Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter Colletion_ Books 6-10 - Laurell K. Hamilton [425]
Thinking of him was enough. I could feel him off to my left like a warm presence moving through the summer night. I had a moment of feeling him walking. I could feel the rhythm of his body as he moved. I was almost dizzy, stumbling, as I pulled away from the image.
Zane took my arm. “You all right?”
I nodded and pulled away. I didn’t know him that well yet. If I had a choice, I wasn’t that touchy-feely with people I didn’t know. But the moment I pulled away, I felt him shrink back. I knew without any magic at all that I’d hurt his feelings. I was his Nimir-ra, his leopard queen, and I was supposed to like him, or at least not dislike him. I didn’t know whether apologizing would make it worse or better, so I said nothing.
Zane moved off through the woods, leaving me to myself. He was wearing the leather pants, vest, and boots he’d worn on the plane. Funny how Zane’s personal wardrobe was just fine for tonight.
Richard stopped moving and stared at me across the yards that separated us. He was dressed all in black: leather pants and a silk shirt that clung to his new, improved, muscular upper body. He’d been lifting weights since Jean-Claude last measured him for shirts. He stood there all in black, a color I’d never seen him in. The moonlight was strong enough that I could see his face in bold highlights; only the eyes were lost to shadow, as if he were blind. Even from here, I could feel him like a line of heat in my body.
Earlier, Asher had made things in my body go low and tight. But now, standing in the hot, summer woods, watching the gleam of moonlight reflecting off the silk and leather on Richard’s body, seeing his hair slide like a soft cloud around his shoulders, it made my chest tight, closer to tears than to lust, because he wasn’t mine anymore. Whether I liked it or not, whether I wanted it or not, I would always regret not having been with Richard. I’d had other opportunities in the past for being with other guys in intimate settings, but I’d never regretted saying no before. In fact, I always felt like I’d dodged a bullet. Only Richard made me regret.
He started walking towards me. It made me look away as if we’d been at a resturant or something, and I’d been caught staring at my ex. I remembered a night just after college when I’d been in a resturant with some friends, and seen my ex-fiancé with his new girlfriend. He’d walked towards us as if he’d introduce me to her. I’d fled to the ladies’ room and hid out until one of my girlfriends came and told me the coast was clear. Four years ago, I’d run for cover because he had dumped me and didn’t seem to miss me. Now I stood my ground but not because I had dumped Richard. I stood my ground because my pride wouldn’t let me hurry away through the trees and pretend I hadn’t run away. I wasn’t much into running lately.
So I stood there in the silvered dark, my heart beating in my throat, and waited for him to come to me.
Jamil and Shang-Da stood together in the dark, watching but not following him, as if he’d told them to stay put. Even from here, I could tell Shang-Da didn’t like it. As far as I could see, Shang-Da hadn’t changed clothes. He was still in his all-black, totally monochromed tailored suit, shirt, and accessories.
Richard came to stand about two feet in front of me. He just looked down at me and said nothing. I couldn’t read his expression, and I didn’t want to read his mind again.
I broke first, babbling. “I’m sorry about that, Richard. I didn’t mean to invade you like that. I’m not very good at controlling the marks yet.”
“That’s all right,” he said. Why is it that voices in the dark can sound so much more intimate?
“You okay with Asher’s plan for tonight?” I asked, more for something to say while he stared down at me than for anything else.
Verne