“No!” She pushed against him, her pathetic attempt to break free wrenching at TJ’s heart. Her face looked almost gray in the dim hallway and her skin was cool to the touch.
“I should have taken you to the hospital, yesterday.” He held her, refusing to let her get away this time. If he had to, he’d pick her up and carry her the short distance to his house.
She mumbled into his shirt.
TJ bent his head to hear her over the howling wind and could swear he heard her say, “It’s too late.”
“Cassidy, come with me to my house,” he coaxed softly.
“I can’t,” she said, lifting her face to his, her eyes filling with tears. “You’re not safe with me. Just leave me alone.”
“No. I won’t leave you alone.” TJ’s jaw tightened and his brows lowered over his eyes. “Your house isn’t ready for the storm. I can’t walk away knowing you’ll be hurt.”
Past caring, her shoulders sagged. “It doesn’t matter what happens to me, now.”
“Cassidy, how can I help you if I don’t know what’s going on?” He pulled her against his chest.
So weak she could hardly hold her head up, she leaned into him and pressed her forehead to his wet shirt. Her knees buckled and before she knew what was happening, TJ scooped her into his arms.
“I’m taking you to my house. No more arguments.” With that he flung the door open and launched them out into the rain.
Too weak to resist, Cassidy clung to his jacket, tucking her face against the solid muscles of his chest.
Streetlights barely penetrated the darkness of the night and driving rain, but TJ strode sure-footed across the lawn and into his home. Without loosening his hold, he kicked the door shut behind him and carried her into the living room, switching on the lights as he went.
He sat her on the couch, perched on the cushion next to her and gripped her hands in his. “Now, tell me what’s going on? Are you sick?”
She leaned back, enjoying being taken care of at the same time as she worried about what would happen now. “I guess you could say I am sick. But it’s nothing anyone can cure.”
“Have you talked to the doctors?” he asked, his voice soft, yet concerned.
She rolled her eyes and stared at him. “No. And please don’t do the gallant thing and haul me off to the hospital. I’m weak right now because I haven’t eaten in three days.” Her head fell back against the sofa.
“I can make you some food. Let me help.”
His eagerness to help made the tears harder to hide, and one slid down her cheek. “You can’t help. What I need, I refuse to eat.”
“I don’t get it, Cassidy.” TJ squeezed her hands. “Why won’t you eat? What’s happened?”
Cassidy sighed and pulled her fingers free. “I was attacked three weeks ago on campus.”
He leaped to his feet, his fists clenched at his side. “Why didn’t you tell me? I’m a cop for godsakes!”
“What could you do?”
“Find the filthy bastard and put him in jail, for one.”
She shook her head. “Wouldn’t do any good. The damage is done.”
“What happened, Cassidy?” He gripped her shoulders. “Did the guy rape you?”
“Yes.” Her gaze dropped to where her hand pleated the hem of her damp dress. “And worse.”
TJ dropped to his knees in front of Cassidy and took her hands in his. “Did you think it would make a difference how I felt for you? I love you, Cassidy. I think I’ve known it from the day we met.”
“Don’t.” She pulled her hands from his. “You can’t love me. I’m tainted. Ruined.”
“Not to me.”
“Wait’ll you hear the rest.” She dragged in a deep breath. “The attacker bit me, TJ.”
Still kneeling on the floor, TJ’s gaze narrowed. “Where?”
“On the neck.” Cassidy leaned her head to the side and pointed to the smooth column of her throat.
“You mean like a vampire?” His voice dropped to a low rumble, and he stood.
A chill swept over her body. “Not like. He was a vampire.”
TJ’s face grew still, the only movement the muscle twitching in his jaw. “And are you?”
“What? A vampire?” She breathed deeply, fighting back the anger and tears. “If not being able to go out in the sunlight means I’m a vampire…or craving blood…or being unable to control my sexual urges…then yes. It’s safe to say I’m a vampire.” She held up her hand. “Not that I chose to be one.”
“Wow.” TJ turned away and pushed a hand through his hair.
“Thanks.” She pushed to her feet and swayed, her head spinning, reminding her of her need for sustenance. “Now, if you’ll excuse me I think I’ll go back to my house. Maybe the storm will blow it and me away so you don’t have to think about what this means to your job.”
TJ spun to face her, his forehead creased in a fierce frown. “This isn’t about my career, Cassidy. You were the victim here.”
“Yeah, but if I stay around you much longer, you will be the victim.” She returned his piercing gaze with one of her own. “That’s why I wanted you to leave me alone.”
The broad-shouldered cop sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly.
Although she’d expected it, his hesitation hurt.
Then he reached for her hand and threaded his fingers through hers. “You are the victim.”
She tried to pull her hand from his, but he held tight. The only defense against a broken heart was to launch her own attack. Schooling her face into a blank mask, she asked, “What do you do on your job, Detective TJ Evans?”
A muscle twitched in his jaw and a long moment passed where the only sound was the wind howling against the eaves.
The outside storm couldn’t begin to compete with the internal tempest twisting her in knots. This was the man she’d been falling for since the spring semester began. One night of carelessness had ripped all that away.
TJ stared down into her eyes and admitted, “I kill vampires.”
“Yeah.” She smoothed a hand over his cheek.
He looked away as if so confused, so lost.
“Don’t you see?” she said, turning his face toward her, willing him to look her in the eye. “It’s your job and your duty to kill me.”
“No!” He grasped her hand and held it to his cheek. “This isn’t right.”
“Right or wrong, it’s your job. You have to keep the streets safe from monsters like me.”
“But you’re not a monster. You’re my Cassidy.”
She shrugged. “Not anymore. I crave blood, I need it to survive. No matter how much I want to ignore it, I can’t control my blood lust and my sex-”
A spark flared TJ’s eyes back to life. “And your sexual lust?” He trailed a finger down the side of her breast. “Is that what happened in your hallway yesterday? Was it all part of the vampire package?”
“There has to be some attraction for the lust, but yeah.” His hand did incredible things to her insides. If she wasn’t careful she’d lose control again. “Look, I should go.” When she took a step toward the door, the room swam and she grabbed for something to hold onto. Her hand found his and she held on until the wave of dizziness passed.
His arm circled her waist and he held her against his damp body. “Let me help.”
“What can you do? You don’t have a pint of blood handy do you?” Her words were meant to be flippant, but they caught in her throat on a sob. “Oh, TJ, I’m so sorry.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” He pulled her into his arms and pressed his check against her cold one. “After that time we made love, I thought I’d scared you off. That’s why you stayed away.”
“No way,” she said into his neck, her teeth only a breath away from the strong flowing blood beneath his skin.
“Let me help you.” He pushed her back and stared into her eyes.
“How? Do you think that you could drive me to the nearest blood bank and I’ll just run in and make a withdrawal?” She shook her head. “It doesn’t work that way.”
His hands tightened. “Let me feed you.”