Page 5 of Hot Blooded
“Very well. You can begin straight away. I’ll show you to your quarters. The third floor is where…”
I turn to begin walking, ready to lead the way, but Tressa doesn’t follow. She’s still standing at the edge of the library andhas now placed one hand on the delightfully rounded curve of her hip. Not that I should be noticing such things.
She bites her lip in the most distracting way, hesitating for a second, before blurting out what’s really on her mind, “I’m sorry, but you’re a… a…”
She’s figured me out already. She’s every bit as intelligent as I assumed. “Yes,” I say simply.
I tilt my chin, studying her response. The pulse in her neck jumps, and the faint rhythmic sound of her heart thudding dully against her chest goes straight to my lower half.Curious. I haven’t felt anything remotely like arousal in the last several years. But there it is—the unmistakable lengthening of my dick in my slacks. It’s rather inconvenient, I’d forgotten about that. Public erections are not to be trifled with.
I wander around to the far side of the table separating us, so that she doesn’t catch a glimpse of my body’s response to the noise of her blood pumping. “Is that going to be a problem, Miss Porter?”
She draws a breath and straightens her shoulders. “I don’t believe so. Equal opportunity and all that, right Mr. Tryst?”
My mouth twitches with amusement, but I fight off a grin. It’d be in my best interest to establish a professional boss/employee relationship right from the start, wouldn’t it?
I have other humans who work for me, and this will be no different. My caretaker, Mrs. Potts, is a human, and as she pointed out earlier, she’s never distracted me in the slightest. She’s sturdy and reliable, and does her job well—which consists of laundry and cooking and the like. With a little luck, Tressa willprove to be equally as reliable. If only her scent didn’t distract me… But, whatever, it’s fine.
She still hasn’t moved from the spot she’s claimed at the entrance to the library. “You wouldn’t um…”
“Bite you?” I supply, rather helpfully.
She draws a quick breath and nods once.
“Not unless you ask. Very, very nicely.”
She smiles a crooked smile, but she still looks unsure.
“Any other questions?”
She gives her head a shake.
“Then, follow me.”
The wooden floors creak beneath our footsteps as we climb the stairs to the third floor. We’re quiet as we make our way down the hall. I guess I’m more out of practice than I realize at small talk, because as curious as I am about her, I can’t think of a single thing to say.
“Dinner is at seven in the formal dining room,” I manage—just—to end the silence.
“Thank you,” she says softly.
I show her the guest sleeping quarters that Mrs. Potts has prepared for her arrival. The bed is dressed in fluffy gray linens and the dresser holds a basket containing toiletries, a packaged toothbrush, a stack of fresh white towels that have been neatly rolled into cylinders.
Even though I haven’t aware of her arrival today, it appears Mrs. Potts has been busy preparing.
Maybe that’s all my unease is… I’ve been caught unprepared, unaware that she was arriving today. If I’d had time to prepare for the fact that a young, attractive, and deliciously scented human will be sharing my living quarters for the next six months, well, maybe I wouldn’t feel so exposed now. So raw and naked. Maybe I wouldn’t have the urge to nail her against the wall, or sink my fangs into the delicate column of her throat—preferably at the same time.
For the first time ever, I regret not taking my brother up on his offer to visit the whorehouse.
Yes, that’s all this is. A bit of misplaced lust for a toy that isn’t mine to play with. Still, I haven’t felt a primal attraction this strong in recent memory. Or possibly ever. Which is curious…
I’ll just have to be more careful around her than I have been with other humans.
Chapter 3
Tressa
A vampire who owns three copies of Winnie the Pooh? I’ve never heard of such a thing. Never have I imagined such a thing is even possible. And such a sexy, attractive man being a vampire? I feel like my brain has melted into goo.
Yes, I know the world is changing. I am aware of vampires. Have been since I was a little girl. But to me, they seem like something rare that only exists in far-off lands. Transylvania. Russia. Places like that. Yet, here I am—living in thehomeof one. And oh, what a lovely home it is. From the maze of hedges in the front to the stonework in the foyer to the massive staircase with its intricate millwork on the banister. But the home, no matter how glorious, is the furthest thing from my mind. Because when you find out you’ll be living with a vampire, well, that trumps pretty much everything else.
