Vampires Among Us [Vampires Among Us 1] (Siren Publishing Classic)

Kevin really be that gentle in real life? Was he really as good of a kisser as he had been in her dreams? Or was her imagination on overdrive this morning?
    She hopped out of bed and quickly headed for her closet. Maybe she would feel better once she had on a few more clothes. Unfortunately, there was very little to choose from. When she had left her old house a few days ago, she had only taken a small duffle bag, only a few items of clothing. She was also in need of a few personal items. As she headed to the shower, she decided to approach the subject with Kevin at breakfast.
    “I need to pick up a few things. I was thinking about taking a trip to the mall,” she stated nonchalantly, hoping Kevin would just agree and she’d be on her way.
    He glanced up from the newspaper he had been reading, his eyes turning so dark she swore they were almost black. This was not a look she was used to seeing in him, and it terrified her with its intensity. She sucked in her breath, as fear quickly paralyzed her. What in the world had she done to make him so enraged? When his hands moved to sit the morning paper down on the table, Erica slammed her eyes shut tight and held her breath, bracing herself against the blow she was sure was to come.
    When nothing happened, she cautiously peeked through one partially open eye over to him. The look on his face had changed to one of upset and shock. “Erica,” he breathed. “I would never hurt you, sweetheart. You have no reason to fear me.” His voice came out as a tortured whisper, as he slowly reached over to ensconce her hand in his. “My concern is your safety. We have no idea where Shawn is at the given moment, and you stated a few days ago that your life would be in jeopardy if he found you.”
    “I know, but I really don’t think he would do anything in the middle of broad daylight with plenty of witnesses. Besides, he doesn’t know where I am, right?” She honestly thought as long as he didn’t know where she was holed up, and she kept herself surrounded by people, she would be fine.
    “I don’t know what he is capable of doing, and I am not taking any chances.” Kevin’s response came out snappy and curt. He sighed deeply as he tried for a calmer voice. “I understand you came here with very little, but how can I ever forgive myself if something happened to you? Could you give me or maybe even one of my sisters a list of items you need? I’ll be happy to run errands for you, or I am sure I could talk Jennifer into going.” Kevin knew he couldn’t keep her in his apartment against her will. Neither was she walking out the door by herself. It was just a matter of coming to a compromise.
    “Oh, now come on, Kevin. You can’t hold me prisoner in here for life,” Erica replied a bit sharply. Numerous emotions were quickly coming to the surface, and she planned to rebel sharply if this man thought he was going to control her every move. She was just getting her first taste of freedom in four years, and wasn’t about to have it squashed so quickly by another overbearing male. “I just need to get out and pick up a few things,” she continued, attempting to hold down her temper. Besides, one look at his face told her he had taken her comments hard. His face was now cold as stone, but instead of flinching, her own temper sparked, turning her green eyes bright as she flashed him a look of defiance.
    Kevin coldly responded in what sounded to be a half growl. “The devil take it, woman, I am not keeping you prisoner. I am only trying to keep you alive and safe!” Kevin placed his hands on the table in front of him, palms down, in clear view for her sake. He might be exasperated with her for the moment, but he didn’t want her frightened.
    Erica thought about all that he had done for her in the past few days, and decided to tap down her agitation. Keeping a close watch on his hands as they remained unmoving in front of her on the table, she knew he was doing this for her benefit. “That was a poor choice of words on my part. You have been very kind and generous to me. I didn’t mean to insult you. I just need to pick up a few items that I would rather pick up myself. However, if you believe it to be unsafe, then just forget about it. I’ll do without.” The last words were croaked out, her throat clogging up and her emotions ready to overflow. She quickly stood and headed for her bedroom. It was bad enough she had upset Kevin, she didn’t want him to see her