Read Online Tainted Blood: A Generation V Novel by M.L. Brennan - Free Book Online
Authors: M.L. Brennan
Ads: Link
family topic, but I couldn’t hold back a laugh at her mock-affronted demeanor. “Suze, the last thing you would ever convince me that you want is blind validation.”
A very calculating expression filled her face, and Suzume made a surprisingly smooth slinking movement across the sofa that took the distance between us from comfortable and friendly to completely nonexistent, pressing us together from shoulder to hip in a way that made my breath catch. My body went on full alert, and I was uncomfortably reminded of just how long it had been since I’d had sex. Suze was clearly absolutely aware of every iota of her effect on me, and her voice became low and husky as she murmured in my ear. “If you know me so well, what do
you
have that I want?”
Completely ignorant of just how loaded a question had just been asked, Jaison cut through the banal sounds of take-out food being dished out, saying in gleeful surprise, “
The Sarah Connor Chronicles
? Dan, I thought you hated the
Terminator
series!”
Suze and I didn’t move. Behind us, I could almost hear Dan gritting his teeth as he very quickly reaped the reward of snagging a DVD at random from my pile. “Well, you and Fort both like it so much,” Dan covered. “Maybe I should give it another chance.”
Without breaking eye contact with me, Suzume called, “That means giving it a full chance this time, Dan. Letting the series build its momentum. No calling it quits three episodes in.” Even as the sexual tension meter remained set on high, I fought a smile—Suze was never one to let a good chance for immediate payback pass her by.
“Fort, are you up for watching the pilot tonight?” Jaison asked as he walked over to prep the evening’s entertainment. As he did, Suze leaned away from me, letting a natural-looking position adjustment break our physical contact.
“Robots, time travel, Summer Glau, and violence?” I asked. If my body was destined to remain woefully unsexed, maybe my brain could at least get the condolence prize of sci-fi-induced dopamine. “Do you even need to ask?”
Jaison grinned and offered me a fist bump of geek solidarity, which I was happy to accept. Then he looked over at Suze. “Even Dan’s giving it a chance,” he coaxed. “You might like it.”
“Violence, sure. Summer Glau, maybe. Robots and time travel? Never. I’ll call a cab.” She gave my knee a friendly pat as she stood up. “Have fun scooping poop tomorrow.”
“It’s just the career I dreamed about for four years at Brown,” I noted.
Chapter 3
I was not a big fan of being awake at six in the morning, especially during the winter months when the sun wasn’t even up yet, but it was the unfortunate downside in a temporary career option that revolved around the bladder control of canines. At least today the coffeepot was already going. Still dressed in my usual winter pajamas of a set of old sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, I propelled my zombielike self into the main room, where an already-dressed but still-rumpled-looking Jaison was pouring out the first coffee of the day. We exchanged the traditional pre-caffeine greeting of manly grumbles and commenced slurping.
Dan was parked on the sofa, feverishly flipping through a set of his flash cards, muttering things under his breath about alter ego liability and undercapitalization. Jaison and I shared a look of perfect understanding—no salary was worth that. The stressed-out ghoul broke off his prepping for a minute. “Fort, the dish-soap bottle has eyes. Is your girlfriend behind that?”
I shuffled over and checked beneath the sink. Sure enough, the Dawn container now had a jaunty pair of googly eyes. “She’s still not my girlfriend, Dan.”
“Whatever the hell she is, she’d better remember that whatever kind of grand finale she’s working up to had better not involve defiling common property.”
Silently, Jaison turned the handle of the coffeepot so that I could properly admire the eyes that
A very calculating expression filled her face, and Suzume made a surprisingly smooth slinking movement across the sofa that took the distance between us from comfortable and friendly to completely nonexistent, pressing us together from shoulder to hip in a way that made my breath catch. My body went on full alert, and I was uncomfortably reminded of just how long it had been since I’d had sex. Suze was clearly absolutely aware of every iota of her effect on me, and her voice became low and husky as she murmured in my ear. “If you know me so well, what do
you
have that I want?”
Completely ignorant of just how loaded a question had just been asked, Jaison cut through the banal sounds of take-out food being dished out, saying in gleeful surprise, “
The Sarah Connor Chronicles
? Dan, I thought you hated the
Terminator
series!”
Suze and I didn’t move. Behind us, I could almost hear Dan gritting his teeth as he very quickly reaped the reward of snagging a DVD at random from my pile. “Well, you and Fort both like it so much,” Dan covered. “Maybe I should give it another chance.”
Without breaking eye contact with me, Suzume called, “That means giving it a full chance this time, Dan. Letting the series build its momentum. No calling it quits three episodes in.” Even as the sexual tension meter remained set on high, I fought a smile—Suze was never one to let a good chance for immediate payback pass her by.
“Fort, are you up for watching the pilot tonight?” Jaison asked as he walked over to prep the evening’s entertainment. As he did, Suze leaned away from me, letting a natural-looking position adjustment break our physical contact.
“Robots, time travel, Summer Glau, and violence?” I asked. If my body was destined to remain woefully unsexed, maybe my brain could at least get the condolence prize of sci-fi-induced dopamine. “Do you even need to ask?”
Jaison grinned and offered me a fist bump of geek solidarity, which I was happy to accept. Then he looked over at Suze. “Even Dan’s giving it a chance,” he coaxed. “You might like it.”
“Violence, sure. Summer Glau, maybe. Robots and time travel? Never. I’ll call a cab.” She gave my knee a friendly pat as she stood up. “Have fun scooping poop tomorrow.”
“It’s just the career I dreamed about for four years at Brown,” I noted.
Chapter 3
I was not a big fan of being awake at six in the morning, especially during the winter months when the sun wasn’t even up yet, but it was the unfortunate downside in a temporary career option that revolved around the bladder control of canines. At least today the coffeepot was already going. Still dressed in my usual winter pajamas of a set of old sweatpants and a long-sleeved shirt, I propelled my zombielike self into the main room, where an already-dressed but still-rumpled-looking Jaison was pouring out the first coffee of the day. We exchanged the traditional pre-caffeine greeting of manly grumbles and commenced slurping.
Dan was parked on the sofa, feverishly flipping through a set of his flash cards, muttering things under his breath about alter ego liability and undercapitalization. Jaison and I shared a look of perfect understanding—no salary was worth that. The stressed-out ghoul broke off his prepping for a minute. “Fort, the dish-soap bottle has eyes. Is your girlfriend behind that?”
I shuffled over and checked beneath the sink. Sure enough, the Dawn container now had a jaunty pair of googly eyes. “She’s still not my girlfriend, Dan.”
“Whatever the hell she is, she’d better remember that whatever kind of grand finale she’s working up to had better not involve defiling common property.”
Silently, Jaison turned the handle of the coffeepot so that I could properly admire the eyes that
Similar Books
