Page 76 of Blood and Buttercups

“Do you live at the gym?” I ask as my eyes wander over him.

His expression goes from concerned to smug in two seconds flat. “From the way you’re ogling me, I take it Kevin wasn’t much to look at?”

“Sugar Baby apparently thought he was fine.”

“What?”

“Never mind.” I turn back toward my bedroom. “I’m going to sleep. If a vampire breaks in during the night, stake him before he wakes me up, okay?”

Then I close my door and pretend I’m not terrified Ethan might actually break in while we’re sleeping.

“Toast is amazing,”I say, taking another bite of Noah’s buttery cinnamon sugar creation he just set in front of me. “So is having a live-in chef.”

“Better than cucumbers?” he asks from the stove.

“Let’s not be crazy.”

“You should try it with bacon.”

“You can keep your fried pig strips, thank you.” I take a big sip of my blood smoothie. It’s peach this time.

“Such an odd duck,” he mutters, making me laugh.

I feel good this morning. Not only have I successfully taken my prescription several days now, but no one tried to break in during the night. The sun shines merrily through the windows, washing the kitchen in morning light and reminding me true vampires can’t be out between dawn and dusk.

Apparently, Ethan was bluffing.

“Hey, Daniel,” Noah says, answering his phone.

I pause with my toast halfway to my mouth, blatantly eavesdropping.

“Excuse me?” Noah suddenly snarls, so angry I start to rethink my good mood.

I set my toast on my plate, nervous.

“No, I’m not leaving her house,” he says. “I don’t care who ordered it.”

Uh oh.

“Screw the job.” He pauses, fighting for control. “I’m sorry, Daniel. I’m not angry with you. Thank you for giving me the heads up.”

He ends the call, growling, and then slams his cell on the counter.

“Bad news?” I ask quietly.

Slowly, he turns around to face me. “They’ve assigned a new conservator to you.”

“What?”

He extends his hands—a silent, frustrated apology.

“Who’sthey?” I ask icily.

“My boss, with orders fromhisboss, who probably had orders fromhisboss.” Noah runs his hand through his shorthair, making a mess of it. Then he swears, shaking his head like he doesn’t know what to do.

“And they’re going to fire you if you stay here?”

“That’s what Daniel said.”

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