Blood Kiss (Savage Security Series Book 1) Read Online Free Page A

a thud. She eyed him as he strode to his truck, and it chirped as he unlocked it. At the sound of the rumble of his engine, she rested her hands on her steering wheel and looked at the Young Guns store. She’d entered the store filled with concern, but she left it with determined self-reliance.

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    He’d kept his distance all day, watching her as she completed her tasks. Just being in her vicinity calmed him. He wasn’t surprised when she pulled into the strip mall. She came here often, at least once a week. Her favorite take-out was the honey-crispy chicken with white rice.
    He eased his truck into a parking space in an adjacent parking lot and stared at her when she got out of the car. Could she sense his presence? His pulse raced when her eyes flit his way as she scanned her surroundings. Anxiety coiled in his gut when she entered Young Guns instead of the Chinese restaurant.
    What did she go in there for? As the minutes passed, the anxiety unraveled and rushed through his veins and tensed his muscles. He nervously popped a few Tic Tacs into his mouth and crunched them as he stared at the store, waiting for her to exit.
    He cursed himself. He’d noticed the change in her: the dark rings under her hypnotizing blue eyes, her distraction, and worst of all, her bubbly personality was flattening, like soda that’s been left out too long. The soda still looked the same, but it left a yucky taste in your mouth. That was how her spirit had changed. Her beauty still shone through, but a dark cloud seemed to hang over her, obscuring her natural glow.
    He tried to recall when this change in her started as he thought back on their courting period. She’d been so excited when she received the flowers that he sent. Her face had glowed with excitement, but as the days went by, she’d grown distracted. He’d feared she was sad because he hadn’t contacted her again, so he decided to cheer her up.
    The following day he’d left a note of encouragement under her windshield wiper. He even spritzed the paper with his cologne, hoping the scent could be his ‘calling card’. The danger of that boldness thrilled him. What if she recognized him before he was ready for her? His plan could be destroyed, and he could lose her forever. But he left the scented note anyway.
    Disappointment nearly overwhelmed him as he watched her read his love letter. He was confused by the expression on her face. Instead of the excitement that radiated off of her the day she carried the beautiful flowers to her car, her eyebrows pulled down in confusion as she looked around the school parking lot. He knew she wouldn’t see him. He watched her from the visitor parking lot, and he blended in with the other cars. His secret was safe, but his desire for her gained momentum. He wanted to cross the parking lot, wrap his arms around her and kiss the concern off her face, but that wasn’t on the agenda for that day. He’d made a schedule. He intended to keep it.
    Saddened to see that she was disappointed with his note, he resolved to console her. Figuring that he’d gone over the top with the bouquet and that he’d set the wooing bar too high, he changed his strategy. He would give her a few days and then give her another gift.
    When he could wait no longer to see her happiness, he left a little bag on her front porch. He’d spent a lot of time choosing the bag. The store had so many options, and he didn’t want to choose the wrong one. Alisha was used to nice things. She had refined taste and good manners, so the bag had to be just right. He’d finally settled on a pink leopard print bag with a fringe of black cord wrapped around the top. It was flirty and fun but not slutty, just like her.
    During the night, when he knew she was asleep and even the neighbors wouldn’t see him, he’d set the bag on the porch. Then he sat in the dark, waiting for the sun to peek above the horizon and signal the beginning of her morning routine.
    Nervous energy filled