Page 14 of Dead Heat

“Fine. I’ll go, but you should know that picture is crooked.” She dissipated.

Kane tightened his hold on my waist. “Is the audience gone?”

“Not yet. We have a lurker.” I gave Ray a pointed look, prompting the ghost to disappear. “My place is definitely out for date night.”

“We could go into town. There’s a new Greek restaurant that’s getting rave reviews.” His lips migrated to my earlobe, flooding my body with pleasant shivers. “Or I could arrange something special for us at the club if privacy is more of a priority.”

I closed my eyes and immersed myself in the tingling sensations. “I vote for privacy.”

“Consider it done.” His warm breath on my neck only added to the heady feeling. Too bad Alessandro left. The incubus would be satiated by now.

CHAPTER THREE

An hour after Kane left,I could still feel the touch of his lips on mine. I felt like a giddy teenager, which was odd because I hadn’t experienced that sensation even when I was one. Living in survival mode meant no first dates or makeout sessions. No homecoming or prom. No typical rites of passage.

Kane felt like all those experiences rolled into one incredible package.

The buzz of my phone snapped me back to earth. Otto’s name lit up the screen.

“Hey, buddy.”

“Buddy?” the vampire queried.

“Pal. Chum. Amigo.”

“I prefer Otto. Any chance you’re free for dinner later?”

“Hold on. Let me consult my staff.” My gaze flicked to Nana Pratt and Ray. “Can I go to Otto’s for dinner, or do you need me here?”

“You’re an adult, and this is your house,” Ray said. “You don’t need our permission to leave.”

“I know, but you’re both tackling projects in my house, and I don’t want to shirk my responsibilities.”

“It might benefit you to shirk more often,” Otto’s voice emanated from the phone.

I hit the mute button. “Otto serves the best food in town. I promise to describe it to you in great detail.”

“Including the smells,” Nana Pratt said, wagging a finger. “You always forget the smells.”

I held up my hand. “I hereby swear to cover all five senses.”

She jerked her wrinkled chin. “Go on then.”

I unmuted the phone. “What time should I be there?”

“Does seven o’clock suit you?”

“Sure. Are we playing Scrabble? Because I need to warn you, I didn’t sleep well last night. My brain function might fail to meet your standards.”

I’d bought the blind vampire a special tactile edition of the game so we could play together. He’d wanted to teach me chess, but I was more of a Scrabble girl.

“Scrabble is out of commission today. Heidi had to wash the pieces.”

“We’re supposed to wash the pieces?”

“We are when we discover some of the pieces are covered in barbecue dust from potato chips.”

My cheeks burned. “Huh. I wonder how that happened.”

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