Page 5 of Taste of Forever (Vampires of Sanguine #3)

Heather

I didn’t check the audio and video recordings until I was safely in my car with the windows locked. Relief flooded me as I listened to and watched what I’d captured. Everything was there. Not all of the audio was clear, but that could be cleaned up with some editing software.

Vampires were real. And now I had proof.

Despite the guilt riding me, I turned up the volume when the anonymous vampire was speaking to me, trying to recapture the memory of that voice. I could still feel his fingers wrapped around my forearm, the warmth of his lips sealed to my wrist.

Just as abruptly, I stopped listening and tossed my phone into the cup holder. With a shake of my head, I started up my car and began the short drive home.

I didn’t do anything wrong, I told myself. I did not cheat on Justin.

It wasn’t like I expected to become so turned on by the blood-drinking. I was still trying to wrap my head around my own response, but surprise horniness alone wasn’t a reason to feel guilty. Right?

My thoughts churned as I drove home. I felt more guilty about the fact that I kept thinking about the vampire’s voice, and that I couldn’t stop wondering what he looked like. I saw only a glimpse of his hands and was now trying to imagine how the rest of him was built.

He had a presence on the other side of that screen. His footsteps had weight to them. He felt like he took up a lot of space, like he was probably tall. Or strong.

But there was no point to wondering, no reason to fantasize.

Getting turned on had to be due to some kind of vampire evolutionary thing.

Something to make their victims more compliant.

Cedric had mentioned potential euphoric or pleasurable sensations, which still seemed like a far cry from orgasms. Had I misunderstood?

“Damn it. Of course.” I muttered curses as I entered my apartment complex and spotted no open parking spots near my building.

Justin’s car was in our designated spot, not that he needed it, since he worked his IT job from home.

It always turned into a fight if I asked him to let me have the parking spot, so I let it go.

After circling the complex a few times, I gave up and decided to park on the street a block away.

Thanks to working overnights at the crime lab, I usually came home when everyone else was leaving for work, and parking usually wasn’t an issue.

I was not thrilled to walk a block home alone in the middle of the night.

I grabbed my phone and shoved it in my pocket, resisting the urge to listen to the vampire’s voice once again.

The sooner I copied it to a hard drive, the better.

And then…I didn’t know exactly what to do with it.

But, as a most-of-the-time happily attached woman, I definitely wasn’t going to listen to it repeatedly like a psycho.

The walk home would be short, but I kept my pace brisk.

Why I felt safer hiking in the woods at night than walking in my own neighborhood, I had no idea.

We didn’t live in the best part of town, but it wasn’t the worst either.

Maybe it was something about this area, with all of its apartment complexes and parked cars.

So many people living in such close quarters almost guaranteed I was being watched, no matter how late it was.

That was the feeling I couldn’t escape, like there were eyes on my every move.

I had only walked a few yards when I decided to pull my phone out. Better to have 911 at the ready than not.

My senses were on high alert as I quickened my pace. My phone was in my hand, but my gaze swept widely in front of me. I felt ready for anything, and yet somehow I wasn’t fast enough for the car door that opened just ahead of me, and the man stepping out of the passenger seat.

He started in the opposite direction and bumped into me so hard that I stumbled backwards.

And dropped my phone.

“Oh shit! I didn’t see you there. Are you okay?” He put a hand on my arm to steady me.

It happened so quickly, I just blinked up at him dumbly. The nearby streetlamp cast harsh shadows on his face, but I could still tell that he was good-looking. Clean-shaven, early thirties maybe, with a crew cut. He was tall and muscular, and had active duty military written all over him.

“I’m okay,” I said after catching my breath. “But I dropped my phone.”

The man cringed as he released my arm. “I’m really sorry. I can replace your screen or anything if it’s damaged.” He bent to retrieve the phone, turning it over quickly to look at the screen and the back. “Hey, look at that.” He smiled as he handed it to me. “Seems it survived.”

Luckily, I did protect my electronics well. The selfie of Justin and I, taken over a year ago, smiled up at me from my perfectly intact lock screen. No cracks in the glass or distortion in the image. The only damage I could see was some scuffing on the corner of the phone’s case.

“All good?” the man asked.

