He must have said something funny because she playfully smacks him on the arm as she throws her head back in laughter. A low, guttural growl emanates out of my throat as I watch her hand linger a moment too long on his bicep. She likes him, that much is obvious. I can’t help but wonder if they’ve fucked. The visual of her receiving pleasure from him makes my blood boil with rage.
She saunters back over to her side of the bar to continue waiting on customers. It doesn’t escape me that Leif’s gaze lingers on her as she walks away. If he hasn’t fucked her, he certainly wants to. She smiles playfully, probably flirting as she makes round after round of drinks.
It’s no surprise why these two are paired together—the combination is a virtual gold mine. The men gravitate to the brunette, and the women swarm to Leif like flies to honey. Normally, I’d find out who’s brilliant idea pairing them together was and give them a raise. But my unusual reaction to their familiarity will belay that action. Perhaps I’ll inquire about having him replaced instead.
I’m encroaching on creepy patron territory, but I can’t pull my gaze away from her. When there’s a lull in the crowd, I watch as she peers at her reflection in the mirror behind the liquor, attempting to fix her slightly disheveled hair. She doesn’t need to, she’s breathtakingly beautiful as she was. Her dark chestnut hair is haphazardly pulled up on top of her head with small, flyway wisps that have escaped during her shift, which only adds to her attractiveness.
The sleeves of her crisp white dress shirt have been rolled up, and it looks as if she might have lost the top button. Both are a clear violation of the employee dress code, but the way the white lace innocently peeks out through her shirt has my dick growing impossibly hard at the sight of her tanned flesh straining against her shirt.
My fangs throb in time with my cock as I picture running my tongue along the exposed skin beneath that white lace. When her eyes meet mine through the reflection, I can’t help but smile.
When she turns too quickly, I watch, unable to do anything as she stumbles. Leif’s reflexes are lightning fast, and he grabs her before she can tumble to the ground. I’m at the bar in less than a blink of an eye. My speed isn’t something I usually put out for public view. But here… well, I can be a bit laxer.
I lean casually against the bar while she rights herself and peers around Leif’s massive frame. She is stunning from afar, but up close, she takes my breath away. Her hair isn’t just dark, it looks like creamy, melted chocolate and her eyes… fuck me. Her eyes are the most captivating shade of blue I have ever seen. So light, they nearly glow with thick lashes surrounding them.
All she manages to get out once she’s composed herself is “Hi.” At least that’s what I think she says. My eyes have lowered to her missing button like a letch. I smile back, sans fangs, and order myself a drink.
“Macallan thirty-seven.”
She shoots me a look of bewilderment, scrunching her adorable nose in momentary confusion before she finally answers. “Ummm…Maitlin, twenty-nine.”
I can’t help but laugh as she stands staring at me. At the very least, I now knew her age. “It’s scotch. Macallan 37.” I point to the cabinet under the liquor on display. “Locked cabinet, and I’m Jaxon, slightly older than twenty-nine.”
At that moment, Leif comes over and offers his hand. “Jax, I didn’t expect to see you here tonight.”
I take his outstretched hand but keep my eyes firmly on Maitlin as she bends and unlocks the cabinet where my personal stock of scotch is safely locked away. At thirty-eight thousand a bottle, it better be under lock and key. As we clasp hands, I can feel his increased heart rate rapidly pulsing through his veins as his protective nature toward Maitlin takes over.
His firm grip tightens even further around my hand, and an amber glow sparks behind his eyes as a warning. “Stick to what’s on the menu, Jax.”
As if having Leif breathing down my throat isn’t enough of a fucking distraction, I feel a hard slap on my shoulder. Very few people would ever even consider such a thing. And since I am technically here to meet up with him, it is no surprise when I turn to see Zach checking out the same ass that I am.
“Well, well, well, look what’s got your attention.” He smiles like a Cheshire cat over to Leif, whose hard eyes still bore into me. “If it isn’t my now second favorite bartender. How about a round of whatever Jax is drinking for the bar?” he jokes.
