We hadn’t had much time with them outside of Liz’s. Since the four of us would be taking time off for the wedding, James had hired some temporary staff to cover the place. Watchful eyes meant that we had to be careful, and we hadn’t had a single second alone my Shi Baby.
The temperatures were a record low for February. One would assume that the terrible weather would make people stay at home, but apparently the entire city’s population instead thought, “Let’s get drunk.”
Shi, Kian, and me were taking turns behind the bar and James was hiding out in the office. He’d been hungry after a frozen pipe in one of the restrooms, a lateandincorrect delivery that had commanded his attention, and a surprise inspection he’d had to deal with had kept him from feeding for the night. I offered him a quick bite off of me, but despite being snippy—turned out even vampires could get hangry—he declined, saying I needed to save my energy for my shift. I started getting concerned when each of us got at least a few minutes for a dinner break, and he didn’t.
By the time we locked the doors, I was dead on my feet. Kian was limping, and Shiloh practically collapsed onto the bar in exhaustion. That shift nearly rivaled the crowds of Halloween. Before Kian could do it, I started to collect the dishes that were left on the tables. The dish bucket could get heavy, and I didn’t want him to strain himself any more than he already had. Weeks had passed, and his recovery was going well, but it would only take one bad night to undo his progress.
James must have had the same thought, for it was only a few minutes later when I headed toward the kitchen and overheard James and Kian having a hushed conversation in the hallway. Judging by the dejected sigh and the way Kian’s shoulders slumped as he walked past me, James had just sent him home.
“Are you okay to drive?” I asked him, pausing in the doorway to the kitchen.
“I’ll be fine once I’m sitting down,” he said sheepishly, holding his stomach. When he realized what he was doing, he quickly snapped his hands to his side. “I just feel bad that I’m leaving you guys with such a mess. It’s been a long shift for everyone.”
Shi skirted around me and into the kitchen, grabbing a sanitizer bucket. “It’s nothing we can’t handle.”
“And I don’t hate having my son-in-law owe me one,” I added.
Kian left, grumbling, but he seemed in better spirits.
Recently, James had taken to helping with the cleaning to steal a few extra minutes with both of us. That night, however, he went into the office and left me alone with Shiloh. In spite of our exhaustion, we couldn’t help ourselves: We shared stolen kissesand lingering touches every time we passed by each other. By the time we killed the lights, they were practically hanging off of me—but still not ready to take things further. They’d been driving me wild for weeks.
Once everything was finished, Shiloh snuck into the office to say a quick goodnight to James, then let me walk them to their car… where they proceeded to pin me against their driver’s side door and demand more passionate kisses. Their tongue delved deep into my mouth, exploring me.
My vampire knew exactly what was happening. Lust poured through the bond and hardened my cock to a near-painful level, but his hunger also pulled at my chest. I knew he needed to feed.
I reluctantly bid goodnight to Shi, both of us panting in an effort to catch our breaths. Finally, I went back inside, locking the front doors.
James appeared instantly, snatching my hand and hauling me down the hall. In a flash, the office door shut behind me and my back was pressed against the wood. A shaky breath quivered out of me, his fangs already tickling my neck. “E-easy vampire,” I murmured. “I know you’re hungry.”
“Starving,” he growled. “Say it. Please.”
Oh,fuck.It wasn’t often that James begged, but I made it my personal mission to explore that particular side of him another time. Maybe once we figured out this damn turn, I could command him to his knees and?—
“Ryder!” hesnarled. I’d never heard him so desperate.
“Sit down,” I told him, shoving him toward the couch.
He obeyed instantly, falling into the cushions and eyeing his mark on my neck. His eyes were brighter red than I’d ever seen them, shining in the dimly lit room.
“I look forward to exploring this side of you more often.” I straddled his lap. “Go ahead, baby. Eat.”
I took in a sharp breath as his fangs pierced my skin. He drank once, deeply, and my head grew light. I shuddered, his arms tightening on my hips. He was so hungry that he grew sloppy. Warm, wet blood trickled down my neck, shooting a bolt of desire through me. He sucked, a low noise of pleasure vibrating his chest against mine.
We didn’t hear the back door shut, or the gentle way the office door crept open. We only heard the shrieking voice that followed when Shiloh discovered the blood running down my neck.
“What thehell?”
James quickly sealed the bite and withdrew, covering his mouth with his hand until his fangs retracted.
But it was too late. Shi had already seen us. Seenhim.
I closed my eyes, taking a few deep breaths. Shiloh was frozen in the doorway. I knew what Shi had witnessed, because I’d seen it myself when I caught James feeding from Dani.
James and I both flinched as the door slammed. When I glanced over, I expected Shiloh to be gone. Instead they stood there watching us, one arm crossed over their chest, the other hand scrubbing over their face.
Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes, and no one spoke. In the end, I was the one to break the silence. “Shi?—”
“Are you okay?” they asked, seemingly caught between horror and their concern for me. “You’re both covered in…” they trailed off, the scene in front of them finally seeming to dawn on them.
