3. Hale
My eyes haven’t left the sexy stranger since I caught his scent. I forced myself away for my own good. Being close to him for even a few minutes was a heady experience. I’ve never met a mortal who smelled like he’d discovered all my favorite things and curated a fragrance from it.
“He’s definitely pretty.”
I look over my shoulder at Tiago, who’s leaning on the bar. “Who?”
He chuckles, shaking his head. “Who? Good one, man. You haven’t stopped staring at the newb since you laid eyes on him.”
I chuckle. “That obvious, huh?”
“A bit, yeah. He came and got a cocktail. Good energy. Definitely something intriguing in him.”
“What do you mean?”
“On the surface I feel his desire for excitement, but underneath that, driving him, is something deeper. Maybe he’s been repressed or held back somehow. Jade found a good one. He’s ready for this.”
My chest flutters at Tiago’s words. “He smells like paradise.”
Tiago chuckles. “Not to me. He just smells mortal.”
“Hmm.” I watch Yannis bounce to the music on the edge of the dance floor before two women surround him and he joins them. A strange tug in my chest causes me to clear my throat. “He told me he’s straight, so I must have come across pretty interested.”
Tiago nods, glancing down the bar to check for customers real quick before returning his gaze to the dance floor. “Not surprising, seeing as you never talk to or approach clientele unless you have to. Are you going to pursue him?”
Am I? Could I choose not to? Right now, that answer feels like a no. It’s not just that he’s attractive and smells good, but like Tiago said, there’s something about his energy that drew me from the back of the club to right in front of him, as if he had me on a chain.
“He’s not my usual type.”
“You have a type?” Tiago asks, nudging my arm with a chuckle. “I’ve never even seen you look twice at someone.”
“It’s been a while, but…” I drag my hand through my hair as past lovers flit through my mind. “I tend to be drawn to petite, soft men, but Yannis is…”
“Not petite or soft. He looks like he’s carved from marble.”
My gums throb in response to the accurate description. “I guess there’s a first time for everything, even in the long life of a vampire.”
Tiago squeezes both my shoulders from behind. “I think you should go for it. You’ve been living like a damn saint for years now. It’s okay to want something for yourself.”
As Tiago’s words float around me, I continue watching Yannis. He steps off the dance floor and glances around for a moment before he’s stopped by Rhett and Willow. Rhett typically works the door, and Willow, well I guess he’s our resident incubus. He’s also a notorious seducer, which makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up when he touches Yannis’s arm.
Yannis looks slightly uncomfortable, but when he looks up and meets my gaze, I can feel his relief even from across the room. He’s speaking and gesturing in my direction, so I focus, blowing out an unneeded breath to tune out my surroundings.
“…his name is Hale.”
Rhett and Willow turn in my direction and Rhett nods in acknowledgment.
“Okay, cool, man,” Rhett says. “Hale can tell you all about the inner workings of Lair if you’re interested in returning. We’re always looking for new blood.”
Willow snorts.
I’m moving in that direction before I’ve consciously decided to. Rhett and Willow fade away into the crowd, leaving me alone with Yannis. I had planned to give him space but with my name on his pretty lips, I couldn’t resist another interaction.
“Are you having a good time?”
Yannis nods, glancing at his empty glass. “It’s unique.”
“What were those men asking you?”
“If I lived in New Onyx and if I was looking for work.”
Ah. They were recruiting him. “And?”
“I do, and I don’t have a job yet, but I’m not sure what I want to do for work.”
“What did they say to that?”
“The taller one told me he could tell me about stuff here and then I mentioned I had met you.”
I nod, practically vibrating with the need to touch him somewhere. Up close, he’s fucking gorgeous, but it’s more than his face. It’s that intangible something Tiago was talking about.
“There are things about Lair that are…” I tilt my head back and forth for a second. “Outside the norm. If you spend more time here, you’ll be exposed to those things.”
Yannis nods, holding my gaze. “The other guy told me I had a vibe that suited Lair.”
Anything Willow had detected would have been about his sexual energy. “I would agree with that statement.”
