He craves me?
Crazy vampire sex is all I can see.
“I… I…” I stammer.
Adrian and Tash frown as they wait for my answer.
“I need a drink. Does anybody need a drink?” I stand abruptly, midsentence.
“Yes. I’ll help.” Adrian stands.
“Me, too,” Tash mutters as she stands.
Abbie sits still, drinking her drink.
“Want to come, Abs?” I ask.
She doesn’t even look my way. “No, I’m good.”
Adrian fakes a smile and grabs her arm, pulling her from her seat. “We need help, Abbie.”
“God, you’re such babies,” she snaps as she follows us through the crowd. “Why did I have to come?”
“What’s going on?” Adrian asks over my shoulder as we walk through the crowd, his hands on my hips from behind.
“This is a bad fucking situation,” I whisper.
“Did I miss something?” Tash calls from behind us.
We get to the bar and all huddle together, out of their sight.
“He sent me a text and said he wants to bite my neck,” I blurt out.
Tash and Adrian frown at each other, and then at me. “Who?”
I widen my eyes at their stupidity. “Ben!” I shriek.
Adrian screws up his face. “What?” He scratches his head.
Tash looks back over toward the table. “When?”
“Just now.”
Abbie fidgets with her underwear under her dress. “These undies are getting up in my regions.”
Adrian screws up his face in horror. “Oh, my God. Don’t talk to me about your regions.”
Abbie rolls her eyes. “For your information, my regions are a fantastic holiday destination. Five-star luxury.”
“Eww.” We all screw up our faces as a text comes through and I read it.
My eyes widen in horror.
Are you talking about me?
“Your regions are a backpacker’s hostel.” Adrian winces in disgust as he turns to order the drinks.
“Oh, my fucking God,” I snap as I read it with wide eyes. Another text bounces through. “He knows I’m telling you.” I wave my phone around in horror.
That’s a punishable offense
I screw up my face, and Tash snatches my phone from my hand to read the text. “What the fuck?” she whispers. “Have I missed part of the conversation?”
I nod. “Yes. The same part that I missed.”
Adrian turns while the bartender makes the drinks, and he takes my phone from Tash. He frowns as he gets to the last text. “Punishable offense?” he mouths in wonder. His eyes meet mine.
Abbie snatches the phone and reads it, smiling deviously. “Oh, dear God. Please tell me you’re going home to fuck him harder than hard. You need to be punished, bitch. Even I can see that.”
“Abbie,” I hiss, annoyed. “I have a fucking boyfriend.”
She cringes. “And your point is?”
“Oh, God, here we go. You and your filthy backpacker regions.” Adrian huffs while he takes the phone from her as another text comes through, and he reads it.
His eyes widen; he looks up at me, puffing air into his cheeks in thought. “Maybe Abbie is right on this one.” He shrugs. I take my phone and read the text.
I still like it rough, baby
My eyes widen. “Oh, hell. No, no, no.” I shake my head. “He’s going to get it rough when I strangle him, that’s for sure,” I snap.
Abbie’s eyes dance with delight and I can see her mind ticking. “How rough are we talking here?”
“Ben’s fucking hot,” Tash whispers to Adrian.
Adrian nods. “I know, right?” he whispers back.
I put my fingers on my temples and I feel two hands snake around my hips from behind.
I turn to see Ben.
“What are you doing?” I snap.
“Standing behind you.”
“Don’t.” I pull from his grip. “And don’t tell me you like it rough, either,” I add. “That is way too much information which I do not need to know.”
Abbie grabs Ben’s forearm. “Bridget needs to be punished. You need to take her home right now,” she says seriously. Of all the things she could have said. “In fact, give her one for me,” she adds.
“Abbie!” I snap. “Shut the hell up.”
Tash puts her hand over her mouth and bursts out laughing.
Adrian’s and my eyes widen in horror.
Ben nods. “That’s a good idea, Abs.”
He grabs my arm and pulls me toward the door, and I snatch my arm from his hold.
“Don’t touch me.”
“Cut the drama,” he says as he pushes me forward.
“Drama?” I repeat as I storm toward the door. “You’ve lost the fucking plot.” I exit up the steps, out onto the water’s edge on the cobblestone pavers.
He falls into stride beside me and the ocean breeze whips through my hair.
We walk in silence for a while and I glance over at him, seemingly deep in thought.
“What are you doing here, Ben?” I sigh. The moonlight is dancing on the water.
He frowns as his eyes stay focused on the ground. “I told you.”
I stop on the spot. He keeps walking and then finally stops, turning to face me.
“You told me what?” I frown.
He walks closer. “I came back for you.”