Published January 2013 by Anchor Group Publishing
Series More than Magic #2
After learning how to use magic and fighting vampires, anyone would be bored going back to normal college life. As if that wasn’t enough, Jen didn’t realize how hard it would be to tiptoe around her non-magic family and friends. She can’t even talk to her familiar, Rak, without making sure no one else is around! Worst of all, Jen misses the friends she made over the summer. Aside from Rak, they’re the only other magics she knows and she hasn’t seen them in almost five months!
Jen is all too happy to accept an invitation to go skiing with the gang. She gears up for two weeks of snow, magic, and fun. Just when everything seems to be going great, an uninvited guest turns up. Soon the skiers aren’t the only things going downhill. Jen thought that vampires were just about the most dangerous thing the magical world could throw at her. Unfortunately, she’s about to learn that people with no magic at all can be just as deadly ..
Snow Bound (More than Magic Book 2)
I didn’t think this series could get even better, but it did! It was amazing. I just loved this magical world that is hidden in the real world that Elizabeth Kirke has created.
If you have not read Semester Aboard (More than Magic book 1) then you need to get to it. It’s great too, and is just a building block to this amazing book.
I always liked Jen, but found myself falling in love even more with the whole group, Dani, Charlie, Thomas, TJ, Marianna, and even Ember is in this one (Charlie’s niece) I found it interesting them all getting together to go skiing, and some major stuff happens, stuff that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and wonder what will happen next.
I was in tears and about to be openly crying in one part, as it was so sad, and I could not see a way out of what was happening, but won’t spoil it by telling you, it just was a twist I did not see coming, and it shocked me, and saddened me too. I love Jen’s cat (her familiar, Jen is a witch) Rak, he is something, love his personality, who wouldn’t love a talking cat that is full of info.
I really like the relationship that finally gets going for Thomas (he is a vampire) and Jen. Here is an adorable scene I just had to share. Where they were skiing, and Dani has “accidently” cause Thomas to crash into a tree ( and broke his leg in the process, good thing Thomas is a vampire and will heal up in no time)
Thomas grinned. "Payback, I suppose." I was confused. "For the suitcase thing this morning?" "No. For introducing him to Charlie. He's been trying to find me a girl and return the favor for years. Ugh. Not that I'm saying this makes you my girl or something. Not that I'd mind! But, I'm not in a rush to make you go steady or anything. I just mean—" "Go steady?" I echoed, glad for an excuse to cut off his frantic backpedaling. "You know, nobody says that anymore." He groaned. "Please pretend I didn't." "And like I said … I don't think it's rushing. I'd um … I'd like to date you." Somehow, the idiot still managed to look shocked. "Really?" "You say that like you think I frequently make out in the snow with random guys." "No! Of course not." There was an almost awkward silence. "Well?" I finally said. "Well what?" "Are you going to ask me out or not?" "Um …" "That means go steady." "I know what it means!" I tried to hide a grin. "Or is it too forward of me to ask?" That broke the tension. Thomas started laughing. "I am not that old."
"You said go steady." "It hasn't been that long since people used that phrase," he protested. Before he could say anything else, I leaned up and kissed him again. It was still a bit exhilarating to think that I could. I could feel his mouth turn into a grin against my lips. "You are very forward, you know," he said softly. My laugh turned into a sigh, as an awful thought struck me. "Am I too young for you?" I asked. "No," he said immediately. "Are you sure?"
Thomas is so sweet, and almost too nice. He is a vampire, but a younger one (60’s I would say, but of course looks 22 or so I think)
I don’t want to spoil anything, just say, you have to try these books out. Start with book 1, then this one. Its just amazing. I think you could read this without the first, as its all its own story, you will miss out on some of the background of everyone, but most of that is mentioned to remind us anyway, so really either way, this book is amazing.
I was honored to get to read an advance copy for my honest review, and thank the author Elizabeth for that.