That gets my attention. I’m not one for sharing women or my fucking private stock of scotch. Especially a Macallan 1937 that costs more than a fricken car. “Do it, and not only will I fire your mangy flea-bitten ass, but I’ll kill you as well.” I was only half-joking, as both seemed exceedingly rational at the moment.
Maitlin sets the amber liquid in front of me with a smile. “Did you want me to open up a tab for you?” Her question is innocent, clearly not registering that any patron who has a thirty-eight thousand dollar bottle of scotch locked behind the bar might not be an average customer.
“He’s all set, Mait,” Leif pipes in before I can utter another word.
“Oh, okay, then.” She smiles as she speaks, and her entire face lights up.
Zach's attention is, of course, immediately drawn to her. I watch, clenching my fists as his gaze moves along her entire body. His stare lingers on the curve of her hip and again on the ample swell of her breasts. Another strangled, low growl makes its way past my lips. The urge to kill my oldest friend bubbles and churns in me like venom. I want to jump over the damn bar, toss her over my shoulder, claim her as my own and not emerge from my bed until we’re both too sated to move.
Fuck, I need to get out of here before I do just that. I also need to call Kap and have her secure me a donor before I leave the Lenox. If I don’t, there will be no way I’ll be able to concentrate on anything but hunting down this sexy little minx named Maitlin and sinking my cock and fangs into her—in that order.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Zach’s tongue come out and lick his bottom lip as a devious grin spreads across his lips. “Jax, man, aren’t you going to introduce me to this stunning creature you’re keeping hidden behind the bar?”
“How rude of me. Where ever have my manners gone?” Sarcasm drips from every word as I speak. For as long as I have known him, Zach has only two uses for women—blood or fucking—and he was getting neither from Maitlin. “Zach, this is Maitlin. Maitlin, this is…”
Zach interjects with an outstretched hand and one of his million-dollar rock-star smiles that is usually a guarantee to drop panties faster than the speed of light before I can finish. “Zachriel Seal, at your service,” he says
With a side glance my way, she’s almost asking for my permission to take his hand.
Surely that is all in my blood-deprived mind.
But I give her a curt nod just in case it wasn’t. Tentatively, she reaches out and takes his hand. Even humans have instincts that warn them against deadly predators, and hers are most definitely giving her the fight or flight signal. I watch as he brings her delicate hand to his lips, slowly turns it over and kisses the inside of her wrist where her vein pulses beneath.
He is most definitely tempting me to kill him, isn’t he?
Even in the dim lighting of the bar, the flush of her skin is evident as she pulls her hand from his. She stands there with her eyes locked on the place on her wrist where his lips have just been, clearly shocked by her body’s reaction to his mouth on her skin.
“Zachriel Seal…?” Her voice is breathless, and I can see the quickening of her pulse beneath her pale skin as she lifts her light blue gaze to meet Zach’s. “Just like the lead singer of Destined to Fall?”
“One and the same.” He smiles at her, and I refrain from punching him into next week. “You should come on over to my table and join us. We don’t bite…much.”
“Oh, well… I would, but I’m working.” She gestures around to the ever-growing crowd at the bar. A young guy at the end of the bar holds up his credit card to get her atten
tion, indicating that he wants to order. She holds up a single finger to let him know she’ll be right there.
“After, then. I insist. We’ll be going until the sun comes up. Then we’ll crawl into some darkened hole for some… extracurricular fun.”
I silently watch their interaction until she dismisses him with a smile and a quick “Sure thing,” as she moves down to the other group of men to take their orders.
“What the fuck was that?” I ask Zach as he watches her walk away, nearly falling over the bar to follow her ass. His gaze is focused on the gentle sway of her ass as she moves to the end of the bar.
“What? I was just being friendly.”
“Friendly? I thought you were going to sink your teeth into her wrist right here at the bar. We do have a reputation to uphold that doesn’t follow your rock-star motto of not giving a shit.”
