Page 12 of Pucking Vamps
But I have to. Because he’s just a hookup and my temporary professor. I need to get over him, so I can sit in class without sporting a boner the moment that entrancing emerald gaze swallows me whole.
Chapter 5
Leander
“How was the class?” Montgomery asks, dipping his graying head as I enter the black SUV.
I fasten my seatbelt and gaze out the passenger’s window at the students meandering about the campus entrance.
“I suppose demonstrating my skills, as you suggested, was a good call. I think I’ve already gained the respect of most of the students.”
My butler hums, merging with the traffic. “Establishing your authority from the start is always the best approach.”
Chuckling, I shake my head. A certain example comes to mind, one that involves a specific dark-haired and bright-eyed hockey jock that I seem unable to forget.
It is unusual for me. Sex is something I indulge in without lasting impressions, though I suppose that spending the last few months shadowing my aunt instead of catering to such basic needs left its imprint on me.
Montgomery is not wrong about authority though. He’s a wise man, his age and time on Earth almost equating those of my aunt.
Nearly 500 years.
I glance at the old man. You wouldn’t give him more than fifty. He was turned when he was seventy-five, but the gift of vampirism has many perks. Not everyone enjoys them all, but lucky few do, and Montgomery is one of them.
With his neatly trimmed beard, green-blue eyes and gray hair, he’s the epitome of a silverfox, turning heads whenever he has to accompany me in public. But I’ve never seen him accept an invitation and I have a suspicion it might have something to do with his very unusual dynamic with my aunt.
Not that it’s any of my business.
We arrive at my mansion thirty minutes later. The gravel crunches under the vehicle’s weight as Montgomery pulls up in front of the massive building. I don’t let him get the door for me; I fail to see the need for such antics. As expected, it brings a slight frown to his chiseled face, but he knows better than to argue with me and simply graces me with a deep sigh.
“I see you are giving Montgomery a hard time again, Leander,” my aunt chirps from the top of the stairs, leaning her willowy frame against the marble column with the wisteria.
I smile, pausing by the fountain at the base of the stairs. I dip my hand in the water and stroke the head of the crow perched on the edge of the second tier. “I am capable of opening my own doors, Auntie. And besides, I’m not some celebrity.”
“I am pretty sure that being on the American Council of Elders qualifies you as one. Our counterpart in Europe would certainly agree.”
“Yes. But I am not a snob like them,” I quip with a smile.
My aunt pushes off the column and waves me inside. “C’mon, invite me in. I’ve got something I’d like to discuss with you and I’d rather we did it away from this blasted heat.”
I don’t mind it as much as some other vampires do. I love the feel of the sun on my skin, the warmth. Unlike popular beliefs in fiction and media, sunlight doesn’t harm us. It can be uncomfortable due to the lower temperatures our bodies maintain, but it’s not lethal.
I lead my aunt inside. We sit in the massive lounge and Montgomery brings us two glasses of rose lemonade with ice.
“So, what is it that you want to talk about?” I prompt, taking a sip. There is a hint of jasmine in the drink and that immediately reminds me of Hayden.
He was as delectable today as last night. Conflicted between wanting me and wishing he didn’t. I understand the struggle—I don’t tend to do repeats either. But I also don’t usually have such amazing chemistry with someone. It’s all I’ve been thinking about, along with the way his presence invaded all my senses as soon as I spotted him in the club. So I just had to have him, the urge was too strong to resist. My dry spell might have something to do with it, but I doubt it’s a big part. The two of us are simply compatible, his body molding so well to mine. The noises it makes, the way it tastes, the enchanting smells of flowers and musk that it exudes.
I cross my legs discreetly, not needing an awkward conversation with my aunt about my recent conquest. She’s been bugging me to settle down as is, and I’d rather not get into that when my day has gone so pleasantly this far.
“A few of the European clans have new additions to their ranks. I’m throwing a ball in three weeks, and I’d like for you to pick a suitor.”
I pinch my nose, irritation budding in my chest. Of course the topic I’d like to avoid at all costs is what she wants to discuss. Not Council business or how I am doing now that I have officially succeeded in her position. No, Aunt Andrea is here to talk about my nonexistent love life.
“Auntie, we’ve been over this. I’m not interested in a marriage.”
“No, I know. And we don’t have to rush things!” She smiles fondly, grasping my hand. “I’m just worried. Being alone is not healthy, especially for our kind. Loneliness and depression… you’ve seen what they can do even to a strong mind.”
I’ve seen the latest reports, yes. The number of suicides by garlic has been steadily growing. It’s one of the quickest ways for a vampire to go when consumed in high enough amounts. Nine out of ten times, the reason for suicides of this type is as my aunt suggests—loneliness and the inability to find a partner who’s willing to be part of our world.