Page 6 of Vein & Vow (The Bouchers #1)

Chapter 5

Reese

I f there was ever a good moment for spontaneous human combustion, it was the moment that Beau pulled me into the kitchen full of people that just heard me call him an asshole. I tried to tell myself that they already knew he was an asshole—it wasn’t as if he tried to hide it—but I still couldn’t meet their eyes. What a fan-fucking-tastic first impression.

“This is Reese,” Beau announced, his hand tightening on mine as he led me further into the room. “Reese, these are my parents, Erik and Matilda, and my brothers, Chance and Daniel.”

“Call me Mattie, please,” his mom said kindly with the smallest hint of a southern accent. “Matilda is so stuffy.”

She moved forward to shake my hand, and I gave her a pained smile as I took it. “Nice to meet you.”

“Wonderful to meet you, too, darlin’,” she replied, her smile bright. She was gorgeous. Not in a way that said she worked for it, but like it just radiated from somewhere inside of her. It was slightly disconcerting that she didn’t look older than her forties, though. I mean, I knew that Vampires didn’t age the way we did, but she definitely didn’t look old enough to be Beau’s mom. His older sister, maybe.

Beau’s dad was different. He only looked too young to be Beau’s dad until you met his eyes and realized that the guy had seen some shit. His beard was long, with just a few light red streaks through it, and there were tattoos down both sides of his neck, disappearing into the collar of his shirt.

“Erik,” he said gruffly, nodding at me. “Good to meet you.”

“You, too,” I murmured.

Okay, one friendly parent wasn’t so bad. I could maybe win his dad over later.

“That one is Danny,” Beau said, pointing at the brother with short hair. Then he pointed to the brother with longer hair and a full beard that looked like a carbon copy of his dad. “And that one is Chance.”

“Ulf called earlier,” Erik said. “He wants you to call him back when you get a moment.”

“He could’ve called me himself,” Beau replied.

“Didn’t want to interrupt.”

“Those first few days are a bit of a whirlwind,” Beau’s mom said conspiratorially to me, wrinkling her nose happily. “Make sure you take the time to soak it all in.”

“I think they’re letting it soak in just fine, Ma,” Chance said, laughter in his voice.

“More than once, even,” Danny muttered.

My face was so hot it felt like it was going to melt off my skull. How the fuck did they know? I glared at Beau. Someone must have seen us.

“Enough,” Erik barked, glaring at his sons. “What the fuck is the matter with you?”

Beau let go of my hand to drape his arm over my shoulders. “Ignore them.”

“Dinner’s almost ready,” Mattie said, reaching out to give Beau’s bicep a squeeze. “Why don’t you show Reese around, and I’ll call you when it’s on the table.”

“Sounds good,” Beau replied.

Chance and Danny had barely moved to leave when their mom spun on them. “Where do you think you’re going?” she snapped. She pointed at Danny. “Set the table.” Then at Chance. “Ice water and wine glasses for everyone.”

Beau’s chest jerked with silent laughter as he led me out of the room.

“You said no one would—” My words cut off as Beau’s hand covered my mouth. He shook his head.

“This is the common living area,” he said, his hand still over my mouth. “We each have our own spaces, but if we’re spending time as a family—we come down here. There’s a big television that drops down above the fireplace, but it barely gets used. Come on. My rooms are this way.”

He tugged me up a flight of stairs and down a hallway.

“If you turn the other way at the top of the stairs, that’s my brother Ulf’s rooms.” He finally dropped his hand.

“You have a brother named Ulf?”

“His name is actually Ambrose, but we’ve always called him Ulf.”

“Interesting.”

“My dad’s never called any of us by the names my mom gave us.”

“Why not?”

“Probably to be a pain in her ass,” he replied dryly.

“What does he call you?”

“Bjorn,” he replied, swinging open the door at the end of the hallway. “He calls Danny, Arne. Chance is Happ .”

Inside was a living area that was pretty much the same size as my apartment. A couch and recliner sat in the center around an old wood coffee table. Actually, all the furniture looked old and expensive.

“This is the living room,” Beau said, closing the door behind us. He pointed to the left. “That’s the kitchen—but I don’t have anything up here except eggs and beer.”

“So, all the food groups, then,” I replied sarcastically.

“I mostly eat downstairs,” he said, following as I moved toward the kitchen. “Sometimes I make a couple of eggs up here if I’m in a hurry.”

“You like eggs, huh?”

