Page 171 of Trapped By the Blood Ruby

He stood unnaturally still. “I gave him the rest of the day off.”

Hassan was one of the few vampires Laurie trusted to escort me to and from my classes at BU. I didn’t mind. Especially when he kept a low profile.

“Does that mean you’re my new bodyguard for today?” I let my gaze travel up and down his form. We were still being watched, but I didn’t care.

“If that’s all right.”

“Better than all right,” I said, unable to hide my enthusiasm

“Good, because Ania is in the car waiting for us.”

“Doesn’t she have work today?”

“She does—did. I convinced her to come shopping with us instead.”

I squealed and flung myself at him. He caught me easily, wrapping his hands around me and holding me against him. Our eyes were level as we gazed at each other.

“I missed you,” I breathed, my lips millimeters from his.

“It’s only been four hours, little flower.”

I pouted. “Does that mean you didn’t miss me?”

“Oh, I missed you. Why do you think I’m here?” His lips captured mine in a long, lazy kiss. We’d been kissing like this for months and I wouldn’t ever tire of the way his tongue felt as it explored my mouth. The way wetness pooled between my thighs. His fangs elongated, as they often did. He’d explained that it usually happened when he lost control. I felt one of them nick my tongue and tasted the coppery taste of my blood. He groaned, deep and low. I pulled back, nipping at his lower lip along the way.

“Maybe shopping can wait. Surely there’s an empty classroom around here somewhere⁠—“

“Laurie!” I cried.

His low chuckle made my stomach flutter. “Fine, fine. Let’s go shopping.”

He set me down and took my bag, shouldering it as if it were filled with styrofoam instead of a laptop and two mathematics textbooks. His fingers laced through mine as we walked to the campus parking lot.

I spotted Ania’s head of blond hair and suppressed my excited squeal, opting for something more dignified as I dropped Laurie’s hand and rushed to her, pulling her into a hug. She worked long hours now and I only got to see her a few times a month.

“Lils!” She hugged me back just as tightly.

“I didn’t think you’d get to ditch work.”

“I heard there’d be shopping with no price limit.”

Laurie tsked and we laughed. “Get in the car, both of you.”

Vittorio was behind the wheel. I let Ania take the front. Laurie and I slid into the back. “Hey Vit,” I greeted, leaning forward and pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. Laurie let out a warning growl, though there was no venom in it. He tolerated my sweet gestures with the other vampires in his family, though it required heaps of patience. He didn’t like anyone’s scent on me, especially other males.

I leaned back against the seat. He reached around and buckled me in before I had the chance to. It was one of the many gestures I’d grown accustomed to. Little things to ensure my safety, like he was always thinking of me first.

Because he was.

Ania began firing off questions to Vittorio as we drove. Laurie and I stayed silent, holding hands in the back seat, sharing conspiratorial grins whenever Vittorio answered with clipped sentences or irritation. Ania had grown on him, I was sure of it. So much so, I’d noticed Vittorio indulging her in the same ways he indulged me. Except, his eyes also lingered on her for long periods when he thought no one was watching. I’d even caught him smiling once, when she’d come to dinner a few weeks back. There was definitely something there, and I had every intention of nudging it along.

Laurie seemed to think the same thing, because his gaze held a hint of mischief at the discussion taking place in the front seat. “If you don’t join us, I won’t be able to help you pick a suit for the party.”

“My suits are completely fine, Miss Calka. I’ve got a whole closet full of them.”

“Yes, but they’re not exactly new,” she chided. Vittorio scoffed, but it was only half hearted. I’d even noticed a bit of red creeping up his jaw. Who knew vampires could blush?

“Come on, join us. It’ll be fun. Better than sulking around in the corner all the time.”