6. Janet
Archie zooms towards me at vampire speed, his fangs bared, his eyes blood-red and glued to my chest.
I barely have a chance to gasp before he grabs the collar of my bookish exercise t-shirt and shreds it. The rip of fabric is loud in the silent room.
It’s one of my favorite shirts, but the fact that I’ll need to order another one—or possibly five, just to be safe—is the last thing on my mind. Desire and anticipation course through me, and Archie’s eyes drift down… to my old beige bra.
I cringe. Why in the name of books did I wear this thing? Then again, when I dressed this morning, the chances of me getting naked with an attractive man weren’t just slim… they were non-existent. But I should have worn something less plain. Should I say something? Laugh it off? Change?
Archie freezes and takes a step back. “I”m frightening you, aren”t I?”
I flounder, racking my brain for an explanation that won’t leave me completely embarrassed.
Archie’s gaze turns repentant. He zooms across the room with vampiric speed, moving as far away from me as the small space will allow him.
“I didn’t mean to scare you,” he says softly. “My fangs pop out when I”m turned on. And fuck, I want you so bad. But I would never do anything to hurt you. If you want me to stop, I will.”
“I know you’d never hurt me.” My cheeks flush, acutely aware of the state of undress we’re both in. Archie, fully naked, and me in my worn-out bra.
I grab the edges of my torn shirt and pull it closed in front of me. Archie feels no such modesty. How is he oblivious to the fact that he”s as nude as the day he was born… well, human-born? I”m not sure what he was wearing during his vampire birth, though I make a mental note to ask him. Right now, I can barely focus on anything but him.
My eyes trace down his toned chest, taking in every inch of him. His abs are perfectly defined, and a thin trail of hair runs down from his navel downward, like an arrow pointing to his huge cock, which is standing at attention… and pointing directly at me. I look away briefly, my gaze jumping to his muscular thighs. They’re as huge as the rest of him. The sight makes me even wetter.
I lick my lips, my mouth watering in anticipation. I want him inside me, possessing me. I want to know what it feels like, being with a man. No, not a man. A vampire.
“You like what you see?” Archie purrs, his voice low and seductive. A smug grin spreads across his face, sending my heart racing.
I swallow and tighten the grip on my torn shirt. “I do like it,” I admit. “But, Archie, you should know… I’ve never done this before. I want to, but…” I trail off, too embarrassed to admit that I have no clue what I’m doing.
Archie nods. “I know being with a vampire is different,” he says, misunderstanding me. And why not? Who”s ever heard of a virgin my age? Not in this century, anyway.
Though, considering how long the guy”s lived, shouldn”t he be used to virgins?
“We can take it slow. There’s no rush. And I”m sorry I tore your shirt,” he says.
“The reason I reacted the way I did,” I press on, “isn”t because it”s my first time with a vampire. It”s because it”s my first time with anyone.”
His eyes widen. “First time? Janet, are you saying that you”re a virgin?”
I nod.
“Fuck.”
His reply sends a flood of heat traveling up my cheeks, and I feel a sudden need to defend myself… especially since Archie”s reaction makes it clear he doesn”t want to do this anymore. Which isn’t my fault. It’s not like there have been that many opportunities to lose my virginity, especially these last few years. I haven’t met a single eligible man… well, except Archie. Who, as he reminded me, isn’t a man, but a vampire.
I place my hands on my hips and glare at him. “Don”t blame me. I work in a library in the middle of nowhere. Before today, the youngest man I”ve seen in over a year was sixty-five. And library school was practically all women.”
At Archie”s incredulous look, I turn away from him.
“Never mind, Archie. It”s fine. Let”s get dressed. Clearly you were just after a random fling, and you don”t want an inexperienced virgin who has no clue what she”s doing. Though technically, I”ve read so much romance, I”d probably be a natural,” I murmur.
I try to ignore the lump in my throat. Even though I”ve only known Archie for a short time, I feel drawn to him in a way that I”ve never felt with anyone before. And getting to know him, talking about our favorite books and our lives, has made me feel close to him. Like we could be friends, and maybe more. But it’s more than that. It’s like something primal, deep down, is telling me he’s the one… Only now I know it’s all in my head. I probably won”t see Archie after this, and it hurts more than I”d like to admit.
“Janet, I didn”t stop because I only want a fling. I stopped because I care.”
I turn around to face him. His words send a surge of hope coursing through me, but I hold my breath and wait for him to say more.
“I like you, a lot, and I don”t want to take your innocence. Not when you”re obviously not ready.”
“Of course I”m ready,” I scowl at him. “I”m twenty-freaking-five, and I still haven”t had sex with anyone.” I realize how that makes me sound and quickly add. “And I don”t want to have sex with anyone.”
Archie”s face falls.
“I mean with just anyone,” I clarify. “I want to have sex with you, Archie.”
His eyes instantly blaze bright red, and his fangs pop out. I love that he has such an obvious tell, and it sets my heart racing.
Archie instantly freezes. “You”re scared.”
“I”m not.”
“Your heart”s racing.”
I gasp. “You can tell?”
“I can hear it.”
“All the time?”
He nods.
“Great.” I cross my arms over my chest. “So I can”t hide how attracted I am to you?”
He grins. “You”re attracted to me?”
I roll my eyes. “Like you didn”t know. But at least you can’t hide it either, Mr. Red Eyes and Fangs.”
He chuckles. “I don’t want to hide it. But I also don”t want to scare you or rush you. If I”m going too fast, just say the word. We can sit, talk. We don”t have to do anything you”re not ready for.”
“I don”t want to sit or talk,” I say, taking a step forward to close the distance between us. “I want you, Archie.”
I place my hands on his shoulders and rise to my tiptoes to kiss him. Archie is stiff beneath my touch. He doesn”t move a muscle, and when our lips touch, he doesn”t kiss me back.
It”s like he doesn”t believe my words, and I know I need to convince him somehow. So I do the only thing I can think of. I reach behind me and unclasp my bra, letting it fall to the floor.
Archie”s gaze drops to my exposed breasts, and he squeezes his hands into fists, like he”s holding himself back from touching me.
I want to feel his hands on me. I crave his touch more than I”ve ever craved anything in my life. I need him.
I reach down, my palms sweating as I pull down my sweatpants and shimmy out of them and my panties, letting both fall to the floor. I”m left standing fully nude, and his gaze roves over me.
I wait for him to take the lead. To do something. Anything…
He stays perfectly still.
Okay, Janet. You’ve got this. You read smutty novels. You know what you’re doing better than anyone!
Except my mind goes completely blank, and, like the virgin that I am, I have zero clue what to do.
Do I just reach out and grab his cock? Or is that moving too fast? It”s basically the equivalent of him stepping forward and shoving a finger inside me, and no matter how much I want him, I”d like some foreplay, thank you very much.
Should I touch myself instead? I”d love to watch Archie stroke his cock, but would he enjoy watching me rub one out? Or will he think I”m some weirdo who masturbates in public?