Heart of Stone - Book 1: Fighting Fate

“Stone?” she called out, but it was so hoarse and barely audible that she feared he wouldn’t hear.

Taking in a lungful of air to try again, she stopped when he looked over his shoulder. Sadness again reflected in his deep blues, making her breath catch in her throat.

Chewing on her bottom lip, she asked, “How do you know about vampires?”

Opening his mouth, he worked his bottom jaw, as if he had been clenching it before and needed to relax the muscles. Or, he was debating on the best way to explain something to her. Given his next response, she wasn’t surprised if it was both, but the latter was the greatest contributor.

“I hunt them.”

She gaped at him. He was serious. As much as she didn’t want to believe him and the fact that vampires were real, she knew he wasn’t one to make up stories and lie to her. “You’re a hunter? Like, a real vampire hunter?”

His eyes flicked away as he grunted. “In a way. Gwen, Hector, Rose, even Vincent, are as well. It’s our purpose, our existence in this world. To hunt them down, to destroy them, and protect—”

“Is that what I am to you, then? Just a job?” she interrupted, narrowing her eyes at him. The very notion that she was nothing more than a job to him left a bitter taste in her mouth. “For some reason, the vampires want to kill me and that’s why you have to protect me?”

She could barely finish her thoughts before the pain in her throat became too much for her to bear. As soon as she helped herself to a drink and set the glass down, Stone stepped close, so close that her breasts grazed against his chest and his spicy, earthy musk filled her senses.

Her breathing became labored as his scent filled her lungs, and with each heave of her chest against his, her nipples hardened and burned with the slight friction. She couldn’t bring herself to raise her gaze and instead stared at the collar of his shirt, fighting with the voice in her head telling her to step back and her hormones telling her to stay.

“Is that what you think?” he rasped.

His voice made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up on end and a shiver to course through her body.

Damn him. Damn him and her hormones for toying with her feelings. Why did he have this effect on her?

He pinched her chin between his thumb and index finger and tilted it up. Catching her gaze, he whispered, “The vampires want you because...”

Her eyes searched his as he hesitated, drawing her closer.

“Because of what you mean to me.”

His eyes flicked to her lips before he closed them and pressed his forehead against hers.

“I tried to push you away,” he said softly. “I tried to let you go. And it took me until now to realize that I can’t keep fighting it.” His brows furrowed against hers, his voice laden with emotion. “I can’t lose you now.”

“Stone...” she murmured as his hands reached up to cup her cheeks in his palms and tilt her chin up further.

“Aubree, you’re my soulmate,” he whispered before he closed the gap between them.

His lips grazed hers gently as she involuntarily closed her eyes. A jolt of electricity shot through her, making her gasp in surprise, but she found she couldn’t pull away. Each stroke of his lips against hers became more heated, demanding, and hungrier, as if discovering that the forbidden fruit tasted sweeter with each bite taken.

He released her cheeks, only to wrap one arm around her lower back, and place the other behind her head, pulling her closer against him, claiming her with his body and mounting need.

And she caved into him, unable to fight the burning sensation surging through her core.

It was wrong for her to want him. To crave the touch of his skin against hers. His lips on her neck. Her breasts.

She’d always gotten butterflies from Dan but kissing Stone was like wildfire. She couldn’t contain it and it spread throughout her, devouring her will and leaving her breathless and scorched.

Unable to hold back her inexplicable desire, she moaned into him as she reached up to tangle her hand in his hair.

She gasped as he pulled away abruptly. His hand was still cradling the back of her head and when she opened her eyes, she saw his brows pulled together in a painful grimace that ripped her heart to shreds.

What the fuck did she do?

She just kissed Stone.

And she wanted more.

Clenching her eyes shut as they prickled with tears, she mentally screamed at herself as Stone pulled away.

“It’s okay,” he said, despite his obvious struggle to gather enough air into his lungs as well.

As a tear rolled down her cheek, he wiped it away with his thumb. “We’ll find a way to make this work. Please, just give me time.”

Aubree felt like her heart was breaking and his words were only making it worse.

Soulmate? How could she be his soulmate when she loved Dan?

But if she loved Dan, how could she kiss Stone in a fit of passion, and still be longing for more?

Breaking down in tears, she raised her arms up like a shield.

“I can’t, ” she choked out between sobs as she buried her face in her hands. Her chest hurt, her throat burned, her body ached, and her eyes stung. She couldn’t look him in the eye. It would hurt too much.

He clutched her arms, trying to get her to lower them, but she pulled away and turned her back to him.

“I’m engaged,” she wheezed, “To Dan.”