Free Penny's Choice by Annette Archer

succumb to my blood lust from your young, supple neck.” He bar r ed his teeth.
    Penny giggled. She grabbed a brush and com bed out her long, knotted hair.
    “See. I'm just not a scary, moody vampire. My intent there was pure terror!” He clenched his fist and slammed it into the wall.
    Penny giggled again.
    “All right you,” he grabbed her by the arm, which shocked Penny. She started to retract her arm, but he was much too strong. Penny panicked; she had pissed him off, but then she saw the impish smile on his face as he dragged her back down the hallway toward the cells. He threw her back in the cell and followed her, locking the door behind him.
    “You idiot. You locked yourself in.”
    Thomas jingled the keys and then threw them out of reach outside the cell. “Oops. Oh well, what's next? Oh right I ravish you long into the night, right?” He grabbed her and threw her onto the bed in the corner.
    “Oh, Thomas,” Penny said trying not giggle again. She didn't want to spur on his impish streak anymore, but then again maybe she did.
    Thomas jumped over towards her as she tried to sit up to catch her breath. He then sat on directly on her stomach.
    “ Oof , got off me, you weigh a ton.” Penny struggled underneath the full weight of the vampire.
    “No, I vant to suck your blood, ah, ah, ah,” Thomas said leaning slightly over her face.
    Penny burst out laughing.
    “Thomas, hasn't anyone told you not to play with your food?” Priscilla said outside the cell. “Eat it, rape it, whatever, but don't play with it. It's disgusting.”
    “Sorry, Priscilla,” Thomas said and immediately go off of Penny. The va mpire threw the keys at Thomas.
    “I just came by terrorize our bait with the news that the Brotherhood is amassing a small army to come retrieve you. Seems you are very important to someone,” Priscilla said. She had a deep rasping voice that would have normally terrified Penny, but somehow with Thomas nearby, everything seemed slightly comedic. The vampire turned and floated gracefully out of the room.
    Penny waited for a minute and then laughed. “She reminds me of the High Warden.”
    Thomas laughed in return. “You can see why I want to get out of here. I want to leave and go to a happy place. I could be...I don't know...a library vampire,” he said sitting down next to penny on her bed.
    “A library vampire? Oh, Thomas, you are a little silly,” Penny said, patting him on the back.
    “Laugh all you want, but I intend to spend my eternal life reading,” said Thomas. He knocked his shoulder into Penny's.
    “And telling bad jokes,” Penny replied. She smiled at Thomas and patted his leg. It was much colder than she expected.
    “Hey, you laugh at them,” he said in his defense.
    “No, I'm laughing at you! I don't think anybody would actually laugh at your jokes,” Penny said. She was beginning to really enjoy Thomas's company. She liked him more every minute. She knew that it wasn't his vampire charm because she still had just the tiniest distrust for him. She just liked his sensitivity, his crazy humor, his infectious laugh, his strong hands, his toned body. Penny had to stop that thought train. Thomas was her boyfr iend's brother...and a vampire.
    “Ah ha, you like my bad jokes, I knew it!” Thomas laughed and goosed her.
    “What ? No...” Penny said in protest.
    “Penny, vampires are very intuitive. Now, I'm not saying I can read your mind...but you were totally turned on when you said you hated my jokes,” Thomas said moving in very close.
    Penny pushed him away. “I have no idea what you are talking about.” She crossed her arms and looked the other way.
    “Whatever you, like it or not, you think me and my stupid humor is sexy,” Thomas teased her.
    “No, it's just stupid Thomas,” Penny said. She was laughing to cover up her embarrassment that Thomas caught her thinking about him.
    “Oh, ok, well, there is one thing I know, and that is you were turned on by something that I