Second of the Winterset Coven by T. S. Joyce Read Free Book Online Page B

the chill of his skin seeping from beneath his sweater. She wanted to touch, so she snuck her fingertips under his shirt and ran the flats of her palms up his washboard stomach. Curiously, Garret shivered and disconnected their kiss in a rush. He closed his eyes again and smiled as she dragged her fingers back down his abs.
    “You’re so warm,” he said, barely audibly.
    Garret felt like a stone statue, but not. He was cold and strong, but his torso moved with his shallow breaths, and his skin was soft above the curves of his muscles. Dawn would never get tired of this. She ran her nail lightly over the top of the waist of his jeans and bit her bottom lip to hide her smile at his reaction. His steady breath quickened to a pant, and his grip on her neck tightened just slightly. Oh he could snap her neck with no effort, but he wouldn’t. She trusted him with everything in her. He’d built that trust slowly with being gentle when he fed, and caring when he spoke to her.
    “You’re hungry,” she whispered.
    He dipped his chin, his onyx eyes troubled. “Don’t want to eat until I know you are okay.”
    Dawn slid one hand around his back and along the length of his longest scar. “I feel fine, and I don’t want you hungry while we’re on our date.” She ran the pad of her thumb across his cheek. “I miss the green in your eyes.”
    Garret caught her wrist. “You mean you miss the human in my eyes.”
    There was pain in his voice, so she hugged him tight, up on her tiptoes so she could rest her chin on his strong shoulder. “No, I mean I miss the color that tells me you are okay and happy. The black says you’re uncomfortable, and I can’t go the entire night looking at you, thinking I could make this better for you.”
    “I hear a heartbeat in your house,” he said low, so close to her ear his lips brushed her sensitive lobe and just about buckled her knees.
    “My mom’s home.”
    “I want to meet her, but not like this.”
    Mom’s approval meant a lot to her. Dawn had no doubt she would adore Garret, but maybe not with demon-black eyes and a mega-boner the first time they met.
    She could drag his sexy ass to the rickety old treehouse out back, but it probably wouldn’t hold their weight, especially if they were humping…and she definitely planned on humping. They could do it in the back seat of his car, but then she remembered he flew here like the badass vampire he was. Her car was definitely too small to do anything fun in the back seat unless they somehow shrunk themselves to the size of fairies.
    “You’re pouting,” Garret said in an amused tone as he brushed his thumb over her lip.
    Indeed, she was. Because diddle-time was not imminent, and her hormones were buzzing like a pissed-off beehive.
    “I’m hungry,” she muttered. For a naked party.
    “Well, come on then. I’ll be fine tonight. I have plans, and we’re going to be late.”
    “Plans?” she asked hopefully as he led her by the hand down the porch stairs.
    Movement in the shadows caught her attention. Shane and Evan stepped out from the woods with somber looks on their faces. Shane was third in the coven and had always been nice to her, while Evan, the sandy-haired muscle man was the strong silent type. She hadn’t even realized they were there until now.
    Garret lifted his chin in a mannish greeting, and Dawn wiggled her fingers in a wave. She withdrew her keys from her purse but then hesitated. Three giant vampires plus her in the car was going to be a tight squeeze, and she wasn’t exactly excited about doing a double date with two straight dudes, but okay. If Garret thought that was safest, she trusted his judgement.
    She hit the unlock button, and her car beeped once, but Garret turned suddenly and lifted her off the ground, spun her around so fast her heart went into her clenched butt-cheeks. The screech of bats filled the air. Dawn screamed as purple smoke engulfed her, but after a breathtaking second that felt like going