Page 4 of Thirsty for the Bartender

EMRIS

“So, are you ready to focus now?” Davian asks as he bursts through the elevator doors and into my office.

I lift my eyes from the stack of paperwork on my desk, shooting him a glare. “I’ve been focusing for the past five hours on all this stuff you left me. I was off for what, two days? I thought you said you’d take care of everything.”

“And I did, my friend.” Davian takes a seat in the chair across from me. “I just need your signature for some things.”

“What exactly did you decide?” I lean back and toss my pen onto the desk next to the stack.

He sits up, straightening his shoulders and holding up a finger as he lists off each idea. “Flavored Bloodka, premade Bloodka cocktails, and a few sponsorships.”

I blink at him. He really made my prior ideas a reality. I’ll give him props for that. The premade cocktails are a good idea and will be a hit with the party market. But sponsorships? Who are we sponsoring?

“Okay, I’m listening. What’re these sponsorships you’re talking about?” I lean forward on my desk, clasping my hands together in front of my mouth.

Davian clears his throat. “Movies, TV shows, the works. Paid product placement. The brand on the backdrops of red carpets.”

I nod, accepting his plan. We haven’t done anything like that yet because we weren’t sure how the launch would go. It is still a human’s world, after all. Thankfully, the launch went better than either of us could’ve imagined.

The phone on my desk clicks, my receptionist’s voice emerging with, “Mr. Coldwell, you have a visitor.”

I reach forward and hold the microphone button. “Send them up.”

Davian and I both turn to face the elevator, waiting patiently for it to arrive. I watch the numbers on the screen continue to climb, wondering who might be visiting unprompted. Maybe it’s Mallorie.

The elevator doors open, disappointment filling me. Not Mallorie. It’s Arman, the travelling wish granter who always finds a loophole so you don’t get exactly what you want. I know Davian won’t be happy to see him after last time.

“Bold of you to show your face around here,” Davian hisses, rising from his chair, his tail whipping wildly behind him.

Arman raises his hands in surrender, grinning at him. “You need to be more specific about what it is you want when you make a wish.”

“I’ll make sure to be specific when my fist connects with your face,” Davian threatens, taking a few steps toward him with clenched fists at his sides.

“All you said was that you wanted to go home to a house full of horny people who wanted you, you never said what age they had to be.” Arman laughs, his whole body moving.

Davian’s voice thunders throughout the room, “So you fill it with elderly people? Like, on their deathbeds, elderly? Are you fucked?”

“Enough,” I command, still seated behind my desk. “Sit down, Davian. Arman, what are you here for?”

Grudgingly, Davian stalks back over to his seat, his tail swishing rapidly behind him. Arman makes his way over, taking the other armchair across from me. They look like opposites sitting there, Davian’s skin a pale pink, while Arman’s is pale blue. Davian wears a serious expression, while Arman looks amused and unbothered.

“I will be leaving the city for a while, visiting a little town called Harmony Glen. Just wanted to pop in and see if there’s anything I could do for you boys before I head out,” he says, ignoring the poisonous glare from Davian next to him.

With a firm shake of my head, I decline. “No thanks, I don’t do wishes.”

“And what a shame that is.” Arman sighs, glancing at Davian with a devilish grin. “So, what’ll it be? Want to try that wish again?”

Davian is lunging at him before I can react, but Arman was prepared, his lower half turning into mist as he floats upward out of the seat. His laughter fills the room as he flies away into the elevator, hitting the buttons rapidly as Davian rushes to the door.

Davian isn’t quick enough, the doors shutting just as his fist pounds against it. He lets out a disappointed groan, his shoulders rising and falling heavily. He’s always had a temper, as most incubi and succubi do.

“Okay, anyway.” I rub my face, trying to get back on track. “What were we saying?”

Davian huffs as he paces around the room, fists clenched at his side. “I’ll kill him if I ever see him again.”