“It’s the only thing I make well.”

“Typical,” I muttered. There was a small kitchen table that looked straight out of a historical museum.

“My mom likes to decorate,” Beau said as I stopped to look at it.

“Your mom decorated your bedroom?” I asked, pressing my lips together in amusement.

“This is my dining area,” he shot back. “My bedroom is that way.” He pointed toward the other side of the living room.

“Tell me the truth,” I ordered jokingly as I walked toward the bedroom. “She decorated in here, too.”

The door was open, and I swanned through like I owned the place, only to pause when I got a good look at it. The bed was massive. There were two chairs in the corner, one of them draped with the shirt he’d been wearing when we met that morning. The dressers were matching and older than I was. Everything was dark and luxurious and incredible.

“I know you didn’t decorate in here,” I mused. There was no way.

“I chose the bed. The rest of the shit came with it.”

“Nice bed,” I murmured as he stepped in behind me.

The fire that was becoming almost familiar under my skin began to thrum. Knowing that I could slake it made it only slightly less disconcerting. We’d already had sex twice. It made absolutely no sense that I was already itching for more.

“Your mom said dinner is almost ready,” I rasped as his cool palms slid under my sweater.

“We’ve got a little time.”

“Not enough.”

“We’ll see,” he said quietly, pressing against my back until I started toward the bed. I’d barely reached it when my sweater was tugged up and over my head, leaving me completely topless.

Beau hummed deep in his throat as he turned me and pressed his hand in the center of my chest.

“Lay back.”

“We don’t have time,” I argued half-heartedly as I dropped to the bed, letting my shoes slide off my feet as I lay back.

Beau stared.

“What?” I asked, frowning. Looking down, I couldn’t see anything out of place. I mean, breasts were present and accounted for. Nipples were hard as rocks and pointing toward the ceiling. I didn’t have a dryer sheet stuck to me or anything.

“So pale,” he murmured, kneeling on the bed by my hips. His hands tucked under my arms and scooted me up the bed. “And pink.”

“It’s not like they see a lot of sun,” I replied, rolling my eyes.

Bracing on one arm, his other hand slid up my stomach, and I arched against it. His hands were so cool on my heated skin.

“How long is this supposed to last?” I asked, letting out a relieved breath as his fingers brushed over my nipple. “We literally just had sex, and I’m already on fire.”

“I’m not sure,” he mumbled, leaning down to lick my nipple.

I damn near shot off the bed when he wrapped his lips around it and tugged.

“That’s not comforting,” I replied, holding his head to me. My toes curled against the comforter as I arched toward him.

“It’s normal for things to be heated in the beginning.”

“Is that a joke?” I asked dubiously. “Did you really just make a joke?”

“What?” He glanced at me in confusion.

“ Heated ?” I replied dryly. “Really?”

“It wasn’t intentional.” He shook his head as he nuzzled between my breasts. “The desire is normal. Most mates don’t leave their rooms for days—sometimes weeks.”

“What’s different about us?” I asked, trying to hold on to my train of thought. It was nearly impossible to focus as he dragged his teeth gently over one of my nipples. “Why did you bring me here?”

“It usually takes longer for a human mate to accept the bond,” he said distractedly. His tongue slid around the underside of my breast, and I nearly screamed.

“What?” I was having a hard time following. Threading my fingers through his hair, I yanked his head up so he’d meet my eyes. “What do you mean it usually takes longer? People just—just live with it? I thought this was normal?” My voice rose in volume and pitch with each word.

“It’s uncomfortable,” he clarified, his eyes on mine. “But most humans are more distrustful of the bond. They don’t want to give up their lives, or they’re too nervous to make that kind of commitment. It usually takes months to finally cement it.”

“I could’ve waited,” I murmured, understanding hit like a bucket of cold water. “I didn’t—You made it seem like—No, you said?—”

“I asked you,” he flatly cut me off. “I asked you every step of the way.”

“You made it seem like it was inevitable. That nothing would help except if I fucked you.”

“It is inevitable,” he gritted out. “Even if you’d wanted to wait, we still would’ve been uncomfortable until you came to a decision.”

“That wasn’t discomfort,” I argued, shoving him off of me. “That was impossible. It was painful . It burned.”

Beau shrugged as I scuttled off the bed and reached for my sweater. “Other mates choose to deal with it until they’re sure.”

“I didn’t know that was an option!”

“You could’ve said no at any time.”

