“That’s not what I mean, though that’s good too. I mean, a little drink?”
I stopped on my way around the vehicle and turned to look at Keir, who reached up to touch his carotid artery. I was sure I looked like a goldfish out of water, mouth opening and closing in quick succession at his insinuation.
Suddenly, there was a throbbing pain in my upper and lower gums before the tissue tore. I could taste my own blood filling my mouth, so I hurried into the SUV and sped off to park in a dark spot behind the lodge.
I yanked the rearview mirror down and opened my mouth. When I saw four shiny fangs behind my upper and lower canines, I reached over and pinched my arm to see if I was dreaming. I closed my eyes and shook my head, attempting to clear the image from my mind.
When I opened them again, they were still there. “What the—” Yeah, that was a mind fuck.
I sat in the SUV for a good ten minutes to calm down. I had only tasted Keir’s blood on the surface as I cleaned and healed wounds he suffered because of his job as the Gatekeeper.
Did the mere idea of tasting Keir’s blood intensify the vampy DNA I’d gotten from Lilith when she drank from me twice? What the hell would happen if I drank her blood now?
I jerked my phone from my pocket and called Adonis. “We’ll be there in the morning, man.”
Chuckling, I said, “That’s not why I’m calling. Where are your fangs?”
“Right now? Dormant, but I’m alone. Why?” There was a hint of a grin in his voice that made me uneasy.
“How often do you drink from humans?”
God, I didn’t want to be a fucking vampire. How would I control myself, and what about our little girl? Would I be able to keep my fangs off her?
“About once a week to ten days, why? You’re not suddenly researching vampire myths, are you?”
I laughed at the absurdity of his words. “I find myself with four new teeth that are sharp and pointy.”
“What were you doing right before they came down?”
Ha! That was tricky. “Thinking impure thoughts.” He didn’t need to know my husband had offered me the most tempting offer I’d ever received.
“Well, here’s a suggestion. If those thoughts are of the intimate variety, don’t go for the carotid arteries. It’s too tempting not to stop. Go for the great saphenous vein that runs up the leg and dumps into the femoral artery. The femoral is a delicious place to bite but be very careful not to drink too much. The great saphenous vein is safer because you get a taste but can’t drain your husband.”
I swallowed at the idea of tasting Keir in such an intimate place. “Do you know if I can control myself?”
“Do you love your husband?”
I stared out the window toward Lake Shasta, the moon shimmering on the water. My mind took me back to the day Iwalked into Dearly & Son Funeral Home after Danny had been murdered.
Images flashed through my mind of our first kiss. First date. The first time he held me when I was in the mortuary and lost my shit at seeing my brother in a box. All the times we made love and some of the freaky stuff we’d started doing that we both seemed to enjoy. Did I love my husband?
“More than my own life…or whatever this is.”
“Keep those thoughts in the front of your mind. Your human nature and love for Keir will keep you from going too far.”
The line went dead just as there was a knock on my window. I turned toward the sound, seeing Keir standing there, his expression filled with confusion. I was sure mine mirrored it.
I hopped out, popped the tailgate, and grabbed our duffel. “Sorry. I was just checking in with Adonis. They’ll be here in the morning and then we can go tree hunting.” It was almost a lie, but not quite. I crossed my fingers behind my back as we walked to the hotel entrance.
When we went through the lobby, there was a cute little restaurant to the left. I stopped in front of it and scanned the posted menu. “We could go in here if you want to get a drink and something to eat. I can make a reservation for us in an hour. It would give us time to wash the road off us.”
Keir smiled. “Sounds good. Still gives us time to get to bed early. Give me that bag, and I’ll go start the shower while you make the reservation.” Keir reached for the duffel and handed me the folio with the other keycard inside.
“Be up in a minute. You want me to bring you a glass of wine?”
“Please, love.” Keir stopped at the elevator and made a kissy face as the doors opened, bringing a hearty laugh from me. That man…
Chapter Five
