Page 80 of Heartbeat Girl

Pete’s jaw dropped, and I laughed. We all saw Pete do the majority of the work. Jayne was messing with him.

“Say what?” Pete shouted, a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. “I think we know who put in the most time here.”

She shrugged and arched a brow. “Who finished it, though?”

“I’ve been working on this for nights while you slept,” he said.

She tossed a hand up. “Time is irrelevant to a vampire, right? Aren’t my measly human nights far more important than your immortal ones? Besides, I put in the last piece.”

“Because you stole it!” he yelled while fighting his smile. Jayne tossed her hands up, and he lifted a finger. “Don’t pick on a vampire, Jayne. It’s dangerous. We might…”

“Might what?” she taunted.

His hand dropped. “We might go get another puzzle before the concert. Can we tell Chris to stop and let me grab one?”

“There’s no time,” I said, but Pete didn’t hear me. His attention was on Jayne.

“I’ll remember this when you want to put together the next one with me. I won’t allow you to join me.”

She threw her head back as she laughed. “You lie. You’re buying another puzzle so we can work it together.” His face actually reddened as he looked away from her.

Did Pete want me to snap his neck, too?

I sat on the couch and then yanked her into my lap. My anger ebbed as she nestled against my chest and ran her fingers along the scruff on my jaws. Pete and Steve shook their heads and grinned at how she controlled my temper with her touch.

+++

I chugged down the bottled water as I stepped off the stage, but it didn’t dull the hunger pangs cramping my stomach. My gums throbbed. I needed to feed. Steve, Pete, and I couldn’t risk being weak when more of Marilyn’s men might attack.

Even asleep, Marilyn’s strength must be returning. Her vampires were attacking too often. It had been a few years since we injected her with the sleeping spell and buried her. Maybe she was aware of what we’d done. The assumption was sobering. I had no doubt she sensed Jayne in my every thought.

Panic churned my guts as I twisted around, searching for Heartbeat Girl’s tight brown bun. Instantly, her beats became a pleasant hum in my head. She laughed, and my shoulders loosened. Jayne was okay, even if she wasn’t in my direct line of sight. It didn’t ease my fear, though. I needed toseethat she was happy and well.

Someone grabbed my shoulder, and I jerked.

“Look down. Your eyes,” Steve warned me quietly. I didn’t want to listen. Just kept searching for her. Then he said, “Relax. Jayne’s next to Rupert.”

I dropped my head and rubbed my eyes.

“You guys are awesome!” one of the female workers gushed. Pete thanked her and sent her on her way, but more backstage staff came and congratulated us.

Once I could slip away, I went after Jayne. As if she sensed me coming, she turned. Her smile waned as a deep pink crept up her face and neck. She glanced back and forth between Rupert and me. “Be right back,” she told him, and the bald bodyguard glimpsed over at me and chuckled.

“Liam…” Her sweet, sweet voice hesitated.

I lowered my face to her neck and breathed her in. The sudden silence, followed by an eruption of chatter, let me know how many people witnessed us together. Not that I gave a shit. I flicked my tongue across my girl’s flesh over and over, finding new places I hadn’t tasted. Each lick showed how many times I wanted to bite her. She smelled of strawberries, and the haven I wanted to get lost in.

“Why didn’t you watch me perform?” I murmured.

“I did.” Her breath hitched as I blew against her ear. “During the last song, I walked over to speak to Rupert.”

I lifted her into my arms and inhaled.Damn! She smelled divine. My fangs broke free, and I nicked the inside of my upper lip.

Jayne trembled suddenly. “Are you hungry?”

“Ravenous,” I rasped.

“Do you have to find someone?” Her other arm wrapped around my neck and squeezed tight. The stutter in her heart sang to me, telling me what she wasn’t brave enough to say yet.

---