Under Wraps

“I think it’d be better if you protected me from out there.”

Parker kicked off my blankets and stood up, brushing past me, grabbing the blanket and pillow as he went.

“Fine,” he said, yawning. “Call me when the creepy crawlies show up. Better yet”—he reached down, picking up a sneaker—“throw that at them.”

Parker slammed the door behind him, leaving me standing alone in my darkened bedroom. It’s better this way, I told myself as I climbed into bed. There was a murderer on the loose, my boss was missing, and someone just broke into my house. The last thing I needed was a hot, half-naked detective lying in my bed.

Right?

Chapter Thirteen

I woke up with a start, and Nina was sitting cross-legged on my windowsill, her bone-white back pressed up against the window glass.

“Who’s the tasty morsel on the couch?” she said when I opened my eyes.

I yawned. “That’s the detective from SFPD.”

Nina opened her mouth, the tip of her pink tongue touching one of her razor-sharp incisors. “I thought he smelled familiar!” Her red lips curved up into a sly grin and I shot her a look. Nina held up both hands and wagged her head. “Reformed, remember? Whew.” She checked out her cuticles. “I knew you loved him.”

“I don’t love Parker Hayes,” I said, kicking aside the covers and standing up. “And what are you doing in here anyway?”

Nina shrugged. “Dirt was dead. The general manager took off about a week ago—and their bloodstock is going low. They only had O pos on tap. And, there’s a man-lump sleeping on our couch. Where else was I supposed to go?”

I rubbed my eyes and stared at the dawn as it broke outside my bedroom window.

“Is Vlad here?”

Nina shook her head. “Nah. He met a two-hundred-year-old fifteen-year-old girl. Last I checked they were staring morbidly at each other and talking about how everyone sucks.”

“Sounds fascinating. Ugh. I need coffee,” I mumbled.

I carefully opened my bedroom door and tiptoed into the living room, where Parker was sprawled on the couch, his breathing a low whoosh in the dim, silent room.

“He’s cute,” Nina said, grinning over my shoulder.

I looked back at Parker, at the blanket wrapped around him.

“Coffee,” I said again. But I was having a hard time stopping my eyes from wandering back to Parker, to his chiseled chest, toward the blanket twisted over his …

Wasn’t he wearing anything?

“Really cute.” Nina was licking her lips in a delicious snack kind of way, and suddenly my dry mouth started to water.

I could make a meal out of Parker Hayes myself.

I eyed Parker’s blanket, partially rumpled over his nearly hairless chest, as it rhythmically rose and fell. The sheet dropped open at his naval, exposing a delicate trail of black hair, and then was rumpled and folded again, covering him up.

Nina narrowed her eyes. “Stupid blanket.”

“Ahem.”

Nina and I both jumped, and Parker blinked sleepily at us, his face breaking into an amused smile.

“Oh. Parker,” I said, looking at Nina. “This is my roommate, Nina.”

She wriggled her fingers in greeting. “I remember you!” she sang.

“We were just—and you were just—” I stumbled.

Parker arched up on one elbow, his shoulder and pectoral muscles flexing. If Nina had any breath, I’m sure she would have sucked it in like I did.

“Do you want some breakfast? What do you like to eat?” I turned on my heel and raced for the kitchen, pawing through the cupboards. Finding nothing, I yanked open the refrigerator and stared in there. “Nina can help me cook. Right, Nina?”

“Mmm.” Nina’s lips were pursed, her eyes locked on Parker.

I went back to rummaging through the fridge.

In my imagination our refrigerator was stocked with farm-fresh organic eggs, whole-wheat bread, thick-cut bacon, and fruit salad. In actuality, there were several bottles of blood, a soggy-looking box of baking soda, and two pudding cups.

“Uh-oh,” I mumbled.

I looked over my shoulder at Nina, who had inched away, but was still staring intently at Parker. I joined her, and from the safety of a potted plant we both watched Parker stand up and stretch, the blanket falling away and revealing those SpongeBob boxer shorts.

“Rats,” Nina hissed under her breath.

“Whatever you have to eat is fine,” Parker said, stepping into his jeans. “But I really need some coffee.” He yawned heartily. “Do you two always get up at the crack of dawn?”

Nina’s head swung toward me, and she grinned, snagging a bottle of blood from the fridge. “Don’t forget to put the coffee on,” she told me, one eyebrow raised slyly. She disappeared into her closet/room while I put the coffee on and grabbed a couple of mugs. I was about to bring them to the table when I turned and ran full-force into Parker.

Smacked, into Parker Hayes’s naked chest.

“Oh, my,” I heard myself mutter as my nipples sprung to delighted attention.

“Indeed.” Parker was eyeing my pajama top and I hugged my elbows tightly, my cheeks pulsing hot with blood. “I’m going to go get my sweatshirt,” I said.

I tossed on a sweatshirt and fixed my hair, swabbed on a bit of deodorant, and gave myself a once-over in the mirror. I could probably do without the sheet creases on my pink cheek, but other than that, I didn’t think I looked half bad.

When I walked into the kitchen, Parker was leaning against my counter, shirtless. His jeans hung low on his slim hips, his legs were crossed at the ankles, his feet bare. He studied me from beneath lowered lashes and sipped his mug of coffee, looking very GQ very man-I’d-like-to-roll-in-the-hay-with. I swallowed hard and did a mental finger shake, reminding myself that Parker Hayes was my partner and my workmate and therefore completely off-limits.

Mostly.

“Morning, sunshine,” Parker said with a grin.

“Good morning again,” I said.

“So, where’s the fabulous spread you promised me?”

I opened the fridge and knocked over Nina’s Blood Light while snaking the two remaining pudding cups. I offered one to Parker.

“I’m afraid this is as fabulous as it gets this morning.” I raised my coffee mug and smiled. “But at least there’s coffee.”

Parker took the pudding cup and the spoon I offered. “Chocolate pudding. The breakfast of champions.”

We stood in the kitchen eating in silence for a moment until Parker said, “So Nina. She’s the vampire?”

I nodded, licking my spoon. “Uh-huh. And Vlad, of course.”

“Isn’t living with a vampire—or vampires—a little weird, though?”

“Oh no,” I said, leading Parker into the other room. “Nina is the best roommate I’ve ever had. I never have to worry about waking her up, she never hogs the mirror, and best of all”—I raised my pudding cup—“she never eats