“That’s not what we were saying.” I chuckle, taking a deep breath before I change the topic. “And neither is this, but I had a date.”

“With the blonde?” Davian’s pacing falters as his attention shifts focus.

“With Mallorie,” I correct, nodding. “But, yes. Dinner.”

Davian sits across from me, raising a brow. “Like dinner, dinner, or dinner, dinner?”

“We ate food, and then she practically jumped me, and well…” My body floods with heat as I think of our night together.

He wriggles his eyebrows. “Look at that, you finally had her. So, there’s no reason you won’t be able to focus now.”

“It was never going to be a one-time thing, Davian.” I glare at him, furrowing my brows. “I plan on seeing her again. Many more times. As many as she’ll let me.”

His eyebrows shoot up, mouth hanging open a second before he says, “Are you serious?”

“Dead serious. You don’t know how amazing that night was. Everything about it was utter perfection. I’m sure even you would fold to a woman like her.” I look off in the distance, my fingertips tingling as I remember the feeling of her skin.

“Maybe I’ll have to give her a try then,” Davian taunts.

My attention snaps to his smirking face, and the rage building inside me subsides. I know he’s just looking for a reaction, and hell, he was about to get one. Ballsy of him to test me like that. I could’ve been across this desk pounding him before he had time to blink.

I raise a finger and point at him. “Don’t even think about it.”

“I’m just kidding. There are many other humans for me to fuck. I don’t need or want yours.” Davian waves me off, leaning back in the chair. “So, when are you seeing her again?”

With a shrug, I pull out my phone and shoot her a text.

Thinking of you. When can I see you again?

That is sure to get a text back, right? Fuck, why am I so worried about this? There’s never been a woman who hasn’t texted me back, but Mallorie, she’s not like those other women. She doesn’t need my validation to thrive, and I like that about her.

“Hopefully soon,” I say as I set my phone on my desk. “Time to focus. Let’s tackle flavored Bloodka first. What’s the plan?”

Davian’s expression shifts, his tone becoming serious. “We find a fruit supplier, strike a deal with them, and then have fresh, fruity blood-vodka.”

“Have you scoped out any suppliers?” I inquire, picking up the pen and twirling it between my fingers.

“A few, but all are quite far away, so the issue becomes maintaining the freshness of the produce.” Davian’s tail flicks against the chair in agitation. “There’s an orchard just outside of New Bria, but they never returned my call or email.”

I stop twirling my pen, staring him down. “Well, why don’t you go out there and actually talk to whoever owns it? With such close proximity, we can’t pass up the opportunity to work with them.”

“What? Me? Go out there?” He scoffs, rolling his eyes. “No way. They’re missing out on working with us.”

“Don’t be so stubborn. I’ve decided. You’ll go out there sometime within the next week,” I say, the corner of my lips twitching up.

He shakes his head. “No way. I’m a businessman.”

“As am I. I’m also your boss,” I remind him, pointing the pen toward him. “This is doing business, what a businessman does. I expect a contract with that orchard back to me by the end of next month.

His jaw moves in a circle as he stares into me, his tail thrashing about. He doesn’t say a word as he pushes his way out of the chair and over to the elevator, his back to me as he waits for the doors to open.

Ding .

He enters and turns around, his gaze skipping over me as pushes a button.

I can’t help the smirk that crawls onto my lips. Davian will do what he needs to for the business, but he hates to get his hands dirty, and an orchard is full of dirt.

The doors start to close, and before they do, he calls out, “I hate you sometimes.”

“Love you, buddy,” I shout back, hearing his muffled retort as the doors shut, giving me the last word.

My phone buzzes and my hand flies across my desk so quickly that I scatter the stack of papers. I’ll clean them up later. I have more important things to do right now. I scan the screen, my head buzzing as I read the text back from Mallorie.

I don’t know.

