the rich sound rolled over her in a soothing wave, making the air feel just a little bit warmer, a little less empty.
“I have an idea.” He rubbed his hands together then blew a breath between them. “How ‘bout you pick a mood and stick with it for five minutes, I’ll worry about what I’m getting myself into, and we’ll head to the hotel where they have this great invention called heat.”
She studied him for a minute, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the way each breath that slipped past his lips became a burst of steam as it mingled with the cold air, and how his tongue darted out every so often to moisten those lips.
Everything about him was human…
And from what she could tell, he didn’t even try. He didn’t stop to concentrate every few minutes. Didn’t appear to give as much as a second thought to the human functions he maintained. He imitated life with perfection, down to the very last detail, as though he’d never lost it.
She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as jealousy tingled through her again. He was right. She seriously needed to get her emotions under control. She’d already bitten the poor guy once because she’d let the beast get the better of her, the least she could do was pick one fence to swing at. Besides, how much damage could she do to him in less than 24 hours?
You know exactly what you could do. Focusing back on Drake, Toni ignored her conscience and plastered a smile on her face. “I like your idea. Do you need a ride or do you have a car around here somewhere?”
He inclined his head towards the parking lot. “That yours?”
She looked over at her ‘79 Trans-Am. “Yeah, she’s my baby.”
“You sound pretty proud.”
“My oldest brother built her.” She smiled, even though the memory stung. “He used to let me help. Not that I really did anything other than hand him tools, and half the time they weren’t even the right ones.”
“He give it to you for your birthday or something?”
She shook her head. “Nope, he left before she was finished. I was ten. Then my dad died a couple months later. So I asked my mom for books about cars, which she was totally against because she said girls don’t work on cars.” She drew a breath and tried one more time to fight her tears. “But I talked her into it eventually, and then I finished what my brother started. I figure if I ever find him…if he’s still alive, I’ll give her back. Kinda like a coming home present.”
“You don’t know where he is?”
“Nope. We never heard from him after he left…but I’m glad he got out when he did.” She spun around and headed for her car. Staring straight ahead, she pushed the memories firing in her mind as far back as possible then pulled her keys out of her pocket and jingled them over her shoulder. “Do you want a ride or not?”
“Uh, something tells me I’m not gonna fit in there.”
When she reached her car, Toni opened the door and looked inside before she cast a glance back to Drake, who still stood on the sidewalk. He was probably right, especially since he was a good foot, if not more, taller than her and easily twice as wide.
“You could try.” She sucked in a breath through her teeth as she recalculated the visual measurements. “I could take the T-top off on the passenger side. It might work.”
“No, no.” He raised his hands. “I have absolutely no desire to find out what it feels like to be a sardine. Why don’t I just meet you there?”
“Do you not have a car?” When he only stared at her, she tipped her head to the side. “The hotel’s at least twenty blocks away. There’s no reason for you to walk all the way there in the cold. We can make it work.”
“I don’t need a car.” He cracked a devious smile as his eyes flicked between her and the dark alley across the street. “In fact, I bet I beat you there. And I’m willing to put money on it.”
She couldn’t hold back the laugh bubbling
“I have an idea.” He rubbed his hands together then blew a breath between them. “How ‘bout you pick a mood and stick with it for five minutes, I’ll worry about what I’m getting myself into, and we’ll head to the hotel where they have this great invention called heat.”
She studied him for a minute, watching the steady rise and fall of his chest as he breathed, the way each breath that slipped past his lips became a burst of steam as it mingled with the cold air, and how his tongue darted out every so often to moisten those lips.
Everything about him was human…
And from what she could tell, he didn’t even try. He didn’t stop to concentrate every few minutes. Didn’t appear to give as much as a second thought to the human functions he maintained. He imitated life with perfection, down to the very last detail, as though he’d never lost it.
She bit down hard on the inside of her cheek as jealousy tingled through her again. He was right. She seriously needed to get her emotions under control. She’d already bitten the poor guy once because she’d let the beast get the better of her, the least she could do was pick one fence to swing at. Besides, how much damage could she do to him in less than 24 hours?
You know exactly what you could do. Focusing back on Drake, Toni ignored her conscience and plastered a smile on her face. “I like your idea. Do you need a ride or do you have a car around here somewhere?”
He inclined his head towards the parking lot. “That yours?”
She looked over at her ‘79 Trans-Am. “Yeah, she’s my baby.”
“You sound pretty proud.”
“My oldest brother built her.” She smiled, even though the memory stung. “He used to let me help. Not that I really did anything other than hand him tools, and half the time they weren’t even the right ones.”
“He give it to you for your birthday or something?”
She shook her head. “Nope, he left before she was finished. I was ten. Then my dad died a couple months later. So I asked my mom for books about cars, which she was totally against because she said girls don’t work on cars.” She drew a breath and tried one more time to fight her tears. “But I talked her into it eventually, and then I finished what my brother started. I figure if I ever find him…if he’s still alive, I’ll give her back. Kinda like a coming home present.”
“You don’t know where he is?”
“Nope. We never heard from him after he left…but I’m glad he got out when he did.” She spun around and headed for her car. Staring straight ahead, she pushed the memories firing in her mind as far back as possible then pulled her keys out of her pocket and jingled them over her shoulder. “Do you want a ride or not?”
“Uh, something tells me I’m not gonna fit in there.”
When she reached her car, Toni opened the door and looked inside before she cast a glance back to Drake, who still stood on the sidewalk. He was probably right, especially since he was a good foot, if not more, taller than her and easily twice as wide.
“You could try.” She sucked in a breath through her teeth as she recalculated the visual measurements. “I could take the T-top off on the passenger side. It might work.”
“No, no.” He raised his hands. “I have absolutely no desire to find out what it feels like to be a sardine. Why don’t I just meet you there?”
“Do you not have a car?” When he only stared at her, she tipped her head to the side. “The hotel’s at least twenty blocks away. There’s no reason for you to walk all the way there in the cold. We can make it work.”
“I don’t need a car.” He cracked a devious smile as his eyes flicked between her and the dark alley across the street. “In fact, I bet I beat you there. And I’m willing to put money on it.”
She couldn’t hold back the laugh bubbling
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