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Right?
I press two fingers to the sides of my temples, desperate for some relief. I’m not sure if it’s because I’ve been actively not thinking about this morning, but I’ve had a raging headache ever since I started my shift.
Thankfully, the ER is uncharacteristically slow for a Friday afternoon, so I haven’t needed to use my head for much else. It’s six, so there’s only an hour until I get to head home, but the minutes feel like hours.
“Hey, Lilly!” a deep male voice calls out behind me, and I whip my head to face the grinning face of Sam, one of the emergency medicine residents I’ve gotten friendly with these past few weeks. As he nears, a bright white smile lights up his handsome features, adding to the allure of his bright baby blues and messy blond hair.
“Hey, Sam.” I try and fail to return his smile as he nears. God, my head is pounding. “What’s up?”
“Just making sure we’re still on for tonight?” he asks, widening his baby blues with a hopeful look.
Oh shit. I try not to let my face mirror my thoughts as I give him what I hope is a pleasant smile. With everything that’s happened over the past couple of days, my date with the handsome resident slipped my mind. Sam caught me last week after a grueling twenty-four-hour shift, and I was too exhausted then to refuse the date, convinced I would remember to cancel on a later day.
Well, today is that day.
“Listen, Sam…” I begin, thinking of all the ways I can get out of this. My guinea pig died. My favorite show is on tonight. I’m allergic to first dates. “I’m really tired, and—”
His face drops like he knows what I’m going to say next. Jesus, it’s like I just kicked a puppy. My stomach knots with guilt, so before I have time to think better of it, the words pour out of my mouth.
“Fine. Pick me up at my place around nine. I’ll text you the address,” I say, holding back my sigh.
“Really?” His eyes light with glee, making me feel slightly better for doing a good deed. “Okay, great! See you tonight!” He grins, shooting finger guns as he backs around the corner.
I really hope this doesn’t turn out to be a mistake.
“You look beautiful,” Sam breathes, trailing his eyes slowly across my tank top-clad chest. I cross my arms protectively, not comfortable with how boldly he’s undressing me with his eyes. I wouldn’t normally wear such a casual outfit on a first date, but it was the only decent thing in my wardrobe other than my scrubs.
“Thanks,” I say, tugging at the hem of my jean shorts. “Are you ready to go?”
“Hell yeah.” He grins, flashing those brilliant veneers before waving me to follow him to his car. I don’t know anything about them, but it has four wheels and looks well maintained, so I’m happy to hop inside when he opens the passenger door for me.
“Where are we headed?” I ask, reaching for my seat belt as he peels out of the parking lot. I unwrap one of the cherry lollipops I brought with me and place it into my mouth, trying to ignore the warmth growing between my thighs as I think about the man who gifted it to me.
Stop that. You’re on a date with Sam. Sam is good. Sam is safe. More importantly, Sam doesn’t leave bloody notes on your doorstep.
I’m brought out of my thoughts as Sam’s excited rumble sounds from my left. “We’re going to the Tipsy Phoenix. My cousin told me about it, and it’s supposed to be super exclusive. Apparently, it’s got this grungy, underground speakeasy vibe, and I’ve been wanting to try it out for a minute. Just never had someone to go with.” He takes his eye off the road to grin and reaches his hand across the center to rest on my thigh. For some reason, the contact makes my skin crawl, and I try my best to discreetly wriggle away from his reach.
“Someone a little nervous?” he coos, mistaking my resistance for first-date jitters as he digs his fingertips into my upper thigh. “How about I help you relax?”
My body freezes as he trails his hand slowly toward my core, easing past the hem of my shorts. It’s only when his fingertips brush the edge of my panties that I come to my senses, and I quickly push my hand against his forearm to stop his assault. His eyes flash with annoyance, but thankfully, he withdraws his hand with a forced chuckle.
“Sorry. I got a little carried away.” He brushes the situation away with a wave of his hand and a wink. “You’re just too damn sexy.”
“It’s okay,” I murmur, squeezing my thighs together as he rests his palm on my knee. “I just don’t really do… that.”
“Hey, there’s a first time for everything.” Sam laughs easily and throws another wink my way. “We’ll see how you feel after I get a few drinks in you.”
I try to laugh along politely but find it gets stuck somewhere down my throat. What I want to do is tell him to fuck off. I haven’t let anyone go there in twenty-four years, and I’m sure as hell not going to start with a man whose aftershave burns my nose hairs.
Instead, I give him a weak smile and reach for the radio, turning it up loud enough to drown out any possible conversation he might want to have for the rest of the drive.
CHAPTER TEN
KAIN
I grit my teeth at the sight across the bar, squeezing my fingers so tightly around the crystal tumbler it shatters in my palm. Several people around me gasp, but I pay them as much attention as I do my hand, gushing blood from several large puncture wounds. My focus is solely on the couple on the other side of the room, nestled snugly in their own private booth.
Lillith pushes her glossy black hair away from her face, showcasing her high cheekbones and deliciously plump lips. They curve into a smile just before she throws her head back, and my fingers itch to reach out and touch her.