What kind of answer is that? I’ve only just gotten her; I won’t let her go so easily. These types of games won’t work for me, not after the night we shared. She’s all I desire. My first thought in the morning and my last thought at night, ever since I laid eyes on her.

You want me to beg?

I send the text, a smile dancing across my lips. Hopefully, that makes her squirm a bit. Better yet, I hope it earns me a proper response. Maybe I’ll just go over to the bar tonight and ask her in person. I need to see her again.

Once I’m done with this stack of papers, I’ll call it a day and head over to the bar.

The Lair is emptier than the last two times I’ve been here, but perhaps that’s to be expected for a Monday night. As I approach the bar, my heart begins to pound in my chest, seeing Mallorie’s blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail.

She glances at me briefly before doing a double take when she realizes it’s me. Her posture straightens, her cheeks beginning to flush with color, and boy does she look perfect.

“Hello, Mallorie,” I purr as I slide onto a barstool, my lips curving into a smile.

She looks me up and down for a moment. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you, plan our next date,” I say, resting my elbows on the bar with my fingertips loosely intertwined in front of me.

Her expression twists, eyebrows dropping and eyes narrowing. “You want to see me again?”

My own eyebrows shoot up my face. Is she serious? Why wouldn’t I want to see her again, especially after the night we had? I thought it was amazing, the best of my life. Did she not feel the same? Is that why her text reply was so vague?

“Of course I do, darling,” I assure her, keeping my attention on her. “Last night was just the beginning of our journey. At least, I want it to be.”

“You do?” she asks breathily.

I nod, raising a brow at her. “Is that not what you thought? Or want?”

Her lips part, moving, though no words exit.

My smile falters slightly. Did I do something wrong last night? She was enjoying it—at least, that’s what it seemed like. Maybe I crossed a line. I knew biting her would heighten her pleasure, but I can’t deny taking some for myself when I drank from her. In all my years, I have never thirsted for anyone the way I do for Mallorie.

“Men like you don’t date girls like me,” she says hesitantly, eyes darting around my face. “And I don’t date, like, ever.”

The same hunger from our dinner date is present in her eyes. The longing is undeniable, despite attempting to mask her feelings with her words. If she keeps looking at me like that, I might have to jump across this bar and show her how much I crave her.

“If you want me to leave you alone, I will, but—” Voice low, I lean forward. “You need to tell me directly that’s what you truly want, because your eyes are telling another story.”

The corner of her mouth twitches, but she doesn’t smile. Instead, she purses her lips, leaning back from the bar slightly to put distance between us.

My heart aches at this, my soul burning for her.

Finally, she says something. “I can’t tell you that…because it would be a lie.”

A wave of relief washes over me, and I wonder if it shows on my face. She is one of a kind, if I were to lose her as quickly as I found her, I don’t know what I would do. My entire being feels like it revolves around her now.

“So, Mallorie.” I eye her intently. “When can I see you again?”

She turns, glancing at something behind her, before facing me and giving a small smile. “How about in two hours? The bar closes at midnight on Mondays.”

Returning her smile, I shoot her a wink. “I’ll wait right here for you.”

Mallorie steps out from behind the bar, saying something quietly to Julius, the owner, as she passes him. He gives her a nod, and she squeezes his shoulder before briskly walking over to me, her cheeks already rosy.

She looks amazing, loose pieces of her hair fallen from her ponytail and framing her face. I offer my arm, and she pauses a second before slipping hers through mine, allowing me to lead her out.

“I will take you anywhere you want to go,” I say, looking over at her. “You name the place, and I’ll make the call.”

A small laugh escapes her perfect lips, sending a fire through me. Gods, everything she does is sexy. If I could, I would take her right here on the street, but that would be rather barbaric of me. Plus, we would get charged. It would be worth it, though.

“I was thinking maybe we could just spend some time together. Chat.” Her voice is sultry as she shoots me a glance, batting her eyelashes. “Get to know each other a bit better.”

