“Okay.” He sighed with a grin. “You can kiss me.”
Was this a game to him?
I pushed myself onto my tiptoes and pressed my mouth to his. Relief instantly washed through me, like a pressure valve releasing in my brain.
Charlie broke away, looking pleased. Was it because his recipe was working or because he’d enjoyed it?
“Are we done now?” I asked, feeling wobbly. Also, pretty annoyed.
“Not yet. Say that you want me to take you away and never look back,” he commanded.
What? Hold on. Hold on.“Yes.”
“Then that’s what I’ll do. Come on.” He took my hand and walked me toward the bales of hay near the front door of the Rooster.
No, I don’t want to go.“Charlie,” I yelped, still unable to assert myself.
We stepped outside onto the porch and faced each other.
“Kiss me again,” he commanded.
“Charlie.” Why was he doing this?
My body obeyed and kissed him. This time longer. And though he didn’t use his tongue, the relief flooded my body with pleasure.
“Good. Now say it again. You want to come with me, don’t you?” he asked. “Then you want me to fuck you because you know that a cold, dead, reanimated corpse will never really satisfy you.Hecan’t give you children, love you without his twisted strings attached, or connect with you like a real man. Because vampiresare human husks, Masie. Empty inside. Animals. And in your heart, you know it, don’t you?”
What the hell is Charlie doing?This felt more like a performance than a test. Was someone watching us? Was Stark out here keeping an eye on me? If yes, why would Charlie try to provoke him?
Oh God.The answer hit me. Charlie had just told me they were rounding up vampires. The bad ones. Was this a trap for Stark?
“Answer me,” Charlie commanded.
My pulse raced, expecting Stark to swoop in at any second, only to be ambushed.
“Yes. It’s all true,” I said, being partially honest. Starkwasan animal. Didn’t matter how much I love him. He would use me and manipulate that love, all in the name of power. Still, the thought of him being dragged away, locked up, and killed left me feeling sick.
Charlie stared down, as if waiting.
Suddenly, his cell rang. “Yeah?” he answered, then listened. “Okay. I’m heading out.” Charlie looked at me again. “I’m going to have to come back for you later. Then we can finish this.” He brushed a lock of my hair behind my ear, the same way Stark had done a million times. “I’ll walk you back inside.”
Charlie grabbed my hand and led me to a corner near the jukebox. People were still line dancing, but he took me by the waist for a close dance.
“Let the music in,” he whispered in my ear.
After a minute, I felt the fog lifting.
“Feeling better now?” Charlie asked, swaying with me to the beat of the music.
“No. Not really.” I stomped his foot. “What the hell was that?”
“Ouch.” He stepped back a little, keeping his hands on my hips. “Success. The formula works.”
“No shit, buckaroo.” I narrowed my eyes, still swaying with him. “You were using me as bait to get at Stark.”
“If I’d told you, you probably wouldn’t have agreed.”
I was so sick of being bamboozled.
