Michelle Rowen

Look at you, all Rocky Horror Picture Ho.

You bit me on the neck? What kind of a sorry-ass vampire wannabe are you, anyhow?__ grabbed for my dirt-covered purse that lay by my feet. I kept a can of pepper spray in it for protection, or at least I used to. Did I still have it? Did those things have an expiration date? Didn__ matter. If I had to, I__ just use it to bash him over the head.I__ not a wannabe._ He actually had the audacity to look insulted. __ am a vampire.__sycho, I thought. Total psycho.

I had lied so much lately that I was honestly surprised my pants weren't literally made of fire.

My recommendation is to keep up the good work. I__ changing your title to senior executive assistant, and giving you a three percent raise effective next payday. Congratulations.__ow, three percent. I could move up that early retirement plan to age seventy-five now, instead of eighty. Lucky me.Thank you,_ I said. __hat__ very generous.__ou__e quite welcome._ Ms. Saunders nodded and grabbed a gold-plated letter opener to begin attacking her stack of mail.I turned to leave. Didn__ want to outstay my welcome.Damn it!_ she exclaimed, and I turned back around. She winced and nodded at the letter opener that she__ dropped to her desktop. __amn thing slipped. I__ probably going to need stitches now. Can you be a dear and fetch the first-aid kit for me?__he held her left index finger and frowned at the steady flow of blood oozing out. A few small drops of red splashed onto the other letters spread out on the desk.I felt woozy. And suddenly dizzy.I blinked.When I opened my eyes, I was no longer standing by the door about to leave. I was crouched down next to Ms. Saunders__ imported black leather chair, grasping her wrist tightly_ and sucking noisily on her fingertip.I shrieked and let go of her, staggering backward. I grabbed at her desk to keep from falling, but I dropped on my butt, anyhow, taking most of the contents of the top of her desk with me.She held her injured finger far away from her and stared at me, wide-eyed, with a mixture of shock and disgust.I scrambled to my feet and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand.What in the holy hell just happened? I_ I_ uh_ I__ so sorry,_ I managed. __ don__ know what_ I wouldn__ normally do something_ I just__s. Saunders pulled her hand close to her chest, perhaps to protect it from further abuse.Get out,_ she said quietly.Yeah, I__l get back to work. Again, I__ so, so sorry. Would you like me to bring you a cup of coffee?__o, not to your desk,_ she said evenly, but her volume increased with every word. __et out of here, you freak. I don__ care what you__e heard, I__ not into women. You__e fired. Now get out of here before I call security.__ut_ my job review___et out!_ she yelled.

A line of perspiration slipped down my spine like a waterslide at an unamusement park.

I glanced at George half naked in his towel, then at Barkley, completely naked in his . . . nothing. A vampire and a werewolf. I shook my head. It was obvious. I was having one of my Anita Blake dreams again.

Why were you running?_ Gordon looked confused. __ wasn__ going to hurt you.__ite me,_ I told him. He was so going to get charged with assault. I might even have to put a restraining order on his sorry ass. __h, wait a minute, you already did bite me, didn__ you_ you psycho!__e rolled his eyes. __ou__e really going to have to get over that if this relationship is going to have half a chance.

Where's Kraven? Is he stalking me too?"His mouth went tight. "I'm not stalking you.

Are you following me?" He asked."Us?" I was the first to speak. "Um, maybe. Hi there. How are you tonight?"He looked at me like I might be a bit crazy.

There's something special about her. When she helped me with her touch-""Exactly what was she touching that was so memorable for you?""Watch your mouth.

Did you follow me here?""Something like that."I let out a frustrated groan. "Can't anyone just talk to me straight? Why is everyone avoiding my damn questions tonight?"Bishop's brows went up. "Okay, fine. Yes, I followed you here. Better?""Yes. Stalkery, but better.""I'm not stalking you.""Spoken like a true stalker

I took it back: he didn't just hate himself down deep. He'd made plenty of room in there for me, too.

A sob caught in my chest. I didn't even know what a gray was, other than a drab color. All I knew was that I was hungry all the time. And I knew, deep down, that it wasn't just for food.