Oh, I would like to get to know her better, alright. I want to know her inside and out, the things that drive her up the wall, and the things I can do to make her happiest. I want to memorize every curve, every quirk, and every little thing she loves and hates.

“At the risk of being too forward, we can go back to my apartment,” I suggest, excitement coursing through me.

She shoots me a flirty smile and nods. “I’d like that.”

We approach my car, Jeremy waiting in the driver seat, ready to go. I open the back door for her, watching her slide in. As I close the door behind her, I pray there’s no traffic for the drive back.

I practically skip over to the opposite side, sliding in next to her and telling Jeremy, “My apartment, please.”

He nods once, then immediately starts driving, keeping his eyes forward, on the road.

Next to me, Mallorie lets her hair down, shaking her head and letting her curls cascade down her shoulders. She runs a hand through to the roots, and it does something to me, making my entire body feel hot.

“So, tell me Emris,” she twists so that her legs point toward me, “what is it that drives you crazy?”

Without missing a beat, I simply say, “You.”

She narrows her eyes as her cheeks flush. “That’s not what I mean.”

“Fine, fine.” I sigh, pausing to think for a moment. “Laziness. I cannot stand people who blame their lack of success on others, when they have done nothing to achieve it themselves.”

She nods, her eyes slowly travelling over me. “Now I’m worried you might see me as lazy.”

“Why would I think that, darling?” I scoff, extending my arm so it lies along the back of the seat behind her.

“Well, I know the choices I made are what led me to where I am today. I trapped myself. But I also blame the world for dealing me a shitty hand.” The tilt of her head reveals more of her neck.

I shake my head at her, reaching out and twirling a strand of her hair between my fingers. “You have not come across as lazy, not once. I find you to be quite driven, even just from our brief time knowing each other so far.”

“I have goals, I want to make something of myself. Do something meaningful,” she continues, each word rolling off her tongue with confidence. “I just haven’t figured out what yet.”

I search her face, stopping myself from leaning in right here and now. “I will do whatever I can to help you figure out your dreams. I’ll support you in whatever way you will let me.”

She must be feeling the same thing, since her hand is grazing my thigh tenderly as she leans in, pressing her lips to mine. She tastes like candy, the flavor addictive. I drop the strand of her hair I’ve been playing with, cupping her face and pulling her closer to me.

Her fingers dig into my leg, sending jolts of electricity through me, my cock pulsing beneath my pants. Fuck, does she know what she does to me? What I’d like to do to her? I kiss her harder, my tongue slipping into her mouth and chasing hers.

She pulls away, trailing kisses down my neck and driving me wild. My hand behind her slips into her hair, pulling her head back so I can press my lips against hers.

Sliding over me, she straddles me tightly. Her fingers find their way into my hair, the sensation of her nails raking against my scalp increasing my hunger for her.

Her other hand fiddles with my necktie, loosening it as she works her way down my neck again, sucking gently with each kiss. Fuck, this woman will be the death of me. She owns me. All of me.

I briefly open my eyes, noticing that Jeremy has closed the little window that separates the front from the back. Good man, giving us privacy. I wouldn’t want Mallorie to feel disrespected.

As she sucks on my neck again, this time harder, my eyes flutter closed once more. My hands grip her hips tightly, gently guiding her to grind against me. She moves harder against me, each sway of her hips getting closer and closer to me, my pants feeling like they might just rip.

The weight of her disappears, as do her lips from my collarbone, and my eyes open in disappointment. It quickly turns to excitement, anticipation, as she slides from my lap to her knees, between my legs, dragging her fingertips down my chest slowly as they make their way to my belt.

This time, I don’t stop her from undoing it. She slides it off of my waist so quickly, you’d think she designed the belt, then her fingertips gracefully but eagerly undo the button and zipper of my pants.

She looks up at me through her eyelashes, her eyes ignited with a fire. Just the way she gazes at me pushes me to the edge, the power she holds unbeknownst to her. Her eyes tell me more than her touch, and her touch tells me a lot.

