Page 77 of My Vampire Plus-One

“It wouldn’t.” I could all but hear the grin in his voice.

“Do you have ideas in mind for what we might do?”

“Yes,” he said. “Loads of ideas.”

I didn’t know if he was being serious. “Really?”

“Yes. But I’ll narrow it down to two options.” He held up one finger. “First idea: we go tromping through the snow in the snowshoes I found in the basement.”

I stared at him. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not joking,” he said. “If I were joking, I would have said something like,it’s raining cats and dogs outside, and I just stepped in a poodle.”

I snorted. “You’re ridiculous.”

“I am,” he agreed. “No interest in snowshoeing, then?”

“It’s the middle of the night.” I shook my head. “Hard pass. What’s your second idea?”

He smirked. “I’ll show you. But first—close your eyes.”

“Close my eyes?”

“If you choose option two, it’s a surprise. So yes. Close them.”

Did I humor him?Trusthim? It was true that I wasn’t afraid he would hurt me. But how was I supposed to react to a vampire telling me to close my eyes?

I closed them anyway. “Can you at least give me a hint?”

“No.” He closed his hand around my wrist, and…

I’d been honest when I’d told him I wouldn’t kiss him again. But the gentle, restrained way he was touching me right now stood in such delicious contrast to the way he’d grabbed me on the kitchen table earlier that suddenly…

That earlier moment was all I could think about.

“You’re gonna love option two,” he said, guiding me out of the kitchen by the hand. “Follow me.”

TWENTY-ONE

Telegram sent from Maurice J. Pettigrew, Treasurer of The Collective, to the Board of Directors

Located quarry. Stop.

Was not fishing at all! Stop.

Fled to Wisconsin with human!! Stop.

We made slight detour en route to tour cheese factory roadside billboard advertised as “Best Cheese Curds in Whole Gosh Darn World.” Stop.

Have long been fascinated by cheese. Stop.

How it’s made. Stop.

How and why do cheese curds squeak? Stop.

Want to know science behind it. Stop.

Tour should be quick. Stop.