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It wasn’t lost on me that this was the closest I’d gotten to her since Valentine’s Day. Or that I wasn’t keen to let go now that I’d caught her.

“It’s okay,” she said slowly, looking down at me through heavily stacked false lashes.

Except… Wasn’t June just about my height? Even in heels?

I looked her up and down, taking in the elaborate golden costume made almost entirely of sequined fabric. Her long, fiery hair was pulled up into a glittering gold top hat to give the impression of a pixie cut, and her shoes were a high, platformed version of black Mary Janes.

Her thick calves and dimpled thighs were wrapped in sheer, skin-toned stockings, disappearing into a tiny pair of black sequin shorts that revealed just the right amount of cheek.

For a moment, I wondered if my recent brushes with vampire venom had awakened something in me, as I found myself entirely gripped with the need to sink my teeth into her ass.

“Do you like it?” she asked with a smirk that told me I’d been caught staring.

“Love it,” I admitted, making no move to release her. “Did you design this?”

“I did. I made Ren’s too; she just needs to change before we go. She’s going to be Riff-Raff.” Juniper beamed and adjusted her ruby bowtie, her head tilting to the side. “Cool, right?”

“It’s amazing.” I gushed, reaching out to smooth the lapel of her jacket. “Gold is really your colour.”

She hooked her pinky into the chain of my bracelet, tugging it gently. “Yours too. This is quite the piece.”

My cheeks heated. “Ren gave it to me.”

Juniper hummed, the noise thoughtful. “She always has had excellent taste in courting gifts. Is that what you prefer, jewelry?”

“I… Well, I’ve never really… thought about it?”

“When you do, you know where to find me,” she said, reaching up to adjust my hair. “Don’t make me wait long.”

“I—” I started and stopped, unsure what to say about the idea of another vampire showering me with presents. “I really missed you this week. Maybe just… Make some time to hang out?”

It was Juniper’s time to be surprised, blinking. “You just want to… hang out?” she said like it was a foreign language.

I shrugged. “Yeah, watch a movie, wear my PJs, maybe without me having a panic attack first, though.”

Her expression was unreadable as she seemed to let my request sink in. “Okay… Have fun tonight. I’m sorry we can’t go.”

“No, you aren’t,” I teased. “There is no way that cramming all of you into my apartment to play drinking games that involve copious amounts of screaming at each other sounds like fun to you.”

She pressed her scarlet-painted lips into a thin line, a pained expression in her eyes. “That sounds?—”

“Like a nightmare?” I offered with a laugh. “It’s okay, Juni; when we hang out, I’ll plan something more in your wheelhouse. We could check out this rare bookstore I love in the East Village.”

Juniper blinked, her voice coming out a little higher than usual.

“What did you just call me?”

“Juni. Is that okay?”

She cleared her throat, trying to mask her surprise. “It’s cute.”

“Definitely better than Junebug. Those things are fucking terrifying. And I doubt they get any better if you get to know them.” I released her, giving the vampire a gentle nudge with my hip as I moved to walk past. “Enjoy your date.”

“Striker—” Juniper started, catching my sleeve with her perfectly manicured fingers, the black and silver glitter polish catching in the lights as I turned to look at her over my shoulder.

“You okay?”

“Would it be okay if I called you Vi?” she asked, pulling me back.