I down the entire three fingers of scotch like it’s a cheap whiskey, not a carefully aged, refined drink to be sipped and enjoyed. When I finish, I slam the glass tumbler down on the bar far harder than I intended and watch as it splinters and cracks under my hand.
Zach pushes away from the bar. “Whenever you manage to pull that stick out of your ass, feel free to come and join us. I have some news regarding Gabriel you might want to hear.” He waves goodbye to Leif with a “Later, man,” and then makes his way through the crowd, back over to his devoted entourage.
I seethe, watch, and wait for Maitlin to make her way back over to me. When she finally does, it is apparent she doesn’t find the scowl across my face endearing. But to her credit, she does manage to plaster on a saccharine smile for me.
“Do you want another?” She looks down at the broken glass in front of me. “And a new glass, perhaps? I think we have some plastic solo cups around here if you’d prefer something less… shattering,” she says as she grabs a towel from behind the bar and rushes to clean up the mess of splintered glass I’ve made.
The moment a shard of glass pierces her delicate finger, my nostrils flare, and my cock swells as the sweet smell of her blood penetrate my scenes.
“Oh, shit.” She looks down at her hand as a single drop of blood hits the bar.
It was nothing but my age and sheer will that keeps me from sinking my fangs into her. However, my resolve is as broken as my patience with this evening. I can feel the sharp point of one of my fangs as it nearly pierces my tongue. I inhale deeply, but it does nothing to curb my appetite for this woman. The air is laced with her scent, and at that moment, I need to possess her completely.
She takes a tentative step back. Even humans know when they are looking into the eyes of a deadly predator. Although most choose to ignore their most basic survival instinct, she doesn’t. Whether it is intentional or not, her body clearly warns her of the imminent danger she’s in.
Reaching deep into myself, I find a single shred of humanity. “You are aware that fraternizing with the guests, patrons, or other employees,” I motioned my head toward Leif at the other end of the bar, “of the Lenox Hotel is strictly forbidden and against company policy, are you not?” Our friendly banter from earlier is now gone replaced by my cold, all-business tone. I need to take control of the situation, and this is the only way I know how, reverting back to cold, heartless business. It has never let me down before.
Her face scrunches, and she shoots me a look of sheer bewilderment. “What are you talking about?” She slides her bloody finger in her mouth, and visions of her lips wrapped around my cock make me grip the edge of the bar so hard, I swear I hear it crack.
“Your interaction earlier with Mr. Seal.” Fuck, I’m being a prick, even for me. She’s a bartender who makes better tips by smiling and flirting with the patrons, but I don’t fucking care.
“Oh.” She laughs, clearly annoyed at my questioning. “Not that it’s any of your business, but I was just being nice. I have no intention of meeting up with him after my shift. And as for Leif, that’s definitely none of your business.” She plasters on a smile and waves at Leif, who smiles and waves back at her.
“Clearly, Miss …”I pause, waiting for her to share her last name. Man, I’m a dick tonight. I need to lock that shit down. At this point, I need to wrangle myself back in and be her boss’s boss’s boss before I rip that finger out of her mouth and suck on it myself.
“Addams.” She deadpans.
“Well, Miss Addams, you need a refresher on the policies and procedures of JDL Corporation.” I stand and lay down two one-hundred dollar bills on the bar with my business card on top. Not that I need to pay for anything since I own everything here down to the last bolt, but fuck it, I’m on a roll. “Might I suggest you and I have a meeting tomorrow before your shift? I have a previous business engagement until nine. I’ll expect you in my office at nine-thirty, sharp.”
Her mouth hangs open in shock and surprise as I continue, “I suggest you make sure to come in proper uniform for your next shift. We have a certain standard I expect my staff to adhere to at all times, without exception.” I am curt and practically demeaning as I spit out my demands. My eyes lower for the briefest of moments to her ample cleavage and that one button just straining to pop open before once again looking her coldly in the eye. It’s a dick move, even for me, but I do it anyway.