Her full, dark-red lips are parted, and I can’t help myself as I bring my hand to her face. I cup her jaw, tracing my thumb over her lips and pulling down slightly on the bottom one.

My breath hitches as she begins to grab at my cock through my boxers. I tense up, a fire rushing through my chest and cock pulsating under her touch.

Her teasing continues as she drags her other hand across the band of my boxers, but doesn’t pull them down. A devilish smile dances across her lips, and I grab her wrist, lowering my head and capturing her lips with mine.

“I didn’t tease you this much,” I warn as I pull back from her lips.

Whatever she wants to do to me, I guarantee I can do much worse in return. I could make her beg me for release, for one more second of pleasure. Yet, she could do the exact same thing to me. She has me close to begging now.

She pulls her wrist from my grasp, using both hands to pull down my pants and boxers. My erection springs free from its cotton prison. Her eyes widen at the sight of it.

Gingerly, she wraps one of her soft hands around my length, applying pressure as she strokes me up and down. I tilt my head back slightly, keeping my gaze cast down at her.

Her eyes flutter up, meeting mine, and she moves forward, dragging her tongue slowly up the side of my shaft, her lips sucking gently when she reaches the tip.

Fuck.

A moan leaves me. This must please her, as she wraps her lips around the tip. Her grip tightens as she strokes me, her head beginning to bob up and down as she slowly increases the amount she takes into her perfect little mouth.

I rake my fingers through her hair, gripping a section near the back, guiding her gently. Her tongue swirls around the head of my cock as her lips create a suction, her hand still stroking me hard and fast.

As I moan again, it hitches in my throat as her free hand begins to play with my balls. Holy fuck, she’s a witch, no, a goddess. Her touch is tender but sure, totally in control of every move she makes.

The car slows, a knock on the little window telling me that we’ve arrived at my apartment. Mallorie very slowly, still sucking all the way up, takes her mouth off of my cock, staring up at me with lust-filled eyes.

Quickly, I pull my boxers up, then throw the car door open. I slip out first, reaching back and taking her hand to lead her inside. Everything is a blur, speedwalking through the lobby and mashing the buttons for the elevator.

Once we’re inside the small space, I can’t help myself, pushing her up against the wall and smashing my lips to hers. I grip her hip, my other hand exploring all of her.

She wraps her arms around my neck, pulling me closer as her tongue enters my mouth, demanding attention.

Gripping her thigh, I pull her leg up, reaching under to grab a handful of her sweet, sweet ass.

I slide my hand down from her hip, dragging it between her legs and gently beginning to rub circles over her pussy. Her lips part, her gasp escaping against my mouth. The sound makes me wild, and I nudge her head to the side, peppering kisses down her jaw until I reach her neck.

With my fangs, I nip at her, each little nibble ending with me firmly sucking on that spot of her neck.

Her hand tangles in my hair, the other still gripping the back of my neck tightly.

I hoist her up, using the wall to help support her as I continue to fondle her, the scent of her arousal filling the elevator. She presses her neck into my fangs at my next tease, making me break the skin, her blood trickling into my mouth.

Fuck, she’s incredible. I latch on, sucking at her neck and blood, earning a soft moan. Music to my ears. The ding of the elevator doesn’t discourage me, and I hold her up as I whisk her out of the elevator.

There’s not a moment that I put her down, kissing and drinking from her neck as we stumble down the empty hallway to my apartment door. A perk of living in the penthouse—I have no nosey neighbors. We could fuck here in the hallway if we so desired.

As I press her back against my apartment door, I remove one of my hands from under her, fumbling in my pocket for my keys. I can’t unlock the door fast enough, and as soon as I do, I shove it open, using my vampire speed to have us in my bedroom in the time it takes to blink.

Laying her out on my bed, I pull off of her neck. She drops her hands from around me to start fumbling with the buttons on my shirt. I get to work, shuffling her pants down her hips, then shimmying them off of her.

