Page 29 of Midnight Kiss

“You barely know me,” she said.

“I know you’re dreaming of a dark stranger who will sweep you off your feet.” If I could direct the conversation toward the book, we’d be in safer territory. Away from this tension and pressure that had built between us.

Focus on the mission.

She bit down on her bottom lip. “And you want to be that dark stranger?” She blushed at the audacity of those words.

I rose from the bench and walked away from her, a few steps toward the trees, for a breath of air that didn’t taste of her intoxicating scent. I’d never thought of myself as weak until now. I had to betray her trust, but I didn’t want to.

Taking the book might kill her. My only option was to take it. Unless … could there be another way? The thought was treacherous.

Emily appeared beside me. “Alex,” she said, “look, I didn’t mean to be so forward. I just?—”

“Forward?” I frowned at her. “Emily, I do want to be that dark, mysterious stranger, but I’m not someone you should choose.”

“Why not?” she asked.

I turned toward her and took her hands. “Because I’m not a good man.” I’m not even a man.

Emily dragged her teeth over her bottom lip in that torturous fashion, and I focused on her lips, the flush of blood in her cheek, the gentle beat of her heart. It was faint.

“Tell me about your novel,” I said, and released her hands, hoping to distract her from what I’d said and the connection between us.

“It’s … It’s been a struggle to write lately,” she said. “It’s the strangest thing, but ever since I brought that book back from the library, I’ve been having a difficult time concentrating on anything else.”

“The book?” I feigned ignorance.

“Didn’t I mention it to you before? It’s this journal of a Frenchman. I’m not strictly supposed to have it since it belongs to the library, but I can’t bring myself to take it back,” she said, and frowned at her words. “It’s fascinating. The man truly believed in vampires, and he’s written so much about them.”

“Like?” I was intrigued. What would she think of what she had found? Surely, she would be terrified.

“That they’re dangerous creatures, predators. That they prey on human beings and especially on women like me,” she said, laughing. “Lonely women. And also, that vampires put you under their spell.” Emily stared out at the fountain, the people gathering around it. “When I read that, I thought you might be one.”

I kept a straight face.

“I thought you must be because I can barely stop thinking about you, Alex.”

“The feeling is entirely mutual, Emily.”

“But you still don’t want me to … be interested in you?”

“I didn’t say that,” I replied. “I’m just doing my due diligence in informing you that you would be better off with someone who was safe. A good person. Like that friend of yours.”

“Michael?” Emily pulled back a step. “That’s … No way.”

“No way?” And I was relieved by that. Weak.

“Yeah, absolutely not,” she said. “Michael is a buddy of mine. There’s nothing there. I mean, he’s good-looking, but I just don’t have a connection with him like that.”

“Emily, tell me more about the book. The one that you’re reading. I find your thoughts fascinating.” I brushed hair back from her shoulder, trailing a finger over her fine jawline.

She trembled. “Alex, you can’t tell me to stay away and then toy with me like that.”

“Toy with you?”

“Yes,” she said, distancing herself from me. “You tell me nothing about yourself. Nothing about your trip or what you like or?—”

“What does it matter what I like or how my trip went?”