Page 21 of Blood Sugar

Instead of arguing with me, Rowen rolled his eyes. “I bet you have some talent, even if it’s not baking, obviously.”

His grin took the sting out of his words. I sucked in a sharp breath when I realized he was teasing me!

“Hey! I felt like I was making good progress.” I swatted at his arm.

His head dropped and he gave me a wry grin, looking at me through his thick burgundy lashes. “You’re right. You’re taking to it like a duck to water.”

“A duck? That’s what you’re comparing me to?” Scowling at him, I crossed my arms over my chest, pretending to be outraged.

Rowen shrugged and held up his hands, palms open. “What? Ducks are cute.”

Slowly, my mouth curved into a sweet smile, and I fluttered my lashes at him. “You think I’m cute?”

Now Rowen’s cheeks were flaming. He cleared his throat, looking away from me. “I guess we should get back.”

Worried I’d gone too far, I readily agreed with him. “Totally. We probably have more baking to do tonight, right?”

He nodded roughly, his eyes on his wallet. Liz appeared a moment later, holding our check.

Rowen paid the bill and thanked her for the delicious food. Her plump cheeks blushed. “Thanks, we’ve got a new line cook. I’ll pass along the compliment.”

I waved goodbye and followed Rowen out of the diner and onto the dark street. It had gotten cold as the night aged, and I couldn’t help my shiver.

“Come here,” Rowen said, wrapping his arm over my shoulders.

It might be a bad idea, but it felt so good to melt into him. He was warm, and we heated more when he muttered a spell over us.

Our walk back took twice as long as he held me close. Rowen released me the moment we reached the door, and disappointment sent my heart plummeting.

The rest of the evening we worked in quiet companionship, as if our dinner together had ironed out the rough edges and brought us to an understanding. And I only spilled a little flour.

Chapter 6

Around Town

Rowen

I didn’t like the way Sadie had sucked down her bloody milkshake, like she was starving. There was a gleam of hunger in her eyes that made me uneasy—not that I felt unsafe with her, but I was concerned that she wasn’t getting enough blood.

That was ridiculous. She was a vampire, and certainly capable of taking care of herself. But something itched at the back of my mind like I was missing a crucial piece of information.

As the next few days of baking lessons passed, Sadie grew quieter. She no longer flirted with me. At first, I worried she had lost interest, but there were other concerning signs. Her responses slowed, her hair wasn’t curled in her signature bombshell style, and her enthusiasm all but disappeared.

Every time I asked, she said she had plans to feed after work, but I was convinced she didn’t. Sadie had a gorgeous hourglass figure with ample curves, but she was growing leaner before my eyes. The extra pastries I sent home with her each night didn’t seem to be helping.

As she worked on the cinnamon rolls, I couldn’t help moving closer to her. The nearer I got, the faster my heart raced and my muscles relaxed.

Her back straightened at my proximity. Despite her alluring cherry scent, I forced myself to focus on the pastry, sprinkling flour over the surface to make it easier for her to roll it flat.

As soon as she lifted the rolling pin, I spooned the topping on for her. Sadie gave me a curious look as she reached for the spatula. My eyes trailed over her bare shoulders as she spread the cinnamon-and-brown sugar filling over the surface.

The muscles of her arms and back flexed, moving under her smooth skin as she spread the sugary mixture over the dough. I barely noticed the work she was doing, too transfixed with how her neck arched.

She glanced back at me, her long lashes fluttering as she raised an eyebrow in a silent query. Dark smudges underlined her eyes.

“Sadie?” I asked softly.

“Yes?” She looked up at me, and I could see exhaustion with an edge of desperation there.