Chapter 1
Quinn
Ilook up from my desk and see Griffin stepping into my office. He pulls the door closed behind him. I try not to dwell on the fact that I somehow knew he was coming, even before it registered as a conscious thought. He’s dressed in a charcoal suit, and it’s fitted in all the right places, but it feels like a mask of civility.
Griffin is a vampire, a very powerful vampire. He’s also my boss, and the biggest kicker of all? He thinks I’m his blood singer. “When are you done?” His voice is deep yet soft, lacking the edge he uses when he actually decides to speak with other people.
I make a point of looking over at my computer. I have my schedule up in the corner, but I already know what’s on there. It’s more so I have an excuse to look away from him. “I still have a few more appointments. Are you already done for the day?” I find myself glancing back at him. He’s a hard man to ignore. It’s not just his looks, it’s his presence. Since the first time I met him, he’s occupied way more space in my head and in a room than what I would consider reasonable.
Griffin makes his way over to my desk, touching the corner with his fingers, and I note his ever present rings. “In case you hadn’t noticed, I don’t really do much around here.” He eventually takes a seat in one of my new chairs. The previous ones that inhabited the space disappeared a few days ago and were replaced with this much larger, sturdier pair. I never questioned the change, just like he’s never admitted to making the swap.
“That’s not true. I see you stalking around the halls trying to look scary all the time.” I fight the grin that wants to form on my lips as Griffin’s brows lift. I surprised him a little. “Plus, your phone is always going off, so clearly, you do something.”
“Trying to look scary?” he challenges as his heated gaze scans what he can see of my body. I used to think the sayingHe undressed me with his eyeswas reserved for romance novels, but hell if Griffin doesn’t give the words life. I look away again, if only so I don’t lean forward just to be that much closer to him. Griffin has always been able to draw me in, even when I wasn’t sure I liked him.
“What about lunch?” he asks, changing the subject.
“I had lunch with Ally and Wes.” I glance over at the clock. “About two hours ago.”
Griffin lowers his eyelids just enough so he looks a little suspicious. “Strange that I always seem to miss your lunch.” He tilts his head to the side.
I jiggle my mouse under my hand. “Yes, strange,” I agree while pretending to work.
“It’s almost as if you’re avoiding being seen with me.”
I scoff, but I can’t make myself meet his gaze. It’s true—I do avoid being seen with him in the common areas. He’s very touchy, and I feel like everyone stares when he’s around.
“I think my appointment is here.” I look at the door, pretending I heard something.
Griffin chuckles, covering his mouth with his hand. It’s something I’ve noticed him doing quite a bit, but I don’t know if he thinks he’s doing it for my benefit or not. “You’re a terrible liar,” he admonishes me. I feign innocence, but I’m sure he sees right through that too. He gives the slightest shake of his head, as if he’s indulging me, then pushes up from the chair. “Make sure you call Evan or me before you leave.” This he says in a much more serious tone.
“I don’t need a bodyguard,” I reply quickly. It’s not the first time we’ve had this conversation. It’s not even the tenth.
“Until we learn who let Michelle out of the containment room, you’ll humor me,” he retorts, not leaving any room for argument. I let out a heavy sigh of defiance, but it’s not like it’s a hardship on me. I just feel bad that they think they need to come running every time I move. It’s going to get pretty damn boring, if it hasn’t already.
I stand as he prepares to leave, coming around the desk to meet him. “Where are you going?” Now that I know he’s leaving, I kind of want him to stay. Fickle, I know.
Griffin lifts one shoulder in a lazy shrug. His phone chooses that moment to go off, I hear it vibrate. His nostrils flare as he slides it out of his inner pocket. There’s no name on the screen, just a number, but that’s not unusual for his calls. “Yes?” he says as his greeting. I can’t make out the caller’s voice, it just sounds like mumbling to me. “I’ll be there in a minute,” he answers gruffly as he ends the call without a goodbye before tucking it into his pocket.
“Duty calls?” I pinch the lapel of his jacket between my finger and thumb and pull down a little. The material is soft and speaks of quality. I peer up at him when he doesn’t answer right away. His light eyes are trained on my face. I furrow my brow, wondering if something is wrong, since he’s looking at me as if he’s about to give me bad news.
I drop my hand. Griffin is very tactile, and it’s clear he’s rubbing off on me too. I didn’t even think twice about touching him. We’ve never really talked about boundaries, especially while we’re working.
Faster than I can track, Griffin grabs both of my hands and places my palms on his chest, holding my fingers so I’m touching more than just the lapels of his coat. “What’s wrong?” I examine him. If it wasn’t my touch, it was something else.
“I have to go,” he replies, but he’s still holding my hands against his chest.
“Okay, is everything all right?”
“Make sure you call Evan before you leave,” he orders instead of answering. Before I can ask another question, he swoops forward and plants a hard kiss on my lips. I barely have time to reciprocate before he’s gone. I spin on my heel, but I’m way too late. Griffin rarely moves that fast in front of me, if ever. Still a little shocked by his quick departure, I look around the empty room before I head back to my desk. I worry my bottom lip while I wake my computer. There was definitely something up with that phone call. I just don’t know what.
I don’t have too much time to dwell on Griffin’s shift in demeanor before there’s a knock on my doorframe. A young girl pokes her head in, her eyes darting around as if she’s looking for someone other than me.
I stand, ready to greet her. “Hey, Lynda?” I greet, guessing her name. My next appointment isn’t for a few minutes, and this is our first time meeting. The girl steps through the door, and I note her threadbare jeans and oversized T-shirt. It doesn’t look like a fashion statement, it looks like she just threw on whatever was handy. The shirt is so large, I’m not even sure it’s hers.
“Yeah, I’m early.” She glances down the hall again, as if she’s deciding whether or not to actually come in. Her tone is a little smoky, I bet she has a beautiful singing voice.
“I’m Quinn, have a seat.” I motion to the chairs in front of my desk, grabbing her file as I join her. I take the seat Griffin was in. I’ve noticed the kids tend to avoid this one anyway. I’m not certain, but I think it has something to do with his scent being on it. I catch a hint of his yummy aroma as I lower myself to the chair. He seems to be in my office more than his own lately. Half of the kids here look at him like he may start slitting throats any second, while the other half seem to have a little bit of hero worship going on.
