3. Janet

Ican't stop sneaking glances at Archie as we walk along the side of the road. It's sweet of him to offer to escort me home… even if he is a vampire who doesn't own a car because he never learned to drive. Apparently, he never saw the need.

"Are there other kinds of creatures?" I ask. I can't believe I've just accepted that he's a vampire, but there's no other way to explain the fangs, red eyes, and super-speed.

"Creatures?" Archie raises an eyebrow, but my gaze drops down to his lips. I"ve never been kissed like that—like I'm the center of a man's universe. I've never felt the magic that was kissing Archie, and I can't help craving more.

I know I should be upset that he only kissed me to shut me up, but I can"t stop thinking about the feel of his lips on mine—hard, demanding, making me forget that I had somehow magically teleported from the library to his house.

"Werewolves? Mermaids? Fairies? Are they real?"

"Yes," he says simply. "Though many of them have retired from the human world. The fae, for example, haven't interacted with humans in centuries."

I blink, unsure of how to process that information. Still, the world seems a lot more exciting knowing there were so many other kinds of creatures in it. I push on to safer subjects, if there is such a thing.

"So you're about four hundred?"

He nods. He walks close to me, and our hands are nearly brushing. Despite my brain whirling at a million miles a minute, my body is definitely reacting to his. I want to reach out and take his hand, but that seems too forward. We just met, and he's a freaking vampire. I'm not even sure he's interested—or available.

"Are you married?" I ask.

"I wouldn't have kissed you if I were." Archie lifts his gaze and focuses on the horizon, where the barest slivers of the sunrise are peeking through. "But I was, a long time ago. When I was human. But I've been alone for many years now."

His voice is so sad that I find myself reaching out and taking his hand, then squeezing it in sympathy.

"I'm sorry," I say. "You don"t have to talk about it."

"It"s okay. I don't mind." He pauses, and for a second, I don"t think he"s going to say anything, but then he adds, "Those were different times. The marriage was arranged, and I hardly knew her before she fell ill. The plague," he adds. "We"d been married less than a year. If I had stayed human, I'd likely have remarried. Had children. But I was turned before any of that could happen."

"Vampires can't have children?" I ask, wondering if that bit of lore is true.

"We cannot. But I've sired many vampires. Turned them," he adds, even though I already know what he means. He looks down at our interlocked fingers, then back at the horizon. "The sun is rising."

"Oh," I say, following his gaze. "Can you be out in the sun?"

He shakes his head, then pulls me closer. "Do you trust me?"

I shouldn't. I just met him, and he"s an actual vampire, but I say, "Yes."

He scoops me into his arms and runs at full speed to the library. My breath whooshes out of me, and I close my eyes at the blur of landscape. The slightest bit of smoke rises off him as he sets me on the porch. It takes me a second to get my bearings, and I lean against him unsteadily.

"Do I need to invite you in?" I ask.

"No. But I'd appreciate it if you could unlock the front door." More smoke rises from his skin.

"It's unlocked. The library opens—"

Archie pulls the door open and zooms inside.

"—at five," I mutter under my breath. "Maybe I need to get a large, neon ‘open' sign."

I follow Archie inside. Tiny paws scamper up the steps, and Page appears. He races straight for our visitor, and I lurch forward to stop him. But the little ball of fur rushes right between my legs and launches himself at Archie. I expect my pet to claw the vampire, but Page settles comfortably on the man"s shoulder.

"I"ll take him before he ruins your suit."

"It"s fine." Archie chuckles, patting Page like he"s used to cats climbing him. Maybe he is.

"Are vampires some sort of cat magnets?"

"Not that I know of." He runs his fingers through Page"s fur. "Who"s an adorable little kitty? You are."

I can"t help grinning as I introduce them. "Page, say hello to Archie." My cheeks flush as I belatedly remember Page is a cat and can"t talk. "Archie, this is Page. I found him under the porch last week when I was taking out the trash."

Page meows, almost as if to say hello.

"Nice to meet you," Archie says, and I"m not sure if he talks to cats, too, or if he"s just humoring me. Either way, any reservations I"ve had about inviting a vampire into this isolated library dissolve. Not that he actually needed to be invited in.

"Can I look around?" Archie asks. "I'd love to see the library."

I nod. "It's a public library. Everyone is welcome."

"Including vampires?" he teases.

I nod. "Would you like a tour?" I glance at the fiction section and quickly look away. What if we pass by Pride and Prejudice and it sends me to Alaska or the middle of the ocean?

"A tour would be wonderful."

"I just need to feed Page first. The little guy must be starving." I lead the way across the foyer toward the stairs. "Thank you so much for walking me home. I really appreciate it."

He smiles. "Are you okay with letting me stay for the day? The sun's up now, and I won't be able to make it back to the manor easily." He actually looks uncomfortable.

"Will the sunlight kill you?"

"Not immediately. I could get back in time, but it would hurt."

"Then, yes, you can stay." My heart pounds at the thought. I glance at Page, snuggled on his shoulder. "I don"t think my cat is letting you go any time soon."

Archie chuckles and follows me downstairs. My apartment is tiny and a bit embarrassing, but it's mine.

"I"m sorry your breakfast is late, bud," I say as I open a can of food for the purring Page.

"This is where you live?" Archie asks, looking around.

"The apartment comes with the job."

Archie nods and runs his fingers along some of the handmade throw blankets I've collected over the years. "I love their bright colors."

I smile. "My mother made these. She loved crafting, but especially making throws. A color for every mood." The familiar sense of loss settles in the pit of my stomach, but it's the first time I've had the chance to talk about her since she passed, and the words flood out. "Chilly evenings were her favorite. We would each pick a throw, and I'd snuggle with a good book while she'd work on her next creation. She always said how she loved the interplay of colors and textures."

"They're beautiful," he says. "So lively."

I can't help the snort that escapes me. A vampire calling something lively. Then I shake myself.

"Cat's fed. So… Let's go upstairs," I say. "I'll give you that tour."