Page 45 of Seduction in Blood
"Good to know." Then she winked at me before sliding into her bedroom and closing the door.
"I think it's best you stay away from her." I gave Lucas my scariest look, but he just laughed.
"I think Ginger knows how to take care of herself." When I glowered at him, he smiled. "Devon supplied spending money. Perhaps a shopping trip before clubbing?"
"We don't need Devon's money." Hands on hips, I stared him down.
"But we'll take it anyway," Ginger said as she bounced into the room, fully recovered in leggings and pullover. With the wiggle of her eyebrows at Lucas, I could only laugh. She was old enough to make up her own mind. But as soon as I told her Lucas was a vamp, she'd cool her jets.
The next several hours were spent in one of the most posh shopping centers in Santiga Bay. I wasn't sure how Lucas did it, but he didn't bat an eye as we moved in and out of stores, some of them more than once as Ginger decided on what to buy. Lucas finally put a stop to it as the day waned to twilight and purchased three outfits for Ginger and one for me.
The next stop was dinner at a bistro overlooking the ocean. Ginger discovered Lucas was a vamp during one of our dressing room conversations, but the news, while titillating for Ginger, didn't stop her from flirting outrageously with him. If anything, she became more starry-eyed.
Lucas took us back home and crashed in front of the TV while Ginger and I took showers and giggled in the bathroom, preparing for a night of clubbing.
"How did you get mixed up with shifters and vamps?" As soon as she asked, her levity broke down. "It all circles back to me, doesn't it?"
I dropped the eye shadow to pull her around, holding her face in my hands so she was forced to look at me. "Never, never apologize for that. Didn't we say we were in this together?"
Tears formed in her eyes, and I turned on my fierce momma-bear expression and tone. "You're going to mess up your makeup, and I think we've pushed Lucas to the limit on babysitting the women."
She snorted. "Please. That man has stamina. I can tell." And she wiggled her brows. "And I've never done it with a vamp." She kissed my hand before pulling away, blinking and using a tissue to catch the excess liquid before it damaged her mascara.
I sighed at her new obsession with vamps, remembering my dreams of Devon. In the dreams, we never got far enough for me to test the stamina theory. Was it really like that? I inwardly cursed the tingle that coursed through me, centering uncomfortably between my legs.
"Oh my, god! I know exactly where we should go tonight." Ginger bounced on her toes before wiggling her ass.
"I thought you wanted to go to Freddy's."
"Not anymore. Have you been to the Serenade Club?"
"No. Isn't that on the west side?"
"Yep." She lowered her voice and leaned toward me. "Word is that vamps and shifters sometimes go there. At least, some of the regulars seem to know about them. I know someone that works there who could fill us in."
"I think I've had my fill of vamps the last few days." I finished the last touch of mascara and stared at my reflection. What little I'd learned about vamps while staying at Devon's wasn't as much as I'd hoped. No one sat me down and explained all the ins and outs. Anna had been the most forthcoming, but even then, most of the information was limited to etiquette rather than real-life examples. Nothing about the basics, like how often they really drank blood, why they could walk around during the day, or if they could they fly. I snorted.
"Okay. Let's see what we can discover while clubbing with a vamp."
Ginger all but squealed as she raced out to the living room in her three-inch heels and a skirt that barely covered her backside. At least the off-the-shoulder top she threw on covered most of her breasts. I tried to ignore the quick flash that lit up Lucas's eyes. If Ginger noticed them, she didn't miss a beat as she grabbed his arm. "Can we go to the Serenade Club? Do you know that one?"
His lips twitched. "I'm aware of it. There aren't as many vampires there as you'd hope, but if you want gossip, it's probably one of the safer places."
We got a quick pass at the club's door. Having a vamp along meant we didn't have to stand in long lines. Once we entered, Lucas left us on our own.
I was three drinks in before Ginger waved over a woman heading for the back. She glowered until recognition lit her gaze. She plowed through a group of men, ignoring their complaints as they jostled their drinks. It was either her six-foot, lean but muscular frame or her growl that quickly appeased them. She wore a muscle shirt that showed off her tight abs and skin-tight jeans that accentuated her long legs.
She grabbed Ginger and twirled her around. "God bless, woman, where have you been lately?"
Ginger laughed. "Laying low. But I just met my first vamp and had to drag Cressa out to meet you." She turned to me. "Trix is one of the best bartenders around."
Trix grabbed a stool from another table, growled at the customers when they began to object, then plopped down between Ginger and me. "So, you got your netherworld cherry popped, huh?"
"Not as much me as Cressa." Ginger grabbed my hand under the table before leaning in to whisper in a not-so-low voice considering the ear-shattering music. "But I've got my eye on her bodyguard over there at the end of the bar."
Trix turned toward Lucas leaning against the bar, sipping a drink as he kept an eye on the room, his gaze constantly roaming. When he noticed the women staring at him, he lifted his glass with a wry smile. Had he heard Ginger over the crowd and loud music? Trix answered my unspoken question.
"He is fine. But they all tend to have that look about them. Even the ugly ones, and there aren't many of those, seem to have a glow. And I'm sure he's hearing every word about how fine his ass is."
