Page 21 of Havenfall Harbor
“Water is fine.”
“I can run down and get you a cup,” she offers, already standing.
I rise with her. “No, it’s fine, water is fine.” How many fucking times am I going to say fine?
“It’s no trouble,” she counters.
“I have coffee at home if I want it.” My words come out a little rougher than I intended.
“Yeah, okay.” She shakes her head a little, and more loose tendrils of her light hair frame her face.
I’m not used to this awkward dance. If I want someone, I usually tell so and that’s that. I feel like an unblooded vamp at my first feeding. Quinn moves past me to get to the small kitchen. I trail behind her as she opens the mostly empty fridge like a lost lamb.
I push the door open farther and bend to look inside. “Why don’t you have any food in here?” If I didn’t know any better, I’d say she’s a vampire. There’s not much space left between us, and my lips are dangerously close to the side of her neck, an appealing place to bite her, but I can think of many other places I’d like to sink my teeth.
“I eat at the dining hall?” Her statement comes out like a question. I still haven’t backed away, but she hasn’t moved either.
I swallow. I can taste the venom of my bite in the back of my throat. I’m actually salivating. I run my tongue over my top teeth, and they ache in response.
“I have coffee, tea, I can get whatever you would like right next door.” My voice is low, thick with need, and the words are out of my mouth before I even realize what I’m doing.
“I have tea.” Quinn’s hand trembles as she reaches forward and opens a small wooden box, stepping a few inches away from me in the process. The pungent smell of leaves and spices fills my nose, but it’s her scent I want to breathe in.
Quinn
Reluctantly,I shuffle forward, reaching for my tea box, and any excuse I can find to pull myself out of Griffin’s orbit. That’s exactly what standing too close to him feels like, like he’s going to drag me into his space. I’m not so worried about being pulled in, hell, I’m already halfway there, it’s what will happen to me when he tosses me to the side that worries me, because let’s be honest, with a face and a body like his, I don’t think he has many women fighting to be set free. I bet he’s addicting. It would be just my luck that I would fall for the most unavailable man I’ve ever met.
“Let me get you that water.” I keep my voice even and step to the side, ignoring Griffin’s nasally huff as I do. He doesn’t offer me much space while I grab a glass and fill it with a bottle of water from the fridge. I feel like I’m fighting to keep my movements small so I don’t bump into him.
I turn to face him, extending the glass. “I promise I’m here for the right reasons,” I assure him, trying to bring the topic back around to a subject I’m more comfortable with—work.
Griffin’s brows draw in as his eyes search mine. “I know why you’re here.” Standing this close, it’s impossible not to see the sharp points of his teeth when he speaks. I’ve never been bitten before, but I’ve thought about it, a lot. Most of my friends at school had, and they’d tell me how amazing it was, how the venom of the bite would stay in your system for hours, depending on the strength of the vampire, giving you a feeling of euphoria. Lisa only dated vampires and shifters, she said she just couldn’t go back to a human guy after being with a supernatural.
I never dated a supernatural myself. I could never introduce someone I was with to my family who wasn’t human. I can’t even imagine the hell my mother would have put them through, and I wasn’t willing to treat someone like a secret. That wouldn’t be fair to them, or me. But that’s not something I need to worry about anymore.
I swallow and look down, but that just means I get a good look at the tight white shirt drawn across his chest. Geez, I’m not even sure I like Griffin, but I can tell you the lust I’m feeling for him is off the charts.
I try to back away, but I hit the counter behind me. Griffin steps forward, trapping me between him and the kitchen cabinet. The cold splash of water soaking my shirt pulls a quick gasp from me. “Shit.”
Griffin looks down at the rapidly expanding water stain on his shirt and jacket.
“I’m sorry,” I say, even though he’s the one that bumped into me, causing me to spill the drink.
Setting the cup down, I grab a clean hand towel from the counter next to the sink and begin blotting at his jacket. Griffin just stands there staring down, watching my hands. I’m expecting some sort of response, a reaction of any kind, but he’s completely still.
My head clears as the icy cold fabric of my shirt clings to my stomach. I can’t believe he’s not affected at all. “Here, you can…” I push the towel against him, intending to let him finish, but his hand comes up, holding my palm and the towel in place.
When he looks up, his eyes meet mine, and the light blue hue has faded to an even lighter shade while his pupils are blown wide.
“I should go change, I’m all wet,” I point out, stating the obvious. Griffin’s nostrils flare with a deep intake of air, causing his chest to expand, brushing against mine. I can feel the cool metal of his rings on the back of my hand when he lightly squeezes my fingers before finally releasing my palm from his chest. The hand towel drops to the floor, landing half on my bare foot. The damp cloth has me jerking my leg up, and I end up kneeing Griffin right in the balls.
That gets a reaction. He jerks his hips back and lets out a heavy grunt. His eyes flare wide for the briefest second before he straightens back up, his palm reaching down and cupping himself.
“Oh my God! I am so sorry!” I feel the heat rise on my face and down my neck. “It was an accident. I’m so sorry.” My words come out just as horrified as I feel. I lower my hands as if I might be able to help him somehow. Griffin is still cupping himself, but he wisely backs away.
I slide sideways down the counter, creating more distance between us. “It’s okay, I’m fine,” Griffin mutters, while making one final adjustment and dropping his hand from his dick.
“Can I get you anything? Ice?” I wince again, wringing my hands together. The few times I’ve seen a guy take a hit to the balls, they always act like the world is ending.
