B Positive by Jewel Killian

Seven

I only madeit to the middle of the great room before the king blurred in front of me, blocking my path.

I didn’t engage, just turned and walked around him.

And he blurred himself in my path again. “You haven’t even heard my offer, Eden.”

My eyes shot up to meet his, and I gave him my best ice queen stare. “That’s right, I haven’t. Meaning I’m not interested in any offer you have to make me. Now let me pass, please.”

His hazel eyes danced with impish glee. “It can’t hurt to hear what I have to say,” he rumbled.

My lady lips pulsed at the sound.

Bastard. “Ah, coercion, real nice. Very noble and not gross at all. Not at all Chad-like. Why not just slip me a few more vamp tranqs and then you can just have your way with me?”

The king was in my space in a fraction of a second, his thumb and forefinger gripping my chin to meet his hardened gaze. “I would never take you against your will.”

“Maybe not. But you have no issue thinning your veil to coerce me into working for you. In my book, that’s not much better.”

His nostrils flared as he let out a long breath. “You are incredibly exasperating.”

“Yeah, well, wait till you get to know me.”

“Why won’t you hear what I have to say?”

“Because no part of me wants to work for you.” Lie. Every part of me wanted to be as close to him as possible. And that seemed like the best reason to stay far, far away.

“I am the vampire king of Laurel Cove. It would be anyone’s honor to—”

“Yeah, yeah, but you didn’t pick anyone. You picked me.” And as much as I want to take your money, my sense of self-preservation wants me to get the fuck outta here.

Despite wanting to lick chocolate off your naked body.

My dickhead stomach chose that moment to growl in confirmation.

The king’s lips lifted into a vague smile. “Ten million,” he said smoothly.

Holy fuck. That was double my nest egg.

And…

The king was the biggest fat cat in Laurel Cove. Which meant I kind of had an obligation to take his money, right?

I held my head high, pretending like I got offers like that all the time and that he hadn’t just proposed paying me an insane amount of money as I walked out of the great hall on bare feet, a two-day-old cocktail dress, and a diamond almost in my cooch. “Fine. But I’m keeping the diamond,” I agreed over my shoulder.

The king shrugged. “You earned it,” his lips said, but I could have sworn his gaze said something else entirely.

I made my way back to my goodie bag, thanked every god that ever existed that my phone still had enough juice to let me order an Uber, found my Jimmy Choos, and headed out to wait for my ride in front of the compound.

I hardly ever spent money on rides and that dirt-poor girl that lived in the back of my mind scolded me for doing so even with a cooch diamond and the promise of a ten million dollar payday as reassurance. But, since there was no way I was walking through midtown in the midday sun on an empty stomach, that irrational voice eventually piped the hell down. As much as I didn’t always like spending money, I liked the idea of making a random human on the street a meal even less.

I had to get some food and blood, pronto.

Humans had gotten a lot right about vampires, but they’d gotten a lot wrong, too. Why would we not want to eat? Food was delicious. And who the hell came up with that garlic nonsense? The sun thing was probably the biggest surprise. It had been such a relief learning that while we were creatures of the night, the sun didn’t actually hurt us.

“Ahem.”

I steeled myself against the king’s effect on me as I turned to meet him. “Here. It’s been far too long since you’ve eaten.” He held out a paper lunch bag and a reusable Starbucks cup. One of the black limited-edition Halloween ones. Score!

I took the cup and bag from him. “And whose fault is that?” I asked sweetly before taking a long pull on the straw. My eyes rolled all the way back to my brain as thick, sweet blood filled my mouth.

That was another thing I thought would take some getting used to that actually hadn’t. I had no problem acclimating to the taste of blood. The closest thing I could compare it to was like a good, spicy dessert port, but that sometimes depended on the person.

Vegans kind of had a grassy undertone. Fast-food addicts had a fattier mouth-feel. And gym rats addicted to protein powder and kale had a chalky taste, as if their blood had taken on too much of their protein powder.

My favorite was the conscientious omnivores. People who didn’t restrict themselves too harshly and ate a diverse diet.

The blood in this cup? Top fucking tier. I had to keep myself from sucking it all down then and there.

“Fuck, this blood is maybe the best I’ve ever had. Thank you,” I said earnestly.

There it was again. That light in the king’s eyes. “You’re quite welcome, Eden,” he said with a hint of rasp.

Dick.

“I’m keeping the cup.” I shouted as he strode back to his compound.

He only nodded. “I’ll be in contact about the job soon,” he said smoothly just as my Uber pulled up.

Despite wanting to tear into the roast beef sandwich on a fresh baguette with mustard and pickles and a touch of dill, all of which I could smell through the paper bag, I was polite and didn’t eat in the Uber guy’s car.

I waited until I was back in my apartment, Choos propped up on the table, vibing in my own space before taking that first bite. I moaned as it hit my tongue.

Because eating as a vampire was on a whole different level. Food was now a full sensory experience.

