Page 47 of Deadly Cravings

That couple in the corner weren’t making out, it was a vampire feeding and the guy being fed onreallyenjoyed it by the tent in his pants.

A human manned the bar, and he served blood red mixed drinks, complete with the salt topping the rims.

“Asher,” a voice called out. I dragged my attention to the two women approaching. Asher’s grip tightened around my waist.

“Make sure you head to the bar, he’s the one with the pullover collared shirt. I’ll keep my attention on you the entire time.” I stifled the shiver prodding my skin at his whisper grazing my ear.

The women stood in front of us, but I could have been making a whole spectacle of myself and I wouldn’t have existed since their full attention was on Asher. He stepped away fromme, leaving me bereft and cold. I attempted to hide the strain tightening my face when the two girls pressed into his sides, hands at his chest as they stared up at him.

My lips flattened and my stomach ached. It was a good thing I hadn’t gotten the words out earlier; I would have made a fool of myself.

Asher’s hands hung over their shoulders.

“Sweets,” he purred. “Long time no see.”

The girls grinned.

Sure, his attention would remain on me. I scoffed and fluffed my hair to nip the crawling sensation skirting up my neck.

Even though he’d warned me, I’d foolishly hoped that he would at least not be with another, or bite another so soon after we’d been together. He was my first fucking experience after all, but that was obviously a tall order. Asher leaned to say something into one of their ears, his nose near her neck. I swiftly turned my back before I did something embarrassing.

The urge to smack him tingled my palm and I fisted my hand. I was not a violent person, so the desire threw me for a loop. Looked like one major difference in creating the fictional vampire world in my novels was that the ones I created were faithful.

My heels clicked as I navigated to the bar, and fortunately, no one tried to get bite-y with me.

I set my elbows on the counter next to the preppy-looking vampire and squeezed my eyelids tightly. I needed a moment, but with closed eyes, I couldn’t help but see the image of Asher leaning over that woman. It soured my stomach.

I fully understood it wasn’t my business who he bit or slept with, but it stung. Caring was the epitome of stupid—surrounding myself with vampires must have incited some sort of psychological breakdown.

I puffed out my cheeks.

“Just take a little more,” a feminine voice said from my other side. She squished herself against the male vampire leaning back with his elbows on the bar top. Her neck was riddled with scars, bite marks from vampires feeding on her.

He stared over the woman’s head, eyeing the dance floor.

“Please,” she whined. The tone grated on my ears and the vampire didn’t seem happy about it either.

“I said no, blood-whore,” he hissed. This was a blood-whore? I wasn’t begging for it like this. She reminded me of an addict, the shifting gaze, the tapping fingers . . . I didn’t behave that way.

She pawed at his chest, and he shoved her so hard her elbow slammed into me, sending me teetering to the side.

She didn’t turn to acknowledge me. Her attention was fully on groping the vampire. She seemed out of her mind with desperation.

“Inconsiderate, eh?”

I whipped my head toward the preppy vampire. He was conventionally attractive in a stereotypical college-bro kind of way. And he stared at me with deep-set eyes. My skin crawled. This vampire held no humanity in his expression, no emotion.

“Mhm.” I forced a smile and straightened from my slouch. His gaze caressed my face and dropped to my body. His body leaned slightly closer, and his nose flared. His pupils dilated and a chill skittered up my spine.

“You seem out of place.” I barely held back from wrinkling my nose at the interest in his tone. Swiveling the barstool toward him, I worked on relaxing my shoulders while the urge to run traveled through my veins. I released the excess energy by bouncing my foot.

“Am I that obvious?” I tried for a coy tone. The vampire’s lips quirked. He was attractive, there wasn’t a doubt about it, but after being exposed to the vampire’s next door, his beauty paled in comparison.

“Tell me, how did a succulent morsel like yourself make it in here without a vampire on your arm.” His tone lowered like it had when Jax tried to compel me. I slightly lowered my head, not breaking eye contact. Asher coached me on this potentially happening.

“A tall Viking looking guy brought me. Shoulder length blond hair, blue eyes, slight accent.”

“Point him out to me.” He leaned closer and the overwhelming scent of blood wafted to my nose. I scanned the crowd and lifted a finger in Asher’s direction where he had his back to me, head lowered to listen to whatever the woman said. I dug my fingernails into the wood of the stool.

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