Reclaimed(29)
Author: Diane Alberts

And he didn’t look at her eyes once. He obviously didn’t enjoy admitting his lack of sex life. Who could blame him?

Well, Sabrina, I haven’t had sex in over a hundred years. No pressure, or anything.

And she thought it had been a long time for her. Yikes. She put a finger on his chin, lifting his face to hers. He studied her jawbone as if it held some secret code he alone could crack.

“Look at me.” She commanded him when he did not remove his gaze from her jaw line. “You have nothing to be embarrassed about. Got it?” She kissed his nose, mimicking the gesture that never failed to melt her heart. “But until we figure this out, maybe you should put me down.” She grinned playfully and leaned her head on his shoulder in a warm embrace. He rubbed her head and pulled her closer as he kissed her curls, and she fought the urge to wrap her arms around him even tighter in direct contradiction to her words.

He sighed and gave her one last kiss before he unwound her legs from his waist. She didn’t realize she still clung to his neck until he removed her arms, and chuckled. “Need help standing?”

Her cheeks flushed, and she glowered at him even as she leaned against the wall. Her knees were so weak she worried that not even the wall would be enough to save her from an embarrassing fall. He laughed in delight at her lack of composure, and the glare she shot him should have made him collapse into a pile of ashes.

She must have overestimated the strength of said glare, because his smile widened even more.

“If you’re done mocking me, you may go now.”

“I’m sorry.” He rushed out the door and shut the door firmly behind him. She didn’t need his superhuman powers to hear him snickering on the other side as he walked away. She smiled in amusement at his laughter. On anyone else, it would have come across as cocky. On him, however, it seemed picture-perfect.

Damn him.

***

A few hours and a lot of written pages later, Sabrina sipped her coffee. She’d been productive, sure, but her mind never seemed to stray from Isaac for long.

Well, that hardly counted as top news. He had been a constant in her life since the first dream. Her body quivered as she thought about the kiss they’d shared earlier, the pure intensity of the embrace. Things had never gotten so heated between them as they had today, and Sabrina knew the time had come to take the next step. Though he slept by her side every night, holding her close to his delicious body, they had yet to seal the deal.

But, God, she loved when he kissed her and held her. She loved when he smiled, she loved—him.

Sitting straight, she choked on her coffee. Her hand flew to her throat as she coughed and struggled to breathe, but even while not breathing, she knew it to be true. She’d fallen in love. It didn’t surprise her a lot, really. He was the impeccable man, in almost every way. Hell, in every way. Who was she trying to fool, anyway?

She suspected, as well, that he loved her. And once she got over the shock of the realization, and the ensuing choking, really, it felt quite, well, perfect.

Now, she had only to tell him. Excitement coursed through her as she planned the evening in her head…strapless black dress, candles, red wine, and steak. Add in some red lingerie underneath and satiny-smooth skin would, hopefully, be too much for him to bear. And the coup de grace: telling him of her love.

It would be flawless.

A knock at the door pulled her from her fantasy, and she walked to the foyer in a daydream-filled daze. Isaac wouldn’t knock, so it must be Connor. She yanked the door open, gasping in surprise.

Nope. Definitely not Connor.

Chapter Nine

The shock must have been clearly written on her face, because her sister asked, “Surprised?”

“Uh…yeah. Marie, why didn’t you tell me you were coming? Not that I’m not thrilled or anything, but…wow. Are you alone?” She craned her head to look behind her sister, seeking signs of anyone else.

“Yup, it’s my last getaway before this little guy comes.” She rubbed her rounded stomach fondly as she grinned. Fascinated, Sabrina followed the movement and focused on her sister’s familiar face once more.

“Aww. You look great. Come in,” she invited, and made a sweeping gesture of her hand. Her mind spun in circles, amazed to see her sister in her house.

“I figured you’d be surprised. I just really wanted to see you, and this house of yours. I must admit, it is as gorgeous as you said. Stunning, even.”

“Thanks. Yeah, I love it.”

“It looks so isolated, but I saw a neighbor outside. Where are the other houses?”

Oh, don’t worry, that’s just Connor. He protects me from the evil vampire trying to kill me.

“What did he look like?”

“Black and gorgeous. And unbelievably tall.”

“Sounds like Connor. He is…yeah…he’s a neighbor.” Marie shot her a curious look at the stutter, and Sabrina flinched mentally.

Step up the game, Sabrina. This is Marie, not some stranger who is fooled by a smile.

Deciding to try anyway—what the heck, right?—she smiled. It got her a skeptical look in return.

Crap.

She almost groaned out loud at the mess she’d found herself in. The other Enforcers, besides Connor, would need to stay hidden, and Isaac would have to stop spending the night. The loss of his arms around her would hurt. Heck, it already did.

“So, I assume you are staying here?”

“If you wouldn’t mind….”

“I’d have it no other way. I have the most comfortable bed. You’ll see. I, of course, will take the couch.” She held up a hand at her sister’s protest. “I insist. My pregnant sister won’t be sleeping on the couch. End of discussion.”

“We could share—”

“Heck no. Last time you pushed me out of bed!” she exclaimed.

“I was ten,” Marie protested.

“Yeah, and you’re a lot bigger,” Sabrina gestured at Marie’s protruding stomach, “and have an extra person inside you. You’ll take the bed, I’ll take the couch.”

“Did you just call me fat?” Marie asked incredulously.

“No, I called you pregnant.”

“I show up on your doorstep unannounced, and you give me your bed. I’ve missed you.” She promptly burst into tears.

Ah, the joys of hormones and jet lag.

“Shh…don’t cry. You’ll ruin your makeup,” Sabrina half-joked. If anything would upset Marie more than being called fat, it was smudging her makeup. She pulled Marie into her arms and reached around her sister’s stomach to pat her on the back. “There, there now. Everything’s fine.”