*** Warning. This chapter includes violence (not in a sexy way) and attempted kidnapping. I promise it all works out in the end, and the sex in this chapter is vanilla (other than that it's between a vampire and an incubus).
This is a long chapter with a lot of story development, and a little sexy times. I promise more kinkiness in the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy it. :)
Penny***
*
Seneca was feeling paranoid. Everywhere she looked it seemed like she saw those satiny blue ribbons. It couldn't just be in her head, either. There was one by the little corner grocery she shopped at twice a week, one at the coffee shop where she and Godwin met up. The one that Godwin had thrown away at their bench was replaced the next day. It felt ominous, like they were following her.
There was one outside the library where Josh worked today. She snapped a quick picture with her phone, adding it to her growing collection before heading inside.
Her feet took her to Josh's reference desk without thought. He was buried in books, piles of them surrounding him like pillars, four open and stacked over each other. He didn't look up.
She watched him, waiting to see if he'd notice her, but he didn't. He'd read a few pages in one book, then stop to scribble notes onto a notepad without looking, then turn to another book to take more notes. She let him continue, leaning against the high desk trying not to be obvious.
She watched until the urge to mess with him was overwhelming, then nudged the book on the top of the pile slowly. It took all she had not to giggle like an ornery child the entire time. She gave a final tiny push and it fell on top of the book he was reading.
He jumped in surprise, scowling at the offending volume, then looked up, annoyed. A huge smile spread across his face when he saw her.
"Seneca!" he whispered. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Josh, I was in the area and thought I'd check to see if you were working tonight," she replied.
"Well, you caught me," he said with a wink. "And, while I'm glad you came, I'm not sure you came all this way just to watch me shelve books?"
"Well, not exactly..." She sighed, her amusement fading quickly. "I mean, I did want to see you, but I also wanted to ask you something. I mean, it's probably dumb, but have you seen any of these blue satin ribbons all over town?"
She messed with her phone for a second, then slid it across the formica counter. Josh scrolled through the images she's taken, the ribbon on the bench where she and Godwin met, the one by the grocery store, the one on the light pole by her apartment, the one at the coffee shop, and the one she just snapped.
"Hey, this one's right outside here," he noted.
"Yeah, I just took it before I came in. Josh, these are really creeping me out. It feels like, I mean, it feels like they're for me. That's crazy, isn't it? Like, I'm obviously overreacting, right?"
"Wait, can I see the other ones again?" he asked, reaching for her phone again, then shook his head. "Hold up, let me clean this a little." He pushed the pad of paper into the book he had been reading when she interrupted him, then found pencils and pens, using them as placeholders in the other books as he closed them and piled them up. He moved the pile closest to her, then shook his head again. "You know what? Nevermind. Let's go sit at one of the study desks."
"Won't you get in trouble or something, for leaving your post?" she asked, following when he motioned her to do so.
"Nah, I got all my other work done already. I was just translating for fun at this point. It's pretty quiet this late in the day back here," he said, speaking softly over his shoulder.
There was something about being in the stacks that demanded her silence. She held her question until they broke out into an open area on the other side of the shelves. "You were translating, for, ah, fun?"
He sniffed. "Yup. Translating some Old English books, referencing them with actual translations. I'm teaching myself for the most part. It's amusing," he said as he led her to a row of desks with wooden walls between them. There was one chair at each cubicle, but enough room that they could both squeeze into one, though it was a tight fit.
"Fun?" she asked as he pulled over another chair, motioning her to sit in the one already there.
"Sure it is," he said, teasing her. "You don't believe me, do you? It's proper fun."
"Oh, I believe you, I just don't believe you," she clarified. Reaching a hand out, she brushed it over his nearly concealed dimple. "You growing a beard?" she asked.
He tilted his head into her touch. "Yeah, I was thinking about it. It's been getting pretty cold lately. Just, you know, making myself a homegrown scarf. I do hate having cold cheeks."
She appraised his proto-beard. "Looks itchy," she declared. "I guess if you take care of it and keep it nice and trimmed, it would look pretty good on you."
"I'm glad you approve," he said, only half joking.
"You know, you could always just wear a scarf," she teased.
"A scarf!? Beards are much more manly," he insisted. "Now, let me see these ribbons..."
She unlocked her phone and handed it to him. He looked at the pictures, zooming in on each one.
"Tell me about this one," he asked.
"That one is at the market I shop at. Right outside, by the doors," she explained.
