Nik’s irritation rose. The shit this female stepped into. He scaled the railing, shoved through humans, and stopped in front of her. The demon took one look at him and scrammed. Music blasted even louder this close to the dance floor and reverberated inside his skull. Nik ground down on his teeth.
Seeing him, Shadow rolled her eyes lined with black make-up. “Keeping tabs on me now, Guardian?”
“For someone who doesn’t have money, how did you get in?”
“Who said I needed money?” She cast him a sultry stare beneath her lush, dark lashes. “I just smile, and men fall over themselves to get lucky.”
Nik knew she was baiting him, but annoyance surged.
“Bartender?” She swiveled back to the counter. “Another. Make it a pink gin and tonic. Put it on his tab.” She flicked her thumb to him.
At his flat stare, she arched an eyebrow. “Well?”
Nik had to rein in the urge to kiss the daylights out of her taunting mouth. Barely hanging onto his control, he removed a bill from his pocket, leaned past her, and dropped it on the counter. And her soft feminine scent enclosed him, scattering his thoughts. He pulled back.
“Wow, so gracious.” A smile curved that tormenting lips as she picked up her fresh drink. “You sure know how to treat a girl, Guardian.” Then she, oh, so slowly, licked the fucking rim of the glass, eyes gleaming with mirth...at rattling him?
“I wanna dance. Do you dance, Guardian?”
He folded his arms and merely stared at her.
“Nah. Thought not…” Tightass.
Nik clenched his teeth. She might have said it under her breath, but he heard.
“Ooo-kay then.” She set her glass on the counter and cast him a brilliant smile, one he didn’t trust. “Keep an eye on my drink, would ya? Don’t wanna get it roofied.” She slid off her stool and, with a little wiggle of her fingers at him, she sashayed past, joining the bopping crowd on the dance floor. Jumping about in her black boots and short, gray skirt, she lifted her arms and swayed to the music.
A demon stepped up to her, sliding his hands to her waist. She laughed and spun away from him and continued dancing to the dark metal number.
How could one tiny human be such a pain in my ass?
Nik pushed through the dancers and grasped her upper arm. Eyes sparkling, she slid her hands up his chest, moving her body against his, her fingers locking around his nape. “Loosen up, Guardian. Or all that tightness is gonna make you blow one day.”
In this place, drenched with liquor, sweat, and the stars knew what other fucking smells, her warm, heady scent invaded his nose, stroking his mind. His formidable control shuddered, threatening to collapse. Desire stirred. If he was gonna blow, it would be because of her.
She spun around, her spine pressing up against his front, her delectable butt swaying against his hard groin. He was so close to hauling her to some dark corner and—
She pulled away, glanced over her shoulder, eyes bright. “Need the bathroom, be right back. Would you get me some water? I’m thirsty.”
And she sauntered off.
Nik gritted his teeth, lust invading him in a flood. Fuck. He wasn’t an untried lad with his first hard-on. He reeled in his desire and glared at her retreating back.
Something was up with her.
In the short time he’d known her, she did everything she could to annoy him, and now she was…flirting?
With him?
Ugh, Shadow stomped down the passage to the restroom. How the hell could things turn this bad so fast? He was supposed to be off doing Guardian stuff, saving the world from evil demons and such with his blonde bimbo, and not be on her backside. She didn’t have enough money to come back here, nor could she put this feeding off.
Dammit. She slammed her palms into the wall of the dimly lit corridor.
“That’s no way to treat those poor hands.” At the low drawl and hint of sulfur teasing her nose, relief swamped her. There was a God. She had to make this quick.
Shadow wheeled around to face the demon. He was good-looking enough, with ebony hair, blue eyes, and somewhat broad features, but it was the dark energy inside him that interested her. Her nodes throbbed harder, sensing imminent relief.
“I can kiss it better,” he rasped, his gaze sweeping over her chest in her high neck, ribbed top.
She cast him a sultry look. “Then let’s find a quiet spot.” Like right now.
Grinning, he leaned closer and licked her face. Gah. What was it with demons and licking?
Shadow swiped her jaw, his dark aura clawing at her. Usually, she got what she needed while dancing, but desperate times and all that. She had to make do.
The demon steered her past the small line near the restrooms to the locked back exit, his hand sliding down to her butt. He expected to have fun. Man, she didn’t have time to look for someone else to feed from instead of Handsy here, not with a certain Guardian on her ass.
Annoyance roiled through her. Darn immortal messed everything up. Now she’d have to take a little more than normal from this demon since finding a couple more males was out of the question.
At the darkened corner of the back exit, he pushed her against the wall. His mouth came down toward hers. Hastily, she dodged, angling her face, and his lips slid along her jaw instead. She tugged at his shirt, buttons popping free.
He laughed. “Feisty, aren’t you?”
“Yeah, I’m real horny.” She slapped her palms on his bare chest, letting her needs sweep to the forefront, devouring the darkness inside him, feeding on its life-giving sustenance.
Yes, she was a damn vampire.
An energy vampire.
“Hades—” He reared back, his red-streaked blue eyes widening. “Ye-aaah…” he groaned as if caught in the throes of a mind-numbing orgasm. “A succubus…”
In his dreams. But true, she did benefit from the similar side effect—succoring spread the donor wide open from pleasure so she could feed from her prey with ease. A second passed…two, three, just a little more—
And then he was gone, colliding against the wall. Nooo! Agony wrenched her like claws tearing her chest, the backlash at her interrupted feeding.
Nik’s blazing green eyes sliced her before he wheeled to the demon, a fist plowing into the male’s belly. He growled and head-butted Nik.
Before hell broke loose on her, Shadow lit out of there, evading the crowd getting in her way. Panting hard, she neared the crowded front exit and pushed through, rubbing the stinging pain on her chest from her broken feeding.
An impossibly strong hand seized her upper arm. She didn’t have to look to know who it was. Nik hauled her through the masses, past the bouncers at the door, and into the alley. He stopped at a quiet spot some distance away from the busy club.
Before he opened his mouth, she yanked free. “How dare you interfere?” she snarled.
“Have you so little care for your life?” he bit out. “You come onto me on the dance floor, then run off and make out with the hellscum?”
“What I do with my life is none of your business!” Like she could ever tell him the truth. “Of course, I know he’s a demon.” And wanting to taunt him, she smirked. “But they’re sooo much more fun. You can’t even dance.”
His nostrils flared. “Then find a fucking human if you need to get off.”