Prey

Chapter 43

My hand would stop and that ache would grow more intense until I drew my hand back.

What the hell...?

I turned my head down and twisted my hand so the palm was up.

There was still a phantom burning from where Doe's skin had come into contact with mine.

A good burning, enough to where I could pinpoint exactly where her fingers were compared to mine, and then the position her hand was in when she let me take it.

When she actually let me touch her and she didn't flinch or look visibly uncomfortable at the contact.

She reciprocated it, whether she was aware of it or not, and even acted surprised herself that she wasn't reacting how I thought she would.

My brows pinched together as my next swallow turned into a hard one.

I flexed my fingers and relaxed them a few times, letting the claws come and go as they pleased.

Still, my brain was just racing, the topic changing every other second.

Eventually, I just pushed myself away from the desk with a deep sigh.

I guess I'll try again later.

A sharp, but short pang shot through my chest.

Maybe...

I turned towards my bed before it got any worse.

Only to immediately turn on my heel so that my now completely straightened back was facing the bathroom the second I heard it start to open.

I don't remember her taking clothes in there with her...

"I'm wearing a robe, genius." She called out from behind me.

Ah, right.

She tended to wear that for a while whenever she was letting her hair air-dry to avoid getting the collar of her other clothes wet.

My shoulders relaxed and I turned right as she approached me, wet hair clinging onto her cheeks.

"I saved you some of the milk... powder feel-good bath stuff if you wanna use it." She offered.

"Are you trying to tell me that I need it?" I quipped.

She just simply shrugged as she passed me.

"Not necessarily," She began casually, "You're skin is pretty soft, so you don't need it for that, but it helps with relaxation since I kind of stressed you out today."

I blinked at her, processing the first part of her statement first.

I couldn't decide whether to focus on the fact that she called my skin soft or on if she was implying that hers wasn't.

Because it absolutely was.

And warm.

The burning in my hand was a constant reminder of it.

As for the second part, I nearly wanted to dispute it, but I caught myself.

Maybe I could use something to help me relax. Not just from today's events, but from the ones prior.

If it felt anything like the strange effect her touch had on me, then it would work like a charm.

Yet something in my mind told me that it wouldn't even be close.

"I might use it then," I spoke moving to follow her without a second thought, "But since the blood collection is done now, any more detailed answer as to when you wanna have that day in town?"

She collapsed herself down onto the couch, eyes looking up at the roof in thought.

Luckily she moved her legs enough for me to sit on the other side of the couch, the end of her legs and feet then falling to rest themselves across my lap.

I failed in suppressing my enlivened facial reaction, instead leaned forward over them and crossed my arms on my knees.

Still, I tried my best to avoid touching her directly as I've done every day up until today.

Despite how much I wanted to.

It was like my body... not even physically, but something in me was itching for it, but I didn't just want to go ahead and do it.

I didn't want to push my limits.

Not after what I miraculously got away with already today.

I've heard stories of vampires finding skin contact of humans extremely pleasant, but I don't think that's what this was.

Even if I'd never felt that before, just the idea of it didn't match with what I was feeling.

So instead I just sat there and basked in the sweet honey and lavender scent that bath put on mixed with the one that was distinctly her, awaiting her reply.

"If you don't have anything going on, then the day after tomorrow?" She finally settled on. "It'll give us a day to stay warm before going back out there"

I found it interesting how she stated her answer as a question despite knowing that her answer was final.

Even if I did for some reason have something planned, I'd switch it around to make it work.

"Day after tomorrow it is."