Page 8 of Hot Blooded

Amos blinked, no doubt taken aback by the sudden change of topic. “As a mortal? No. I lived in the city my whole life. I worked at a steel mill. Casting parts for large engines—trains, ships, things like that.”

That explained the shoulders.

“And you?” Amos asked, almost hesitantly.

“Oh. I’m a nurse.” She plucked at her scrubs. “I work at a hospice in palliative care.”

For a second, Amos looked totally blank-faced, then slightly incredulous. “A hospice nurse,” he repeated.

She raised her eyebrows. “Yes. Is that okay?”

“Of course it is. It’s just, you spend your days caring for people who are gravely ill or dying, and then when you’re done with that, you take care of an undead immortal. You have a diverse resume.”

It took a second for her still-scattered mind to grasp the irony. When she did, she smiled. “Well, if we’re being technical about it, I take care of the undead immortal first, then I go to the hospice. I work nights.”

“Ah, so you see the sun about as much as I do.”

“Well, I get to see the sunrise after work in the mornings. But then I go to sleep and wake up in the dark.”

They were both quiet for a moment. Tessa’s eyes landed on the bright, sunshiny flowers.

“Do you miss it?” she asked.

“The sun?”

She nodded.

“When I was first turned, I missed it desperately. But I’ve become accustomed to my life as it is.” He shrugged. “And I’ve learned how much beauty there is in the night. Moonlight on still water. The city lights against the night sky. The quietness of the streets. And when you leave the city, go out into the country, there’s even more. Fireflies in the summer. The brightness of the stars in a winter sky. The presence of night creatures like foxes and owls. When I was mortal, I slept through all that.”

She was so caught up in the simple poetry of his words and the soft rumble of his voice, it took her a second to realize he’d finished speaking. “Oh.” She straightened. “That sounds really nice.”

“I’m sorry,” Amos said suddenly, looking chagrined. “You told me that you have to go to your job after this, and I’ve been droning on.”

Had he mistaken the dazed look on her face for boredom? “No, really, it’s fine.” Then again, maybe he was trying to politely kick her out. She got up and grabbed her bag. “Thanks for, uh… having me?”

Their eyes met. A fraught silence stretched between them. Amos was the first to break, a wry smile pulling at his lips. Tessa smiled back as a choked breath escaped her, dangerously close to a giggle.

“I assure you, it was my pleasure,” Amos said.

It was definitely mine, she thought, following him as he walked her back to the front door.

Chapter 3

On Friday evening, Amos was already waiting at the front door when Tessa arrived. She rang the doorbell, and Amos counted ten breaths before he opened the door so she wouldn’t realize he’d been poised there like a stalking cat.

“Hi,” she said softly, offering a shy smile.

“Tessa. Welcome.” Amos let his gaze track over her as she stepped inside. She was wearing scrubs, green today, and all her thick, dark hair was pulled back in a tidy French braid. Amos was tempted to unravel it, but he kept his hands to himself, struggling not to loom while she toed her shoes off and deposited her bag beside them.

He forced himself to step back, to give her space. His fangs were aching, his mouth filling with saliva. But the bloodthirst was secondary to the almost puppyish eagerness at being able to hold her again, the anticipation of making her come, and the few minutes of conversation they might share afterwards.

In the sitting room, Tessa settled herself on the settee as if she’d always done this. As if sharing her blood, her warmth, her pleasure, with him was a familiar old routine. How badly Amos wanted it to be true. He froze in the doorway, stricken by a wave of helpless longing. Maybe engaging a blood donor had been a bad idea. The pleasure of live blood from a willing partner was incomparable, but the accompanying feelings were…distressing.

“Amos? Are you alright?”

He gave himself a mental shake, pushing the bleak thoughts away. “Fine. Lost in thought. Sorry about that.” He crossed the room to stand before her, gazing down, swallowing in anticipation. He began to lower himself towards her, but Tessa stopped him with a brief touch against his hand.

“Wait.”

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