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Each step up the stairs made my bones burn as if they were on fire. Feeling absolutely terrible for myself, I used the railing to drag my body up each and every agonizing step. When I reached the top, I hung my head and whined. Taking a deep breath, I worked the last few steps down the hallway and into my bedroom.
Most nights, Darren and I slept together in his room. It was the bigger of the two and more comfortable to maneuver around. When I was spending time with the others, we rotated between my space and theirs, depending on what was going on.
Today, I was happy to be on my own. I loved the guys with all my heart, even Marcus, in some way. Though, we hadn't quite figured out if we are anything or not. Did one kiss make a relationship? Okay, it was more of a make-out session in a life or death situation, but taking blood was about like sex for vampires too. Did Marcus think we were more now?
I shook my head and cried a bit at the movement. I didn't have time to worry about my relationship status. If I didn't get in some cold water soon, my body was going to hate me even more than it already did.
Setting my drink on the nearby dresser, I didn't bother pulling clothes out yet and painstakingly pulled my sweat-soaked shirt over my head. My yoga pants were a bit harder to get off. They clung to me like a second skin, and each yank down my legs made a small whimper escape. I got one side off and tried to hop on one foot to get the other one off. Which only resulted in me ending up on the floor. Graceful, I was not.
I jerked the yoga pants the rest of the way down my leg and scrawled across the floor. Trying to stand was going to be too painful, and I just wasn't up to it. What happened to the super healing powers that came with this gig? I mean, I could hear far more than I wanted to, and God knew my nose had found new smells than I ever had the right to know. I was supposed to be harder to kill. So, why did I feel like I'd been run over by a Mack truck?
Flipping on the cold water, I hissed as I pulled myself over the edge of the tub. I flicked the switch for the showerhead and sat on the bottom of the tub while the cold water rushed over me. I tried to close the curtain, but even that seemed to be more than I was up for.
Once my muscles had relaxed enough for me to move without dying, I inched to my feet and closed the plastic curtain. Turning the shower knob, I changed the water over to a more moderate temperature. I leaned forward against the shower wall, placing my forehead against the cold tile as the water rushed over my aching body.
I didn't know how long I stood in the shower before the bedroom door opened. Not turning around, I listened to the soft footsteps cross the bedroom, and the clack of dress shoes hit the tiled bathroom floor.
"When did you get home?" Darren's soft voice asked from the other side of the curtain.
I cleared my throat, and even that made me wince. "Just a few minutes ago."
There was some shuffling, and then the curtain opened. Cold air brushed against my back and legs. Darren's naked body stepped up behind mine, his gloveless fingers trailing over my back. I tried not to flinch at his touch.
"They worked you hard today." No questions. No accusations. Just statements.
Not looking a gift horse in the mouth, I swallowed and breathed out, "Yeah."
"Have you seen any of the masters yet?" Darren pushed my hair over my shoulder, and his lips skimmed my skin.
"No," I shuddered, my body warming at just the feel of him near me. Even though I was so tired, I still reacted to him quickly.
"Antoine is in his office. Perhaps a visit is in need?" He made it a question, giving me a choice. Not demanding I go to our master. Though, calling Antoine my master was about as true as calling the mayor the master of every person in the city.
Laughable.
"Maybe later," I shifted around until I faced him, the water spilling over both of us. I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, sinking into the feel of his body against mine. It wasn't just lust I felt for Darren. It was safety. Comfort. Friendship. Being one of the only other humans in a household of vampires will bring you closer than anything else. And I didn't see myself shacking up with Gretchen. Though, her cooking was worth going lesbian for.
"You're hurting," Darren murmured against my lips but he didn't pull away.
"Am I?" I leaned into him, scrapping my nipples against his chest. "I had forgotten."
Smiling, Darren shifted away from me and picked up the nearby loofah. "Let me get your back."
My face might have felt like a big swollen muscle, but I found myself grinning as I turned around. "Yes, sir."
