Read Online Between a Vamp and a Hard Place by Jessica Sims - Free Book Online Page B

gave another uncomfortable, inappropriate giggle. “I can’t believe we found a vampire.”
    I wished we hadn’t, but with Rand’s piercing blue eyes locked onto me, I couldn’t exactly say that. I rubbed my forehead instead. “So what now?”
    Gemma yawned. “Can we sleep? I’m fucking exhausted.”
    Sleep sounded incredible, but I looked over at Rand, wary. Somehow going to sleep with him in the room implied a lot more trust than I had at the moment. My neck still throbbed from his earlier bite. My head ached from the blood loss. My body was unsettled with unwanted desire. My lips still remembered that damn vassal kiss.
    I was a mess. An exhausted mess. I eyed Rand, who was listening to our hushed conversation intently. “What do we do with him?”
    Gemma rubbed a hand through her sleep-tousled hair and yawned. “I dunno, girl. TV? Internet?”
    I considered those. It would be the easy way out . . . and we might wake up to an even more insane vampire. “I think that’s a bad idea. He probably needs to be eased into the last six hundred years or so. Just a hunch.” After all, I’d seen how the man had reacted to the refrigerator. And the door. And, okay, to me. So yeah, the man needed a crash course, and I suspected that the advertisement-and-porn-laden internet would not be the place to do it.
    â€œBooks, then?” Gemma asked. “There’s a ton of them in the other room. He probably can’t read the writing, but I’m sure they have pictures.”
    I brightened at the thought. “Now that sounds like a plan.” I hauled myself off the bed and gestured that Rand should follow me. “Come on.”
    Reluctant, he trailed behind me as I picked my way through the box-strewn apartment, Gemma padding along behind us. In the living room I found where we’d put several stacks of books. They were all from the ’70s or earlier, but there were plenty with lots of pictures and drawings. It could keep him busy long enough for us to sleep, hopefully. I cleared off a winged armchair and indicated that Rand should sit. “Here you go.”
    He eyed me warily, but he sat down, resting his arms on the chair like a king on his throne. When he gave me a small, jerking nod as if to indicate his approval, my irritation flared. I dumped a stack of books in his lap. “Go nuts. We’ll be up in a few hours.”
    Rand’s eyebrows went up and he gazed at me. “And what will you be doing?”
    â€œSleeping, because if I’m going to escort you around the city, I’m going to need a few hours of shut-eye.”
    â€œMmm.” He opened a book. I got the vague impression he wasn’t happy, but he said nothing.
    â€œGreat, well, have fun. I’ll come get you after I wake up.” I turned my back and started to head for the stairs.
    â€œOur excursion will have to wait until it is dark,” Rand called after me. “I cannot move about during daylight. It is one of the many curses of upyri .”
    Right. Shoot. I’d forgotten what sunlight can do to a vampire. “All right. We can go out at night.” That would mean I’d have to get some extra sleep in the daytime if I was going to be up all night. Which meant I wouldn’t be able to help as much with packing in the daytime. A vampire was damn inconvenient. “And if that’s the case, I really need to head to bed, then. You have fun down here. You know where the fridge is.” I waved a hand in the direction of the kitchen, then pointed at the hall. “The bathroom is that way if you need to use it.”
    His lips twitched with amusement. “Do you truly think a vampire has such human functions?”
    â€œI honestly don’t want to know,” I told him. But his mention of functions reminded me. “Uh, so . . . when do you need to feed again? Like, how often?”
    He was still watching me