“Oh man, that sucks. No pun intended that time, I swear.” He looks deep in thought. “Either you could fill up on blood ahead of time so you’re not tempted to bite,” his face scrunches in disgust, “during the ‘moment.’ Or you avoid the temptation altogether and never make a pass at her.”
Temptation? He has no idea. Temptation has nothing to do with it.
Katie had to be hospitalized for a month and refused to see me, during her stay or after. Leslie told me she’d stake my ass if I ever came near her with an open mouth again. Ray quit the bar and had to have his mind wiped. He swore if he knew freaks like me existed he never would have taken the extra pay no matter how desperate he was. After that, Cy insisted I stick to bagged blood only.
“I’m going with option number two—never make a pass at her. I like her too much to have her look at me with revulsion and hatred.”
Nine by Night: A Multi-Author Urban Fantasy Bundle of Kickass Heroines, Adventure, Magic
Chapter Seven
Lisa
The next morning I wake at seven o’clock. For a minute I’m confused about where I am. Then I remember I’m in a hotel that caters to vampires and werewolves. Even though nobody bothered me, not even the spirits haunting the place, I didn’t sleep very well. The whole possibility of being attacked put a damper on the zzzs I needed.
Maybe a shower will revive me. I have a feeling today is going to be busy. The room is pitch black. What I want is to open the metal shutters and let the sun in. I need this. It feels like the only thing that will ground me in this weird adventure. But that wouldn’t be good if Asa comes in. I hesitate. He’ll probably knock first and I’ll be able to close the shutters before I let him in. At least I hope so. Having him burst into flames and crumble to a pile of ash isn’t my idea of a great start to a day. Plus, with it being so early I figure he won’t be up for hours.
The sunlight streams into the room and illuminates it with gold light. Even though it’s morning, the sun doesn’t set. I stand in the rays for a minute, breathing deeply and attempting to clear my mind. Today is going to be trying. I feel it in my reaper bones. Already I’m missing my kids. Their fighting, messes, and all around chaos that follows them. The only redeeming qualities about this assignment are the great accommodations and my hot helper.#p#分页标题#e#
He might be another reason I couldn’t sleep. Kissing Asa churned up lots of naughty thoughts. But I need to be realistic. I’m a mother of three and he’s a smokin’ sexy vampire. Not the ideal combination. His reaction to our kisses had me all kinds of confused. At first he seemed to be into it, but after Ivan was reaped, he seemed to shut down. Maybe his tastes run toward sexier twenty-somethings and not hockey moms.
Opening my eyes, I sigh and secure the shutters again. It takes a few seconds for my eyes to adjust. After clicking on the lamp, I gather my toiletries and clothes and head to the bathroom. My phone call to Constantine can wait until I’m feeling human again. Then he’s going to get an earful.
I brace my hands against the wall of the tiled shower and the let spray beat against my back. I have a tiled shower at home, but no way does it come close to this sleek style. Actually mine echoes the 1970’s. Harvest gold tiles and a faux black marble counter top. Classic design. The hot water washes away some of the aches and grogginess. Everything about this place is perfect—even the water pressure. Too bad it’s full of vampire ghosts who seem bent on dragging me to Hell or possessing me.
Once I’ve lathered and scrubbed, I rinse and towel off. I could get use to these creature comforts and make a mental note to demand a bigger bonus for this job. After all, I deserve it. Maybe I can buy some plush towels or a new shower head with fifteen spray settings. I’m not hard to please.
After slipping on my sweats I head into my room. What I want is coffee. Lots of it. Asa said there was room service. Last night I was too tired to wait up for food. Now I’m hesitant to call but I don’t think I’ll be able to wait until he wakes up to eat. My body supports carbs and gets cranky when it’s not fed on a regular basis.
Throwing caution to the wind, I pick up the phone and press the room service button. Instantly my call is answered. The woman on the other end is friendly and eager to be of service. I wonder if she knows who, or more like, what I am. After placing my order I hang up. I need to call Constantine but it’s better if I wait until I’m fed—for both of us.
Despite my initial apprehensions about ordering, the food arrives within fifteen minutes, carried by a smiling woman. She appears human. At least not a vampire. Since my knowledge of werewolves is limited to my encounter with Jon, I can’t say whether or not she’s fully human.