When I hit the button for the garage door opener, pale grey light filtered inside. The weather was thankfully overcast, but I put on a pair of sunglasses anyway. It never hurt to be prepared, and of course, they looked undeniably sexy.
Benji shifted uncomfortably in his seat. “Does it hurt you?”
“Direct sunlight, yes,” I said grimly. “You don’t want to see it happen.”
“Oh.” He tried a bleak smile. “I’m guessing you don’t sparkle?”
The corner of my mouth curled into a smirk. “Unless you callspontaneous combustionsparkling, then no.”
Benji’s eyes widened. “Geez. That’s awful.”
“Indeed. But don’t worry,” I said soothingly. “We’ve all been alive long enough to know how to avoid it.”
I tapped the heavily tinted windows, which Benji seemed to notice for the first time.
“So, unfortunately for you,” I said with a grin, “we won’t be bursting into flames anytime soon.”
“Hey, I never said I wanted that to happen!” Benji argued.
I laughed. “Just teasing.”
His face turned that adorable shade of pink again. At the same time, I became aware of his delicious scent again, filling the entire car. The irresistible aroma sent a shiver down my spine. I couldn’t help but lick my lips.
I’d told myself over and over that I wasn’t going to rush into anything - that I didn’t want to force a relationship with Benji that wouldn’t work.
But now that he’d agreed to the offer, I found myself wondering if all of that was just a mental wall to stop myself from actually loving Benji - and potentially getting hurt.
Now? Tearing down the wall seemed more and more appealing.
7
Benji
Even though the route to my apartment was the same as always, it felt like I was seeing everything in the city for the first time again.
From the shotgun seat of Pierce’sextremelysexy car - was it weird to think a car could be sexy? - I felt so posh and fancy. The purr of the motor was so quiet, nothing like the clunky groan of the bus I took every day. At the same time, all the outside noise was muted so it was barely above a whisper. Shadowcity seemed almost… quiet. Which should have been impossible, especially in the downtown core.
I sunk back in the supple black leather seat. This whole situation was definitely something I could get used to.
And I have nine months to do just that,I thought.But what’s going to happen to me afterwards?
The notion made me frown. I hadn’t even considered that train of thought. From the corner of my eye, I glanced at Pierce. He wore a neutral expression as we drove, weaving smoothly in and out of traffic. When he noticed me watching him, he smiled. The sight of it warmed my heart and I returned it.
He wouldn’t do anything to hurt me. He’s said as much like, a billion times.
Still, doubt trickled into my mind, the way it always did. Pierce was a vampire. A real one - who drank blood and couldn’t stand garlic and burst into flames in sunlight. From all I knew about fictional vampires, nothing about that inspired confidence. Their stories - and romances - never seemed to end well.
I clasped my fingers together in my lap and tried not to think about the latter steps of this journey.
Soon we pulled up to a familiar crumbling curb and Pierce asked, “Is this the place?”
I was embarrassed by my crappy building. “Yeah,” I admitted.
But Pierce didn’t comment on it. “Shall I park and come with you, or wait here? I understand if you might need a moment alone.”
Despite Pierce’s gentle smile, I felt a pang of unease, likely from my own swirling anxieties.
“I should be able to fit all my crap in a single bag. I’ll be okay on my own. You can stay here,” I told him.
