We have a special treat for you today – an exclusive excerpt from Dark Illusion, the thirty-third book – yes, you read that right – in Christine Feehan’s Carpathians series. The book hits the shelves today, so after this we’re sure you’ll have to get your own copy pronto!
Also be sure to read Veena’s review of the book, which posted earlier today. You’re in for another treat!
Chapter 4
At first, he had thought to keep his distance from Julija so when he left it wouldn’t hurt so much, but for some reason he couldn’t fathom, he really wanted to get to know her. Already, everything she said and did just made him want her more. His interest was genuine, and his sincerity came through in his tone.
“I love to play the piano,” she offered without hesitation.
He lifted his head to look her directly in the eyes. Her face lit up, and her eyes went bright. Her immediate answer was the last thing he expected from her. He didn’t know why. Maybe because of all things, music brought him a semblance of peace when he was so alone. It didn’t make him feel anything, so it had never made sense, but when he heard music, everything wild in him stilled.
“The piano?” Deliberately, he provoked her. He found he didn’t like Julija subdued. He infused skepticism into his voice. “You play?”
She narrowed her eyes at him. “You do know what a piano is, don’t you?”
“I certainly do, but am having a difficult time believing you do. It takes discipline to master the keyboard. You do not have discipline in abundance.” The moment the words left his mouth, he felt the sting of an insect on his left cheek, low, by the corner of his mouth. He clapped his hand over what should have been a bug but was nothing but air. He glared at Julija. She sat there looking innocent. Too innocent.
“Did you just zap me?”
She lifted one hand and inspected her fingernails. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” The moment the words left her mouth, she felt the smack of a hard hand on her bottom, which was impossible because she was sitting. She jumped and glared at him. “We are about to go to war.”
“You fired the first shot, little mage.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, fine, I surrender.”
He was almost disappointed. He liked sparring with her better than he should have. “I was teasing about you playing the piano,” he conceded. “You’re very . . .” He searched for the proper word. Adorable. Cute. He didn’t use words like that to describe his woman. Fiery. Passionate. Sexy. He finally settled on, “I like it, and I shouldn’t have baited you.” She looked pleased and he sighed with relief that he got something right with her.
“I actually was teasing you a little bit, too,” she admitted. “I didn’t mind. In fact, I kind of liked zapping you.”
“I knew you did it.”
She looked smug. “That’s just the tip of the iceberg in case you’re rethinking our truce.”
He held up his hands in surrender. “Tell me what you like about playing the piano.”
“I love playing the piano because it gives me a sense of peace. I can go far away from everything and everyone and just fall into the music. It transports me to a safe place. At least it feels safe.”
He went still inside. Her statement revealed a lot about her. So far, he’d been more than respectful, not reading her mind but waiting for her to give consent. It didn’t appear as if that was going to happen anytime soon. He needed to know everything about Julija.
