Free Robert by Sam Crescent Page B

with his.
    She screamed again. She didn’t know where she was and she was panicking.
    The clock exploded.
    “Shit.”
    William kissed her. So unprepared was she for the kiss that Katie melted beneath the onslaught. His lips, firm to the touch, brushed over hers. Katie didn’t know if her lips were soft, but she welcomed the gentle press of his.
    This was her first kiss. She didn’t know whether she liked it. She hadn’t been prepared for it and by the time she was ready to deal with it he had moved away. Katie wanted to reach out and ask him to kiss her once more. She wanted to know whether she liked kissing or if she wanted to be kissed. But William Valentine was not a man you begged attention from, even if she did like the way he spoke and looked.
    “The best way to deal with a witch is to confuse her with kisses.” The vampire in front of her gave her a cheeky smile.
    Ashamed of her reaction, she lashed out at him, but he caught her fists in his hands. She would love to see how he reacted to being blown up instead.
    “Be careful. I bite as well,” he warned, flashing his fangs.
    Katie wasn’t repulsed by the pointed teeth—if anything she was intrigued by them. Was it because she was a witch, and in a way understood his differences? She didn’t care.
    Katie flung herself away from him.
    “You disgusting monster.”
    “Uncontrollable witch,” he retorted.
    Katie couldn’t help it. She lashed out again, but he was too fast and too strong. He dodged her hits, then grabbed her flailing fists, stopping her attack altogether. A battle of wills. Katie had never fought anyone who was as strong as she was. In truth, the only thing she’d managed to destroy in her whole life was the odd clock and vintage sofa.
    “You’re a fiery one, all right.”
    Fuming at her inability to hurt him, she pulled away and stormed into his kitchen. The only way she could think of to dispel the growing tensions was to walk away.
    “Oh, no you don’t.” He stopped her as she reached for his coffee pot.
    “What have I done now?”
    “Besides turn my life upside down? Until you gain some modicum of control over your hands, stay away from the coffee pot.” He pushed her out of the way and proceeded to make up a pot of coffee. In no time at all, the rich aroma filled the house, calming her nerves.
    Katie sat down at the table and watched him moving around his kitchen. He filled two mugs with coffee.
    “Cream and sugar?” he asked.
    She nodded. He handed her a steaming cup. It was too hot to drink so she balanced it between her numb fingers.
    “I thought vampires only drank blood,” she said, to fill the silence.
    “I thought humans were nice—I’ve since learnt differently.” He appeared to have a witty retort for everything. He didn’t seem bothered by the heat, and drank some of the steaming brew immediately.
    “Sorry. I was just making conversation.” She looked down into her coffee.
    She heard him sigh. “Drinking blood keeps us strong, but we don’t need it every day. Depends on how strong the person we feed from is, the connection to that person. It’s very long-winded and I don’t feel like talking about it.” He took a sip of his coffee.
    “Am I human?” she enquired.
    He remained silent until she looked up.
    “Well, am I?” she asked again.
    “It’s not a simple yes or no answer,” he finally said.
    Katie frowned. “How can it not be a simple answer?”
    “Witches, like vampires and werewolves, existed even before humans. Witchcraft is different from coven to person to family. Magic isn’t straightforward. I’m a vampire, which is pretty simple—I kill things. Witches love being complex. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever met a witch who wasn’t a pain in the ass.”
    Katie took a sip of coffee, trying to absorb what he’d just said, ignoring his insults.
    “I still don’t know what you mean.”
    “Okay. If you have a witch who is a direct descendent of…say, the devil himself, you’d