Passions Read online

  “You needn’t change your schedule for my sake,” he said. She detected a quiver of a laugh in his voice, and it made her weak. “I would have preferred that you spend that time working on your novel.”

  A frown formed between Chloe’s brows. He spoke as if he was her tutor or mentor rather than a colleague or—dare she think it—a friend. “Why is that so important to you?” she asked.

  Just as she finished her question, her clumsy hand made the serrated edge of the knife slip across the smooth skin of the tomato and straight into her left index finger. Blood had been drawn.

  Chloe hissed and dropped the knife in order to grip her finger. And all at once, the room began to spin. She wasn’t squeamish at the sight of blood, and the wound wasn’t deep enough to cause any debilitating pain.

  What made her feel faint was the knowledge that Gavin was in the cabin, and fresh blood had been drawn just several feet away. Chloe’s whole body trembled, knowing these few stuttered breaths may be her last.

  She had no idea what kind of control Gavin had over his hunger, and this was not part of her plan to find out. In fact, she never wanted to find out at all.

  Chloe turned and looked to Gavin, whose full attention was fixed on her. The lines on his face had gone hard, and his muscles tightened like a predator ready to pounce. But he didn’t pounce. Instead, he took gliding steps forward, his shoes finally making the soft tapping noise that she had expected to hear all along.

  As Gavin drew closer, she knew the smart thing would be to move away. Instead, she felt as if her body was not her own. Her legs moved without her bidding, turning her whole body to face him. And there she froze, fixated in one spot.

  Chloe had never experienced a heart attack, but she imagined it felt similar to what was going on in her body at that exact moment. Not only because of how intimidating Gavin was, but also how handsome and still unabashedly captivating. She felt her heart would explode with the intense feelings that swelled in her constricted chest.

  But she didn’t explode or even implode. She just stood there, shaking and holding her finger as blood oozed into her palm.

  Then she noticed a change in Gavin’s eyes. The once brilliant green was growing darker and darker until his irises were completely black and expanding out to plume over the white around it. He was nearly on top of her when she saw the red ring, as bright and fierce as a roaring flame, take the place of the green she’d come to love.

  What stared back at her were not the eyes of a handsome man but a vicious vampire. His lips parted ever so slightly and she could see his saliva glisten on his pointed fangs.

  If Chloe had any control whatsoever, she would have lost it completely anyway. If it weren’t for the mysterious force that kept her standing, she’d have fallen into a puddle on the kitchen floor.

  She couldn’t breathe, she couldn’t think. Her core tightened for a few seconds as if to squeeze out the small tear that trickled down from the corner of her eye. She felt it glide over her cheek, cold and leaving a moist trail behind it. Could he see her cry? Did he care?

  He was so close now; close enough to see the pores on his skin. Would he bite her now? Rip out her throat? Or just suck on her finger until there was nothing left in her whole body?

  No. He did none of those things. Instead, he reached out and peeled back her hand that was holding her injured finger to reveal the mess beneath. Both palms were covered in her blood; the deep cut pounding sore and stinging. His touch was hot on her skin, burning and tingling with every stroke.

  He took her injured hand and eyed it with an otherworldly fascination as if he hadn’t seen human blood before. Perhaps he hadn’t. Or maybe it had been too long since his last human meal that he’d forgotten.

  Something broke the spell over his concentration, and Gavin looked towards the counter. There sat a roll of paper towels. He reached out and tore off a sheet, then began to clean up her wound.

  “Do you have a first aid kit?” he asked.

  Chloe was perplexed, her throat too dry to respond. All she could do was glance down to the cabinet below the sink. Gavin understood and bent down briefly to retrieve it.

  She watched as he leafed through the contents, pulling out gauze bandages and antiseptic. He rinsed the sheet of paper towel he had previously used and cleaned up the dried blood before applying the medical ointment on the cut.

  It hurt, but Chloe couldn’t think to react. He was so gentle, his touches feather-light. He began to wrap her treated finger in the bandages, his movements so careful and deliberate that she was mesmerized.

