A low chuckle emanates from his chest and vibrates against my back. I can’t blame him for laughing. If I wasn’t utterly mortified with the stupid confession I just made, I’d laugh at myself.
My eyes finally rise up to the wide mirror in front of me, and my breath catches in my throat. Despite the numerous liquor bottles that hinder the vision of the reflection, I can see him clearly. It’s him—the guy I was pretty much openly drooling over.
His hands slide down my sides, igniting a fiery trail as tingles course through me, and I essentially quit breathing. He really shouldn’t be so damn sexy.
“I’m sure you’re not a virgin in that way,” he says, the smile on his face matching the smile in his voice. “I was referring to the fact you’re a first-timer—never bitten. This club is full of seasoned players.”
Swallowing hard, I ignore the glowing red stain that is heating my cheeks. “Oh,” I say lamely. “I’m not. I do this all the time.”
His smile only grows. “If that were so, you wouldn’t have turned into stone the second I got close. Right now, you could be snapped with the slightest movement.”
His hands venture down farther, sliding onto my thighs as he presses completely against my back, and then his eyes meet mine in the mirror. Damn. Those are some seriously blue eyes.
“Don’t say anything,” I murmur pathetically. “I don’t want to get my friend kicked out.”
“The girl researching the place?” he asks, amused. He’s been paying too much attention. How does he know about Marilyn?
Instead of asking questions, I just nod in response to his query.
“And what do you think about all of… this?” he asks softly, his hands sliding back up to my waist, moving against the bare skin that I’ve left abundantly exposed.
“I think… it’s seductive,” I stammer, my voice breaking on the words.
His touch is like fire that is heating everything inside of me while simultaneously igniting small sparks of electricity in me as well. And his too-blue eyes are still fully trained on mine, holding me captive in the mirror as though I’m his to claim.
“Not yet,” he murmurs.
“Huh?” is all I manage to squeak out in my confusion.
“I said not yet,” he repeats, but I’m still confused. “You don’t find it seductive yet.”
His grin changes from amusement to something else—something dark and daring, and I think I shiver. It’s hard to tell what my body is doing right now.
He bites his bottom lip before leaning down and inhaling against my dark brown hair that carries a subtle tint of red. His hands continue to move across the pieces of my bare flesh, and he nips my earlobe, causing me to jump. I can’t see his fake fangs, but I know they’re there somewhere.
“Easy, baby,” he says, grinning again. “I’m not going to draw blood.”
His tone is mocking, and his eyes open up to meet mine once again in the mirror. Those have to be contacts. They’re a glowing blue that can’t be natural.
“When you walked in, you were shocked and somewhat repulsed,” he tells me, nibbling my earlobe once again. “Then you became curious.” He slides his hand up my stomach, and my heart sputters when he moves up even higher and traces the line of my cleavage. It takes all my strength not to swat his hand away.
“After curiosity came a deeper intrigue, especially when you saw me.” He holds my gaze fearlessly in the reflection, daring me to try and say otherwise. I don’t bother, because my gawking earlier left me transparent, apparently.
“Now you’re scared, but fascinated,” he tells me, brushing my hair away from my neck as he starts swaying me to the music.
I want off this stool and in his arms. It almost feels like I’m drunk right now. How the hell strong were those drinks?
“Your body is feeling things your mind is chastising you for, and you’re restrained by your everyday sets of morals and logic. You want to be as free as the others, but you pride yourself on being… more grounded, we’ll say. But in my arms, you’ve almost forgotten that you’re not one of them.”
He pulls me closer, and my head tips back against his chest. I don’t even feel like me right now. It’s as though there’s a spell in the air, and I’m stuck in his thrall. It’s scary how accurate he is.
“You’ve almost resigned yourself to submitting, because now you actually want this. Even though you found it laughable moments ago, you find yourself wishing I’d just do it so you can see what it’s like.”
His lips brush the side of my head, and his hands venture back down, sliding over my breasts without any restrictions or hesitation. Then they work their way back up until he’s gently holding my neck.
“It would take very little for me to convince you to lie down and let me take you in ways you’re too shy to even fantasize about, and you’d be addicted after just one time. Your mind would open to avenues you’ve never thought you wanted to explore, and you’d be desperate for more. All you’d have to do is fully submit—offer yourself to me without limitations—and your entire life would spin on a different axis.”
He takes his time, not making any sudden movements as he gingerly strokes the length of my neck, and then he continues.