Is that how making friends worked for adults? It really can’t be that easy.
Stella introduced me to her friend, Kevin. He was tall and funny. So far, all the employees I met were really friendly. Maybe it had to do with them knowing nothing about my past, but they had no reason to hate me on contact. Although I didn’t say anything about it, I sat with them during lunch and listened to them talk about their favorite tattoo shop. They even invited me to join them, like I was living in an entirely different world.
After lunch, I met Stan while I put price labels on things. His eyes didn’t go immediately to my face but started on my breasts. I swallowed my disgust as he leered at me. I never experienced such creepy behavior at work before, despite my many years in the workforce. Usually, I ran into problems like him with the male friends my mother brought home. Internally, I sighed.I am so over this and it hasn’t even started yet.
How bad could Stan be that I had to avoid being alone with him?
I tugged at my shirt so it showed less cleavage—not that it had been particularly revealing to begin with—and hoped it might kick him out of stunned staring and we could move on with the conversation.
It worked. He put out his hand. “I’m Stan, and it looks like you are my newest worker bee.”
Fuck. I hated him. Really,reallyhated him. He was what, thirty years old? Did he think that sounding like someone’s creepy grandfather would work here? Did he just want to look, or would I be forced to endure more? How much would I be forced to tolerate from him?
Things are different now. I’m not desperate for money to eat, and I could find another job.
“Maci Green.” I shook his outstretched hand, quickly pulling mine back. “How am I doing so far?”
“Well, you’re certainly classing the place up, making it pretty.”
Maybe there is an easy way out of this.“I have a boyfriend. Maybe we could just get that out of the way right off?” Technically, it wasn’t true, but I wasn’t a vampire. I could lie all I wanted, even if I am usually bad at it. What I actually had was three vampires dead to the world at home, but the second the sun went down, it could mean trouble for Stan if he didn’t mind his behavior.
Not that I would do that. Would I?Truthfully, right in that second, I didn’t know.
He nodded. “Lucky guy, but here, you belong to me, so, yes, you’re doing a good job. Keep it up and we won’t have problems.”
With that statement, he took off to bother someone else. I stared at him, his long brown hair swishing as he went. I wasn’t sure he washed it anytime recently, and the smell of his too-strong cologne lingered in his wake. From across the aisle, Stella watched me. I nodded to her, athank youfor the warning. I liked to think I would have figured it out on my own, but warned was warned, and that was all there was to it.
I wanted a job, needed some independence, but it didn’t have to be this one. If his behavior got worse than him just checking out my body inappropriately and saying quasi-rude things, I’d figure something else out.
I could thank the vampires for the small victory, even if I never intended to tell them anything about the situation. I didn’t want Stan’s blood drained just because he was a dipshit. If he got worse, I’d reconsider. Apparently, I kept a lot of darkness inside of me that I hadn’t known about before. I didn’t even mind it.
Somehow, I made it home before sundown, just in time to make myself a chicken sandwich and smile about my day.What is this feeling? Contentment?I didn’t know that I’d ever felt that way before.
A surge of hunger hit, so I closed my eyes. Both Griffin and Caesar were hungry.Well, this is a first.So far it had been like they went out of their way to avoid being hungry at the same time. Tanner would need to feed, too, so he could talk. I finished my chicken and stuck my plate in the sink.I guess it’s time to see just how I will handle this, if I can at all.
I was just a human girl who could do what human girls could do, wasn’t I? Or was something else happening? I just didn’t know.
Caesar would wake up first. I would head to him and then, presuming I could, I would go to Tanner and then to Griffin.
He hadn’t moved, so I crawled in next to him, waiting for him to wake up in the darkness. Minutes passed, and he rolled over, pulling me to his side.
“How do you always know?” His voice was low. “It’s like a gift, and not one I deserve.”
His mouth came down on my neck, kissing me there before he bit me. Pleasure surged, warmth flooding my every cell. I closed my eyes as he fed, his body hardening more with each second we lay pressed together. I could just feel it or I could do something. I’d had a long day and I needed more—not the way that he did, but it didn’t mean I couldn’t take.
I ground myself against his cock. Both of us were still dressed, me more so than Caesar. His pajama pants weren’t much of a guard between us, but it was something. For me right then, it was too much.
Moaning, I gripped his shirt while he fed. The grinding felt great, but it wasn’t enough.This will work better if he’s on top of me.It was awkward, but I managed to roll him over until he was the one on top. By then, he had the idea. One handed and with maybe a smile on his face as he fed, he got his pants off and then my own.
It wasn’t the most glamorous joining ever, but in seconds, he’d pushed himself inside of me.
“Yes,” I said on a sigh.This is what I need.He filled me up, my muscles accommodating him, my body craved sex with Caesar as much as his did my blood. I physically fed him while he fueled my soul.
Whatever.I was overthinking.Again.
Fucking him just fucking works.
I clawed at his back, probably leaving marks, and he stopped feeding on me. I hoped he had gotten his fill and I hadn’t just put him off. As he smiled down at me, I knew it was the first option. There was a fully fed, really happy to be fucking me vampire inside of me right then.