Page 44 of Vampire's Breath

“What?” My question was sharp.

A coy smile spread on her face. “You know damn well you’d rather be in his bed than in his arms.”

I shook my head. “If I could reach through this phone right now.”

“But you can’t. Didn’t I tell you that you would end up chasing him?”

I glared at her while her eyes beamed at me.

“I don’t understand why you haven’t just fucked his brains out already.”

There was a knock on my door. “Just a minute,” I called.

Amy narrowed her eyes. “Was that to me?”

“No, you get to come with me,” I said as I opened the door.

“Where are we going?” asked Lorcan.

“Uh, hi,” I said quickly before staring at his blue eyes for what felt like an eternity.

“Do you still want me here?” Amy’s voice came from beside my thigh, returning me to my senses.

I looked at her through the camera. “I think I’m going to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“You better. Or I’ll forget to water the plants in the greenhouse.”

“You wouldn’t dare!” I let out a shaky laugh as I playfully grimaced at her, needing to stop my tears.

“Try me.” The screen went black.

“May I come in?” asked Lorcan, his voice small and his shoulders hunched.

Stepping back, I held the door for him. Breathing his scent in as he walked by calmed my emotions.

“Thank you,” he said. “I brought a peace offering.” He held up the bottle of wine Dani had brought to his room earlier and two fresh glasses.

I smiled at him as he poured a glass of wine where he stood and handed it to me. I took it from him, our fingers brushing as I did, sending a tingle through my arm that I tried to ignore. Lorcan walked to the middle of the room, looking at the furniture next to the table. “Where do you want me?” he asked.

I bit my tongue so I wouldn’t give him a crass answer as my heart sped up.

A corner of his mouth lifted just the smallest amount. “In the sitting room?” he asked, his voice low and rough.

“There.” I pointed at the chair next to where I had been sitting. I didn’t want him too close or too comfortable, especially if he had just been able to read my face.

“I’m sorry, Briar.” His voice was calm as he stared into my eyes. “I wasn’t prepared for anything that happened today, and I should have reacted differently.”

I shook my head. “It was my fault. I should have taken the hint when you never texted me about coffee, but I pushed myself on you. I just wanted…” I looked into my glass before taking a long draw of wine.

“What?” He set the tips of his fingers on my knee. My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at them.

I took a deep breath. “I wanted to know what it was like to kiss you.”

“So that was the point of Amy’s statement about my doing something with my brains?”

“Amy’s stateme—” Oh no, the statement about me fucking his brains out. Heat flamed in my cheeks. “You heard that?”

Lorcan smiled a boyish grin, sitting back with his arms splayed on the chair’s armrests. “I thought men were the ones who thought that way?”