5 huge stars out of 5 for me. I highly recommend this book, with or without reading the first one.
About this author Elizabeth Kirke:
Elizabeth Kirke wanted to be an author before she even knew what an author was. She used to say that she wanted to be an artist, but that was only because she was too young to write and had to tell stories with pictures instead. She hasn't stopped writing since she learned how. It wasn't long before she dreamed of becoming an author and couldn't be happier now that that dream is a reality.
If she isn't writing...well, let's be honest; if she isn't writing she's probably on Facebook thinking that she should start writing. But, if she isn't writing or on Facebook, she's probably doing something involving books, baking, gardening, or yarn. In an ideal world, she'd be reading and knitting while something from the garden is in the oven. Then again, in an ideal world, she'd have a flock of ducks and a couple of goats.
Like most slightly-nosy, avid readers, Elizabeth can't resist trying to catch a peek at books she sees people reading when out in public to see if she can figure out what it is. While doing just that one day, she realized that it would probably be the coolest-thing-ever if she caught a complete stranger reading one of her books. That's her new dream.
Be sure to go by Elizabeths blog, she is haveing a great giveaway, with signed swag like a signed book of Snow Bound or book 1 Semester Aboard. Check it out Here
Links:
Excerpt from Snow Bound
(this is leading up to the teaser in my review)
As the sun sank, the ski patrol started herding non-‐magics off of the slopes. We were handed a map of all the trails, invisible from the hotel, that were open at night. Night skiing was incredible. I'd done it before, but never as a magic. At first I was a little unsure about skiing using my night vision spell, but I quickly got used to it. In addition to lasting longer in the first place, it wore off slowly enough that I wouldn’t suddenly be plunged into darkness in the middle of a run. TS, much more confident at night, was a fantastic skier. All three of them were a lot faster than I was, but I noticed they all made sure that I kept up.
There weren't very many other magics on the slopes, but I saw a few. I couldn't tell what they all were, but I was positive I saw an air elemental that was actually skiing an inch or two above the snow. Thomas and Dani raced each other a number of times, which made a lot of sense when it occurred to me that any speed advantage a vampire had was lost on skis. One of the great things about skiing was that we were all having so much fun Thomas wasn't acting awkward around me. On the other hand, we didn't exactly get a chance to talk either. It was almost always me and Dani, or me and TS, on the ski lift together when we took the double or all four of us on the quad. I wondered if Thomas was deliberately avoiding me.
My spell had worn off twice by the time we got ready to call it a night. They decided to race one more time, then TS would make his phone call, and we'd hike back to the cabin. It was just the four of us on the slope and the three of them took off at breakneck speed. I followed as fast as I could ski without wiping out and was still hardly able to keep up.
All at once, right before a sharp turn, Dani shouted, "Ice, ice!"
And then he and Thomas crashed into each other and started tumbling down the slope. They went straight, instead of with the curve, and crashed into a tree. A crack echoed across the snow and I couldn't tell if it was tree or bone. I had my answer when TS, who was still stopping, yelped and then went down. Thomas had broken something.
Heart in my throat, I quickly swerved and dug my edges in, trying to stop before I hit the ice, too. I kicked my skis off and hurried on foot the rest of the way to Thomas and Dani. TS snapped his skis off, turned into a wolf, and ran back up to them.
Thomas, thankfully, was sitting up. But he was clutching his knee and it looked broken. TS sat next to him and licked his cheek.
"I'm fine," Thomas groaned. "I just need a minute. Damn it, Dani. If you'd been on skis instead of your stupid …" he trailed off and frowned in concern.
Dani hadn't gotten up. Instead, he was lying on his side—eyes squeezed shut with pain— and clutching his stomach.
"Danio? You all right?" Thomas asked.
TS stood, ears flat back in alarm, and whined. My heart started racing again. Dani had some kind of old abdominal injury. I didn't know what it was or how it had happened. All I knew was that it was pretty severe and would never fully heal. Dani had been vague when I did ask about it and I hadn't wanted to pry more. Now I wished I had.
