Page 98 of Blood and Bonbons

“Night.”

* * *

It felt like I’d barely closed my eyes when I heard a light tap on my partially closed door.

“Everly? You awake?” Anchor whispered.

I groaned and rolled to my back. The sun was barely starting to brighten the sky beyond my curtain.

“No,” I mumbled. “Go away.”

He chuckled. “I’m heading out. You should be safe now. Call if you need anything, okay?”

I grunted at him. He laughed again, and I heard the front door close a few seconds later.

Dreams of dwarves with big wallets dedicated to tipping filled my mind, and I happily sank into a deeper sleep.

The next disturbance only tickled at my consciousness until I heard Vena’s softly spoken threat.

“If she doesn’t kill you, I will. Get out of her bed.”

“Go away, Vena,” Cross murmured nearby. “Your presence is neither required nor wanted.”

“You can’t even give an insult without sounding like there’s a stick up your ass. Let me swap that stick for a stake, m-kay?”

“You want to impale my ass with a stake? You are a deeply troubled woman.”

Vena sputtered, and I grudgingly opened my eyes to prevent Cross’ murder.

CHAPTERSIXTEEN

Vena glaredfrom my bedroom door. But she wasn’t glaring at me.

Turning my head, I blinked at an up-close view of Cross’ perfectly sculpted face only inches from mine. He lay on his side, watching me sleep.

His soft brown gaze swept over my face. Was it me, or was there a flicker of affection in their depths? If so, I wasn’t sure what I’d done to warrant it…or his presence stretched out beside me.

“Why are you in my bed?” I asked calmly.

He frowned slightly, any hint of affection disappearing.

“It’s a lot more comfortable than where I’ve been sleeping. But don’t worry. I’m not here to despoil your womanhood. We’re due at the pawnshop soon, and we need to have a serious discussion about the club in which you two nearly died.”

“Fine, but I’m getting coffee first,” I said as I sat up. “And a shower.”

I crawled over him to get out of bed and saw his eyes darken. Swallowing hard, I scrambled off and tried to deny my awareness of how his body had felt underneath mine.

“Vena, you’re on coffee duty,” I said as I fled to the bathroom without a backward glance.

Once I closed the door, I heard their squabbling begin again. Thankfully, the shower drowned out most of what they said.

I wasn’t sure what to think about waking up with Cross in my bed. Hell, I still wasn’t sure what to think aboutCross.Shepard said vampires were murderers. But then again, Grandpa Barnaby’s book said werewolves were murderers, too. I preferred to form an opinion of a person based on how they acted. And both Shepard and Cross acted like decent people. A little rigid about some things, sure, but still both decent.

Who cared what they were? I knew Shepard was a werewolf and was willing to work for him. Why should I treat Cross any differently because he was a vampire?

Or was I telling myself this because I found Cross extremely good-looking and wanted to justify my attraction to a person who fed on blood to live?

Making a face at my thoughts, I stuck my head under the spray to rinse and not think.

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