Nightwalker by Unknown Read Free Book Online Page B

green
    eyes. If ever a creature had looked genuinely evil, Cassie decided, it was
    that cat. "I'm beginning to regret feeding you that tuna sandwich," she
    informed him.
    "What tuna sandwich?" Justin asked as he paced back into the library,
    flashlight in hand.
    "I made that damn cat and myself a tuna sandwich earlier," she
    explained shortly.
    "Aren't you going to offer me one?" One black brow arched inquiringly
    as he knelt to feed another log to the cheery fire.
    "I would have thought you preferred a more liquid diet," she observed
    sarcastically.
    "Well, I'd be glad of a glass of wine, too, of course, if you've got it."
    "That's not what I meant," she grumbled, giving him plenty of room
    near the hearth. It made her very uneasy to be near him but the lure of the
    fire was too great to ignore.
    "I see. I've got news for you, Cassie: whatever I might prefer to drink, I
    also like solid food. Will you fix me a sandwich?"
    She slanted him a savage glance. "Why on earth should I go out of my
    way to fix you anything at all?"
    "You fed the cat," he pointed out innocently.
    "And I'm already beginning to regret it. Look at that monster. I think
    he's probably some witch's familiar!"
    "It's just a cat, Cassie." Justin sighed. Then he gave her his flickering
    smile. "And I'm just a man."
    "Uh-huh."
    "You are scared of me, aren't you?" He sounded quite satisfied.
    "No, I am not scared of you! I am furious with you, outraged by your
    assumptions and by your behavior, but I am not afraid of you!" She held
    herself proudly as she made the declaration, telling herself privately that
    the words were not a complete lie.
    "Good." He straightened, flashlight in hand. "Then let's go make me a
    tuna sandwich, hmm? I'm hungry. Who knows what I might do if I'm not
    fed?" He deliberately glanced at her throat and Cassie would have kicked
    him if she hadn't been barefoot.
    "The food is in the kitchen. The refrigerator was working before the
    electricity went off. Look in there." She gazed fixedly at the fire, refusing to
    give any more ground. The casual way he was taking control was
    frightening in itself. She must resist the small aggressions or she would be
    helpless in the face of the more serious ones. My God ! she thought
    suddenly, realizing the direction of her thoughts. Does that mean I really
    am vulnerable in some way ?
    "Come with me, Cassie," he ordered softly, too softly. "I want you to fix
    me a sandwich."
    He made no move to touch her, facing her in front of the hearth with a
    calm, implacable expression. The firelight danced on his arrogant features
    and Cassie shivered. She fought the small battle with silent willpower but
    she knew she was going to lose. She wasn't certain exactly why but she
    knew it would be so. The only thing she could do was try to salvage some
    pride from the scene.
    "I suppose," she began imperiously, "that since you built me a decent
    fire, I can fix you a sandwich!" Spinning around on her bare heel she
    grabbed a candlestick off the nearest shelf and started down the hall
    toward the old kitchen. Justin didn't say a word as he followed her, but
    she could feel the intense satisfaction in him. He used his flashlight to
    augment the candle flame.
    "You look a little supernatural yourself, in that old-fashioned gown and
    with your hair tumbling down around your shoulders," he mused as he
    watched her slap together a hasty tuna sandwich. "A man could be
    excused for thinking he'd encountered a ghost if he saw you the way I did
    when you opened the door tonight. You look very.. .interesting , by
    candlelight, Cassie."
    She glared at him briefly. "If you're trying to seduce me, you're
    supposed to say I look beautiful by candlelight. Not just interesting."
    He didn't respond for a moment and then he said quietly, "I'm
    beginning to think 'interesting' is a lot more attractive in the long run
    than 'beautiful.' "
    "What in the world does that mean?" she scoffed, slamming a slice of
    bread down on top of the