"Yeah," Dani choked. I could tell from that single word that he wasn't. "I'm okay."
A kick from a vampire over the summer had nearly killed him because of the complications from the injury. If he'd been hit in the stomach while falling he could be seriously hurt. I held my breath, expecting him to cough up blood at any moment.
Thomas tried to get up, but fell back with a gasp of pain and a curse. "I'm not going to be able to walk for a while."
TS whined again. "There's water at the lodge, right?" He nudged Dani with his nose. "You think you can ride?"
Dani slowly rolled onto his knees and pushed himself up, breathing heavily. "I think so."
Then TS looked at Thomas. I knew their soul-‐pack bond was compelling him to stay. "Will you be okay, Tom?"
"Yeah, take care of Dani. I'll catch up."
"I'll stay with Thomas," I offered.
TS still didn't look happy.
"No rush," Dani said. "I'll be fine."
"You don't sound fine," Thomas said. "Teth, take care of him."
TS lay down next to Dani. "Come on."
Dani gingerly climbed onto TS' back. TS stood carefully and took a couple of steps.
"All right, mate?"
"No, but I'll live," Dani said.
Thomas flopped onto his back with a groan. TS cast a concerned look at him and started walking. As he did, Dani turned back and looked at me. I had expected his eyes to be gray with pain, but they were bright blue. For a moment I thought they were just discolored from my night vision, but they were merrily swirling. It was like he wasn't hurt at all! Then he nodded in Thomas' direction with a grin, winked, and turned away.
Oh my God. He was faking to get me alone with Thomas. For a moment I was pissed. But … it had worked. And Thomas, on the other hand, was actually hurt. Without having to worry about Dani—assuming TS didn't kill him for this—I was able to turn my full attention to Thomas.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Thomas sat back up with a groan. "Yeah, just a broken bone."
"Will you need blood?"
"No, I'm fine." I just looked at him skeptically until he laughed. "Really! I'm well fed now. It'll heal in no time."
"But you'll feel better with some. And it'll heal faster."
"I'm fine."
I sighed in exasperation. "Didn't you hear a word I said last night?"
"Yes!" he said quickly. "I just ... just because you're ... okay with it, doesn't mean I'm going to take advantage of you."
"Your knee is broken! And I offered! That's not taking advantage!"
Thomas hesitated and I knew I had him on that one. "Well, I don't need it. My knee will heal soon enough."
"Fine. If you won't feed to make yourself feel better, do it for me. You're hurt and it's cold out here. The faster you heal, the happier I'll be."
Thomas started laughing again. This time I had a feeling he was laughing at me.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just that ... I don't think I've ever won an argument with you."
"So, you'll feed?"
He nodded. "A little. Since you insist."
I probably shouldn't have been so satisfied I had convinced a vampire to bite me. Our ski boots and large coats, not to mention his broken knee, made it a bit of a challenge to figure out how to give him the best access to my neck. Finally, I settled in by his side with my back against his chest.
"You're sure?" he asked softly.
"Yes."
He put an arm around me and pulled me closer. I tilted my head and felt his tongue against my neck. After a few swipes, I could hardly feel it. Then, a gentle push against my skin. His fangs. It wasn't long at all before he stopped.
"That's it?" I asked when I realized he was already licking the punctures closed.
"Didn't need much," he said. "But ... I already feel a little better. Thanks."
I turned to look at him, putting us nearly nose to nose. "Anytime. I mean that."
He smiled. "I know you do."
My heart started pounding. He was about to kiss me again, I knew it. Then he blushed and leaned away.
"Sorry. You probably don't want me to ..." he cleared his throat nervously.
Instead of saying anything, I stretched up and tried to kiss him. I was annoyed when he pulled away.
"I just fed," he protested.
"So?"
"There might ..." He raised a hand and wiped his mouth. "There might still be blood."
