"I'll risk it." His voice was soft, low, with a warm edge that made my stomach clench.
I felt him bend over me. I raised my face to his. His lips were so soft. I leaned against his body, palms flat against his chest. I could feel his nipples harden under my skin. My hands slid to his waist, smoothing along the cloth of his shirt. I wanted to pull his shirt out of his pants and run my hands over bare skin. I stepped back from him feeling just a little breathless.
It was my idea that we wouldn't have sex before marriage. My idea. But damn, it was hard. The more we dated, the harder it got.
"Jesus, Richard." I shook my head. "It gets harder, doesn't it?"
Richard's smile didn't look innocent or Boy Scoutish in the least. "Yes, it does."
Heat rushed up my face. "I didn't mean that."
"I know what you meant." His voice was gentle, taking the sting out of the teasing.
My face was still hot with embarrassment, but my voice was steady. Point for me. "I've got to go out of town on business."
"Zombie, vampire, or police?"
"Zombie."
"Good."
I looked up at him. "Why good?"
"I worry more when you go away on police business, or vampire stakings. You know that."
I nodded. "Yeah, I know that." We stood there in the hallway, staring at each other. If things had been different, we'd be engaged, maybe planning a wedding. All this sexual tension would have been coming to some kind of conclusion. As it was...
"I'm going to be late as it is. I've got to go."
"Are you going to tell Jean-Claude bye in person?" His face was neutral when he asked, but his eyes weren't.
"It's daylight. He's in his coffin."
"Ah," Richard said.
"I didn't have a date planned with him this weekend, so I don't owe him an explanation. Is that what you wanted to hear?"
"Close enough," he said. He took a step away from the lockers, bringing our bodies very close together. He bent to kiss me good-bye. Giggles erupted down the hall.
We turned to see most of his class huddled in the doorway gazing at us. Great.
Richard smiled. He raised his voice enough so they'd hear him. "Back inside, you monsters."
There were catcalls, and one small brunette girl gave me a very dirty look. I think there must have been a lot of girls that had a crush on Mr. Zeeman.
"The natives are restless. I've got to get back."
I nodded. "I'm hoping to be back by Monday."
"We'll go hiking next weekend, then."
"I put Jean-Claude off this weekend. I can't not see him two weeks in a row."
Richard's face clouded up with the beginnings of anger. "Hike during the day, see the vampire at night. Only fair."
"I don't like this any better than you do," I said.
"I wish I believed that."
"Richard."
He gave a long sigh. The anger sort of leaked out of him. I never understood how he did that. He could be furious one minute and calm the next. Both emotions seemed genuine. Once I was angry, I was angry. Maybe it's a character flaw?
"I'm sorry, Anita. It's not like you're dating him behind my back."
"I would never do anything behind your back; you know that."
He nodded. "I know that." He glanced back at his classroom. "I've got to go before they set the room on fire." He walked down the hallway without looking back.
I almost called after him, but I let him go. The mood was sort of spoiled. Nothing like knowing your girlfriend is dating someone else to take the wind out of your sails. I wouldn't have put up with it if it was the other way around. A double standard that, but one we could all three live with. If living was the term for Jean-Claude.
Oh, hell, my personal life was too confusing for words. I walked off down the hall, having to pass by his open classroom door. My high heels made loud, rackety echoes. I didn't try to catch a last glimpse of him. It would make me feel worse about leaving.
It hadn't been my idea to date the Master of the City. Jean-Claude had given me two choices; either he could kill Richard, or I could date both of them. It had seemed a good idea at the time. Five weeks later I wasn't so sure.
It had been my morals that had kept Richard and me from consummating our relationship. Consummating, nice euphemism. But Jean-Claude had made it clear that if