“You know, on second thought, you’re right. I was just thinking about it all wrong. We’ll play in the bar. It’ll be fun.”
And there would be a table between them, so no hanky-panky. It could work.
She raised her head. A flicker of hope flashed across her face. “Are you sure?”
God, he never wanted her to doubt herself again. He placed his arm around her shoulder and squeezed. “It’s a great idea. Honest.”
When her smile returned, he relaxed.
They had played Monopoly and were finishing with Scrabble when John glanced at his watch again. It was nearly eight o’clock and Sarah still hadn’t asked for anything to eat. He’d asked her at five and then six, but she had refused each time.
“What can I get you from the kitchen?”
She picked up the remaining tiles and tossed them in the box. “Nothing. I’m good.”
He knew the sound of a hungry stomach and hers was growling up a storm. Why would she lie? “You haven’t eaten anything all night. Are you feeling well?”
“I’m not hungry, John,” she said with a stern voice.
He wished he’d never mentioned the damn liquid diet. He could have eaten, as long as he was near a restroom. But if he started eating now, and he assumed that’s what it would take for her to eat, she’d probably feel guilty he was off his diet.
She rubbed her temple. “I had a lot of fun today, but do you mind horribly if I call it a night? I’m kind of tired.”
Her question brought him back. “No, I don’t mind, well, I do mind, well, you know what I mean.” He laughed, trying to make light of the situation, but only got a small smile in return.
Her stomach rumbled once again, but he didn’t let on. Maybe it was better she went home. Maybe she planned to eat there.
He took the board games and went upstairs to grab her things. The evening had turned out better than he imagined. Not once had he made a move to seduce her or bite her, even when he had kissed her. Dating was getting easier. Maybe that’s all he needed—practice.
After she donned her winter gear, he held the back door open for her. The way she braced herself for the cold air by hunching her shoulders and shoving her hands inside her pockets made him grin. She was so predictable.
Seeing her leave made his chest constrict, almost as if she were taking a part of him, but he’d make sure to see her tomorrow. After turning her around, he leaned in for a goodbye kiss when movement outside caught his eye. It might have been a bird, but her car caused him to stop and stare.
What the hell had that bastard done now?
* * * *
John’s horrified expression startled Sarah and when she turned in the direction of his gaze, all the blood rushed out of her head. Her car! All four tires were flat, almost mutilated. And scratched deeply into the hood was the word WHORE.
She stumbled for a closer look, fingered the scratches in the cold metal, making sure they were real. “Who would do this?” Oh wait. Who else?
“I’m calling the police this time,” John said. Her world wavered and he was by her side in an instant, holding her up. “Come on. Let’s go back inside where it’s warm.”
Okay, so not eating wasn’t her smartest idea, but eating in front of John was worse than eating alone. She suspected he missed real food by the way he had stared at her hamburger last night. If she didn’t have to eat in front of him, she wouldn’t. Next time she’d eat more than soup for lunch. Light-headed and dizzy, she prayed she wouldn’t pass out. She didn’t realize they’d walked all the way to his apartment until he sat her on the couch.
John slipped his phone inside his pocket. “The police will be here soon. Can I get you anything?”
“What am I going to do? I can’t afford to fix that.” She was already living paycheck to paycheck. And credit? Ha! Steven had made sure everything was in his name alone. How the heck would she get to work without a car? Her nose started tingling and her vision blurred. “The tires alone…”
He put his finger to her lips. “Shhh, don’t worry about it. You have insurance, right?”
“Yes, but will it cover this?”
“If not, I’ll help. Now, I can give you a ride home tonight, but do you think Lori can take you to work tomorrow?”
“Ah, damn it!” How would she ever be on her own if she was constantly asking for help? Buying that car had been her first step toward independence and now it was gone, or at least out of commission for a while.
“Sarah, it’ll be alright. I’m sure Lori will give you a ride.”
“That’s not it. I’m sure she will, too. It just seems lately like it’s been one thing after another and it’s making me mad.”
He pulled her in close and his scent comforted her in a way nothing else would. “You don’t have to handle it all by yourself. Let me help you.”
Did it make her a weak person if she always needed help or a strong one to admit it? Or just lucky to have people who cared? She’d been leaning on Lori for too long, now, but did John deserve to be next? He didn’t seem to mind, but feelings could change. She’d seen that firsthand.
* * * *
After screwing the loose step in place and reattaching the handrail again—a job he had also accomplished four nights ago—John stood beside Sarah’s car and assessed the damage. The police had taken their statements, but it appeared nothing could be done. Steven’s alibi was airtight and he couldn’t possibly have caused the damage to her car. Didn’t mean he wasn’t still involved. He could have hired someone else to do the deed. Or it was just some random act of vandalism, like the police suspected.
John examined the back of the building. He should install a camera in the alley, just in case something like this happened again.
The sound of a rock hitting a dumpster echoed. All the businesses were closed for the night and there weren’t too many residents in the area. Heck, since he’d moved into the area, crime had decreased, thanks to his interventions. He headed toward the sound as a figure appeared.
