to the bank!(go to 68)
go back(go to 42)
Sterling turns the handle, and I change my mind.
“No, wait.Please don’t leave.”
I’m aware that I’m gripping his arm too tightly, but I can’t let go.Can’t let him go.I don’t know how I know, but he needs to stay, needs to be here right now.
Maybe it’s panic finally catching up with me.It would make sense.It’s not every day you find yourself nose to nose with an automatic weapon.
“Breathe, Mia.”
Am I not?
His fingers are cold against my cheek, a relief from the thundering beat of my pulse.I close my eyes and lean in.Sterling’s arms come around me.
“How are you always so calm?”
Heat bleeds through his clothes, and for long-drawn-out seconds, I do nothing but listen to his breathing, steady enough that I could set a clock to it.His heart thumps out of time for a beat, then returns to normal.
Sometimes, it’s good to know he’s still human.I stifle a giggle at the thought.
“Did I miss something?”he asks.
No, but I did.“You have a heart,” I say, looking up at him.Only when his expression turns cold do I hear the words and scramble to explain.“Bianca called you a vampire once; I don’t even know why I’m remembering that right now, but I shouldn’t have said anything.Gosh, that was so rude.I’m sorry.”
I pull away.I don’t want to leave the comfort of his arms, but I’m sure I’m making him uncomfortable.
“She really called me a vampire?”He looks amused.
“You work all hours of the day, you only wear black, you’re a little mean …”
“Only a little?”
Okay, that’s funny.I didn’t know he was so funny.
“I’m paraphrasing.”
“Ah.”He settles back against the wall, abandoning his plan to leave.I’m more grateful than I can say, especially when he puts his arm around me and pulls me to his side.“Are you sure I’m not?”
“What?A vampire?Or mean?”
There’s a pause.I can sense Hal watching us with interest, but I’m not ready to leave the little bubble of Sterling and me that exists right now, so I look down at my knees and pretend we’re the only ones here.
“I know you’re human, Sterling.”
Sterling mustn’t want to shatter the bubble either because he’s whispering low into my ear.“So, you’re not afraid that I’ll mysteriously appear in your bedroom tonight, hungry for a taste?”
I think my heart stops.
I’m not sure because, right now, it’s doing a sort of triple axel jump in my chest, and I can’t remember how to breathe.
“Is that why you don’t date?”
“It’s complicated,” he says, the words jagged with his typical gruffness.“Hell, I’m complicated.You don’t need that.”
Jeez, he’s so ridiculous, and I’m so helplessly in love with him.
