Devour, A Paranormal Romance (Warm Delicacy Series, Book 3) by Megan Duncan Page B

it showed off a woman’s curves and drove men wild. She was no longer weakly holding his hand, so Arrick slid his fingers out of her grasp, like her touch made him uncomfortable. A trickle of nervousness eked out of him, and the expression on his face almost made me break out in laughter all over again. The immediate attraction Liz felt for him was obvious, it filled the room like the smell of sweet cotton candy, and it made Arrick tense. His eyes kept dodging her and searching for an escape. Was he scared I’d get jealous? I wasn’t even close to jealous; I thought it was hilarious to see him squirm.
    “I guess I better get ready,” Liz said, without taking her eyes off Arrick. She smiled at him sweetly, her eyes drinking him in like a delicious cup of hot chocolate. He retreated, standing behind me, resting his hand on my shoulder. His desperation to show his connection with me warmed my heart, but still made laughter bubble in my belly.
    “Pack up as fast as you can,” I ordered her.
    She dashed up the staircase as Arrick and I took a seat in the living room to wait for her return. “Make sure you tell your mom!” I called out after her, not sure if she’d actually do it or not.
    “You seem happier,” Arrick commented as he locked eyes with me.
    “And you seem nervous.” I winked and wiggled my eyebrows suggestively.
    “I… I… I have no intentions to…” he pointed to the second floor of Liz’s house as if pointing at her directly, stumbling through his words like a panicky school boy. A small laugh popped from my lips like bubble gum.
    “Calm down.” I pushed his hand back down and held it in mine. “I’m just teasing you. I’ve just never seen you act like this before.”
    “I’ve never seen anyone act like her before.”
    “You can’t tell me that every human girl you’ve ever met hasn’t fawned over you in the exact same way.”
    “Not to that extreme.” He sighed, letting his stiff posture finally rest against the back of the couch.
    I waved it off. “Liz has always had a flare for the dramatic. Besides, she has had a thing for vampires since we were kids. You should see all the posters on her bedroom walls. It’s like a shrine for every hot, eligible vampire in our entire region.”
    “That doesn’t make me feel any better.” He grimaced at me. “I just don’t want you to think that…”
    “I would never think that.” I twined our fingers together and pushed my newfound positive emotions into him. It was nice feeling happy and letting go of my anger. I knew it wouldn’t last forever, but I could at least enjoy it while I could. I knew Arrick would never do anything to betray me, and neither would Liz. Sure, she’d flirt like a professional until the end of time, but that’s all it would ever be. She’d never do anything to spoil our friendship. Besides, as soon as we got back to the palace she’d have more than enough vampires to keep her eyes off Arrick. That thought brought a smile to my lips. I wondered which would catch her eye most.
    To my surprise it only took Liz thirty minutes to stuff four designer suitcases, and two shoulder bags. She’d also managed to throw on some seriously short shorts, and an oh-so-low cut pink blouse. Normally I’d make a comment about her attire; tell her she was overdressed, or that she’d give guys the wrong impression, but not now. I had a completely different view of the human body and what was beautiful or too risqué. Sure, Liz would have looked stunning in jeans and a knit sweater, she didn’t need to be so revealing but it was her personality. If she liked to show off her flesh, more power to her, although it would hold a whole different meaning where we were headed than it ever had before. Maybe I should warn her.
    “All set?” I asked when Liz dumped the last of her bags by the front door. Arrick had already stepped out, popped the trunk with the gadget on the key ring and was prepared to load her things. Perhaps it was