Free Must Love Fangs (Midnight Liaisons) by Jessica Sims Page B

moment. The one that sent shivers up my spine. He bowed his head over the cup as if I’d given him a gift, then he lifted it to his lips and drank.
    I suddenly thought of that moment in the diner when he’d deliberately turned my cup and placed his mouth on the exact spot that I’d drank from. Heat crept through my belly, and I glanced away before he could notice my blush. My face felt hot with . . . embarrassment? Awareness? “There are things such as phones and voice mail,” I reminded him. “And texts.”
    “Now you sound like my last girlfriend,” he teased.
    I raised an eyebrow.
    “It was just a joke. Sorry. Next time I’ll call when all hell breaks loose. If you want to kick in our vampire plan, we can start tonight.”
    I perked up at that, more than ready to get things moving. “I’m ready whenever. Say the word.”
    “Good. We’ll go to your place after you get off work.”
    “Uh-uh.”
    He put down the coffee and raised his hands in the air. “Just a wardrobe check. Very innocent.”
    “I don’t believe you have an innocent bone in your body,” I told him.
    He grinned. “You might be right.”
    • • •
    “No Xbox for you tonight?” I asked him as I stepped out of my car in the parking lot of my apartment complex. Josh had followed me here and was exiting his vehicle at the same time I’d left mine. “I thought it was tradition.”
    “It is,” he said, taking the stairs behind me. “But I had other plans tonight.”
    And those other plans obviously included me. I wasn’t sure if I was flattered or concerned. Probably both. I unlocked my front door and placed my keys on the small table next to the door, then flipped on the light. “Come on in.”
    I moved to the side as he entered, watching his reaction. If he was expecting stuffed animals and some knitting, he was in for a disappointment. I had a large flat-screen TV on the back wall, sleek floor lamps, and track lighting. A small white couch and a low table in the living room. My kitchen was always neat, my floors spotless. The only concession to a mess were the puzzle pieces laid out on my dining room table, but even those were neatly piled. I knew my bathroom was clean, the marble gleaming, and my bedroom was tidy, the bed made.
    When one didn’t sleep, one had plenty of time for housekeeping.
    “Nice place,” he said, glancing over at me as I shut the door. “It’s not what I expected. I thought you’d be a slob. You know, so guarded on the outside and a wild woman on the inside. That’s usually how it goes.”
    Was that why he was so interested in me? He was in for a huge disappointment, then. “So, you wanted to check out my wardrobe?” I moved toward the bedroom and went inside.
    He followed close behind me and stepped to the side, surveying my room with a knowing smile. Josh’s gaze flicked over my bookshelf (dusted), my neat queen bed (made) with perfectly arranged throw pillows, and the organized stack of magazines on the bedside. “Bed made, too? Man. You are something else.”
    He sat down on the bed and lay back, lacing his fingers behind his head and lounging amid my throw pillows. That casual, confident smile was on his face, and it unnerved me to see him relaxing. On my bed.
    Like he belonged there.
    “Make yourself at home,” I said.
    He winked at me and adjusted one of the pillows behind his head. “This is a prime spot for viewing.”
    “Viewing? You expect me to model for you?”
    He shrugged. “How else am I supposed to tell you if you look soft or not? We’re going for soft, and sexy and come-hither. With vampires you need to look fragile and helpless, not strong and independent.”
    “Fragile . . . and . . . helpless . . . ” I repeated slowly, a bit dumbfounded.
    Strong and independent? Was that how he saw me?
    “They’re predators. Women are their prey. Ifyou were out hunting for a woman, would you want a scowly, aloof one or a nice, soft, sweet one?”
    And I guessed I was a