Unspoken: Shadow Falls: After Dark (45 page)

“I should have never told you guys that,” she said.

“You have to, it’s in the rule book for best friends,” Miranda said as Della walked out.

*   *   *

Della drove to the grocery store. Not the closest one, but the one thirty miles away. The other store would have what she needed. Items purchased, she got back in her car. Her phone dinged with a text.

She figured it was either Marla or Kylie and Miranda.

It wasn’t.

Chase. It was short, sweet, and right to the point.

Still here.

Still miss you.

Still love you.

She started to text him back, then decided to just surprise him.

Twenty minutes later, she parked in front of his cabin.

He stepped out onto the porch. He wasn’t wearing a shirt. Not that she minded. The guy carried off shirtless really well.

He stood there and stared as if he couldn’t believe she was there. Then he and Baxter finally came hurrying down the stairs.

“You’re here.” He didn’t try to kiss her. So she leaned up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

He pulled her against him. “God, I missed you.”

“Me, too.”

Once inside, he pulled her against him. She leaned her head on his chest. His bare skin felt so good.

“Oh, I forgot.” She ran outside, snatched the bag, and hurried back in and handed it to him.

No sooner had the bag left her fingertips when she remembered what else she’d bought.

“Wait!” She snatched the bag back. Unfortunately he still held it and it ripped open. The twelve-pack of condoms and the bakery container fell to the wood floor.

Chase looked down. Della snatched the condoms. But not before he saw them.

“Don’t you dare say a word, or I’ll change my mind.”

“Not a word,” he said, but he had a silly grin on his face. “You know, I had some.”

“Oh, you thought you’d need them, did you?”

“I hoped I’d need them. So why did you buy them? You collect them or something?”

“I … Forget it.” She grinned.

He laughed, then picked up the bakery box that Baxter had started to sniff. When he opened the box, his smile vanished. He glanced up, and he looked … not sad, but serious. “Snickerdoodles?”

Holding the condoms behind her back, she nodded. “You … you said they tasted like love.”

He put the cookies on the table and kissed her—a warm soft kiss. “They do.” He reached for a cookie.

“Taste one,” he said. He reached back and held on out.

She shook her head. “Sorry, I tried one last week and it tasted terrible.”

He laughed. “Well, that’s okay. I tried French onion soup and I puked. It could have been the wine, though.”

She laughed and leaned in, setting her chin on his chest. “We don’t have to love the same kinds of foods. Just each other.”

“I do,” he said. “Love you.”

“I love you, too.” She put one hand on his chest. The one not still hiding the condoms behind her back. “I’m sorry I was a bitch. I was scared, and confused.”

“You’re not a bitch,” he said and put his hand on top of hers.

“No, let me finish. I need to say this.” She swallowed. “All I could think about was that if my father got convicted, it would be my fault. And while I knew you considered Eddie like a father, I never really took into consideration that you were just as scared about him. I mean, I sort of knew it, but I was being selfish and—”

“Stop,” he said and brought her hand to his lips. “You are the least selfish person I know.”

“I pushed you away,” she blurted out. “I didn’t want to admit how much I cared. And it’s not just the bond, Chase. Steve set me straight about this. He told me that I was crazy about you before you ever gave me your blood. And he’s right. I was … crazy about you.”

He smiled. “I’m crazy about you, too.”

Leaning down, he pressed his lips to hers. The kiss was soft, sweet, but quickly moved into hot. And Della became more and more aware that she was holding a pack of condoms behind her back.

Somewhere in his cabin she heard a clock hand move, counting down seconds.

She pulled back. “What time is it?”

He looked over his shoulder.

“Eleven fifty-eight—why?”

“We need to get this show on the road, then.”

“What?” he asked.

“Can I take my clothes off?” She tossed the condoms on the sofa.

His eyes widened. “Well, I … Sure.”

She glanced at him and giggled. “I think you’re blushing.”

“I am not,” he said.

Yes, he was.
But she kind of liked knowing that. Knowing he was sort of new at all this too. At least a little new.

She pulled her T-shirt off, then wiggled out of her jeans. Then stood before him with only her underwear on.

His gaze shifted up and down, and she could tell he liked what he saw.

He inched closer. His hand moved gently around her waist.