"It's my blood!"
"That doesn't mean you want to taste it by accident."
"Unless you were lying, you told me it tastes good."
That was the wrong thing to say. He looked uncomfortable, maybe even guilty, and leaned further away from me. "I said that? I'm sorry, that's a really creepy thing to say to somebody."
"You're a vampire! I mean, it's a little weird, but my life has been weird ever since I met you. It would be creepy if you weren't a vampire!"
He looked at me incredulously.
"Well, it would! Could you imagine some non-‐magic guy telling me he wants to drink my blood? That would be creepy. You have a reason. TS enjoyed his deer tonight, right? That was all bloody and gross." It had actually been really gross seeing his white winter-‐coat covered in deer blood after dinner. "But he's a werewolf, so that's normal! I'm sure some werewolf girl would find it quite romantic to sit and eat deer guts with him. They could do some Lady and the Tramp spaghetti thing with intestines!"
He laughed at that. "I think ... yeah, I think he'd probably like that."
I leaned in to kiss him again and this time, he didn't pull back. This time it was a real kiss. He pulled me closer and put a hand on the back of my head, deepening the kiss. I wrapped my arms around him, hardly able to believe it was actually happening. Thomas, as shy as he could be, was a good kisser.
The whole thing was a crazy blur. It didn't even register that I was lying in the snow with him half on top of me until he sucked in a pained breath and broke the kiss.
"You okay?" I asked.
He smiled sheepishly. "Bumped my knee."
"Oh."
"But, yeah. I'm ..." He looked at me, grinning. He still looked a little embarrassed, and a bit stunned, but overall he looked happy. Genuinely happy.
If his knee was still hurt, we obviously weren't going anywhere for a while. So, I grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him down for another kiss.
There weren't very many other magics on the slopes, but I saw a few. I couldn't tell what they all were, but I was positive I saw an air elemental that was actually skiing an inch or two above the snow. Thomas and Dani raced each other a number of times, which made a lot of sense when it occurred to me that any speed advantage a vampire had was lost on skis. One of the great things about skiing was that we were all having so much fun Thomas wasn't acting awkward around me. On the other hand, we didn't exactly get a chance to talk either. It was almost always me and Dani, or me and TS, on the ski lift together when we took the double or all four of us on the quad. I wondered if Thomas was deliberately avoiding me.
My spell had worn off twice by the time we got ready to call it a night. They decided to race one more time, then TS would make his phone call, and we'd hike back to the cabin. It was just the four of us on the slope and the three of them took off at breakneck speed. I followed as fast as I could ski without wiping out and was still hardly able to keep up.
All at once, right before a sharp turn, Dani shouted, "Ice, ice!"
And then he and Thomas crashed into each other and started tumbling down the slope. They went straight, instead of with the curve, and crashed into a tree. A crack echoed across the snow and I couldn't tell if it was tree or bone. I had my answer when TS, who was still stopping, yelped and then went down. Thomas had broken something.
Heart in my throat, I quickly swerved and dug my edges in, trying to stop before I hit the ice, too. I kicked my skis off and hurried on foot the rest of the way to Thomas and Dani. TS snapped his skis off, turned into a wolf, and ran back up to them.
Thomas, thankfully, was sitting up. But he was clutching his knee and it looked broken. TS sat next to him and licked his cheek.
"I'm fine," Thomas groaned. "I just need a minute. Damn it, Dani. If you'd been on skis instead of your stupid …" he trailed off and frowned in concern.
Dani hadn't gotten up. Instead, he was lying on his side—eyes squeezed shut with pain— and clutching his stomach.
"Danio? You all right?" Thomas asked.
TS stood, ears flat back in alarm, and whined. My heart started racing again. Dani had some kind of old abdominal injury. I didn't know what it was or how it had happened. All I knew was that it was pretty severe and would never fully heal. Dani had been vague when I did ask about it and I hadn't wanted to pry more. Now I wished I had.
