Tara by Jennifer Bene Page A

where she was from, her favorite color. “Oh, I’m much older than twenty. You can look now, by the way.”
    When Alaric turned he saw her wrapped in one of the big, fluffy, white robes from the counter and it dwarfed her. Her blonde hair was darker from being damp, but the wave of it still showed. She looked at him and her eyes were crystal blue and sparkling from the laughter that even now had the corners of her mouth turning up.
    She was barely an arm’s reach away, but he made himself step back, turning to step into the living room. “So, it’s been a long night, you should sleep.” He needed to sleep too and he had to secure her. Moving to the couch he grabbed a pair of handcuffs from a pocket in his duffel before he tossed it onto the floor. When he turned he saw a flicker of panic in her face before that A-List smile was back in place.
    “Well, you don’t waste any time.” One of her hands started to pull the robe apart as she spoke again, “but I promise you don’t need to use those on me.”
    Alaric held up the cuffs. “No. This is just to make sure you don’t run off while I’m asleep.”
    “I’m not going to run.” Her blue eyes had lost all of their light, now matte discs of color that reminded him of storm clouds more than ocean water. How quickly those changed. She was focused on the handcuffs, and he hated the fleeting look of panic that had been on her face, but what choice did he have?
    “I can’t take that risk.” Alaric felt cold when he said it, that same separation he felt when he went to pull the trigger taking him over as he watched her.
    “Because I’m your job.” Now her voice had ice in it too.
    “Yes.”
    “Well, then I think you should know what you’re getting in to.” She walked forward slowly, her body shifting the robe apart inch by inch so that his eyes had no choice but to devour each bit of bare, ivory skin. The girl stopped in front of him and her hands slid around his waist before he thought to move, her left hand reached for the button at the top of his pants and he grabbed it to stop her.
    Shaking his head he gently moved her back by her shoulder. “No, I’m not asking for that. I’m just transporting you.”
    “Alright, well, you should know what you’re transporting.” In her right hand was the back-up knife he’d tucked into the back of his pants, and before he could stop her she dragged it across her arm. Blood welled up fast and she immediately dropped the knife onto the floor so she was unarmed.
    Reacting fast he clamped his hand over the wound, but he could feel the blood wet against his palm, and it was already dripping onto the carpet. “What the hell is wrong with you?!” He yelled, dragging her towards the bathroom. He looked at her face to find her staring down at the blood on her arm with a bored expression. Her eyes were so distant she almost didn’t look like the same girl who had been laughing moments before.
    “You don’t need to worry. How far away is dawn?” Even her voice was calm and cold. When he lifted his hand blood rushed out and he wrapped one of the towels around her arm, applying pressure with both hands as crimson spread and stained the robe and towel.
    “My God! You cut yourself deep – shit – we can’t go to a hospital. Why did you do this?!” The cold clarity Alaric had maintained was slipping. He was suddenly terrified for her. Had she really decided to kill herself after everything else? Because of him?
    “We don’t need a hospital, I’ll wake you up at dawn to show you why.” Her flat blue eyes locked onto his when he looked up at her.
    “Dawn? What?” He clenched his teeth against a shout of frustration. “Why aren’t you panicking? Don’t you see all of this blood?” He could hear the pleading tone in his own voice. Definitely not compartmentalized right now . Memories slammed him hard and he saw blood on the floor of his childhood home, blood on pale skin. Open, unseeing eyes. Memories he