Page 13 of Hot Blooded
I take a sip of my drink and watch her fidget.
“If that’s okay,” she adds, nervously.
Why not? I’m amused by her and all her many reactions to me. “What would you like to know?”
“You’re my first, um, vampire…” she stammers. The fire in her eyes speaks of her curiosity.
“It’s natural that you’re curious.”
She nods. “Right. It’s just, some of the things I’ve heard… like stakes, and garlic, and… I’m not sure…”
I chuckle. This girl is not like I expect. “Shall we take them one at a time?”
Despite her strange response to me, she’s still here. She’s trying to understand me and my world.I suppose there’s some small part of me that likes that.
Since Tressa is waiting so patiently, I decide to begin. “A stake driven into the heart of a vampire will kill us, that’s true.”
She nods. “I see.”
“I have no idea where the garlic thing came from. It’s tasty, but no, it has no effect on us.”
“Coffins?” she asks next. If I wasn’t so turned on right now, I would chuckle at her innocence. Tressa has piqued my interest in more ways than one.
“Urban legend.”
“Sunlight?”
I take a sip of my cocktail. “Bothersome, but probably no more than what a nocturnal animal experiences in the direct sunlight. It makes us a bit tired, but it’s not painful and doesn’t cause us any harm.”
She regards me with curiosity. “And you’re… immortal?”
I nod. I’ve found that to be an unfortunate side effect of my condition, and while I’m happy to exchange the truth with her, I decide I don’t need to bethatvulnerable. I’m entitled to a few secrets.
We cover my increased strength and stamina next, as well as my need for blood. Tressa takes all of this information with a wide-eyed look and clutches her drink in her lap. But she doesn’t look frightened, only curious, like she wants to understand me.
“What about… Bats? Werewolves? Mermaids?” Her gaze moves to mine, and she watches me in wonder.
I chuckle. “Only on TV.”
Satisfied, she snaps her fingers. “I knew it.” Her laugh is soft. I like the sound of it immediately.
She seems pleased for a moment, and we each take another sip of our drinks as the evening breeze lifts a strand of hair from her collarbone. I watch the way it dances in the breeze before landing against the soft skin of her throat again. She’s dizzying and distracting, and I don’t know what to make of my body’s response to her. It’s curious, for certain.
Her mouth is by far her most enchanting feature—lush and full and pink—and I spend more time gazing upon it than I should.
“Is your brother like you?” she asks in a low voice.
An uncomfortable cramp settles in my stomach at the mention of my brother. Remembering his words from earlier makes my fists clench.Have you fucked her yet?
Maybe if I had I wouldn’t be sitting here practically salivating over the poor girl. There’s something to be said for working something out of your system.
“Yes. But he’s younger. Not as disciplined. And his cravings run a little stronger than mine at times.”
I shift uncomfortably in the chair. My brother is a pain in the ass, that much is certain. Still, it’s long past time to get this conversation back on track. I’d much rather learn about the enchanting girl seated across from me than talk about Alastair. “I’ve told you some of my secrets, now it’s time you tell me yours.”
I hear her quick intake of breath and her cheeks blush wildly. Her reactions to me are adorable and my body twitches with pleasure.
“A secret for a secret. Are you game?”
