Chapter 93
Chapter 93
His heart pounded in his ears, his breath sawed raggedly from his lungs as he eased his bite from her skin. A tremor ran down his back as he lapped gently at the healing wounds. Chloe gradually went languid and limp beneath him. At last her eyes opened. She looked up at him with an easy, blissed–out smile that made his heart twist.
Their faces were only inches apart, noses practically touching. It would be so easy to close the distance and kiss her. He thought maybe something in Chloe’s expression suggested it wouldn unwelcome. But he couldn’t trust himself to make that call. He wanted it too badly to put any stock in hunches and maybes. Forcing himself to do the right thing, he drew back. Chloe let him go, swinging her arms over her head and arching her back in a stretch that was too erotic for his addled brain. He couldn’t stop himself from staring.
When she relaxed back down against the cushions, Chloe cocked one eyebrow at him, still smiling. “So, it seemed like maybe you got more out of that than usual p>
Thanks to Chloe, he was once again capable of blushing. His face flooded with heat. “Yes p>
She let out a smug little chuckle. “Am I that good p>
“You have no idea,” Amos told her sincerely. He shifted backwards, out of the cradle of her thighs, losing the last bit of contact with her.
“I’ll be right back p>
He took advantage of his vampiric speed and raced to his bedroom, changing into a clean pair of briefs before he rinsed his mouth out. Satisfied that he was no longer a mess, he went to the kitchen to gather food and drinks for Chloe. Back in the sitting room, he found her kneeling before the coffee table, nose pressed into the floral
Chapter 93
arrangement.
She looked up at him. “New flowers today?” The arrangement was a riot of purple, pink, and blue flowers, colors that made him think of
summer meadows
“Of course,” he answered simply. He’d taken note of her bashful joy on Wednesday when she’d realized the flowers were for her. Going forward, he had every intention of welcoming her with a new
arrangement at every visit.
Chloe slid back onto the settee as Amos sat down. He spread snacks across the coffee table and glanced over at her as she forward to peruse them. His bite mark was already closing ov the time she left there’d only be faint pink marks. By the time she reached her workplace, it’d be gone entirely.
Chloe chose an energy bar and sat back with it, settling in like she had nowhere else to be. How long until she decided she had to go? Amos resisted the urge to glance at the clock. If she saw, she’d think
he wanted her to leave.
“Can I ask a nosy question?” Chloe asked as she peeled the energy
bar wrapper open.
“Sure,” he replied easily. He couldn’t imagine what she could ask that would have a worse answer than the things he’d already
revealed to her.
“How old are you? I mean, how old were you when you were
turned p>
Amos hesitated. He knew he was being foolish and vain, especially considering his actual age was in the triple–digits, but he didn’t want to reveal his mortal age only to find out that Chloe was far younger. “Forty–two,” he said. “In February, 1918 p>
“Oh, wow. You just missed the Spanish Flu p>
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Amos blinked, surprised by her awareness. “Yes. And the draft, by a
few months p>
Chloe leaned back, fixing him with a speculative look. “I know you’re
an undead immortal, but it’s really just hitting me now how old you
are p>
He managed not to wince. “In the grand scheme of my kind, I’m considered relatively young p>
A little chuckle escaped her. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to call you old. I’m thirty–three and I feel ancient p>
It was Amos’s turn to laugh. “You p>
“I know it’s silly. I think I’m just so conscious of my age because because I’m so behind where I’m supposed to be p>
Amos frowned. “Behind p>
“Not married. No kids. Living with my-” she bit off the last words, a slight flush coloring her cheeks.
Living with her parents, he guessed. He didn’t say anything. It obviously embarrassed her.
“So, what about you?” Chloe asked, staring fixedly at her energy bar. “Forty–two when you were turned? You probably had a family p>
He tried to bring those memories to the forefront, but as always, they were murky and indistinct. He could dredge up vague impressions of a soft smile, curling blonde hair, a fondness for baking. With each passing day, they faded more and more.
“I was married,” he said, the words coming slowly as he parsed through those faint remembrances. “But I was a widower by the time I was turned. She had passed a few years before. Tuberculosis p>
Chapter 93
He paused, willing the memories to sharpen, but they wouldn’t. “We never had children. Not sure if it was me or her who couldn’t.
Maybe it was both of us. In those days, there was no way of knowing. You just accepted that it wasn’t in the cards and got on
with life p>
“Do you miss her?” Chloe asked gently.
He hesitated again. How could you miss someone you couldn’t clearly remember?
It felt awful to admit it. But he didn’t want to lie, so he told her the
truth.
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