Dark Angel (Casteel 2)

Instantly my eyelids parted. I gazed at him

softly, dreamily. "I have never heard music like yours

before. It scares me. Why is it you didn't play professionally?"

He shrugged indifferently. His skin through the

silk of his thin white shirt glowed with heightened

color. The collar was open so that I could see the faint

sprinkling of dark hair on his chest. I closed my eyes

again, disturbed by all the sensations I was feeling. "I've missed your visits." His voice came to me

soft and hesitating. "I know I hurt your feelings the

night of your graduation, and I'm sorry, but I'm only

trying to protect you."

"And yourself," I whispered bitterly. "You

know I'm nothing but hillbilly trash and sooner or

later I'll embarrass you and your family. I've been

thinking I'd go away. I have enough money saved up

now to put me through my first year of college. And if

I find a job, I can work through the remaining years." Alarmed, he said something that I couldn't quite make out, though I parted my lids enough to see his

concern and alarm.

"You can't do that! Tony, Jillian, and I owe you

a great deal."

"You don't owe me anything!" I stormed,

jumping up. "Just leave me alone from now on, and

I'll not impose on your privacy again!"

He flinched, then raked his long fingers through

his mass of waving hair. His disarming, boyish smile

flashed. "My music was my way of saying I'm sorry

for leaving you alone in the garden. My way of

confessing I've grown too fond of you not to make an

effort to bring you back again. When you're not in the

cottage, I seem to sense you there, and often I turn