I’m too embarrassed to voice the sentiment. But after a moment, Benjamin moves over to the couch and gestures to the seat beside him. I slowly cross the room and sit at his side.
This close, I canfeelthe energy he exudes. Every hair on my body prickles, goose bumps shivering over my skin to warn me there’s a predator nearby. But Benjamin’s eyes are warm as he looks at me, and when he holds out a hand, I lift my wrist for him to grasp.
He gives me an odd look.
“That’s the safest place to bite,” I say, “right?”
His lips quirk. “You seem to know more about vampires than your reluctance to be here might suggest.”
“I—” I flush slightly. “I mean, I’ve read about this sort of thing. I’m curious about vampires. Who isn’t?”
He chuckles, turning my arm in his grasp. His fangs slide out behind his lips, and I can’t help but stare. His eyes flick to mine. “May I?”
No turning back now. I nod, feeling ridiculous for the way my blood is roaring in my ears. I’ve always thought that vampires were romantic, but I’m certain the reality won’t live up to the fantasy of it. It never does, with these sorts of things. There’s a reason I prefer fictional men to—
Oh.
His fangs sink into my wrist. There’s the slightest prick of pain, and then the world goes hazy. My head feels light, but not in a way like I’m going to faint. More like the feeling after a few drinks, that low, pleasant buzz that makes all of your troubles seem like background noise. My head lolls back as I sigh. It’s so… blissful. Like being drunk, but better.
Benjamin pulls away from my wrist, and I am suddenly burdened with self-consciousness. I sit up straight, cheeks flaming, and cross my legs. Then uncross them again, wondering if I’m just bringing attention to the fact that I was turned on bybeing bitten. Whatwasthat? Doeseveryonefeel that? I side-eye Benjamin to see if he noticed, but he’s busy pulling out a dark vial of liquid and dabbing some on a handkerchief.
“Vampire blood,” he murmurs.
I flinch back, some of the haze clearing from my mind. “Isn’t that a drug?”
“Only when ingested. Like this, it can heal minor injuries without side effects.”
He waits for me to offer my wrist again and presses the handkerchief to the puncture marks. They close up in moments.
I study the healing process, fascinated, before looking up to meet Benjamin’s eyes. He’s watching me—studying me, really, as if waiting for something.
“Well?” he asks.
“Well what?” I shoot back. “Aren’t you supposed to tell me how I taste?”
He huffs a laugh. “First I’m interested in whether or notyouenjoyed the experience. You seemed reluctant, so…”
My face heats. “Of course I did,” I mutter, pushing my glasses up and looking away. “I’m sure everyone does.”
“No, they don’t,” he says. “Your friends had more common reactions. Plenty of people fail, even upon reaching the point of being bitten. But for a few rare people, I have heard, it is quite enjoyable.”
I shake my head, unwilling to believe it. This is probably a marketing ploy. “I’m sure it’s not that rare.” I’m not the sort of person who these things happen to. “So tell me. How’d I taste?”
He looks at me for a long moment, as if trying to read something in my expression. Then he says, finally, “Quite wonderful, actually. Not too sweet, but… rich, smooth. You’d make a strong candidate for a valentine.”
I shut my eyes, biting back a curse.Of course. This would be so much easier if I could say that I wasn’t well-suited for thejob foranyreason. But if I walk away now, it’d be because it’s my choice. How could I explain that to my friends? I could lie, of course, but the guilt would eat away at me forever. And aside from that, how could I live with myself if I gave up my future because of fear?
But my future is the problem. Who could take me seriously as an engineer if they see me as some vampire’s blood doll? Certain people see valentines as one step above prostitution. I don’t agree with it, but I need to be practical.
Plus… could I bring myself to do it? Even if giving blood doesn’t concern me, just like Sophie told me, everyone expects valentines to be intimate with their vampire patrons. I’d have to live with one, and if they expected that…
“Thatreaction,” Benjamin says, “is what concerns me. You don’t seem to want to be here, and that is the most important thing.”
I sigh, opening my eyes to look at him again. “It’s not that I don’t want it,” I say. “I… I liked that feeling. A lot. But…” I trail off, and he waits patiently for me to continue. “It’s the lifestyle that worries me.”
His brows rise. “That’s the main appeal for most people.”
“Right, but…” I look down at my lap. “Look, I’ll be honest. I’m doing this for the money. But it’s not the kind of life I want long-term. I was supposed to start school this fall. And I… I’m not…” I shake my head, swallowing past a lump in my throat.
