“Don’t worry, I won’t drop you.”Dennis disregarded my protests, like he really thought carrying me upside down through the hall was normal andokay.
“I don’t understand why you couldn’t just bring my crutches!”
“No need. We’re already here.”He opened a doorat the end of the hall and strolled inside. My next attempt to kick his head kicked the door shut instead. He laughed andcontinued across the dark room.
“Are you sure vampires don’t melt? It’s so dark in here.” I craned my neck to look around.
“I like dark things.”His griploosened and I slid down his chest into an armchair. He smiled as I grabbed the towel to keep it from slipping rightoff. “You’re so wet.”
“Because I just showered.”I twirled my hair into a messy bun, securing it with a tuck at the end.“Why do you have a coffin in here?”I pointed to the large thing in the middle of the room.
“I’m a vampire. Why wouldn’t I have a coffin?”
“You sleep in that?”I asked in disbelief. It was a legitimate coffin, handles and all. After all the times he’d laughed at me for believing stereotypes about vampires, here he was, embracing the biggest one of all.
“I think it’s funny. Don’t you? My bed’s a coffin.”He flipped it open to show a luxurious mattress inside, complete with red satin sheets and pillows.The only difference between it and something from a funeral home was its size; it was larger than a normal coffin, but still not as big as a typical bed.“Custom sizing,” he added before I could ask.
“So you sleep in that because it’s funny?”
“No, I sleep in it because I’m a vampire.”
“You’re such a weirdo. Can you bring me some clothes now?”I was getting impatient and cold.
“But we’re having such good conversation.”He closed the coffin and sat on top.
“Dennis.”
“Fine.” He stood before asking,“Any preference?”
“I’m in the mood for shorts. Other than that, I don’t care. You better really bring me clothes and not wander off somewhere.”
“And you should really learn to trust me.” He strode out and left the door ajar, letting some light seep in.The walls were dark, the curtains across the windows were evendarker, and everything in the room resembled a gothic castle. This was exactly what a vampire’s room should be.“Which is why I have the coffin.”
I jumped as he appeared in the doorway.He kicked the door shut, leaving us once again engulfed in darkness. He dumped a pile of clothes in my lap beforepropping the crutches against the chair.
“Thanks.”I lifted the clothes to see what he’d brought.“Turn around. You’re not helping this time.”I waited for him to face the coffin before dropping the top half of the towel. I put on my bra and cropped tank top, then picked up my bottoms and stared at them, trying to figure out how this could work without putting weight on my injury.
“Sure you don’t need help?”
“Positive.”I maneuvered the underwear and shorts halfway up my thighs but after that, they wouldn’t budge.I wriggled, twisted, and strained, trying to keep weight off my bad leg before sighing in defeat.“Fine.Get over here. No peeking.”
“Relax, I won’t.” He came back and slipped bothhandsbeneath my knees.“Ready?”
“Close your eyes,”I said. To my surprise, he did.“Okay, go ahead.”I waited for him to lift my bottom half, then dropped the towel and slid everything up.I made sure everything was zipped and buttoned before announcing,“All done. Thanks for helping.”
“I didn’t know you have another piercing.”Helet my weight drop.
“You said you wouldn’tpeek!”
“I was kidding.”He paused before a slow smile spread across his lips.“Wait, youdo?Where is it?”
“No.”I snatched the crutches and pulled myself up. I would not be telling him about my clit piercing. That was for limited eyes only.
“Except you just did.”
“Did what?”
“Tell me.I heard that.”
