soothed every ragged piece of his soul. She was everything he had ever wanted , and more. The rumbling of her stomach brought him back to reality. She was hungry, and he needed to take care of her.
R eleasing her, he pulled t he turtleneck back up, gently covering the wounds. She smiled softly up at h im, her eyes twinkling brightly. Her fingers slid easily into his, clenching briefly. He followed her out of the room, her nervousness pound ing against him as she fidgeted with the collar of her shirt . He leaned down close to her, brushing his lips lightly against her cheek. “It will be ok.”
She shot him a frightened look but nodded swiftly. Soft voices drifted from the kitchen, the scraping of silverware on plates could be heard. Cassie glanced worriedly up at him, her hand tightened on his as he stepped through the door, pulling her gently behind him. She stood half behind him , a small tremor working through her.
Chris, Melissa, and Dani looked up as they entered. Worry flash ed briefly across their faces as they glanced from her to Devon. Chris ’s eyes remained locked on Devon’ s for a moment, his gaze was questioning before he turned his attention back to Cassie. She managed a small smile for them, her fingers fiddled with her shirt once more.
“Hi guys,” she said softly.
“How are you feeling?” Melissa inquired anxiously.
“Much better.”
Chris rose suddenly, striding across the room to her. “It’s good to have you back.”
He e nfold ed her in a tight bear hug , pulling her close against him . Devon felt Cassie’s momentary jolt of surprise before she wrapped her arms around Chris . Devon took a step back, fighting the jealousy and possessive urge that surged through him. Chris was her best friend, he knew that . H ell , he was Devon’s best friend now, but he still didn ’ t like other men touching her, holding her.
Cassie smiled brilliantly up at Chris as he took a step back. “It’s good to be back.”
“You’re feeling better? ”
“Yes. I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted,” her gaze darted to Dani and Melissa. “To all of you.”
Melissa was grinning from ear to ear as she hurried over to hug Cassie. “It’s ok, we understand. I’m just so happy you’re back.”
Tears shimmered in Cassie’s e yes as Melissa took a step away and Dani embraced her. “Are you hungry?” Chris asked anxiously. “Melissa made baked ziti, and I have to admit it’s not half bad.”
Melissa pushed him lightly. “Not half bad? You’re on your third helping.”
He grinned back at her, turning on his heel as he hurried across the kitchen, eagerly grabbing a plate. Cassie took hold of Devon’s hand again, her smile wonderfully beautiful as she made her way slowly to the island everyone had gathered around. Chris slapped an overflowing plate of food in front of her, causing her eyebrows to rise in surprise. “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he explained.
Cassie laughed s oftly, picking up her fork she dug in. Devon watched her carefully, relieved to have her back, relived to see her eating with such gusto, relieved to see that he had no t hurt her. He had wanted to give her a litt le of his blood, not enough to change her, but just enough to give her some strength after the blood loss she had experienced.
However, he had decided against it almost immediately. He wanted her to have his blood inside her, wanted to know what it would be like to have her feeding from him . B ut he could not take th e risk that something might happen to her if he did give her his blood . Not when he and Luther still had no idea exactly what Cassie was.
***
“ A pparently they weren’t being indifferent to me because of my grandmother’s death, but because I was no longer dating you.”
Cassie glanced up at Devon . He stood stiffly behind her in the lunch line, refusing to leave her for
R eleasing her, he pulled t he turtleneck back up, gently covering the wounds. She smiled softly up at h im, her eyes twinkling brightly. Her fingers slid easily into his, clenching briefly. He followed her out of the room, her nervousness pound ing against him as she fidgeted with the collar of her shirt . He leaned down close to her, brushing his lips lightly against her cheek. “It will be ok.”
She shot him a frightened look but nodded swiftly. Soft voices drifted from the kitchen, the scraping of silverware on plates could be heard. Cassie glanced worriedly up at him, her hand tightened on his as he stepped through the door, pulling her gently behind him. She stood half behind him , a small tremor working through her.
Chris, Melissa, and Dani looked up as they entered. Worry flash ed briefly across their faces as they glanced from her to Devon. Chris ’s eyes remained locked on Devon’ s for a moment, his gaze was questioning before he turned his attention back to Cassie. She managed a small smile for them, her fingers fiddled with her shirt once more.
“Hi guys,” she said softly.
“How are you feeling?” Melissa inquired anxiously.
“Much better.”
Chris rose suddenly, striding across the room to her. “It’s good to have you back.”
He e nfold ed her in a tight bear hug , pulling her close against him . Devon felt Cassie’s momentary jolt of surprise before she wrapped her arms around Chris . Devon took a step back, fighting the jealousy and possessive urge that surged through him. Chris was her best friend, he knew that . H ell , he was Devon’s best friend now, but he still didn ’ t like other men touching her, holding her.
Cassie smiled brilliantly up at Chris as he took a step back. “It’s good to be back.”
“You’re feeling better? ”
“Yes. I’m sorry for the way I’ve acted,” her gaze darted to Dani and Melissa. “To all of you.”
Melissa was grinning from ear to ear as she hurried over to hug Cassie. “It’s ok, we understand. I’m just so happy you’re back.”
Tears shimmered in Cassie’s e yes as Melissa took a step away and Dani embraced her. “Are you hungry?” Chris asked anxiously. “Melissa made baked ziti, and I have to admit it’s not half bad.”
Melissa pushed him lightly. “Not half bad? You’re on your third helping.”
He grinned back at her, turning on his heel as he hurried across the kitchen, eagerly grabbing a plate. Cassie took hold of Devon’s hand again, her smile wonderfully beautiful as she made her way slowly to the island everyone had gathered around. Chris slapped an overflowing plate of food in front of her, causing her eyebrows to rise in surprise. “You’ve got a lot of catching up to do,” he explained.
Cassie laughed s oftly, picking up her fork she dug in. Devon watched her carefully, relieved to have her back, relived to see her eating with such gusto, relieved to see that he had no t hurt her. He had wanted to give her a litt le of his blood, not enough to change her, but just enough to give her some strength after the blood loss she had experienced.
However, he had decided against it almost immediately. He wanted her to have his blood inside her, wanted to know what it would be like to have her feeding from him . B ut he could not take th e risk that something might happen to her if he did give her his blood . Not when he and Luther still had no idea exactly what Cassie was.
***
“ A pparently they weren’t being indifferent to me because of my grandmother’s death, but because I was no longer dating you.”
Cassie glanced up at Devon . He stood stiffly behind her in the lunch line, refusing to leave her for
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