Captivated (Deep in Your Veins 6)

Maisy came to my side and let out a low whistle. “And Hero of the Hour shall be awarded to … Damien Addams. See how he rushed to your rescue? I’d say the man is done with merely ‘watching.’” She crossed two of her fingers. “Here’s to hoping.”

CHAPTER TWO

(Damien)

Walking back into the club, I cursed beneath my breath.

Christ, that woman.

The thought floated through my head far too often—and always with a note of exasperation. Irrational, yes, because it wasn’t Lexi’s fault that my body tightened each time I even thought of her. It wasn’t her fault that she made me feel so greedy it bordered on possessive. It wasn’t her fault that I struggled to keep my damn eyes off her … or that I’d developed an obsession with her ass.

Well, it was one perfect, tight little ass. And I was an ass man through and through. Eying hers as she walked around the club was a pleasure I indulged in often.

I’d held off on approaching her so far, because I’d known she needed time to settle here and get used to my kind. She’d naturally been a little unsure of vampires in the beginning. All newbies were. They saw us for the predators we were; recognised that they were effectively in a jungle filled with creatures against whom they stood no chance.

I needed her to understand I was no threat to her. I wanted her to see me as a man, not simply a vampire. I was both. Talking to her occasionally might have helped with getting that across, but I knew myself well. Knew that if I got too close too often, I’d lose my resolve to give her time.

It had seemed better to simply hang back. So I had. But there had been nothing simple about it, because I wanted her with every breath I fucking took.

I’d nearly swallowed my tongue the first time I saw her. I’d known plenty of stunning women, but Lexi Solomon … Christ, she was a pretty picture. All that hair. Big, hooded eyes. Fucking killer smile. Perky breasts that made my hands itch to palm and squeeze. And, of course, that phenomenal ass. Then there was her confident, casual, devil-may-care attitude that I found hot as hell.

She seemed more at ease around my kind these days. A good thing, because I was done hanging in the shadows. I’d waited long enough, and I’d been planning to approach her tonight. What I hadn’t been planning was for her to get harassed by fucking Castor. That could be enough to set my plans back, to make her hesitant around vampires again.

Silently cursing Castor, I walked through the club in search of her. I found her at the bar, where she stood talking with the waitress who Harvey had set his sights on.

Lexi’s striking eyes flicked to mine, and there was no stopping my body from reacting. Not when, that fast, a furious need surged through me. My heartbeat stuttered, my blood heated, my cock thickened.

Christ, that woman.

I moved to her and curled my hand around her wrist, feeling her pulse jump. I liked that. I also liked the flash of sexual awareness in her eyes. “Let’s talk a second.” I slid my gaze to Maeve. “Lexi is taking a break.”

Nodding, Maeve smiled. “Not a problem.” She waved a hand behind her. “Feel free to use the break room.”

Not a bad idea. It meant that Lexi and I could have privacy. Cupping her elbow, I led her behind the bar and down a small, thin hallway.

Inside the empty break room, I closed the door. Maybe it was because we were both aware of how very alone we now were that the air immediately began to thicken. I let my gaze drift over her face as I asked, “First of all, are you all right?”

Lexi shrugged, her lips pursed. “Yeah, fine.”

She genuinely seemed it, but it was possible she was just putting on a brave face. “No one would expect you to be okay. Being pushed around like that by anyone can be unsettling. That unsettling shit gets magnified when you’re dealing with a preternatural being who is far stronger than you are.”

“And if he was anything other than a pussy, I probably would have been terrified.”

I felt my mouth quirk. “Fair enough.”

“He’ll really be punished?”

“Oh yeah.” I slowly closed the distance between us. “Humans aren’t second rate citizens here, despite what Castor seems to believe. Neither are women, but he also seems to hold that mistaken view as well. He’ll soon learn that vampires don’t get special treatment round here if they fuck up. He already has two strikes against him. He was warned he’d face serious consequences if he pulled that crap again.”

“I don’t think he believed anyone would follow through on it.”

“Maybe not. If so, he’s stupid. Sam and Jared run a tight ship. It’s necessary for rules to be enforced consistently if you’re going to keep an island full of vampires under control.”