The store around her seemed to fade away as every molecule within her became focused on him. In that instant she craved nothing more than to be the shadows sliding over his body as he rested his arm on the rack and leisurely leaned against it. Her fingers curled into her skirt as the longing to touch him began to take her over.
She didn't understand why he was staring at her like that though. He was a prince; she was a simple vampire, and a flawed one at that. Hannah wasn't oblivious to the fact that others thought she was beautiful; Calvin had started making that excessively clear when she'd reached maturity. She was certain this man had seen many beautiful women over the years though, and they probably hadn't worked in a tavern, in a town that most didn't even know existed.
"Hannah! It's so good to see you." She reluctantly tore her attention away from Jack as Kara stepped out from behind the front counter. Hannah had become so focused on Jack when she'd entered that she hadn't even noticed William leaning against the counter by Kara. "I have those shoes for you," Kara continued.
Hannah managed a smile as she forced herself not to look at the predator to the left of her again. She knew that's exactly what he was too, a predator, and for some reason he was hunting her. The distant tick of the clock from the back of the store sounded as loud as hoof beats in her ears as Kara went to retrieve the shoes Hannah had brought in for repair last week.
Unable to resist anymore, her eyes slid toward Jack as he stepped away from the rack. It didn't make her feel any better that she gulped while a smile tugged at the corners of his thick upper lip. Heat crept through her body everywhere that his eyes touched upon. She'd never thought it was possible to feel this excited and uncertain of someone as his gaze came back to hers.
"Here you go." She almost jumped out of her skin when Kara thrust her shoes at her. She'd been so focused on him that she hadn't realized Kara had returned.
Her fingers were stiff as she took hold of the shoes. "Thank you. How much do I owe you?"
"I'll take a dinner tonight for me and mom."
Hannah smiled and nodded. "That can certainly be done."
She rigidly turned away from Jack and hurried toward the front door. She was eager to escape the suddenly cramped store. The crisp air was refreshing against her overheated skin as she stepped onto the sidewalk and hurried away. Things were going to start picking up at the tavern soon and she would be needed to help, but she still had one more stop to make before she returned.
A jolt, like the one she got from rubbing her feet on a carpet and then touching something metal, went through her as a warm hand slid around her elbow. She didn't have to see him to know who was touching her. Her body instinctively reacted to his and though she'd had no thoughts of doing so she found herself swaying toward him.
He gave her a crooked grin that revealed an endearing dimple in his right cheek as she tilted her head back to look at him. "I thought I'd walk back with you."
The words were spoken in a gravelly tone of voice that made her belly feel as if it had a dozen hummingbirds flitting around in it. What was wrong with her? She'd been around plenty of men in her life; she'd grown up in a tavern for crying out loud. She'd even seen men as good looking as he was, or almost as good looking anyway. Calvin was exceptionally handsome too in a prettier kind of way, but none of them had ever had this kind of an effect on her.
"I'm not going back right now," she informed him.
"I'll keep you company then, if you don't mind."
How could anyone mind when he had his head cocked in that playful way? "No, not at all. Thank you for your help this morning."
"I'm in town to make sure things are being run the way they should be now that Braith is in charge," he replied as if it was completely normal to drop the king's given name like that, but she supposed to him it was.
He didn't release her elbow as he stepped off the sidewalk with her. In fact, his fingers slid over her flesh and caressed her in a way that made the cool air suddenly feel as if it was fire against her skin. Out of the corner of her eye, she glanced at him to see if he felt anywhere near as unsettled by her as she felt by him. He remained focused on the large brick building with the dome top that she was heading for. She'd been told that at one time the dome had been the color of gold, and gleamed even at night, but age and the weather had turned it a dingy color that was somewhere between brown and a mossy green.
Ever since she was a little girl, she'd had the urge to climb up there and clean the dome to reveal what was underneath, but she'd grown to realize that just like with other things in life, sometimes what was underneath wasn't worth revealing. She wondered if that was true about him as she watched the prince at her side. His outside was flawless but what was inside? Had power twisted and corrupted him in the same way that it had twisted and corrupted Calvin? Or had Calvin always been twisted on the inside?
She was embarrassed to be caught staring when he glanced at her but she didn't look away. She searched his gaze but she didn't see anything malicious or suspicious there, not like what she saw within Calvin's eyes when he looked at her or at anyone. No, looking into Jack's eyes she saw only warmth and compassion and a place where she could get lost for hours.
"Careful."
She didn't know what he was talking about until her foot hit something; he grabbed hold of her and stopped her from face planting onto the steps. Heat spread up her cheeks as she straightened her dress and focused on the brick building they had always used for humans and vampires to meet and feed. Though donation centers were now established throughout the land, thanks to the reign of the new king, the town of Chippman had always had something similar to them. The vampires here knew what it was like to be shunned and abused so most of them had never owned a blood slave. Some though, like Calvin, had enjoyed participating in the now abolished practice.