He sways toward me slightly before catching himself. Laughing softly, he looks down at his empty glass. “That drink must have gotten to me.”
“I can make sure you get home safely.”
Yannis nods, glancing over his shoulder. “I like it here. Do I have to have a card or something to come back?”
“No. You’ll find us again.”
A pretty smile spreads across his lips. “Okay, good.” He holds my gaze before letting out another laugh and turning away. “I think I’ll go. When do you work again?”
“I’m always here.” I take his empty glass. “Let me walk you out and get you into a car.”
“Oh, uh, yeah. A car is good. I don’t…” He pauses, tilting his head. “I don’t exactly remember how I got here.”
“That happens.” I place my hand around his bicep and the contact stirs my insides, sending heat through me. It’s been a long time since I’ve reacted to another this way. How intriguing. “Where do you live?”
“Midtown. Not the nicest place, but it’s clean and the neighborhood is decent.”
I walk us toward the door. “Midtown is nice.”
“I saved all my money I earned last year by moving back in with my folks.” He scoffs a laugh. “That sucked, but it was worth it so I could get out.”
“Out of…?”
“Ohio. I needed more in life, you know?”
“Well, you’ll certainly find it in New Onyx.”
I detect a shiver moving down his spine. “I hope so.”
Rhett and Hemsley open the doors for us. “Summon a car, please,” I say to Rhett.
Rhett nods, raising a hand. We have a few vamps on standby waiting to drive special mortals home from the club. A minute later, a black sedan pulls up to the curb, startling Yannis, who was still looking back into the club.
“Are you sure you’re ready to leave?” I ask.
“Oh.” He chuckles, dragging a hand through his thick hair. “I am. I don’t want to overdo it the first time.”
“Wise. We’ll be here when you’re ready.”
He nods, smiling as he exhales. “Thanks for the ride. I’ll see you again?”
“Whenever you like.”
“Okay. Cool.” He glances at the car. “Okay,” he says again. “See you.”
“See you.”
Yannis slips into the back seat and waves at me as the car drives off. When I finally drag my gaze away, I find Rhett and Hemsley grinning at me.
“Yes?”
Hemsley laughs. “Dude. A mortal caught your eye. Finally.”
Rhett laughs too.
“Yes, fine, I won’t deny it. Yannis is…intriguing. Were you recruiting him?”
Rhett nods. “Yeah. Liked his vibe. Thought he might be good for the donor program.”
The vision of another vampire biting into Yannis’s neck turns my stomach slightly. “How far did you get?”
“Not far. He was nervous until he dropped your name. Figured he needed some more time to acclimate, but if you want us to be hands off, just say the word.”
A million thoughts flit through my mind, but I settle for the most reasonable one. “It’s his decision, not mine, and he is looking for work.”
“Yeah, but maybe you want to do the recruiting personally?” Hemsley says, waggling his eyebrows at me. A slight, pale man with white hair and nearly clear blue eyes, he almost died in the war between Yves’s coven and his maker, but he survived and chose to make a home in New Onyx. We thought his paleness was a result of his injuries, but no, he’s just fair in coloring. He only comes up to my shoulders too, making me feel like an older brother when we talk. In some ways, I suppose that’s exactly what I am to him.
A reluctant smile pulls at my lips. “Yes, fine, I’d rather vet Yannis myself.”
“Is that what the kids call it now?” Rhett teases, winking at me.
He’s a slender man, all southern drawl and wide-eyed country boy appeal, with messy, thick, wavy brown hair styled like he didn’t bother to style it. He has blue eyes, and tattoos cover much of his flesh from before he was turned, but he’s far from an innocent ‘aw shucks’ type. He drips sex appeal, and even more, he’ll rip your throat out at a moment’s notice if provoked. He also prefers trendy suits and urban wear and would rather take a stake in the heart before he’d be seen in a cowboy hat. He’s made that clear when teased about his accent.
Still smiling, I return to the club, aware of the slight spring in my step. For the first time in a very long time, I have something to look forward to.
What a pleasant surprise.