For instance, the mustard in my sandwich was bumpy and sour and perfectly tart and the dill was prickly and fresh and briny. And meat? Oooooh, meat had to be ethically raised and slaughtered, or I could tell. That part I didn’t like so much. It kept me mostly vegetarian, honestly. But of course, the vampire king of Laurel Cove had plenty of access to well-loved, grass-fed, free-roaming cows.

I took another huge bite and mused over where the king kept his happy cows. Maybe he had a deal with a cattle farmer on the outskirts of the city. Or maybe he knew all the ethical farmers and ranchers, and maybe I could ask him which had contracts at local grocers.

Nope. Not happening. Delete those thoughts. We are not thinking up more ways to talk to King fucking Julian. No matter how good his meat is.

I jammed another bite in my mouth, and a moment later my door slammed open, startling me from my food reverie.

“Hooker, you better have a good-ass reason you haven’t bothered to show up for a day and a half.”

Jaxson stood in the doorway, pissed but somehow making today’s highlighter-yellow wig and teal winged liner look like couture. He crossed his arms over his chest and set his jaw before taking in my appearance.

“Oh shit, you’re still in your party dress. Tell me all about it! God, I haven’t been to a party that good since…” He hoisted himself up and sat on the counter that was my dining table. “Since forever,” he finished wistfully, before grabbing my wrist. “You have to tell me everything. Consider it your penance for worrying me to death.” Jaxson reached for my Starbucks cup.

“Hey!” I snatched it from his fingertips just in time. “Hands off my limited-edition bat cup.”

Jax clutched his invisible pearls. “Selfish. Where’d you even get one of those this time of year?”

“A friend gave it to me.”

Jax eyed me, lips pursed. “You don’t have any friends.”

He had me there. But what could I say? The king of vampires gave it to me because he felt guilty about drugging me and keeping me locked in his compound for a day and a half without food?

Fucking asshole.

I leveled an honest, open stare at Jaxson. “Babe, it’s been a really hard day and a half. Can we maybe not rehash it?”

Jaxson's face hardened, amber eyes filling with darkness. “Did someone hurt you, Eden?”

I sighed, taking comfort in the change in his warm, woodsy scent. It took on an earthier quality whenever he felt especially protective.

“Do I need to kick some asses?” His eyes gleamed brighter, and his voice went rough and grumbly. But, unlike the king’s rumbly voice, Jaxson’s did not have a direct line to my lady bean.

His voice was too animalistic, too raw for that. Plus, I didn’t see him that way.

I patted his hand. “I appreciate that, Jax. Really. But I’ve got it under control.”

Jaxson’s show of primal protectiveness dissolved as he nodded. “Only if you’re sure.”

“I’ve got this, promise. But that growly protective bit will work wonders on the landlord.”

“Yeah, it probably would, if I could get it when I needed it. It’s not exactly reliable.”

“Ah, gotcha. Well after I get cleaned up, I’ll have a chat with the slumlord himself.”

“Actually,” Jax pulled his bottom lip between his teeth. “That won’t be necessary.”

“Oh?”

He nodded, wringing his hands in his lap.

“Spill. What are you hiding, Jax?”

He took in a big breath, let it out, and shook his head. “I can’t.”

I shrugged. “Probably wasn’t that interesting anyway.”

Jaxson gasped. “You bitch! It is too! I’m the most interesting thing you have going for you.”

Meh, I’d give him that one. I definitely hadn’t been living my best “main character” life. I’d been all work and no play for months.

But now that I owned one cooch diamond and had a king’s promise of ten million, all that was going to change.

Still, I poked fun at Jaxson. Just one more well-aimed jab. “Please, you’re not interesting, Jaxson, you 're self-absorbed. There’s a difference, love,” I said with a grin.

“You want self-absorbed? I’ll give you self-absorbed, missy. Consider the landlord problem taken care of.”

“Is that right?”

Jaxson nodded. “Ever since a new, devastatingly hot, prime piece of man-meat bought the building.”

“Oh, do tell.”

He nodded, yellow hair swinging at his shoulders. “Earlier this morning. I just happened to see him and a big security-looking dude walking through the place like they owned it, so I asked. When he said he’d just bought the place from Slotnick, I informed them what an asshole landlord he’d been and made him swear he’d keep things in working order.”

I drew in a breath. A gorgeous guy and security dude? Couldn’t be.

“Oh yeah? What’d he say?” I asked with strained composure.

Jaxson didn’t notice. In fact, he grinned. “The dreamboat said he’d do me one better and rent control the building indefinitely.”

I nodded, limbs tingling, face smoothing to neutral. “And what was this white knight’s name, Jax?”

His lips curved into a lovesick smile. “Julian Bashra. God, what a fucking perfect name,” he said wistfully before shaking his head and coming back to reality. “Too bad he’s as straight as they come, and completely untouchable. Damn, I could have had a good time climbing that god of a man.”