Page 42 of Heartbeat Girl
“I can’t believe she guessed so quickly,” Pete murmured. “Her knowledge is all wrong, but she’s headed in the correct direction.”
“Hello,” Steve screeched.
I shushed him, gesturing toward the bedroom. I knew this because I heard her light, even breathing, and the steady thrum of her heart.She must have been trying to catch up on the sleep she didn’t get the night before.
“What will she try next? A stake? I don’t feel like dying today.” Steve rubbed his chest.
“Do you want me to kill you, mutt?” I asked. “Jayne’s likely really confused. She probably doesn’t even trust herself right now.”
“And whose fault is that?” Steve muttered.
“And...”I smacked his jaw, pulled his ear, and pointed at the closed door where my undead heart lay at Jayne’s feet. “Despite that, she didn’t run.”
Steve’s eyes widened as I let go. “What?”
“Jayne stopped running.”
Her pulse quickened suddenly and then settled. I focused on the slight rustle of the covers as she rolled over. A profound yearning hit me square in the chest. How could someone want another so much? I wanted to crack open the door and crawl beneath the sheets with her. I wanted to slip my hands up her shirt and pull her silky shorts down…
The creak in the bed springs caught my ear, followed by the dainty thuds of Jayne’s feet hitting the floor. I turned my head as she opened the door. Shielding her eyes from the bright light, she squinted at us. Fire heated my stomach. She covered her chest with her arms, trying desperately to hide the silky blue spaghetti-strap shirt and shorts. Her brown hair, hanging loosely down her back, was a tangled mess. That possessive longing gripped me from the inside out again.
“You’re still awake? Don’t you sleep?” Jayne's sleep-filled eyes were on me. Probably another thing she wanted to learn about us. Or, more accurately, what we were and why she never caught us snoozing.
“Everyone sleeps,” I told her.
Just not the undead.
Shaking her head, Jayne went to the bathroom, relieved herself, and washed up before stepping out. “Are you doing a puzzle?” Her tiny footfalls padded across the tile as she made her way to Pete.
He smiled and made room for her beside him. “Five hundred pieces. Want to help?”
“I haven’t done one since I was a kid,” Jayne said, while scooting into the booth.
As my shoulders tensed, I decided I didn’t like her being unafraid of us. Not if it meant she’d easily sit next to Pete, but keep her distance from me.
I stood and walked over to the booth.
Steve exhaled loudly and then said my name.
Jayne jerked her chin back to look at me, and I zeroed in on her pert tits. Her nipples pressed against the thin fabric of her spaghetti strap, and I gritted my teeth.
“Scoot,” I said.
With a dazed, wide-eyed stare, Jayne squeezed closer to Pete so I could sit. Once beside her, I grabbed her arm and yanked her toward me before I could think about what I was doing. “I’m not poisonous.”
“Good to know.” She lifted her arms, trying to shield herself from me.
What the fuck? Jayne never shied away or concealed herself when she sat with Pete. But the second I parked my ass beside her, she hid her tits again. Jealousy grew legs and crawled up my chest and neck. I clenched my fists and envisioned punching Pete in the face. Unable to mask my mood, I angrily plucked at a puzzle piece.
“He might bite,” Steve piped in.
Instantly, Jayne’s eyes met mine. Red flamed her cheeks. Her heart flooded my ears with its loud, frightened beats. Those franticba-thumpswere slowly breaking the beatless organ in my chest. Her tangy anxiety always overwhelmed my senses, even stealing her natural strawberry-like scent. But not this time. Her delectable odor was stronger. She smelled like a strawberry ripe for the taking. My… Forbidden fruit. My strawberry.
I hated her fear because it stole her away from me.
She averted her gaze and dropped the puzzle piece. My fingers twitched to hold her, but her eyes darted around, teeth tugging at her bottom lip as if searching for something. Possibly an escape. From me.
Hoping to distract her, I reached out and twirled a ribbon of her hair around my finger. “You never wear your hair down. You should. It’s beautiful.”