19. Chapter Nineteen #2
“I’ll keep that in mind.” She stifles a laugh as she moves towards the shelves, trailing her fingers along the spines. I watch her walk, and watch as her energy shifts from defensive to curious. The scent of her lingers all around me as I continue to force myself to ignore it.
Kai leans in close as I stand frozen like a statue still behind the counter. He whispers low enough that only I can hear, “You’re already hooked, aren’t you?”
I don’t answer, because he already knows.
Elowen runs her hand across a row of worn spines.
She isn’t in a rush. Which both pleases me and makes it infinitely harder to focus on all the tasks that still need to be done, but I’ve chosen to avoid all day in preparation for her to be here.
Kai is still smirking like a devil, but his attention finally drifts elsewhere.
I watch Elowen carefully, head tilted, then nod subtly toward the front of the shop.
“And your also-lingering friend, who might she be?” I ask.
Elowen turns, eyes narrowing. Her shoulders tense as they make eye contact.
Sure enough, a few tables back, tucked near the windows, sits a prying woman with big eyes, and a very unread copy of Recipes for a Family of Six.
She clearly isn’t absorbing it. In an empty bookstore, nonetheless.
“Imani,” Elowen said under her breath. Then louder, “My friend who I thought said she decided to wait in the car.” Imani grins sheepishly from behind the book and gives an awkward little wave with the hand not holding it.
Kai gives a low whistle. “You travel with a security detail. I respect that.”
“Guess she doesn’t trust you guys or this place.” Elowen admits.
Kai looks entirely too pleased. “Makes sense. Can’t blame the girl.”
“She’s something,” Elowen mutters, shooting her friend a look that says, don’t embarrass me. I can’t help the way my mouth curves as I glance between the two women.
“She’s loyal,” I say softly. “That’s harder to come by than you’d think.”
Elowen turns back to me, eyes narrowed, slightly studying me. “Are you always this observant, or is it just when strange women walk into your shop and try to re-pay you for luxury transportation?”
“I guess only the latter.” That earns me a look of dissatisfaction. Elowen immediately went back to her thoughts. This guy must think I’m poor. I’m the one who needs the pity-help. She grabs the first book she touches and walks it up to the counter.
“Fine,” she says. “I’ll take this.” I don’t even glance at the title.
I’m too busy watching the way she smiles as she places the book on the counter.
I turn it toward me, not really registering what choice she had gone with.
She could’ve brought me a How to Properly Fold Clothes dummy manual and I’d have rung it up the same. I love being in her mind.
I tap a few keys on the digital register with exaggerated precision, then look back up at her. “That’ll be…” I pause, pretending to think. “Let’s see. One more text conversation.”
She blinks. “Wait, payment for the book is… texting you again?”
I lean my elbows on the counter, the corner of my mouth tilting up. “Seems fair. You’ve got a sharp wit. Catch on fast.”
She scoffs. “No. I want to actually pay for it.”
“Okay, fine. Let me think about it,” I say, mocking a sense of surrender in my tone. I cut her off before she could try again, “Hmm, no. Let me talk to you via the iPhone like normal humans do.”
She stares at me, examines me really. “Humans?” There was a tiny hitch in her voice like her brain was trying to latch onto something off about the word.
I smile, but not too widely. “You don’t ever feel not human?” This isn’t working. Send help. She keeps looking at me, head slightly tilted.
But after a beat, she lets it go with a mutter, “You’re weird.”
“Extremely,” I agree, flipping the book over and sliding it into a paper bag.
“But unfortunately for me, I’m going to assume you’re still not taking my money.” Elowen crosses her arms.
“Why don’t you text me?” I smirk, almost smugly. I slide the bag toward her with both hands, fingertips brushing the counter. She goes to get the money out again. “That’s still a no to letting you pay,” I say softly, “But, a very hopeful yes to hearing from you again.”
For just a moment, she doesn’t answer, retreating back into her mind.
