Page 14 of The Vampire's Mate

They stopped so abruptly they started to choke. James glared at me and nudged a glass of water closer to them. “Keep acting up and I’ll take you home.”

“Is that all I have to do to get you back in bed?”

Shi coughed on an inhaled sip of water, smiling when they recovered. “You two might actually kill me.”

The three of us fell into easy conversation about the bar, Shi’s duties, and what they could expect for the first few shifts. As James’s first drink disappeared, I made my way over to the bar and mixed us a second round, and James offered to make the third.

He hooked a finger in the collar of my shirt, pulling until I leaned into him. “Behave,” he whispered, nudging me to let him out of the booth.

Shiloh looked at me with a bashful smirk as I sat back down. “You’re not going to behave, are you?”

“Fast learner.”

“Good thing I know how to bite back,” they muttered in a tone they likely thought I couldn’t hear before taking a sip of the same mojito they’d been nursing all afternoon.

“You sure you don’t want another one?”

“I’m a bit of a lightweight.” They gave a nervous laugh before they continued. “I don’t want to embarrass myself in front of you on the first meeting—um, again.” They nodded toward where James mixed drinks behind the bar. “How long have you two been together?”

“Hm?”

They gestured to my neck. “The love bites and the shameless flirting? You two are clearly some kind of something.”

My eyes drifted to James. He took his time mixing his drink. I could see the concentration in his brow, how his muscles flexed underhis sweater. I coughed against those stupid little butterflies in my belly. “It’s complicated.”

Shi scoffed. “There isnothingcomplicated about the way you look at him. Trust me, I know complicated.”

I broke my attention away from James and cocked a brow at Shiloh. “Care to share?”

“Nope.”

Wow—not even an attempt to deflect. Color me impressed.

Shi followed my gaze. James was wiping down the bar after finishing our drinks. I’d overseen every part of the remodel—James had wanted me to—but of all the parts we’d rebuilt together, the bar wasmybaby. The new, deep, polished mahogany shone under the lights. The wood had a hint of red, reminding me of how James’s similarly colored eyes swirled with crimson.

Fuck.

Thiswascomplicated.

I didn’t get time to dwell on it before James returned to the table with the drinks, and I plastered my cockiest grin on my face before getting to my feet.

“What’s that look for?” he asked, sliding my vodka and Sprite across the table and handing Shi their water refill.

I decided to tamp down the nerves that fluttered in my stomach. “Just remembering your taste on my tongue.” To amp it up, I brushed my fingers along my neck—right over his mark.

“Christ,” he muttered, throwing himself into the seat and downing his double shot in one go.

I stamped a kiss to his cheek, then stood. “Bathroom.”

A few minutes later as I opened the door to leave, I heard a voice coming from the small alcove that hid the bathroom doors. Oh well, too late now. The conversation they were having was clearly stressing them out. I didn’tintendto listen, but… well, they were blocking the path.

“I told you what time I’d be home. No, I don’tneedthis job, but Iwantit. You know I’m not the type to—” They noticed me and cut off their sentence with a yip. “I have to go.”

“Everything okay?” I asked as they disconnected their call.

“Fine,” they said, perhaps a little too quickly. I watched them silence their phone. “What’s wrong?”

I indicated the exit behind them. “You’re blocking the way.”

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