"He can and he did. They made a deal. And believe me, you never go back on a blood deal with a vampire."

Kylie shot off to the dining hal to find Derek.

She could not, would not, let him do this.

Chapter Seventeen

Derek came through the door just as Kylie rushed in to find him. "Hey, I was coming to look for you." He held up a tiny strip of paper. "I got your name." He smiled.

His smile came off so warm, that if Kylie wasn't so furious, and disgusted, she could have gotten lost in it.

"Yeah, I know. I heard." She squinted at him in disapproval.

He studied her and then cautiously added, "I thought we'd take a walk. I found a great spot when I went hiking yesterday."

"Look, I'm flattered but you can't do this, Derek," she snapped.

"Do what?" A frown replaced his smile.

"I know what you did to get my name. And I can't let you do that."

"It's nothing." He started walking away from the door, and then looked back at her when she didn't fol ow. "You coming?"

"It's blood," she seethed, and closed the two steps separating them and grabbed him by the forearm. "Come on, I'm gonna make this right." She gave him a tug, but he didn't budge. That's when she noticed how solid his arm felt under her hand. He leaned in. "It's done, Kylie. Let's just go spend our hour together, okay?" His scent-a combination of spicy men's soap and Derek-wafted over her.

"You've already ... done it?" Her gaze shot to his neck.

"No, but the deal's done."

"I'l undo it," she said, trying to ignore his scent and how much she liked it ... and how much she liked him. Realizing she stil held his arms, she let go. Touching him caused her to recal how she used to touch Trey. How much she liked Trey, missed Trey. Derek's frown tightened. "You can't undo it. So just come on. Please."

She stood there staring at him. "At least let me try."

He closed his eyes for a second, and then he lowered his head closer and whispered, "Please trust me on this, Kylie. There is nothing you can do to change it."

Something about his voice seemed to reach deep inside her and scramble her thoughts. Or perhaps it was how his breath whispered against her jaw line, the soft, sweet tickle right below her ear that made it impossible to think.

Impossible to tel him no.

"Okay." But even as she cratered to his wishes, she told herself she had to be careful. Derek, for whatever reasons, had some kind of power over her and that could be dangerous.

His green eyes focused right on her baby blue ones and he smiled again. "Let's go."

He held out his hand. She almost took it, but managed to refrain at the last second.

"I'l fol ow." She stuck her hands in her pockets.

Disappointment weakened his smile, but he nodded and started walking. And she did what she told him she'd do. She fol owed. They didn't talk for the first five minutes as they started up a trail. Then he turned off the trail and led her up through a thick patch of trees and bushes. Between yesterday with Del a and now this, it would be a miracle if she didn't come down with poison oak. Or worse, chiggers. Just when she was about to say something, she heard the soft sound of running water, as if they were about to come across a smal stream.

"It's right here." He glanced back at her, his eyes carrying a smile even when his lips didn't. She fol owed him for a few more feet and then stopped and stared at the stream and the humongous boulder, about the size of a twin-size bed, perched on the edge overlooking the trickling water. The morning sun streamed through the trees, making everything seem so green, so lush. So alive.

Kylie inhaled the air, which smel ed just like everything looked-fresh, verdant, and wet. In the distance she could hear what she thought was a waterfal -Shadow Fal s. It had to be. The sound of cascading water fil ed the silence and somehow seemed to cal out to her.

"Is there a waterfal around here?" she asked.

"Yeah, but it's prettier here." Derek hopped up on the rock. "Come on." Once settled, he held out his hand to help her up. She moved in but before she took his hand, the question popped out. "Why did you do it?"

He looked down at her. "Do what?"

"You know what," she accused.

"Are we stil stuck on that?" He shook his head. "It's not a big deal, Kylie. Now come up and sit down. This place is even more amazing when you look at it from this angle."

She took his hand and with hardly any effort he pul ed her up. Letting go as soon as she had her footing, she found her spot, careful not to sit too close.

Not that it helped al that much.

Feeling his gaze on her, she looked out at the stream and tried to refocus. "Wow," she muttered. "You're right. It's prettier from up here." And it was. The extra height offered a better view of the flowing water. The streams of light sneaking from the trees hit the water and made it twinkle. From this angle, the whole place seemed to be bathed in a mixture of shadows and light, and it reminded her of something she might have seen in fairytale book. Almost ... magical.

"Why?" she asked again without looking at him.

"I was curious about you. I've been curious ever since I saw you standing by your mom before you got on the bus. You were so sad and..."

She remembered Miranda saying that some fairies could read your thoughts and before he could continue, she spoke up. "Can you read my mind?" Turning to him, she felt her face heat at some of the more embarrassing thoughts she'd had about him.