Page 4

“So,” Laura said as she licked seductively around the rim of her shot glass, “when do you get off?”

I didn’t like the glint in Wade’s eyes as he gazed at my friend, a look akin to a predator hunting prey. It made my skin crawl.

Wade filled our glasses with tequila again and shoved slices of fresh lime towards us. He flipped a checkered towel over his shoulder and yelled to one of the other bartenders. They spoke quietly—or maybe the music was just that loud, I wasn’t sure—and Wade’s face broke out in a breathtaking grin as he returned to where we were perched.

“It’s your lucky day, gorgeous. My shift just ended,” he added with a wink.

My stomach churned and I wasn’t sure if it was the alcohol or the way he was looking at Laura. My friend, however, seemed equally as invested in this revelation as she perked up.

A small gasp escaped my lips as Wade jumped over the bar quicker than the blink of an eye, his hands wrapping around Laura’s waist immediately. He whispered something in her ear and her cheeks burned, though I noticed the way she leaned into his touch.

“It’s time to dance, birthday girl!”

I shook my head profusely and gulped down my next shot. “Absolutely not! I’m not drunk enough for that yet!”

Wade shrugged, his attention fixed on Laura. “You heard her. Let’s go, babe.”

A wild giggle sounded from Laura as she jumped from the bar stool. “Your loss! I’ll be on the dance floor if you need me.”

With little more than a glance at me, she grabbed Wade’s hand and pushed through the sea of people until I lost sight of her. I shivered as the mist flashed blue and red against the glass, hiding much of what was going on. I searched for her fiery red hair amongst the crowd, but I could barely see in front of me.

“It’s bad manners to leave your friend alone at a bar. Especially in a place like this.”

Goosebumps rose across my arms as I spun around and came face to face with Nathaniel Tusker. Tusker was infamous; one of the first Known to share himself with the world and notoriously ruthless in life and business. He had a penchant for leaving a trail of blood and bodies wherever he went, though nobody seemed to do anything about it. He wasthatinfluential—nobody ever touched him.

“I - uh -” I stuttered over my words as I took in the man before me.

Tusker was always plastered across the news and papers and magazines. He was what I would call the perfect Poster Boy; waves of perfect golden hair and a smile that would make anyone weak at the knees. His skin was aglow under the dark lights ofAmbrosiaand his eyes were captivating. I almost forgot to blink as I stared at him, admiring his strikingly alarming beauty.

“My name is Nathaniel Tusker. I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance before?” He extended his hand to me and his grip was firm, though a little cool, as he shook my hand.

I shook myself out of my trance and forced a smile. “Cecelia, but everyone calls me Cece.”

Tusker lifted my hand and pressed it to his lips. I drew in a breath at the coldness of his touch, ignoring the way a jolt of adrenaline shot through me when the tip of a fang grazed my skin.

“It is my absolute honor to meet you, Cecelia. What a beautiful name.”

I inclined my head slightly. “Thank you, Mr. Tusker.”

He waved a hand in the air and took a seat on the stool previously occupied by Laura. “Please, call me Nate. There’s no need to be so formal.”

Formality was absolutely required in this situation but I didn’t say that. I mean, Laura may have been happy to get all up close and personal with a vampire, but I certainly wasn’t.

“Nate.”

Tusker — Nate didn’t sound right, no matter what he said— smiled again, his canines exposed. Was that deliberate?

“What are you drinking this evening, Cece?”

“Well, I was actually doing shots with my friend before she found something more fun to do,” I said, gesturing towards the dance floor.

Tusker nodded. “I see. Well, may I suggest something for you?”

His voice was like honey, sweet and smooth to my ears. I knew that was a dangerous thing in any man, never mind a fuckingvampire, but I still found myself nodding. Handsome men were lethal in general, but Tusker was another league and here I was, about to drink with him.

He snapped his fingers at one of the bartenders and said something too low for me to hear. “You’ll like it, dear heart. Don’t fret.”

Dear heart? What the fuck was I getting myself into?