My eyes roll back in my head at the sight of her red, cotton thong, already soaked. Her scent is irresistible, combining in the air with the remnants of her blood, my hunger for her growing.

Urgently, practically ripping it off of me, she slides my shirt down my shoulders. I toss her pants aside, and she arches her back as she pulls her t-shirt off, her curls falling perfectly around her while revealing a matching bra. She’s so sexy it physically hurts.

My pants are off in an instant, then I’m pinning her to the bed, one of my legs pressed firmly between hers. I grip her jaw in one hand, directing her lips to meet mine, my other already under her bra to play with her nipples.

I pull back briefly, just to look at her once more. Her eyes sparkle as she slowly scans up me, everything feeling like it goes silent as her gaze meets mine. In this moment, my entire world, my whole being, revolves around her. She is the reason I take my next breath, the only reason a smile graces my lips.

I lean down, capturing her mouth in a deep, breathless kiss. She is the air that I breath. Her hands travel over every inch of me, nails dragging down my back to the band of my boxers.

She shuffles them down once more, and I move my leg from between her thighs to allow her to remove them fully. As I break the kiss, I take a deep breath, reaching behind her and unclasping her bra with one hand. I slip it from her arms in one quick motion, tossing it aside.

A flirty little giggle escapes her, her lips curving up. “You’re efficient.”

“And you’re perfect,” I whisper, lowering my head to her chest.

Her back arches slightly, a soft moan leaving her lips. I grip her hips with both hands, yanking her toward the edge of the bed and swiftly removing her panties. She spreads her legs wider as I drag my hands down her thighs.

I pull back from her, taking in all of her. In my entire lifetime, I’ve never seen a woman this beautiful. My dick throbs, begging to be submerged in the warmth depths of her. My ears beg to hear her scream my name.

My fingertips find her clit, swirling around it in fast circles. With my other hand, I ease two fingers inside her, pumping them in and out rhythmically. She pulses around my touch, writhing below me as moans float through the air.

Her juices drip around my fingers, soaking me and making my cock throb even more. She’s ready for me, but I want to hear her say it. No, I need to hear her say it. I force my eyes up, meeting her gaze amidst the string of gasps she lets out.

“Tell me what you want,” I order, my voice husky.

Moaning, she whispers, “Fuck me.”

“I can’t hear you,” I purr, enjoying the sight of her eyes rolling back.

“Fuck me, now,” she manages to choke out, much more demanding, her eyes snapping to mine. “Please.”

My lips curve up. Denying her would be impossible, nor do I want to. I remove my fingers, lining my cock up with her entrance and slowly pushing my way inside of her. My tip throbs with pleasure as her walls squeeze it.

Her gasp syncs with my own moan as I slide more of my length inside of her, giving her all of me. I grip her hip, holding her steady as I begin to pick up my pace, slamming my cock in and out of her while playing with her clit.

As she clenches around me, her back arching even more, I let out shaky breaths. Her moans intertwine with mine, creating a chorus that is music to my ears. I angle myself closer to her, allowing me to hit her G-spot.

“Emris…” She takes a sharp breath as my name flows from her pretty lips.

Her pussy squeezing around me feels so fucking good, I could come right now. But not yet, not without her. Her shaking legs and panting telling me she’s close too.

Leaning down, I capture one of her hardened nipples in my mouth, sucking at it while I continue rubbing with her clit and fucking her hard.

Her breath hitches, a deeper moan escaping her as her walls tighten around me, sending me to the edge. Pleasure rushes through me as I groan against her skin, the world narrowing to this moment with her as I fill her with my cum. Shuddering through the residual waves of pleasure, I slowly withdraw.

Her chest rises and falls heavily as I gaze down at her, those ice-blue eyes making me feel weak.

“Well,” she says breathily, wriggling her eyebrows. “Round two?”