Black Diaries

14. Don't Kill and Eat him Afterwards

A dark and misty gloom had settled over New York by the time we arrived at Chuck's place. Just the right romantic mood for a black widow. I looked up at the familiar apartment building.

"It's been so long since I've seen this place," I said. "But I still remember it as if it were yesterday."

"Well, nearly squashing your future boyfriend into a pulp with a Toyota station wagon isn't something you're likely to forget in a hurry, is it?" he teased.

"Boyfriend, hm?" It was the first time he had said the word, and I tried to hide the rush of pleasure that raced through me at hearing it. Instead, I pulled him over to me, and placed a kiss on the side of his mouth. "Getting serious, are you?"

"Yes, I am."

"You're pretty confident, mister. How do you know I don't just want you for your body?"

"That would be too bad." He grinned broadly. "You'll just have to put up with the rest of me, too."

I kissed him again, on the other corner of his mouth. "I think I can live with that." Another kiss landed on the center of his soft lips. "But do you know what I can't live with any longer?"

"No. What?"

"Sitting in this damn car without your arms around me."

"Oh? So you want to sit in this damn car while hugging me?"

"No! I want to get out of this damn car and get up to your damn apartment and to your damn bed!"

"Don't tell me you're feeling tired."

Tilting my head to the left, I snapped my teeth shut only inches from his earlobe. "Quite the opposite, you ass!"

He chuckled. "My, my. You're a little tigress, aren't you?"

"I've learned from the best," I told him, stroking the head of the sleeping Lucky in my lap.

"I bet you have."

"By the way, Chuck," I whispered into his ear. "Did you know that tigers and tigresses are monogamous?"

"You don't say."

"Oh yes. And they indulge in frequent and... energetic copulation."

A broad grin spread over his face, and I couldn't help but return it.

"Indeed? Well," he responded, his voice lowered to a sexy murmur, "I always say there's a lot we can learn from raptors."

Heat rushed to my face, but I didn't mind. It wasn't embarrassment that made my cheeks flush—on the contrary.

"What?" I murmured back. "You think you're a raptor? You think that you can hunt me down?"

He looked thoughtful for a moment. Then his posture tensed, and a hot glint of arrogance shone in his eyes. "Sure I can."

"Bite me!"

"With pleasure."

He lunged for me. He was quick as a flash, but I had been expecting it. Ducking under his arm, I threw myself against the car door and was out before his arms could encircle me.

"Ha!" I flashed him a cocky grin. "Is that the best you can do?"

All I got in reply was a low growl. The door on his side of the car flew open, and he shot out, a bolt of solid muscle and carnal intent. I was already at the building's entrance, fumbling at the lock, thanking God that I'd had the foresight to grab his keys before taking off. This was far too much fun to be over so quickly.