A Vampire's Promise Read Online Free PDF Page B

standing beneath the pathetic arc of light, and I realized he was more than gorgeous. He was . . . beautiful. How could I not have noticed?
    The T-shirt he was wearing fit like a second skin, almost shrink-wrapping his upper body, and he didn’t require a visual reminder of passing puberty. Permitting myself a glance south, I saw the rear of his jeans was just as great as the front, and I was appalled at being so easily swayed by his physical appearance. Realizing I was on the verge of stepping into something I had no idea how to handle, I put my key in the lock in the driver’s-side door, relieved to hear the soft thunk as it released.
    â€œYour friend was right about one thing.” The honeyed voice stopped me in my tracks.
    â€œYeah? And what was that?” I turned back around, knowing I was probably about to be fed a line of absolute BS, but wanting to hear it anyway. This is what happens when you have no love life to speak of.
    A grin lifted the corners of his mouth, which looked very kissable. “I was looking at you.”
    The flame exploded somewhere just below my solar plexus and rushed up my chest and neck before slapping me in the face. I was grateful the light wasn’t any better. What the hell was I supposed to say now? For the first time in—well, never—a guy was actually telling me that he’d been staring at me. On purpose. And not just any guy. This guy . Only I still couldn’t figure out why.
    At this point my brain went into some sort of shutdown, like a computer that freezes up and needs rebooting. My body was lighting up for him like it was the Fourth of July, and I stopped questioning his motives. Any vestige of good sense completely evaporated as the vain hope that he might want to separate me from my underwear filled my head.
    With absolutely no idea what had gotten into me, I was filled with the urge to peel off his T-shirt, cover him with whipped cream, and lick it off . . . slowly. I have never, and I mean never, had this type of reaction to a guy. Frantically I tried to remember if Laycee’s well-intentioned lecture applied to sudden, all-consuming lust. I didn’t much care.
    Nervously I waited for the potential father of my children to say something else, but he remained quiet. Moving from the front of the POS, he stopped barely an arm’s length away from me and folded his arms across his chest. I watched, fascinated, as his biceps bunched and flexed. Some girls like a tight ass, others a well-defined six-pack, but me? I’m an arm girl. Nicely toned forearms, a great pair of biceps, topped by a terrific set of shoulders. I am so there.
    â€œWh-why would you b-be looking at me?” I stuttered, sounding like Minnie Mouse on crack. Ogling him was affecting my voice.
    â€œWhy wouldn’t I want to look at you?” He seemed genuinely puzzled, and not at all distracted by my speech impediment. “Why wouldn’t any man?”
    He didn’t move, but I suddenly felt as if he was surrounding me, using his body to push me back against the side of my car. And then, just as quickly, the odd, claustrophobic feeling vanished.
    â€œAre you sure you won’t reconsider?” he asked. “About the drink, that is?”
    Oh my God, was he for real? Shit! Shit! Shit!
    â€œYes.” The word rushed out of me before I lost my nerve.
    â€œIf you’d rather, we could just have coffee—”
    What was wrong with him? Hadn’t he heard me?
    â€œYes!” This time I shrieked.
    He looked startled and then relieved, almost as if he had been expecting me to turn him down again. Three strikes and you’re out! The dimple appeared in his cheek. God, it was sexy.
    â€œGreat. Is tomorrow night okay?”
    My brain unfroze itself, rebooted, and rescued me by closing down my tongue. Apparently it couldn’t be trusted to function properly. All appropriate responses were going to be reconfigured as head movements. I