Page 72 of Road Trip with a Vampire

“Ridiculous, right? It makes no sense to me, either.” After listening to Lindsay and Becky extolling the virtues of this nonsense for weeks, Peter’s reaction was extremely validating.

His look of disgust could have curdled milk. “I don’t have full recall of my life experiences, but when I say this is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard of, Iknowit’s true.”

Once the novelty of the goats wore off, the class settled into something not unlike many of our beginner classes at Yoga Magic. The goats wandered between people’s legs, which occasionally made it difficult for people to maintain upright poses. More than one lucky student had received a goat “blessing” by the end. Still, though. Dumb gimmick aside, I thought I could probably overcome my aversion to goats if it would help Yoga Magic keep up with current trends.

When the video ended, I leaned forward and closed my computer. Peter still had his arms wrapped loosely around me. He cleared his throat and shifted beside me, though he made no move to let me go.

This had been one of the most domestic evenings I’d had in recent memory. But what had it been to him?

“You’re tired,” he murmured, sounding almost shy. “I should let you sleep.”

Did that mean he planned to sleep somewhere else? I didn’t want that. “Stay.” The word slipped out before I could take it back.

Peter didn’t respond, only continued looking at me with an expression I couldn’t read. Had I pushed too far? Maybe I’d misread the signs, and it had just been some meaningless fun for him. Or maybe he just wasn’t a cuddler.

“Unless you don’t want to stay?” I asked in a much smaller voice.

By way of answer, he pulled me closer and pressed a fervent kiss to the top of my head. “I’m not going anywhere,” he murmured, voice thick with emotion. “Sleep, Zelda.”

So I did.

Sixteen

Five weeks earlier

“I’m no closer to crackingthe safe than I was when I arrived,” Peter admitted.

His employer rested his elbows on the table where he was sitting and steepled his fingers. The only thing louder than the man’s garish red plaid suit was the sour expression he leveled at Peter through his computer screen.

“This is most disappointing,” he said.

Peter nodded. “I agree.” He wasn’t used to failure. That was because he never failed. Until now. Gods, was heeverfailing now.“I’ve tried everything I can think of to get the thing open. And still, nothing.”

John extracted his red plaid pocket square from his jacket, then dabbed delicately at his mouth before setting it to the side. Peter shifted uneasily in his chair. If John and his organization planned to terminate his contract over this, so be it. He only wished the man would hurry up and get it over with.

“If you’ve tried everything you can think of,” John said, tappinghis chin thoughtfully, “perhaps try some things youhaven’tthought of.”

Peter stared at him. “That makes no sense.” He didn’t make a habit of talking back to the hands that fed him, buthonestly. “How can I do something if I haven’t thought of it?”

John’s scowl deepened. “We are paying you handsomely for this job, are we not?”

“Yes, but—”

“Then figure it out,” John snapped.

John’s condescending tone unlocked something visceral, something angry in Peter that he rarely indulged. “Why do you want this safe cracked so badly, anyway? What’s inside?” If he was going to be talked down to, he had a right to know.

“That is none of your concern.” John leaned closer to his camera until his face was all Peter could see on his screen. “Get the job that we are paying you to dodone, by any means necessary.”

“Good morning.”

I blinked open my eyes to see Peter lying beside me in bed, his head propped up on one hand so he could look down at me. His hair was an utter disaster, sticking up in all directions from my tugging the night before.

I smiled up at him, then teasingly tapped his nose with a finger. “Good morning to you, too.”

He grasped my finger in his hand before I could pull it back, then slowly brought it to his lips, kissing the tip. I felt the gentle, intimate gesture down to my toes and I burrowed closer to him beneath the covers. When he pulled me in for a hug, I went willingly.

“Did you sleep well?” he murmured. My ear was pressed to his chest, his words a deep rumble beneath my ear.