mumbled.
“So I gather,” he said, chuckling as he walked to the bed, “Would you like some more?”
She shook her head, “No, I’m full. But thanks.”
He set the laptop on the edge of the bed then lifted the tray from over her legs and set it on the floor. Then he picked p the laptop.
“What’s that for?” she asked.
He motioned to the bed, “May I,” he said then he smiled slightly when her heart beat quickened as she nodded. He sat down next to her and fired up the laptop. He entered his password and then brought up the internet. He set the laptop on her legs and then handed her his credit card, “I want you to order anything that you need: clothes, shampoo, female supplies, anything. I mean it. Anything at all. And then when you’re done with that, you can use this to do some research to try to figure out who you are.”
She tried to hand his card back to him, “Colton, I can’t do that. I can’t take your money,” she whispered.
He stopped her hand by placing his on the back of hers. He tried not to react but he could tell that she felt the tingle that shot up his arm just like he did. Amazing. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his own heart. “Miss. Please. Money is not the issue here. The issue is that you’re staying here until you can figure out who you are and where you live (or hopefully longer, he thought suddenly, surprising himself) and you’re going to need some things – and I’m going to need my sweatpants back,” he added, grinning. “Besides, if it feels better, you can consider it a loan and pay me back. Will that work?”
She dropped her hand back to the bed, “I, I guess,” she mumbled.
“Great,” he said as he stood up. He grabbed a pen and paper from the nightstand, “Make sure you have it shipped overnight. I have a post office box in town. I can send Hansen to pick it up tomorrow.” He turned to head out the door, “I have a few things to take care of downstairs but I’ll be back up here to check on you this afternoon. And if you need anything at all – food, drink, a helping hand to the bathroom – just holler. It’s a big house, but sounds in it really carry,” he said, thinking – no, it’s my vampire hearing that will hear you.
She had to bite her lip to keep herself from asking him to please not leave. And, truthfully, he really didn’t have anything to take care of downstairs, but he didn’t want to hover – and he didn’t want to tempt himself further.
He carried the tray downstairs and found Hansen, brooding of course, in the kitchen. He walked to the sink and began rinsing the dishes. Hansen walked over and tried to move him out of the way, “I can do that, Sir,” he said as his hands tried to push Colton’s out of the way.
Colton smiled at Hansen, “Relax, Hansen. Let me do this for a change. Besides, I need you to sit down and make up a shopping list. You’ll need to go to the store tomorrow and stock up on enough food for the two of you.”
Hansen shot him a dirty look, but kept his mouth closed. Finally he sighed as he sat down at the table, “For how long, Sir?” he said.
“I don’t know, Hansen. It could be a while.”
Colton could hear Hansen’s jaw muscles clenching. Finally, Hansen pushed the chair back from the table and stormed to the refrigerator. As he pulled it open he said, “Fine. I understand. I guess I’ll fix the two of us steaks for dinner.” He stood up and tossed two packages of raw meat onto the counter. As Hansen tore open the plastic so that he could marinate the steaks, the scent of the raw blood oozing from the fresh meat hit Colton like a sledgehammer, reminding him that it had now been a few days since he’d fed. He inhaled sharply and felt his fangs push into his mouth. He could see that Hansen really wanted to scold him for allowing him to go so long, but Hansen held his tongue. “It’s almost sunset. You should go into town for a little while and feed. I can keep an eye on the girl,” he said.
Colton’s eyes lifted up, towards the second floor.