Free Confessions of a Vampire's Girlfriend by Katie Maxwell Page A

what I needed, to subdue that animal that growled within. I jerked my fingers back and stared at Ben. “You’re hungry. Is that what you meant by weak?”
    He ran his hand through his hair and looked peeved. “Yes. Is there a reason you’re here?”
    I stared at him, unable to look away. Okay, so I was looking a lot at his bare chest, but still, even with drooling over that, I couldn’t help but wonder how he could have so much pain locked inside him, yet seem so normal on the outside. “I was looking for Imogen.”
    â€œShe’s not here.”
    â€œYeah, I figured that out. How come you’re hungry? I mean, why aren’t you . . . you know . . . feeding?”
    â€œI don’t like fast food,” he said. I blinked. He sighed. “That was a joke. It’s not as easy as just picking a person out of a crowd and guzzling, Fran. I have to be careful about whom I choose.”
    â€œOh, because of disease and stuff? HIV?”
    â€œNo, I’m immune to disease. I’m referring to the fact that most people would notice if their wife or sister or daughter suddenly showed up woozy and suffering from a significant blood loss. It takes longer to find several people who can provide me the amount of blood I need without leaving them with a noticeable loss.”
    â€œHuh. I hadn’t thought of that.” I bit my lip and eyed his arm. The red marks still looked like they hurt, and I knew what sort of pain he held inside him. Since I had caused him pain, I figured it was up to me to sacrifice a little blood. Besides, there was something almost . . . intriguing about the thought of giving him my blood. “How about me?”
    His eyebrows went up. “What?”
    â€œYou could have a little snack.”
    â€œSnack?” He looked like I had a boob sprouting out of my forehead.
    â€œYeah, you know, bite. Nibble. Sink fang. Not enough to make me woozy, but enough to tide you over until you can find someone else to . . . um . . . eat.” Just in case you’re wondering, this officially qualified as the strangest conversation I’d ever had.
    Ben ran his hand through his hair again. I liked the way his arm muscles moved, but I tried not to let him see me admiring them. I’m really not looking for a boyfriend. Okay, the truth is, I wouldn’t know what to do with one if I had him, but I decided it was better not to dwell on that.
    â€œFran, I can’t have your blood.”
    â€œYou can’t?” Because he was mad at me? So mad he would rather sit there so hungry it hurt rather than sip a little Fran? “Oh. Okay. No problem. Forget I mentioned it.”
    He rubbed his face. “It’s not because I don’t want to—there’s nothing I’d like more than to bind us together—but that’s exactly what it would mean: we would be bound together for the rest of our lives, which, incidentally, would be measured in centuries rather than decades.”
    I stood at the door, part of me wanting to run screaming from the room, the other part wanting to stay and talk to him. He looked so normal. . . . “It would?”
    He sighed and pulled the blanket up his chest a bit. “A Dark One who joins with his Beloved by taking her blood cannot feed from anyone else. They are bound to each other, together, for eternity, giving each other life.”
    â€œOh, you mean you’d have to . . .” I made claw fingers and gestured toward my neck with them.
    He nodded.
    â€œRight, so snacking is out. I like you and all, but I don’t think I want to spend eternity with you. You don’t . . . uh . . . mind me saying that, do you? You’re not still mad at me?”
    He frowned. He even frowned cute. Maybe I should rethink this whole no boyfriend thing. “I’m not mad at you, Fran. Why would you think I was?”
    I waved a hand around vaguely. “You didn’t answer me earlier, and I woke you up