Page 10 of Bite of Midnight
I open my mouth, but nothing comes out.
He exhales slowly, closing his eyes like he’s fighting something inside himself. “I don’t want to scare you.”
“You’re not,” I whisper, though maybe I should be.
He presses his forehead gently against mine, both of us still swaying to the faint hum of the music. “Then I’ll be careful,” he murmurs.
I nod, breathless, caught somewhere between wanting to run and never wanting to move again.
His hand stays at my waist, firm and steady, as if he’s anchoring himself there, like if he lets go, the world might end.
The song fades into another, and I’m still wrapped up in him, his hand at my waist, the soft brush of his breath against my hair. I’m trying to breathe like a normal person again when the crowd suddenly shifts around us.
“Calla? Holy, wait, thatisyou!”
I jolt back slightly, startled, and turn toward the familiar voice. Maya stands there in glitter heels and a black cat-ear headband, eyes wide with delight. Tina’s beside her, holding a drink in each hand and looking me up and down like she just stumbled into prime gossip.
“Oh my God,” Tina says, grinning. “We didn’t even recognize you. Look at you, sunshine! You clean uprealnice.”
My cheeks go hot immediately. “Thanks,” I mumble, trying to pull myself together.
They glance between me and Damien, who’s still standing close, too close. He hasn’t moved, and his hand is still lightly resting at the small of my back. Maya’s eyes flick down to it, and she smirks.
“Ohhh,” she says, dragging the word out. “Well, well, well. Who’s your tall, dark, and broody friend?”
Tina laughs into her drink. “Please tell me this is the reason you finally agreed to come out tonight.”
I shake my head quickly. “I, no, I just met him.”
“Lucky you,” Maya mutters.
Damien’s lips twitch, but he doesn’t say anything. He’s polite, composed, though I can feel that quiet tension still radiating off him, like he’s trying not to bare his teeth at anyone who interrupts.
Maya finally looks back at me. “Hey, have you seen Brooke? We lost her the second we got here.”
I’m grateful for the subject change. “No,” I say, shaking my head. “She made a beeline for the bar as soon as we walked in.”
“Classic Brooke,” Tina sighs. “Guess we’ll find her when she runs out of tequila or starts a conga line.”
They both laugh, and I try to join in, but I can feel Damien’s gaze on me, quiet, steady, grounding and disorienting all at once.
Maya nudges me gently. “Alright, we’ll leave you to… whatever this is.”
Tina winks. “Don’t do anything we wouldn’t do.”
“That doesn’t narrow it down,” I mutter, but they’re already vanishing back into the crowd, giggling.
The second they’re gone, I let out a shaky breath. Damien’s hand slides from my back but doesn’t move far, his fingers brushing against mine again.
“Friends of yours?” he asks, voice smooth as velvet.
I nod, smiling a little. “Coworkers. ER nurses.”
He hums softly, as if that tells him something important. “Good people, then.”
“Mostly,” I tease, glancing up at him. “They mean well, but they’re relentless.”
His smile is faint, but it softens the sharpness in his face. “They’re protective of you.”
