Page 27 of Blood Sugar

The kitchen witch swallowed. “You’ve been getting thinner.”

“So?” I demanded. “There’s nothing wrong with that. Lots of women would be thrilled.”

His eyes darkened. “It’s not okay if you’re wasting away from thirst. I won’t let you do that again. I can’t.”

Something dominant flickered across his face. There was nothing I could say when he was this deadly serious.

“Okay,” I whispered.

Honey eyes rose to meet mine. “Thank you,” he said finally.

“You’re so bossy,” I said, my sass coming back with my energy.

Now it was Rowen’s turn to roll his eyes, but his hand went to the small of my back as we headed back downstairs to his bakery. His steady presence was slowly but surely breaking down my barriers, and more than anything else, that scared me.

Chapter 8

Taking Care

Rowen

My fingers drummed on the countertop as relief threaded through me. “I really appreciate it.”

“Looking forward to it!” the young man chirped.

“See you tomorrow, Bastion,” I said, ending the call with a rough exhale.

Bastion worked at the bakery in the summers, and now he was taking a gap year from college. The timing was perfect, because I couldn’t keep spending all day at the bakery helping customers and still be at my best for Sadie with two hours of sleep. Energy spells only got you so far.

She wasn’t the only one struggling. And frankly, if I swooned when she fed from me, she’d probably refuse to ever bite me again. I couldn’t take the risk. I needed more rest and some solid meals.

That was why after I finished my call, I headed out to the diner to eat a solid meal—meat-lovers’ breakfast, followed by drinking half a gallon of water.

By early afternoon, I couldn’t take it any longer. Heading into the bakery, I worked through as many tasks as possible so there wouldn’t be much for Sadie and I to do that evening. I wanted the extra time to talk with her. Feed her. Make sure she was okay.

Even as I lost myself in the familiar movements of kneading, mixing, measuring, and shaping, my brain wouldn’t stop returning to Sadie. It should have scared me how much I fixated on her, but I didn’t care. Once I decided I wanted something, like running my grandmother’s bakery, I was all in.

And when she said she was going out to feed off someone else a few days ago, I lost my mind. That was when I knew I needed her to be mine and mine alone.

Now, I just had to be patient and let my relationship with Sadie grow naturally—let her develop feelings for me too, hopefully. She was interested. I could tell from her lingering glances and the way her breathing changed when I drew close to her.

It filled me with yearning to feel her skin warm under my hands as she leaned into my touch. And tonight, she would drink from me again. Her lips would be on my skin, I could pull her close, brush my fingers through her hair.

A timer beeped, and I jolted in place. It was time to remove the quick breads from the oven. Typically, I turned the timers off right before they sounded, because I knew the timing of all of my bakes by heart, but I had been so wrapped up in Sadie, I missed it.

Shaking my head, I grabbed my oven mitt and yanked open the oven, letting the scent of caramelized sugar wash over me. Maybe I would come up with a new cherry recipe for Sadie.

Imagining her tasting a recipe I made just for her, I pulled the trays from the oven with a goofy grin on my face.

“Man, you’re really happy with that bread,” a soft, sensual voice said from the archway that led to the front of the bakery.

Turning, I drank her in. A berry-red dress hugged her curves and flared over her hips. Her hair was curled and her lips matched her dress perfectly. More importantly, a healthy flush filled her cheeks and neck. She looked so much better than she had before she drank from me. A primal satisfaction twisted in my gut. I’d done that.

Before I could think better of it, I shucked off my mitt, and crossed the room to stand in front of her. My instinct was to sweep her up and kiss her senseless, but I settled for tying her apron at the nape of her neck like always.

“You look beautiful,” I murmured.

She smiled at me over her shoulder. “I feel much better. I really appreciate what you did for me.”