Page 31 of Hot Blooded

Tessa laughed. “You make me come in my drawers every time we see each other.”

“It’s less messy for you.”

“I assure you, it’s not. I’ve started keeping a change of underwear in my bag for after I leave your place.”

Amos’s gaze heated. That rumbling purr resonated quietly in his chest.

“Are you thinking about my wet panties right now?” Tessa asked with feigned affront. “And here I thought you were a gentleman.”

“I think I’ve pretty conclusively proven otherwise.”

Tessa softened against him. “You’re wrong,” she said contentedly.

Amos chuckled. “I’ll try to live up to your high regard.” He shifted, pulling away from her. “Starting with feeding you. I’ll be right back.”

Tessa stretched out languidly, sighing a long, contented breath. A moment later, Amos returned, wearing different jeans, arms filled with snacks. Tessa pushed herself up to sit, feeling dizzy and off-balance. Amos sank down beside her, spreading his offerings on the couch between them. Tessa selected one at random—a packet of dried cherries covered in dark chocolate—and struggled with clumsy fingers to rip it open. Amos took it from her, opened it, and handed it back.

“Thank you,” she said, popping one into her mouth.

Amos watched her, his gaze occasionally dipping to the cleavage revealed by her top, before valiantly dragging back up to her face. She nearly choked laughing when he realized she’d caught him looking and his eyes went wide. Red suffused his cheeks. So strange to think that it was her blood doing that to him. Her blood giving him that raging erection earlier, too.

“Like what you see?” she teased.

His startled expression shifted to amusement. “Very much.” He might’ve been embarrassed at being caught out, but he wasn’t shy about his appreciation. He was just, whether he believed it or not, a true gentleman. And to Amos’s mind, probably, a gentleman didn’t ogle a lady’s tits, no matter how invitingly they were displayed. Never mind that she’d very intentionally written the invitation, and would’ve been happy to hand deliver it.

But, as much as she wanted to take things further with Amos, Tessa had no intention of rushing his courtship. There was something about the contrast between his polite self-control and the dark hunger it concealed that made Tessa’s toes curl and her heart pound.

Chapter 9

For the umpteenth time that night, Amos let his gaze track over Tessa’s body. He felt like a creep, but Tessa had made it fairly clear that she enjoyed the admiration. She was the most perfectly formed woman he’d ever laid eyes on. Everything about her was lush and curving. She was a dramatic hourglass, with thick thighs, full hips, and breasts that could make a man weep. The desire to run his hands over every soft curve, to squeeze and stroke, to feel every inch of her, was nearly unbearable.

That he’d fed from her twice in one night—and after Tessa’s wicked little game of make-believe—was making the possessiveness stronger. He found himself imagining all the places on her body he’d like to feed from, the places where he might leave his claim mark. Somewhere intimate? Or somewhere visible? Both had their appeal.

Tessa glanced up and caught him staring at her again. He felt the flush in his cheeks, but couldn’t bring himself to feel too sorry when she gave him a feral little smile in return.

“What’s the occasion?” he asked, giving himself at least a modicum of justification for the intense scrutiny. He continued to watch intently as Tessa nibbled her way through the chocolate-covered cherries.

“Hm?”

He gestured at her outfit. “Why no scrubs?”

“Oh. There’s no occasion. These are just my regular clothes. I don’t have to work tonight.”

“No?” Excitement sparked in his chest. “Does that mean you’re free to stay?”

“Yes. If you’ll have me.”

Amos raked his hand through his hair, so pleased he could hardly reply, then suddenly overwhelmed. “I wish I’d known you could stay. I’d have planned something. I should take you out. Somewhere nice. A piano bar? Do you like champagne? If you give me a second to change, we can go—”

“Amos.” She stilled his anxious babbling with a hand on his chest. “You don’t have to take me anywhere.”

“I know I don’t have to, but I want to do right by you. I want to give you the things you deserve.” He raked his fingers through his hair again. He had to do this right. He knew he wasn’t the most exciting man, immortal or otherwise, but he would do whatever it took to make Tessa happy.

Tessa curled her fingers around his bicep, pulling his arm down before he tugged all his hair out. “I’m on my feet all day every day. A night in would be perfect.”

That made sense, and he wanted to believe her—largely because staying in suited his own introversion. But he was afraid she was just being polite. “Are you sure? I told you I was going to court you properly, and I meant it.”

“Honest. I don’t really want to be surrounded by people right now. I spend most my waking hours at work, surrounded by people, and even when I’m at home, I’m constantly surrounded by family.” She blew out a heavy breath. “I love them, but they’re…a lot.”

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