When she emerged, her phone dinged. It was Felix, and she stopped to text him back. “I’m feeling nearly human. Zander ordered toast for me. I’m going to talk to him while I eat.”
When she looked up, Zander was watching her with a raised brow.
“Felix worries. I agreed to text him when I’m awake, to keep him updated and let him know I’m still alive.”
“Spence says the two of you are…” He smiled. “Friends who fuck?”
She sat on the side of the bed and spun around to pull her feet up and into it.
“Yes. He’s a close friend, but I’m not in love with him, and thankfully, he isn’t in love with me, either.”
He nodded to the bottle of electrolyte water. “Drink a few sips, please. We need to try to get you hydrated.”
Emmy took a half-dozen small sips, felt it settle mostly okay, and then took another half-dozen before capping it and climbing back into bed.
Zander had queued up Buffy on the televisionmounted to the wall.
“Oh, wow. Spence must’ve turned it off shortly after I fell asleep,” she noted when she saw she hadn’t missed much.
“Yes, I gave him some work to do on the tablet earlier, and told him it could wait until you slept. He really is my right arm for some things.” He smiled and gave a small shrug. “I sometimes forget just how much he handles until I send him off on another job. He’s allowed to pull in as much help as he needs, and he does, but he somehow still manages to stay on top of even what he’s delegated.”
Zander made room on the wedge, and the two watched Buffy without talking until Emmy said, “Yay! Spike!” when the platinum-haired vampire swaggered onto screen, all dangerous charisma and barely controlled violence. Emmy couldn’t help her huge smile despite her exhaustion.
“You’re a fan of the bad boys?” Zander asked. “I suppose that contributed to you getting kicked out of so many schools.”
“On screen,” Emmy clarified. “In real life, they’re exhausting.” She glanced at him. “Spence and I talked about this a little. Bad boys are fun to fuck, but I don’t want one as a partner. Too much drama, too many bad decisions.”
“Whatdoyou want in a partner?”
The question landed heavier than it should have, and Emmy took her time answering, watching Spike threaten theAnointed Oneon screen.
“Someone who makes good decisions. Someone with their shit together.” She paused. “But a little bit of bad is sexy. Not bad like ‘I’m going to burn down your life,’ but bad like…” She gestured at the screen. “Like they have an edge. Like they’re dangerous when they need to be, but choose not to be most of the time.”
Zander was quiet for a long moment, and when Emmy looked at him, she found him studying her face with an intensity that made her breath catch.
“That’s very specific,” he said finally.
“I’ve had a lot of time and experience to clearly list all the things I don’t want.” Emmy’s mouth quirked. “The list of what I do want is shorter but clearer.”
A knock at the door interrupted them, and Zander retrieved a tray from security — toast with a bowl of steaming chicken broth that smelled like heaven.
He settled the tray over Emmy’s lap, watching as she lifted the toast with barely shaking hands. The first bite was careful, tentative. She waited about twenty seconds, and when her stomach accepted it without complaint, she took another bite.
“Good?” Zander asked.
“Never did I think dry toast would ever taste so good.”
Emmy took another bite, then a spoonful of broth, marveling at how something so simple could taste so perfect. “I’m never taking food for granted again.”
Zander’s mouth curved into a small smile, and he reached out, slow enough she could pull away if she wanted — and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered against her cheek, cool vampire touch against her fever-warm skin, and Emmy found herself leaning into it without thinking.
“You’re beautiful like this,” Zander said quietly.
Emmy snort-laughed. “I look like death warmed over.”
“You look alive. Fighting. Strong.” His thumb traced her cheekbone. “You look like exactly who you are.”
Emmy’s heart skipped and then sped, and she had to look away before she said something stupid. On screen, Spike was pontificating about chaos and killing, and Emmy focused on eating instead of the way Zander’s touch made her want things she was afraid to name.