“Yeah. Saved by the case,” I said with an awkward laugh.

“Glad to hear it. Sorry again for running into you. Have a good night.” With that, he turned and continued on in the direction he was heading.

I paused for a few seconds, willing my heartbeat to slow down before resuming my hurried walk home. With a glance over my shoulder, I watched the man’s back as he walked away. As far as things happening at night to a woman alone, it certainly could have been worse.

The apartment was dark when I walked in, with only the glow of a computer screen lighting up the small living area. Of course Justin was still up, gaming with his buddies.

“Hey,” I said, taking off my purse and coat to hang on the hooks by the front door.

I got no response. Not even a glance as I walked in. Justin had a headset on, talking into the attached microphone to whoever he was gaming with.

His eyes didn’t even flicker from the screen as I crossed the room to the mantle shelf, where I touched the framed photo of me and my parents.

It had been years since they passed away, but I still touched their photo every time I came home.

It was my little ritual, my way of greeting them every day.

When I turned back to Justin, his eyes were still focused on the screen in front of him like he’d never looked up.

At this point, I should have been used to it, but the lack of any reaction from the guy who was supposed to love me still stung.

He’d definitely heard me unlock and open the door.

Every time I brought it up, he made it sound like some huge ask to just be acknowledged when I came home.

I smothered the spark of anger as I kicked off my shoes.

I seemed to be doing that a lot lately, suppressing my own feelings to make his life easier.

But I hated arguing, hated always being made out to be the bad guy and he the victim.

I wanted peace in our relationship, and I missed the version of my boyfriend who once made me feel loved.

I walked up behind Justin’s chair, my palm coming to rest on his upper back. Only then did he look up at me, pulling one side of his headphones off of his ear.

“Hey, babe. Home from work early?”

The angry spark I’d smothered moments ago reignited. “I told you I wasn’t working tonight. I went for a night hike at Ryan Creek.”

“Oh, right.” He laughed sheepishly. “My shitty memory.”

With that, he replaced his headphone and returned his attention to the computer, effectively dismissing me.

No, How was it?

Did everything go okay?

Were you safe?

By the way, I finally washed that load of laundry you’ve been reminding me about for the past week.

And, shitty memory? Evidently, it was only shitty when it came to me. He forgot my days off, but he never missed a raid night.

“Resentment is the relationship-killer,” our couples therapist had told us at one of the few sessions I’d managed to drag Justin to.

“The two of you need to be a united front against all hardships, even if that hardship is the relationship itself. If you turn against each other, there won’t be a relationship to save. ”

I took deep breaths through my nose, each one a battle with that word: resentment.

We wouldn’t last if I let the resentment win. We’d never go back to how happy we used to be if I got offended by everything he did. I had to prioritize us , not just me.

My hand returned to Justin’s back, where I rubbed in wide circles. I added pressure, making it more of a massage as I leaned in closer.

“When are you going to bed?” I asked, letting my voice drop, low and sultry.

“Mm, I dunno. Few hours, at least.” His dismissive answer was punctuated by rapid mouse clicks and aggressive key strokes.

I brought my hands over his shoulders and ran them down his chest. “Is there any way I can convince you to come to bed sooner?” Dodging his headphone cord, I kissed his neck.

“I mean, I can try, but we’ve been planning to raid this dungeon all week. This is the only time we could get this many people together. The party needs me.”

And your girlfriend is trying to fuck you. Is this really where your priorities are?

I smothered the voice of resentment, which I was starting to think of as a little demon on my shoulder, and tried one more time.

“I miss you, Jus. We haven’t gone to bed together in weeks.” I kissed his neck again, flicking my tongue in a way that used to drive him wild.

It wasn’t even sex that I was after, although that would be a bonus. I missed the intimacy we used to have, our nightly routine of cuddling in bed and kissing goodnight before falling asleep.

Now, Justin leaned away from my touch, rolling his shoulder to break contact. “Should’ve thought of that before you started working night shift. We’re on totally different schedules now.”

I straightened, hurt shooting through me like ice water. “And whose idea was that? I moved to nights for the shift deferential because we were struggling. I was worried about never seeing each other, but you suggested it. Remember?”