ROMANCE: The Bad Boy Meeting (44 page)

He was quick to break his hold on me and step away. He glanced down at the ground. “Sorry. It uh… the wolf took over there for a split second.”

“It’s alright.” I managed but I wasn’t sure I meant it.

She stared at me as if I’d just changed in front of her.

I swallowed feeling guilty. Even after 3 years I still slipped some days. I still let my wolf shine through some days and today was one of those. She was just… so gorgeous. Not just her long black hair, or her blue eyes or the way her ass looked in those jeans. It was the fact that she’d known what she was getting into and she had gone along with it. She’d let him take her for a walk so she could kill him, and she hadn’t put up a bad fight.

She refused to look at me as she turned on her heel and picked up her knife.

“So where to now?”

“I’m not sure.” She dropped down onto her knees where the vampire’s body had been a little while ago. She picked up a wallet and started going through it.

“Anything?”  I dropped down beside her, careful not to get too close as I picked up a couple scrap pieces of paper. Her eyes widened a little as I picked up a key that was hidden in the grass. She snatched for it and I let her take it.

“It’s for the motel on Kennstone Street.”

A cell phone appeared in her hand in a matter of seconds and she lifted it to her ear after dialing a number. “Hey Jess, it’s me… you need to get to the motel on Kennstone Street now. It might give you a lead on those kids…. No, I’m not sure. Sorry but I’ve got a good hunch…. Alright. Call me if you need anything. I’ll talk to you later.”

She hung up and turned her attention to me. “I guess dinner is an option.”

I got lucky.

I wasn’t expecting it to be so easy to find the kids. Connor insisted on helping me to the house. I let him but I kept my knife at the ready the entire time.

“If dinner is still an option I’ve got to shower first.”

Connor laughed softly. “How about you hop in the shower and I’ll order a pizza? Not very romantic but it’s nice and easy.”

He was right, it didn’t sound romantic, but it did sound like a damn good idea. “Alright. I’ll be quick.” I promised as I limped towards the bathroom. My mind raced. I had some strange man in my house, a werewolf at that, and he was ordering pizza for us.

I would have turned down the shower so I could keep an eye on him but I
really
needed that shower.

I was in the bathroom before even realizing it. My knife dropped down onto the counter beside the shower as I pulled my shirt over my head and tossed it onto the ground, then the pants came off. They were a little harder than the shirt since I had to shimmy them down my legs. It had been stupid to wear skinny pants out on a night of hunting.

Once fully naked I padded to the shower and flicked it on. I watched as steam began to fog up the mirrors before I stepped into the shower and let out a deep breath. I untied my black hair from its messy bun and let the water soak through it and my skin, somehow managing to work out kinks in my body that I didn’t even realize were there. I sighed closing my eyes. With the water at this temperature and this pressure I’d only have ten minutes if I was lucky. I grabbed a bar of soap and began scrubbing away the stench of vampire from my skin. I grabbed my shampoo and washed my hair until it felt dry and brittle. The water was just beginning to run clean as it began to turn cold.

I flicked the taps off and grabbed a towel as I stepped out of the shower. I dried myself off quickly and slipped into the pajamas I kept in here. A simple black tank top and a pair of grey yoga pants. I tied my hair back into another bun and emerged from the bathroom.

I took a deep breath of the scent of pizza. My stomach grumbled as I entered my small living room. Connor was already sitting down on the couch with a slice of pizza in his hand. “I hope you don’t mind, the change can make me pretty hungry.”

“I get it.” I dropped down onto the floor across from him. The knife was tucked into my back pocket just in case I needed it. It’s not that I didn’t trust the man who had just saved me it was more…. I had trust issues to begin with. When your second boyfriend tries to drink your blood trust issues kinda happen.

I reached out, took a slice of pizza for myself and dug into it.

