Vampire Mine - Kerrelyn Sparks [98]
He rinsed off. How easily he dismissed all those killings. So why was he so haunted by that one night in 1543? It was wrong. Ye knew it was wrong, and ye did it, anyway.
He toweled off and pulled on the clean T-shirt and flannel pants. Then he hauled the laundry hamper into the kitchen.
Marielle was setting her empty soup bowl in the sink. Her long hair was loose and damp. She was wearing plaid flannel pajamas.
“Did ye enjoy the soup?” He tossed the kitchen towels into the hamper.
“Yes, thank you. Can we talk now?”
“We need to do the laundry.” He dragged the hamper into the nearby utility room and tossed some towels and clothes into the washing machine. His chest tightened at the sight of her clothes mixed with his T-shirts and socks.
She followed him into the room.
He poured some soap into the machine. “Did the ladies show you how to do this?”
“No.”
He snorted. They had time to tell her about blow jobs and paint his fingernails pink. “Ye turn the knob here, then—” He froze when she leaned forward to watch, resting a hand against the machine.
Nothing happened.
“Then?” She gave him a questioning look.
Her touch no longer made something work? “Ye push the button here.” He started the machine. What had happened to take away her magical touch? Was the demon right when he said the longer she stayed on Earth, the more human she would become?
Bugger. What if she ran out of time before he could get her back to heaven? A part of him didn’t want her to go, but a bigger part cringed at the thought of failing her. He’d failed everyone else in the past.
“Can we talk now?” she asked.
“Nay, we need to . . . load the dishwasher.” He padded into the kitchen and took his time rinsing everything in the sink before stacking it into the machine. He even scrubbed the pot he’d warmed the soup in.
When he closed the dishwasher, she was waiting there, holding a mop.
She offered it to him. “Do you want to clean the floors now? And sweep the porch? I think the antlers on the moose head need polishing.”
“Are ye mocking me now?”
She leaned the mop against the kitchen cabinets. “I want to talk. I’m sure you know what I want to talk about.”
“And I’m sure ye know I doona want to talk about it.”
She tilted her head, studying him a moment. “Fine.” She turned and went into the bedroom.
He exhaled with relief. Was it really going to be that easy?
Less than a minute later, she exited the bedroom, carrying a blanket. She’d added a jacket over her pajamas and fuzzy slippers on her feet.
No, it wasn’t going to be easy. He folded his arms across his chest. “Are ye going somewhere?”
“I’d like to go back to the meadow where we made love last night. You can teleport us there, right?”
“I . . . suppose I could.”
“Good. You owe me a blow job.”
“What?”
She gave him an impatient look. “You said you didn’t get to taste me or make me come with your mouth. I assume that offer still stands?”
His groin tightened. “I—” He ran a hand through his damp hair. The clever minx was learning very quickly how to be human. “This is yer strategy, then, to trick me into talking? I’m no’ going if that’s what ye’re up to.”
She shrugged. “Fine. I guess you don’t want a blow job, either.”
Seconds ticked by.
“I’ll get my shoes.”
A minute later, they arrived at the green meadow nestled in the midst of forested mountains.
Marielle spread the blanket on the ground, kicked off her shoes, then stretched out, gazing up at the stars.
“Do ye have any idea how beautiful ye are?” he asked softly.
She propped herself up on her elbows. “Aren’t you going to lie down?”
He sighed and kicked at the ground. “I’m no’ worthy of you. Ye know that. Ye’ve already figured out the terrible things I’ve done.”
“I’ve done terrible things, too. I healed a child who grew up to become a serial killer. And tonight, I ended