  Why didn’t he attack her? Why didn’t he feed? The least he could have done was lick at the open wound, but he didn’t. Instead, he was helping her even though he must have been hungry. Those menacing eyes were evidence to the fact he probably hadn’t fed yet.

  As if he had read her thoughts, Gavin said softly, “I’m not a monster.” His tone was laden with such sadness, such palpable remorse, that another tear fell from her eyes. “I’m just a man, trying desperately not to be.”

  Chloe had never openly accused him of being a monster, but, somehow, he still felt like one in her eyes. It convicted her so harshly that she wanted to crawl away and die. She had never intended to make him feel that way.

  Those questions on the coffee table would have only served to make him feel cornered and put under a microscope. She had no right to probe him like that.

  He taped off the dressing and repacked the first aid box. When he straightened back up from placing the kit back under the sink, she could see the red and black colorations in his eyes begin to fade away. The threatening colors swirled back into his pupils, leaving the emerald gems sparkling down on her once more.

  Gavin cleaned up her other hand and tossed the blood-stained paper towel into the trash. When she heard the rustle of plastic from the trash bag, Chloe felt her legs begin to buckle beneath her.

  But Gavin saw her begin to sway and gripped her arms to steady her. “Perhaps you should sit down,” he offered.

  Chloe nodded, still unable to speak but now able to freely move as she willed. Gavin escorted her into the living room and lowered her to the sofa before he turned and hurried through the kitchen and out of the backdoor.

  Without another sound, he was gone, possibly for the whole night, and she wouldn’t see him again until tomorrow.

  She had so many questions, so many thoughts and wonderings that she knew she couldn’t keep to herself. But how was she to get the answers she craved? Chloe knew that bombarding him with those questions would do nothing but harm and cause friction between them.

  He must have hated what he was. Why else would he not seize the chance to drink her blood and restrict himself to feeding only upon animals? The vampires she’d read about and watched on TV shows were bloodthirsty killers with no shame for the crimes they had committed.

  Yet Gavin had a soul; he knew what true sorrow was, and perhaps he was trying to atone for what he was.

  Chloe knew so little, but she could infer so much from those expressive eyes and the hints dropped in his voice. For a man who concealed so much in their conversations, his body language was far more expressive.

  One thing was certain; Chloe wasn’t going to give up, not this easily. She would try to reach him again and build the bridge between their worlds. Even if she had to drink three pots of coffee during the night and sleep all day, she’d do it. She’d do it for him.

  Chapter 10

  After the near emotional and mental breakdown that had taken place in the downstairs kitchen with Gavin, Chloe had tried her best to sleep. But it wouldn’t come. Her mind was alive with too many thoughts.

  Mostly, she’d thought about what Gavin had said about being a man who was desperately trying not to be a monster. What did he mean by that exactly?

  She tossed and turned, unable to get comfortable because of the caffeine that was still working its way through her body. Her eyes felt heavy, but the rest of her was all too awake.

&
nbsp; Admitting defeat, she wrapped herself in her plush robe to cover her pajamas and went back downstairs. As long as she was awake, maybe she could get a little writing done. That would certainly please Gavin.

  She was still torn over whether to let him help with the novel. She could surely use his help, but now the circumstances had changed. He was no longer the distant ghost who came in the night to leave her encouraging notes. He was the vampire who had scared her out of her skin and made her ache with a desire she had scarcely known before.

  Flipping on the lights, she took stock of the room and found that Gavin was still missing. The clock told her it was almost midnight, about five hours after sunset at least. She wondered if he was still out hunting or had gone to wherever it is that he hid during the day.

  Still set on writing, she shuffled into the kitchen to brew a new pot of coffee. Though it’d be her fourth cup in the last twelve hours, she could use another to help her eyes stay open.