“No, I couldn’t.”

Beau stiffened and crossed his arms over his chest. “I didn’t force you.”

“What, so I’m just weaker than all the other mates?” I spat, glaring at him. “Is that what you’re saying?”

“I’m not saying anything beyond the fact that no one forced you to accept the mating bond.”

“It’s not like you were trying to wait either,” I shot back. “You wanted it just as much as me.”

“It’s a biological need for me,” he replied calmly. “I’ve always known that I would have a mate at some point. Why would I want to wait?”

“You don’t even know me!”

“It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters!”

I wanted to hit him. The realization that I was the only mate who hadn’t held out long enough to actually get to know their partner? That stung. I wasn’t some weak woman who’d been waiting for Prince Charming to come rescue her or who threw herself onto the dick of any handsome man who smiled my way. I was discerning. I had self-respect. I didn’t need some full-of-himself Vampire to come sweep me off my feet. I’d never even wanted that. The pull to Beau hadn’t been rational. It was visceral. Agonizing.

Even as I wished I could clock him, my body still ached for his. It was already protesting the lack of contact.

“Son, dinner is on the table,” a voice called from the speaker in the wall, making me jump.

“You have a fucking intercom system?” I spat. For some reason, that made me even angrier.

“The house is big,” he replied evenly. “Come on.”

“I’m not just going to go down to dinner with your family when we’re in the middle of a conversation,” I argued, my eyes widening as he walked toward the door.

“She went to the trouble of setting out a nice meal for us,” he replied. “I’m not going to keep her waiting just because you’re having some kind of identity crisis.”

I sputtered as I hurried after him. “I’m not having an identity crisis.”

“It’s not my responsibility to make your choices for you,” he said flatly as he led me toward the door to the hallway. “You can deal with your own regrets.”

“Take me home,” I whispered, my voice shaking with rage.

I hated him. He was cold and distant, and it didn’t matter how much my body craved his. He was an awful person. There was no shred of understanding or empathy in his gaze. No words of comfort for my understandable panic and confusion. There was just…impatience.

“I’ll take you home after dinner.”

“I’ll call a ride share.”

I moved to walk past him, but I didn’t make it far before his hand clamped down like a vice on my arm.

“You may be angry or scared about your change in circumstances—” I scoffed, and his hand tightened. “But my mother is fucking ecstatic that I’ve found my mate. She’s down there right now making sure everything is perfect for your first dinner with our family. You will not fuck this up for her.”

“Or what?” I ground out between my teeth.

“The bond is cemented,” he said quietly, leaning further into my space. “There’s no going back. You can make this easy or hard on yourself.”

“I hate you,” I whispered back.

“That’s fine,” he replied, straightening. “You wouldn’t have been my choice either.”

I followed him silently out of his apartment, telling myself that it didn’t feel as if I’d just been slapped. Foster care had taught me a lot of lessons, some good and some bad, but I was grateful for it as I followed him down the stairs, digging my fingernails into my palms to keep my eyes from watering. The tactic worked. By the time we reached the kitchen, I’d gotten my emotions under control again.

“I wasn’t sure if you had any food sensitivities,” Beau’s mom—Mattie—told me as she gestured toward the food on the table. “And it always takes a while for the mating bond to?—”

“Mama,” Beau said, cutting her off with a shake of his head.

“What?” I asked, glancing around the table.

“We can talk about it later,” Beau said easily. “This looks great.”

“Not sure why she made my favorite,” Beau’s brother, Chance, said happily. “But I’ll take it.”

“I thought this was Beau’s favorite,” Mattie said, slapping her hands onto her hips.

“Sit down, love,” his dad ordered gruffly, patting Mattie’s hip. “If we need anything else, one of us will get it.”

“I think everything is already here,” she replied with a smile, sliding into her seat. “Open the wine?”

“She always gets our favorites confused,” Beau’s brother, Danny, said quietly, leaning toward me a little. “It never fails.”

“I can also hear you,” Mattie said easily. “And I know this is Beau’s favorite.”

“Is it?” Chance needled.

“So, Reese,” Beau’s dad, Erik, boomed. “What do you do?”

“Uh…” I glanced at Beau, but he wasn’t even looking at me. “I’m a blood tech.”

“No shit?” Danny asked in surprise.

“No shit,” I confirmed, my lips twitching. “If you guys tell me your favorites, I can hook you up.”

The silence at the table was deafening.

