Page 92 of Fang Fatale

“I knew that braid was going to pay off eventually.”

She smiles.

“It wasn’t just the braid.”

“No?”

“It was the toast.”

I blink.

“The toast?”

“And carrying me.”

She brushes her thumb lightly across my jaw.

“And making me feel safe.”

She hesitates.

“I think...somewhere along the way...I stopped wanting you to protect me because I was afraid.”

My heart forgets whatever job it was supposed to be doing.

“I just wanted you.”

I close my eyes for a second.

“Well,” I murmur.

“That’s inconvenient.”

She laughs.

“For who?”

“For the emotionally constipated vampire who was trying very hard not to fall for his client.”

“Oh.”

She smiles.

“So that didn’t work out?”

“Catastrophically.”

She kisses me again.

Not tentative this time.

Certain.

When she pulls back, she's still smiling.

“So…”

“So…”