Vampire's Thirst (The Awakening Series) by Cynthia Garner Page B

to round them up—”
    “No, it doesn’t. Jason and I could—”
    “Absolutely not. There’s no way in hell I’m letting you endanger yourself, either. And who the hell is Jason?” He jumped to his feet again, his frown deepening into a scowl, silver sparking the green of his irises.
    Rather than anger her, the evidence of his jealousy knocked down a few chunks in the wall she’d begun to build around her emotions where he was concerned. Maybe there was a road back to when they’d been happy with each other. She gave a soft smile and walked around his desk to plop herself down in his lap. Her smile widening at his startled look, she wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “Jason’s one of the necromancers and he’s madly in love with Maggie, the other one.” She stared down into his eyes. “If we do this, and I think we should, I’m afraid it’s me or your vamps, lover. Your choice.”
    He stared at her for a moment; then his shoulders slumped. “Well, if I agree to let you do this, I guess it’ll be a couple of my vamps.” He brought one hand up and cupped her face, rubbing his thumb gently across her cheek. “I don’t want to lose you, Kimber.” For the first time in a week she could see in his eyes, his face, exactly what he felt—desire, uncertainty, and so much love it took her breath away.
    And just like that, any lingering frustration and anger melted away. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. It was soft and sweet and gentle, a slow sliding of her mouth against his. He closed his lips around her lower one, then the upper before settling firmly over her mouth again. She sighed, parting her lips. He slipped his tongue inside her mouth, tasting her, caressing her tongue in slow, easy strokes. She loved his flavor, though she always had a hard time describing it. Salty, with a little hint of sweet. Primitive with a definite undercurrent of ultramasculinity.
    She moaned. Duncan responded with a moan of his own and held her tighter, his tongue twining around hers with greater force. She arched against him, rubbing her tingling breasts against his hard chest. At some point she needed to breathe, and she broke away from him. This was what she’d missed this last week, this closeness, the carnality behind their love.
    “I love you,” she told him.
    “I love you, too,” he replied with a light kiss to her mouth. He settled her more comfortably on his lap and wrapped his arms around her to clasp his hands over her hip. After a few moments of companionable silence, he asked, “Do you really think the three of you can do something?”
    “I do.” Kimber sifted her fingers through the silky hair at his nape. “Except I don’t think we should risk Maggie.”
    “Why not? You’re a woman and we’d be risking you.”
    “She’s pregnant. Maybe seven months or so.” She didn’t follow through with what would be a logical “I’m not” because, well, she was. And she didn’t want to outright lie to Duncan. An omission wasn’t exactly a falsehood, though she knew when he found out he wouldn’t see it in quite the same way she did. “It’s Jason’s.” She frowned. “Well, I think it is. I didn’t ask.”
    “I don’t suppose it matters,” Duncan replied quietly. His gaze met hers. “I won’t do anything that puts you at unnecessary risk,” he said. “You mean too much to me.”
    “Even if we could stop the apocalypse?”
    “Even then.” He pressed a kiss to her brow. “I love you, Kimberly Treat, and I’m not giving you up. Not to zombies, not to the Unseen. We’ll figure this out.”
    She saw the inner conflict on his face. If he did encourage her and she and the others were able to end the apocalypse, it was possible when everything was said and done he might lose her, too, because of the Unseen inside her. She fought the urge to blurt out her news. If he knew she was pregnant, he’d definitely put the kibosh on this plan of hers. She didn’t want to risk