I nearly slid to the floor in embarrassment when Erik finally let out a bark of laughter. “I’ve had a lot of offers, but I can easily say that’s a first.”

“I’m sorry,” I breathed, glancing around the table. “Did I just put my foot in my mouth?”

“Hell, no,” Chance said with a huge smile. “I’ll make you a list.”

“I’m not picky,” Danny added. “Just get me the good stuff.”

“I have no idea what the good stuff is,” I confessed.

“O pos,” Danny and Chance both replied at the same time.

“Good to know.” My lips twitched. I looked over at Beau, who was still sitting there silently. “What about you?”

He shook his head.

“What, you don’t have a favorite?” I joked. The fact that he was silent really bothered me. He’d asked me to make an effort with his family. He’d forced me to the table. The least he could do was act like he wanted me there.

“Mates don’t use banks, honey,” Beau’s mom said kindly, passing the bottle of wine down the table to Chance.

“You don’t?”

“Banks are only for those who haven’t found their mates yet,” Erik confirmed.

“But, why—?” My words cut off as the realization hit, and I turned wide-eyed back to Beau. “You’ll only have my blood from now on?”

A stiff nod was all the reply I got.

“But, how is that possible?” I asked in confusion. I knew the amount of blood that we sent out on a daily basis. I knew how much the average Vampire ingested. There was no way, even if we were having sex regularly, that Beau would take that much from me.

“Fuck, Bjorn,” Chance said, his eyebrows high on his forehead. “Have you told her anything ?”

“There hasn’t been time,” he replied darkly.

I jerked back in my seat.

“It has been a bit of a whirlwind,” Mattie said sweetly, smiling at me. “We only found out about you this morning.”

I swallowed uncomfortably. Now that I knew that most humans didn’t immediately fall into bed with their mates the way I had, I felt like a fucking idiot.

“A mate’s blood is composed perfectly to meet a Vampire’s needs,” Beau told me, finally turning his head to meet my eyes. “It doesn’t take nearly as much to satisfy.”

“Think of it as quality over quantity,” Daniel added helpfully.

“Oh,” I murmured. I looked over at his brothers. “So, neither of you have mates?”

“Free as a bird,” Chance said as Daniel shook his head.

“None of my brothers are mated,” Beau clarified.

“I’ve got a friend,” I joked with a huff of laughter.

“It doesn’t work that way,” Beau snapped.

“Bjorn,” Erik growled chidingly.

Mattie studied the two of us for a moment before speaking.

“Mates are very hard to find,” she told me softly. “It’s not a matter of meeting someone and falling in love the way humans do. It’s instinctual and instant. There is no choice.”

Her gaze slid to Beau for a moment before looking back at me.

“The love comes after.”

I held back the inappropriate bark of laughter that filled my throat.

“So, you just have to wait until your mate falls in your lap?” I asked, looking at each of them.

“Pretty much,” Daniel answered. “I mean, we’re actively looking, but when you don’t know where to look or who you’re looking for?—”

“Talk about a needle in a haystack.”

“More like a needle in a needle stack,” Chance quipped.

“I had to cross continents to find mine,” Erik said, his eyes on Mattie.

She smiled softly back at him.

The conversation grew quiet as the food was passed around. Mattie had made some kind of pasta with shrimp and sausage in it, and I didn’t care whose favorite it was because it was divine. The wine flowed freely, and there was no shortage as Erik opened bottle after bottle. By the time we’d finished eating, and Mattie got up to make a round of espressos, my head was spinning.

“Do you have any family?” Erik asked thoughtfully. I’d watched him drink at least four times more than I had, but he looked completely fine.

“Nope, no family,” I said, my eyes widening in horror as I let out a small hiccup. “I’m sorry!”

Erik laughed and waved me off.

“I grew up in foster care. No siblings, no parents. I have some found family, though. My best friend, Rena, and my boss, Noah, and his husband, Mr. Miranda. I actually knew Mr. Miranda first. They’re like my dads, sort of. The kind that threaten to throw you out a window but also braid your hair for a volleyball game.” I shrugged. It was impossible to explain my relationship with the two men. We were a weird little trio.

“All of my family is gone, too,” Erik said with a nod. “Found family. I like that term. I have two best friends that we consider family, too.”

“Uncle Sven,” Chance bellowed deeply.

“Mordecai,” Daniel added, drawing the name out.

“We fought together long ago,” Erik said, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Those bonds never fade.”

