Page 55 of Bad Luck Vampire

Megan nodded. Her breathing less labored, she said, “Since you’ll be out of town today and tomorrow and won’t need it anyway, can I borrow it?”

Sophie’s eyebrows flew up. “What’s wrong with your car?”

“It’s in the shop,” she said with annoyance. “It was making this weird ticking sound so I dropped it off at the mechanics this morning on my way in, and Ubered from there. The mechanic said it would definitely be in all weekend, so I was going to look into renting something until it’s ready, but if you aren’t using yours . . . ?” She gave her a pleading look.

“All right. Fine,” Sophie said at once. “But I need to pack. You’ll have to drive me home. Right now. And straight there,” she added firmly. “None of your famous ‘I just have to make a quick stop here’ detours.”

“No stops,” Megan promised, a grin replacing the pleading look. Throwing her arms around Sophie, Megan gave her a bear hug. “You’re the best sister ever.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Sophie said with amusement as they separated. Shaking her head, she walked around the car to the passenger side saying, “You might as well drive.”

“Okey-dokey.” Megan was in the car before Sophie had reached her own door.

Getting in, she quickly pulled out her keys and unclipped her car key fob from the ring as Megan started the engine. She then dropped it in Megan’s purse. “No drinking and driving this weekend.”

“I never drink and drive,” Megan assured her, backing out of the parking spot.

“And no sex in my car,” Sophie warned, knowing Megan avoided taking men she didn’t know well to her apartment and wouldn’t go to theirs in case they were serial killers or something. Instead, if she found them really attractive and irresistible, she just had her way with them in her car. It didn’t happen often. Megan wasn’t out jumping men left and right. But it had happened.

“Oh, now that’s just mean,” Megan muttered as she shifted gear and headed for the exit. “It’s bad enough I’m not going to meet the Six Orgasm Man’s brother, now you expect me to forgo sex altogether this weekend?”

“You can have sex. Just not in my car,” Sophie said, but she was grinning at Megan’s chosen nickname for Alasdair. The Six Orgasm Man. It made her think of an old show she used to watch in reruns at the group home. The Six Million Dollar Man. She decided the two names were probably interchangeable. Any man who could give her six orgasms in such short order had to be worth at least six million. Though, she probably shouldn’t tell Alasdair that, or about the nickname Megan had given him. She just had to hope Megan never called him that in person.

Nineteen

“Damn.”

Sophie glanced over from doing up her seat belt to look at Alasdair. They were in his SUV. He hadn’t been here when Megan had dropped her off, and by the time he’d arrived fifteen minutes later, Sophie had just finished packing. She’d buzzed him in, rushed back to her room to zip up the small suitcase she’d packed with everything she thought she might need.

Sophie had been coming out of her apartment by the time the elevator expelled him onto her floor.

Spotting her, he’d stopped at once and held the elevator door open to keep it from leaving. He’d then smiled as he’d watched her approach.

“That rare woman, one who can pack fast,” he’d teased as she’d reached him. Kissing her on the cheek, he’d relieved her of her suitcase, and urged her into the elevator. “I expected to be sitting in your living room waiting while you agonized over what to take.”

“Nah,” Sophie had responded. “We’re only going overnight, so I just packed the essentials: jeans, dress pants, a casual shirt, a dressier top, a dress, running shoes, and high heels.”

“No pajamas?” he’d asked lightly.

“I sleep nude,” she’d told him with a grin and then had raised her eyebrows. “Hope you don’t mind?”

Eyes flaring gold with hunger, Alasdair had merely groaned in response and leaned against the wall next to the elevator buttons, about as far away from her as he could get.

“Why so far away? Scared of me?” she’d taunted.

Rather than chuckle as she’d expected, Alasdair had nodded solemnly. “Get too close and I won’t be able to keep my hands to myself. Better I keep some distance between us. At least until we get to Niagara and check into the hotel.”

Sophie had felt herself flush at those words. Not with embarrassment, but with the feelings the words stirred in her. She’d immediately begun to imagine what could happen in that elevator if he didn’t keep his hands to himself.

The small fantasy had kept her busy for the rest of the ride down to the ground floor. In fact, it had almost made her forget to check the mailbox on her way out. Sophie had realized as she was packing that she’d forgotten to do that the day before and had planned to check before leaving in case there was anything important.

There hadn’t been, just flyers and junk mail. Sophie had dumped everything in the recycling bin kept in the mail room for just that purpose and then had been stopped by an elderly tenant she often chatted with in the elevator, Enid. Enid had insisted on being introduced to her “beau,” and then had chattered happily away for several minutes before Sophie had managed to extricate herself and Alasdair to hurry out to the SUV, which he had again parked across the street.

Now they were in his vehicle and he was scowling as he tried to start it and got no response. It wasn’t turning over at all. The SUV seemed dead.

“Problem?” she asked.

Alasdair was silent as he tried to start the engine again and then gave up with disgust. Dropping back against his seat, he stared out the windshield for a moment, and then asked, “How would you feel about taking your car?”

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