“Oh, so you have one of those jobs where you could tell me what you did, but then you’d have to kill me?” he teased.
I almost choked on my wine. You said it, buddy. “Uh, nothing that exciting. Just recruitment and research. I’m on call constantly, though, and I work strange hours. That’s why Denise would be a better person to introduce you around Richmond than me.”
This I said directly to put out any illusions. Noah was sweet, but anything more wouldn’t happen.
“I understand strange hours and being on call. I get paged at any hour for an emergency. Nothing as serious as your line of work, but still. Even the littlest things in life deserve attention. I’ve always felt how you treated something weaker than you showed your true character.”
Well, well. He had just raised a notch in my opinion.
“Sorry Denise couldn’t make it,” I said for probably the fifth time. “I think you’d really like her.”
Noah leaned forward. “I’m sure I would, but I’m not sorry she couldn’t make it. I only used meeting people as an excuse to ask you out. I really just wanted to go on a date with you. It must have been those fuzzy slippers.”
I laughed, which startled me. Truthfully, I’d expected to have a miserable time, but this was... nice.
“I’ll bear that in mind.”
I studied him over my wineglass. Noah wore a crewneck gray shirt and a sports coat, with charcoal slacks. His black hair was freshly cut, but that one lock kept falling over his forehead. Noah certainly had no reason to lack for dates. Even if his skin didn’t have that creamy crystal luminescence that glittered in the moonlight...
I shook my head. Dammit, I had to stop haunting myself with Bones! There was no hope for the two of us. Even if we did manage to conquer the insurmountable obstacles of my job killing the undead, or my mother’s seething hatred of anything with fangs, we still wouldn’t work. Bones was a vampire. He’d stay forever young while I’d inevitably grow old and die. The only way around my mortality was if I changed over, and I refused to do that. No matter how it broke my heart, I’d made the only decision I could by leaving him. Hell, Bones might not even think about me anymore. He’d probably moved on; it had been over four years since we’d seen each other. Maybe it was time for me to move on, too.
“Do you want to skip dessert and go for a walk?” I impulsively asked.
Noah didn’t hesitate. “I’d love to.”
We drove forty minutes to get to the beach. Being March, it was still frigid, and I wrapped my coat around me in the cold ocean breeze. Noah walked closely next to me, his hands inside his pockets.
“I love the ocean. It’s why I moved from Pittsburgh to Virginia. Ever since I first saw it, I knew I wanted to live near it. There’s something about it that makes me feel small, but like I’m still part of the bigger picture. That sounds cheesy, but it’s true.”
Wistfully I smiled. “It’s not cheesy. I feel the same way about the mountains. I still go back there, whenever I get a chance... ”
My voice trailed off, because I was remembering who I’d been with when I first saw the mountains. This had to stop.
In a burst of longing to forget, I grabbed Noah and almost yanked his head down to mine. He hesitated a fraction before responding, wrapping his arms around me, his pulse tripling as I kissed him.
Just as suddenly as I began, I pulled away. “I’m sorry. That was rude of me.”
A shaky chuckle escaped him. “That kind of rudeness I’d been hoping for. In fact, I was planning a smooth maneuver with asking you to sit, maybe putting my arm around you... but I like your way better.”
God, his lip was bleeding. Stupid me forgot to check my strength. Poor Noah was apparently a glutton for abuse. At least I didn’t knock his teeth down his throat; he might have objected more strongly to that.
Noah grasped my shoulders, and this time he lowered his head under his own power. I restrained my normal force, kissing him gently and letting his tongue dip past my lips. His heart rate shot up higher and his blood traveled south. It was almost funny to hear his body’s reaction.
I pushed Noah back. “That’s all I’m willing to give.”
“I’m very happy with that, Cristine. The only other thing I want is to see you again. I really want to see you again.”
His face was earnest and so honest. Completely unlike mine with all my secrets.
I sighed again. “Noah, I lead a very... odd life. My job has me traveling frequently, leaving without notice, and having to cancel almost every plan I make. Does that sound like something you want to get involved in?”
He nodded. “It sounds great, because it’s your life. I would love to get involved in it.”
The sensible part of my brain sent me a clear warning. Don’t do it. My loneliness slapped it down.
“Then I’d like to see you again, too.”