It was on the tip of my tongue to ask him which war he’d fought in—I was pretty fucking sure it wasn’t anything even remotely recent—when Mattie walked back in carrying the espresso.

“Why didn’t you call me?” Erik scolded as he shot up from his seat to take the tray from her.

“You were visiting,” she replied easily. “The pie is still on the counter.”

“Sit. I’ll grab it,” he ordered, setting the tray of espresso cups on the table.

“We’ll have to have your found family over for a visit,” Mattie said as she handed out the coffee.

I snorted before I could stop myself.

Beau glared.

“No, no, I’d love that,” I said, grinning. “And you can just call them my family. It’s just that my best friend is obsessed with Vampires, and she’s going to lose her mind.”

“Obsessed with Vampires, you say?” Daniel asked, leaning forward with his chin in his hand.

“Don’t do it,” I warned jokingly, pointing at him. “She wants a mate, and it sounds like unless you win the lottery, she’s not it.”

“Never know,” he said with a shrug.

“Mind your manners,” Mattie warned.

“But, yes, they’d all be happy to come for dinner,” I continued, raising my eyebrows at Daniel. He glared playfully. I liked him. I looked back at Mattie. “I mean, once they know about the whole mate thing.”

“Your family doesn’t know?” Mattie asked, pausing.

“Well, no.” I looked to Beau for help, but unsurprisingly, he was watching the conversation with little interest. “I mean, it all happened kind of fast.”

“Lucky bastard,” Chance mumbled.

“Noah and Mr. Miranda know,” I added. “I mean, they suspect. Noah warned me after I met Beau this morning that he thought that’s what was happening, but they don’t know for sure or anything. I told Rena I thought I was getting the flu.”

Mattie let out a little laugh. “The flu?”

“Well, that’s what it felt like,” I shot back, throwing my hands up in the air, making her laugh again. “That heat stuff is no joke. I wanted to crawl out of my skin.”

“Enough,” Beau said quietly. He was glaring at me like he wanted to throttle me.

“What?” I asked, widening my eyes at him. “It’s not like they don’t know what I’m talking about. You knew what it was, right? So, I’m guessing your brothers do too. Plus, I mean, your mom’s been through it?—”

The words weren’t even out of my mouth before Beau had shot from his seat and was dragging me out of mine. He wasn’t rough by any means, but I was pretty sure if I hadn’t gotten to my feet of my own free will, he would’ve tossed me over his shoulder.

“What is wrong with you?” I griped as he pulled me through the house.

“Beau,” his mom called.

He completely ignored her.

We didn’t stop until we’d reached the front porch, and he’d slammed the door closed behind us.

“On what planet is discussing our sex life an appropriate conversation to have with my mother and brothers?” he spat, rounding on me.

“Our sex life?” I asked dumbly. That’s what he was pissed about? “I didn’t say that you bent me over the fucking car, Beau. All I mentioned was how uncomfortable the heat was. That shit was painful.”

“So, it’s okay if you mention your arousal to my entire family, but fucking on my car is inappropriate? That’s where you draw the line?”

“I don’t know what kind of sex you’ve been having, but that wasn’t arousal, you idiot. That was some kind of torture .”

“ Heat ,” he ground out. “It’s called mating heat for a reason.”

My jaw dropped in surprise. “You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” I shot back, my voice rising. “Like a fucking dog ?”

“No, not like a dog. Lower your goddamn voice.”

“I’m not lowering anything!”

“Makes sense, since you can’t seem to distinguish what should and shouldn’t be private!”

“Well, how the fuck was I supposed to know?”

“You’re drunk,” he replied derisively.

“Your dad kept pouring me wine!”

“You didn’t have to keep finishing it.”

“I was trying to be polite.”

“Well, you fucking failed.”

“Holy fuck,” I muttered, spinning away from him. I’d talked about sex with his mother. His mother. I didn’t think I’d ever been more mortified in my life—and that was saying something, considering I’d shit my pants running the mile in eighth grade because my sadist of a PE teacher wouldn’t excuse me when I told him I wasn’t feeling well.

“This is a nightmare,” Beau mumbled tiredly behind me. “Come on. Let’s say our goodbyes, and I’ll drive you home.”

“Just—” I waved him off without looking at him. “Just give me a minute, okay?”

