Page 19 of Vampires and Violas

“Aplant?” I exclaim, mock-horrified. “Not one of those wretched things.”

He smiles down at me. “What do you want to bet she’s going to bring me a ficus tomorrow morning?”

Oh…it’s a woman.

I mean, that’s fine. They’re colleagues. Colleagues can give each other plants.

And what difference does it make to me anyway?

“What’s going on with your expression?” Noah asks, still watching me too closely.

“Nothing.”

“You look jealous.”

“What?” I rip open the plastic cling wrap on the first steak package. “No.”

“So, you don’t care if Ashlyn gives me a houseplant from some random supermarket?”

He means jealous because I sell…plants and flowers and things. Right. I mean, that makes sense.

Also. Ashlyn? That’s her name? This colleague of Noah’s?

Wait.

“Ashlyn?” I glance at him and then look back at the steak. Casually, I add, “Colin’s conservator?”

“Yeah.”

I nod, pretending I don’t care that the woman we’re talking about is single and gorgeous. I must not be a good actress because I can feel Noah’s amusement.

“I don’t like her,” he says after a long stretch of silence.

“Did I ask?”

“You wanted to.”

I scoff. “You’re still cocky, I see. I have no interest in your personal life whatsoever. You are my tenant, and I am your landlady. Our relationship ends there.”

“So, you wouldn’t care if I asked her out?”

“Of course not.” I rip open the second package with slightly more gusto than necessary. “I mean, for her sake, I hope she’s current on her vaccinations, but?—”

Noah lets out a loud laugh, cutting me off. It’s deep, delighted, and as alluring as it is annoying.

That’s one of his talents.

“There isn’t a vaccination to ward off Vampiria B,” he needlessly reminds me.

“How would I know what clinical trials NIHA is running?”

“You can be certain this drug doesn’t exist.”

“Why?”

Noah waits for me to look over. When I finally give in to temptation, his eyes lock on mine. “Because if there was one, I would make sure you were on it.”

My mouth goes dry as he holds me hostage with his honeyed gaze. My voice wobbling, I ask, “So some random vampire couldn’t reinfect me?”

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