Free Vengeful Shadows by Bronwyn Green Page B

going on in her head? He considered asking, but he figured she wouldn’t tell him if he did.
    She relaxed into the cushion, and he wondered if was too soon to kiss her again. Probably. Sitting at opposite ends of the couch, they stared at each other. Theoretically, kissing her was supposed to help acclimate her to his touch. But now, the only thing he could think of was how badly he wanted to taste her.
    Taking a deep breath, he willed himself to get a grip. “How about dinner?”
    She blinked in apparent confusion. “What?”
    He couldn’t blame her. He was sure he’d gone from looking as if he wanted to devour her, to being practically disinterested. “The party is tomorrow. I thought maybe we could go wander around the street fair and practice in public.”
    Her gaze widened and darted toward the windows. She looked almost nervous.
    “Are you okay, angel?”
    “Yeah. Fine,” she rushed to say. Turning back to him, her lips curved in a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “I hope this isn’t your subtle way of telling me you’ve got an exhibitionist bent.”
    He laughed. “No. But for you, I’d develop one.”
    For a moment, her smile held a hint of sadness, but just as quickly, it was gone. “That’s okay. No need to trouble yourself on my account.” She rose from the couch and brought their empty bottles to the kitchen. “Where do you want to eat?”
    As if a switch had been thrown, their relationship returned to normal. The disquiet that had permeated the room a few moments earlier had vanished. It was as if he’d never kissed her. Was it that she simply didn’t care or that she was able to compartmentalize her feelings better than most people? This was a prime example of why he didn’t date women like Tessa—they were too damn hard to figure out.
    “So you want to go?”
    Resolve settled over her features, and she nodded.
    “It’s a nice evening,” he said. “I figured we could browse the vendors and get something to eat while we walk around.”
    * * * *
    They fell into an easy rhythm as they wandered through the darkening streets. During the summer and fall, Oakdale’s independent artists and musicians set up booths on the weekends. Patrons could buy anything from a handmade sweater to a serenade. Tessa enjoyed wandering through the rows of merchants. Zander didn’t care for the crowds, but he was beginning to realize that there wasn’t much he wouldn’t do to make her smile.
    He glanced at the woman by his side. In deference to the chilly weather, she wore a bulky sweater with a long, denim skirt. Quintessential librarian wear and she was still the sexiest woman he’d ever known. He wanted her arms wrapped around him. Again.
    Zander couldn’t remember enjoying a date more, but every once in a while, a troubling sensation prodded him. It felt as though an invisible, third person had accompanied them on their walk. Solidifying his discomfort, Tessa often scanned the area around them as if searching for someone. The farther they moved from the house the jumpier she seemed.
    “Who are you looking for?” he finally asked.
    Her head whipped around to face him. “No one.” After a pause, she added, “I mean, no one in particular. There’s a jewelry maker that sometimes sets up here, and I didn’t want to miss her.”
    He couldn’t believe Tessa would lie to him, but something didn’t feel right. He sighed inwardly. Maybe, it was just him. The more time he spent with her, the more he wanted to be with her—a feeling that was foreign and definitely disconcerting.
    She peered intently around the area as they walked. She could be looking for the elusive jewelry maker, who Zander was beginning to doubt existed, but another more chilling thought occurred to him. Her behavior reminded him of Julia in the days before she died. An ex-lover had been stalking her for months. As the threats escalated, so did Julia’s fright. Worry knotted his gut. What the hell was going on with Tessa?
    He