Page 74 of The Claiming

“Was Jack, downstairs? Did he mention Siri?”

Her voice is small and holds a hint of doubt.

“He was but said nothing. Siri must still be sleeping.”

Cassie laughs softly. “That figures. She’s not an early riser.”

“Go and get her up if she wants to join us in town. We leave in twenty minutes.”

She stands and as she makes to go, I catch her hand and tug her down beside me, stealing a quick deep kiss to remind her what’s happening here. I grip her face and tangle my fingers in her hair and as she kisses me back, matching my passion, everything is right with my world.

* * *

When I’m alone,I consider the next problem to deal with and my thoughts turn to the predator. Whoever this guy is, he left a fucking great big clue, and it should be easy to find a guy with a serpent tattooed on his wrist. It’s a dead giveaway and when I think about what he put Abigail through, vengeance sharpens in my heart as I dream up exactly what I’ll do to him when he is caught.

And he will be. It’s only a matter of time, which is exactly what I need to sharpen another skill set of mine. Vengeance.

THIRTY-SIX

CASSIE

This is no walk of shame for me. As I head down one flight of stairs to the guest rooms, it’s with a smile on my face. If I had any doubts about what we did last night, they have been chased away by a delicious smile and a soft kiss.

Frankie surprised me last night. He showed emotion and I like that in a guy. He is a closed book most of the time, but when he opens the pages it reveals the most addictive mystery. I am excited to read more of his soul and have no doubts about what happened last night. If anything, I am proud to be with a man like him and I don’t care who knows it.

I knock on Siri’s door and she soon opens it with a happy smile on her face.

“Oh my God, Cassie, I have so much to tell you.”

My heart sinks because I’m not sure I will share her enthusiasm, because for some reason I’m guessing it concerns Jack.

I am trying hard to process my feelings for my best friend since birth and they are a mixture of confused emotions.

“We’re heading out for breakfast in fifteen minutes. Are you coming?” I say quickly, noting she still isn’t dressed.

“Sure, I’ll drag something on and be with you.”

I’m surprised when I follow her into the closet and note that her stuff is already here.

“When did this happen?” I’m shocked, especially as I’m still wearing my clothes from yesterday.

“Jack helped me with it last night.”

“Jack did?” Her soft smile tugs sharply at my heart as she says dreamily.

“Last night was amazing, Cassie. We really got close and after you left, he asked if I fancied a stroll.”

She smiles dreamily. “We talked about so many things, and he’s the first guy I have ever done that with. He asked so many questions about my life and was really interested. Plus–” She giggles, which crushes my heart and says with a sigh, “We kissed. So many times. It was as natural as breathing and I never realized how good it could be.”

“You’ve kissed guys before, right?” I ask, unsure if she has or not.

“Of course. In high school, but Jack is a man, Cassie, and knows how to make a girl feel good.”

I bat away the memory of just how good Jack can make a girl feel and smile brightly. “So, you’re together now?”

“Under the rules of The Claiming, I guess we are.”

“But The Claiming aside. Are you?”

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