Change of Heart

my senses on full alert.
    "You already knew my name. Why make me repeat it?" I asked to have something to say; then I took a deep breath before stepping away from him, hoping that by putting a little distance between us that I could clear my head. I felt like I was drunk.
    "To hear it as you prefer it spoken."
    Which was nice, except my name was easy. No way to mess up Jin. "So you're to be mated."
    78
    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "I was," he answered, taking a step forward so he was back to where he was, just inches separating our bodies. "I'm not anymore."
    "Why?" I licked my lips because they were dry, and his eyes were suddenly there. He wasn't looking into my eyes anymore. He was staring at my mouth.
    "You're a reah. She is not," he said, his eyes back on mine, locked there.
    As I stared up into his eyes and watched them slowly darken until they were absolutely molten.
    "Come back inside. I want to talk to you." Out came an undignified snort of laughter before I even realized it. His smile was huge and made his eyes glow. "Don't believe me?"
    "No, I—"
    "Please come inside," he cut me off gently.
    "I should really just go," I said, taking a few steps away from him. "My buddy and I didn't mean to intrude on your party. It's just that your sylvan was so insistent, and—"
    He laughed deep in his chest. The rumbling sound was warm and rich and filled me with an absolute ease that had been missing seconds before. He was bigger than me, stronger than me, all solid muscle; he could overpower and hurt me, and yet fear was the furthest thing from my mind.
    "Listen." He cleared his throat softly, again closing the space between us. "You don't know me, and I'd like to fix that. Come inside and let me feed you. My mother and my aunts have been cooking for a week for this party.
    Everything's good. You should eat."
    79
    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    I cleared my throat. "Actually, Mr. Church, I should just go, because I'm tired and I need to go to bed and I have unpacking to do and—"
    "Logan," he corrected me, staring deep into my eyes.
    "Please."
    "Logan," I heard myself say, the sound of his name feeling right somehow. What the hell?
    "Look at me."
    I did it without even questioning him.
    He cleared his throat. "Come on, my family's inside, and Mikhail, and Yuri, and your friend. Just eat; you'll feel better.
    You look like hell."
    I smiled then. "Yeah, I'm beat."
    "Okay then." He smiled back. "Food will do wonders."
    "Alright," I breathed out, feeling better suddenly, more normal because we had agreed that I looked like crap.
    He put his hands in the pockets of his dress pants and tipped his head back toward the front door. "C'mon."
    I walked beside him back across the huge porch, telling him how gorgeous his home was.
    "You like it?"
    "What's not to like?"
    "It's way up here."
    "Which is nice," I exhaled. "Secluded is so nice."
    "It's far from everything. I get snowed in a lot."
    "Yeah, but all you need is a horse to get down to the glassworks."
    He nodded. "That's right, and I do have horses."
    "Well, see? There ya go."
    80
    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    His smile made his eyes glitter. "You get it. Of course you get it."
    "What's not to get?"
    The muscles in his jaw clenched. "Maybe I'll give you a tour of the house before we eat."
    "Oh, no, you—"
    "I want to, if it's okay."
    "It's okay."
    He grabbed his trench coat from the hall closet and walked me back outside, showing me the grounds first, pointing as he explained where the stables were, where the garden was, and how far up the mountain his property went. My eyes couldn't take it all in. I judged him rich, and he laughed at me. He made enough to take care of his family, his land, and his business. There were no luxuries beyond the house itself.
    Inside, he walked me from one end of his huge home to the other.
    "Whaddya think?"
    "I think it's great," I told him, standing at the bay window that looked out toward the tree line.
    He took a deep breath, and when he smiled at me, like he was just so pleased, I couldn't help but smile back.
    "Let's eat," he said quickly. "My mom's a great cook."
    The kitchen was bustling with activity on one side, a quiet haven on the other. Apparently there had been a huge spread that I had just missed, but there was still some food left over from the buffet. Yuri, Mikhail, and Crane each had a plate piled with food.
    81
    Change of Heart
    by Mary Calmes
    "Is it good?" I teased them, coming to stand behind Crane, my hands