Page 19 of Bound By Blood
Caro lifted herhead and adjusted her grip on the sword as she vowed to get throughthis. “Carolina Belham, but everyone calls me Caro. And youare?”
“Saber.”
“Saber?”
“Yes.”
“What kind of aname is that?”
“One Iearned.”
“Lovely,” shemuttered. “And are you like Zendaya or Adele with no lastname?”
A muscle inSaber’s jaw tightened. It had been centuries since he last used anypart of his family name. The fire burned away those pieces of him,and the murder he unleashed on those villagers drowned whatremained in blood.
“Amaral,” hefinally said, but like his first name, he wouldn’t reclaim it.“Where were your parents killed?”
And just likethat, her anger was back. Why did he insist on knowingeverydetail of what happened here? “Whoareyou?”
“Saber.”
He said it in sucha flat way she wondered if he had any emotions. He certainly didn’tunderstand a broken heart.
“I think it’s timefor you to leave,” she said.
“I have a few morequestions.”
Saber wasn’texpecting the sudden rush of tears filling her eyes. He’d spentyears shutting down his emotions; he couldn’t deal with someoneelse’s. But he also hated the sheen of those tears, even as shestared at him like she wished he’d die.
For the first timein centuries, he contemplated how to comfort another. Should herest his hand on her shoulder and give it a pat or a squeeze? He’dseen others do that before; they also hugged, but he definitely wasnotdoing that.
Somehow, he didn’tthink she would appreciate a pat on the shoulder. Maybe a playfulpunch on the arm? Didn’t humans do that sometimes? He’d seen it inmovies before. Would she like that?
The way sheglowered at him said no, but he should do something. He hated thishelpless feeling and hadn’t experienced anything close to it sincehis mother’s death. This wasn’t good for him.
He’d like to offerher some comfort, but this woman he barely knew had rattled hisrestraint. That couldnotbe allowed to happen.
He wouldn’t offerher any solace; it was best for them both if he didn’t bother totry. Besides, he had no idea what he was doing and would only looklike a fool.
“I don’t haveanything else to tell you,” she said.
Caro strode to thealarm and stabbed her fingers at the numbers on the pad. Shestarted to push open the door when he grasped her wrist, haltingher.
The second theirskin connected, a jolt went through her. Her skin warmed beneathhis hand, and her mouth went dry.
She disliked thisman immensely, but his touch did something to her that she didn’tunderstand. Her body reacted to him in a way it had never respondedto another.
She would love toshove him out the door, but she couldn’t deny the sudden rush ofdesire he awakened in her. It was horrible and the most inopportunetime for such a thing to happen. However, now that he’d awakenedit, she couldn’t douse it.
Caro lifted hergaze to discover him surveying her like she was some strangecreature he didn’t understand.
The feeling wasmutual.
Regaining somecontrol over her broken brain, Caro jerked her arm away andsurreptitiously rubbed it against her jeans. She hoped she’d kepther brief trip into insanity-land hidden from him.
“You should go,”she stated.
But he didn’t wantto go anywhere after the lust just touching her ignited in him. Andshe felt it too; he’d seen the passion darkening her eyes andparting her luscious mouth made for kissing and sucking.
