my question.”
She pressed her lips together and fell still, glaring up at him. She could see in the reflection of his sunglasses how her eyes darkened to stormy gray. As her anger grew, she watched her eyes darken even more, until they were almost black. She closed her eyes, and dragged ragged breaths in to try and calm herself.
Must not lose control.
“You have to let me go,” she whispered. “Please.”
His grip loosened and she backed away until she hit the diner’s wall. She leaned back, laying her hands flat against the wall so her palms were pressed against the bricks. She concentrated on the tactile sensations, of the rough edged clay blocks, the coarse mortar which held them together, the overall warmth from the sun’s rays.
When Lilian opened her eyes once more, she was much calmer. Matthias stood nearby. He must have watched her the whole time because she could read the suspicion on his face.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“Yeah.” A weak smile followed her reply.
“You don’t look it.”
“Thanks.”
“You aren’t human.” He studied her eyes.
“I am too!” She stood up from the wall.
Before she could try to get to the door, Matthias used his body to pen her, crowding her until she was pressed back against the wall once more. While he didn’t pin her to the wall, Lilian couldn’t escape either.
“You’re not human,” he reiterated.
“Don’t be an idiot. What else would I be?” She cringed at the sound of her breathless voice.
“Those two men are after you for a reason. You’re something more than human.”
He really is rather handsome, in a nosy, pain in the ass sort of way. She couldn’t stop herself from watching his lips move as he talked.
“Stop that,” he growled under his breath.
Lilian jerked her eyes up from his lips to his concealed eyes. “What?”
“You’re staring at my mouth.”
She was aware of the sudden warmth in her face and knew she was blushing.
“If you wanted to kiss me, all you had to do was say so.”
Lilian pushed at him. “You’re a jerk. Move.”
He leaned his head down toward hers but she jerked back, only to crack her head against the wall.
“Ow!”
Matthias pulled back from her to stand upright and reached for her head, his fingers delving through her hair to feel the back of her head. His touch was incredibly gentle, and, damn it, she liked it.
“Want me to kiss it and make it better?” he asked.
“Stop it. I’m going to be late for work and you’re not helping.”
He chuckled. “I’ll pick you up after your shift.”
“No need.”
“You think those men are finished with you?”
“Did your gang kill them?” she asked.
“No.”
Not that it mattered. The organization would send others.
Matthias must have read something in her face because his fingers tightened in her hair, holding her in place.
“You know more than you’re letting on.”
Damn, damn, damn!
“Lilian, you have to let me help you. Those men weren’t just human. How do you fit in with it all?”
Lilian sighed. “This isn’t the place to talk about it—”
Matthias suddenly kissed her. Her eyes widened and her breath caught in a soft gasp. His hands tilted her head a bit. His lips moved over hers and her eyes fluttered closed as she gave in to the gentle demand. Her hands moved up of their own accord, her fingers slid through his hair to his ponytail, pulling it free from the binding. One hand remained holding him by the hair, the other came up and pulled his sunglasses up and off. He growled then, and used his body to pin her to the wall. Fire exploded in her veins and she moaned as he deepened the kiss, his tongue delving into her mouth to caress her tongue.
Matthias tasted wild, reminding her of pine forests and the earth. Lilian loved the taste of his mouth, his kisses. She squirmed against him, and he pulled her closer so that his arousal pressed against her.
This time, when he growled, she not only heard it, but it reverberated through her. In her mind, she heard the howl of a wolf.
“Hey, get a room, will ya?”
Ice water couldn’t have been more effective than hearing the amused tone in Maria’s voice.
Lilian jerked her mouth from Matthias’s, her eyes flying up to his. Gold! His eyes were a molten gold color, heated with passion and possessiveness.
“Lily, come on! You’re gonna be late!”
Lilian released his hair, and tried to push him back, but he was an unmovable force.
“Please,” she whimpered.
He laid his face against the crook of her neck and with a languid inhalation, dragged in a breath through his nose. He exhaled and stepped back.
“I’ll be waiting for you after your shift.” He gave her a pointed look.
Lilian nodded and rushed toward the diner door where Maria waited.
* * * *
Lilian wasn’t sure if her shift took forever to end, or went by way too quickly. Either way, she was very aware of Matthias’s presence—watching her. He took a seat in the outside dining area and positioned himself so he could watch her, as well as their surroundings.
When her shift did end, she wanted to crawl into a dark corner and breathe. The butterflies in her stomach didn’t just flutter; they staged an all-out air raid. So much so, breathing became difficult, made even harder whenever he looked at her. Even with his sunglasses on, she knew when his eyes fell on her. It made her edgy and nervous. Her tray would shake, the ice in the pitchers rattled, and he’d smile.
Those were the times she imagined his reaction if she dumped the ice water over his head. The image made her smile and put her back on track.
But, all good things must come to an end, she told herself.
Wait, this wasn’t good. Matthias was waiting for her.
She