"Yeah," Dani choked. I could tell from that single word that he wasn't. "I'm okay."
A kick from a vampire over the summer had nearly killed him because of the complications from the injury. If he'd been hit in the stomach while falling he could be seriously hurt. I held my breath, expecting him to cough up blood at any moment.
Thomas tried to get up, but fell back with a gasp of pain and a curse. "I'm not going to be able to walk for a while."
TS whined again. "There's water at the lodge, right?" He nudged Dani with his nose. "You think you can ride?"
Dani slowly rolled onto his knees and pushed himself up, breathing heavily. "I think so."
Then TS looked at Thomas. I knew their soul-‐pack bond was compelling him to stay. "Will you be okay, Tom?"
"Yeah, take care of Dani. I'll catch up."
"I'll stay with Thomas," I offered.
TS still didn't look happy.
"No rush," Dani said. "I'll be fine."
"You don't sound fine," Thomas said. "Teth, take care of him."
TS lay down next to Dani. "Come on."
Dani gingerly climbed onto TS' back. TS stood carefully and took a couple of steps.
"All right, mate?"
"No, but I'll live," Dani said.
Thomas flopped onto his back with a groan. TS cast a concerned look at him and started walking. As he did, Dani turned back and looked at me. I had expected his eyes to be gray with pain, but they were bright blue. For a moment I thought they were just discolored from my night vision, but they were merrily swirling. It was like he wasn't hurt at all! Then he nodded in Thomas' direction with a grin, winked, and turned away.
Oh my God. He was faking to get me alone with Thomas. For a moment I was pissed. But … it had worked. And Thomas, on the other hand, was actually hurt. Without having to worry about Dani—assuming TS didn't kill him for this—I was able to turn my full attention to Thomas.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
Thomas sat back up with a groan. "Yeah, just a broken bone."
"Will you need blood?"
"No, I'm fine." I just looked at him skeptically until he laughed. "Really! I'm well fed now. It'll heal in no time."
"But you'll feel better with some. And it'll heal faster."
"I'm fine."
I sighed in exasperation. "Didn't you hear a word I said last night?"
"Yes!" he said quickly. "I just ... just because you're ... okay with it, doesn't mean I'm going to take advantage of you."
"Your knee is broken! And I offered! That's not taking advantage!"
Thomas hesitated and I knew I had him on that one. "Well, I don't need it. My knee will heal soon enough."
"Fine. If you won't feed to make yourself feel better, do it for me. You're hurt and it's cold out here. The faster you heal, the happier I'll be."
Thomas started laughing again. This time I had a feeling he was laughing at me.
"What's so funny?"
"It's just that ... I don't think I've ever won an argument with you."
"So, you'll feed?"
He nodded. "A little. Since you insist."
I probably shouldn't have been so satisfied I had convinced a vampire to bite me. Our ski boots and large coats, not to mention his broken knee, made it a bit of a challenge to figure out how to give him the best access to my neck. Finally, I settled in by his side with my back against his chest.
"You're sure?" he asked softly.
"Yes."
He put an arm around me and pulled me closer. I tilted my head and felt his tongue against my neck. After a few swipes, I could hardly feel it. Then, a gentle push against my skin. His fangs. It wasn't long at all before he stopped.
"That's it?" I asked when I realized he was already licking the punctures closed.
"Didn't need much," he said. "But ... I already feel a little better. Thanks."
I turned to look at him, putting us nearly nose to nose. "Anytime. I mean that."
He smiled. "I know you do."
My heart started pounding. He was about to kiss me again, I knew it. Then he blushed and leaned away.
"Sorry. You probably don't want me to ..." he cleared his throat nervously.
Instead of saying anything, I stretched up and tried to kiss him. I was annoyed when he pulled away.
"I just fed," he protested.
"So?"
"There might ..." He raised a hand and wiped his mouth. "There might still be blood."
"It's my blood!"
"That doesn't mean you want to taste it by accident."
