Page 72 of Only Fangs

I brush my teeth and then slip into bed, the sheets freezing cold against my skin. Fuck’s sake. I pull the blankets tighter around me. Stupid fucking castle and its stupid fucking lack of heating.

If only I was braver. If only I’d thrown caution to the wind. I could be there, with Ari. Perhaps her room is warmer?

I curse the person skulking around outside under my breath, a plume of cold white dancing in the frigid air in front of me. Bastard.

In my dreams I’m falling. The wind rushing past me, firing bullets of ice at my skin, so cold it burns. I look up and she’s staring back at me, lips drawn back so I can see her teeth glinting in the moonlight. She is savage and wild, blood dripping from her mouth.

I want her more than I have ever wanted anyone in my life.

I would give her all of me for just a moment in her graces.

Chapter 37

Ari

Istood there for ten minutes. Just outside his door, but far enough away that if someone were to come along it would look like I was admiring the rather delightful portrait of someone old and dusty that hung adjacent to his door. In the end I couldn’t quite muster the courage.

He made his feelings clear in Wales. He doesn’t want me and I’d only be forcing him to articulate that, to say it out loud so it can fester between us.

Would he tell me that we work together and it’s basically workplace harassment?

What he tell me he’s far too young for me and it’s wildly inappropriate?

Would he tell me I’m not his type? That he doesn’t date vampires?

Would he tell me he just doesn’t like me in that way?

No, the shame of it would be too much and we have to work together. This way is better.

But he found a way to creep into my room and into my dreams and I woke up this morning to find my nightdress bunched around my waist and my hand resting on my hip. I was slick as I trailed a finger between my legs, a small gasp as I touched myself and tried to convince my own brain not to think about the human man next door. About the way his tongue would feel on my thigh, or the touch of his lips, or the spurt of hot sweet blood as I bit into the neck he offered willingly to me.

I struggle to meet his eye as we meet in the dining room for breakfast just after eight. It’s even more awkward than the morning of the bank meeting. This time I’m imagining the taste of him, the way I think he would buck as I sink my teeth into him.

No. No. No. This will not do. We’re here for work.

We still have a few hours to practise our pitch before we present to the investment panel this afternoon and I push down all my feelings, all my naughty treacherous horny feelings, so I can actually concentrate on the job at hand.

I nibble on the edge of a croissant, feeling my nerves starting to beat their wings against my chest.

“We’re going to nail it,” Brody tells me with a smile. “This isn’t a repeat of that kinda disaster with Andrei, where he basically only gave us a chance because of you.”

“Because of Clara,” I correct him. “To be honest, Andrei has always been a little off with me.”

“Because you’re not pure blood?”

“I am.”

“But your mum was human.” Confusion streaks across his features.

“My stepmother. Technically. But I have no memories of my biological mother. She died when I was six months old and left me with my father who had literally no idea what to do with a baby.” I don’t elaborate on the details of her death; I don’t want to make things even more awkward this morning by talking about her murder.

“Oh.” I can see from the look on his face that he isn’t quite sure what to do with this conversation and to be honest I can’t really blame him. I don’t talk about my family.

I’ve learnt over the years it only makes people feel uncomfortable. But I know Brody will want some information, so I move on to safer ground. “She was the love of his life.”

“Your biological mum?”

“No. My step-mum. Dad hired her to be a nanny for me and then… well, from the moment she moved into the house they didn’t spend a single day apart. Until she died, I mean.”