Page 58 of Only Fangs

My eyes lock onto his. I can feel myself getting lost in his gaze, being pulled closer and closer towards him. My head says I should pull away and bring down the shutters again on… well, whatever this is. This thing growing between us, stretching its wings and filling the void.

Chapter 30

Brody

I’m unable to drag my eyes from hers. Everything around us fades to nothing, leaving only a pool of light with her in the centre, the scent of her perfume lingering in the air.

If I were to lean in a few centimetres I could kiss her. The realisation sends a frisson up my spine and I can feel my heart thumping in my temples. It would be so easy.

She drags her gaze from mine and subtly rubs her tongue over her lips. My heart rate rises again.

I don’t know who moves first, or maybe it happens at the exact same moment, something supernatural pulling us together. Her lips are cool on mine. Fireworks crackle in my chest. I raise my hand to touch her hair.

“Get a room!” The words come from a large Geordie man coming back from the loos. He laughs loudly as Ari and I jump apart. The moment broken.

“I’ll just get us another bottle,” Ari says quietly and scurries off to the bar.

My cheeks blaze in the dim light of the pub.

Ari doesn’t mention the kiss, just acts like it never happened, as if it were a moment of madness never to be repeated, the same as she did the morning after the hot tub. The evening starts to turn towards chaos. Clara takes her newfound freedom a little too far and is practically paralytic by ten thirty.

“Whoopsie,” Ari says as Clara stands up to go to the loo and she only narrowly catches her before she faceplants into the floor. “I think you’ve had a little too much to drink.”

Clara blows a raspberry in her face. “Spoilsport.”

“I think I should take you home,” Ari tells her.

“Not before I introduce myself to that hottie over there.” She points towards a group of guys in the opposite corner. They are normies, five guys on a stag party who are here to get some – and I quote here because I overheard them when I last went to the bar – “slutty vampire action” for the groom. Apparently in their group it’s a rite of passage before he has to take fidelity more seriously. I want to punch them all in the face for being disgusting pigs.

“They’re tourists,” Ari tells her with a sneer. “Stupid little tourist boys.”

“Gross,” Clara replies and makes a retching noise that sounds so convincing the girls at the table next to us squeal and pick their bags off the floor just in case there is a vomit shower incoming.

“You need to go home,” Ivan tears his attention away from the conversation he’s having with Matt. “Seriously.”

“Yes sir,” Clara says.

Ari turns to me. “Ivan is never the one to tell you to go home. So if he ever does, it’s time to listen.”

“I think he’s probably right,” I say with a small grimace, hoping I don’t become the bad guy in the situation. “How about I come with you, make sure you get back safely.”

“Oh, you’re sweet,” Ari says. “But honestly we’ll be fine. I have fangs remember.”

“I know. Just…” I trail off. I mean, if anyone were to try anything with them they can look after themselves far better than I could. But still, chivalry isn’t dead and I’d feel horrible if I left them to go home alone.

We take a taxi back to Clara’s house, and somehow she manages not to throw up in the back of the car. She stumbles into her bedroom and closes the door without even saying goodnight.

“I think I’m just going to stay here,” Ari says and I notice that she’s also looking a little worse for wear.

She lies down on the sofa, tucking her hands up under her chin like a t-rex. There’s a blanket draped over the back of the seat and I cover her with it, gently tucking it under her chin.

“Sorry about back there. In the Crimson Well,” she mumbles slightly as she burrows under the blanket.

“How do you mean?” I ask. Is she talking about the kiss?

“What I said about the whole tourists thing,” she explains.

Oh. “I get it,” I say, trying to hide my disappointment. “You don’t date normies. You don’t have to apologise.”