here?”
Herbert grunted and threw another hostile glance at Luke, who was still whistling.
Kim walked over to Luke and put a hand on his bicep. “Are you going to head back to...your friends?” She caught herself before saying the other vampires; she was sure that Herbert had a thing against non-humans.
Luke smiled. “I think that’s probably best. Herbie doesn’t seem to like me very much.”
Kim laughed despite the tension. “Maybe he’s jealous.” She stepped closer to him and slipped her arms around his shoulders.
Luke put his arms around her waist automatically, his gaze traveling over her features like he was trying to memorize them. “Let’s give him something to be jealous about.”
He pulled her against him and bent his head forward to kiss her. Kim’s body reacted immediately; a pulse of electricity spread through her, starting from where their lips met and coiling around her spine until she felt like she was being heated from the inside out. Luke’s tongue gently separated her lips, lightly massaging hers as one of his hands slipped lower on her back to rest on the curve of her ass. Kim let out a soft moan and pressed her hips into his, her desire building to a crescendo faster than it ever had before.
Luke pulled away abruptly, his eyes dancing with lust. Kim could see that it had taken a tremendous amount of effort to pull away; she knew now that their bond really wasn’t one-sided, and that was almost enough to satisfy her.
“I should go,” Luke said under his breath. “I do have to get back to...my friends.”
“Okay.” Kim didn’t try to hide her disappointment, but she stopped short of asking him to stay, partially because of Herbert’s prejudice.
She let out a dry chuckle. Wow. I have a vampire boyfriend. It still feels unreal.
Luke’s gaze lingered on her a moment longer. “You okay?”
Kim nodded, a blush creeping into her cheeks. “Yeah. Just having a pinch-me-I-must-be-dreaming moment.”
The smile on his face was understanding, but the look was tinted with something else Kim couldn’t quite identify. “I know what you mean. I’ll pinch you later, okay?”
Before she could answer, he turned and set off running – though Kim wasn’t sure running was the best term; his feet didn’t kick up any dust even though he was moving at least thirty miles an hour. How fast can he go? His outline seemed to be gaining speed, judging by the way it was shrinking more rapidly as the moment wore on.
The feeling of unreality deepened as she watched his shape shrink to a pinprick on the horizon-- until he was a just a tiny dot cutting diagonally across the desert toward the slim column of smoke where the other vampires waiting for him, or did they resume their fighting? Would they ask Luke about the loud human who interrupted their sparring? What were they fighting for, anyway?
A loud cough broke Kim out of her trance. She turned around to see that Herbert was standing with his hands on his hips, lips pressed together in a thin line.
“This’ll need to stay overnight. Get it to you tomorrow.”
Somehow, his words seemed even less friendly than before.
“How much will the repairs be?”
Herbert was silent for a long time, and Kim wondered if he was thinking of a way to scam her.
“'Bout two hunnerd,” he said finally. “Parts and labor.”
She groaned inwardly. I’m sure my vampire