Crypt keeper, p.2
Crypt Keeper, page 2
“You wanna go out for a bit?” Jewels called loudly from over the episode of The Walking Dead she was watching. She had a real thing for the Daryl Dixon character. Not that she’d admit it, but I’m sure she’d poltergeist the actor Norman Reedus’ shower more than a few times.
Closing my book, I stretched in the dining chair. “Yeah. I could use a strong cup of coffee.” Picking up my empty mug, I recalled that I’d drunk the last of my coffee supply this morning and the instant crap I kept around for emergencies was just that—crap. Standing, I grabbed my bag and slung it over my shoulder. Then I swiped my headset off the table and secured it in my ear, my new weapon against looking like a total freak talking to thin air. “Is it warm in here to you?” I asked Jewels and wiped my brow that had beaded up with sweat. She looked away, then shrugged. “Huh, that’s weird.”
“Maybe your body is drying up on the inside due to lack of sex and now you’re having hot flashes,” Jewels smirked.
“Ha ha. Let’s go.” I swung open the door and came face to face with hot ass, er.. Damon. “Um…Damon, I mean Night…er, Professor Night.”
He smiled. “Damon is fine.”
Here we go again; he smiles at me and I flush. “I told ya!” Jewels shrieked next to me. Thrown off by my embarrassment, I gave her a pointed stare and then realized what I’d been doing.
“Um…is this a bad time?” Damon asked, looking directly at Jewels since I’d been staring at her, only he didn’t see anyone. Welcome to my world.
Giggling like a maniac, I yawned and rubbed my face to cover my embarrassment. “Actually I…was, um…”
“On your way out to grab a cup of coffee.” Jewels came to my rescue.
“On my way out to grab a cup of coffee,” I repeated after her without any inflection at all. Dammit, why did he affect me this way?
“I’m here for ya!” Jewels wrapped her arm around my shoulder. “Just repeat after me. “Is there something I can do for you?” I repeated her question like an obedient idiot.
He smiled again, exposing his set of perfectly straight white teeth. And my next thought was, Oh my God, when was the last time I brushed my teeth? I nearly panicked. After all the coffee I drank and with my days and nights running together, my breath could probably knock out a horse. My hand was inches from covering my mouth when Jewels quickly grabbed my hand and slowly put it by my side.
“Actually I just stopped by to offer you some notes from the class you missed the other night. I saw you leave in a hurry. I hope there wasn’t an emergency.” I must have looked like a total nutcase, shouting shit and then running out. His scrutinizing gaze and remembering how rattled I’d been that day in class evoked a nervous giggle that bubbled from my lips.
Jewels shook her head. “Stop freaking out. Every time you worry about looking crazy you do! Now stop it!”
That was so true. Taking a deep breath but being careful not to breathe in his direction, I attempted to speak in a clear rational manner. “I’m sorry for running out like that. I… um… had an issue come up that I thought was serious.” I shrugged. “It turned out to be nothing, so it’s all good.” Oh shit, did I just say it’s all good? The look on Jewels face told me I had.
Damon seemed unfazed by my lunacy. He chuckled, “Well, that’s good to hear.” He pulled his phone from the pocket of his khaki slacks. “If you’ll just give me your email address I shoot you the notes.”
Nodding, I started to rattle it off then I remembered. “You have my email address. You sent me the new class schedule just last week, not to mention that you’ve been receiving my papers from the exact address all semester.”
An adorable smile broke out across his lips as he slipped his phone back into his pocket. He didn’t appear so intimidating in this light and I had the strange suspicion that’d been his intent.
“Told ya! Boo yah! Who was right? Me! I was right!” Jewels started doing a bump and grind dance all around Damon. I controlled my laughter until she acted like she was taking a giant bite out of his ass. That’s when I lost it. Of course Damon thought I was having a big laugh at his expense. Trying to pull myself together as Jewels and I howled in laughter, I began wiping the tears from my face.
“I’m sorry,” I said, trying to curb my amusement. “I’m exhausted. I’ve been studying for three days straight without much sleep. I’m not laughing at you, I swear.”
“I don’t mind.” He grinned. “I like this look on you.” His eyes began to fill with the familiar heat and that sobered me up. “Do you mind if I join you tonight?”
I should say no. I really should and I intended to. Jewels saw the debate going on inside my head. “Go. You made the decision to move on, so do it. I know it’s hard, but if this is what you really believe is best for you and Levi, then go for both your sakes.” At the mention of Levi’s name I felt sick. I hadn’t even allowed myself to say or even think about him much these last few months. Okay, that was a complete and utter lie, and as hard as he and I tried we just couldn’t stay away from each other. Maybe I should take Jewels’ advice and move on for both our sakes.
Damon crossed the threshold, his eyes narrowing, “Wow, you really are exhausted. Perhaps we should make it another time and you should lie down and get some rest.” Why was he so concerned about me?
After a final glance at Jewels I made my decision. “No, I’m okay. I do think I’ll skip the coffee idea. It’s nearly nine o’clock and I haven’t had dinner—have you?”