  She grimaced when she saw that the lettuce, cheese, and tomato were still sitting out where she’d left them hours ago. She’d been in such a befuddled state that she had completely forgotten about the snack she was going to make. The leaves were already beginning to brown around the edges, and the cheese was room temperature.

  With a mutter of frustration, Chloe tossed everything in the garbage and rinsed off both the knife and the cutting board in the sink. By then, the coffee pot chimed, and she could smell the wonderful roasted blend.

  She pulled down one of her favorite mugs. It was powder blue with a white snowflake painting on the side. A much younger Chloe had done the artwork with the help of her mother, and it had earned its place on the special list of treasures, right below her rare copy of Mansfield Park.

  She poured the coffee, added four and a half spoons of sugar, and sipped on the warm brew, letting it refresh her body

  When she turned to go towards the living room, she was surprised to see Gavin standing there, no more than a foot from her, an amused smile gracing his face.

  Despite the pleasant expression, Chloe was startled nonetheless. She shrieked and jumped, consequently spilling her hot coffee all over Gavin’s shirt and the waistband of his trousers.

  Chloe covered her mouth, but it didn’t stop her from letting out a noisy gasp. She was mortified. Not only by the fact that Gavin had suddenly appeared from out of nowhere, but that she just soaked his shirt with steaming coffee.

  For a few seconds, she didn’t know what to do besides stare at the way he looked down at the mess, hands slightly raised out to the sides. And she watched as the faint smile broadened into a toothy grin and he let out a chuckle as if he found all this utterly hilarious.

  Chloe slammed down the mug on the counter, spilling the last of it on the surface and grabbed at the roll of paper towels while sputtering out incoherent apologies.

  She tore off a few sheets and stepped towards him to help him clean up, but she stopped cold when green, smiling eyes landed on her. Her hands jerked back and forth, visibly debating on whether to willingly touch him in that way.

  Beneath the damp shirt, she could see the fine definition of muscle. If she were to press the paper towel onto his shirt, she’d feel those muscles. It’d be the first time in her life she’d ever come into contact with such a figure. Brent was soft, but not overweight, and still nothing like Gavin.

  “Chloe, it’s alright,” he said, and she felt as if she’d turn into a gibbering adolescent standing in front of her crush. The way he spoke her name was so unique, so warm and lilting. She would have given everything to hear him speak her name for the rest of her life.

  Without thinking, Chloe brought the paper towels up and covered her own face in embarrassment. She groaned and stamped her feet like a child. “No, it’s not,” she whined. “I just ruined your shirt.”

  He laughed. The sound was so deep it vibrated in her bones. “No, you didn’t ruin it. It’s been stained with worse.” Chloe cringed, knowing that something worse must have been blood. “It just needs a turn in the wash.”

  With the paper towel still masking her face, she took a breath and let it out in a big huff. When she finally uncovered her eyes, she found that Gavin was undressing in her kitchen.

  The trench coat was thrown over the back of a kitchen chair while he began to unfasten the buttons of his shirt. Chloe felt her eyes go wide at the sight as smooth, flawless, pale skin was unveiled to her in the most erotic way possible.

  Gavin wasn’t even looking at her but had his eyes focused on the washing machine in the far corner by the back door. He peeled his shirt off, tugging the tails out from his pants and wadding up the material in his strong hands.

  Chloe leaned heavily against the counter, knowing her buckling knees wouldn’t be able to support her weight for much longer. Gavin had the body of a model with large pecs and chiseled abs. She watched as his arm muscles flexed and bunched with every movement.

  Her own muscles tensed, especially low on her belly. She’d felt this feeling of attraction before with Brent, but never anything this intense. Gavin was magnificent.

  Mesmerized by his half-nakedness, she barely noticed that he was starting the washer. The machine sputtered to life and poured out a little bit of water but then died unexpectedly.

  Chloe made a move to assist him, but she was shocked to witness him give the appliance a good hard kick with the tip of his boot. The water began pouring once more.

  He turned and regarded her look of confusion. “I’ve learned how all these contraptions work over the years,” he said as if answering her silent question.

