Theyâd been each otherâs only friends. Heâd been her first kiss, her first date, her first everything and she was the same for him. Marriage had been the natural next step and it was going beautifully. They never argued, never disagreed. In fact, this was the closest thing to a fight theyâd ever had.
âIâm sorry,â Holly murmured, stepping forward and urging him to turn his back to her. Once he did, she began to massage his shoulder. âHow was work?â
âOh, same old same old,â he muttered as she pressed her thumbs into the knotted muscles. âThat feels good. A little gentler though please.â
Holly eased her grip, her eyes following the line of Jamesâs shoulder to the curve of his neck. He had his head turned away and her position behind and a little to the side gave her a perfect view of the muscle that ran down from his jaw to under his clavicle . . . and the external jugular vein that ran over it. She could almost see it throbbing under the skin. Holly found herself staring at it as she worked the muscles of his shoulder and had to fight the urge to touch and kiss him there. This wasnât the day they had sex. James was always exhausted after work and she was always in a rush to get out the door. It was no time to initiate something and she knew it, so just waited for the desire to recede.
But, instead of fading away as sheâd expected, the hunger inside her seemed to grow stronger, and she couldnât seem to drag her gaze away from that pulsing vein. Holly had the oddest urge to run her tongue along it. Bizarre, but she blamed it on the smells coming off of him. James smelled . . . well, yummy. Heâd just showered, so she expected it was a new cologne he was using or something. Whatever it was, it was heady with a deep rich scent, almost tinny but in a pleasant way.
âGod woman, are you trying to dig a hole in my shoulder?â James said on a pained laugh. âGentler, please.â
Holly tore her gaze from his throat and glanced forward, freezing when she spotted herself in the mirror. Horror was rushing up within her when Holly noted movement behind her. In the next moment something snaked around her waist even as a palm slapped over her mouth. She was dragged away from James and out of the room so swiftly, it left her off balance and struggling to keep her feet under her as she was whisked down the stairs and through the house. It seemed like barely a blink later that she was being released in the garage and left to find her own balance as her captor stepped away.
Managing to keep her feet under her, Holly turned sharply on her attacker, not terribly surprised when she saw that it was Justin Bricker. The note heâd left in her car had said heâd be here when she needed him . . . and she needed him . . . or at least someone right now.
âI have fangs,â Holly said faintly, hardly able to believe what sheâd seen when sheâd caught a glimpse of herself in the bathroom mirror upstairs.
Justin merely nodded and eyed her warily.
For some reason that infuriated her. At least, she was suddenly terribly furious, and demanded, âWhat have you done to me?â
âSaved you,â he answered at once.
âFor what?â she asked sharply. âSome sort of living death as a vampire?â
âYou arenât dead,â he assured her solemnly. âI turned you to save your life, not end it.â
âVampires are dead,â she snapped.
âBut you arenât a vampire. Youâre an immortal,â he said firmly.
âBuddy, you can call it a retort, but itâs still just an incinerator to burn bodies in,â she said grimly.
He blinked in confusion at that. âWhat?â
âItâsâ Never mind,â she said wearily. âThe point is, you can call it immortal all you want, but if it has fangs and sucks blood itâs a