Excerpt from Book Two:
My heart skipped a beat. It was my birthday. And I had a boyfriend. A
super-sexy almost super-hero like boyfriend. This birthday ruled.
One last look in the mirror and I bounded down the
stairs, slowing when I reached the bottom so I could project some semblance of
cool as I walked toward the common room.
I found Taren chatting with Callie.
“Wow,” he said, his hazel eyes widening and his jaw
on the verge of dropping.
I blushed furiously and looked down. I’d tried too
hard.
“You look...” he walked over to me and took my hand.
“Maybe a little overdone for a picnic?” I said. I
should offer to go change; this was ridiculous.
He smiled that semi-crooked smile of his and said,
“Breathtaking.”
He gave me the lightest of kisses.
“Well, I’ll let you two get to your picnic,”
Callie said with a mischievous grin.
“What was that about?” I asked.
“She thinks you’re going to approve of your birthday
surprise,” he said. Now he was grinning!
“Well, don’t keep me in suspense,” I said. “What is
it?”
I readied myself to react with great enthusiasm when
he told me we were going for a walk before my mom got here and we all ate lunch
in the cafeteria.
“Wait, what?” I was so busy mentally preparing I was
sure I’d misheard him.
“A day pass,” he said again. “Or, part of a day,
anyway. Long enough to get lunch at your favorite Indian restaurant.
Now my jaw dropped. “No freaking way,” I said.
“What can I say?” he said, putting a hand on my
waist and pulling me closer. “I’m good.”
“You are,” I said, my grin nearly splitting my face.
“You are so good.”
I threw my arms around him and squeezed him tight.
“That is so the best gift you could have gotten me.”
Taren took my hand and led me out the front door.
Before I was fully aware what was happening, we were walking down the path that
led toward the parking area. My mind cycled through a litany of thoughts.
Are you crazy? It’s all well and good to wish you could leave the Institute, but
there are Dahrak demons out there.
But it’s been months! And Indian food! And Taren
went to so much trouble...
And Reds will go to a lot of trouble—
They’ll be guards everywhere—
“You OK?” Taren said, interrupting my stream of
thoughts.
“Yeah,” I said, squeezing his hand. “Just excited.
And maybe a little nervous. It’s been awhile since I’ve been out in the real
world.”
“Trust me,” he said, “up here is as real as it gets.
Down there, all they’re concerned with is Botox and carbs. Besides, I’m here.
And as long as I’m here, nothing bad gets near you.”
He put his arm around me and squeezed my shoulder,
which pretty much settled things as far as I was concerned. I smiled and leaned
into Taren as we made our way toward the edge of the Sanctuary. This was going
to be my best birthday yet.
Kendall Ryan is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance novels, including Hard to Love, Unravel Me, Resisting Her and When I Break..jpg)
