“Far from it, Chloe, but whatever you need to tell yourself to sleep at night.”
She glares at him as she heads in the door. She casts her gaze on me, and I know without her having to say it, she’s giving me this moment to speak to Adrien, and she’s going to want details.
Part of me likes this. I’ve never had a girlfriend before, even at home. I spent most of my time alone, with my teachers or my father.
And I’m starting to realize how much I’ve yearned for connection to other vampires. And vampiresses, too, apparently.
But there’s also another part of me that wants to preserve whatever transpires between Adrien and me. Hold onto it like a prized trophy.
Mine.
The thought hits me, and I shove it away. Perhaps I did not sleep as well as I thought.
“Thank you for your help last night,” I say, flashing my gaze up at him.
“Mhmm. Don’t make it a habit, princess.”
I note his gaze dips to my mouth then to my eyes.
“Don’t worry about Wes. He’s fine. He’ll be fine,” he tells me reassuringly.
My insides warm under his steady gaze. I breathe in deeply, letting his woodsy scent fill my lungs and he grunts.
“What the fuck are you doing?” Histone is bitter, but there’s a hint of curiosity to it that wasn’t there last night.
“You just smell really good,” I say, like an absolute imbecile.
But it’s the truth. Hedoessmell really good. My insides twist as I bite my lip, feeling the edges of my bloodheat rippling once more.
I lean into his space without thinking, but he doesn’t move. He stands still as a statue.
I catch the faintest whiff of something sharp and salty, though I’m not sure what it is. My bloodheat responds to it like a gong, my insides coating with fresh arousal.
Arousal.
I realize all at once I had this feeling last night too, in Adrien’s presence. It was enough to goad me into pleasuring myself, and though I know I shouldn’t think of men I just met in such a way, I can’t help the way my body reacts during my bloodheat. It wants what it wants, and that’s just a fact. But I have enough control to refrain from jumping in head first into a sexual experience with a man I just met. Bloodheat or no bloodheat.
And I’m not entirely sure Adrien would be open to such a thing anyway, not only because we barely know each other, but because I get the strangest feeling Adrien is quite selective.
Call it a hunch.
He wrinkles his nose, twisting his lips. His dark gaze glistens like amber fire. And then he says, “You don’t smell terrible. But I’m not sure I likeit.”
It’s a strange thing to say, and I find myself agape at his rudeness, but also…
Intrigued.
I’m not sure I like it.What is he unsure about? I am curious.
Is it my bloodheat, my natural scent, or something else?
“You should get to class. Trent hates tardiness,” he says, his voice dropping an octave.
“Right,” I say as I extricate myself from where I stand and head into the gym.
My skin is flushed, my heart is racing, but I swear I’ve never felt better in my life.
“Good job, Ivy,” Trent, the coach says, showcasing his fangs in a bona fide grin.