"Unless you were lying, you told me it tastes good."
That was the wrong thing to say. He looked uncomfortable, maybe even guilty, and leaned further away from me. "I said that? I'm sorry, that's a really creepy thing to say to somebody."
"You're a vampire! I mean, it's a little weird, but my life has been weird ever since I met you. It would be creepy if you weren't a vampire!"
He looked at me incredulously.
"Well, it would! Could you imagine some non-‐magic guy telling me he wants to drink my blood? That would be creepy. You have a reason. TS enjoyed his deer tonight, right? That was all bloody and gross." It had actually been really gross seeing his white winter-‐coat covered in deer blood after dinner. "But he's a werewolf, so that's normal! I'm sure some werewolf girl would find it quite romantic to sit and eat deer guts with him. They could do some Lady and the Tramp spaghetti thing with intestines!"
He laughed at that. "I think ... yeah, I think he'd probably like that."
I leaned in to kiss him again and this time, he didn't pull back. This time it was a real kiss. He pulled me closer and put a hand on the back of my head, deepening the kiss. I wrapped my arms around him, hardly able to believe it was actually happening. Thomas, as shy as he could be, was a good kisser.
The whole thing was a crazy blur. It didn't even register that I was lying in the snow with him half on top of me until he sucked in a pained breath and broke the kiss.
"You okay?" I asked.
He smiled sheepishly. "Bumped my knee."
"Oh."
"But, yeah. I'm ..." He looked at me, grinning. He still looked a little embarrassed, and a bit stunned, but overall he looked happy. Genuinely happy.
If his knee was still hurt, we obviously weren't going anywhere for a while. So, I grabbed him by the jacket and pulled him down for another kiss.
Chapter 6
When I started to get cold from sitting in the snow, I cast a warming spell. Then, just for good measure, I cast one on Thomas, too.
"You're getting good at that," he said with a smile, still looking a little embarrassed.
"Thanks."
I leaned back against him, and after a moment of hesitation he put an arm around me. I rested my arms on his and snuggled closer. We sat like that in silence for a while.
"Hot tub sounds good right about now," he said suddenly.
"Hot tub?"
Thomas laughed. "I think TS has found one. I'm almost good to walk."
Neither of us moved though. We just kept sitting. A moment later he broke the silence again.
"How does Rak feel about me?"
I was surprised by the question. "Uh … he likes you, I guess."
"Okay … cause, you know, I wouldn't want to put you in a tough position if your familiar didn't like me."
Rak would probably be touched by the consideration. I told Thomas as much, and assured him that Rak liked him quite a bit.
"Good. It's no fun being in a relationship with someone your familiar doesn't approve of."
"A relationship?" I asked in surprise. I honestly hadn't expected Thomas to move that fast.
I felt his shoulders stiffen. "Not that I'm making assumptions," he said frantically. "I was just thinking out loud. Future tense. I mean, I certainly wouldn't expect you to want to jump right into anything."
I learned forward a bit and turned back to I could look at him. I took a deep breath and finally said it out loud, "Thomas, I've had a crush on you since July." He looked so stunned I almost laughed. "As often as you all like to tease me that I still think like a non-‐magic, it's true. I don't think dating someone after six months of liking them qualifies as jumping right in."
"You … really? Since July?"
"Yeah." It was kind of a relief to tell him. "Then, when I was convinced you didn't like me, you had to go and kiss me. And then you had the gall to act like it never happened! I was convinced you were going to try and pull that same crap after last night."
He looked even more stunned, then embarrassed. "God, that. I'm sorry. I … I honestly wasn't sure if I had actually kissed you then or not. It was all kind of a blur. Teth was pretty sure that I had. I … kind of panicked. And, you know … I'm a vampire."
"I swear, Thomas. If I have to tell you one more time that I don't care ..." I said. "I'm going to have to get Dani to pin you down, just to get you to listen."