With just half a slice of pizza and a shot shower I was already beginning to feel so much better. I finished my slice, grabbed another one and stared at the man in front of me. “How did it happen?” I could have kept my mouth shut, but what would be the fun in that?

Connor paused staring at his pizza. “My sister… was attacked by a stranger. When it happened and we took her to the hospital we were all so confused about why he’d bitten her; until the next full moon.”

“Oh god.” I stared at him, my appetite suddenly gone.

“We… managed to get her under control before anyone got hurt and it was fine for the first couple of months. Until… ones night while she was sleeping, it wasn’t even a full moon, her body changed on her. She woke up in full wolf form and my room was the closest to hers. When her wolf side took over and wanted to hunt, I was the first one she found.” My eyes widened and my jaw almost fell open. I couldn’t find anything to say. Thankfully he kept going and I didn’t have to. “My parents woke to me screaming. They rushed to the room and when the found me… my dad fired his gun. It was enough to scare my sister away from me. My poor parents had to take a child to the hospital again…. I don’t remember much of it honestly. I remember waking up in my bed a week later. My mom said I was in and out of it the entire time. The first thing I said was that they couldn’t give my sister trouble.” A dry chuckle escaped him.

“She must have felt so guilty.”

“I think she did. I don’t remember it but my mom says she did. I’ve done my best to put it all in the past.”

His best? I guess it must be hard to forgive your sister for attacking you and turning you into a werewolf. I wasn’t sure if I’d ever be able to do it.

“It wasn’t her fault.” His words pulled me out of my own mind. He truly sounded like he believed it too. “She was attacked; she was still trying to figure out her new life.”

“You’re very understanding about it.”

“I try to be. It doesn’t always work well.” He gave another dry laugh as he reached for anther slice of pizza. “So, what got you into this world?”

This world. That was a nice way of putting it. “An ex of mine attacked me. Turns out he was a vampire and only interested in one thing.” And it wasn’t sex. I sounded emotionless as I said it but the truth was it still fucked with me more than I was willing to admit. I grabbed another piece of pizza and focused on eating so I didn’t have to say anything else.

Instead I studied the man in front of me. Along with his green eyes he had high set cheekbones and a broad forehead. His brown hair was still somehow slicked back but he’d taken his coat off. He wore a black button up work shirt. He sat with one leg up, his ankle crossed over his knee and slouched back sinking into the couch. I could see the muscles flex under his shirt, which to me meant he must be ripped. I took a deep breath.
I’d love to get another look at you without your shirt on.
I thought taking another large bit of my pizza.

Over the past three years I hadn’t met many other people who were aware of the paranormal, but the ones I met; the hunters at least, I’d come to realize they all had a way of coping and I was no different. My favorite way of coping? Well I liked eating, and I loved a good workout but right now… I wanted the hot hunk in front of me. He smirked as he caught me staring. My cheeks burned as I forced myself to look away from him and focused on the pizza I was eating.
Damn it.

I couldn’t help grinning. She’d been checking me out, and I had to admit I liked knowing it. She was totally my type.

She was pretty, she was fun and most of all she was clearly tough if she’d planned on taking on a vampire all on her own. I stared at her as she focused her attention on her food.

“Do you date?” I couldn’t help asking it. If she said yes was I going to ask her out? Probably, maybe.

“Depends on who is asking me out.”

“And if I did?”

She paused. Her mouth almost fell open. “Well, you’re kinda cute. I might say yes.”

That was a good enough answer for me, for now. I’d win her over sooner or later but for now I’d let the question go. Right now I wanted to get to know her better.

My eyes scanned over her body, her perky breast under her tank top, I could see her nipples even, but the thing that really drew my attention was the scar along the left side of her neck.
Who gave you that sweaty?
I wanted to ask but I couldn’t bring myself to. It was her tiurn to smile. She gave a dry laugh.

“It didn’t hurt as much as it looks like it did.” It was as if she’d read my mind.

Everyone always stared at it. It was just a matter of time until I caught them doing it.

