Cherry Creek - Dani Matthews Page 0,65
we've been afraid that you've succumbed to the coma. I don't think you'll come back from another episode, Livvy. I need you to just stay calm and find a way to compromise with me.”
“You're crazy,” I whisper as I stare up at him.
His face hovers several inches above mine, and a hint of desperation is apparent on his face until fierce determination replaces it. “Fine. I'll give you what you want. Kiss Nathan, and if you're not instantly better, I'll call for an ambulance, and we'll get you to the hospital. Once you're released, you're free to go, and you never have to come back,” he says curtly as he straightens up, his hands slipping in his pockets as he goes back to being the cool, almost impassive Khristos that I’ve come to know.
My eyes narrow. “Now, you're just lying.”
“You're so determined to prove me wrong. So just prove it. Kiss Nathan.”
“I'm not going to just kiss him because you tell me to. I don't even know him.”
He gives me an annoyed look. “Be grateful you are only part succubus, or you'd be looking at sex instead of just a kiss.”
“This is ridiculous,” I mutter. And it is. I've kissed Trace twice and nothing happened. No one knows I've kissed him, and I'm not about to tell Khristos simply to prove him wrong. Trace had seemed worried about his job, and I'm not about to put it in jeopardy.
“Prove me wrong,” he taunts.
“I hate you.”
His eyes close briefly, and I can tell he's close to losing his patience. When he looks at me again, his eyes are grim. “Hate me all you want, but a single kiss will save your life. Will you keep denying it just out of spite?”
“Spite?” I sputter, then wince as the headache shifts in intensity.
“Do you want to die?” he asks with brutal bluntness.
“Of course not.”
“Prove me wrong.”
“Fine,” I grumble as I give in. It's taking too much out of me to continue this conversation anyway. I need to try to calm down. “I'll kiss Nathan,” I say reluctantly.
Relief flickers across Khristos's features before he promptly walks away to open my door. He says something to someone, and he's back a second later. “It has to be an open-mouthed kiss. Use tongue,” he says curtly.
I gape at him with disbelief. “Are you seriously giving me suggestions on how to kiss?”
“It's how we feed, through the mouth. Trust me on this. You'll also feel it when you start to feed. It'll feel like you've swallowed something fizzy, like soda, but it'll feel much better. It'll be warm, and you'll feel really good while you feed. What you'll be doing is taking some of his energy, the very thing that keeps him alive. You don't have to worry about taking too much. You'll only be taking a quarter of what we usually take.”
He seems serious. It's weird knowing he believes all this. I'll humor him and kiss Nathan, then he needs to take me to the hospital. There's a knock on the door, and I turn my head and watch as Nathan steps inside. I can't help but frown. At the club, I'd found him super attractive, but now I just feel annoyed. I scowl up at Khristos. “You've had him on standby?”
“Yes.”
“Get out. I'm not kissing him with you here.”
“I'll just be right outside.”
“Yeah, that so does not get me in the mood,” I grumble under my breath. He must hear me, because I see his lip quirk up in the corner before he turns and leaves.
Now, I'm all alone with Nathan.
He walks over to stand by the bed, and his eyebrows furrow as he looks down at me. “You look really pale.”
“Killer migraines will do that to a girl,” I quip.
Nathan looks uncomfortable, and he tucks his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “Do you have enough strength to sit up? I don't want to feel like I'm forcing myself on you or something. You've made it pretty clear you're not into me,” he says with a crooked grin.
“Do you really believe I’m what Khristos says I am?” I ask as I study him.
His eyes don't pull away from mine as he says, “Yes.”
Is everyone in Cherry Creek crazy? “What makes you believe him?”
“I've let Tate feed off me before,” he says simply.
“Tate? You mean Tatum?” How many of these people believe they are demons?
Nathan nods.
I'm silent for a moment. First Khristos, then Roman, and now Nathan and Tatum. There can't possibly be