Read Online Creature of Habit: Book Two (Creature of Habit #2) by Angel Lawson - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Angel Lawson
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Grant’s office door but it swung open before I touched the wood.
Grant stood before me, hair disheveled and sticking on end. His shirt was untucked and the soles of his shoes rimmed in mud. I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He opened the door wider to allow me to pass. I didn’t fail to notice he sniffed me as I walked by. It was like Joe marked me on purpose to get a rise out of the Palmer men. “I told you not to leave. You don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation.”
“I do understand, but to be honest I’m just a little overwhelmed and fine—a little spooked.” I glanced at the stack of journals I’d left on the couch, several having spilled to the floor. “Not sure that’s just from the uh, vampire, at the bar though.”
“No, I suppose not.” He picked up the final book I’d read, the leather cord wound tight around it, locking the pages in place. “It’s a bit of heavy reading. I’m just happy you returned at all.”
“Let me help,” I said, dropping to my knees. I was in the middle of organizing a stack when he grabbed my wrist.
“Why did you return?” he whispered.
“Because I’m an idiot.”
His eyebrows came together. “You’re nothing of the sort.”
“I’m a fucking idiot, Grant. You’re dangerous. A killer—you’ve literally killed hundreds of people and documented each one. You’re a vampire. You’ve admitted you want to feed from me. All of that is terrifying.”
“How does that make you an idiot?”
“Because despite everything you’ve told me”―I hold up a book―“and shown me, I still can’t keep away from you. I want to be with you all the time, breathe you in.”
“Amelia,” he whispered and I stopped him with a look.
“I’m not finished. I want those things but I also know that this is big. Bigger than anything I’ve ever dealt with. I just...I have to figure it out a little. Keep a balance. Learn to trust you. Because right now I’m not sure I’m thinking clearly.”
“I’ll do anything you need me to do.” The spark of hope in his voice was enough to crack my heart. We stood inches apart, kneeling on the carpet. My heart was beating—I’m sure he could feel the way it pounded in my chest. He rubbed his fingers over my wrist. He tilted his head and said, “Your heart is fluttering like a humming bird. Are you scared or excited?”
“Both.” I took a deep breath trying to settle myself—my heart beat—my tells. “I think that just like before, when we came to an agreement about working together, we have to have some boundaries in this relationship, okay?”
“Name them.”
“Well, no lies. Ever. Not for my safety or protection. I need to know the truth about what is going on now and I need to know the truth about your past. In order to trust you, I need to understand you.”
“I can do that.” His hand shifted from my wrist and he linked his fingers with my own.
“I’ll stay here with you because of the stuff with Caleb and his new freak, Joe, but you have to give me my space. No lurking or stalking. No creeping around like a weirdo. If you want to see me just ask.” For the first time he faltered and I asked, “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, not in theory it’s just all that stuff, it’s difficult for me to rein it in. It’s part of my nature, part of the uh, compulsion.” If he could have blushed I suspect the tips of his ears would have been bright pink. “This relationship stuff is new to me, Amelia; you’re going to have to help me with the tricky parts.”
God, this man.
“We’ll work on it then. Together.”
He brought my hand to his lips and pressed his cool lips on my hot skin.
“I’d really like that,” he said.
A chill ran up my spine, down my arms and into the pit of my belly. He felt so good it was scary—that would be the challenge here—one I wanted to deal with head on. I stepped back, avoiding the books on the
Grant stood before me, hair disheveled and sticking on end. His shirt was untucked and the soles of his shoes rimmed in mud. I crossed my arms over my chest and asked, “Can I come in?”
“Of course.” He opened the door wider to allow me to pass. I didn’t fail to notice he sniffed me as I walked by. It was like Joe marked me on purpose to get a rise out of the Palmer men. “I told you not to leave. You don’t seem to understand the gravity of the situation.”
“I do understand, but to be honest I’m just a little overwhelmed and fine—a little spooked.” I glanced at the stack of journals I’d left on the couch, several having spilled to the floor. “Not sure that’s just from the uh, vampire, at the bar though.”
“No, I suppose not.” He picked up the final book I’d read, the leather cord wound tight around it, locking the pages in place. “It’s a bit of heavy reading. I’m just happy you returned at all.”
“Let me help,” I said, dropping to my knees. I was in the middle of organizing a stack when he grabbed my wrist.
“Why did you return?” he whispered.
“Because I’m an idiot.”
His eyebrows came together. “You’re nothing of the sort.”
“I’m a fucking idiot, Grant. You’re dangerous. A killer—you’ve literally killed hundreds of people and documented each one. You’re a vampire. You’ve admitted you want to feed from me. All of that is terrifying.”
“How does that make you an idiot?”
“Because despite everything you’ve told me”―I hold up a book―“and shown me, I still can’t keep away from you. I want to be with you all the time, breathe you in.”
“Amelia,” he whispered and I stopped him with a look.
“I’m not finished. I want those things but I also know that this is big. Bigger than anything I’ve ever dealt with. I just...I have to figure it out a little. Keep a balance. Learn to trust you. Because right now I’m not sure I’m thinking clearly.”
“I’ll do anything you need me to do.” The spark of hope in his voice was enough to crack my heart. We stood inches apart, kneeling on the carpet. My heart was beating—I’m sure he could feel the way it pounded in my chest. He rubbed his fingers over my wrist. He tilted his head and said, “Your heart is fluttering like a humming bird. Are you scared or excited?”
“Both.” I took a deep breath trying to settle myself—my heart beat—my tells. “I think that just like before, when we came to an agreement about working together, we have to have some boundaries in this relationship, okay?”
“Name them.”
“Well, no lies. Ever. Not for my safety or protection. I need to know the truth about what is going on now and I need to know the truth about your past. In order to trust you, I need to understand you.”
“I can do that.” His hand shifted from my wrist and he linked his fingers with my own.
“I’ll stay here with you because of the stuff with Caleb and his new freak, Joe, but you have to give me my space. No lurking or stalking. No creeping around like a weirdo. If you want to see me just ask.” For the first time he faltered and I asked, “Do you have a problem with that?”
“No, not in theory it’s just all that stuff, it’s difficult for me to rein it in. It’s part of my nature, part of the uh, compulsion.” If he could have blushed I suspect the tips of his ears would have been bright pink. “This relationship stuff is new to me, Amelia; you’re going to have to help me with the tricky parts.”
God, this man.
“We’ll work on it then. Together.”
He brought my hand to his lips and pressed his cool lips on my hot skin.
“I’d really like that,” he said.
A chill ran up my spine, down my arms and into the pit of my belly. He felt so good it was scary—that would be the challenge here—one I wanted to deal with head on. I stepped back, avoiding the books on the