When the next song ended, Isabelle stepped away from her dance partner, determined to escape. She made it two feet before arms swept around her. She knew instantly who held her by the jolt rocking her body. Her urge to flee vanished as she turned toward him.
Damp with sweat, Stefan’s black hair was tussled boyishly. The sight of him melted her heart and caused a fluttering in her stomach. Without thinking, she reached up and brushed his hair back, startled by the wave of tenderness washing through her.
She hesitantly met his gaze as he stared down at her with turbulent eyes. His jaw clenched so firmly a muscle began to twitch in his cheek. The air of hostility surrounding him disturbed her as she tried to figure out what caused it.
Then, the look vanished as the hunger she’d become accustomed to replaced it. Her breath escaped her as that look sizzled through her. Then, he was pulling her against him. Her body melded to his. The world disappeared as he rested his forehead against hers. His black eyes filled her vision and pierced her soul. What she’d been trying so relentlessly to find with everyone else blazed to life. She pressed against him, her heart thumping in her chest as a feeling of contentment, of coming home, stole through her.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and turned her head to rest it against his shoulder. It didn't matter the music pulsing around them was fast. Nothing mattered as she moved in time with him, relishing in the feel of his solid arms around her and the warmth of his body enveloping her. She welcomed the feeling of strength and security rushing over her.
Stefan closed his eyes and lay his cheek on top of her silky head. The fresh apple scent of her hair filled his senses. Beneath that, he could smell the sweetness of her blood and her delicious natural fragrance. He found himself growing hard as desire finally awakened in him, desire and something more, something astonishing. Something that shoved all his earlier resolutions away.
He felt as if he were home and finally found the place he belonged. A deep urge to protect and cherish her rocked him. With horrifying clarity, he realized how much he cared for her. He wanted so much more than just her body; he wanted all of her.
Fear lanced through him as his hands clenched on her. He didn't need this; he didn't want to feel like this. It made him vulnerable in a way he hadn't been since he was a child, and he didn't like it one bit.
He wanted to get away from her as fast as he could, but he couldn't bring himself to release her, couldn't bring himself to step away. The music ended, and it was Isabelle who pulled away first. Her eyes were cloudy; tears brimmed in their vivid depths. The sight of her tears shook him. He instantly wanted to make those tears go away, to shield her from whatever was upsetting her. Then, he realized he was the one tearing her apart.
He released her instantly, too upset with himself to do anything else. She stared at him for a little longer before turning and bolting off the dance floor. He watched her go as she hurried through the crowd. A sense of loss enfolded him, but he refused to go after her.
He needed to figure out his own emotions; he had to get rid of the horrible vulnerability filling him before he could be near her again. He needed to get away from her before he began to care for her more than he already did. He knew what happened when he cared about people, and he wasn’t about to let it happen again.
Isabelle pushed her way through the crowd, determined to put some distance between her and Stefan. It seemed useless. His scent adhered to her; her skin still burned everywhere he touched. The door at the back of the club beckoned to her like a homing beacon. She slammed into the bar, shoving against it roughly, and nearly falling in her eagerness to be free.
Fresh air assailed her, and she inhaled gratefully. She was still shivering from the aftereffects of his touch. She couldn't do this anymore; she simply couldn't do it. She wrapped her arms around herself and fell against the cement wall as she desperately fought back the tears threatening to fall. She hated him for doing this to her, for making her feel like this, for disrupting her perfectly enjoyable life. She hated him because, even now, she wanted to feel his arms around her again. She wanted him to hold her and to learn every inch of him.
In his arms, she felt whole, complete. Now, without him, she felt vulnerable. She didn't even like him, how could he make her feel like this when she didn't even like him? And yet, she had to admit to herself; she did like him. She liked his lazy smile, the way he looked at her, the fact he was willing to help build the house, and help her mother with Kathleen. She liked he made it possible for Aiden to have a large party, the way he saved her and Julian, and how he protected her from Jess. And she was beginning to like the way he made her feel like a desirable, precious woman —the way he made her feel like she was something he couldn't part with.
She was even beginning to like the way he made her body feel.
A tear slid free as she realized everything she’d been fighting against was happening anyway. He’d managed to work his way through all her defenses, and he’d worked his way into her soul. She wanted to hate him for it, but she found herself unable to summon up strength for the emotion. She couldn't hate him; she could never hate
