Yet aroused by it all over again.
“No one has ever seen you like this,” I whisper. “That’s why you’ve been hiding things. Is that right, little viper?”
Her lips part, snap shut, part again. Doubt flickers over her features. “Not exactly.”
“Here.” I hand her the items from the fridge. “Was it Jasper?”
Her eyes roll away to the windows. “... not exactly.”
“Amber.”
She takes an aggressive bite of her sandwich and chews thoughtfully. I can practically hear her counting it off in her head.
When she’s done, she sniffles and then sucks air into her lungs. One exhale leads to another. I sense her heartbeat settling, the blood no longer rushing to her extremities. Her head lightens. “Jasper has seen me in many vulnerable states. But I haven’t fucked him if that’s what you’re asking.”
“Thank you for telling me.”
“I know you don’t believe it, but—” She stares up at me. “Oh.”
I fix my slacks and recline next to her, leaving my limbs in a relaxed position. It’s unlike me. But then again, there are a lot of things that Amber is inspiring me to do that are unlike me.
I rub the back of my neck. Despite the absence of her fingers, the impression of her affection remains. Soft touches like that only come from women who don’t have much experience. So, if she hadn’t slept with Jasper, then what did their daily activities look like? And how did they influence each other?
An idea slides into my mind. It’s perfect for the study.
But it feels wrong to ask.
I focus on the fireplace. “Would it be alright to pick your brain about your previous contract?”
She takes a bite, chews, and then swallows. “Ask me anything.”
“I’m more interested in how you felt with Jasper. And how he might have felt with you. How did he behave?”
“Like a vampire, I guess.”
I frown while stroking my chin. “Self-reports aren’t always reliable. It’s not that I think you’re lying. There’s just a level of bias with self-reports that can’t be avoided.” I hum thoughtfully, sifting through the options in my brain. A light bulb pops on, making me sit up rigidly. “What if I brought in a witch to go through those memories?”
She freezes. It’s a normal reaction for any human to have. A brain scan like that can be risky—and reveal things that one doesn’t wish to reveal.
Yet the way Amber studies the remainder of her sandwich tells me she isn’t opposed either. It’s that curious childlike wonder seated in her irises. Seeing that there arouses me.
“As long as you stuck to anything Jasper,” she whispers while setting her sandwich in her lap. She smooths a lock of hair from her face and then looks into my eyes. Directly into my eyes. “As long as youpromise, I’ll do it, Darius. For you.”
Chapter 13
Amber
I’mnotsurewhatI’m thinking as a plump and curvy woman with russet-brown skin and beaded locs walks into the library. She wears a gentle smile as she plays with an orange gemstone around her neck. It looks like it’s got an eye or something in the center. Is it a cat’s-eye?
Her emerald green blouse, hosting daisies and catching the light, is trimmed with black to match her black slacks. Burgundy red boots with a mild heel carry her toward us.
The woman approaches me first and extends her hand. When her smile widens, her eyes close to slits. She stands at my height and when our hands meet, I feel like I’ve known her for a lifetime. I could practically tell her anything right about now.
Witches, am I right?
“Good morning, Amber. My name is Aerial and I’ll be your scanner today,” she says brightly. She giggles and then turns to Darius, eyelashes fluttering as she tilts her chin to look up at Darius. Story of my life right there. “You haven’t aged a day over twenty.”
Darius coughs twice.