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had all but swallowed up the blue of his irises. If you re not feeling well&
No, I m fine. He looked around, grabbed her arm and steered her down a side-
street, away from the flow of foot-traffic. This way.
Will, what s going on?
Nothing. He wiped the back of one hand across his forehead. It s the crowds.
Once I get away from the crowds I ll be fine.
Their path took them to a residential area, a narrow street lined with brick apartment
buildings. Sure enough, the tension eased out of his shoulders, and the pain faded from
his eyes. There. This is nicer, isn t it?
Why do crowds bother you so much? she asked.
He hesitated. It s just& the noise. I get bad headaches sometimes, and the noise
makes it worse.
She frowned. She doubted it was really that simple, but said nothing. They walked
for a few minutes in silence.
Tell me something about you, he said.
Like what?
Anything. What s your favorite movie?
I don t watch many movies.
Favorite book, then.
She hesitated. You ll laugh.
I won t. Cross my heart.
Watership Down.
That s the one with the rabbits, right? Why did you think I would laugh?
Well, it s a kids book. Or at least, that s what people assume when they see it s
about talking animals.
What do you like about it?
She paused, thinking. It s honest. It s not cynical, but it doesn t pull any punches.
The world is a big, scary place, and you have to rely on your wits to survive, especially if
you re one of the hunted. She stuck her hands in her pockets. So what about you?
What s your favorite book? Or movie?
If I m being honest with myself, I d have to say the Star Wars trilogy. Which I
guess is technically three movies, but I don t know if I could possibly pick a favorite
from among them. He smiled. Now the truth is revealed. I m a total geek.
A smile tugged at her lips. No, it s okay. I like sci-fi. Never seen Star Wars,
though.
He raised his eyebrows. Really? Well, I ll have to remedy that. How about a Star
Wars marathon?
"A Star Wars marathon?
Sure. If you think you can stand the onslaught of geekiness.
She laughed. Bring it on.
All right, then, it s a date. He reached out, took her hand and squeezed her fingers
lightly. Your hands are freezing. He rubbed them between his. Do you need a heavier
jacket?
No. My hands are always cold. Her eyes lingered on his hands; the long fingers,
the broad, firm palms. She suddenly ached to feel those hands on her breasts. She
imagined him running his hands under her shirt, brushing his thumbs over her nipples&
She gulped and pushed the thought away. She d made the mistake of getting close to
a human once, and she d vowed she would never make it again. She shouldn t have
agreed to this date; it wasn t fair to string him along.
She stopped walking and turned to face him. She stared at her right hand, still
cradled between his palms. Listen&
He traced a line in her palm with one finger. Her breath caught in her throat.
Yes?
She braced herself and looked up, meeting his gaze. In the dim light, his eyes were
pools of warm, blue-black shadow.
She tried again to speak, but her throat tightened, resisting the words. His thumb
touched her lower lip, and suddenly, she couldn t remember what she d been about to
say. He leaned toward her, his eyes still focused on hers. His warm breath tickled her lips.
She found herself trapped in his eyes, unable to move. His arms slipped around her waist
and pulled her closer, and a moment later, his warm, soft lips were pressed against hers.
A tiny, involuntary sound, somewhere between a whimper and a moan, escaped her
throat. Her lips parted. His tongue flicked against them, but didn t enter. The kiss was
gentle, undemanding, but she felt it down to the base of her spine.
She pulled back, dizzy, and took a deep breath. Will&
Warm hands framed her face. His thumbs stroked her cheekbones. What is it?
She closed her eyes. When was the last time she had been touched so gently? Come
to think of it, when was the last time she d been touched by someone who wasn t trying
to kill her?
She grasped his wrists, pushed his hands down and held them at his sides. There s
something I should tell you. She moistened her dry lips with the tip of her tongue. I
have a& a medical condition. I can t go outside during the daytime. My body can t
tolerate UV rays.
Okay, he said.
She stared at him. Okay? That s all?
I can see you at night. That s not a problem.
There s more to it. It it just isn t a good idea for me to date anyone right now. I
shouldn t have agreed to this at all. I m sorry.
She expected protests, confusion, hurt. He just stared at her, his expression
unreadable. There was an odd, probing intensity in his eyes as they searched hers.
Why?
It s hard to explain.
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