“I apologize—”
“Don’t you dare,” she said, pulling back to look at his startled eyes. “I started that.”
“You were just thanking me. I shouldn’t have taken it where it went.”
“If I hadn’t wanted it to go there, I would’ve stopped you.”
He stared at her, noticeably swallowing hard again, his jaw stretching. “Why didn’t you?”
She shook her head and touched his face. “I didn’t want to.”
He closed his eyes at the touch of her hand to his face. “You don’t know anything about me.”
His words made her pull her hand away. “Is that your girlfriend?” she asked, dreading the answer. “The girl you left the bar with Friday night?”
Shaking his head, he opened his eyes, but he didn’t look at her. “I don’t have a girlfriend.”
The relief was instant, but she refrained from letting out the breath she was holding in too obviously. “My not knowing anything about you is not for lack of interest on my part. You say you have no interest in getting to know me, but that’s not what I felt with that kiss or the way you look at me.”
The old Regina was alive and well, but she was scaring the hell out of the new Regina. The insecurities she’d never felt before last year, before her life had taken such a turn, were still also very much alive and well. What if she was completely off? What if he’d just gotten caught up in a moment of passion? What if what he’d been so brutally honest about before still stood—he had no interest in her.
“Trust me,” he said, standing up. “You don’t wanna get to know me.”
“Trust me.” She countered right back, lifting her brow as their eyes met. “I do.”
At a stalemate for a moment, they were both silent until finally he spoke again. “It’s late, and we’ve both had a long night. You should get some sleep.”
He turned around and started toward the stairs. Was that it? Was he just going to dismiss her request to get to know him flat out and leave? Where the hell was the old Regina so she could tell him off? Because the new one felt like crawling under her blankets, and already her brain was scrambling for ways to get transferred so she’d never have to face him again.
“I’ll be here at oh-six-hundred hours tomorrow,” he said as he reached the top of the staircase but didn’t turn to face her. “There’s no way you’re getting down these stairs on your own, and I really don’t think you should try.”
Regina didn’t even try to hide the smile that spread across her face, but she was glad he didn’t turn to look at her. “Oh six hundred it is,” she said. “I’ll be ready. You can leave the front door unlocked so you can just let yourself in tomorrow. This is a gated community with lots of security cameras. It should be okay. Brandon . . .?” He nodded but didn’t turn to look at her. “Thank you so much. I really appreciate everything you did for me today.”
Finally, he turned just slightly, indulging her once again with one of his elusive smiles. It was barely there, and like so many times tonight, she saw a tinge of unease in his eyes, but small as it was, the hint of a smile still made her insides warm. “You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow.”
Even after she’d heard him walk out and her front door close, Regina sat there with her eyes closed, reliving that incredible kiss in her head. The sweet taste of him was still very much on her lips—mouth. She had no idea what to expect tomorrow, but the fact that he hadn’t just walked away leaving her hanging and that he was actually coming back despite his obvious hesitation in getting better acquainted, gave her hope. This was something that just a week ago she would’ve never even imagined wanting—getting to know the ominous Sergeant Billings better.
Chapter Eleven
“It’s late,” Brandon said, cursing himself for not being able to take his eyes off her lips. “You need your sleep and so do I. I should go.”
Even as he said the words, he couldn’t bring himself to pull away from her. Already, he ached to kiss her again.
“I think I figured it out,” she said with a sinful smile, those full lips of hers captivating him instantly as he continued to stare at them. “You’re a vampire, and you’re afraid I’ll out you.”
If he were a vampire, she’d be dead in a few more seconds because that’s about how much longer he’d be able to stand not having his lips on her again. He felt the corner of his lip lift as his eyes swallowed her up from top to bottom. “You like what you see, don’t you, Brandon?”
She was as sure about herself as he’d expected her to be. Of course he liked what he saw, and of course, no matter how strong of an effort he’d put into trying to hide it, she already knew it and probably had from day one. “Ms. Brady—”
“Uh, uh, let’s not go back to that,” she said, tracing his lips with her fingers. “Call me Regina.”
Parting her legs, she brought his hand down to her inner thigh. The warmth of the soft flesh against his hand had him straightening out. “Regina, you’re under the influence of—”
The second her luscious soft lips touched his again he took her face, cradling it in his hands, and kissed her wildly, eating up every inch of her mouth, feeling on the verge of madness. She moaned in delight, spreading her thighs further, and he gave up resisting, lifting her skirt up until he realized she wore no panties. He pulled away and froze, staring in those huge brown eyes that sparkled with anticipation.