Dahlia's Kiss

EMOTIONS RAMPANT

“Well,Bean. What should we do now that the apartment is empty?” The cat rolled over onto his back and ignored me completely. Wasn’t that just fantastic. We finally get to spend some time together again, and he wants to nap. “Have it your way, furry monster.”

He didn’t blink an eye.

I settled into the couch and switched on the television to find something to take my mind off the events of the day. That included CeeCee’s murder. There were just too many things running through my brain for me to get comfortable. I wasn’t even sure why the lady on the screen was crying.

The ringtone on my phone brought me out of my own head.

Drake’s number flashed across the screen, and I scrambled to answer it. I knew it must have something to do with CeeCee.

“Drake,” I said, as I accepted the call.

“You’ve heard?”

I felt a knot form at the base of my throat. “Yeah. Poor CeeCee. Who could have done this to her? I don’t know of anyone who would have wanted to hurt her.”

“Me either, but I’m afraid I’m going to be at the top of the list since I fired her today.” Drake’s concern echoed through his words. “This has me really shaken up. What if someone is targeting the firm? This could be the start of something nasty, and I’m not sure how I should deal with it.”

There was no way I could tell him she was dead because I’d fed from her. It didn’t leave me with a whole lot of options to make him feel better about the situation. “I doubt that’s why she was killed.”

“I’m sorry I asked you to leave earlier.” His apology surprised me. Drake Sullivan didn’t make apologies. He simply explained why he was right. “I was mad about the whole situation, and I didn’t handle it very well. You would think, having a law degree, I would be a bit better at difficult personal moments. Truth be told, I can defend anyone from anything, except myself. It’s a major flaw. But I shouldn’t have sent you home. If anything, her seeing us was more my fault than yours. I did instigate the kiss. So, I’m sorry.”

“I get it,” I told him. “I won’t hold it against you. I appreciate the apology.”

“Dahlia, can I ask you a favor? This is going to sound like a major get up, and you’re free to tell me to shove it where the sun doesn’t shine, but I’m having a really hard time being alone. After the cops called me to ask when the last time I saw CeeCee was, and then they told me that she’d been found deceased, I’m just wandering around my house with no purpose. Do you want to come over? We could have some dinner, or something? I just don’t want to be alone right now, and I really don’t have any close friends. You understand the situation. You knew her. Maybe we could comfort each other?”

He sounded desperate, and that unnerved me. After the blow up earlier, I’d made up my mind that I would never feed on Drake again. He was starting to read too much into it, and I didn’t need a clingy human attached to my hip. Once they reached that point, my subliminal suggestions to back away wouldn’t do much of anything, and I would be stuck with him. Come to think of it, that was probably why CeeCee retained the memory of seeing Drake and I kiss after I planted the thought to forget it happened. I’d been getting far too sloppy.

“I don’t know, Drake. Earlier, it seemed like you might want more from me than I’m willing to give. I don’t want to lead you on in any manner.” I heard him suck in a breath, but he stayed silent. “There is no way there will ever be anything between us other than the occasional fucking we’ve enjoyed, and honestly, I don’t think we should do that anymore either. It was getting too close to crossing the line into the feelings zone, and I’m sorry to say, it was one sided. I don’t have feelings for you, Drake. I don’t want to hurt you, but I never will have those feelings. You’re not my type.” He definitely wasn’t an Incubus with bonding hormones, and even if he was, I was at my max in that category. Three was way more than enough.

“Okay, no sex,” he agreed readily. “We’ll just get a bite to eat and watch a movie. Please? Just as friends.”

How could I say no to so much pleading? I really should have. “I suppose I could come by for a little bit. I am not staying the night, though, so don’t try. We are not having sex. We are not so much as cuddling. If you try to touch me, I’m out. Do I make myself clear?”

“Crystal.”

“Okay. I’ll leave here in a few minutes.” I looked around for where I’d left my purse.

“Thank you, Dahlia. I could really use a friend right now. You’re closest thing I have to one.”

I hung up the phone and looked at my cat, who was judging me as usual. I could tell by the way his whiskers were jutting forward that he was trying to tell me I was an idiot, and I didn’t disagree. Why the hell had I agreed to this?

“I’ll be home before midnight, Bean. Don’t wait up.”

Bean licked his paw and ignored me.

As I unlocked the deadbolt and stepped outside, I looked at my phone in my hand and remembered the conversation earlier. Sterling was able to track my movements if I brought that thing with me. I didn’t want him to bust through Drake’s door with guns blazing, trying to protect me from nothing. That would be an embarrassment I would never live down. I turned back, laid the phone on the counter, and smiled to myself.

“Take that, copper,” I whispered.

Drake greeted me at the door of his home and took my jacket and purse like a true gentleman. “What would you like to drink? I have pretty much everything minus Fireball. I can’t stand that shit.”

“Water,” I replied. “I’m not here to get drunk and forget my boundaries.”

Drake chuckled nervously. “Water it is. Bottled, or tap?”

“Bottled, please.”

While he fetched my drink, I made myself comfy in his living room, choosing the one person chair over the oversized couch. I didn’t want him to think it was okay to sit close to me. When he came back, he didn’t see me right away and his eyes searched the room, finally falling on my position.

“You won’t have a good view of the TV from there,” he said as he handed me the water. “You can sit on the couch. I promise not to bite.”

“I’m fine here, thanks.”

“Suit yourself.”

He took a seat on the couch and sipped at a large glass of red wine. “Did they tell you how she died?” The remote for the TV was just out of reach, and he unfurled his long legs to reach for it.

I knew what happened to her. I knew far more than I was comfortable knowing, but I couldn’t tell him that. “I only know that someone took her life. I don’t know any details. What did they tell you?”

“Pretty much the same thing. Just that they had found her body in her apartment. I hope she didn’t suffer.” He finished the glass of wine and looked at the red stain coating the inside of the glass. It reminded me of blood, and it made my stomach clench.

“I hope so too.”