eyes. He could never hurt her.
The ocean breeze drifted past them, tugging at her hair. Her eyes sparkled, and for a moment, the centuries that separated them vanished.
His lips brushed hers, and he whispered, “I have no intention of ever breaking your heart.”
Kate stepped back from him, breaking the spell. Calisto felt like the sand shifted beneath his feet when he saw the shock in her eyes.
“I… I can’t do this. It’s too much.” She yanked her hand free, tugged off his jacket, and thrust it against his chest. “Look, I’m sorry if I led you on, or gave you the wrong idea. I shouldn’t have come here with you.”
Calisto stared in shock at Kate’s retreating figure. He hadn’t meant to kiss her. Not yet. But the night enchanted him and dimmed the line between the past and present. Was it wrong that he wanted her? He needed to spend time with her, to win her heart, but she gave him no chance.
He gripped his jacket in a tight fist and jogged after her, careful not to let himself run too quickly. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her with his preternatural abilities.
The situation was maddening. She stood so close, yet still out of his reach.
Kate almost made it to her car, but she stopped abruptly. Turning to her right, she stared at a knoll covered with the flowers he left at Tala’s cross at the mission.
“They’re beautiful,” she whispered.
Calisto forced a smile. “Thank you.”
82 LISA KESSLER
She bent closer, smelling one of the blooms, and then finally turned toward him. “I saw some of these the other night at the mission. What are they called?”
“Romneya.”
She nodded, reaching out to touch the delicate petals. “I’ve never seen another flower like it.”
“They were native to Southern California, although now they are hard to find here,” he said, drinking in her every move.
“I love them.” Kate smiled. “They’re gorgeous, and they smell so good... ”
You have always loved them. How he wished she remembered.
Calisto leaned forward and snapped a bloom from its stem, careful not to jostle the delicate plant. Without a word, he nestled the large, white flower behind her ear.
He wasn’t prepared for the emotion that slammed into him. She was exactly the way he remembered, drenched in moonlight with her favorite flower tucked behind her ear. The stark contrast of her black hair and the white petals took his breath away. His fingertips lingered against her cheek, caressing it while his gaze held hers, and in that brief moment, she was his again.
The fog surrounded them, and the rest of the world disappeared.
She gazed at him, her full lips parting until he could resist no longer.
Calisto bent to claim her lips one last time. Her hand slid up his chest, but instead of deepening the kiss, Kate pushed him back.
“We have to stop. This can’t work out,” she whispered. “I can’t. I can’t do this.”
She ran to her car without looking back, and within a minute her little VW disappeared into the fog.
Night Walker 83
Chapter Nine
The sun beat through the living room window. Kate sat up, still in her Dad’s favorite recliner. Glancing at the clock, she stretched her arms and groaned. Every muscle felt drained and achy.
She’d struggled with her mixed-up emotions the entire drive home. In the end, she didn’t fall asleep until almost five in the morning. Six hours wasn’t enough to recover from the tempest of emotions Calisto had brought on.
In spite of her exhaustion, she had a clear understanding of what she needed to do.
She would pack and head home. Running to San Diego was supposed to help her regain her emotional footing, but now her escape was on the verge of spiraling out of control, too. She’d run from her demons in Reno, and it was time she faced them. How could she gain control of her life when she let a cheating bastard chase her from her life? Besides, she couldn’t stay and let herself fall into another relationship when
The ocean breeze drifted past them, tugging at her hair. Her eyes sparkled, and for a moment, the centuries that separated them vanished.
His lips brushed hers, and he whispered, “I have no intention of ever breaking your heart.”
Kate stepped back from him, breaking the spell. Calisto felt like the sand shifted beneath his feet when he saw the shock in her eyes.
“I… I can’t do this. It’s too much.” She yanked her hand free, tugged off his jacket, and thrust it against his chest. “Look, I’m sorry if I led you on, or gave you the wrong idea. I shouldn’t have come here with you.”
Calisto stared in shock at Kate’s retreating figure. He hadn’t meant to kiss her. Not yet. But the night enchanted him and dimmed the line between the past and present. Was it wrong that he wanted her? He needed to spend time with her, to win her heart, but she gave him no chance.
He gripped his jacket in a tight fist and jogged after her, careful not to let himself run too quickly. The last thing he wanted was to frighten her with his preternatural abilities.
The situation was maddening. She stood so close, yet still out of his reach.
Kate almost made it to her car, but she stopped abruptly. Turning to her right, she stared at a knoll covered with the flowers he left at Tala’s cross at the mission.
“They’re beautiful,” she whispered.
Calisto forced a smile. “Thank you.”
82 LISA KESSLER
She bent closer, smelling one of the blooms, and then finally turned toward him. “I saw some of these the other night at the mission. What are they called?”
“Romneya.”
She nodded, reaching out to touch the delicate petals. “I’ve never seen another flower like it.”
“They were native to Southern California, although now they are hard to find here,” he said, drinking in her every move.
“I love them.” Kate smiled. “They’re gorgeous, and they smell so good... ”
You have always loved them. How he wished she remembered.
Calisto leaned forward and snapped a bloom from its stem, careful not to jostle the delicate plant. Without a word, he nestled the large, white flower behind her ear.
He wasn’t prepared for the emotion that slammed into him. She was exactly the way he remembered, drenched in moonlight with her favorite flower tucked behind her ear. The stark contrast of her black hair and the white petals took his breath away. His fingertips lingered against her cheek, caressing it while his gaze held hers, and in that brief moment, she was his again.
The fog surrounded them, and the rest of the world disappeared.
She gazed at him, her full lips parting until he could resist no longer.
Calisto bent to claim her lips one last time. Her hand slid up his chest, but instead of deepening the kiss, Kate pushed him back.
“We have to stop. This can’t work out,” she whispered. “I can’t. I can’t do this.”
She ran to her car without looking back, and within a minute her little VW disappeared into the fog.
Night Walker 83
Chapter Nine
The sun beat through the living room window. Kate sat up, still in her Dad’s favorite recliner. Glancing at the clock, she stretched her arms and groaned. Every muscle felt drained and achy.
She’d struggled with her mixed-up emotions the entire drive home. In the end, she didn’t fall asleep until almost five in the morning. Six hours wasn’t enough to recover from the tempest of emotions Calisto had brought on.
In spite of her exhaustion, she had a clear understanding of what she needed to do.
She would pack and head home. Running to San Diego was supposed to help her regain her emotional footing, but now her escape was on the verge of spiraling out of control, too. She’d run from her demons in Reno, and it was time she faced them. How could she gain control of her life when she let a cheating bastard chase her from her life? Besides, she couldn’t stay and let herself fall into another relationship when
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