I can only try to keep up. This is a new side of her; I’ve seen her act this way with others, but she’s always been reserved and cautious around me. If anyone else talked to me this much, I’d be out the door in two minutes flat, but Raya’s voice is like music to my ears. She soothes me in a way I didn’t know I needed, and I want to hear every word she has to say. It seems like she’s finally letting down her walls, and I’m terrified of messing up.
If this is my chance, I don’t want to lose it, so I do what I can to match her, letting my walls down a bit too.
I hold doors open and flag down a waiter when her water needs refilled. I lightly tug her arm so she doesn’t step in a suspicious looking substance on the sidewalk. I offer comments here and there, ask questions and hoard every small piece of her she shares with me, all while doing my best not to sigh in contentment at the warmth I feel being near her.
I can’t tell if she’s exceptionally good at ignoring it, or if she’s oblivious to my infatuation—because yes, I’ve decided to face the music and accept the truth. I’m mildly obsessed with her, and I’m already planning some new stretches I can teach her tonight to go with the breathing we’ve been doing. I should probably be worried at the lengths I’d go to in order to get my hands on her, to feel her skin against mine again, and to bask in her sweet scent.
15
DEFINITELY DO RILE THE VAMPIRE
RAYA
With the full moon overhead,I expected to be shifting on and off at least every hour, and although I’ve felt the tingles that often or more, it’s only resulted in a partial shift a few times today.
So, pretty much like any other day, but at least it isn’t worse.
As I'm packing up from the last breakout group of the day, I realize I'm excited to see Asher. Not only that, but I think we’ve been flirting. I'm avoiding inspecting it too closely, afraid of what it might mean for my mental health that I'm having feelings—giddy, bubbly feelings—for a semi-evil vampire.
I consider calling Zuri about it, but discard that idea as quickly as it comes. The guilt is heavy on my shoulders for keeping this secret from her, but I know how Zuri feels about him, and there’s no way she would understand. If I do talk to anyone about it, whatever “it” might be, I would need someone much less biased. Since I don’t have anyone like that in my life, it’s basically me going in blind and hoping for the best.
Always a good strategy.
Sighing, I loop my work bag over my shoulder and meander down the hallway to the exit. Maybe I’ll find him at the bar, or he might already be back up in the hotel room.
“Oof.” I run straight into a brick wall as I round a corner. My nose bounces off said wall, which smells suspiciously delicious, and I pinwheel my arms as my balance is thrown backwards.
An arm encircles my waist, and my balance alters again. This time, when my nose catches that cedar-smoke scent, I recognize that it is not a wall, and is in fact a muscled chest. A very solid, very broad, very definedvampirechest.
“Why are you made of rock?” I groan, voice muffled and nasally due to my hand covering my smarting nose.
“I’m… sorry?” Asher’s baritone voice is hesitant but amused, and I narrow my eyes when I look up at him.
“You should be. I’m surprised my nose isn’t broken.”
I'm only half joking, and his lips twitch up in response as we turn and head to the exit together.
“That sounds terrible. How can I make it up to you?”
“Tacos," I say, no hesitation.
“Haven’t you had tacos, like, every day of this trip so far?”
I stop walking and simply blink at him, eyebrows raised.
“Right. Tacos it is," he says, and I grin at the ‘why did I even ask’ look on his face.
His eyes immediately latch onto my mouth, and my smile turns a little crooked with mischief. I open the door and turn back to him.
“Soooo, now? Or…”
“Seriously?”
When I don’t relent, he rolls his eyes. “Fine, let’s just drop our bags off first.”
I give him my most disapproving look, then twirlon my toes, striding off down the sidewalk in the opposite direction of the hotel.
“It’ll only take two minutes—” he starts to say, then exclaims in my wake. “For real? You ran into me on purpose, didn’t you? It was all a set up. I’m being played and I fell right into it.”
