She smiled brightly. “I’m not talking about out there dear.” She nodded toward the windows. Slipping her hands free she pointed to Cassie’s chest. “I’m talking about in here.”
Cassie swallowed heavily, knowing that it was already too late to be careful with her heart. It was no longer hers to be careful with. “I will,” she said hesitatingly.
Dropping a kiss on her grandmother’s soft cheek, she forced herself not to run as she quickly left the room. Her heart pounded eagerly with every step. Reaching her doorway, she froze, her legs locking in place. He was already standing by her window, his arms folded over his chest as he leaned casually against the sill. His eyes were dark in the night; his hair tussled across his forehead. He looked utterly tempting and wonderful.
She did not know how he had gotten there so fast, nor did she care. She was just glad he was there. He unfolded himself, his muscles rippled mouthwateringly. Power and desire radiated from him as he took a small step forward. A small twinge of fear shot through her, but it was also filled with excitement. Her doubts wanted to surge forth once more, but she shoved them aside. Her need for him far outweighed any misgivings she had.
Closing the door, she made her way swiftly forward. His arms enveloped her, pulling her tight against him. She clung to his hard body, needing the strength that he gave her, needing the comfort he provided. All of her hurts and aches and fears were forgotten as his hands entwined in her hair, cradling her head gently against his shoulder.
“Cassandra.” He sounded like a starving man who had just been given a meal. She shivered, her fingers dug into his hard back as she tried to pull herself closer to him. He shifted her slightly holding her more firmly against his right shoulder, but she could not get close enough. She would never get close enough.
CHAPTER 19
Devon was standing by the window, staring at the night when she woke early the next morning. The sky was still dark, but the stars had blinked out and the moon had disappeared. Though she didn’t make a sound upon waking, he turned toward her. A small smile played over his full mouth, but his eyes remained hard and distant.
Frowning, Cassie tossed back her blankets and climbed swiftly to her feet. She was surprised to realize that she had fallen asleep with her clothes on. She padded silently over to him; the hardwood was cool against her bare feet. His arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her tight against his side.
“Anything out there?” she asked quietly, trying to sound light but knowing that she failed. There really might be something out there, lurking within the shadows, watching them.
“Just a few early birds.” His fingers tightened upon her waist, he briefly nuzzled her hair. He inhaled deeply before kissing her temple lightly and straightening from her.
Cassie studied the early morning; the sky was lightening to gray, a few birds were already chirping. She could see nothing wrong with the morning, or sense anything evil out there. Still, she moved closer to him, her fingers entangling in the soft cotton of his shirt. His hard muscles rippled beneath her touch.
They stood silently together, watching as the sun rose over the horizon and the sky flamed with a brilliant array of colors. It was one of the most beautiful, wonderful, serene moments of her life. The light played over his magnificent face, highlighting the hard planes of it, and illuminating his stunning eyes.
He kissed her gently, his lips brushing briefly over hers. A firestorm of emotion and feeling boiled through her, crashing over her like waves on the sand. She felt the loss of his kiss as acutely as she would have felt the loss of a limb. “I’ll see you at school,” he said softly.
Cassie managed a brief nod, her body already ached from the separation that was about to ensue. He kissed her briefly again, reluctantly releasing her. Swiftly, with startling grace, he moved through her window. Grasping hold of the tree limb he swung himself rapidly down. Cassie watched in awe as he leapt from the tree, still ten feet from the ground, and landed effortlessly upon the ground.
Cassie lifted an eyebrow, his agility left her breathless with wonder. Turning away from the window she hurried to the bathroom, eager to go to school.
***
Devon slid his car into park, his eyes slowly drifted over the students gathered by what had become his parking spot. They were mostly female, but there were a few boys that had followed the girls. Devon ignored them. He had no interest in any of them.
Throwing the door open he climbed swiftly from the car, not noticing the longing stares that followed his every move. He found her instantly among the crowd; her aura was like a homing beacon that he could not ignore. His fingers twitched slightly, his need to hold her again was almost consuming.
She looked up at him, smiling brightly. She radiated a life force that lit her from the inside out, causing her fair skin to glow, and her exquisite eyes to gleam in the bright morning sun. The tightness constricting his chest since he had left her, relaxed. In all of his many years, he had never come across someone as unique and magnificent as she was; her outer beauty was only dimmed by her inner beauty.
He had never felt this way about someone before, never knew it was possible to need someone so much that he could hardly think. He recalled Annabelle, and her unwavering feelings. He understood her better now, understood what she had needed and desired. Understood now what he could never have given to Annabelle, what she had truly been feeling, what she had needed, and that realization terrified him.
But he knew that it was too late to do anything about it now. He could try and leave, but he would not get far without Cassie. And if what he suspected was true, Cassie would be greatly hurt, if not destroyed, by his disappearance. He had not wanted Cassie so ensnared in his life, so entrenched in his world of darkness and monsters. But once he’d met her, he’d had no choice in the matter. It had instantly been taken away from him. And unfortunately, if what he suspected and feared might be true, she no longer had a choice either.
“Devon, I’m so glad that you’re here! I wanted to talk to you about your nomination.” Devon regretfully tore his gaze from Cassie. Marcy was standing before him, her pretty face lit with a bright, eager smile. Though she was as annoying as a gnat, he managed to offer her a small smile in return. “I think that you are going to win, and since there is a good possibility that I will win queen, I think we should coordinate our outfits, or maybe even go together.”
He frowned at her, not at all surprised by her brazenness, or the fact that she would not accept his refusal of her. He had come across more than a few women like her in his long lifetime. He was surprised by the fact that she still couldn’t realize that Cassie was the only woman he wanted. The only one he even saw anymore.