Bloodlust

Chapter One

Anderson, Kentucky is where Annalee called home. Born and raised. She was sitting behind the counter of her bakery. Sweet Nothings. She inherited it from her mom when she passed 5 years ago.

She was deep into her book, reading between customers. It was getting to the good part. Her eyes growing wider with each sentence.

Ring Ring

The bell above the front door rang, signaling a customer walking in. Annalee jumped out of her stool, nearly knocking it over, dropping her book onto the floor.

"'Scuse me, Miss? I'm Agent Hendrix, FBI. I have a few questions I need to ask you," the tall gentleman said, flipping open his badge and back closed again in one swift move. She looked up at him as she was straightening her apron. She gasped at how handsome he was he was. Thick brown hair and sparkling green eyes. "Ummm... sure. How can I help you?" she asked, looking a little confused.

"Have you seen this woman?" He pulled a photo out of his blazer pocket. All she could think of was how great he looked in that suit. She tore her eyes away from him and looked at the photo in his hand. Studying it, she said, "Yes. She comes in here a lot, though I don't know her name. Last time I saw her, she came in Wednesday and bought a dozen cupcakes." The agent frowned.

"Do you have cameras in here? And did she pay in cash or with a card?"

"I do have one camera. It points toward the front door. I was robbed a couple of years back. Made me feel safer," she said with a grimace, remembering how violated she felt. "She paid in cash, though. Sorry," she shrugged. "No, no... Can I take a look at your surveillance footage, Miss?"

"Yes, sir. And call me Annalee."

"Ok, Annalee. You can call me Dean." He gave her his trademark smooth smile. She smiled back and led him to the back room, where her laptop was on her desk. She tapped on a few keys and pulled up the program. The front door bell rang. "Excuse me. I have a customer."

"Sure thing. I've got it from here. Thank you, Annalee." He smiled a bright smile as he watched her walk into the next room. He sat at her desk, carefully combing through the footage. He couldn't seem to focus. He kept watching Annalee moved about the store on the fuzzy video. The video showed her bending over into the camera. Dean wiggled his eyebrows, leaning closer.

"Agent? Did you find anything yet?" Dean coughed and turned a little red. "No... n-not yet," he laughed nervously. There was a silence as they both watched the video, intently. Dean turned to her and cleared his throat. "Hey? Do you have pie here?" Annalee laughed. "Of course I do! Apple, Key Lime, Banana Cream, Chocolate Merguie, Cherry, Blackberry....." She looked down at the agent. His green eyes were sparkling like a kid on Christmas as she named off all the flavors of pie she sold.

She giggled at the sight of this grown man looking like an excited kid. God, he loved that sound she made. He took in her every curve and movement she made. The way her strawberry blonde curls fell over her shoulders. Her cobalt blue eyes as she giggled at his silliness. He felt a twinge in his chest. That better be heartburn.

Annalee turned back to the laptop. "Hey! There she is!" She bent down to point to a dark-haired lady on the screen. "Huh? Oh..." He turned and looked at the screen. "That sure is her." Dean continued looking at the screen. "Who's this guy behind her in line? Does he usually come in here?" he asked, pointing out the bald, burly guy behind her in line. "No. That's the one and only time he came in. He gave me the major creeps. He didn't even buy anything. He mumbled something about forgetting his wallet and walked out after the lady."

Dean frowned.

"Well, thank you, Annalee. You've been a big help," he said, standing up to leave. "Hey, don't you want a slice of pie before you leave?" He stopped in his tracks and turned back to her. "Why yes! Yes, I would."

They walked through the small corridor back into the front of the store. She walked behind the counter as he took a seat at the bar. "What'll it be?" she asked. He paused, clearly contemplating his choices. "I'll have the cherry." Annalee nodded and served him up a slice. "I have whipped cream, too," she added, closing the pie dome. "Lay it on me," he stated, sliding his plate toward her. Annalee smiled as she plunked a spoonful of the sweet cream on top of his slice. "Mmmmm thank you," he hummed.

Annalee glanced at her watch. 4:58. Closing time. "Looks like you're my last customer of the day," she said as she locked the front door. Dean cleaned his plate as Annalee flitted about the store, cleaning and straightening everything up for the next day. "How much do I owe you?" Dean asked, getting up from his stool.

"Oh no. No charge." She paused for a beat. "Tell you what? From now on, you get a free slice whenever you drop by," she said with a smile. "Awesome. I guess I should drop by more often."

"Can I walk you to your car?" Dean asked, noticing how dark it was getting. He suddenly felt very protective of her and it wasn't just the free pie she offered. "Oh, I walk. I only live four blocks from here," she answered. "Ok. Well, I'll just give you a ride. It's no problem," Dean insisted with a grin. "Ok, If you insist."