her when she goes past them. She must be. Still, if that’s the case, she’s remarkably unaffected by it. Most attractive women are aware of their effect on people. And if there’s one thing I cannot stand, it’s arrogance.
Once we reach the doors leading outside, she comes to such an abrupt stop that I almost bump into her. “Well, Maximus,” she says softly, holding out a hand for me to shake. “It was nice meeting you. Will you be here tomorrow so I can return your coat?”
I take her hand and squeeze it a mite harder than I probably should. She winces and, once again, a jolt of lust shoots through my gut. I want to make her wince more. I want to take her back down into the club, chain her to the wall, or perhaps tie her over a spanking bench, and push her to the brink of agony over and over again until her inner thighs are slick and she’s begging for my cock. My teeth. I press the tip of my tongue against my incisor, feeling the sharp point. “Are you sure you don’t need me to walk you to your car? Where are you parked?”
“Just around the corner. Don’t worry. I’m a big girl and I can take care of myself. And your duty of care to me ends here, doesn’t it?” she says with a sweet, slightly ironic smile.
In more ways than one. “I’ll be here tomorrow,” I say. I don’t care about the damn jacket and normally I’d tell her to keep it. In fact, I should, but for some reason, I really want to see her again tomorrow, even if it’s just for a minute.
What is wrong with me?
“Good. I’ll return this then.” Giving a little shiver, she extracts her hand from mine and wraps the coat tighter around herself. “It’s certainly cooled down since earlier.”
I just nod, suddenly desperate for her to go before I give in to any of the temptations which have been haunting me for the past hour or so.
“Drive safely,” I say. “And… hey. Don’t let your dumb ex get you down. He’s probably just being a dick because his feelings are hurt.”
A flicker of something crosses her expression but then again she visibly pulls herself together. “Thanks. And you’re probably right. He probably didn’t mean it.”
I watch her clack off down the street in those heels she obviously rarely wears, wondering what that last statement was all about. Mean what? Did he threaten her? The sudden protective rage which surges up in my chest at the thought takes me by surprise.
I glance at the sky, calculating how long I have left before I need to be home. Wondering where Sabina lives. The temptation to get into my own car and follow her is strong, but it’s too risky for several reasons. Number one, I’m still on duty and to a casual observer, I’ve spent far too much time with just one club guest as it is. Number two, I would be forced to lurk around outside her place unless or until she noticed me hovering and invited me in. Which would lead to number three—I would come off as creepier than fucking Ethan if she caught me loitering outside her home. And number four: no place to hide when the sun makes its inevitable appearance in just a few short hours’ time. I can’t know how Sabina lives—house or apartment, basement or high up. But I can pretty much guarantee there’d be nowhere for me to safely spend the daylight hours.
Being a vampire is such a fucking drag sometimes.
Sabina’s shapely form disappears around the corner and I congratulate myself on my restraint as I head back into the club. I used to be such a hot-head, but I’ve mellowed over the last few centuries.
At least, I like to think so…
5
Sabina
Fucking, fucking Zeke. How very dare he? Tossing the ridiculous shoes into the backseat of my car, vowing once more never to wear them again, I turn on the ignition and set off on the—thankfully, fairly short—journey home, my thoughts tumbling over each other, wondering abstractedly whether this is what it feels like to be on speed.
His text message was short and to the point: I warned you never to go to Club Toxic.
What the hell is that even supposed to mean? I take a corner too fast and force myself to breathe deeply, to try and regain some control—at least until I get home. Is it