Page 44 of Kiss of Magic

The nightclub was hot and sweaty. Blake sipped a beer and watched Dani dancing. She moved fluidly, arms in the air and eyes closed, seemingly oblivious to the gaggle of men crowding round her.

He was oddly surprised to find he was a little jealous.

She’s a mark, he reminded himself. And she wasn’t human. He had to keep that in his head, otherwise his thoughts might inadvertently drift to those long legs and curvaceous figure. The caramel skin that looked good enough to eat.

For a moment he remembered the weight of her body on his when she’d put the whammy on him in New York. He grinned to himself. She was a tough one, that was for sure.

He glanced over at her again. One man was pressed right up behind her now and he fought the impulse to pull out his Glock. Dani could look after herself. She wasn’t an innocent young girl.

In fact, she was anything but.

He’d discovered that when the burly doorman at the nightclub entrance had been reluctant to let her in.

“Over twenty-ones only,” the guy had drawled. Dani had laughed.

“I’m seventy two, dipshit.”

Blake had slipped the guy a twenty to look the other way and hustled her inside.

“What do you mean, seventy two?” he’d asked.

“I know. I look great for my age, don’t I?”

“Are you being serious?”

“I’m technically an immortal,” she’d informed him. “I mean, we die of old age eventually. But witches live for centuries. Or at least…” her face darkened. “We’re meant to.”

And then she was off, weaving through the crowd to the dance floor. She hadn’t left it since.

Seventy two. She barely lookedtwentytwo.

It was confusing supernatural bollocks he could do without.

Seriously though, was that guy trying to get into her pants? The man grinding behind her now had his hands on her hips. Dani snuggled back into him, her butt pushing up against his…

Blake slammed his beer down. Right, that was it.

He strode onto the dance floor, summarily shoving people out of his way. When he reached the douchebag groping Dani, he grabbed his shoulder and dug his fingers painfully into the nerve cluster.

“Fuck off,” he growled.

The man opened his mouth to argue, saw Blake’s expression, and thought better of it. Blake watched him go. He turned to find Dani glaring at him.

“Why did you do that? I was enjoying it.”

“He was drooling on you.”

“And you acting like a thug is a better look, is it?”

Blake suddenly felt awkward.

“I came to see if you wanted a drink.”

“I want to dance. And since you just made that guy piss himself, you can take his place.”

“I don’t dance.”

“Oh come on, hunter. Surely evenyoucan loosen up enough to dance for five minutes.”

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