Page 88 of A Vampire Bewitched
Viscously, she scrubbed her hair and body, trying to scour away thoughts of him. But instead of distracting herself, she only managed to sensitize her skin until every drop of water that hit her only fed her yearning to feel his hands on her.
Emma ran her hands over her breasts and belly, and lower still. Her eyes slid closed on a moan as she imagined it was Nik touching her. She missed him so much. How was it possible to miss his touch when she’d never felt it before?
Dropping her hands, she finished her shower and got out. Emma towel-dried her hair, foregoing a comb to run her fingers through it, and grabbed her nightshirt off the end of her bed and pulled it over her head. Tossing her wet towel into the hamper, she grabbed her comfortable, blue robe and headed downstairs to get something to eat, her appetite suddenly returned.
She would try to call Nik, she decided. He’d given her his cell number. He wouldn’t have done that if he didn’t want to hear from her. And maybe if she spoke to him, the anxiety would go away.
Eager now, she stepped off of the bottom stair and turned the corner to go into the kitchen. Lifting her eyes from the floor, she gasped out loud, coming to an abrupt halt just inside the doorway.
Nikulas sat at her kitchen table.
Nik smiledas he saw her round the corner in that ratty, blue robe, her bare feet peeking out from its uneven hemline. But as his eyes hungrily roved over her features, his smile quickly dissipated. She was pale and gaunt looking, even after her shower. Her eyes looked bruised from the dark circles under them.
His heart skipped in his chest. Was she sick? Could she be sick? She’d had his blood, but only that one time. And it had been weeks ago.
Emma stared at him like she was seeing a ghost.
He rose to his full height, shifting uncomfortably as he remembered she might not be happy to see him. He could have called her first, he supposed, and he’d meant to. He really had. But then, somehow, he’d found himself standing outside her house, with barely any recollection of how he’d gotten there.
He ran his hands through his hair, pushing it back off of his face, then cleared his throat. “You’re door wasn’t locked, and I guess you never rescinded my invite,” he said in way of an explanation for his sudden appearance in her kitchen.
Smooth, man. Real smooth.
Emma glanced over at her front door in surprise, confusion spreading across her features. “I didn’t lock it?”
He shook his head. “No, you must’ve forgot.”
She lifted a hand toward him, but then lowered it again.
“Why are you here, Nik?” Her expression remained neutral, gave nothing away.
He cleared his throat again, shifting his weight. “Um. Yeah. About that. I should’ve just called you instead of barging in like this, I know. I meant to. I really did. But, then, I just found myself here, outside your house. I was going to leave, and I did. The last time. But then I came back today. And I was about to leave again. But I saw you pull up and walk inside, and I just…didn’t.” He was rambling, but couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“How long have you been here?” she asked him quietly.
“A while.” His voice was husky with emotion. He’d been here every night for the last week.
Watching her leave him had been the hardest thing he’d ever done. And not just because of his vampire instincts to protect his mate.
He missed her. More than he ever imagined he would.
They faced off across the small space between them, until Emma broke the tense silence. “Have you heard anything about Keira? Or your brother?”
“Oh, yeah! Keira!” Nik snapped his fingers as he suddenly remembered the reason he was there.
Emma took a hesitant step forward. “What about Keira?”
Nik held up his hands, fending off her questions. “We found her, and she’s fine. That’s what I wanted to tell you. She and my brother are…ah…working things out,” he finished lamely.
He heard her heart stutter, right before it began to pound.
“You found my sister?”
He smiled at the cautious joy on her face. “Yes. She’s okay. She’s with Luukas.”
“What does that mean, exactly? Where is she?” Emma asked with a frown.
“She’s back at the apartments. Luuk is in really bad shape, Em. Something seems to have snapped in there.” He tapped the side of his head with his finger.
