Page 64 of Auctioned for Her Blood
Chapter Twenty
Ember
On the way down,I stand in the elevator as close to Ryker as humanly possible. I can’t get enough of him and feel like I’d die if we parted.
Am I in love?
I smile to myself. I’m super naive about many things, but notthatnaive. People don’t fall in love overnight. This feeling of ecstasy, of attachment—it can’t be love. It’s more likely sex hormones racing rampant in my bloodstream. Hormones that drive my body to do and feel and want things it had barely imagined before last night, and now that we aren’t having sex, they’ve shifted tactics to trigger emotions, strong ones.
“How do we get to Montréal?” I ask.
“Once we get out of the city, I’ll carry you and run. I don’t want to draw attention now—not from humans or vampires.” He glances around.
“We’ll easily get to Montréal before dawn,” he continues, “but first we need to swing by my hotel, pick up a few things, and as soon as we get out of DEFTA territory, I’ll take you somewhere fabulous for dinner. We don’t want to waste that pretty red dress you put on.”
Even though I’d be happy with a cheese steak, I’m not surprised that he plans to take me somewhere nice.
I smile. Iamstarving for more than just sex, and it was Ryker who suggested I wear the dress from the night we first met.
And he convinced me not to pack much, claiming he could buy me whatever I need once we get to Montréal. He’s carrying my small overnight bag, containing only a few of my essentials. We’re all set. The message I left for Shana was short. I told her I had a family emergency and needed time off until further notice.
The elevator doors open, and Mrs. Hamilton from the fourth floor is standing in front of them. Seeing us, she startles, stepping back into the lobby from the elevator. I suppose she’s never seen me all dressed up, especially not standing next to a massive man dressed in leather.
I smile at her, saying hello as we step off, and Ryker holds his hand to block the door’s closing to let her enter. She slides into the cab, keeping as far from him as possible, alarm in her eyes as her gaze meets mine.
Apparently I’m not the only one whose first impression of Ryker was DANGER.
Keeping a smile on my face, I try to reassure her with my eyes. I don’t want her calling 911—the police are a grave danger to my vampire lover. “Have a wonderful evening, Mrs. Hamilton.”
She punches the button for her floor and then backs up against the wood-paneled elevator wall.
Ryker puts his arm around my shoulders as we walk toward the door. “Did you get the feeling she didn’t like me much?” He chuckles.
Slinging my arm around his waist, I squeeze. “That’s okay with me. I want to keep you to myself.”
“That’s a wish I can grant, little dove.” He kisses the top of my head and then pushes open the front door of the building for me to walk through.
A light rain is falling, and so the street is quiet for this time in the evening. I tip my head to the sky. “Should have brought an umbrella.”
“Rain doesn’t bother me,” he replies, “but we can go back up and get one of you’d like.”
I shake my head, loving how the rain mists my face, cooling the heat that’s been boiling inside me all day.
“Take my coat.” He removes his leather jacket and it falls nearly to my knees when he slips it over my shoulders, surrounding me in his body heat and his scent. I inhale deeply, overwhelmed by intense and conflicting feelings of contentment, comfort and lust.
I look into his eyes. “If we’ve got time for dinner, maybe instead we should go back upstairs and make love one more time before going.”
“You bad girl.” He chuckles. “Seems I’ve awoken a monster.”
I lean away from him. “You think I’m a monster?”
His gaze darkens. “Only in a good way.”
I step forward to kiss him, but he takes my hand and starts to walk, and I have no choice but to follow.
He leans toward me as we walk. “Once we get somewhere safe, we’ll have plenty of time to work on taming your monster.”
Laughing, I shake my head, feeling giddy with happiness, but at the end of the block, Ryker stops and looks sharply over his shoulder.
