Page 32 of High Stakes and Soulmates
“What’s there to be disgusted about? You are my treasure,” Arturo murmurs as he kisses my cheek. “Wait… you thought I didn’t notice the way you were watching me?”
“Well… I mean… if you did, why didn’t you say anything?”
“Because… I was afraid to… I was afraid you’d disappear the moment I did,” he says.
“Me too,” I admit.
“But life is too short to just fear everything.”
And then he draws me in for another kiss.
CHAPTER NINE
CYRUS
Present
Joaquin scrutinizes me for a long moment. “Let me get this straight… you think there’s absolutelynoreason to fret about what’s going on?”
“I didn’t saynoreason,” I say.
“There is a literal vampire running around and staking people to walls, and you’re the detective who is working hard to figure outwhois doing it, but you’re not worried for yourself?”
“Are you going to let anyone stake me to a wall?”
“I mean, obviously I don’t plan to, but I’m like a fucking baby vampire over here! I threw some trash the other day and missed the trash can! My skills as a vampire are pretty shit. Watch! Watch!” And then he proceeds to throw wadded-up paper at the trash can. It doesn’t even come close and he’s over there waving his arms wildly, like this proves his worth as a vampire.
“What were you going to do? Have a basketball shoot-off or whatever the hell it’s called? I don’t think your ball-throwingskills matter much if a murdering vampire comes to attack me. You couldn’t throw worth a damn when you were a human, either.”
“Why do you only ever remember the embarrassing stuff?”
I snort. “You’re ridiculous. I’m heading out. Meeting with the pack and vampires, and then I’ll probably go to Casimir’s for a bit. You okay here?”
“You’re asking if I’m okay playing video games with this hot chick I met on the internet?”
“Who is probably a sixty-year-old man.”
“You’re just jealous. RealLifeSexyBabe6969 is definitely a woman and we’re in love. I’ve heard her talk.”
“Oh damn… I really might be jealous about the man who is catfishing vulnerable gamers like you by using a voice-altering system—or maybe he’s just really good at voices.”
“Right? Right? Everyone would be jealous. I’m all for the ladies. And the ladies are all for me.”
“Uh… huh.”
“Don’t ‘uh-huh’ me. You need to respect your elders.”
I can’t help but crack a grin. “I’m good. Thanks.”
“I got your groceries and even put them away! You should respect me and your soon-to-be sister-in-law.”
“Thank you for the groceries but I’m still skeptical about the rest.”
“And I noticed that when dinner came around, you just grabbed a breakfast bar, like any part of that was a well-balanced meal.”
“Yeah… you know… it’s hard to eat when you’re feeding only yourself.”
“I can sit at the table and stare at you if that makes you feel better.”