"He would too," Thomas chuckled. He shook his head in amusement. "Man, he's been after me for months. I…I've kind of liked you … since July too …"
I found myself grinning. "You have?"
"Yeah."
"You know … I think Dani took advantage of that crash to get us alone," I said.
"He did. I don't think he's nearly as hurt as he's letting on. If he were in that much pain, I would've smelled blood."
Even though I had been fairly sure Dani was all right, it was good to have it confirmed. "I thought as much."
Thomas grinned. "Payback, I suppose."
I was confused. "For the suitcase thing this morning?"
"No. For introducing him to Charlie. He's been trying to find me a girl and return the favor for years. Ugh. Not that I'm saying this makes you my girl or something. Not that I'd mind! But, I'm not in a rush to make you go steady or anything. I just mean—"
"Go steady?" I echoed, glad for an excuse to cut off his frantic backpedaling. "You know, nobody says that anymore."
He groaned. "Please pretend I didn't."
"You're getting good at that," he said with a smile, still looking a little embarrassed.
"Thanks."
I leaned back against him, and after a moment of hesitation he put an arm around me. I rested my arms on his and snuggled closer. We sat like that in silence for a while.
"Hot tub sounds good right about now," he said suddenly.
"Hot tub?"
Thomas laughed. "I think TS has found one. I'm almost good to walk."
Neither of us moved though. We just kept sitting. A moment later he broke the silence again.
"How does Rak feel about me?"
I was surprised by the question. "Uh … he likes you, I guess."
"Okay … cause, you know, I wouldn't want to put you in a tough position if your familiar didn't like me."
Rak would probably be touched by the consideration. I told Thomas as much, and assured him that Rak liked him quite a bit.
"Good. It's no fun being in a relationship with someone your familiar doesn't approve of."
"A relationship?" I asked in surprise. I honestly hadn't expected Thomas to move that fast.
I felt his shoulders stiffen. "Not that I'm making assumptions," he said frantically. "I was just thinking out loud. Future tense. I mean, I certainly wouldn't expect you to want to jump right into anything."
I learned forward a bit and turned back to I could look at him. I took a deep breath and finally said it out loud, "Thomas, I've had a crush on you since July." He looked so stunned I almost laughed. "As often as you all like to tease me that I still think like a non-‐magic, it's true. I don't think dating someone after six months of liking them qualifies as jumping right in."
"You … really? Since July?"
"Yeah." It was kind of a relief to tell him. "Then, when I was convinced you didn't like me, you had to go and kiss me. And then you had the gall to act like it never happened! I was convinced you were going to try and pull that same crap after last night."
He looked even more stunned, then embarrassed. "God, that. I'm sorry. I … I honestly wasn't sure if I had actually kissed you then or not. It was all kind of a blur. Teth was pretty sure that I had. I … kind of panicked. And, you know … I'm a vampire."
"I swear, Thomas. If I have to tell you one more time that I don't care ..." I said. "I'm going to have to get Dani to pin you down, just to get you to listen."
"He would too," Thomas chuckled. He shook his head in amusement. "Man, he's been after me for months. I…I've kind of liked you … since July too …"
I found myself grinning. "You have?"
"Yeah."
"You know … I think Dani took advantage of that crash to get us alone," I said.
"He did. I don't think he's nearly as hurt as he's letting on. If he were in that much pain, I would've smelled blood."
Even though I had been fairly sure Dani was all right, it was good to have it confirmed. "I thought as much."
Thomas grinned. "Payback, I suppose."
I was confused. "For the suitcase thing this morning?"
"No. For introducing him to Charlie. He's been trying to find me a girl and return the favor for years. Ugh. Not that I'm saying this makes you my girl or something. Not that I'd mind! But, I'm not in a rush to make you go steady or anything. I just mean—"
"Go steady?" I echoed, glad for an excuse to cut off his frantic backpedaling. "You know, nobody says that anymore."
He groaned. "Please pretend I didn't."
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