Page 14 of Silent Nights and Vampire Lights

I smothered a smile. “Good night, Holly.”

She gave me another bright smile. “Good night, Nick.”

And I didn’t have the heart to correct her use of my name. It sounded perfect on her lips.

Holly

Iwoke up wrapped around a warm, firm pillow like a boa constrictor. I was pretty sure I didn’t go to sleep with one of those body pillows, and this one was way harder than what I thought those might be. I opened my eyes to a black cotton t-shirt. I slowly lifted my head to see Nick’s face smoothed out in sleep. He looked so peaceful, so relaxed, without any of the frequent expressions I was more accustomed to seeing on his face—disgruntled, annoyed, exasperated. All the emotions I was used to seeing from so many people. My grandparents loved me, but I knew that I often tested them. I talked too much. I was too cheerful. I was too eager to please.

Since their death, I’d read any number of self-help books to help me understand my own issues. How could a young girl who lost her parents be so happy all the time? Apparently, I was afraid that I would be a burden, and someone would leave me behind. If I wasn’t a problem, maybe they would keep me. Yet somehow, it happened anyway. Sure, they couldn’t stop the aging process, so that wasn’t their fault. But plenty of otherpeople left on their own. My boyfriend, my bosses, friends. I was always too much. Too needy, too cheery, too everything.

And here I was repeating the same pattern. Forcing my holiday cheer on a vampire who had zero interest in the holidays or me. In fact, I was the complete opposite of everything he would ever want. He had already made it very clear that whatever this was would be a short-term alliance until I got him where he was going. He’d get me to safety, if there was such a thing, and go on his not-so-merry way.

We had an end date that was fast approaching, yet somehow he fascinated me. I could almost feel his pain, his loneliness, and something inside of me desperately wanted to help him, even though I knew it was the worst idea ever. He didn’t need or want my help. He only needed me to drive him to his family. I was the one who needed his protection. I needed to stop equating his protection with something more. I think they called it Stockholm Syndrome. I know he didn’t kidnap me, but I didn’t exactly have a choice about going with him. So it was almost the same thing, right?

As I lay there in the bed, something occurred to me. I never expected a vampire to be warm, almost hot. Weren’t they supposed to be cold, like a corpse? Nick would scoff at my idea, especially if I asked him about it. I already knew that he thought I had absurd ideas about vampires, but how would I know any other way? I had never met one, not that I knew of, so I had to ask him. Grandpa always encouraged me to ask questions, even as I was sure he regretted it some days.

The room was pitch dark, so I had no idea what time it was. I felt refreshed, so I suspected it was toward the end of the day. Nick’s chest rose and fell in a deep sleep, answering the question of if he died during the day (he did not). But since he was still asleep, I suspected the sun was still up. Or he was more tired than I was.

A heavy weight had settled around my shoulders and down my back, and his hand cupped my butt. I realized not only had I snuggled into Nick, but he had wrapped an arm around me, holding me close. The smaller, cynical part of me wanted to believe that he was just tethering me to him, making sure I didn’t go anywhere. The larger, romantic part of me wanted to believe he wanted me, especially the way he gripped my ass. But that way was a path to madness, and I need to suppress those feelings before I got all turned around and started thinking dirty thoughts about my boss.

Of course, I had a leg wrapped around my boss’s thigh, his firm muscles pressing against the place that hadn’t seen any action beyond the vibrator I had to leave behind when I went on the run. Damn, I had finally found a vibrator that I loved, too. I had named him Chris, for Pine, Evans, and Hemsworth. That wasn’t exactly helping me think pure thoughts. I rocked my hips gently, experimentally brushing up against him, and stifled a moan as his thigh hit my hot spot just right. Yeah, somehow, humping my boss probably would not endear me to him at all.

A groan rumbled through his chest like he was in pain, and I froze. “Holly, for the love of all of that’s holy, please stop wiggling.”

I glanced up to see his eyes staring down at me, a hint of red shining in them. His jaw was clenched, and there were lines furrowed across his brow. His arm had tightened against my ass, holding me in place. Not that I was going anywhere. I slowly began to draw my leg from around his, and he hissed. I stopped all movement and held my breath.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to molest you in your sleep.” Okay, so maybe I did a little bit. It had been a while.

He laughed, a raw, hoarse sound, his fingers still gripping my ass. “I think it was mutual.”

I knew I should move away, but I didn’t want to. Nick was warm, safe, and so freaking sexy. His arm was still around me, the heavy weight a comforting presence. How long had it been since I had slept with a man? Too long, judging by how excited my hormones were just lying next to Nick. Imagine if anything else happened.

“Your eyes are red. Do you need blood?” I asked, almost fearing the answer.

He froze under my touch, then cleared his throat. “I’m fine.”

“Then maybe we should get up now,” I said reluctantly. I really wanted to linger in bed. I hadn’t done that in years. I was always scrambling to get to the bakery in the morning, so if I had anyone in bed with me, I was always the one sneaking out to get to the bakery for the morning shift. More often, it was a cold bed I left behind. But now, with a warm, incredibly sexy body in bed and no bakery to rush off to, well, I wanted to savor the moment, like a delicious cinnamon roll. Only this indulgence wouldn’t go straight to my hips.

This one might go for my carotid instead. Though, the thought of him having me as a meal wasn’t as big a turnoff as it once was. Maybe once he used me as a juice box, hopefully leaving some of my blood for later, I could persuade him to use that sexy mouth to make a meal of me in a completely different way.

Damn it. When had I ever had such sexy thoughts?

“Do you brainwash humans?”

He glanced at me, startled by my random thought. Or maybe not. He had to be used to my weird ideas by now. “Brainwash? What bizarre new accusation do you have for me now?”

My face burned, and he chuckled. “No, Holly. I don’t put those kinds of thoughts in your head. Though I can compel some humans, especially when I need to feed to ensure they don’t feel any pain during the process or remember me feeding.”

My hand went to my throat and the smooth skin there. He frowned. “I haven’t done it to you. I made you a promise.”

I dropped my hand. “I didn’t think you did.”

He arched an eyebrow as if he didn’t believe me but said nothing. He lifted his arm and rolled away from me to a sitting position, his back to me. I stared at him, wondering if he was offended or just getting up for the day, or evening, or whatever this was. But his shoulders were slumped like he was tired, and guilt pricked me.

I struggled up to lean on an elbow, and I rested a hand on his back, feeling his muscles bunch under my hand. “I’m sorry. I know you wouldn’t do that.”

He gave a hoarse, raw laugh. “Never trust a vampire, Holly.”

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