Page 2 of Necking with a Vampire (Halloween Temptation #1)

Had he heard Peter and Alex? Was he flirting?

Draven offered his hand and Peter automatically responded in kind. But instead of a handshake it was more of a hand-capture, with Draven rubbing slow circles on the back of Peter’s hand with his thumb.

Wow that hand was cold. How long had Draven been sitting outside?

The man had no smile lines, or no frown lines. His skin was smooth. Luminescent. He’d look beautiful under the moonlight, not the faded orange glow of the old campus streetlights.

Was Peter staring? He was staring.

“Well? Go on,” Alex said, nudging Peter from behind.

“What, now?” Peter said.

Fuck, his heart was beating a mile a minute. Good thing Draven wasn’t a real vampire who could hear that kind of thing. Peter’s soul would leave his body.

“Your poor heart needs to calm down first, please, come in and let me get started on you.”

“Are you a real vampire?” Peter blurted.

Draven paused, holding himself unnaturally still. Except for his fingers, which he pressed against Peter’s wrist.

“Oh, sorry, that was stupid of me. You know because of-” Peter squeezed Draven’s hand.

“You sound disappointed,” Draven said, an odd note to his voice.

“Peter has a thing for vampires,” Alex butted in.

“I do not!”

“Bro. I brought you here for a reason.”

Peter sputtered.

Draven’s lips quirked again. Was that a smile?

“In that case, you’ll feel right at home with me. Come inside, I have a feeling you’ll enjoy it.”

He doubted it. The sterile, bright, medical space always sent him into panic mode.

Draven opened the door at the back of the large van - was it right to call it a van or was it a repurposed old-school ambulance?

He helped Peter into the van like some old-timey gentleman helping a lady into a carriage. The gesture shouldn’t have made Peter’s heart skip a beat but… he wasn’t made of stone.

The inside of the van was nothing like Peter expected. There was a reclining chair dead center, yes. And a mini-fridge. A sink. Drawers for supplies.

But that’s where the similarities ended. The chair looked incredibly comfortable and plush. The cupboards looked like proper old hardwood, not the usual cheap stuff.

Most importantly - were those fake bats hanging from the roof?

“What the- vampire bats?” Peter laughed. “Don’t you think that’s a little on the nose?”

Draven guided Peter into the chair. Fuck, it was even more comfortable than it looked.

“They’re not all vampires,” Draven said. “Can you identify the others?”

Peter knew what Draven was doing, and yet he couldn’t stop himself. Bats were a special interest of his. They were really cool, okay? The way they hunted with sonar was amazing. He’d grown up building homes for them to encourage their population growth.

Draven closed the door, leaving Alex outside, and sat on a stool between Peter’s chair and the countertop.

“That one is obviously a fruit bat.” Peter pointed to the cute one right above him.

The click of equipment being prepared made his heart pick up speed.

Draven ran his thumb up Peter’s bare arm, stopping at the elbow.

“Eyes up. What else do you see?”

Peter tried, but what had once been a bunch of individuals blurred together. Except for one. Something about it didn’t fit in with the others.

He peered into the dark corner.

“Is that one real?”

“She is. She was injured a few days ago.”

“Huh.”

Peter wanted to know more, but once again a noise made him tense.

“Eyes up,” Draven said. “Show me your gorgeous neck. There’s a good boy.”

And again Peter obeyed without question. Only this time with faint heat to his cheeks. Was his heart beating in fear or arousal?

Don’t faint. Don’t make a fool of yourself in front of this gorgeous man .

There was a slight pinch in his arm, but nothing more.

Draven inhaled deeply. Exhaled a soft sigh. “Has anyone ever told you that you smell absolutely delicious?”

“Um, no?”

“Ah ah ah.” Draven tapped the bottom of Peter’s chin, keeping his eyes on the little bats. They swayed gently, almost hypnotically, in the darkness.

Draven did something out of sight with one hand, but Peter barely felt it - too distracted by the fingers running across his clavicle and up his neck.

