Page 46 of Thirst

“Now that you mention it,” I say once we’re alone again. “I guess I just feel a little worried. We don't know each other very well, yet we have this strong connection. You're into blood play, and I'm interested in exploring myself, especially when you offer the money you've put on the table. But I just get this weird feeling in my gut that makes me worry. You don't move like everybody else. You don't look like everybody else. There's just something about you that is both intoxicating and fear-inducing. Even my boss seems afraid of you, and that fool isn’t scared of anybody.”

Amari sips his champagne, watching me over the edge of the glass until he sets it back down.

“I'm often told that I'm intimidating,” he says with a shrug. “It used to bother me. But I eventually learned that it’s not my responsibility to make people feel comfortable. That’s a problem only they can fix. It’s only my responsibility to be myself. If people are intimidated by it, that’s on them. I shouldn't have to smile all day, hurting my cheeks so that others are comfortable.”

“You're absolutely right.”

“Yet, your boss’s reaction to me gives you pause, and you were upset about my assistant being at the club. I'm not trying to come at you, because I would never, but I sense reservations popping up, and I was worried this could happen considering the … kink … you're letting me explore. I thought we had a good time, but I may have read it wrong.”

“Oh my god,” I say as the memory of my time in the penthouse plays back in my mind. I can still see myself lying on my side as I tried to recover from his mouth on me. “I enjoyed myself more than I can put into words.”

“Good. Then let’s keep it a buck. What really gives you pause?”

I let out a sigh and force myself to gulp my champagne before I start. This is my opportunity to just put it all out there.

“Okay,” I begin. “There's something that really has me baffled. Last time, you cut me. I didn't see you do it, but I felt it and I saw the blood running down. I know it for a fact. After I went home, I took off the bandage you'd put on just to see how deep the cut was so I could try to guess how long it would take to heal. But when I removed it, the cut was already healed. It made me question everything we’d done just hours earlier, and I can't think of an explanation for that. So, maybe you can. How is the cut already healed?”

Amari’s eyes slowly lower to the table top. I wish I could read his thoughts, because I can't tell if he's trying to conjure up a lie, or if he's wondering just like I am. He fiddles with a gold fork on the table, sips more champagne, then finally meets my gaze.

“I didn't expect you to remove the bandage before we met again,” he says, almost as if he's talking to himself more than me. “You must be a fast healer. I mean, the cut was pretty shallow, but … I don't know.”

I let out a sigh, feeling my heart speed up at his response. “Is that the truth, Amari?”

“What else could the truth be?” he asks with a look in his eye that makes me stop in my tracks.

Suddenly, warmth spreads throughout my body. It starts in my face, like a tiny fire behind my eyes. Then it moves downward, warming my heart before spreading to the ends of my fingers and toes.

“I don't know,” I suddenly say. “I guess that’s the only explanation.”

Amari keeps his eyes on mine and smiles. “Yeah, I guess so. Nothing else really makes sense.”

“Nothing else really makes sense,” I agree, shrugging the question away.

The sound of the world suddenly seems louder as our food is delivered to the table. As the plates are set in front of us, I find that I'm no longer interested in the questions about the cut or how fast it healed. The thought just moves itself out of my mind, and my focus shifts to my salmon. It looks so good that my mouth actually starts to water. I grab my gold fork and dig in, and the next few minutes seem to go by at lightspeed.

“How’s your food?” Amari asks, his voice snapping my attention back to him. I feel like I'm being jolted out of a dream when I look up.

“Oh. Yeah, it’s … umm … it’s fire,” I stammer. “Probably the best salmon I've ever had. How’s your …” I look at Amari’s plate and see his steak is untouched. “Oh. Not hungry?”

“I had a big lunch,” he replies.

“Ah,” I say, but my world feels so foggy I can barely concentrate on anything. I try to think of something to say, but all I can think of is the incident at the club, even though I thought there was something I wanted to talk about. “Oh, umm, can you make sure you thank Shawn for me? I never told him how much I appreciated him helping me last night. I don't want him to think I'm ungrateful. It’s just that all of this is new to me and it can feel overwhelming. I swear, messing with you feels like I've been elevated to a whole new world. One where goons keep me safe and I spend my nights in five star restaurants and penthouses. It’s hard not to be mesmerized by the luxury when you're not used to it.”

“You could get used to it,” he says. “I don't plan on ending our arrangement. I was actually anxious to ask what you thought about last time.”

“Well, I think how I felt about it was obvious in how my body reacted,” I reply, smirking.

“I get that part,” he says. “I meant the blood, before … you reached orgasm. Did the blood bother you?”

An image flashes in my mind of blood running downward, just before Amari engulfs me and starts licking. Then, everything is blurry until I'm recovering from a world-bending orgasm.

“Nah, it didn't bother me,” I reply. “I thought it would. Once you started doing what you did, I never even thought about it again. You're really good at that, by the way.”

Amari’s eyebrow goes up. “Is that what you remember most about that night?”

“It’s definitely the premier memory,” I reply, giggling. “I never thought having someone drink my blood could be so erotic.”

“It only gets better.”