Bo watched me dress. It made me feel warm and sexy and shy al at the same time, a very heady combination.
When I was straightening my shirt, he slid off the bed and walked to me.
Tenderly, he pushed my hair over my shoulder and bent his head to kiss my throat. Chil s spread over my chest.
When he straightened, he looked down into my face and smiled.
“I love you,” he said.
“I love you, too.”
He took my hand.
“Now, let’s go get Savannah.”
“Wait,” I said, putting a hand to his chest. “You can’t go.
What if someone sees you?”
“Oh,” he said, “I didn’t think of that.”
“I don’t blame you,” I said, planting a quick kiss on his chin. “You’ve been distracted.”
With a growl, Bo pul ed me in close and whispered to me just before his lips covered mine. “Tease.”
After what had to be a ful minute of steamy kissing, Bo leaned back and looked at me questioningly.
“How do you feel, thirst-wise?”
I paused, giving careful consideration to the sensation in my chest and throat and then thought of Savannah. I paid particular attention to how envisioning her and the smel of her blood affected me.
“I think I’m okay,” I answered. “But Devon wil be with us regardless, so…”
Bo nodded and we final y made our way from the bedroom down the hal toward the front door. As we passed the living room, I saw the Cade and Annika were sitting in the floor around the large, rectangular coffee table with a board game spread out between them. The fireplace behind them was ablaze and both seemed utterly engrossed in what they were doing.
I paused in the doorway to look at the letters on the board. I had to smile when I saw that the game they were playing was Chutes and Ladders.
“What?” Bo asked when he saw my grin.
“I guess the only games they could find here were some of Lil y’s.”
Bo walked me to my car and I drove to Savannah’s house. When I pul ed up to the curb, I sat in the car for a few extra seconds, reassuring myself that my thirst was very much under control and that I would never hurt my friend.
In my head, I was formulating a plan that would best ensure Savannah’s safety when I heard the front door creak open. I looked up and saw Savannah making her way careful y down the sidewalk using a walking stick like I’d seen other blind people use. I’d never seen Savannah use something like that and it made my heart wrench in sympathy for my friend.
Savannah had an overnight bag slung over her shoulder and she was shuffling her feet uncertainly. I hurried out of the car to go and help her. It wasn’t until I got closer to her that I realized why she was shuffling. I hadn’t been looking around her or I would’ve noticed Devon’s wavy shimmer glinting in the partial y sunny afternoon light. He was hovering at her back, helping her as she made her way to the car.
“Sorry, Devon,” I said quietly. “I didn’t see you.”
“See,” he whispered to Savannah. “I told you.”
“Shh,” she hissed, shushing him. “Wait until we get in the car.”
I took Savannah’s bag and let her use my arm rather than the long stick to help guide her to the car. She walked much faster that way. Once she was safely in the car, I opened the back door wide, ostensibly to throw her bag into the floorboard.
“Hurry,” I said softly, trying not to move my lips.
I saw Devon’s shimmer disappear into the back seat just before I threw Savannah’s bag in behind him and slammed the door shut.
When I slid behind the driver’s seat, I couldn’t help but laugh.
“That was crazy,” I exclaimed to Savannah as I started the engine.
“He was afraid for you to come in the house, but he didn’t want me to fal going down the sidewalk either,” she griped.
“I just knew someone would see him.”
“I told you no one would pay any attention as long as I stayed close to you. The sun’s not that bright today and I’m harder to see,” he explained sensibly.
I listened quietly to their exchange, trying my best to hold back the smile that threatened.
“What?” Devon said.
I said nothing. I didn’t know who he was talking to until Savannah clarified.
“He’s talking to you, Ridley.”
“Oh,” I said grinning sheepishly. “Sorry. I can’t see you, remember?”
“Now you know how I feel,” Savannah mumbled.
“What were you trying not to laugh at?” Devon specified.
“Oh nothing,” I said as I pul ed away from the curb.
“What, Ridley?” Devon snapped.
“You two. You’re like an old married couple, the way you argue. I just think it’s funny, that’s al .”
Savannah turned in her seat to face Devon, throwing her most winsome smile in his direction.
“Do you feel like an old married couple? Because, if that’s the case, I think we’ve missed out on a couple of the finer points of being married,” she teased.
I could almost hear Devon smile at her innuendo.
“Maybe we are like an old married couple,” he returned, referring to their apparent lack of physical intimacy.
“Oh,” Savannah said, laughing good-naturedly. “That’s just wrong! Not al wives are frigid like that.”
“I know,” he conceded. “And I doubt you’d be that way anyhow. There’s nothing wrong with your, ahem, urges.”
I had to glance at Savannah to see if her cheeks would flood with color. And they did. She stil laughed, though, slapping Devon on the knee. It made a smacking sound so I knew her aim was spot-on. It was stil so strange to me that she could see him perfectly.
“You’re so bad,” she added coyly, beaming at him.
“Geez, get a room,” I suggested.
They both laughed and it seemed that their spat was over.
We chatted about inconsequential things on the short drive to Sebastian’s. It wasn’t until I’d parked in front of the garage that I realized I’d made it the whole drive without thinking of ripping Savannah’s throat open one time. I was inordinately pleased with my progress.
Devon helped Savannah out of the car and I reached for her bag.
“Devon, did you tel her about Annika and Cade?”
“Yep.”
“Alright then, let’s go.”
We walked in and, after dropping her bag at the door, I led Savannah and Devon to the living room where Annika and Cade had been before I’d left. They were stil there, stil deeply engrossed in Chutes and Ladders.