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Redemption (The Captive #5) Page 22
Author: Erica Stevens

It was the driving need in his gaze that finally made her bring the bag to her lips and tip it back. His eyes never left hers as the blood slid down her throat. That strange inner radiance seemed to emanate from his eyes again as the heady aroma of his scent increased.

His fingers brushed against hers as he pulled the bag from her suddenly limp fingers and tossed it into the receptacle beside the alcove. Her body felt like a plucked harp string as his fingers trailed up her arm and slid across her cheek. A thousand thoughts crashed through her mind, but all of them were about him and what he was going to do.

Then he was bending toward her and all doubts about his purpose vanished as his mouth grazed against hers. The non-beating heart in her chest seemed to give a mighty thrust as his heated lips took possession of hers. She'd been kissed before, at least a dozen times by overeager patrons, and a few times by different crushes she'd had over the years. The patrons had meant nothing, her crushes had all moved on, but even still she had enjoyed their kisses.

But this... well this made all those other kisses fade into oblivion as his fingers cradled the back of her head and he drew her a step closer to him. A gasp escaped her as his muscular arm swept around her waist and he brought her body flush against his. His tongue flickered against her lips, teasing her until she relented to his gentle prodding.

She'd thought that she'd been on fire before, but now she was consumed by it as her fingers curled into his back. The only thing she could comprehend right now was him and the incredible way he made her feel as if she were the only woman on the planet, the only woman for him.

For the first time in her life she didn't feel exactly like what she was, Undesirable.

CHAPTER 7

A startled sound punctured the bubble of peace and solitude she had managed to find in his arms. "I'm so sorry!" Ellen gushed.

Hannah heard Ellen's shoes squeak as she turned on her heel and hurried away. The blaze he had created within her seemed to be concentrated solely on her face now. It took every ounce of courage she had to lift her eyelashes and look up at him. His gaze was focused upon her, his eyebrows drawn together. She understood the question in his eyes as she'd already pondered exactly what a prince was doing with a simple tavern girl too. But then, he had probably known his fair share of tavern girls over the years.

That thought finally doused the flames as indignation at herself, and him, flooded her. She was being an idiot, a fool. He was simply looking for a way to pass the time while he was here doing his brother's work, but he had a palace to return to, and she had a bar to run. A part of her, the part that had practically thrown herself into his arms, wouldn't mind helping him pass the time at all. The other part, the one that still had some pride, was determined not to be one of what she was certain were many forgotten women.

Besides, he would never want her if he knew the truth. She'd heard enough stories over the years, and even experienced rejection once, to know that the truth only resulted in loathing and panic from outsiders. There had been a vampire that had come to town a couple of years ago, Bruce, that she had really liked. It had been the first time she'd been attracted to a man and she had enjoyed spending time with him. His kisses hadn't been as awkward as some of the others she'd experienced; his groping hadn't been as repulsive. After a couple of weeks, she'd actually been starting to care for him, and then she'd told him about her. She could still picture the revulsion on his face when she'd told him, still hear his scathing words. The way he had sneered 'Undesirable' at her had made her stomach twist and her young heart break. She'd never been ashamed of herself before that day, she wasn't abnormal in this town, but she'd known shame then and she'd never forgotten just how small he'd made her feel.

"Let me go," she muttered as she began to squirm in his hold. He hesitated, his arms briefly tightened around her before he reluctantly released her. "Please don't do that again," she told him as she straightened her dress. She took the time to gather her control by smoothing imaginary wrinkles from the skirt.

"Hannah..."

"We should go, I have to get back. I've already spent too much time away."

She turned on her heel and hurried away. Ellen was already gone as Hannah made her way down the hall and tried not to remember the way she had just behaved. It wasn't that bad, she told herself. She was a grown woman, she was allowed to have desires; she was supposed to have them for crying out loud, but every time she recalled drinking that blood in front of him and that kiss, she wanted to melt into the ground. She'd never experienced anything as intimate as what had just happened. Even if he walked out of this town tomorrow, and she married someone else, she knew she would forever remember what had just occurred.

Without meaning to, she pressed trembling fingers against lips that were still swollen from the force of his kiss. A shiver slid down her spine as heat coursed through her once more. Ugh, there was no way she was going to be able to be alone with him again. Just thinking about that kiss was almost enough to coax her into turning around and going right back to him again. But he didn't know the truth about her yet and she'd be damned if someone ever looked down on her and made her feel as worthless as Bruce had again.

She was so focused on getting back to the tavern, and away from him, that she didn't catch the telltale whiff of Calvin's spiced cologne until she was halfway across the massive room. A sinking sensation seeped through her entire body and turned her feet into concrete blocks. Ellen had been waiting by the front door, but even before Ellen's eyes shot toward the other hallway, Hannah knew that Calvin was there.

"Hannah!" his overly jovial tone caused her hands to fist as she fought the urge to just storm out of the building. For once in her life she would like to do what she wanted to do and to hell with the consequences. If she did that though, he would make life at the tavern even more difficult than he already did. "What a lovely surprise."

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