Page 118 of Vampire so Virtuous

“You actuallywantto kiss me?”

“There is more than one way to taste you,ma chérie.”

He gazed down at her, the corners of his mouth still curled, and his arm had slipped back around her waist. When had that happened? How could such a thing happen without her noticing?

When had she began to feel comfortable with him?

I don’t feel comfortable with him. He’s a vampire, and he drinks my blood.

Yet that wasn’t as convincing as it had once been.

“Next,” one of the bouncers said in a bored tone, waving them forward. “IDs?”

Antoine let his arm fall away as Cally pulled her card holder from her jacket and presented her driving license. He reached for his wallet, showing his own license. Cally caught only a brief glimpse, but the name wasn’t ‘Antoine,’ or even ‘Anthony.’

The bouncer pulled back the red velvet cord, then waved them through. Antoine made no fuss as they patted him down inside, and they checked their coats with the young woman at the counter before heading down the stairs.

“Who are you today?” Cally asked as they descended beneath ground level.

“Hmm? Oh, my license?” He winked. “Edmond Dantès.”

“Seriously? And you get away with that?”

“All the time.”

The bouncer at the bottom of the stairs crossed his arms when he saw Cally. “You were here last night, weren’t you?”

“That’s right, yes,” she kept her tone light. “I just can’t stay away.”

He glanced at Antoine then flexed his arms, muscles bulging. “Mike was pretty pissed that you all left.”

“My friend was dealing with some bad news, remember?” Cally said cautiously.

“Why don’t you both stay here while I—”

Antoine took a pace forward. “The club isn’t full, is it?”

“That’s not—” the bouncer began as his attention switched to Antoine. Then his gaze slid past, seeming to focus on a point of the wall behind them.

“Your job is to let people in, correct?”

“Yes,” the bouncer answered in a monotone.

“We would like to go in now.”

The bouncer reached for the door, but Antoine stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “I don’t think you need to bother Mike with news of our arrival.”

“I don’t need to bother Mike,” the bouncer droned, then opened the door for them. The sound burst out like a physical force, fast-paced pounding kicks and distorted bass. Antoine winced beside her.

They walked in together, and the door slammed shut behind them. Like the night before, another bouncer stood inside, but he barely spared them a look, showing no sign of recognition.

Cally leaned up to Antoine’s ear. “Did you do some Jedi mind trick on the bouncer out there?”

“Vampire mind trick,” he said, his hands on her waist as he leaned in. His breath was warm against her ear. “Also, I can hear you fine.”

He winced again as he said it, and she looked up at him in concern. “Super predator vampire hearing?”

He gave her a nod. Then he tapped his nose and wrinkled it.