My heart thudded like a drum as I tried to calm my breathing. It wasn’t the end of the world. No one had ever died of embarrassment. No one had ever died from humiliation. No one had ever died because they’d tied themselves to a Vampire that was a complete asshole but handed out orgasms like candy—I didn’t think. I needed to start reading those tabloids with all the salacious details.

I’d impulsively tied myself to a guy who sneered at me and treated me like crap. That was overwhelming enough. I didn’t need to overthink the fact that I’d said the wrong thing to his mother. That was inconsequential. In the larger scheme of things, that was nothing. They’d forget about it in less time than my classmates had the pooping incident.

I was strong. I was independent. Sure, I sometimes said shit that was embarrassing. Who didn’t? I was funny as hell. I knew from experience that made up for a lot of faults. I’d just go back in there, make fun of myself, and the whole thing would be laughed off. Easy.

“Okay, let’s go,” I said, pushing past him. I threw open the door and marched right back into the dining room, pretending that my face wasn’t on fire.

Mattie looked at me with concern, but the brothers watched in amusement, like they were waiting for the next unhinged thing that would come out of my mouth.

“I’m sorry for bringing up our sex life at the dinner table,” I announced, throwing my hands out at my waist and wriggling my fingers as I shook my hips. “Didn’t even realize that was what I was describing. Who knew?”

Chance and Daniel burst out laughing, their eyes on Beau.

“It’s all right, honey,” Mattie said, rounding the table. “I’m sure it’s all very confusing.”

I took a step back as she reached me. If she put her hand on me or tried to comfort me, I was sure I’d burst into tears. Beau’s mom was so fucking nice. I didn’t understand how he could’ve come from her.

“Beaumont,” Erik said firmly, his eyes on his son. “A word.”

“Have some pie,” Mattie said to me as the two of them left the room.

I dropped into my seat, glancing behind me, but they’d already disappeared from view.

Maybe his dad was going to berate him for finding the absolute worst mate in the history of mates. I hadn’t been lying when I’d told Beau I had to grow on people. I was usually either loved or hated on the spot, but eventually, the ones who hated me warmed up enough to at least find me amusing. I didn’t think that there was any way out of the mating bond beyond death. I really hoped they weren’t making a plan to off me.

“Don’t worry about it,” Chance said softly to me, pointing his fork in my direction. “Seriously. You didn’t say anything embarrassing.”

“Tell that to Beau,” I joked. “I thought that vein in his neck was going to burst.”

“So, the heat thing is real,” Daniel mused.

“It’s not—” I looked over my shoulder to make sure that Beau hadn’t come back yet. “I didn’t realize what it was, I guess. It’s not, like, sexual . Not really. It’s just the need to be near the other person, like an ache.” I huffed in frustration. “I’m not explaining it right.”

“That’s pretty accurate,” Mattie confirmed, nodding. “It’s the urge to be close to your mate, in whatever form that takes. Even just holding Erik’s hand eases it.”

“You’re still dealing with it?” I asked in shock.

“It’s not how it was in the beginning,” she assured me. “But we can’t be apart for long, even after all these years.”

I was just about to ask just how long they’d been together when the sound of Erik’s voice barreled through the wall.

“This is not how I raised you,” he shouted. “How dare you treat your mate the way you’ve treated her tonight? You’ve been given a gift , Bjorn.”

“More like a fucking curse,” Beau’s voice filtered through, making me burn with shame.

I curled my hands into fists on my lap.

“That sweet girl is doing everything she can to make a good impression, and you’ve sat there glowering at her from the moment you walked into the room.”

“She wouldn’t know how to make a good impression if it slapped her in the face.”

I focused on breathing. In through my nose and out through my mouth. I stared at the pie in front of me—some kind of berry—so I didn’t accidentally meet anyone’s eyes.

“If you ever put your hands on her again the way you did tonight?—”

“I didn’t hurt her! I wouldn’t fucking hurt her!”

“If you ever put your hands on her in anything but a loving manner, I will take you out of this world,” Erik roared.

“Nice,” Beau spat back derisively.

“Better for her to live a human’s lifespan loved than a Vampire’s lifespan without it,” Erik replied, his voice lowering. “You, my most selfless son, have lost your way. You’ve given up too much, and it’s twisted you?—”

“This conversation is over.”

“It’s over when I say it is.”

“I’ll make it work,” Beau yelled, cutting him off. “I’ll make it fucking work. I have no other choice, do I? I’ll deal with her inability to behave appropriately, and I’ll ignore the sarcasm that she can’t seem to contain and the self-confidence that seems to spring from nowhere .”

