Page 15 of Her Vampire Hero

Jenny wiped her brow with the back of her hand, leaving a smear of grease across her forehead. The old Camry's engine was proving to be more stubborn than she'd anticipated. As she leaned over the hood, the cool night air of Beastly Falls kissed her skin, a welcome relief from the day's heat that still radiated from the asphalt beneath her feet.

The parking lot was eerily quiet, save for the occasional clang of the tools she found in the trunk against metal and the distant hoot of an owl. Jenny couldn't shake the feeling that the owl might be more than just a bird in this strange town. For all she knew, it could be someone's grandmother.

"Burning the midnight oil, I see," a smooth voice cut through the silence, nearly causing Jenny to drop her wrench.

She whirled around to find Rook standing there. She was prepared to be embarrassed about last night. She wasn’t prepared for the way her body responded to him.

Mine.Something inside her said. And that shook her more than she wanted to admit.

Oblivious, he held out a steaming travel mug to her.

"Is this another blend?" she asked, inhaling the soothing scent. The aroma that wafted up was rich and complex, with notes of herbs she couldn't quite place.

"Yes, I’ve been trying new things." There was a hint of pride in his voice that Jenny found endearing.

She accepted the tea, their fingers brushing in the exchange. The touch, brief as it was, sent a jolt through her that had nothing to do with the sparkplug she'd been fiddling with earlier.

"Thanks," she mumbled, bringing the brew to her lips. Jenny took a sip, letting the warm liquid roll over her tongue. It was unlike anything she'd ever tasted before—earthy and sweet, with a hint of honey.

"Well?" Rook asked, rocking back on his heels.

Before Jenny could answer, a sudden spark flew from the Camry's engine. Startled, she inhaled sharply, accidentally sucking in a mouthful of tea. She spluttered, spraying tea all over Rook's crisp white shirt.

"Oh, shit." Jenny coughed, mortified. "I'm so sorry"

Rook looked down at his now tea-stained shirt, an expression of amused surprise on his face. "Well, that's one way to give feedback."

Jenny grabbed a rag from her back pocket and started dabbing at Rook's shirt without thinking. It wasn't until her hand was pressed against his chest that she realized what she was doing. She could feel the firm muscles beneath the damp fabric and realized she didn’t want the barrier of his shirt between them.

She jerked her hand back as if burned, her face flushing. "I, uh... sorry about that. Again."

Rook's eyes locked with hers, and for a moment, the air between them crackled with electricity. "No harm done. Though I must say, your method of marking your territory is rather unconventional."

Jenny chuckled at his playful response, feeling some of the tension ease. "Careful there, vampire boy. With charm like that, you might make me forget I'm supposed to be fixing this car and not fraternizing with the local undead."

“If only it was that easy.”

She leaned against the car, taking another sip of the tea—carefully this time. "This really is good, you know. When it's not being used as a projectile weapon."

"High praise," Rook said, moving to stand beside her. He was close enough that Jenny could smell his cologne. It was woodsy and intoxicating. "Though I must admit, I'm more interested in hearing about you than my tea-making skills."

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "Me? I'm not that interesting. Unless you want to hear about the finer points of carburetor maintenance."

"On the contrary," Rook said, his voice low and intimate. "I find you endlessly fascinating. For instance, I'd love to know more about your interview."

Jenny sighed, staring into her mug. "If they’ll even still consider me. The interview was supposed to be today. It was for a reality TV show likeAmerican Choppers. Did you guys get to see that before the curse happened?”

Rook thought about it and shook his head. “It doesn’t ring a bell.”

“Rats, it was probably just on the cusp of when the curse happened. Did you guys even have reality TV back then?”

“I wasn’t much of a fan, but I remember MTV had something called theReal Worldand the Animal Planet hadThe Crocodile Hunter.”

“Oh man, Steve Irwin, RIP.”

“What?”

“Never mind. Spoilers. Yeah, so like those I guess onlyAmerican Chopperswas basically about a family who made custom motorcycles for celebrities. The show centered around the trials and tribulations that their whole factory went through to do this. Long story short, it went off the air after being wildly popular for a bunch of years. And now a new set of TV producers are trying to make gold again. But this time it’s about a bunch of mechanics...” She pointed to herself. “...Rebuilding antique automobiles like my 1963 VW bug out there. Or...” She patted the hood. “...This twenty-four-year-old beauty here.”

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