Page 26 of The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Good.’ He nodded stiffly and marched off.

Fluffy and I went to the car park. By now the rain was falling even harder but suddenly I didn’t care because Connor was standing waiting for me. His dark hair was dripping but that didn’t stop a slow, sensual smile curving those delicious lips. ‘How did it go?’ he asked.

I wanted to lick those raindrops right off him. All of them. It would be a long job, like painting the Forth Bridge, but I was totally up for it. ‘We nailed it,’ I managed to say, but it came out the wrong side of breathless.

His smile widened. ‘Of course you did.’ He moved closer. ‘I didn’t doubt you for a second. Either of you.’ The space between us closed further until our bodies were pressed together. His left hand slid around my back as he pulled me into him.

I looked up at him as water poured down us both. ‘Thank you,’ I said, though my mind was blank and I had no idea what I was thanking him for.

He cupped my face gently. ‘You’re welcome,’ he murmured, and then we were kissing. The warmth of him was a sharp contrast to the cold around me. The rain was buffeting us but I couldn’t have given fewer fucks; all I felt was him, the press of his tongue against mine, the slide of his hand that was grasping my ass, pulling me to him as if he could make us one, here and now. I was on board with that plan. The scent of him swirled around me and the jolt between us was so strong that I gasped into his mouth.

Fluffy barked loudly and repeatedly. Connor pulled back and rested his forehead against mine. ‘Good thing the dog’s still got his head,’ he groaned. ‘I’ve all but lost mine.’

I rubbed against his denim trousers. ‘I don’t know – I think I’ve found one of them.’

He groaned more loudly. ‘Witch,’ he accused teasingly.

‘Apparently so,’ I said wryly. I sighed and looked at him with real longing. ‘I’ve got to go. I’ve got class.’

‘Education is important,’ Connor agreed gravely. ‘You should definitely go.’ He leaned forward and gave me a final chaste swipe of his lips. ‘Go and learn. Now. Or I’ll drag you away to teach you something else.’

‘Promises, promises,’ I shot back. I was tempted to stay with him but I also had an annoying sense of duty. Gunnar had sent me to the academy to learn; he was killing himself to hold Portlock without Sidnee and me to help him, and here was I enjoying smouldering kisses in the rain.

I stepped away from Connor with a jerk as if I was pulling myself away from a magnet. ‘Soon,’ I blurted, though again I didn’t know what I was promising.

‘Soon,’ he agreed. ‘Go, Bunny, before I don’t let you leave.’

I wanted to sass that I was a strong independent woman and he couldn’t stop me from doinganything,but my knees were weak and my vocabulary had been reduced to incomprehensible noises that would surely only encourage him. I staggered back a few more spaces and the tension left his shoulders. He opened the door to the truck and Fluffy jumped up. Connor slid in after him, then they both watched me until I’d made it back inside the building. I sent them a finger wave and turned away.

I crept into the back of the classroom and settled on a chair at the back. The wind rattled the windows as I took my seat; I guessed it was a good thing I’d come in, out of the storm.

Sidnee shot me a wide-eyed look. ‘What happened to you?’ she mouthed.

‘Rain,’ I muttered.

She sniggered. ‘Uh-huh…’

Try as I might, I couldn’t focus on anything but replaying that kiss over and over again. The thing between Connor and I was truly fire. Every now and again I tried to drag my attention back to Fischer’s lecture, but my thoughts kept bouncing between the kiss, my demonstration the next day and the poltergeist problem.

It sucked not having a tonne of free time to investigate Petty’s situation. Part of me toyed with involving Sergeant Marks because he’d have access to old records and the like, but if Petty’s issue was an internal one then the staff were the main suspects. Recruits came and went; if Petty was trying to shine a light on a problem here, surely it related to someone who worked here. Ugh. This was all so frustrating.

Sidnee poked me in the ribs. ‘What?’ I demanded.

Lieutenant Fischer cleared his throat. Crap on a stick. I looked up at him. ‘Can you answer the question, Barrington?’

Bugger. I could feel a blush trying to rise but my floppy heart wasn’t pushing enough blood for that. ‘Can you repeat it?’

With narrowed eyes and a hint of impatience he said, ‘What is the leading cause of death in cold-water immersion?’

I knew this. I leaned into my memory for the recall. ‘Umm, cold-shock response.’

‘Correct. What is that exactly?’ he pressed.

‘Um… It’s a physiological response that includes gasping for air, uncontrollable rapid breathing that can lead to drowning, increased heart rate, peripheral vasoconstriction and hypertension, which can all decrease circulation and increase the risk of death even in calm water.’

‘Correct.’ He went back to his lecture.

---