FEARLESS: The King Series, Book One by Tawdra Kandle

to listen in on other people who hadn’t given me permission. They made me realize that private thoughts are just that. And that even if I did accidentally hear something, I shouldn’t respond or comment, because that wasn’t polite or safe.”
    “Safe? So you really think you could be in danger from this?”
    I hesitated. “Maybe. I don’t want to sound all X-Files or anything, but even if you’re not talking government stuff, there are companies that would be very interested in someone who could give them that edge. Anyway, I don’t want to open myself up to anyone who might exploit me, at all.”
    He gazed at me intently, silently. He still held my hand near his face, and now he shifted to wrap it tightly in both of his, subtly pulling me slightly closer.
    “I would never, never violate your trust in me. I want you to know that.”
    I wanted to make a silly reply, lighten the mood, but I couldn’t pull my eyes away from his. I nodded, barely. “I know.”
    We were quiet for several minutes. The sun was slowly going down, still warm against our backs. Twilight had settled across the lake.
    “Is there anything else you wanted to know?”
    He pulled in a deep and slow breath. “Hundreds of things. But nothing that can’t wait. This has been a lot for you today.”
    “I’m not used to it. I don’t share—I just don’t. And I don’t even talk much about this stuff with my parents.”
    “Why not?”
    “Unless there’s a problem, there really isn’t any need to talk about my—gift. I guess no more than you would talk about being blind or deaf. It just is, and we deal with it.”
    “And no one else has ever guessed or figured it out?” He was lightly running his fingers back and forth over the back of my hand, but his eyes were squarely on my face.
    “No, not ever. I try not to get into many situations where someone might get suspicious.”
    “That’s the whole staying aloof thing. You said before that you didn’t have many conversations with girls or boys.”
    I nodded. “And it’s not hard. When you have to concentrate on not hearing everyone, it can come off like you’re stand-offish or stuck up. Or even something else.” I smirked a little, remembering.
    “What?” he demanded. “What’s funny?”
    “I was just thinking about my last school, in Wisconsin. There was a rumor going around that not only was I a snob, I didn’t like boys either.”
    He raised his eyebrows. “Seriously?”
    I laughed at the disbelief in his eyes. “Well, people look for an explanation for what they don’t understand, and I guess that was the best they could come up with for why I wasn’t interested in any of the local hotties.”
    A smile curved his lips, and for the first time in over an hour, he released my hand. I felt oddly bereft for just a moment, but I didn’t have a chance to dwell on that, as he leaned closer to me and brushed the hair back from my face.
    “How about here?” he murmured, so close to my ear that I shivered even as my face grew hot again. “Are there any local hotties you’re interested in?”
    My heart was thumping so hard and fast that I could hardly hear my own reply. “Maybe,” I breathed. And my concentration slipped so suddenly that it seemed I could hear him shouting, “ Do I kiss her? I don’t want to push. But maybe… ” I closed my eyes briefly and shut it all out, but I knew I couldn’t be anything less than honest.
    “I’m sorry,” I murmured. “I could hear you, just now.  It’s harder to concentrate when I’m—flustered, I guess.”
    He didn’t pull back, didn’t seem at all upset that I had violated the privacy of his mind. Instead, he slid his hand from my hair down to my neck and cupped it softly. He leaned even closer to me, resting his forehead on mine.
    “Why don’t you not concentrate for a minute? Why don’t you relax… and listen?”
    My eyes widened as I realized what he was doing. This was such a rarity, that someone would willingly