Page 3 of Blood Sugar

I guess I wasn’t making my intentions clear.

Heart racing, I reached up and placed my fingers over his wrist, giving him an encouraging smile.

“I’d love that, but I’d need to get some flashlights. Night hiking and all.”

A breathy chuckle escaped his throat. “That’d be fun.”

For a moment, my thumb stroked the soft hollow on his wrist, below his thumb, and his eyes darkened, heavy lidded. The ache in my veins turned to a liquid heat low in my stomach.

The tinny sound of a guitar being tuned had me jumping in my seat. Frowning, I twisted to see a singer setting up in the corner.

“It’s just Monroe,” Rowen said, turning his hand to grasp mine. He didn’t weave our fingers together, but his thumb rubbed across my wrist and his fingers curled over mine.

Clearly, he got my message.

“No ring?” I asked, wanting to confirm before things got even more intimate.

“Haven’t met the right one yet,” he answered hoarsely. A flush reddened his cheeks, contrasting with the purple-red of his hair.

“I love your hair. It’s so cool,” I said honestly, reaching up with my other hand to brush it off his forehead.

His eyes fell to my mouth, and I realized I was biting my lip, showing off one fang.

“Have you ever been bitten by a vampire?” I asked.

“No.”

He looked hungry, even though I was the one who needed to feed.

The bar had filled up during our talk, and when the musician started playing, the noise level made it hard to hear each other.

Leaning forward, I murmured into his ear. “Want to go somewhere quieter?”

He nodded, the pupils of his eyes expanding until the brown was a thin ring.

Sliding from my seat, I jerked my head toward the back entrance. He kept hold of my hand, his fingers enveloping mine. My skin tingled with the flush rising up my neck.

This felt so much more intimate than the partners I’d fed off of in the last few weeks, and we weren’t even alone yet. No one else had held my hand or sent sparks across my skin with that simple touch.

Maybe it was his magic. My fangs twinged at the thought of tasting his blood.

We weaved through the tables and down the hallway past the bathrooms. The back door stood cracked open, leading to the empty patio beyond.

The crisp autumn air was almost too cold once the sun went down. String lights lit up the space, and ivy crawled up the side of the building. Rowen held the door open wider for me, and I peered up at him through my lashes. His cheeks were flushed, his throat working as he swallowed.

He followed me onto the brick patio. I pivoted to face him, and for a moment he stared at me awkwardly, like he was worried he’d misinterpreted the situation. He was so cute with his full bottom lip slightly pouted.

Stepping closer, I rested my hand flat on his chest and looked up at him. One of his hands went to my waist, and the other tucked my hair behind my ear.

“You can kiss me if you want to,” I whispered.

The blush on his cheeks darkened, but his hand moved to my jaw, gently cupping my face. Leaning into him, I pushed up on my tiptoes and tilted my face up.

He was so sweet, it took my breath away. His lips brushed over mine, tentative, seeking permission. I kissed him back, my hand moving to the nape of his neck and weaving into his silky hair.

It was like a switch flipped, and the tentative kiss grew heated. His hand at my waist moved to my lower back, his entire arm hooking around me and dragging me against him.

His other hand at my jaw shifted to my hair so he could control our angle. I melted, holding onto him for dear life and letting him dominate me.