Page 33 of Only Human in Strangeville

The car started and I breathed a sigh of relief that they hadn’t messed with his vehicle, too.

“Oh, she threw my phone out the window. I don’t know where it is.”

“We’ll find it,” Oliver assured me.

I fidgeted the entire drive back to the apartment complex, no idea what I should do. Did I move again? Take Nimbus and hide away until he was older? Hide at the coffee shop and in my apartment until the outside world was safe again?

Though my mind reeled, I had not come up with any answers by the time we got back to the apartment complex.

Oliver stayed right with me while I let Nimbus take a potty break and then he walked me inside and to my room. The cool, dark hallway contrasted so sharply with the afternoon sunlight, and though I’d grown used to Oliver’s aroma of baked goods, it tickled at my nose now, making me hungry. Hungry for the lunch I hadn’t had, and hungry for touch.

He offered a hug and I stepped into his embrace. This time I tilted my head back and met his eyes. I wasn’t sure he was breathing, and I certainly held my breath. Was I going too far? Asking for too much? And what about Katsuro and Davin? It was all too much, and I pushed those worries away.

Hesitantly, Oliver cupped my jaw and brushed his thumb lightly over my cheek. My pulse raced as I leaned into his touch.

“Hannah…” he trailed off, instead lowering his lips until they were a breath away from mine. “I don’t want to take advantage,” he finally whispered.

“Maybe I’m the one taking advantage,” I replied, and closed the distance between us.

It was almost like a very first kiss. Hannah, the person I’d had to become, had never been kissed after all. I’d certainly never kissed anyone like Oliver. Monster, man, he held me gently and followed my every lead. I pressed with my tongue, and he opened for me, letting me take what I needed and giving everything I asked for.

Oliver’s fingers dug into my back, gently, possessively. He made an appreciative sound, and I briefly wondered how long it had been since he’d kissed anyone. Maybe he needed this as much as I did?

A door clicked open and Nimbus rooed softly. I could practically feel shock radiate down the hallway, and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up.

Oliver broke off our kiss with an annoyed grunt and turned to look, but by the time we responded, no one was there.

My landlord took a deep breath before turning his attention back to me.

“I should…” He cleared his throat. “I should probably go.”

I was on the verge of asking him to stay when he turned and hurried away.

“Fuck me,” I whispered, hugging myself. What a crazy day it had been, and it wasn’t even over yet. I had no idea what was going to happen when the vampires woke up, but I expected I’d hear from them.

Until then, I was going to hide in my room and try to figure out what the hell I was going to do. I touched my lips once I was inside. I’d felt the need for physical contact before, but kissing Oliver had awakened the desire and brought my need to a whole new level. And now I had to navigate that business, too. Three men I was interested in, and none of them I wanted to alienate.

Ugh. Maybe I should just move. Hiding away until Nimbus was older was beginning to seem like the best choice. I didn’t want to hide, but I wasn’t sure if I had another encounter with this sort of danger in me.

The first one had been bad enough. Uncovering the trafficking ring had saved countless lives, but it had taken almost a year to manage all the arrests. A year of undercover work I wasn’t qualified for but was the only one who could do it. A year of stress, of looking over my shoulder, of wondering if I was next. I was an accountant. I’d taken a new job looking for higher pay, and it had been great, until I’d started finding discrepancies.

After a little digging, I’d gone to the police instead of my employer. That had probably saved my life. An astute sergeant had put a few pieces together and called the feds. They’d enlisted my help with the rest of their investigation. Not that I’d had a lot of choice. I’d been in danger since I’d taken the job. I just hadn’t known it.

Now I was Hannah, and living in Beechworth, a small town apparently inhabited by supernaturals, instead of the beach town I’d loved. And I was in danger again. Possibly because of the adorably floofy cloud of fur that was currently following me around with his ears flat and his tail down instead of curled over his back. It was entirely possible I would have ended up in trouble regardless and I didn’t regret rescuing him. I just wished I could have had the quiet and peace I’d been after.

A cold draft chilled me. I stopped my pacing and stared around, trying to figure out where it came from. It was warm outside, but cool enough in the building that I didn’t have any air-conditioning going.

Nimbus gave a high-pitched bark before jumping up and snapping at the draft.

I could almost see it swirl away, as if the temperature difference briefly caused mist.

“Okay, what was that?” I kneeled and Nimbus came over to me. I buried my fingers in his fluff.

Of course, I didn’t get an answer from the little guy, but I got the idea he was tired. I couldn’t imagine why. It’s not like we had a busy day or anything. I sighed, a little tired myself as the adrenalin faded.

“Let’s get you some food and we’ll have a nap. How about that?”

He curled his tail over his back and wagged it happily.

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