I really hoped that no one noticed the shaky hiccup that burst from my throat. They would be done soon. He’d stop speaking soon. Then he could take me home, and I could be by myself for a minute. It wasn’t as if I liked him either. He was a pompous asshole with absolutely no sense of humor. I’d had better. I’d had loads better. Other men fucking loved me. I’d never been short on partners. This was a Beau problem—it wasn’t a Reese problem. Reese was just fine exactly how she was.

“I’ll keep my touches loving, and I’ll fuck her?—”

Beau’s words were cut off with a loud thud, and Mattie was instantly out of her chair and rounding the table.

“Stay here,” she ordered the boys, pointing at them without even looking at them.

I couldn’t hear what she said to Beau and Erik. She kept her voice too low, but less than thirty seconds later, she came back into the room. Erik was right behind her.

“I apologize,” he said kindly, his eyes on me. “I was unaware you could hear us.”

“You were being kind of loud,” I joked.

He dipped his chin in acknowledgment. “Vampire hearing is much better than that of humans. I always assume my family can hear, but I underestimated yours.”

“No worries,” I replied, shooting him an uncomfortable smile.

“Beau will be right in,” Mattie said, patting my shoulder as she passed my seat. “If you want to finish your pie before he gets here.”

“I’m pretty full,” I replied.

When Beau walked in a few moments later, it took every piece of willpower not to jump up from my seat and run toward the garage door. I wanted to get out of there more than anything.

“What?” Beau barked.

My head snapped up to find him staring at Daniel.

“You’re a fucking asshole,” Daniel replied, pushing up from his seat.

“Enough,” Erik ordered, making Daniel drop back down again.

“Sorry, Danny, this one’s taken,” Beau said snidely, setting his hand on the back of my chair.

“Could’ve fooled me,” his brother muttered. “Amazing how one person can fuck up the same thing twice.”

I jerked in confusion, my gaze moving back and forth between them. What the hell was Daniel talking about?

“Let’s go, Reese,” Beau ordered. He didn’t reach for me or even look at me as he said it.

“Thank you for dinner,” I said, my voice barely wobbling as I looked at Mattie and Erik.

“Absolutely,” Mattie replied.

“It was nice meeting all of you.”

As I stood, Erik stood with me.

“Would you like me to drive you home?” he asked seriously, his voice low.

“Oh.” I floundered for a moment. “No. No, thank you. Beau can drive me.”

“All right.”

The brothers called out their goodbyes as Beau ushered me into the garage. The moment we were alone, I let out a breath of relief.

I didn’t need to pretend anymore. I didn’t need to put on a happy face or act like I was okay or tell jokes or hide the wobble in my voice.

“I’ve got it,” I bit out as Beau reached for my door.

“Of course you do,” he mumbled under his breath, walking back to his side of the car.

I counted to ten before opening my door and getting into my seat.

I must’ve done something right in a former life because the ride back to my apartment was blissfully silent, and I was able to process everything that had happened.

It took me that long to realize that what I was feeling wasn’t sadness. I didn’t feel bad because Beau didn’t like me. I didn’t wonder what I could do differently or how I could change into a person that he would appreciate. I was already pretty fucking great.

My hands shook, and my breath seesawed in my lungs, not because I was embarrassed or upset. It was because I was fucking terrified that one impulsive decision had forever tied me to an asshole who couldn’t stand me.

The moment Beau pulled into a parking space, I whipped off my seat belt. The car wasn’t even parked before I shoved out of my door and hurried toward the stairs. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. I ignored the heat that burned in my chest and down my arms as I got farther away. The fire was preferable to staying in his presence for one more minute.

Unfortunately, he caught up with me before I was even able to unlock my front door.

“You can’t come in,” I said, spinning to face him as soon as I had it open.

“Give it a rest,” he said tiredly, reaching up to rub his eyes with his fingertips. “You know that’s not going to go well. It’s already fucking building again. If I can feel it, I know you can.”

“I don’t care.”

“Right,” he replied sarcastically. He waved his hand at me like he was shooing me into the apartment. “Come on.”

“You’re not coming in,” I repeated, standing my ground.

“Stop fucking around,” he said shortly.

“Go home, Beau,” I ordered, lifting my chin. “I’ll call you.”

It was supremely satisfying to slam the door in his face, even if the aftermath felt like I was burning alive.