Free The Claimed by Caridad Piñeiro Page B

candle in the middle of the table bathed Christopher’s face. Thanks to the dimness of the light, she could detect the thin aura surrounding him. Too weak to be full Hunter power, which relieved her somewhat, but not entirely since Shadows could hide their energy fields also.
    Turning her attention to his physical being, she examined his handsome features. His masculine beauty struck her again as it had the night at the Convention Center and then again yesterday. Lush lashes framed dark compelling eyes. A wavy lock of thick cocoa-colored hair fell onto his forehead. He dragged the hair back and quirked his full lips into a sinfully sexy smile as he ordered a bottle of wine from the waitress.
    “Do you live in town?” she asked, wondering why they had not crossed paths before the other night. The towns in this area were smallish in size and many of the native-born residents—the clam diggers as some liked to call themselves—were familiar with each other. That meant he was probably not a local, but one of the residents who descended on the Jersey Shore for the season.
    “I grew up in New York City, but have a summer home down in Sea Girt,” he said as the waitress brought over the bottle of wine, uncorked it, and poured them each a glass.
    “Ah,” she said after the waitress left to give them a few more minutes to peruse the menus.
    He immediately jumped in with, “I know that, ‘ah.’ It’s the Benny ‘ah.’ ”
    Victoria chuckled at his observation. The local folk used the derogatory term Benny for the tourists and seasonal home owners. Before she could respond, he added, “Would it make a difference if I said I was living here permanently now?”
    “I think that warrants some slack,” she teased, and took only a moment to glance at the menu. The restaurant was within walking distance of her home. In fact, she and Christopher had decided to stroll down instead of driving since it was such a lovely night. Because the place was a longtime Shore tradition and a favorite with her and her friends, she knew the menu by heart.
    Christopher likewise didn’t linger, closing the menu quickly and when the waitress came, it turned out that they were both ordering the seafood combo, chock full of sea scallops, stuffed shrimp, and flounder.
    “We seem to have a lot in common,” he said after taking a sip of the white wine he had ordered.
    “I love anything that has to do with the ocean. Who wouldn’t?” she said, raising her head as a breeze drifted over the veranda, carrying the fresh scent of the sea from the beachfront across the street. Caressing her with the power redolent in its embrace.
    “Ryan, believe it or not. He hates the sand. I think he only tolerates the beach because of me,” Christopher advised with a boyish grin.
    “Have the two of you been friends for long?” she asked, swirling her wine around in the glass before tasting it.
    “All our lives. We’re both only children, so we’re like brothers. Our families have been linked for as long as Ican remember,” he acknowledged. “How about you? Any siblings?”
    Victoria shook her head. “I’m an only child, too, but I have some great friends who are like sisters to me.”
    “What about your parents? Do they live in the area?”
    She nodded at his question and said, “My parents live about ten minutes away in a big home upriver. They run a fleet of charter and fishing boats out of the local marina. What about your parents?”
    He hesitated and picked up his glass again. Then he took a bracing sip before he confessed, “You might say that I have what most would call a dysfunctional family. My mom died some time ago and my father is intent on controlling my life.”
    “You’re not alone in that camp. Maybe it’s because we’re only children.” Victoria realized that in a way it was true. Quinchu pairings rarely resulted in multiple children since the release of energy during bonding seemed to cause damage to either one or both of the