“If your father lets him live that long.”
The relaxation she’d been enjoying abruptly faded. She wasn’t worried about her father. She was feeling plenty nervous about Jesse’s mother and exploring the town of Pine Ridge. Now that she knew what existed there, would she see monsters everywhere? Would she find herself sucked into some little town that looked like it hopped out of a horror film?
“Hey. Is he pressuring you to go?” Charlie, who looked a lot like his tall, handsome police officer father, stepped into the role of protector easily. His dark brown eyes narrowed and his smiling face turned stern. “You don’t have to go anywhere you don’t want to go, okay?”
“Aww. Charlie, you’re pretty awesome.” Sophie gave him a genuine smile, pleased to see his warm brown sugar cheeks lifting to mirror it. “I’m not nervous about hanging out with Jesse, or with Jesse coming here. I’m a little freaked out about meeting his mother. She— uh— well, his late father had some strict ideas about Jesse dating when he was in college,” Sophie told a half-truth. “I hope his mother is a little more open-minded.”
“MOM IS SO NERVOUS.”
Sophie propped her laptop on her stomach as she reclined in bed, the long, joyful day over. She watched Jesse settle himself into his chair with a weary sigh. “Why is she nervous?”
“Because I love you and I told her I’ve never felt this way before. She’s terrified that she’ll ‘ruin my chance.’ She’s also completely freaked out because she thinksI’mgoing to ruin my chance. Y’know, with the whole being a vampire thing.”
Sophie tapped her fingers on the top of the screen, wishing she could touch him. “Do you know something?”
“What?”
“My mom believes in vampires. A certain type, though.”
“Kudos to her. I didn’t until I was one,” Jesse let out a bitter laugh. “Did you... tell them? About me?”
“No. Just that you make me happy and I can’t wait to see you tomorrow. Even though I’m scared to screw up and make a bad impression on your mom.”
Jesse’s blue eyes seemed to burn into her, even through a screen. He was silent for a moment before he licked his lips and said, “She’ll love you. I love you. I can’t wait to see you, too.” He let out a sudden ghost of laughter, a faint noise that only her sensitive ears could catch. “I was literally the forty-year-old virgin— and then some. I waited for so long and now I can’t stop thinking about you. Wanting you.”
Sophie darted her eyes to her bedroom door. It was locked. She shifted the computer to the side of her body instead of the center. “I want you, too. I know we have to keep it low-key around our families.”
“I’m having a hard time with that concept right now,” he admitted with a rueful grin. “You know all those stories about vampires being passionate, lustful immortal lovers? All seduction and eternal sex drive?”
“Seems to be a theme in every teen vampire movie, yeah.” Her hips twitched restlessly.
“I think it’s true. I just never found out until you. Imagine tasting chocolate for the first time and finding out you love it. You can have it every day. Then someone takes away your stash.” Jesse let out a hungry groan that sent shivers up her spine.
“Oh?” Her fingers trailed down to her waistband, then slid under, wondering if Jesse would notice the change in her position or the slight shift in her breathing.
“Sorry, shouldn’t talk about this.”
“No. No, we can talk about this. I’ve been missing you, too.”
“Yeah?” Jesse’s eyebrows raised. “Well, in that case, I miss how you taste. How you sound when I’m kissing you.”
“Kissing me where?” Her voice was just a whisper as two fingers glossed over her soft curls and parted her plump outer lips.
“Soph!” Jesse exclaimed.
“My lips?” she led.
“Those, too. Are you sure your parents aren’t going to hear this or burst in? I don’t want your father to strangle me. For one thing, he’s gonna be disappointed when it doesn’t take.”
“Nn-nn. They had waaay too much of Aunt Izzy’s real eggnog. They’re dead to the world. So, what was it you like kissing?”
“Pussy. Your sweet little pussy. I love how you turn into this... wildcat when I’m sucking on you.”
Her fingers, not wet with her own juice, slipped up and down her pearl, mimicking his tongue. “You really like that?”
“I really love that. I like when you kiss me there, too.”
“Wanna show me?” Sophie dared ask.
