Page 86 of Blood and Bonbons

He tossed an annoyed glance at me.

“Or not.”

“I want your promise that this will not happen again,” he said.

“Bad clothing choices?” I asked, confused since I’d already said I was sorry.

“Walking into a feeder den,” he said, eyes flashing black briefly.

“We can’t promise anything,” Vena said.

He narrowed his gaze on her. “I’m only asking for Everly’s promise.”

Vena raised a brow at me.

“It’s not like we meant to ignorantly walk into a strip club for feeders and allow them to kidnap us,” I said. “Anyway, I don’t need to promise anything because Vena isn’t going to drag us to unknown or potentially dangerous places ever again, and I’m not the type to wander into one on my own.” I looked pointedly at Vena. “Right?”

With a determined scowl that faded to pleading, she glanced between Cross and me.

“We were following up on a lead,” she said. “I can’t stop looking for Miles. Especially not now that we know that place was for vampires. Why were vampires looking for him, Ev?”

“You will fill me in on your quest thus far, and I’ll help you,” Cross said, looking marginally calmer.

“Our quest thus far?” Vena snorted. “You really need to match your English with your modern clothes.”

“I’m trying,” he said. “But it’s easy to fall back into old speech habits, particularly when I’m irritated. Do you at least agree to let me help you to spare your friend from further danger?”

Vena shot me a guilty glance and grudgingly agreed. She didn’t have to tell Cross everything, but having him scout the dangerous locations would be enough to appease both sides.

Whatever Miles had been involved in was looking more dangerous than either Vena or I had guessed. If not for Cross’ offer to help, I would have been speed-dialing Vena’s parents by now. Part of me still thought that was the smarter idea, but I wasn’t sure how the Hunter family would react to our newly formed association with a vampire.

I still wasn’t quite sure how to react myself. Considering the lack of police interest in Miles’ disappearance, Cross’ help was better than no help. And he’d just proved that. However, while I did appreciate the save back at the strip club, I did not like being “acquired.” I barely bled on him or in the bonbons. Neither could count as an actual feeding, could they?

I was bleeding now more than either of those times. I glanced at my fist and unfurled my fingers from around the wad of paper towel I was still gripping.

Please don’t let me need stitches,I thought, removing the paper towel.

Fresh blood pooled in the inch-long gash.

Cross reached over the seat and grabbed my hand. I yelped. Vena swerved. He pulled my bleeding palm to his lips.

I was too shocked to do anything but stare into his amber eyes as I felt his tongue swipe over my skin.

“Hey! Cut it out,” Vena said. “You only feed on the willing, remember?”

His tongue moved over my palm again before he pulled back slightly to answer Vena.

“I am stopping the bleeding, not feeding,” he murmured, licking me a final time.

A shiver ran through me, and it had nothing to do with revulsion. He drew back enough to press his lips to my palm and closed my fingers over my no-longer-bleeding-but-still-raw wound.

“Take care, or it will start again,” he said.

I nodded and held my loosely fisted hand to my chest, pretending like my heart wasn’t racing from the intimate contact.

When we finally arrived at the house, Cross was quick to get out of the car and open my door for me. I glanced at my hurt hand as I got out. He was only being nice…right?

As soon as we were inside, I led Cross straight to the shower.

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