Page 10 of Her Vampire Hero

She couldn’t help a yawn that popped up out of nowhere. "I should go. It's getting late, and I’ve had an eventful day."

“It’s been a pleasure talking with you.” Rook's smile was warm, if a little sad.

As Jenny stood to leave, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow disappointed Rook. But that was ridiculous, right? She barely knew him. And yet...

"Thanks for the tea," she said, hovering awkwardly by the door. "And the chat. It was nice."

"Tomorrow, would you like for me to give you the night tour of Beastly Falls?"

Jenny wasn’t sure why her pulse spiked or the sudden flush of happiness that coursed through her, but she nodded. “Yeah, I’d love that.” And she meant it too.

“Then it’s a date.”

Was it?Or was it just a turn of phrase that Rook used?

As Jenny walked back to the B&B, her mind was a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts and emotions. On the one hand, she was excited about her new project with the Camry. It gave her a sense of purpose and a way to get to the interview since the Bug had shit the bed.

On the other hand, she couldn't shake the memory of Rook's touch, the intensity in his eyes when he talked about finding a home in Beastly Falls. It stirred something in her, a longing she didn't want to examine too closely. Could Rook maybe be her soulmate?

She waited to feel a surge of ridicule at the thought. When it didn’t come, Jenny wondered how the rest of the week was going to turn out.

Chapter Four

The next night, Jenny stood in front of the mirror in her room, frowning at her reflection. She'd changed outfits three times already, which was ridiculous. This wasn't a date. It was just a tour of the town with Rook. A night-time tour. With gorgeous vampire who made her heart race every time he looked at her.

"Oh, for the love of spark plugs," she muttered, running a hand through her hair. "I just need to get through this week and get out, not play Bella Swan with the local bloodsucker."

A knock at the door startled her out of her internal pep talk. "Jenny, dear?" Esme's voice called. "Rook's here for you. And if you don’t mind me saying so, the two of you would make a lovely couple.”

Jenny groaned. Great. Now she had a matchmaking werewolf landlady to deal with. "I'll be right down."

She gave herself one last once-over in the mirror. The jeans and blouse she'd gotten from Orla's shop hugged her curves in all the right places, striking a balance between casual and "maybe I tried a little." With a nod of satisfaction, she headed downstairs.

Rook was waiting in the foyer, and she went all gooey inside looking at him. His dark hair was artfully tousled, and his black button-down shirt and slacks made his pale skin glow in the dim light. When he saw her, his eyes lit up in a way that made Jenny's stomach do a complicated gymnastics routine.

"You look exquisite." His deep voice sent quivers through her.

A blush crept up her neck and she cursed internally. She was not some blushing schoolgirl, damn it. "Thanks," she said, aiming for nonchalant and probably missing by a mile. "For a guy who doesn't show up in mirrors, you nailed it."

Rook offered his arm with an old-world charm. "I thought we might start with the library. It's quite unique, even by Beastly Falls standards."

As they stepped out into the night, Jenny was very conscious of the strong muscles of Rook’s arm under her fingertips. Streetlights flickered with an otherworldly glow, and she stepped closer to Rook, drawn to his solid presence. He smelled good too.

"So," she said, trying to distract herself from her rioting hormones, "what's so special about this library? Does it have a restricted section full of books that try to eat you?"

Rook's lips twitched. "Nothing quite so dramatic, I'm afraid. Though I would advise against wandering into the ancient curses section without proper protection."

Jenny couldn't tell if he was joking or not, which was becoming a distressingly common occurrence in this town.

As they approached the library, Jenny's eyes widened. The building itself was impressive enough—a grand, Victorian-style structure that looked like it had been plucked straight out of a fairytale. But it was the gargoyle perched on the roof that really caught her attention. Because the gargoyle was moving.

"Uh, Rook?" she said, her voice higher than she'd like to admit. "Please tell me that's just some really impressive animatronics."

Rook followed her gaze and smiled. "Ah, that would be Xavier. He's the library's protector. Xavier," he called out. "You have a visitor."

The gargoyle—Xavier, apparently—turned his stone head towards them. Then, with a grinding of rock on rock that setJenny's teeth on edge, he spread his wings and glided down to land in front of them.

"Holy crankshaft," Jenny breathed, taking an involuntary step back.

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