She shrugs. ‘That sort of thing isn’t difficult for me. I was out anyway, doing some scouting, thanks to Sadie. She’s paranoid about Alexander ... my ex-boyfriend ... showing up. So after that, I decided to check in on you, to make sure you were OK ... after our chat.’ She eyes the half-full bottle of whisky on the floor. ‘Sorry for interrupting your tête-à-tête with Jack Daniel’s.’
‘What does scouting involve?’ I ask to get her off the subject of my drinking. I reach down and hastily shove the bottle under my bed.
‘Climbing to the top of Scott Monument,’ Florence says.
‘Right.’ I nod but inwardly balk.Climbing Scott Monument?What the fuck? That is not a normal activityfor someone to be doing on a Friday night!
She finishes towelling her hair, pulls a knee up to her chest, and plays with one of my pens, looking at me.
For some reason, watching the smooth cylinder slip backwards and forwards between her fingers is quite arousing. She sees me watching and smiles flirtatiously.
‘So how are you doing, Dr Rhodes?’
I take a breath and will my cock to behave. ‘Absolutely fine.’
‘Really?’
I nod. ‘Uh, admittedly, I was a littlesurprisedto find out that you’re undead. But apart from the initial shock, I think I’m handling it pretty well.’ My words slur a little, and Florence huffs a laugh.
‘So you’d be fine if I came and joined you over there on the bed?’
I gulp, knowing the right thing to do is exclaim loudly, ‘Stay back, creature of the night!’ and hold up my fingers in a cross.
But instead, I chirp brightly, ‘Sure!’
I close my eyes in despair.What the fuck are you doing, you idiot?
When I open them again, she’s right there, crouching on the end of my bed. Looking at me with an expression of wary vulnerability. Like a puppy expecting me to kick her. Ican’t help it; it melts me.
‘Come here,’ I say, holding out my arms. In a flash, she’s there, her body pressing against mine, her face inches away. She rubs her impossibly smooth porcelain cheek against mine while I stroke her back.
That dried-roses scent winds around us, and I breathe it in, understanding now that it’s not her perfume—it’s vampire pheromones: compelling, alluring, dangerous.
With a smile, she lowers her lips to mine, and the sensation is like tasting an ice cube. But it’s not unpleasant; it’s actually quite refreshing, chasing away the grogginess of the whisky. As the kiss deepens and Florence gently rubs her hips against my crotch, I can feel my cock hardening and my resolve to keep my distance slipping. Then it hits me.
Oh my god, I’m being seduced by a vampire. I’m so royally screwed!
Chapter 25
Florence | Edinburgh, present day
Damian is hyperventilating, which is concerning as I thought we were making progress. I levitate over his body so I’m not touching him, but that seems to make it worse. His eyes practically bug out of his head.
‘Sorry, I know this is a bit weird—’
‘A bit weird?’ he chokes out. ‘It’s fuckinginsane.’
I grin. ‘You haven’t seen me climb the walls and hang out on the ceiling yet ...’
His breathing intensifies. Not to mention his heart rate is going double time and pumping all that juicy blood around his body. It’s making me feel hungry, and my fangs start aching.No, Floss, do not even think about it!
Staring into Damian’s dilated pupils, something breaks inside me. This is not the face of a man who is considering having a relationship with me. He’s currently focused on staying alive.
I need to give him more reassurance.
‘Damian ...’ I swallow nervously since this is thefirst time I’ve admitted my feelings for a man in over a century. ‘I like you. A lot. I ... I want you.’ My voice tremors, and suddenly, I can’t look at him—I feel too vulnerable.
‘To ... eat?’ he asks warily. My eyes flick back to his and note that he’s pressing harder into his pillow to create more distance between us.
