Page 33 of Shut Up and Bite Me

Opening the door, I unload my haul into the fridge. I don’t know how far I’m willing to take this flirting. I like Greyson, I do, but his involvement with me makes him a target. If anyone hurts him…it would destroy me. And I don’t know if I can survive that kind of pain again.

“Shit.” Spinning on my heels, I come face to chest with Greyson.

He smirks and cages me against the fridge with one arm as his other hand lifts my chin up. “Thank you.”

“Y-Yeah, you’re welcome. Gotta keep my bloodling fed well,” I stutter. “It’s no big deal.”

He swallows hard. “It is to me.” And pauses. “How can I return the favor?”

Ugh, I hate how nervous he is making me right now. I should push him away, put a little distance between us. But I can’t. Everything in my body wants to be near him.

“Eat the food. That seems fair enough to me.” I bite back my grin.

He raises his wrist to my lips. “Only if you do the same.”

“Later,” I whisper, gently pushing at his chest and sneaking beneath his arm pinned by my head.

“Are you running from me?” he snarks and scoffs. “You think you’re too fast for me?”

Turning enough to glare at him, I laugh. “It’s cute that you think you have any chance of catching me.”

“Should we make a bet?” he challenges, squaring his shoulders up with me.

Shrugging, I spin on the ball of my foot, facing him fully. “If you win?”

“Then I get to devour my favorite sweet treat between your legs right here on this counter,” he groans, stepping toward me and snaking his finger beneath the hem of my skirt. “If you win?”

A thousand ideas flash in my mind, all of which I desperately want to do in the confines of my bedroom. But I’m too on edge to relax after what Autumn said.

Glancing to the side, I spot Lucy walking into the room. “You take Lucy for a walk.”

His brows furrow. “Does she like going on walks? Like on a leash?”

Lucy brushes against my leg before glancing up at me, her green eyes narrowing like she can hear me volunteering her for a walk, which she absolutely does not enjoy.

“Oh yeah,” I lie through my teeth, “She loves them.”

He studies me with suspicion. “How should we do this? On the count of three?”

By the time he finishes the last word of his question, I’m already standing halfway up the staircase before sitting and crossing my ankles.

Surprise widens his eyes as he searches for me, finding me a few moments later, annoyance in his stare. “Oh, so you’re cheating?”

Standing up, I brush my hands down the suede skirt. “Not at all. I was just using your blabbing to my advantage.”

He strides, his long legs bringing him to the base of the stairs in seconds. “Yeah, exactly.Cheating.”

“Are you going to catch me or not?” I sigh, pretending I couldn’t be more bored.

He chuckles deeply and roughly. “You better run fast.”

He digs his feet into the floor before charging up the stairs. I love his confidence, but it truly is wasted on this challenge. There is no world where he catches me unless I let him.

Turning, I race up the stairs, and within three seconds, I’m standing in my grand office, which has certainly seen better days when it wasn’t covered in an inch of dust. Tapping into my hearing, I can tell Greyson is nearing the top of the stairs. He’s fast. But I’m faster.

Running out of the room, I rush past Greyson, trailing my fingers across his torso as I pass, the wind from my speed whipping at his hair and clothes. I’m going to go to my bedroom, lead him in there, and then go back downstairs and wait for him in the kitchen. Might as well give him a nice little workout before I end our game.

My fangs fight to protrude from my gums, my power wanting to fully come out and play, but I keep it at bay.

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