Page 15 of Bite Me

“Sorry, I wasn’t yelling at you. I’m working on the whole morning person thing.”

“Sip on that. It’ll get you through.” Ninsy tipped her chin toward the cup, but before Jada could say thanks, the timer on the oven went off and the bell at the cash register dinged.

She took a quick scalding sip of the hot beverage and grabbed Eric the Edible’s good luck donuts.

A line four deep waited at the counter and she raced to fulfill all the orders. Being ultra busy kept her blood-lust at bay. Or maybe it was that tea.

Either way, she made it through the shift without snacking on anything with a heartbeat. She did owe the till her day's wages, plus tomorrow’s and most of next week’s for all the donuts she’d eaten.

Worth it.

The only thing left was the plate of strawberry rhubarb Danishes that no one seemed to want.

The café was empty for the moment. Ninsy had said she needed more rhubarb and decided to try the fresh basil in the blueberry donut recipe. She popped over to the market down the street to get her fresh produce.

Jada got busy bussing the tables, refilling the coffee bar condiments, and congratulating herself on controlling her emotions and hunger.

She’d learned one important thing. Leonard had lied. He’d always made her think she’d die if she didn’t get regular, almost daily, servings of blood and sex.

The half human part of her was perfectly happy to be on a see-food diet. It was the crybaby emotional demon part of her, that needed a good spanking and to be put to bed.

Ooh. Spanking. Mmm-hmm.

Ack. No. Naughty libido.

She thought the sugar and chocolate overdose was working to suppress that base urge too. Apparently not.

What she needed was a better plan than eating her way into oblivion, and size a hundred and seventeen jeans, to get over her need for blood and sex.

Too bad there was no such thing as Vampires Anonymous. She could sure use a sponsor and a twelve-step program.

Maybe she’d invent the steps for herself. Step one, admit you have a problem.

Got it.

She stood facing the display case filled with the remaining day’s offerings. They were as good of witnesses as she could ask for. She raised her right hand. Was that what she was supposed to do? It felt appropriate, so she went with it.

“Hello, my name is Jada and I’m a succubus.”

“Hello, Jada.”

Jada’s mouth and throat went dryer than the day-olds.

Donuts didn’t talk, so that meant someone else, someone with a deep sexy I’m-going-to-fuck-you-till-you-scream-my-name voice had heard what she’d said.

The glass of the display case only reflected the bottom half of whoever stood behind her. What a bottom half it was.

Walk away, she told herself. Go straight into the back and turn on every noisy piece of equipment and pretend this guy didn’t exist.

He’d go away.

Or not, and then he’d leave a bad review on Yelp, telling people a crazy lady had ignored him.

Damn.

Jada slowly turned while also shrinking down into herself. What in the world was she going to say? She was rehearsing for a play. Oh, hell, could she get any more cliché?

She’d simply offer him a donut and ignore the whole I’m a succubus thing. He was here for a donut anyway. This was a donut shop.

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