The offer was so natural, so casual, you’d think she’d been cavorting with vampires all her life.
But then I remembered Variance had been here, living with them since he’d been turned vampire. They must have figured out some way to look after his nutritional needs.
“I don’t—”
“Yes,” I said. “That would be good.”
Franny nodded and let herself out of the room.
“I could have answered,” Lu said.
We hadn’t moved any farther into the room. I thought we were avoiding the bed for fear we’d get into it and never get out.
“I know.” I took her hand and looped it through my elbow so I could help her to the bathroom. “But you would have said no.”
“You think you know me so well?” she teased.
She was exhausted. We both were. And this—talking about nothing, arguing about nothing—was keeping our minds off of sleep, keeping our minds off of what we’d be doing tomorrow.
Finding the book and dealing with the troubles it brought with it.
“Oh, I do know you,” I said. “For example, I know your birthday is tomorrow.”
She stopped and tugged on my arm. “You remember that?”
“Of course I remember that. I’ve wished you a happy birthday every year of our lives.”
Not that she could hear it, all those years of me being without a body, without a voice.
“I like that,” she said. We started moving again. “I’ve wished you the same.”
“I know.” I opened the door and whistled in approval.
The bathroom had a large shower with a wide rainfall fixture, a bench in the shower space, and a large bath outside the shower space. Several soft-looking towels waited on floating shelves.
“You first?” I asked.
“There’s room for both of us.” Then she tugged me toward the shower.
I got busy getting the water to temperature, while Lula pulled off her clothes. She had regained a little more movement in her left arm, but it still wasn’t fully functional. I stepped over to help her undress.
She stilled, letting me take my time drawing off her tank top, then easing the straps of her bra and undoing the hooks.
I untangled the band from her braid next. She shivered as I drew my fingers through her hair.
Next were her boots. The small bench near the bath let her sit so I could unlace and pull. Finally, her pants.
By the time she was standing there, naked in front of me, the room had warmed, steam filling it, softening the air.
I drew my hands down her arm and ribs, one hand pausing to cup her breast.
“Lu,” I breathed, wanting her. Wanting to feel her alive in my arms, wanting to trace every inch of her, to feel the silk of her body, her thrumming heartbeat.
She held her breath, then exhaled in a soft laugh. “We reek of vampire,” she said. “Clean. We both need to get clean.”
She touched the side of my face, then limped into the shower.
She was exhausted. Injured. I was too.