  She blinked and realized that she’d been slowly tearing at the paper towel with her nails while she ogled Gavin’s perfect body. The thought that he was a vampire didn’t even come into the romantic fantasy that was playing out unbidden in her head.

  As her eyes drank him in once more, she recognized that her previous belief that his skin was flawless was totally wrong. She saw the faintest of scars streak across his right bicep.

  “What happened to your arm?” she heard slip out.

  Gavin squinted at her in confusion. He probably expected her to mention how pale he was or something related to his vampire nature. But she took notice of this unremarkable scar.

  He glanced down at the blemish. “It happened a very long time ago,” he replied, putting emphasis on the adjective. But how long was very long? One hundred years or two?

  Chloe gulped and found her voice again. “I don’t have any shirts that will fit you properly.”

  “I have another shirt,” he said with another dazzling smile.

  So much blood had drained from Chloe’s head and neck during this whole ordeal that there would have been little for Gavin to feed on even if he wanted to. “At your secret hideout, I suppose?” she said, attempting a flirtatious twist to her words.

  He didn’t seem to notice and simply shook his head. “It’s no secret.”

  “It is to me.”

  There were a few beats of intense silence with only her shallow breathing to fill the space between them. Then, as if coming to a final decision, Gavin took a few steps forward and squatted down onto the floor.

  Chloe shrunk back against the counter, thinking he might spring forward. But instead, his hands grazed along the floorboards. Gavin’s eyes were still locked on her face when his finger hooked into a knothole in the wood and pulled.

  To her astonishment, not only one board came up, but several to reveal that there was a trap door hidden in the floor of her kitchen. Gavin opened the door wide, the invisible hinges making no sound at all.

  What lay beneath her cabin was a dark cellar, too dark for her to even peer into. All she could make out were the few top steps that led down into the basement.

  Chloe’s jaw dropped. She’d never seen this before. There was no access to this basement anywhere else in the cabin and no window from the outside. But perhaps that’s the way Gavin preferred it.

  Stronger than the idea that this base
ment had been hidden from her all her life was the affirmation that Gavin had never been far away. He didn’t have some distant shack that he slept in or a cave hidden in the side of the mountain. He was sleeping beneath her feet the whole time.

  While recovering from her shock, Gavin descended into the darkness and came back a moment later wearing a tight fitting brown shirt that contoured his bulging muscles and broad shoulders.

  He gently lowered the trap door, the edges blending so seamlessly with the rest of the floor that she couldn’t see for sure where it was at all. Only the telltale knothole remained that gave away the location the hidden door.

  She raised her eyes to meet his gaze, and Chloe could tell that he was enjoying this a little too much.

  “How long has that been there?” she asked, her voice shrill with disbelief.

  Gavin thought for a moment. “Two hundred and eighty-one years, give or take.”

  Chloe shuddered to think that it had been there that long and she’d never known. Had her aunt known? Did her mother know? Did anyone in their family know that a vampire had lived beneath them while they ate their meals and roasted marshmallows on the fire?

  Without knowing how to accurately respond, and not wanting to offend him further, she turned away and used the crumbled up paper towels to wipe down the spilled coffee on the counter top.

  “I hope this won’t bother you too much,” he said. From what she could tell, he hadn’t moved, but she would waste no more of her time assuming she knew where he was at any given moment.

  She gave a nervous, high-pitched laugh. “Bother me? Why would it bother me? I have a vampire as a roommate. I’m fantastic.”

  Chloe saw the error of her word choice and winced. She had the terrible habit of being sarcastic when she was clearly uncomfortable. Call it a defense mechanism, but to Chloe it was a nuisance and it pushed away people more often than not.

  She quickly turned and saw that Gavin didn’t take offense to her ribbing. In fact, his lips were pulled tight as if he were resisting the urge to laugh again. He was certainly in a better mood than earlier in the evening. That was possibly a perk of feeding.