The Vampire Hunter

“No, you’re not, but whenever I think about you—and I think of you a lot—I thought you were human, like me.”

She wrinkled her nose. “Is being human so important to you?”

“Maybe. I don’t know.” He leaned in for another kiss, but Zoë moved back, unsure now. “It’s not important. Hell, yes, it is. It’s just— I’ve never done this with anyone who was not human. Kissing, and...making out.”

Trying not to be offended only made her all the more offended. Zoë began to slide off his lap when Kaz gripped her by the shoulders and, hands gliding down her back, pulled her to him forcefully, and landed a kiss on her mouth that she could not escape.

And did not want to escape.

While she did not care for any man who would rule out another breed as a potential romantic partner, she decided to give him the benefit of the doubt. If he’d not ever had a partner out of his breed, then his leeriness was justified. She wasn’t different from the average human female, save that she could cast magic, press her body and mind beyond average mortal limitations and could have immortality if she chose it. She hadn’t made up her mind regarding that life-prolonging measure yet.

“I said that wrong,” he offered, his thumbs stroking her cheeks as his eyes flitted back and forth between hers. For a moment, his thumb stroked the scar and Zoë winced. Was it the scar? Did that turn him off? “I’ve been saying all the wrong things, and yet, you still want to kiss me?”

“Kaz, resisting your kisses is futile.”

“I could say the same. Your mouth is better than blueberries in chia pudding, that’s for sure.”

“Maybe I can teach you that witches are nothing to be afraid of.”

“I’m not afraid of you.”

No, he wasn’t. But something about her made him stumble over his words and she suspected what it was. “Does the scar offend you?”

“What? No. Well—”

“It does bother you.” She pulled a strand of hair across her cheek, an involuntary action she’d developed after getting the scar a decade earlier. “I can’t heal myself.”

“Zoë, don’t hide it like that. It doesn’t bother me. You are—well, perfect would be boring. No one is perfect. What does bother me is that you obviously suffered to have received such an injury. I hate that someone did this to you, or something. Was it an accident?”

Zoë shrugged. “Kind of.”

Sighing heavily, he nodded. “I get that you don’t want to talk about it. I’m inexperienced with this conversation kind of stuff. I’m more of an action man.”

“More kisses, less talk? Your kisses are toe-curlers. And as a hunter, you must know about all the various breeds, so it’s not as if you’re a bumbling human who has no clue about witches.”

“True. You’re as close to human as any breed gets. Though I’m not sure how all the magic works. Let’s just say I’m much better at running away from things like this. Okay?”

Things like emotional stuff, she suspected. What guy was good about that kind of thing? But she wasn’t going to award him any prizes for such honesty. If she expected more of him, he would give it to her.

“You haven’t fled yet, so I’ll mark myself as lucky.”

“But I’m trying, trust me. I’d be at the door right now were you not sitting on me.”

“That creepy, huh?”

He shook his head and kissed her quickly on the mouth. “I like you, Zoë. But there are things going on in my life right now that could complicate the good stuff happening between the two of us. And believe me, this is very good.”

“Like things with vampires?”

“Always with vampires. I’m currently working a job that I don’t want you to get tangled up in.”

“I’ve no desire to tread the grounds a hunter walks. But...” She traced her fingers down his bare chest. “I do want to tread this. You can’t work all the time, can you? Daylight doesn’t seem the optimal time to track vampires.”

“It’s not, but—”

“Then kiss me again.”

“Sounds good, in theory.”

“You really are skittish.”

He heaved out a sigh.

Zoë sensed a distraction from his deeper thoughts was a necessity. Leaning in, she lingered before his mouth, not touching, waiting to see if he would take what she offered. She dusted her lashes and they fluttered against his cheek.

Kaz’s kisses touched her lips, her cheeks, the lobes of her ears. He explored down her neck and skimmed his tongue across her breasts’ exposed curves. The square neckline did not allow for further access, and Zoë bemoaned the prim dress style.

But no. She did and she did not want to tear off clothing. While rushing into kisses, and tastes and touches could lead to sex, that was an entirely different chapter she hadn’t even gotten to yet. Happily ever after would come with patience and a slower turn of the page.

She didn’t want to scare him off. Especially when he’d confessed an urgent need for escape. Slow and exploratory felt right. Because she knew little about him, and suspected she had only peeled back the first layer of Kaspar Rothstein. Beneath, he harbored many layers that she would be wise to cautiously seek out and carefully explore.

The dryer beeped that the cycle had finished. Kaz nuzzled his kisses between her breasts and then up along her neck.

“You smell good. Peaches?”

“And cinnamon. You like? Men usually do like the food scents.”

“Speaking of which, I’m starving.”

“You should have finished the chia pudding.”

“Yeah, I’m not so into all that healthy stuff.”

“You should be.” She bent to kiss his pectoral. “You want to keep these muscles hard as rocks, you should feed them properly.”

“I eat well. Protein and veggies. But chia? That doesn’t sound remotely foodlike.”

“Okay, I’ll give you that. It does require a certain palate. I can make you some lunch. Or how about I take you out for a bite?”

“Are you talking about vampires now, because I’m not sure...”

“The bites I have to offer don’t involve fangs.”

“A lunch date?”

She nodded, hopeful for his positive answer. “We can go Dutch. Come on, hunter. I dare you to be seen in public with a creepy witch.”

His smirk wasn’t so horrible; in fact, it was sexy shy as his mouth gradually caught up to the smile that already beamed in his eye. “Lunch, it is.”