Page 101 of Blood Lovers

“Are you at the gym?”

“How did you know?”

“I know everything, Ryet. We’ve been over this.”

“Is there anything else? Because I’ve got a shower going.”

He hangs up on me. I just stare at the phone as the call blanks out, shaking my head and scoffing. What the fuck? Why do I have to get stuck with the only vampire on the planet who’s needy?

I walk back over to the shower, slip past the glass partition, and walk under the water, closing my eyes and letting out a long breath as the steam wraps around me like a blanket. When I open them, everything is lavender and Paul is sitting on the marble bench on the far end of the shower, naked.

I don’t say anything. I just watch him watch me. I could yell at him for this. I could tell him to leave. I could threaten him. But why bother?

He’s gonna do what he’s gonna do.

Finally, after so many seconds pass the silence starts to become awkward, he says what’s on his mind. “You like this woman.”

It’s not a question. “Her name is Syrsee.”

“Lovely. But you didn’t answer the question.”

“I like her.”

“How did you meet?”

I sigh, unsure if I should have this conversation with him or not. But there’s something different about him right now. He’s all naked, and beautiful, and somber. Almost… vulnerable. Which is laughable. And a lie, if that’s what he’s projecting.

He is dangerous. Maybe even the most dangerous creature on this planet. Though, admittedly, my experience with vampires numbers two and a half. There’s Paul, Lucia, and Josep, but Josep is the half because I’ve never actually interacted with him. So it’s possible that the vampires on the other side of the world are more than what Paul is. And if that’s the case, I don’t ever want to meet them.

But I somehow doubt it. I think they are afraid of Paul and that’s why he was banished here. So far away they don’t have to think about him anymore.

“I found her in a parking lot. Crying.”

“What was she crying about?”

“She was hungry and the diner was closed.”

“So you saved her.” He smiles at me.

I shrug one shoulder, still enjoying the hot water and steam, even if Paul did crash in on it. “I took her back to the cabin—”

Paul winces. “Oh, that place.”

“I know.” And now I’m smiling. “She refused to take her boots off.” Now I’m laughing. “She refused to take her clothes off. She said, ‘I’m having trouble reconciling my naked body in this room.’”

“She didn’t.” Paul is amused.

“She did. And, well…” I shrug again. “I like her. So you’re probably gonna kill her or something, right?”

“Why would I do that?”

“You’re kind of a jealous asshole.”

He smiles and doesn’t deny it. “I’d like to meet her.”

“No.”

“Why not?”