He smiled. “I could eat. And I know a great Chinese place just a few blocks from here that is open till one a.m. Do you like Chinese food?”
“Love it.” I returned his smile. “Just give me five minutes to freshen up and I’ll be right with you.”
~~~
Sipping on my tea while I waited for Damon to return from the restroom, I contemplated how surprisingly easy I’d found talking with him tonight. I couldn’t believe how I’d originally perceived him as unapproachable. His laidback personality was a breath of fresh air for someone like me. Intensity was my middle name. I got tired of always having to be on my guard around people; for some reason I didn’t feel the need to be as on guard with Damon. Something about him made me feel safe. That scared me a little, although I didn’t mind so much. It was different than the way Levi had always made me feel. With Levi, well, he’d been a part of my life since we were children and he would always hold a piece of my heart.
Damon had an enormous smile when he returned and took his seat across from me. His smile lit up the room, and every woman in the place noticed that while checking out his ass. Not that I blamed them. Jewels picked the perfect nickname for this hunk of a man.
He took his seat. “You have the most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen. And I’m not referring to the gorgeous shade of blue that they are, although they are lovely. It’s what’s behind your eyes that I find so appealing.”
“That’s peculiar.” I sat my cup down on the table.
“What is?”
“That you would say that about my eyes.” I looked at him, wondering if there was more to him than I’d realized. I looked deeper for something I couldn’t quite pinpoint, then immediately pulled back. I was not going to do this. I would not be a freak; there wasn’t anything about him that was different than any other guy in this room. Why I had to ruin everything with my voodoo weirdness frustrated me more with myself than anything else. I was normal, he was normal; we were both perfectly normal human beings out on a lovely night. Having fun. Smiling, I softened my eyes as I admired his. They flickered and I could have sworn they changed shade slightly. Stop it! I chided myself inwardly.
He blinked, and when he looked back up they were the same shade of green they’d been since the first day I met him. “Why do you think that my noticing your eyes is peculiar?” He reached across the table and took my hand.
I couldn’t believe that I’d let him. He was the first normal man that had touched me in years, and I nearly shuddered at the contact. “I suppose peculiar isn’t the correct word. Fascinating is more appropriate, and I say that because your eyes were the first thing that I noticed about you as well.”
“You noticed me?” He seemed pleased.
“Of course—you know I did.” I grimaced at all the times I’d made a fool of myself around him then continued on, “Besides, you seem to be everywhere. How could I not?” He didn’t seem embarrassed by my observation. “And when you pierce straight through me with those emerald orbs of yours at every opportunity you get, even during class, you make it impossible to avoid your gaze.” I pulled my hand from his and tucked a lock of hair behind my ear.
“Am I that obvious?” He leaned back in his chair, mirroring my posture, a technique to put me at ease. Intelligent. I liked that in a man.
“How could I not?” His eyes held a bit of playful mischief within them. I missed this, being attracted to someone and the flirtations that transpired because of it. Jewels was right again; I needed to get out there more. I licked my lips and watched as his eyes followed the movement with predatory stillness. He shifted in his chair and I knew I was making him hot and I was loving it. I hadn’t gotten laid in… well, I’d lost count, that’s never a good sign and my hormones were screaming.
Damon waved to the waitress. “Could we get the check please?” She dug around in her apron and handed him the little book containing our bill and started to leave. His hand shot out and took her arm gently. “Here you go.” He’d whipped out his card and handed it to her with the book. There was no mistaking his urgency to leave. Was I really going to do this? Yes, he’d been around for almost a year and yes, I felt like I sort of knew him, but did I? No, and damn it if that didn’t make this whole thing even more exciting. There was something about Damon Night that was wildly exciting.
The waitress was back and Damon was signing the receipt. He dropped the pen and was on his feet. “Ready?” Our eyes locked, and I felt like one of those women in the movies and I was completely digging it.
“Yeah,” I whispered as I stood. He slid his hand down my arm, giving me goose bumps as his fingers lightly grazed my skin before clasping my hand in his. We walked out of the restaurant and out into the cool night air. The parking lot was dark and nearly empty as we came up to where he’d parked the car. Before I realized what was happening he had me turned around, my back against the car, his mouth on mine and demanding that I open to him. As his tongue stroked mine I nearly screamed as my body began to ache with a need undeniable. Damn, this guy was good. Starving for the attention I’d missed I responded, thrusting my fingers in his hair and I ground my mouth against his with an urgency of my own. He groaned, his hands making their way to my ass as he pulled me against his erection that from the feel of it was nothing less than impressive. The heat of his chest pressed against my hardened nipples and I wanted to scream Now, take me now! I was about to throw caution to the wind when he wrenched his mouth away, his breathing labored as he took a step backward. Oh hell no! Reaching out I grabbed his head in my hands, turned him around and slammed his back against the car. His eyes went wild with excitement and I swear I could see a flicker of heat within them before I shut my eyes and took his mouth in a hot wet kiss. Stroking his tongue with mine, I wantonly rubbed my body against his. The taste of him was indescribable and something I would never forget and couldn’t get enough of. When he shoved me away from him, holding me away from his body with his strong hands, I was utterly shocked and a little hurt.
