Page 36 of The Awakening

I flick my wrist up and check my watch. “Five thirty-five.”

He sighs. “Oh… Um—eight.”

“You have plenty of time. I don’t cook, but do you want coffee? Tea?”

“Tea, please…”

“Earl gray or green? I only have the two.”

“Earl gray, please?”

Nodding, I head toward the door. “You can take a shower here if you want. There’s a towel on the bathroom counter for you. Your choice.”

When I’m in the open space of my living room, I crack the sliding glass wall open. The morning air is crisp, hazy, and it looks like rain. Autumn. I grab my remote and click on my entertainment system, then quickly switch to the streaming music channel with classic jazz. Dave Brubeck’s “Take 5” is playing. Perfect.

I head to the kitchen and start the tea for Jae. Coffee for myself. I pause when I hear the rain shower head in my bathroom running, which is interesting because I never hear it from an outside perspective.

Making love to Jae was truly divine. He’s trusting, relaxed, playful and perfectly warm and delicious. He has a little brown mole to the right of his belly button, one just inside his left thigh and another on the concave of his neck. God… It’s like they’re targets that say, “Please bite here, here and here.”

I wanted to bite him.Badly.Which shocked the hell out of me. He smells so good, and I can’t understand why. I’m trying not to harp on it like Haruka is doing. If Jae says he’s human, he’s human. I like him, and things are going smoothly between us.

Plus, he doesn’t drink blood. No feeding at all. Regardless of everything else,thatis what fundamentally defines us. So if he’s not doing that, he can’t be one of us.

It’s another fifteen minutes before Jae is peeking his damp head through the doorframe of the hallway. His golden hair looks especially dark since it’s wet, and his glasses are back on his face. He’d ditched them last night before our very sensual shower.

“Hey, there’s a mug and tea bag on the counter for you.”

“Thanks.” He moves slowly toward the counter, then sits himself atop a barstool. I grab the teapot, walk over and fill his mug with steaming water, careful not to spill on my countertop.

When I’m done, I flick my eyes up to him. “Is everything alright, Doctor?”

He tears the tea bag open and slowly dips it into the cup. He’s staring down into it, his face unreadable. “My baggage is clouding my view again.”

I breathe a laugh. Not because it’s funny, but because it’s forthright. “Can I help with this? I appreciate your honesty.”

He looks up at me, his lovely eyes serious. “Are we done?”

“Do youwantto be done?”

“Well… not really.”

“Did you enjoy last night?”

“Yes. Did you?”

I smile. “Very much. I would like to do it again. Plus, you said you wantedtwodinners.”

“I said as many as I can get.” He smiles for the first time. It’s a weak, hesitant smile, but it’s there.

“I remember.” I lean on the counter with my elbows directly across from him. “Because of who I am, and who you are, we can’t ever have anything very serious…”

The doctor nods. “I know.”

“But as long as we’re both enjoying, I think we should enjoy?”

“I would like that.” Jae smiles a little brighter, and I swear his eyes look like there’s light behind them. I shake my head.

“Alright,” I say. “Let’s seal the deal.”