Page 11 of Forever Touched

I would survive this. I had no choice.

As his lips touched my skin, I couldn’t suppress a tiny shiver of revulsion. At the same time, a sliver of anticipation cut through it. I violently shoved the feeling aside, hating it. Hating myself for evenfeelingit.

Sick. You’resick, I inwardly screamed at myself, feeling the angry burn of tears prick my eyes.

At the last second, Heath pulled back and gruffly whispered, “May that serve as a reminder, Star. I could drain you in seconds, and you wouldn’t be able to do a single thing about it. Whatever youfeel for vampires doesn’t matter. The sooner you accept this life, the easier it’ll be. And, who knows?” He paused to press his mouth to my throat, eliciting a small gasp from me. His lips wickedly curved against my flesh as he finished, “Maybe you’ll even enjoy it.”

With that, he let go of me and left as silently as he’d arrived.

3

EVERETT

I was at the same booth as last night, tucked in a dark corner far from the heated press of bodies on the dance floor.

Gaining entrance had been the same. A black mask hid my identity, and a wad of cash allowed me inside with no questions asked. Anytime someone got too close, I warned them away with a dark look. No one dared bother me, but when the clock struck ten, anticipation flooded my veins.

This was the moment I’d been waiting for.

I didn’t know why I was so interested in seeing her again. I’d been with countless beautiful women over the past two centuries, human and vampire alike. A gorgeous face no longer affected me—or so I thought, until last night. Her beauty wasn’t the only thing that interested me, though. There was something about her. Something almost . . . familiar.

I hadn’t scented her. Hadn’t talked to her. Didn’t know if she was human or vampire. I hadn’t even seen the entirety of her face, and yet Iknewher somehow.

The feeling had plagued me all day, so persistently that I’d had no choice but to return. I had to know who she was. Once I did, I could get her out of my system and leave this place behind. My brother wasn’t the only one who’d steered clear of feeding dens for the past century. Being here chafed me in the worst of ways. The memories itdredged up were far from pleasant.

Still, I caught myself sitting straighter as I searched the place for the ethereal dancer adorned in silver. The one they called “Star.” A fitting name, considering that she’d hung suspended in the air like one, dazzling everyone who looked upon her.

When I didn’t spot her right away, I felt a strange sense of disappointment. Then frustration. Coming back here had been a waste. Time to leave before I made an even bigger fool of myself. I’d allowed my cock to dictate my actions, which wasn’t like me. Not anymore. One girl had no business affecting me this way, especially when I was supposed to be on the hunt for more important things.

This place seemed harmless, though, as far as nightclubs went. I’d have to take my hunt elsewhere.

Just like last night, I rose from my seat, determined to leave this place and never come back. But as I did, the music stopped and a beam of light swung onto the dance floor. Not high above, but smack in the middle of the gyrating throng. My keen gaze shot to the crowd, racing over each face. None of them were her.

The crowd suddenly parted, creating a circle around an object rising from the floor. Frombeneaththe floor. A hidden stage. And standing on the stage, grasping a silver pole, was Star.

At the sight of her, cheers and whistles rippled through the crowd. As the stage locked into place, leaving her several feet above the crowd, everyone froze again. Froze and waited in anticipation. She was wearing a similar outfit to last night, silver and sparkly. But it was somehow even more revealing, low in the front and barely there in the back, showing off her supple backside. Her silvery hair was down again, slightly stirring in an unseen wind.

As the crowd waited with bated breath, she slowly pivoted on her shiny silver stilettos, twirling around the pole until she was facingme. When she did, it was like a magnet drew her gaze directly to mine. I was still tucked in the shadows, but she found me anyway. As her eyes locked onto mine, the room and everyone in it disappeared. Despite my earlier pep talk to myself, I was ensnared once more, moving toward her before I could think better of it.

Come to me, her eyes seemed to beckon, filling with flirtatious amusement when I readily obeyed.

Before I knew it, I was at the stage, looking up at her like all the rest of the besotted idiots trapped by her beauty. Pathetic.Iwas pathetic. Apparently, I still possessed a healthy lust for flesh. There was no mistaking how much I wanted to get this girl alone and explore all she had to offer.

She was a distraction, one I shouldn’t be indulging in right now, but I couldn’t look away. Satisfied that she’d lured me in, she broke eye contact and swung around the pole again. When she lifted both legs and pressed her core to the metal like she would a lover, the crowd went wild. Money fluttered through the air and hit the stage. Every time she rubbed against the pole, the money came down harder.

Several of the people around me paired up and began to grind against each other, turned on by the erotic dancing. A female nearby tried to touch me through my pants, but I blocked her without taking my eyes off Star. I was aroused like the rest of them, but I had no interest in the people around me.

The only one I wanted was the silver-haired girl above me.

As if pleased by my undivided attention, Star paused to crook a finger at me. My pants tightened even more, and like an obedient dog, I placed my hands on the stage and leaned toward her. Smirking, she crouched with her legs spread wide. The crowd went wild again. Releasing the pole, she began to crawl toward me on all fours. The sight nearly made me come. Suppressing a groan, I watched her everymove, thrilled to have her eyes solely on me.

When she came within touching range, I didn’t reach for her like last time. I didn’t want her to pull away again. Didn’t want her to disappear. Holding perfectly still, I waited for her to come to me, trying to catch even the faintest whiff of her scent. But the air was too saturated with arousal and sweat.

Inches away from me now, she reached into her top and pulled out what looked like a keycard. In a blink, she slipped it into the pocket of my shirt. So swiftly that I didn’t even feel it. Another blink, and she was back at the pole.

Seconds later, the spotlight on her winked out. Fog billowed into the air, and just like last time, she disappeared. Instead of searching for her, though, I slipped away and pulled out the keycard she’d given me.

306.

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