Page 33

The rest of Elsie’s words were drowned out by the ringing in my ears.

An image, out of focus like a grainy old camera, of the two of us together flashed in my mind.

Elsie’s hands wrapped around my thighs as she kneeled before me on the ground, lips glossy as she looked up.

I caught my smirk in the mirror, widening my legs to give her more room. “Enjoying your meal, Princess?”

She grazed her fangs along my inner thigh, making my legs shake with anticipation for the release that would follow.

“Vi, honey, this is just asnack.” Her manicured nails dug into my soft flesh, and I gasped, reaching to pull my dress a little higher. Elsie wrapped her lips around the crease of my thigh, her fangs puncturing my flesh and drawing my blood to the surface, along with a wave of pleasure that, when paired with the press of my fingers, threw me headlong into an orgasm. “The most delicious snack I’ve ever had, sweetness?—”

The image warped, leaving me feeling out of sorts as I blinked a few times until Elsie was back in focus. While I’d been daydreaming, she’d leaned in, looking at me through her long lashes, glitter shimmering on her eyelids.

Her eyes flicked from mine to my lips, and for a moment, I thought about kissing her… but then a tendril of whatever the fuck I’d just been thinking about flickered at the corner of my vision and I found myself shifting away from the vampire uncomfortably.

What kind of sociopath has weirdo sexy fantasies while talking to a girl they’ve known less than a week?

My eyes dropped to my plate, my appetite gone under the embarrassment and guilt rolling in my stomach.

I didn’t miss the frown that creased Elsie’s brow as she studied my stiff posture.

“Wait, what just happened? What did I say?” She moved her hand as if to touch me, and I flinched, so she dropped it, pulling her lip between her teeth.

My eyes fixated on where her fangs pressed against her full bottom lip.

“It’s nothing.” I bit out.

What the hell was that?

A fantasy?

No, it was too realistic to be something I’d made up. I was creative, sure. But notthatcreative.

A memory?

Certainly not. How could I have memories like that of a person Ijustmet?

“Um…”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, her eyes round with worry. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.”

I opened my mouth without knowing what I was going to say. A part of me wanted to tell her what happened, but even I knew that was self-sabotage. A futile attempt at giving her a reason to give up on whatever the hell had us making excuses to see each other.

A crush?

Undeniable sexual tension?

Either way, I was saved from my cowardice when Dana strolled out from the kitchen, the bag of animal crackers dangling from her long fingers.

“Elsie, your call is in a few minutes,” she said, taking in the stony silence between us with interest. “What did I just walk in on?”

“Nothing,” I answered quickly, standing from my stool and collecting my untouched plate. “I better get back. See you around, Els.”

What the hell was I thinking? There wasnothingbetween Elsie Miller and me. Besides freakishly weird sexy fantasies, we were just coworkers.

Incredibly flirty coworkers.

I all but sprinted for the kitchenette, taking a long, slow breath as the door swung shut behind me. I was scraping my plate into the trash when I realised that I could smell Elsie’s perfume from where she’d touched me. It lingered in my hair and on the fabric of my dress.