passenger door for me. I stepped in and buckled up. As I clicked my seatbelt, he was already in on his side and turning the key in the ignition. He was so quick it was unsettling. The movies had gotten that part right. What else had they been right about? I felt my stomach lurch.
We drove quickly off campus and reached the freeway in less than a minute. His A6 was the nicest car I’d ever been in and it was hard not to relax into the butter soft leather of my seat as the engine growled its way out of the city. It didn’t take long, and before I’d gotten too comfortable, we were getting off the freeway at the Penn Avenue exit. I was relieved when we turned off and headed into the nicer area. Though I wouldn’t usually care if he lived in a nice neighborhood, I’d lived in some dicey military housing along the way, this was already a stressful situation and I felt just that little bit better knowing we would not be in a tough part of town should I need to make a run for it. He surprised me again by turning into a driveway just off the main drive in the upscale Kenwood neighborhood.
The driveway was short, as they were in this older neighborhood. It was herringbone paving stones with a low stone retaining wall between his house and the neighbor to the right, which was the side the garage touched on and we now pulled into. The house itself was a Tudor style with a sweeping roofline and a higher peak over two stories. The stonework on the front made it look very storybook. It was hard to see the landscaping given the darkness, but I could see that he had a purple leaf sand cherry surrounded by roses in the front garden, uplit for effect. This was my kind of house, complete with a round topped wooden door.
I must have sat too long, because by the time I took a breath and unbuckled my seatbelt, he was at my door opening it for me again. Not usually one for chivalry, I found myself a tiny bit pleased with his gentlemanly manner. Shaking my head, I tried to ignore the small voice in my head suggesting maybe that meant he wouldn’t eat me.
When I looked out to stand up, he was just inches away, waiting. His effect on me was a repeat of the night before. It was going to be a challenge not to act like a total goober around him and convince him I was worth his time.
James held out his hand to me, his eyes so intense I found it hard to breathe. “Are you coming?”
Breathe you moron, I told myself. “Yes, just give me a minute, I’m a little nervous. This is kind of new to me.”
“What, going to a strange man’s house?” His lips twisted into an uneven grin, teasing me.
“No, a vampire’s,” came blurting out before I could think.
His features hardened and his eyes went dark. “Let’s go inside so that we can speak freely.”
I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole. Vampires were real; why couldn’t people-swallowing-vortices be too? Why would I say such a thing on a public street in his neighborhood? I was guessing he didn’t want to be outed right here or he would have posted a sign.
Deciding it was best to just keep my big mouth shut, I hung my head and followed him dutifully into the house.
Ch. 12
Inside, the house was as welcoming as it had felt from the outside. Just like Tara’s house, the front room had no TV. Did supernatural folk not watch TV? But he did have a low, sleek Havana brown leather sofa flanked by warm mahogany end tables. There was a soft looking camel colored blanket tossed casually over the back of the couch. I reached out to touch it. Cashmere; I loved the feel of cashmere.
The room was painted a grey blue not unlike his eyes, with curtains cut from cream silk. The living room was clean and masculine, opening up into the dining room with a small square table and four high backed wooden chairs pulled up tight in matching
We drove quickly off campus and reached the freeway in less than a minute. His A6 was the nicest car I’d ever been in and it was hard not to relax into the butter soft leather of my seat as the engine growled its way out of the city. It didn’t take long, and before I’d gotten too comfortable, we were getting off the freeway at the Penn Avenue exit. I was relieved when we turned off and headed into the nicer area. Though I wouldn’t usually care if he lived in a nice neighborhood, I’d lived in some dicey military housing along the way, this was already a stressful situation and I felt just that little bit better knowing we would not be in a tough part of town should I need to make a run for it. He surprised me again by turning into a driveway just off the main drive in the upscale Kenwood neighborhood.
The driveway was short, as they were in this older neighborhood. It was herringbone paving stones with a low stone retaining wall between his house and the neighbor to the right, which was the side the garage touched on and we now pulled into. The house itself was a Tudor style with a sweeping roofline and a higher peak over two stories. The stonework on the front made it look very storybook. It was hard to see the landscaping given the darkness, but I could see that he had a purple leaf sand cherry surrounded by roses in the front garden, uplit for effect. This was my kind of house, complete with a round topped wooden door.
I must have sat too long, because by the time I took a breath and unbuckled my seatbelt, he was at my door opening it for me again. Not usually one for chivalry, I found myself a tiny bit pleased with his gentlemanly manner. Shaking my head, I tried to ignore the small voice in my head suggesting maybe that meant he wouldn’t eat me.
When I looked out to stand up, he was just inches away, waiting. His effect on me was a repeat of the night before. It was going to be a challenge not to act like a total goober around him and convince him I was worth his time.
James held out his hand to me, his eyes so intense I found it hard to breathe. “Are you coming?”
Breathe you moron, I told myself. “Yes, just give me a minute, I’m a little nervous. This is kind of new to me.”
“What, going to a strange man’s house?” His lips twisted into an uneven grin, teasing me.
“No, a vampire’s,” came blurting out before I could think.
His features hardened and his eyes went dark. “Let’s go inside so that we can speak freely.”
I wished the floor would open and swallow me whole. Vampires were real; why couldn’t people-swallowing-vortices be too? Why would I say such a thing on a public street in his neighborhood? I was guessing he didn’t want to be outed right here or he would have posted a sign.
Deciding it was best to just keep my big mouth shut, I hung my head and followed him dutifully into the house.
Ch. 12
Inside, the house was as welcoming as it had felt from the outside. Just like Tara’s house, the front room had no TV. Did supernatural folk not watch TV? But he did have a low, sleek Havana brown leather sofa flanked by warm mahogany end tables. There was a soft looking camel colored blanket tossed casually over the back of the couch. I reached out to touch it. Cashmere; I loved the feel of cashmere.
The room was painted a grey blue not unlike his eyes, with curtains cut from cream silk. The living room was clean and masculine, opening up into the dining room with a small square table and four high backed wooden chairs pulled up tight in matching
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