“I’m sorry.” He pierced me with those eyes of his. “I’m crazy about you Molly, and I want you desperately as I’m sure you could tell.” He shook his head. “There is something very special about you and I don’t want to screw this up by moving too quickly.”
The very special comment rubbed me completely the wrong way and felt like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over my head. He hadn’t meant it negatively, of that I was certain. It just didn’t seem to soften the blow one iota. Stepping back away from him I wasn’t sure how I felt. Part of me was a little glad he’d stopped us. I hadn’t recognized myself a few moments ago; however, the horny part of me was still pissed. “Isn’t that supposed to be my line?” I half laughed, my tone dripping with sarcasm.
He ducked his head and seemed slightly embarrassed which intrigued me, or perhaps he was just fighting his own urges to continue. I couldn’t quite tell. “Yeah, I guess it is.” He dug into his pocket and pulled out his keys. “Come on, I’ll take you home.”
We rode the short distance to my apartment in silence. I was still feeling both relieved and annoyed by the events of the night. As I glanced over at him, his jaw was clenched tight, his knuckles white as he gripped the steering wheel. I didn’t need to look into his lap to know he was still fighting with his urges. Me, not so much. However, knowing he was hurting a little pleased me greatly.
The moment he parked in the lot outside my building I began to open the door, ready to make a quick escape. “Molly, wait.” Damon’s hand touched my shoulder softly. Sighing, I settled back into the seat and waited. “Please don’t read anything into what happened tonight other than what I told you because it’s the truth. I want you.”
Turning to face him I could see he was telling the truth; I just didn’t understand it. “Damon, what’s with the strong desire to make this more than what it is? You don’t even know me.”
“Of course I know you.” He shook his head. “I mean, I feel like I know you. I know a lot about you and that makes me feel close to you. I need to be close to you.” Okay, giant red flag waving right in front of my face!
“What do you know about me, Damon?” My tone came out curt.
He shifted uncomfortably and I could tell he was scrambling to come up with an answer. “I just do. Will you just take me at my word for now?”
Snorting, I replied, “Are you completely delusional? I mean, really, take you at your word? I’m giving you five seconds to explain. If you refuse then I’m getting out of the car and you and I will act as if tonight never happened.”
His face reddened. “What the hell? I read your file.” He blurted out as my eyes went wide. We’d all been required to undergo therapy as part of the program. Stupid me, divulged too much during it. “Wait, don’t jump to conclusions. I’m not some freak, I swear.”
“Dammit!” I shouted as I opened the door and jumped out of the car, slamming the door shut so hard the window cracked. He punched the steering wheel and I swear out of the corner of my eye I thought I saw it break off. I kept going. No, my imagination was getting the best of me again. This was becoming an increasing problem for me. I’d seen so many strange things in my life that sometimes I’d imagine things that weren’t there, ugly horrifying creatures. I nearly ran to the building.
A young college kid came running toward me. “Help me, please.” Perfect. All I needed right now was another dead girl looking for help.
“Molly!” Damon called after me in hot pursuit.
Snatching the girl by the arm I hauled her into the stairwell. “Listen, I’m sorry but I’m going to have to make this quick.” Her eyes filled with tears and I felt two inches tall; however, this couldn’t be helped. Closing my eyes, I reached out and sought the girl’s essence. She was ready to cross. She just needed a little guidance, as some of them do while others cross over on their own without any issues. “Go,” I whispered, and after sending her on her way I kept my head down and ran up the stairs.
Damon caught up to me as I started up the first flight of stairs. “Molly.” He cornered me at the top. Damn, he was persistent. “Please, just hear me out.”
“Damon, get out of my way or I’m going to scream,” I threatened with every intention of making good on that threat. After I kicked him in the nuts and shoved him down the stairs, of course. I was strong too, sometimes freakishly so.
“Listen, reading your file was wrong and I’ve regretted it every day since I did it. I’ve been attracted to you since the first moment I saw you. You keep to yourself all the time, which makes it really hard to get close to you without coming across like a stalker.” He held up his hands. “Which I’m not. There is a connection here—you feel it too. Don’t dismiss this because you’re angry with me over something that I regret.”
I folded my arms across my chest, settling down a bit. It was hard to get to know me. I intentionally kept people at arms’ length. “How did you get your hands on my file anyway?”
He ran his hand through his hair. “Um look, I just did. And it was wrong. I just wanted to learn a bit about you.”
“So you decided the best way to get close me was to violate my trust even before you had it by reading my private and confidential file?”
He threw his hands in the air, obviously exasperated with the events. “I agree it was an idiotic thing to do and I’m sorry.” A cool breeze filled the stairwell, which was impossible since there were no windows and all the doors were closed. The only one I was aware of that was capable of that was Levi. My heart rate shot through the roof as I looked around for him. He had abilities like no other, which allowed him to move swiftly by evaporating his corporeal form. “Molly, please.” Damon took a step toward me and I immediately put my hand out, stopping him. He seemed to sense something as well. His eyes flickered oddly and his posture completely changed. Did I sense fear? No, not fear exactly but he was definitely uneasy.
