believe he was here. More importantly, she couldn’t believe he’d surprised her. How had she not sensed he was in the mansion?
Not that it mattered now.
His presence was both a blessing and an irritation. She was relieved to know he was alive and well but peeved to learn he was alive and wellandhadn’t bothered to contact her for the past eighteen months. What could he have possibly been doing during that time that kept him from reaching out? Not so much as a text message to sayhi, how are you?For the longest time, Acadia had worried he’d been killed, and she’d been left to forever nurse a broken heart.
Her heart was still broken, of course. Didn’t matter if he waltzed right up and said all the right things, made all those promises she’d longed to hear. She wouldn’t forgive him that easily. Oh, no. That vampire was going to grovel at her feet. Even then she wasn’t sure she could revert to that naive female who’d so easily given him her heart only to have it shattered.
With a huff, Acadia continued up the stairs, dragging the heavy skirts of her dress behind her. She would seek sustenance later, perhaps once everyone had retired for the day.
Her feet were quiet on the carpet as she hurried toward her quarters.
The sound of clipped voices brought her up short. She paused only feet from Reidar and Winnie’s room as she peered around for options. It sounded like they were standing just inside the door, which meant if she walked by, they would see her.
“It’s your home, Reidar. Not mine. We’ve been over this. You promised me.” Winnie’s words were fueled by a fury Acadia could feel wafting out of the bedchambers.
“This is where I belong,” Reidar countered hotly. “You knew that when I brought you here.”
“Clearly I was blinded by my feelings for you. Time changes things, Reidar. I don’t feel comfortable here anymore. I want to go back to California, be near my family. If you love me, you’ll go with me.”
“Winnie…” Reidar sighed heavily. “I need some time.”
“Away from me?” she belted.
“Yes, actually. This isn’t… It’s not working the way I thought it would.”
