“Of course.” He kissed her head again. “Oliver will need you.”
She wasn’t so sure about that, but Penelope would be there anyway.
Just in case.
“Hey, Em,” Oliver said in greeting ashe stepped into the kitchen.
“Good evening, sire. I mean … Oliver.” The smile she gifted him was like the sun, he thought as he made his way over to the refrigerator. “How are you feeling?”
“Better.” And it was mostly true. He’d felt immensely better once those damn healers had stopped poking and prodding at him. They’d been reluctant to let him leave the infirmary, but thankfully, they’d eventually grown tired of his constant pestering and sent him on his way.
“I saved you some waffles,” Emily told him.
“With whipped cream?”
Her smile widened. “Of course. And strawberries.”
Oliver honestly wasn’t sure what he’d done to deserve Emily’s kindness, but he couldn’t deny he looked forward to their interactions every day. In a, you know, completely platonic manner, of course.
“Has anyone seen Bijou?” Kaj called out as he strolled into the kitchen.
“I believe she’s in the pool, sire,” Emily said kindly.
The vampire’s eyes shot over to him, and Oliver fought the urge to duck his head. It wasn’t that he was scared of him… Okay, maybe a little. More so that he had a hard time looking him in the eyes after what had transpired between him and Bijou. That one moment in time was forever imprinted in his mind, and Oliver knew he could live to be a hundred and he would never forget it. It even superseded the fact Bijou had fed from him and that incredible experience had resulted in an orgasm. Along with another seizure, but hey, it was worth it.
Kaj offered a curt nod, then headed toward the entrance to the pool, which was off the hallway that led to the garage.
“May I warm your meal for you?”
Emily’s kind voice had him jerking his attention away from the vampire and back to the task at hand.
“That would be great. Thanks.” He glanced in the direction Kaj had gone. “I’ll be back in a minute, Em.”
“Sure.”
Why he was compelled to follow, Oliver didn’t know. Probably had a lot to do with all the secrecy he’d sensed going on. Something big was underway, but it seemed no one at Angel Central was aware of the details. Which meant it was a vampire issue, and he couldn’t deny he was curious. He tried to blame it on his feelings for Bijou. He simply wanted to make sure she was okay. That was all it was. Really.
Oliver peeked around the corner to see the thick glass door to the pool area closing. He glanced over his shoulder, ensuring no one was keeping tabs on him, then made a beeline for the door. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do when he got there, but again, he couldn’t stop himself.
It took effort, but he kept his feet light as he moved down the hallway. The last thing he wanted was for Kaj to catch on to the fact he was attempting to eavesdrop. As he approached the door, he stopped far enough back so that he could see inside, but not too close Bijou or Kaj would see him standing there. Oliver watched as Bijou emerged from the pool, her beautiful body clad in a black one-piece that showcased every glorious curve. She accepted a towel her father held out for her, swiped it over her face, then wrapped it around herself as he spoke, her full attention on him.
If only he had supersonic hearing like the rest of the people in this place. Then perhaps Oliver could listen to what was causing her to frown up at her father. When her hand went to her throat, Oliver sensed her shock. Some strange instinct had him wanting to burst through that door and run to her rescue. For some reason, he’d grown unusually protective of her lately. Ever since they attempted to rekindle their friendship, they’d grown closer. He had been leaning on her, and she seemed content to take care of him as the healers attempted to identify what was causing his seizures.
Unaware he was doing it, Oliver rubbed his chest directly over his heart. Whenever he thought about Bijou, about where this seemed to be going between them, there was a strange ache that took up residence there. He found he wanted to go to her, to take her in his arms, hold her until whatever problem she was facing could be resolved. Then he wanted to keep her safe for the rest of … well, his life since it would be significantly shorter than hers.
Which brought him full circle once more. It didn’t matter how much he cared for her or how he hoped things could progress with them. It wasn’t like it would matter in the long run. They weren’t meant to be together, clearly. Humans and vampires weren’t meant to co-exist, and biology had dictated that.
Suddenly Bijou was wrapped in Kaj’s arms as father consoled daughter.
Feeling like he was intruding on their private moment, Oliver spun on his heel and headed back to the kitchen. He schooled his expression as he joined Emily, who was currently piling mounds of whipped cream on top of the Belgian waffle. She must’ve noticed him there because she smiled again.
“Almost ready.”
“Perfect. I’m starving.”
As for whether he could choke it down, that was yet to be seen.
Didn’t matter how good it looked, Oliver got the feeling it was going to taste like cardboard.