I turn and leave her standing behind the bar seething and fuck me if it isn’t the hottest thing I have ever seen. It takes every last bit of self-control I have left not to turn around and get one last look at the furious beauty behind the bar. I grab my cell out of my suit pocket and call Kap as I leave the bar and head for my office. She picks up after only two rings.
I don’t even wait for her to speak before I bark my order into the phone. “I need you to send a donor to my office in fifteen minutes.” My control is waning, and the request comes out as more of a growl.
She’s more than used to me bellowing orders at her, but I can hear the slight twinge of surprise at having to get me a blood donor. It has been ages since I have made such a request from her, but the sassy brunette has me in knots. If I don’t feed before our meeting tomorrow night, I won’t be able to keep my fangs or cock out of her.
“Anything special?”
“Yeah, a brunette.” I don’t wait for her response, I just disconnect the call and make my way to my office.
MAITLIN
All I can do is stand there and watch him walk away with my mouth hanging open in shock at the utter audacity he used in speaking to me. Who the fuck does he think he is, anyway?
“Fucking asshole,” I mumble while I stand up on my tippy toes to look to see if he glances back in my direction before he’s out of sight. Nope, no such luck. Not even a backward glance. Just gone.
I must be entirely off my game, having misread every flirty signal I thought he was tossing my way. Especially after the verbal beat-down he gave me over the dress code, of all things. It’s not like he didn’t have his eyes plastered on my tits from across the bar. And a meeting in his office tomorrow—is he nuts? He’s not my boss, and Jackie, the bar manager, has seen me plenty and never once commented negatively on my uniform.
“What. An. Asshat,” I spit out at no one in particular, although I did get a few no fucking kiddings from several women who are trying to unsuccessfully vie for Leif's attention.
“Who?” Leif asks as he sidles up next to me as the crowd dies down. It’s customary that we restock glasses and any liquor we are running low on as the night progresses. But tonight I need to vent.
“That Jaxon guy. He was all flirty and fun then turned into a giant… douche nozzle.” Okay, so douche nozzle might not be the most mature name to call him, but it’s the most accurate. “Seriously, what the hell is wrong with me? Am I so far off my game that I can’t tell the difference between flirting and just being nice? Maybe I need to get laid.”
I drop my head in defeat, and when I look back up at Leif for some confirmation, or maybe a kind word to debunk my funk, I find him standing there with his mouth hanging open, looking as tho
ugh for the first time, he is at a complete loss for words.
He pulls his hands partway through his blond hair, letting them rest atop his head. He probably isn’t even aware that he stands flexing his massive biceps as he searches for something to say. “I don’t know Mait. I don’t think anything is wrong with you… physically.”
I squint my eyes at him and crook my jaw, a habit several people have felt the need to mention on numerous occasions when I became annoyed. “Please tell me you’re going to preface that statement with a but. Because if that’s your way of making someone feel better… you suck at it.”
He towers over me as he places an arm around my shoulder and squeezes me to him. “You deserve a great guy who will put you before everything and treat you like a goddess. Sadly, that guy isn’t going to be me. And it most definitely isn’t going to be some billionaire who thinks he’s better than everyone.”
“Billionaire?” I lean my head into him and let out a deep sigh of frustration. “You’re just making it worse. I’d feel better if he were some broke hot guy who thinks I’m too high maintenance for him, so he has to walk away.”
“That’s what I meant. He’s a broke billionaire, maybe not even a millionaire anymore,” he jokes. “However, I’d be happy to help you out with the theory that maybe you just need to get laid.”
I playfully smack his rock-hard stomach, and he flinches.
Jesus, is he made of stone under his skin?
“Thanks for the offer, but I don’t want it to get weird around here after you fall head-over-heels in love with me, and I’m forced to leave you for the next rock star or cocky billionaire who happens to glance my way. Besides, I think of you more like an annoying brother.”
“Ouch. Speaking of cocky billionaires, you should stay away from him. All kidding aside, he’s … moody.” He kisses the top of my head like I’m a child that needs looking after. “Besides, you’re too good for him.”
Jaxon (Blood Angel Chronicles Book 1) Page 3
