Page 33 of Blood and Magic
It had been fun to help Ellen in the kitchen once I had finally convinced her to let me. She insisted it was her job, that I paid her to do it, and while I couldn’t argue with that, I simply reframed the thought. Perhaps I was paying her to give me her wisdom.
Of course, now I suffered for it with pressure between my eyes and body aches that wouldn’t go away.
I straightened when Vermillion’s footsteps echoed down the stairs, and I forced a smile as he sat on the opposite side of the table. His clean scent wafted over the space between us, reminding me of woods, rain, and man. There was something else there, too, something dark and inviting. I wanted to curl up in his lap, stuff my head in his chest, and inhale every last bit of him for the rest of the night.
“When you look at me like that,” he said, scooting his chair in, “it’s difficult to remember we’re supposed to be enemies.”
Warmth flooded my body, heating my cheeks, down into my neck. My skin burned with the memory of how he’d touched me at the wedding, how his rough fingers had electrified my nerves, bringing me to life. He’d flirted with me over text this afternoon. Did that mean something more? Or was he just being nice? He didn’t seem like the playful type, but of course, how well did I truly know him?
“You’re very nice to look at,” I admitted. “And besides, we’re not enemies anymore. Not really.”
He chuckled and grabbed the wine to bring it to his nose.
“No, don’t,” I said. “It’s soured.”
Vermillion frowned and sipped anyway. “Tastes alright to me.”
“Huh.” I tried it again, only to shiver at the bitter taste sliding down my throat. “Maybe it’s just me. God, I don’t know what’s wrong.” Gripping my head, I ran circles on my scalp and sighed. “Go ahead and eat. I’m not sure I’m hungry.”
Vermillion twisted his features into a worried frown before picking up the fork to stab into a piece of chicken, using the knife to slice it off. “Do you feel any better since this afternoon?”
“I don’t know,” I said. “I took some medicine, but it didn’t help.”
Vermillion gulped and glanced down at his dinner. “Is it just the headache?”
I shook my head. “It’s body aches and chills. I think I have the flu. You should probably keep your distance.”
“Hmm. I’m sorry to hear that,” he murmured. “Thank you for dinner. This is amazing.”
“You’re welcome,” I said. “I didn’t do much, but learning was fun.”
“What made you want to cook?” He narrowed his gaze on me and took another sip of wine.
I shrugged. “Not sure. Just felt like doing something, I guess.”
“Uh-huh.” He leaned back in his seat and tilted his head to the side, seeming to study me. “Are you noticing anything else? Like maybe the urge to clean or…other things?”
Snorting a laugh, I pushed the chicken around on my plate. “No. Why?”
“Never mind,” he said. “How was your day?”
“Okay. Aside from having to check in with an annoying bodyguard every thirty minutes.”
Vermillion pulled his lips into a charming smile. “You didn’t seem that annoyed in those pictures.”
“Play your cards right and you could enjoy the same privileges as Lennon.” I winked and bit into the chicken before deciding it tasted awful, too. Perhaps some bread.
He laughed and shook his head. “Don’t tease me, sweetheart.”
Sweetheart?
I liked the sound of that.
We bantered through our meal, and afterward, we sat and talked like old friends.
“Do you have a girlfriend?” I finally asked, emboldened by the few sips of alcohol and the cozy conversation.
“No.” He scoffed like the idea was ridiculous. “I haven’t been serious about anyone in a long time, and after I nearly died…it’s easier to keep people at a distance.”