Her mind is a flurry of thoughts all circling the same theme.
She thinks of my hands and how they would look much better around her throat than dancing over the register screen.
She thinks of how any other man would’ve self-invited themselves back to her house since today’s society has nearly normalized, “Oh, but I did this for you so you have to let me fuck you now”.
Thank god, I can read her mind. Based on facial expressions alone, I would’ve assumed she was having a horrible interaction. She’s very good at walls.
“We’ll see. You may have earned a tiny slot in my extremely busy schedule.” Elowen grabs the bag and makes a turn towards the door, collecting Imani from her table as she walks. Just in time for rush hour.
As the bell above the door chimes, it signals my body to let go for a moment.
Elowen Briar is a force to be reckoned with, but am I even ready to try my hand at something like this?
She’s too independent to lead astray and as much as I would love to carry her up that staircase right now, she deserves more than just casual fun.
I want to give her more, which is an entirely new feeling to me.
I’m committed now. I have to see where this goes.
And stillness settled in her absence. For a moment, I can’t move.
I just stare at the spot she stood, the scent of her blood and gardenia-scented shampoo swirls in the air around me, completely captivating me.
I can feel my fangs ache in my mouth, hitting me again just as I felt when I first had seen her in Benny’s memory.
Kai steps up beside me, chewing a piece of gum he definitely stole from the front of the counter display.
“Well,” he retorts, drawing the word out like he was unspooling a thread.
“That was real fun.” I groan, leaning forward to place my head on the counter.
Would I be able to wipe his existence from the Earth and it go unnoticed?
Guess not. “She’s hot,” he adds. “Sharp, too. I liked the whole don’t-flirt-with-me-or-I’ll-murder-you-with-my-eyes energy.
And her friend?” He gave an audible phew, “Firecracker in disguise. Still don’t know who she is though. ”
I cut him off before he can torture me with any more of his thoughts, “Imani Boudareaux.”
He cocks a brow. “You caught her name?”
“No, I caught everything.”
Kai laughs. “Of course you did. You went full statue the moment she walked in. Silly Beau.”
A collection of college students rustle through the door, laughing at a volume that is more than unnecessary.
One of the larger boys heads straight for the counter to grab a bag of chips and settles into a table near the front door.
His mates accompany him, allowing the girls to frolic about the dark fantasy section.
I finally turn to face him after diverting my attention away from the customers. “You wouldn’t understand, Kai.”
He gave me a look. “Try me, killer.”
I still myself like I’m about to admit to the most heinous act of the century, “She quiets…my mind. I lose all of my senses and only focus on her. She’s beautiful.”
Kai’s chewing begins to slow. “What do you mean quiet? You got a lot going on up there? That’s surprising.”
“My desires,” I yammer, trying to keep my voice down, and avoid having to shroud our conversation from the customers.
“The street, the blood, the buzzing in people’s heads.
She walks in and it’s like…” I shake my head, trying my best to articulate it.
“Like breathing for the first time in years. It’s just this small piece of heaven carved out and I can tap right into her head to see it.
Everything seems fine when she’s around. ”
Kai leans on the counter, thoughtful now. “You think she's fallen? Powers stripped or something.”
I frown. “No, not supernatural. I’d know the second she was around. I can smell the blood coursing through her veins. Plus, her heartbeat. That’s a dead giveaway. No pun intended.”
Kai pities me with applause since cracking jokes is his gig. “Then she’s just… a girl who makes you forget what you are?” Yes, and it fucking terrifies me. Kai lets the silence stretch, then smirks. “That’s adorable. Beau’s got a real girl crush.”
I throw him a warning look, stopping before I raise my voice.
“Say that again and I’ll banish you to the supply closet.
” I need the customers to be completely unaware of what I’ve got going on up here.
I quickly shroud the conversation Kai and I are having.
It takes a moment to gather my thoughts and focus the energy, but it seems to work as the closest set of girls turn around to browse again.