His soft touch brought goose bumps to her skin and anticipation rippled through her, but she pushed his hand way. “Hey, Panty Perv, you’re missing the point.” She backed up and waved her hand up and down her partially naked body.

His brow pinched. “Missing what … point? Other than … you look amazing.”

She shook her head. “I got the day right.” She pointed to her panties.

He dropped his head back, and laughed. The sound rang like music to her ears. And being here with him felt like magic. Then he pulled her against him. They laughed and held on to each other all night long.

Della couldn’t remember anything feeling this right. Being with him, beside him. Feeling his bare skin against hers. She loved him. Loved how he made her feel beautiful and sexy. Loved how he took his time and made touching her feel like an art.

Nine months ago, her world had turned upside down. She’d hated that everything had changed. Hated who she was. What she was. And yet now, she realized that those changes had led her here. Led her to Chase. Led her to the career she wanted. Led her to two best friends and everyone at Shadow Falls.

Sometimes, she supposed, change wasn’t so bad.

About The Author

C. C. Hunter
lives in Tomball, Texas, where she’s at work on her next novel. To learn more, visit her on the Web at
www.cchunterbooks.com
. Or sign up for email updates
here
.

ALSO BY
C. C. HUNTER

Born at Midnight

Awake at Dawn

Taken at Dusk

Whispers at Moonrise

Chosen at Nightfall

Reborn

Eternal

Praise for The Shadow Falls Series

“Hunter sucks you in … an amazing roller-coaster ride.”

—
RT Book Reviews

“The Shadow Falls series belongs to my favorite YA series. It has everything I wish for in a YA paranormal series. A thrilling tale that moves with a great pace, where layers of secrets are revealed in a way that we are never bored. It continues a gripping story about self-discoveries, finding a place in the world, friendship, and love. So if you didn’t start this series yet, I can only encourage you to do so.”

—
Bewitched Bookworms

“Ms. Hunter handles this series with such deftness, crafting a wonderful tale that speaks to the adolescent in me. I highly recommend this series filled with darkness and light, hope and danger, friendship and romance.”

—
Night Owl Reviews
(Top Pick)

“Jam-packed with action and romance from the very beginning, Hunter’s lifelike characters and paranormal creatures populate a plot that will keep you guessing till the very end. A perfect mesh of mystery, thriller, and romance. Vampires, weres, and fae, oh my!”

—
RT Book Reviews
on
Taken at Dusk

“An emotional thrill ride full of suspense, action, laughter, multiple love stories, and an intriguing variety of paranormal species. I could not put this book down and can’t wait to start the next book as soon as I finish this review.”

—
Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
on
Awake at Dawn

“There are so many books in the young adult paranormal genre these days that it’s hard to choose a good one. I was so very glad to discover
Born at Midnight
. If you like P. C. and Kristin Cast or Alyson Nöel, I am sure you will enjoy
Born at Midnight
!”

—
Night Owl Reviews

“The evolving, not-always-easy relationships among Kylie and her cabin mates Della and Miranda are rendered as engagingly as Kylie’s angst over dangerous Lucas and appealing Derek. Just enough plot threads are tied up to make a satisfying stand-alone tale while whetting appetites for sequels to come.”

—
Publishers Weekly

“With intricate plotting and characters so vivid you’d swear they are real,
Born at Midnight
is an addictive treat. Funny, poignant, romantic, and downright scary in places, it hits all the right notes. Highly recommended.”

—
Houston Lifestyles and Homes Magazine

“I laughed and cried so much while reading this.… I LOVED this book. I read it every chance I could get because I didn’t want to put it down. The characters were well developed and I felt like I knew them from the beginning. The story line and mystery that went along with it kept me glued to my couch not wanting to do anything else but find out what the heck was going on.”

—
Urban Fantasy Investigations Blog

“This has everything a YA reader would want.… I read it over a week ago and I am still thinking about it. I can’t get it out of my head. I can’t wait to read more. This series is going to be a hit!”

—
Awesome Sauce Book Club
on
Born at Midnight

“The newest in the super-popular teen paranormal genre, this book is one of the best. Kylie is funny and vulnerable, struggling to deal with her real-world life and her life in a fantastical world she’s not sure she wants to be a part of. Peppered throughout with humor and teen angst,
Born at Midnight
is a laugh-out-loud page-turner. This one is going on the keeper shelf next to my Armstrong and Meyer collections!”