Perry. Shaking his head, John headed back. Ignoring Perry was impossible, but why wait to be harassed?
Perry caught up easily. “Hey, Johnny. How’s the little woman? I bet she’s hot in bed. Does she taste as good as she smells? Or don’t you want to bite and tell?” he asked, flashing his eyebrows.
John lowered his head. He should have known better than to ever tell Perry about Sarah.
“No! You didn’t have sex with her?” Perry laughed. “I suppose that means you didn’t dabble, either.”
“No, I didn’t… What is with you? Is that all you do with women? Have sex and feed?”
Perry shrugged. “What else is there? Besides, they don’t seem to mind. Whoa! What happened here?” He stopped at the damaged car.
“I wish I knew.”
“Seems like you need better security. Do you have time to play some video games or are you too busy being a bar owner?”
Perry could switch gears faster than anyone John knew. However, playing video games sounded like a good idea. Thinking about Sarah and who might have vandalized her car wouldn’t benefit him or her. He hoped she could sleep. Even though she’d looked absolutely beat, she’d still been rattled and worried.
Inside the apartment, Perry draped himself on the couch and slowly inhaled. “Ah, I see Sarah’s been up here. How do you do it, Johnny? How can you touch her and not make love to her? How can you be next to that wonderful scent and not take a sample?”
John opened the game cabinet as an inner alarm went off in his head and the back of his neck tingled. He didn’t like the way Perry acted while he talked about her. He looked downright dreamy. “Does she affect you, too?”
“She’s very intoxicating, and when I touched her…”
The game cartridge John had pulled from the cabinet slipped through his fingers. “What happened when you touched her?”
Perry stood and peered into the cabinet. “Buy any new games lately?
”
John grabbed Perry’s shoulder. “Don’t avoid the question. What happened when you touched her?”
“I think maybe you already know. But when I touched her, I felt this incredible rush of warmth and it traveled up my arm to the rest of my body. It was quite exhilarating.”
John lowered his arm. How could that be? “Did you excite her?”
Perry paused for a moment. “You know, now that you mention it, she was kind of put off by me. Why do you suppose that is? I mean, what woman doesn’t love this?”
John had noticed it, too. Sarah pretty much hated Perry. Was the fact she couldn’t be controlled making her immune to the vampire charm? Did that mean her feelings for him were real? He certainly had real feelings for her. Or did he? Shit. Did she affect all male vampires?
“Don’t worry, Johnny, I won’t go after her. Not until she dumps you first.”
But Perry was the least of his worries.
Chapter 10
No one at work noticed Sarah’s bruise like Lori had when she picked up Sarah. And Lori would never blab about something so personal, but couldn’t resist spreading the news about Sarah’s car. Maybe she was only warning their co-workers about parking on the street, but whatever her motive, Sarah was inundated with people offering their own vandalism horror stories. By late morning, she needed a breather from the evil well-wishers.
She hid out in the break room and was pouring coffee when her cellphone vibrated against her hip. John. Her heart lightened and she smiled.
“Did you get any sleep last night?” he asked.
Sleep? What was that? Was three hours enough? “I got enough. You hear anything about my car?”
“I had it towed last night, but I haven’t heard anything yet. I called to see if you liked ice hockey.”
After the tiring morning, she was in the mood for some fun. “Gee, John, you saw how badly I skated. You really think I could play?”
The brief silence on the line made her grin. “Uh, Sarah, I didn’t mean for you to play. I meant to watch.”
She couldn’t hold the laughter any longer.
He laughed with her. “Okay, you got me. Does that mean you’re interested? The game’s this Friday.”
“Yeah, I’ll go. I like sports. I might not always know what’s going on, but it’s fun to watch.” Sitting next to John would make it fun.
“Great, I’ll get tickets. Give me a call when you’re ready to leave tonight, and I’ll meet you in the garage. Can you make sure it’s after sunset?”
It was the least she could do. They said their goodbyes and she put her phone away. She picked up her coffee cup and walked toward the door when she nearly ran into Lori. “How long have you been there?”
Lori folded her arms. “Oh, long enough. You’re seeing John again tonight?”
“He’s taking me home. Is there a problem with that?”
“I could have taken you home.”
Yeah, but then she wouldn’t see John. “You’re already bringing me to work. Besides, he wants to. What’s wrong with that?”
“I’m only looking out for you, Sarah. I don’t want to see you get hurt again.”
“Hey, weren’t you the one who wanted me to go out?”
“Yeah, but to get laid. I didn’t think you were ready for anything serious.”
Too late. As for getting laid…
“John must be really good in bed, huh? I mean, you’ve seen him every night.”
Sarah looked down at her mug. There were some things she couldn’t talk about.
“Oh my God. You haven’t done it yet. Is there something wrong with him?”
Sarah shook her head. “No.”
Lori put her arm around Sarah’s shoulders. “Okay, I take it back. Maybe you do know what you’re doing. It’s only that I see the same signs and I worry.”
“John’s nothing like Steven. And I am trying to take it slow.” Agonizingly slow. Why was she waiting? He seemed interested. She was interested. Damn.
