joke?” I whispered.
“It was and a poor one at that. I sometimes forget not everyone gets my humor.” He took hold of my hand and kissed the back. “To make up for it, I’ll owe you one favor of your choice. Deal?”
The suggestion definitely appealed to my young heart. I could just imagine seeing Tommy’s face the next time he tried to bully me and Devlin showing up to defend me. I really liked the idea and I grinned.
“Deal!” I giggled loudly now, the shock wearing off. “It really was funny, though. I was trying to think of ways to convince you my blood wouldn’t taste good.”
“What, a sweet girl like you? Oh I don’t know . . .” He squeezed my fingers when I tried to pull away. “Darcy, I don’t ever drink from those I consider friends. We are friends, aren’t we?”
I dropped his hand and stuck it out to shake. “You bet.”
“Something tells me this will be one of my favorite friendships. Thank you for forgiving a foolish vampire.” He smiled and I answered him by throwing my arms around his neck. He encircled his large arms around my small body and an accord was struck.
Our relationship would grow stronger and stronger after that day, becoming one of the most influential and cherished for both of us.
“You know, I never did claim that favor you promised.” I laughed, a fork full of egg hovering above my mouth. “So you still owe me. I wonder what I could make you do. Something to equal the pain and suffering you caused me.” I dropped the utensil and placed my hand over my heart. “Forever wounded, Devlin. To this day!”
He tossed a crumpled napkin at me and I easily dodged it. “You don’t think this is enough?”
“Heck no,” I exclaimed. Picking up the last piece of bacon, I chewed on it thoughtfully. “Don’t worry. I’ll try not to make you squirm . . . much.”
He rolled his eyes at me, draining the glass before putting it in the stainless steel sink. “Still as dramatic as the first day I met you. Glad to see some things never change.”
“Yep, that’s me. I’m consistent and you love it.” I followed him over to the basin and placed my used silverware in with his. “I’ll do dishes seeing that you cooked. It’s the least I can do.”
“You sure you don’t want to use your favor? Conserve your strength?” Devlin reached around and turned on the faucet. I slapped his hand away and shooed him from the area.
“Nope, you don’t get off that easy.” Squirting dish soap into the quick filling sink, I began cleaning. “Tell me, did you ever pull that stunt with anyone else?”
The twinkle in his eyes and large grin was all the answer I needed. He cocked his eyebrows, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against the now cleared counter.
“Who?” I pressed, needing to know I wasn’t the only person he’d pranked like that.
“It was another young vampire. If I thought your reaction was priceless, Vlad’s was hysterical. I just wanted to tease you. With him, it was personal.” He shook his head and I tried to picture the how it happened.
“Did you scar him as well?” Devlin’s fangs flashed as he grinned. “See? You’re leaving behind a traumatized string of victims.” I flicked a heap of suds at him.
“Hey, I just wanted a fond memory of his first taste of blood, that’s all. I just wish I’d videotaped it.”
“You’re horrible. Poor Vlad.”
“Poor me, he’s a pain in my ass.” From the sound of it, the vampire drove him crazy but there was no hiding the affection in his voice. “Anyway, it was all in a day’s work.”
I snorted. “And we all know how much you love what you do.”
“True.” He chuckled.
“Speaking of which, you sure it’s okay for you to be here with me? I can’t imagine being an Enforcer is something you can put on pause. Won’t the King be upset?” I rinsed off my plate and laid it out to dry.
“I’m exactly where I need to be, Darcy. Nothing is more important.” The sincerity
“It was and a poor one at that. I sometimes forget not everyone gets my humor.” He took hold of my hand and kissed the back. “To make up for it, I’ll owe you one favor of your choice. Deal?”
The suggestion definitely appealed to my young heart. I could just imagine seeing Tommy’s face the next time he tried to bully me and Devlin showing up to defend me. I really liked the idea and I grinned.
“Deal!” I giggled loudly now, the shock wearing off. “It really was funny, though. I was trying to think of ways to convince you my blood wouldn’t taste good.”
“What, a sweet girl like you? Oh I don’t know . . .” He squeezed my fingers when I tried to pull away. “Darcy, I don’t ever drink from those I consider friends. We are friends, aren’t we?”
I dropped his hand and stuck it out to shake. “You bet.”
“Something tells me this will be one of my favorite friendships. Thank you for forgiving a foolish vampire.” He smiled and I answered him by throwing my arms around his neck. He encircled his large arms around my small body and an accord was struck.
Our relationship would grow stronger and stronger after that day, becoming one of the most influential and cherished for both of us.
“You know, I never did claim that favor you promised.” I laughed, a fork full of egg hovering above my mouth. “So you still owe me. I wonder what I could make you do. Something to equal the pain and suffering you caused me.” I dropped the utensil and placed my hand over my heart. “Forever wounded, Devlin. To this day!”
He tossed a crumpled napkin at me and I easily dodged it. “You don’t think this is enough?”
“Heck no,” I exclaimed. Picking up the last piece of bacon, I chewed on it thoughtfully. “Don’t worry. I’ll try not to make you squirm . . . much.”
He rolled his eyes at me, draining the glass before putting it in the stainless steel sink. “Still as dramatic as the first day I met you. Glad to see some things never change.”
“Yep, that’s me. I’m consistent and you love it.” I followed him over to the basin and placed my used silverware in with his. “I’ll do dishes seeing that you cooked. It’s the least I can do.”
“You sure you don’t want to use your favor? Conserve your strength?” Devlin reached around and turned on the faucet. I slapped his hand away and shooed him from the area.
“Nope, you don’t get off that easy.” Squirting dish soap into the quick filling sink, I began cleaning. “Tell me, did you ever pull that stunt with anyone else?”
The twinkle in his eyes and large grin was all the answer I needed. He cocked his eyebrows, folding his arms over his chest as he leaned against the now cleared counter.
“Who?” I pressed, needing to know I wasn’t the only person he’d pranked like that.
“It was another young vampire. If I thought your reaction was priceless, Vlad’s was hysterical. I just wanted to tease you. With him, it was personal.” He shook his head and I tried to picture the how it happened.
“Did you scar him as well?” Devlin’s fangs flashed as he grinned. “See? You’re leaving behind a traumatized string of victims.” I flicked a heap of suds at him.
“Hey, I just wanted a fond memory of his first taste of blood, that’s all. I just wish I’d videotaped it.”
“You’re horrible. Poor Vlad.”
“Poor me, he’s a pain in my ass.” From the sound of it, the vampire drove him crazy but there was no hiding the affection in his voice. “Anyway, it was all in a day’s work.”
I snorted. “And we all know how much you love what you do.”
“True.” He chuckled.
“Speaking of which, you sure it’s okay for you to be here with me? I can’t imagine being an Enforcer is something you can put on pause. Won’t the King be upset?” I rinsed off my plate and laid it out to dry.
“I’m exactly where I need to be, Darcy. Nothing is more important.” The sincerity
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