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The professor was the kind of guy you went all in on. There was no room for heartache there. And that was how I liked it.
“No, thanks. I prefer to walk.”
His lips turned up in the corners just the slightest bit. “Suit yourself. See you there.”
Demi handed him a baggie of cookies for my father, and we both said our goodbyes to everyone and walked out toward his car in silence. He paused when he reached for the door handle and dangled the keys around on his finger.
“Last chance. It’s awfully warm out here today,” he said.
“I like the sun,” I lied. My shoulders were sunburned, and I was overheated from all my time in the water today.
“Said no vampire ever.”
“Can you not come up with anything else than calling me a bloodsucker?”
“Sure. I think you’re an amazing cocksucker.”
A laugh escaped my lips, and I quickly corrected myself and started walking before shouting my lame response over my shoulder. “Takes one to know one.”
When I turned down the street leading to the hospital, he drove past me slowly. “You’re looking a little red, Queenie. Sure you don’t want to get into this air-conditioned car? You might get sun poisoning.”
“Well, I’m heading to the hospital, so I’ll seek medical attention there if needed.”
“All right. See you later.”
He drove off, and I tried to talk some sense into myself. Why was I so drawn to him? Was it the sex? Obviously, it had been mind-blowing, but I’d been drawn to him even before the sex.
It was classic behavior. I’d had an unstable childhood. An unfit mother figure.
I’d had to grow up far too young.
Of course, I’d be drawn to a walking tornado.
A sexy, tempting, witty wrecking ball.
But I knew better than to let this go any further. I’d dipped my toes into the sexually explosive waters, and now it was time to tap out.
Or tap that.
Damn. There I go again.
No more River Pierce.
I needed distance and space and all the willpower that I could muster.
My phone rang, and I pulled it from my back pocket and saw Dereck’s name on the screen. It had been a while since I’d spoken to him, so I answered the call.
“Hey. How are you?” I asked.
“I’m well. How about you? How’s your father?” His voice was deep and void of emotion. He was the calmest person I’d ever met. There were no highs, no lows, no ups and downs with him. He was always steady.
Which also translated to extremely boring.
But at least there was no drama.
“He’s doing all right. He’s in a rehab facility, and he’s got a long road ahead of him, but he’s making good progress.”
“That’s good news, Ruby. I, er, I wanted to reach out for a few reasons.”
