Freak of Nature (The Lost Witch Trilogy #1) by Katie Lee O'Guinn Read Free Book Online Page B

bite of her lunch. “This is disgusting. Eat this instead,” he said, pushing one of his mom’s muffins across the table.
    Sarah glanced up cautiously and took the muffin, peeling back the foil slowly. The smell of nutmeg, cinnamon and apples flooded her senses and she smiled.
    “Thank you,” she said, taking a decadent bite of the glazed muffin.
    Zane watched her as she closed her eyes in pleasure and gave her a half smile. “So let’s settle this then. You and I have a connection. Because we’re both witches, or because I’m attracted to you, or because it’s a combination of both, who knows and I don’t care. It doesn’t matter because the bottom line is, we’re connected . I can understand that you’re also connected to Lash. From what I gather, it’s a protective bond that’s been created over time. But he wants to change that connection to a romantic one and you’re too smart not to realize that. But here’s the problem. Because I’m already connected to you, I don’t want Lash connected to you at all. Mostly because I can see something in him that tells me he’s a danger to you. I care about you Sarah. I already care about you, enough to know that I don’t want you hurt,” he said in a deep, serious voice that she’d never heard him use before.
    Sarah swallowed her bite of muffin and pushed the rest away as she took in what Zane was telling her. She licked her lips and took a sip of her chocolate milk.
    “I agree with most of what you said and I understand it. But I can’t just ignore this bond I have with Lash because you’re not comfortable with it. I know Lash wants a more romantic relationship with me, but that’s not going to happen. Unless I want it to,” she added softly.
    Zane sat up straighter and narrowed his eyes at her. “Pity is not a good basis for a relationship you know. Mutual strength and compatibility win every time. You don’t really want some strange, sick co-dependent relationship do you?”
    Sarah shook her head in frustration. “Stop psycho-analyzing this Zane. The point is, I don’t know what’s going to happen. I like you. I like Lash. I like you both for different reasons, true, but it’s still there.”
    Zane frowned and tore off a chunk of her muffin. “You really want a guy who just got back from doing who knows what to Jill Cavanaugh? She’s been dating him, what? For a week? And she already looks used up and half dead. That’s the guy you’re considering going out with instead of me?”
    Sarah turned her head to see what Zane was looking at and saw Lash and Jill come through the side doors. Zane was right. Jill didn’t look good. The smile on her face looked strange and faded and she looked pale. Her usually glossy brown hair looked dull and mousy and her bright, brown eyes were almost colorless. Lash had a possessive arm around her shoulders and a content look on his face. She knew in her gut what they’d been doing. Lash paused for a second and scanned the room, stopping when he found her face. Sarah looked back, curious as to why just that morning he’d ask her out when something physical was going on between him and Jill.
    Lash tilted his head, ignoring Jill pulling on his arm and smiled warmly and almost sweetly back at her. He raised a hand in a half wave and then gave in to Jill’s pulling and followed her to the lunch line.
    Zane’s hand on her chin pulled her face back to him. “You don’t want to be a part of that Sarah. I don’t want to see that happen to you. If you dated him, it would.”
    Sarah looked back into Zane’s clear gray eyes and realized he had moved his chair closer to hers. They were hip to hip now and his hand on her chin was sending a wave of warmth down her body. She didn’t try to move away when he moved in closer.
    “I don’t know . . .,” she managed to say before Zane moved his face a few inches closer and kissed her.
    Sarah’s mind went blank as Zane moved in, kissing her in a frank, possessive way that