“Enjoy,” I say hastily. Turning on my heel, I move away, just barely dodging the outstretched hand of one of the men. They catcall me back. It’s something I’m used to, especially here. I ignore them and make my way the male who captured my attention the minute my gaze fell on him.
Here goes nothing.
C H A P T E R 4
Z O E Y
My steps get slower the closer I get to the Vampire in the corner. The noise of the bar fades to a dull throbbing beat of muffled conversations and music. The rapid, rhythmic pounding of my heart echo’s in my ears. Flipping the round brown tray under my arm, I wipe my sweaty palms down the abrasive material of my blue jeans. I’m freaking nervous, and I hate it. Being nervous while I’m approaching him makes me feel like I’m judging him, being cautious just because he’s a big supernatural male. People have judged me all my life for one reason or another, because I was a runaway, because of my species, or because I was a foster kid, you name it. I swore so many times that I would never judge anyone and here I am, feeling like I’m doing just that.
I smile, a real smile, as I pull my order pad out of the black three pocket apron around my waist. “Would you like to hear our specials tonight?” I ask as his gaze lifts to mine. A gasp escapes my parted lips before I can suppress it. Holy hell. The man is even better looking up close. Soft grey eyes like storm clouds over the sea bore into mine, stealing my breath. I’d never seen eyes like his before. God, they’re breath taking.
Swallowing hard, I tell myself to look away, break eye contact. Boldly holding a vamps gaze usually means one of two things: either you are challenging them or tempting them. I’m not doing either. Am I?
Damn, my cheeks are getting hot and my heart is racing. Butterflies flutter around in my stomach and just like that, I know what’s wrong with me. I don’t feel scared because I’m not scared. Fear is nowhere in the vicinity of what I’m feeling for this vamp. I’m attracted to him.
Fucking wonderful. Just what I need right now.
“Hello,” he rumbles in a deep voice that sends shivers flowing through my entire body. I feel like I’m buzzing with energy, like I’ve just touched a live wire.
Fire spreads from my gut downwards to the apex of my thighs, heating me up from the inside out and soaking my panties. His voice is like molten fire over my nerves, melting my insides.
“What,” I squeak out. Mortified, I clear my throat and try again. “Sorry, what can I get for you?” I look down at the pad in my hand, telling myself that if I can stop looking at him then I won’t keep drooling like a sex crazed groupie.
There’s a twinkle in those hypnotizing gray eyes, a knowing, sexy smirk pulling up the corners of those sensual lips. Oh, yeah. Mr. Tall, Dark and Delicious knows exactly the kind of effect he’s having on me.
“I’ll take a glass of O-positive and a bottle of Jameson.”
I don’t know which is more shocking to me, the way he orders o-positive blood without blinking like it’s something every bar carries, it isn’t, or the fact that he ordered a bottle of Jameson with it. I mean, it isn’t like I don’t know vamps drink blood, I just never pictured them drinking it with a bottle of strong Irish whiskey. A lot of vamps don’t consume blood in public because it makes people uneasy. Too much prejudice. Too many preconceived notions. I for one, would be happy that vamps are drinking out of bottles instead of from a vein. Everyone must eat. In any case, I learned something new tonight, vamps drink other things besides blood. I wonder if they eat regular food too.
“Okay,” I say brightly but I lose my nerve to do anything other than smile. I want to flirt with him, but I can’t. I’m feeling shy, which is really fucking weird because I’m so not shy.
I make my way back to the bar and stare at Trex. He’s mixing some fruity cocktail for one of the two women smiling and giggling. My brother seriously has no standards. Moves between any spread thighs. Barf.
Right now, he’s flirting with the women so generically, laying it on so thick and blatantly practiced that I can’t believe any female would fall for his shit. They reek of desperation. I roll my eyes. Maybe that is why he fucks them but never falls for any of them. I’m calling it now, the first woman who doesn’t fall for his generic compliments, smooth charm and disarming smile is going to be the one that knocks him on his ass. He won’t be able to get her out of his head and he will have to do a little chasing. I can’t wait.
Shaking my head, I shoot a glance at the shifters in the middle of the room. They are getting more and more rowdy as they drink. They are pretty much catcalling any woman who walks by and that’s not going over well with most of the men in the bar. I shake my head wondering why men behave that way and actually believe a woman will go home with them. Rude.
Grabbing the white bar towel, I wad it up and chuck it at my brother’s broad back. Scowling, he turns his head to look at me.
“Get over here,” I make a come here gesture with my arm.
Bending down, he snatches up the towel and steps in front of me. “What?” He hisses, tossing a smile over his shoulder to the groupies giggling behind him.
“Sorry to tear you away from your girlfriends.” I roll my eyes. “O-positive blood and a bottle of Jameson.”
Reaching under the bar, he grabs a bottle of Jameson and a black bottle that I can only assume is blood.
I stare at the bottle. “How is that you just happen to have a bottle of blood on hand?” I whisper, leaning over the bar.
“I have a friend who works at a blood bank down in Maxton. She brings a few bags up this way when she comes to visit on the weekends, and I bottle it up so no one knows what it is.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Sleeping with your connection Trex?” I tsk. “Not good. You know what happens when shit goes sour? Your connection goes right out the window.”
“Not that kind of good friend.” He smirks. “Her husband does logging up here and she stays in Maxton for work and comes on the weekends. She helps me out. Lots of people help each other out around here. No one minds as long as there’s no trouble.”
“Tell me about him.”
“Why?” he asks narrowing his eyes.
I shrug. “I’ve never really met a vamp. Just curious.”
“I don’t know much about him. He’s got a cabin pretty far out. Works at the mill in Maxton a few days a week and up here the rest. That’s about it.”
I know when my brother’s not telling me something. “So, why go to special treatment for him?”
“I got into a bad spot awhile back. A real bad spot. He was there, he helped me out.” He shrugs one broad shoulder. “He’s been a friend since.”
“He’s such a good friend but you don’t know much about him?”
He shrugs. “Men like us value our privacy. We understand that in each other.”
“Does he always order the same thing?” I grasp at straws because my brother knows shit about this guy.
“Mostly. Sometimes food. Wings, extra hot or a cheeseburger.”
“Food.” My eyebrows shoot up again. “I didn’t know Vampires eat food.”
“Well, how much do you really know about Vampires?” Opening the black bottle, he turns around and pops it in the microwave. “They drink just like us, they eat just like us. The only difference is they need blood to maintain their homeostasis or they hemorrhage and die. There are similar conditions that exist in humans it’s just super rare and they have no superpowers.” A single beep signals that it’s done warming up. He pulls it out handing it to me. “His name’s Markus, always polite to the waitresses and he just sits there and reads a book.”