Page 41 of Pucking Vamps
“I’ll go for a run,” he says when we reach the stairs, halting me mid-step. “I don’t think I can fall asleep. Shit, Leander, I can’t believe you got this.”
I can think of a way or two to make him pass out. My cock jerks at the idea, but I don’t let it get too excited. I’m still treading on thin ice. There is still something at the back of Hayden’s mind, I can feel it. Something that’s bothering him and making him avoid me since the night I held him in my arms and we slept without fucking. Besides, if I touched him now, if I tasted his honey-sweet mouth, I don’t think I’d be able to hold back.
“Would you like some company?” I ask, craning my head to the side so I can watch him put his shoes on.
He hesitates, internal conflict etched into his every feature. “Sure. I guess. But you can’t use your vampire superspeed or whatever.”
“Ah, so we are racing?” I grab my shoes from the rack and put them on. “What does the winner get?”
He stretches his arms, scrunching his nose as he studies my face. “What do you want? Not that you will win.”
“Do not underestimate me, Hayden. I need not tap into my vampire nature to outrun you.”
Grinning, he nudges me with his shoulder. “Cocky much, vampy? Not gonna lie, it’s hot.”
That’s the Hayden I know. He’s having fun with our back-and-forth. He’s smiling, laughing, chatting with me. Because of me.
It takes everything I have to stifle the purr that wants to erupt from my chest. I want to push him down and have my way with him until moaning my name is the only thing his brain can handle. But I don’t give into the urge. Just like I can feel the desire within him, I can also sense the way he’s warring with it. The conflict and hesitation. But he’s still letting me tag along for his run, so I won’t ruin that because of my need to claim him and assure myself he belongs to me.
I can wait.
“If you win, I will cook for you. I’ll have you know that I am very good at it. And if I win, you’ll grace me with your company for lunch tomorrow.”
I have a busy day, and seeing him for more than ten minutes would certainly help keep my spirits high.
He gives me a thoughtful look, like he can’t comprehend why I’d want to have lunch with him. “Sure, but I’m broke. So it’s gotta be something cheap or I can’t afford it.”
I roll my shoulders and we step onto the patio, the cool evening air heavenly against my skin. The moon hangs in the sky fat and bright, illuminating the mansion’s lush grounds.
“It will be my treat, but you will choose the venue.”
He snorts. “Leander. Let me get this straight. We are racing. If I win, you cook for me a supposedly gourmet meal. If you win, we go to a fancy restaurant of my choosing and you pay for it. Did I get this right?”
“Yes.”
He tilts his head back and laughs, the sound caressing my soul. “Do you not realize that I technically win in both cases?”
Crossing my arms, I throw him a confused look. “And that’s a problem how?”
He blinks, surprise and amusement swimming in his eyes. A bit of shy adoration, too. “I mean… It’s not? It’s just strange?”
I step in, brushing a stray lock of hair from his cheek. My fingers linger there, I can’t help it, and he leans into the contact for a heartbeat that goes by too quickly. I help him stretch his muscles too, loving the way it feels so natural. I should do more of this. Perhaps in the mornings, before he leaves for practice. I can’t be there on the ice with him, but I could be part of his routine.
“I see no issue then. Now let’s go, before the wolves get out,” I say, giving his shoulders a final rub as I dash down the stairs and past the fountain.
“Wolves?” he echoes, breaking into a sprint after me. “As in werewolves out and about because it’s a full moon? Holy shit, Leander! Don’t tell me there are werewolves roaming your fucking property and I’m only now finding out!”
“Win and I’ll tell you,” I challenge, panting and smiling as he catches up to me and starts trying to convince me to introduce him to them.
Chapter 17
Hayden
Leander wasn’t joking. He can cook. The steak with herb mash and green salad he whips up because I won our impromptu race is divine. It’s the perfect end to my day after the guys on the team promised to love me forever when I handed them the video he acquired of the Havana Gators’ practice. Coach officially reinstated me on the team as well, so the charity game in about two months’ time is a definite go.
I can’t wait. There will be scouts from various teams, and I’m no longer in danger of spending what could be the life-changing moment of my life on a bench. Who knows? Maybe I’ll even get lucky and the Eagles will beg me to play for them because they are mind-blown by my skills. Or I’ll go to the drafts. Honestly, I don’t mind either.
My mood holds despite the still-present quips of Park, every day a mix of hockey, lectures and time spent with Leander. Aside from having dinners together—whether he cooks or we go out—we go for runs and chat hockey. He tells me more vampire lore too, and we even visit his redhead friend, Annabel, so she can formally apologize for spooking me that night at the catacombs. Like Vivian, she’s actually pretty cool.