Page 51 of Blood Owed (Blood Mafia 1)
I grunt and mutter thanks, tossing the first one onto the floor and rifling through the second. The plastic packaging crinkles underneath a sweater. I smile when I pull my stash out. Grayson watches as I bite off a piece of licorice and chew.
“God, yes.” The familiar taste grounds me. If I weren’t stuck in a building full of vampires, I’d almost feel normal.
“So, Demi,” Grayson begins but stops when I hold a hand up.
“No, don’t interrupt my moment. Let me have two minutes of peace to enjoy this licorice, you owe me that.”
His teeth click when he snaps his mouth closed. “I’ll be in the living room.”
Aw, I think I hurt the vampire’s feelings.
I flip him off once he’s out of sight and take another bite of my candy. The tough gummy-like texture comforts me as the strangely sweet anise flavor coats my mouth. I finish the first one and eat another, for Grayson’s own safety, and then go into my en suite bathroom and take a drink from the faucet.
Classy, I know, but I’d rather swish and get the last tiny bits of licorice out of my mouth before going into the living room with the handsome vampire.
“He’s not handsome, Demi. He’s an undead asshole who probably sucked Nefertiti’s tit back in the day,” I mutter to myself.
There’s a brush with the tag still attached on the counter, so I use it to fix my hair, which is a mess, and adjust my slip. I look like an overused porn star. Deciding he can wait a bit longer, I grab my toiletries and a fresh pair of clothes and take a long, hot shower.
The water pressure in this shower is amazing, and I don’t want to get out, but my fingers have started to shrivel and the water’s gone from hell fire hot to lukewarm.
I pull on the jean shorts and Weezer V-neck and quickly braid my hair into two long braids. There’s no blow dryer and my hair will be a frizzy mess if I don’t dry it.
Grayson’s lying on the chaise with his eyes closed when I come out. He’s breathing evenly, and he doesn’t move when I walk toward him. Vampires don’t take naps, so I’m not fooled, but I let him think I am. I grab a vase off the coffee table and raise it over my head. Before I can smash it against his face, his eyes snap open and he snatches the glass from my hand, tossing it aside.
“Can’t blame a girl for trying.” I smirk and try to pull my hand from his grip. He holds strong.
“If you keep this up, Mateo will slap you back in restraints faster than you can say douche-nozzle.”
His warning is clear.
I drop my gaze and nod. “I hear you.”
“You decided to stay. You’re here, and you’re not leaving. Whether your time here is great or awful is up to you.”
This time when I jerk my hand, he lets me go. “Chill, Grayson. I said I heard you.”
He sits back on the chaise and places his hand under his head. His T-shirt sleeve slides up his arm, revealing more tattoos, but I’m not going to let his pretty face and tattoos distract me.
“See something you like?” His eyes are hooded as he gazes at me.
Crap.
“All I see is a vampire I’m going to kill someday.”
Grayson bites his lower lip.
I glare at him.
“Do you know how sexy you are when you’re mad?”
“Do you always get turned on when a woman threatens you?” I ask and tilt my head, letting a small smile creep across my face.
“Only when you do it.”
I scoff. “Sure thing, Grayson. What did you want to say earlier?”
He pats the edge of the chaise. I give him a look and go sit on the couch. With a dramatic sigh, he places his other hand behind his head. “Since you’ll be staying for a while, I thought you might like to learn how to actually use a knife.”