“It didn’t hurt as much as it looks like it did.” My grin widened.

“What happened?”

“I got into a tuff with a couple werewolves.”

“You must have hated seeing me when I showed up.”

“I wasn’t sure what to think.” I confessed. “But I’m glad that you did.” I probably needed the help and it was kinda nice to have someone around the house to talk with, other than myself.

“So,” I reached for another slice of pizza.
Just one more.
I promised my already full belly. “Are you from around here?”

“Yes. Born and raised.” In a big city it wouldn’t have been hard to believe that I’d never met him, if we weren’t both paranormal. I scowled a little. “What about you?”

“Born and raised.” I repeated. “What I’m wondering is how I’ve never met you before. How long have you been… a werewolf?”

Connor laughed. “I’ve been a werewolf for five years. That’s a valid question, considering there are only three bars in the area that caters to… the needs of people in our situation.”

Did that mean he was a in the same line of work as me? “You hunt?”

“Did you think I was just fallowing you because I thought you were pretty?” His lips curled into a grin.

He thought I was pretty? My heart skipped a beat before I mentally shook myself. I’m sure it was just a general statement. Still, it made me feel good to know that he thought I was at least attractive.

I pushed myself up from the floor and sat down on the couch beside him. I pulled a blanket down and around my shoulders.

“So Connor, what’s your deal? I mean other than the fact that you are a werewolf.”

“Other than being a werewolf? Geez way to put pressure on a guy. I’m a mechanic and I’m in school part time. Going to major in psychology and minor in sociology. My pack… my family, they mean the world to me. I would do anything for them.”

“Are your parents still… human?” There was no nice way to say it.

“Yes. They’ve talked about making the change but my sister and I refuse to do it for them.”

“That makes sense.”

“Anyways, I’m rambling. Why don’t you tell me everything there is to know about you?”

I shrugged. “There isn’t much to say about me. I was raised Catholic and by the time I was 14 years old I decided I was going to become successful. When I was 19 I dated a man who tried to eat me. I…” I took a deep breath and swallowed dryly. “I should have figured out that something was wrong when he only wanted to meet me at night and always had to ‘leave early for work’ when he spent the night with me. We were together for almost two weeks before I was at his place one night; lying in bed night and,” I stared down at my hands studying every groove in my thumbs. “I don’t even remember him getting up in the middle of the night but I heard him open the door and come towards the bed. I didn’t realize anything was wrong until he started making his way towards my side of the bed…. I… I stabbed him with a pen. It gave me enough time to get into the kitchen where I managed to get a knife. I…” I swallowed. “I sat there for three hours before everything set in. He’d changed, his eyes hand gone pure black and his fangs had come forward. When I killed him that didn’t change. I couldn’t believe it so I looked around his place, and sure enough I found…. Files, blood, a small box filled with trinkets. I can only assume they were from his past victims.”

“Oh shit.” Connor raised an eyebrow. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s… life.” It wasn’t alright but what else was there to say? “Anyways, it made me who I am today, and without that I wouldn’t have saved everyone I’ve saved.”

“It is the only rewarding thing about this life.” Connor agreed as his eyes locked on mine.

As I stared at him I felt… like he understood. Like he understood me like no one else did. The people I saved, they were just as scared as me as they were of the things that attacked them. My friends, my family, they didn’t know what I did. If I told them they wouldn’t understand me. I examined his face, but found myself only looking at his lips. The urge to kiss those lips overwhelmed me. I pushed it out of my mind.

“It is.” I agreed. This was the kind of life where you had to blow your family off, the kind where you didn’t get married no matter how many dates you went on; the kind that if you told someone the truth they would put you in the mental ward or just think you are joking. “But anyways. I just realized,
you
asked me if I date, but
I
never asked you if you date.” I stopped talking, waiting for him to answer. After half a minute of silence I spoke again. “So do you?”