Read Online Stake That by Mari Mancusi - Free Book Online Page B

on the wood, Rayne. Less thinking, more carving.
    “There!” I say about ten minutes later. “How does that look?” I hold the stake up for his perusal. He walks over and takes it from me, examining it with a critical eye. “That’s actually pretty good,” he says, sounding a little too surprised for my liking. But secretly I’m pleased. “You’re a natural.” Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    “Natural Born Killahh!” I quip.
    He chuckles. “Let’s not get carried away. Just because you can carve a stake, doesn’t mean you can stab someone with it.”
    “Gonna teach me that, too?” I tease.
    His face darkens. “No.”
    The simple word seems to hold a whole lifetime of stories. He’s definitely got to have some deep, dark torment and I’m dy-ing to ask him what it is. But we barely know each other and also there’s that whole thing about how we don’t even like one another to contend with, so I decide to let him off the hook.
    “Okay, no biggie,” I say with a shrug. “Thanks for help-ing me carve it though.”
    “Not a problem,” he says. “As long as you promise never to use it on me.” I’m about to crack a joke, but he looks too serious at the moment, so I let it go. “It’s a deal,” I say instead.
    He smiles. “How about we go into the Post-Bite Lounge for a bit,” he suggests. “See if we can pick up any gossip.”
    “Post-Bite Lounge?”
    “Yes. You know how after giving blood at the Red Cross you can feel a little light-headed and queasy?
    Same thing after being sucked. So they have a lounge where they serve cookies and orange juice to the humans before they send them back into the world.”
    “Ah.” Wow, these vamps think of everything, don’t they? “Okay, cool. Let’s lounge it.” I stand up and head toward the door.
    “Uh, Rayne?”
    I stop and turn around. “Yeah?”
    He pauses, then says, “This is going to sound weird, but…”
    “Everything is weird at this point. I doubt anything you could say could make it any weirder.” I can see Jareth’s hard swallow from across the room. “You don’t have a bite mark.” Okay. I was wrong. That is definitely weirder.
    I cock my head in confusion. “What?”
    “You’re undercover as a human who likes being bitten by vampires. You just spent time with a biter. Now we’re going into the Post-Bite Lounge. People might notice that you don’t have any marks on your neck.”
    Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
    “Oh.” I reach up and touch my neck. Hm. He’s right. “You think that’ll raise a red flag?”
    “I don’t want to take any chances. We can’t blow our cover. This is too important.”
    “Right. No. We shouldn’t.” I chew at my lower lip. “But… oh.” I suddenly realize what he’s suggesting. Am I up for that? To be bitten by him? I guess I don’t have a choice, do I? Sacrifices for the cause and all that.
    “Come here,” Jareth instructs.
    I walk over to the bed and sit down beside him. “Is this gonna hurt?” I ask, realizing I’m trembling. What is wrong with me? I’ve wanted to be bitten by a vampire for like EVER. Now I’m finally getting my chance. Of course, this type of bite won’t turn me into a vampire. You have to be injected with their blood for that. But still… how cool, right?
    So why am Isooonervous?
    “My fangs have an instant numbing solution that’s in-jected at the moment of penetration. You won’t feel a thing.” “Oh. Okay,” I say, not feeling all that much better for some reason. Jareth reaches over and brushes my hair away from my neck. I suddenly feel open. Exposed. Vulnerable. I swallow hard and close my eyes. I can feel his breath on my neck as he lowers his head. His lips brush lightly against my sensitive skin and I involuntarily let out a shiver.
    “Ready?” he whispers softly. I can feel his lips forming the word against my flesh. It’s kind of erotic, to