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“Levi,” she said, peering into my eyes, “you’re the best kisser.”
“Am I really?” I asked, nearly drowning in her gaze. I was two thousand years old, I shouldn’t have been this affected by a woman, but all my senses came alive whenever she was near. I mentally shook myself. I should have sent her right back home, but instead, I found myself waving the Mystic Transit driver on. I had her. “Better than Roman?”
“He’s good too,” she said, pushing away from me and stumbling again against the door. She looked around the empty entryway. “Oh no, you’re closed. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay,” I said, offering her my arm. She curled her fingers around it, and fire raced up my limbs. I felt the same rush I got from a jump out of a plane—excited, nervous, exhilarated even though I knew I wouldn’t really die. I’d never reacted to a woman like this.
“I didn’t know where to go with that man following me, and I didn’t want to go home, so the aquarium seemed the safest,” she said, barely taking a breath.
“Who was following you?” I asked as I guided her over to one of the cushioned benches. Was she really being followed? Or was she paranoid because she’d had too much to drink? The beer smell was overwhelming her usual strawberry scent.
She rubbed her head. “He was an old guy, but not an old guy.”
“Very clear.” I couldn’t help my grin. The beer might have been magic. “Were you drinking at O’Malley’s?”
She nodded.
I’d have to sober her up before I could get any sense out of her. “How about I get you some coffee?”
“Okay.”
When I got up, she lay right down on the bench. Her blonde hair spread around her head, obscuring her face. “I’m just going to rest my head for a minute,” she murmured.
“Go right ahead.” I pulled off my aquarium jacket and laid it over her back. I headed for the cafe to brew some strong coffee.
Ever since she’d arrived at the shark . . . er . . . dolphin tank the other day, all I could think about was this woman. And I didn’t even know her that well. Hopefully, I could get to know her, once she sobered up. Even an old vampire like me had scruples.
I had pulled out the coffee pot and had started brewing a strong batch when I heard a scream. I rushed back into the atrium, but Delphine wasn’t on her bench. Where had she gone? Had someone sneaked in after I locked the doors? I spun around. I hadn’t locked the front door. I’d been too busy taking care of drunk Delphine.
Just when I was about to dart out the door and search for her, I heard her cry again, from behind me. I spun around and scanned the tanks and hallways. Then I ran up the ramp to the top of the shark tank, and there she was floating face down. Red liquid slipped down through the tank and the sharks were gathering. No, not red liquid, blood. I jumped into the tank and swam to her.
“Delphine,” I cried, but she didn’t answer, just lay oh so still. I scooped her into my arms and shook her. “Delphine, wake up.”
I didn’t have any air to give her if she’d swallowed water. I pulled her to the edge of the tank and pushed her up on the platform. I was supposed to push on her stomach to pump the water out, right? How could I work in an aquarium and not know how to help someone who’s drowning? We’d never had humans working here. Not like I needed to worry about Roman, Hudson, or Tripp. They were supernaturals and could take care of themselves.
I rolled her onto her side and hit her back.
She sputtered, but there didn’t seem to be much water coming out.
“Delphine?” I tried to look her over and see if there was anything else I could do.
“Whaa . . .?” she asked, opening her eyes at last. “Levi?”
“Are you drowned?” I asked, then felt like an idiot. If she could talk, she couldn’t have swallowed that much water.
“No.” She squinted and rubbed her head with her hand. It came away covered in blood. “Someone hit me . . .” She looked from her bloodied hands to me and back again.
My fangs popped out and I reared back. She smelled divine; somehow her own berry scent had mixed with that of the blood. But she was hurt, and I needed to take care of her. This wasn’t the time for bloodlust.
“Your fangs,” she said, reaching a hand out toward me.
I shook myself. “Not a problem. I’m no spring chicken.”
She blinked. “Spring chicken?” And then she laughed. She held her stomach and wheezed.
I frowned. Was she in shock or something? Where was Roman when I needed him? He was a scientist. He’d know these kinds of things. “Are you okay?”
Delphine shook herself and then winced. “I think so.” She held up her hand. “Do you have a towel?”
