Page 16 of Hot Blooded

The smile faded.

“It’s creepy.”

A stubborn look entered his eyes, but he didn’t argue.

“I know you’re going to worry about my safety, especially after what happened tonight.” Hell, she was worried about her safety. Signing up with HemoMatch and meeting Amos had led her to believe that vampires were all civilized, upstanding members of society. Now she knew otherwise. “So I have a compromise. On days when I don’t come by for feeding, we can hang out during my lunch break. And on days when you’re not with me, I won’t leave the building for lunch.”

Amos considered it. Slowly, the boyish smile returned. “I accept your compromise.”

The waitress appeared with Tessa’s sandwich, and she tucked into it happily, the mood suddenly much lighter.

“You have a healthy appetite for somebody who was just attacked by a thrall,” Amos observed in an approving tone.

“I’d have a healthy appetite in the middle of my own vivisection. Nothing puts me off my food.” She had the ass and thighs to prove it—and that wasn’t a complaint. Tessa appreciated her curves and, suddenly, she realized that Amos did too. His gaze swept subtly over her body. The more lush half of her was hidden beneath the table, but he’d already been acquainted with the feel of her thighs wrapped around him, so it wasn’t any kind of mystery.

That awareness seemed to strike them both at the same time. Amos’s gaze sharpened as it returned to hers. Tessa felt her cheeks heat. Suddenly shy, she turned her attention to her sandwich, taking a massive bite. Amos chuckled.

Despite the sensual tension lingering between them, the conversation turned to safer avenues. Amos asked how her shift was going, listening intently as she detailed the annoyance du jour—that the hospice had switched to a different brand of nitrile gloves and all the staff absolutely hated the new ones.

“They’re made for alien hands, I swear,” Tessa complained. She went still, her frown shifting from annoyance to speculation.

“What?” Amos asked.

“Now that I know vampires are real, I’m wondering if all those stories about aliens are a lot more credible than I thought.”

Amos shrugged. “I can’t help you there. I’ve often wondered myself how many mythical creatures are actually real. But the only ones I can confirm for certain are vampires and werewolves.”

Tessa shouldn’t have been shocked by that revelation considering who she was sitting across from, but she absolutely was. “Werewolves are real?”

Amos nodded, looking suddenly grim. “And mindlessly vicious. If you ever have any inkling that you’re near a werewolf or in their territory, get the hell away. They will tear you apart without a second thought.”

“How would I know if I was near one?”

“You probably wouldn’t,” he said uneasily. “They don’t come into cities much, so it shouldn’t be a problem. In their animal form, they look like incredibly large wolves. In human form, they look like any other human. Taller than average. More muscular, maybe. They smell…doggish. I don’t think you’d pick up on it, but for my kind, it’s very off-putting.”

Tessa had a thousand more questions, but she was out of time—she needed to get back to work. She waved the waitress over, asking for the check. When it came, Amos grabbed it.

“Amos,” Tessa objected. “You can’t pay. You didn’t even eat anything.”

“I will later,” he said, flashing her a dark smile.

A hot flush spread over her body. She shot an embarrassed look at the waitress, but the older woman seemed totally unfazed and uninterested. Amos handed her his card.

When lunch was paid up, Amos walked Tessa back to the hospice. She hesitated at the staff entrance, not sure how to say goodbye to him. They’d both acknowledged that there was…something…between them. They hadn’t really clarified what exactly that was, though. Tessa wasn’t sure if they were in a hug goodbye, kiss goodbye, or playful-slug-on-the-arm kind of dynamic.

“Thank you for the sandwich,” she said, fidgeting with her hospital ID card. “And thank you for, you know, saving my life, probably.”

Amos’s expression hardened at the last part. He didn’t respond to her immediately, seeming to need a moment to collect himself. “There’s no need to thank me,” he said finally. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Tessa nodded. “Yeah.”

For a taut, electrified moment, Tessa thought Amos might kiss her. Instead, he stepped back, snapping the tension like a broken string. “Goodnight, Tessa.”

“Goodnight, Amos.”

He waited while she let herself inside. When the door swung shut, he finally walked away. Tessa leaned against the potted plant in the entry, peering through the transom window, watching him go. Anticipation and confusion danced over her nerves. Had she imagined the sexual tension? He’d only said that he liked her and wanted to spend more time with her. Maybe he just wanted a buddy.

She immediately scoffed at the thought. He got as hard as a tire iron every time he fed from her. That man wasn’t just looking for a pal. With a self-satisfied smile, she finally turned away from the window and got back to work.

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