Page 19 of The Vampire and the Case of the Perilous Poltergeist

Connor had more money than anyone I knew – including my parents – yet he was dressed in his simple brown work boots, jeans and a flannel shirt. And because he knew it melted me; his flannel shirt was rolled up to display his powerful forearms.

I moved without conscious thought – and far too fast – as I zipped with accidental vampire speed right into his arms. I dropped my bag and flung myself at him like he was the oxygen I needed. I wrapped my legs tightly around his waist, lowered my lips to his and lost myself in the taste and smell of Connor, my home.

The bond between us gave an almightyzing, and the clawing anxiety that had been growling in my stomach eased for the first time in weeks.Home.Such a yummy home. The scent of sandalwood, bergamot and vanilla filled my nostrils. He smelleddivine.

When Jones yelled cheekily at us to ‘get a room’, I reddened and my hands stilled on the buttons of Connor’s shirt. I’d undone all but one of them, displaying his chest for me – and everyone else – to admire. I hadn’t been thinking of anything but getting that man inside me,now,and I’d completely forgotten where we were. His heaving chest and dark eyes said the same.

I reluctantly let him go and slid down to place my feet back on the ground. We both took several gulping breaths. If Jones hadn’t said anything, we would totally have fucked on the hood of his truck. Eep.

Without a hint of self-consciousness, Connor undid the last button of his shirt because it was easier than doing them all back up again. He put his hand in the small of my back, led me to the passenger side of the truck and opened the door. As I slid in, he slung my bag into the boot. We still hadn’t spoken a single word, but sometimes words weren’t necessary.

Connor climbed into the driver’s side and looked at me with a gaze that was still scorching. ‘Hey,’ I said.

A smile curved his lips. ‘Hey, Bunny. It’s damn good to see you.’

I grinned. ‘You too. I’ve never been happier to see anyone in my whole life.’

He reached out, laced his fingers through mine and closed his eyes. ‘What you do to me,’ he murmured. He took another deep breath and opened his eyes, then turned the key in the ignition and we motored off. I didn’t know where we were going and truthfully I didn’t care. All I wanted was a couple of days away from the academy and that damned poltergeist.

Seeing Connor was a dream come true, but it also gave me a wave of longing for Portlock. I missed Fluffy and Shadow, and I missed Gunnar and Sigrid. I even missed Stan. I brightened at the thought that hopefully I’d get to see him before he left. He wasn’t Fluffy or Shadow, but he would definitely be better than nothing.

The truck hit a rut in the road and we bounced around in the cab for about five minutes afterwards. ‘I like the vehicle,’ I said a little sarcastically. ‘Great suspension.’

Connor laughed. ‘I hear you. It turns out it’s hard to find a rental on the island. I was told this was the last one and it was, quote, “a beater with a heater”.’

It was certainly that: it was a basic model with a manual and no extras. You had to roll down the windows with the little arm thingy – not that you needed to because it was cold outside. I was glad it wasn’t raining since my bag was in the back and it had no cover.

We were wedged into the cab together with barely room for Connor to change gear. The tight confines totally nixed my idea of having truck sex; I’d have to wait for an actual bed – heck, a sofa would do.

Connor turned left on the highway out of town, drove less than a mile and pulled into a petrol station. We didn’t fill up; instead he drove through to the back where there was a brewery. ‘Are we going to dinner?’ I asked, and my stomach growled a little. I could always eat.

‘We sure are, but I thought you’d like to see your surprise first.’

I beamed and bounced on the small seat. I loved surprises! ‘You know me. I can’t wait!’

He smiled indulgently and squeezed my hand. ‘I do know you. You’re going to love it.’ I hoped so. My expectations were high and I expected good things of Connor Mackenzie.

At the back of the brewery there was a small apartment building where he parked up. ‘This is where we’re staying. All of these apartments are Airbnbs,’ he explained.

He came around to open my door and help me out then picked up my bag and ushered me towards a ground-floor apartment – and hopefully my surprise.

Chapter 18

Connor knocked on our apartment door, which made me frown. Why was he knocking? Then he immediately punched in the door code and opened the door without waiting for a response. Oh-kay.

He tossed my bag on a chair whilst I looked around. It was a fair-sized studio apartment with a small bathroom in the back. It reminded me of my old flat in London, though it was bigger, cleaner and had nicer furnishing.

I couldn’t see any packages or anything. Hmm… Where was my surprise? Then the door to the bathroom, which hadn’t been fully closed, flew open and Fluffy and Shadow came bounding towards me.

‘Oh!’ My eyes filled with tears as I squatted down to greet the most wonderful surprise ever. My complicated four-legged friends engulfed me with their exuberant greetings and love –plus an extra side of spit from Fluffy, who must have just had a drink. Lovely. Let’s hope it hadn’t been a drink from the toilet.

‘I missed both of you so much!’ I tried to stroke them both at the same time. Shadow jumped on my shoulder and buried his purring face under my hair and into my neck. I grabbed the heavy kitten and snuggled him until he squirmed. Fluffy waited patiently for his turn, sitting on his haunches with his head cocked. His tail hadn’t stopped wagging since he’d seen me. Once Shadow jumped down, he walked over calmly and put his head in my hands. I gave him several full body cuddles as I murmured how happy I was to see him.

‘I can’t believe you brought them to me!’ I said to Connor after the love fest was over. ‘How did you pull that off?’

‘Well, I chartered a plane – for Shadow, mainly – so that was easy. It was a little harder with the Airbnb, but I convinced them it would be fine.’

There was something in his tone that told me there was more to that story ‘How?’ I pressed. I continued to scruff Fluffy’s ears and caress Shadow as he rubbed against me.

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