“Is this for me?” Draven asked, paying extra attention to Peter’s pulse. Stroking it. Pressing down to feel the beat against his fingertips.

“Uh.”

Was it? Or was it from the anticipation of the needle? Peter didn’t know anymore. He’d never felt such a delirious mix of arousal and fear at once. His body didn’t know what to do with itself!

And it was so dark in here. Enough to make most people claustrophobic, not comforting. Peter had always preferred the darkness over the light.

How could Draven even see the veins for the needle? Was he trying to distract and calm Peter down before he turned on a light and inserted the needle? It wasn’t going to work.

This had been a mistake. Peter should quit his dream of being a nurse. He’d never graduate.

Draven stared unblinking at Peter, like a cat staring down his prey. In the faint light of the streetlamps, his eyes looked unnaturally red. Menacing and hungry.

Or…

Was Peter about to be kissed?

Draven leaned in. Peter’s heart went wild. Draven’s hand was around Peter’s neck, tilting it back, thumb pressed against his pulse. Draven’s eyes flicked down to Peter’s lips.

If I faint now, he’ll think it’s from the kiss, not the blood, Peter thought.

Draven’s breath was oddly cool on Peter’s cheek. Was he going to do it? Was this going to be Peter’s first kiss?

Peter turned to Draven just as the man leaned back and said, “All finished.”

“Huh? What?”

Peter blinked rapidly. What had just happened?

There was a tug at his elbow. He looked down to see Draven pull out the needle, blood donation complete.

When? How? Peter had barely felt anything!

A bead of blood welled on the exit wound, proving that yes, it had really happened.

But also, oh no, blood.

This was the part where Peter fainted and looked like an idiot in front of the coolest person he’d ever met. The first man he’d ever wished would kiss him.

Draven swiped up the dot with a finger and licked, letting out a quiet yet no less obscene moan.

Peter could only stare, slack jawed.

And Draven watched him closely through it all.

“I was right. Delicious.”

“You sure you’re not a vampire?” Peter asked, dazed.

There was that small quirk of the lips again. “Why? Do you wish I was?”

“You heard us?”

“I have very good hearing. It’s not the only thing I’m very good at.”

Peter laughed.

Wow, the man sure knew how to lay it on thick.

“But I’m flattered. It’s better than some of the other things I've been called over the years. You’re positively delicious. If I was a vampire, I’d struggle not to eat you right up.”

What else had he overheard? That Peter was bicurious? Was that why he’d laid it on so thick? Or had Alex tattled on him?

Or was Draven just teasing? Maybe he just enjoyed flustering people with his vampire act.

He couldn’t be interested in Peter for real. The man had yet to smile! If he hadn’t opened his mouth to talk, Peter would think those lips were fused shut.

“Did you enjoy your first time?” Draven asked, holding up a full bag of blood. “I certainly enjoyed being yours.”

Peter fought the flush he knew had to be forming.

“Yes! I mean- I- I didn’t think this was possible. I was almost ready to give up on my dream of being a nurse.”

“A noble goal. Now, I should return you to your friend. We wouldn't want him to think I drained you dry.”

Peter sat up and realized - oh fuck - he was hard. For how long!? Had Draven noticed? No, he couldn't have. It was too dark.

And yet…

Draven opened the van’s door, letting reality back in. Peter stumbled out, almost careening into Alex.

“Bro,” Alex said. “You did it! I know you could. Your vampire kink won!”

“Shh!” Peter half-tackled Alex, slapping a hand around the blabbermouth.

“He’s joking,” Peter laughed while dragging Alex away. “Thanks again!”

“It was my pleasure. Do come again.”

As soon as they were far enough away Peter let Alex go and said, “Did you have to embarrass me like that?”

“Bro, I didn’t say anything Draven didn’t already know. You’re so obvious.” Alex leaned in and whispered, “You even got him to smile! I’ve never seen him smile before. He’s normally a complete grouch.”

“He smiled?”

Did Alex mean that small quirk of the lips?

Huh.