Lori pulled away. “You’ve got more willpower than me. I’d have nailed him the first night. But then, I only wanted him for his body.”
With the workday over, Sarah rode the elevator to the garage and John. She found him leaning against a pole—arms across his massive chest. Once he saw her, his face lit up and he straightened. His smile brought a lump to her throat. No one had ever looked so good. Bouncing like a giddy schoolgirl, she approached him, smiling back.
After taking her hand, he bent down and kissed her lightly on the lips, causing her heart to flip-flop. At least she didn’t have to beg this time.
“Did you have a nice day?” he asked softly, his breath tickling her lips. He seemed to take in her scent, but she didn’t care since she was doing the same thing.
“I am now.” When he got close, she lost track of everything. His scent made her want to snuggle against his body. And the way he smiled at her with those glimmering blue eyes made her all gooey inside. He was kind and beautiful, and he could be hers. All she had to do was say the word. “Do you have any plans tonight?”
He rubbed his thumb across her knuckles. “I made arrangements for you to get a rental car. I thought we could walk over and get it.”
While her head swirled with the sensations their touch caused, his comment brought her back down to reality, if not disappointing her altogether. “I can’t afford a rental car. If you can’t take me home or it’s too much trouble, I’ll get Lori or ride the bus.”
“I didn’t say you were paying for it.” He started for the exit and tugged at her hand. “Come on, it’s not far.”
She kept her feet planted and bravely said, “No.”
John closed his eyes and shook his head. This was the point when Steven would lash out at her. Oh why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut?
“If that’s the way you feel, I’d be honored to take you home. I just didn’t want you to have to wait each day until sunset.”
What? No argument? No yelling? No hitting some sense into her? Was he for real? God, she certainly hoped so.
“I don’t have a problem waiting, thank you.” The words seemed inadequate. She stood on her toes and kissed him on the cheek. “Now, do you have any plans tonight?”
“I thought I would feed you dinner and then maybe we could play another board game. But if you’d rather go home…”
“I’d rather be with you. I don’t care where.”
John did try to feed her, but this time she had purposely eaten a large lunch and truly wasn’t hungry.
They were playing their third game of Scrabble when Sarah noticed a theme to John’s words. When he first formed coitus, she didn’t question it. It was after he placed erotic, genital, and semen that she started contemplating him. Someone had sex on the brain and it was coming out in words. She would have laughed if she didn’t feel the same way.
She’d laid out her word and was picking out replacement tiles when Perry appeared out of nowhere and slid beside her. Oh God, now what? She scooted as far away as possible, but he slipped his arm around her shoulder and brushed against her neck. Her heart fluttered from the contact and his musky, vanilla-like scent came alive. She gasped.
“So what are you two love birds doing?” Perry stared at the board game and laughed. “Can I guess which words Johnny formed, or are you the naughty one, sweet Sarah?”
“What do you want?” John asked.
Why hadn’t she noticed how good Perry smelled before? She’d assumed he would stink because he just didn’t look clean. He still wore that nasty Hawaiian shirt and a pocket on his cargo pants looked as if it had been torn off.
“To say hi.” Perry flashed a smile toward her. “Hi.”
His scent fogged her mind and she swallowed hard. Her body’s reactions confused her. As hard as she tried to keep her distance, the end of the booth kept her from going any further. She could shove him off the bench, but she didn’t want to make a scene. Besides, Perry
was probably only doing it to annoy John and sure enough, he glared at Perry with a furrowed brow and eyes that almost glowed. Afraid John might do something he would regret later, she placed her hand over his.
They had last touched over an hour ago and her heart went into overdrive. Now this she loved. How could she even think Perry’s touch was similar to John’s? There was no comparison.
Her action drew his attention from Perry to their hands and then to her. His face softened and he gave her a small smile. She smiled back, but Perry sucked the joy out of it.
John scooted over and moved the game so it was in front of her. With a voice calm and neutral, he said, “Perry, please take your arm off of Sarah.”
Perry’s green eyes sparkled more than she remembered and his gaze seemed to penetrate her soul. And he did that sniffing thing again. The fog in her mind grew thicker and breathing became difficult.
Taking his free hand, he grabbed her chin and examined her face. The smile disappeared. “What happened to you?”
“Perry, leave her alone.”
Blinking the fog away, she wrenched his hand off and found her voice. She leaned toward John. “It’s getting late and I didn’t get much sleep last night. Would you take me home, please?”
His dejected look pained her, but Perry’s closeness was intoxicating and way too pleasant. Why was her body being a traitor? She needed as much distance from Perry as she could, even if that meant leaving John.
John nodded. “I’ll go get your coat.”
He stood and they both looked at Perry.
Perry stared at John and then turned toward Sarah. He flashed his pearly whites and stood, offering his hand. She ignored it and got up on her own. John jogged to the stairs.
“You know I was only yanking his chain, right? So what did happen to your face?” Perry asked.
“None of your business.”
“Are you leaving because of me?”
She almost said yes, but caught herself. He was so full of himself, he’d probably take it as a compliment. “I’m tired. I was ready to go before you showed up.”
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