Maybe because I had been intrigued by the sexy blond rock star.
He popped open a bottle of Blue Moon and then sank his muscular body onto the sofa next to me. “So, Dani… what kind of name is that for a girl, anyway?”
I glanced down at his lap—meat-gazing was my new favorite pastime and I was satisfied with what I saw behind his jeans—and then I let my stare travel up to his firm chest, scruffy jawline, then to his infuriatingly sexy eyes. “Well… Judson… my name is actually Daniela, but it’s just way too much work to speak that extra syllable.”
With the beer paused at his lips, he cocked his head to the side and regarded me carefully, his eyes filled with what I could only describe as amusement. “Is that so? So, how lazy are you, Daniela?”
“Very, very lazy. Like, if I were any lazier, I’d slip into a coma.” I grinned at him.
“Garfield… my favorite eighties cartoon,” Judson replied.
I laughed. “Yeah, me, too.”
What the hell was I doing, schmoozing and joking with this guy when I was supposed to be killing him? I tried to analyze it in my mind as he droned on about his band and wanting to take it on the road. He never once mentioned the murdered sister.
Maybe he was just trying to get laid? Or, hell, even have a civilized conversation with a pretty lady?
All I knew was that the longer he talked, the softer I was becoming. I also knew that if he had wanted to kill me, he’d have made a move already and certainly not brought me to his place. So… we were sort of at an impasse where only I was aware of this cat and mouse game, in which we were equally the cat and the mouse.
It was then and there that I decided Judson wasn’t going to die. Well, not yet. I had admittedly killed almost a dozen targets—most of them supernaturals, not humans—but none of them had struck a chord with me the way Judson had. It wasn’t just his good looks. There was a niggling in the back of my brain telling me there was something different about this target. The proof was in the fact I was sitting in his apartment shooting the shit with him instead of just plain shooting him.
That being said, I’d had enough for the night. He kept scooting closer, touching me intermittently and saying flirtatious things to me.
I abruptly stood up and smiled down at him. “I’m gonna get going.”
A look of disappointment crossed his features, but he quickly put on a smile instead. “Okay. I’ll walk you out.”
“Thanks,” I replied.
After grabbing my small clutch from his kitchen counter, I let him walk me out to my car. Being a gentleman, he held the door for me and then locked it behind us before escorting me to my Audi. I noticed he didn’t take cautious looks around the parking lot, check over his shoulder, or keep his distance from me—you know, the way paranoid people do.
This guy was definitely some kind of amateur and not some experienced vampire hunter/vigilante.
He whistled when we got to my SUV. “Very nice, love the black.”
“Thanks,” I replied, suddenly regretting the decision because now we were at that awkward should we kiss? moment before I got in and drove away.
“So, SUV, huh? You have kids?”
I laughed. “No. I just, ah, transport big things for my job.”
Crap. Bad choice of words.
“Oh, yeah, like what?” His gaze ran along the length of my vehicle and I wondered what the hell I was gonna tell him. I was fairly sure “bodies” would freak him out.
“See, I’d tell you, but then I’d have to kill you.” I smirked at him.
He laughed. “Okay, it’s your secret. I can take a hint.”
“It’s not a very glamorous job at all, trust me. Sometimes it even gets messy. But it pays the bills,” I replied, really pushing my luck now but enjoying the banter a little too much. I liked the way my intrigue and sarcasm made his gorgeous eyes light up.
“It seems I’ve got no choice but to take your word for it,” he said, staring directly into my eyes while putting his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
“Well, I better go. Gotta get up early for work tomorrow,” I lied.
He took his hands from his pocket and put them against my car, boxing me in. I immediately stiffened. “I’m gonna kiss you now, Daniela Diaz.”
Relaxing, I made no move at all, just licked my lips and nodded slightly. When his face met mine, he stopped and placed a hand up to cup my cheek. With a gentle brush of lips on lips, my body involuntarily arched into his. When he applied more firm pressure to my mouth, I opened up to allow his tongue to sweep in with gentle strokes.
I was immediately aroused at the way he was kissing me, my panties becoming damp with the simple gesture of a kiss. My nipples pebbled and I moaned into his mouth. Unfortunately, my fangs began to descend—the other involuntary bodily function I couldn’t control.
Dammit.
I broke the kiss and smiled up at him with closed lips.
Retract, stupid eyeteeth!
“You’re very, very hot, Dani,” he whispered, staring into my eyes.
I simply nodded, knowing my fangs weren’t all the way retracted yet. I leaned my head onto his chest to avoid showing my face at all, and was quickly rewarded in a firm, warm hug. It relaxed me like nothing else and I breathed a sigh of relief when I felt my teeth were back to human-looking.
Gently pulling away, I looked up and said, “I really do have to go. Thank you for the kiss and the hug.”
God, I was so awkward!
He chuckled. “No, thank you, beautiful.” Then he dropped a kiss on my nose and opened the driver’s side door.
I threw my clutch onto the
