Page 90 of Vampires of Eden
I watch, dazed and with my insides prickling from head to toe. Did it… Did I seem as if I was offering myself? That wasn’t my intent—and I definitely didn’t give him consent. Could he have bitten me just now?Wouldhe have?
“There,” Raphael says, setting the bag aside. “All done. Let’s just go for one shot of Oliver, please? If we give him the second shot, he’ll still be consuming half a bag, which defeats the purpose, right?”
“Sure,” I say absentmindedly. “I think so.” What are we even talking about?
“You’re as white as a ghost.”
“I always look like this.”
Raphael chuckles. “No, I mean, are you alright? He didn’t mean any harm—once he’s back in his right mind, I’ll tell him to apolo?—”
“No.” I surprise myself when I anxiously lift my palms. Raphael draws back slightly, startled as well. “He doesn’t—What I mean is… It’s fine. I’m alright.”
“You don’t seem alright.”
I rub my palms against my face. “I’m fine.” I don’t want to confess that I’m wildly aroused. That I suddenly feel more sexually charged and turned on than I have in years. I am not going to bethatcandid with this vampire.
Hesitating, I glance at Alexander. His eyelids are halfway closed. He needs to sleep again. Quaking inside, I stand from the bed and turn to hide my boner. “We should let him rest. It’ll help.”
Raphael nods and steps up, urging Alexander down until he’s flat and nearly passed out underneath the duvet. He breathes deeply as his eyes burn out and flutter closed.
Scratching the back of his head, Raphael sighs. “I might have underestimated how difficult this process would be.”
“Mm. Just a tad.”
“Are you in a rush to go?”
“No… I’m not,” I say, discreetly breathing and calming my body. “Why?”
“I could give you the grand tour. And if you want… you could even stay the night? It’s a long drive back to the cottage. Plus, we have everything you could possibly need here. That way, you can see how he’s doing in the morning?”
My knee-jerk reaction is to decline this offer. It feels ludicrous—me, staying overnight in a house like this that belongs to a family like Alexander’s.
It’s outlandish.
Even still…
“Yes. I’d like that, thank you.” I’ll text Leoni to let her know. No doubt I’m going to get an earful in response.
Raphael smiles, then guides me toward the door. “It’s my pleasure. Follow me.”
CHAPTER 21
Daniel
The Kendrick Estate is surprisingly comfortable. Elegant, without question, but approachable. Pleasant in a way that’s unusual for these grandiose purebred homes.
Oftentimes, they’re an emblem of blatant luxury. Gaudy antiques worth a fortune collecting dust as they’re passed down through the generations. Chandeliers dripping in crystal and gold. Pretentious artwork hung in gilded frames for the sole purpose of impressing visitors.
Ostentation over function. Vanity over comfort.
Alexander’s home, however, is a lot like him. Undeniably refined but soft inside. Stylish and simultaneously cozy.
The books in the two-story library are readable and not totally comprised of vampire historian almanacs boasting of their long-standing family lineage. Scanning the shelves on the lower level, I find several familiar contemporary and classic novels.The Old Man and the Seaby Hemmingway and Mary Shelly’sFrankenstein.The Goldfinchby Donna Tartt,Sulaby Toni Morrison and everything in-between. The couches and armchairs here look well-loved and are littered with oversized throw pillows and knitted blankets. A beguiling invitation for a movie night.
“Does Alexander read often?” I ask, following Raphael from the library and down a quiet corridor.
My guide glances over his shoulder. “It’s not his favorite pastime. But we have this deal—if he reads one book a month with me, I’ll watch two episodes of a TV show of his choosing with him. This way he stays well-read, and I’m kept up to date on the latest trends I’d otherwise miss… and probably not care about, to be honest.”
