Free A Beast For The Eyes: A Steamy Shifter Romance (A Ravenswood Romance Book 2) by Jada Turner Page A

who?”
    “Who knows?” Sebastian rubbed his eyes. Neither of them had gotten any sleep. “It could have been anybody. You know how folks feel about vamps.”
    “And you?” Ashleigh countered softly. “What’s it like being a hybrid?”
    “I hardly consider myself a hybrid,” he laughed. “Mom was too young. Her father didn’t approve of the marriage.”
    “Do all vampires have to marry?”
    “Sometimes,” he said ruefully. “What’s with the twenty questions, Leigh?”
    Her brown eyes widened. He hadn’t called her that in years. “I’m just curious. I spend so much time at school that I think I don’t know much about anything.”
    “You’re smart enough, honor society and all that.” Sebastian rummaged around the sack for more fries. “Dad tells me you’re on the debate team.”
    “Yeah,” she sighed. “Lucky me.” Ashleigh reached up self-consciously to smooth the frizzy locks. “Boys don’t know I’m alive!”
    “You poor thing,” Sebastian said dryly. “The world as we know it is coming to an end!”
    “Oh, shut up!’ she snapped. “It’s easy for you with that face! Look at me with these glasses.” She held them up. “See? Total nerd!”
    “You’re pretty enough,” he soothed, offering her half of his fries. “You’re too young to date anyway. Dad would never allow it.”
    “Then how am I supposed to get married and have children? Will I be a nun?”
    Sebastian burst out laughing. “There are worse things, you know.”
    “Like what?”
    He pointed at the television. “Like being shot by a whacked-out weirdo.”
    Ashleigh sighed. Men never had to worry about these things. She studied her stepbrother. He was the quintessential male model with striking good looks. He resembled his father with the thickly waving raven hair, dark gray eyes. and aristocratic features. Many a friend had swooned over him. But he’d paid them no heed. She wondered if he was gay. He didn’t have a girlfriend and she couldn’t remember a time when he did. It was most peculiar.
    “What are you thinking, mouse?” he said suddenly, startling her so much she nearly fell off her stool. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
    “I was just wondering if you met anyone. It must be lonely in New York all by yourself.”
    “You don’t beat around the bush, do you?”
    “What?” Ashleigh cried defensively. “It’s just a simple question. Mom thinks you’re gay.”
    “She does not!” He peered at her closely. “Does...she really think I’m gay?”
    “Well, she does wonder why you’ve never had a girlfriend.”
    “Lord!” he snorted. “As a matter of fact, I
am
in love with someone.”
    Ashleigh was shocked. “Really? Who?”
    Sebastian flashed her a wicked grin, and Ashleigh felt something painful move within her chest. “None of your business.” He leapt off the stool and sauntered off, leaving Ashleigh to ponder the mysterious girl who’d stolen Sebastian’s heart.
    “I wonder who she is?” she muttered to herself. Ashleigh shrugged it off and went upstairs to take a bath.
    Her mother called and told her Damien was recovering after surgery. But he wasn’t out of the woods yet. Ashleigh filled the tub with fragrant bubbles and soaked her worries away. She leaned her head back and thought of prom. No one had asked her yet. She and Kaila had a pact. If no one asked, they were going to skip it and sit home and watch sappy romances while they steeped in self-pity.
    Ashleigh wondered if she was really that ugly. Sure she was taller than most. And all gangly limbs with no figure to speak of, but was she
really
that awful? Most boys she knew just thought of her as one of the guys. She’d never even been kissed for goodness’ sake! Not that she wanted to. “I probably wouldn’t enjoy it anyway.”
    She groaned miserably and sank down in the tub.
    After showering the bubbles off and washing her hair, Ashleigh stepped out and was in the process of slipping on her robe when the door