FIRST BLOOD
~NICHOLAS'S POV~
I watched Simone from my study window as Carlos escorted her back from the library. Three days since the funeral, she'd settled into a routine that was almost too perfect.
Too predictable for a woman who'd clawed my face like a wildcat just hours after burying her father.
The scratches she'd left were healing, but I kept touching them absently. First blood to her, I would say. What I hadn't told her was how much I had enjoyed it.
The fire in her eyes, the way she'd fought back despite knowing I could easily overpower her. Most women cowered from me. Simone had drawn blood instead.
Carlos appeared in my doorway. "She's asking for more books."
"Give her whatever she wants from the library." I turned from the window. "What else?"
"She's been talking to M
