Page 11 of Every Bite You Take
CHAPTER 7
KYLIE
Isettled into a seat at the front of the Nocturnal Lounge and took a moment to soak in the atmosphere. The polished wood, the colorful cocktails, the framed photos. A strange mix of nerves and excitement bubbled within. Dinner with Damien had gone better than I’d expected, almost overwhelming me. His presence was so potent.
He took the stage, standing tall with his guitar slung over his shoulder, the blazer he’d worn to dinner now removed. The casual confidence radiating from him made my pulse jolt.
“Welcome, everyone. I’m Damien Rockwell.” He welcomed the crowd and scanned over our faces. When he paused on mine, a grin broke on his face. It was the same captivating smile that had disarmed me during our dinner, when I’d felt so connected to him.
It’s just a vampire thing,I rationalized.With rock star allure. Of course you’re going to feel something for him.Just like all the women under eighty in the lounge who appeared to be giving him an appreciative eye. He was a hot, talented, vampire musician. Maybe he didn’t consider himself a rock star, but with his voice and talent, he checked those boxes in my book.
And said rock star worked on a cruise ship, tempting women with a fling. Women like me on vacation who weren’t looking for anything serious.
Right. I should know better. Rock stars had reputations for a reason. One who worked on a cruise where women came and went every week or two. So I had to ignore this strange compelling sensation, thinking we had something there. I knew better—I worked in a bar where hookups were as commonplace as the drink orders.
But when he began to play “Free Fallin’,” his deep voice rippled through me, sliding under my skin. It was rich, haunting, enchanting. I moved forward, hanging on to each word and every note, as if he were weaving a spell around the two of us. My rational pep talk slipped out of my head and drifted out to sea.
Damn, I had it bad.
The next song he played was Audioslave’s “Like a Stone.” I caught myself swaying unconsciously, matching his rhythm.
Piper walked by, snapping me out of my trance. She wore her work uniform with the name tag displayed, and a couple of men dressed in similar uniforms walked beside her. When I’d chatted with her briefly earlier after I’d explored Sitka duringthe day, she’d mentioned she’d be busy getting ready for a late-night art auction tonight.
“You might want to check it out. Bound to be some rich guys, maybe even vampires—since you seem to have a thing for them,” she teased.
“I most definitely do not.” I playfully swatted her arm. “What was with last night? Were you trying to set me up with Damien?”
She pressed the back of her hand to her forehead with dramatic flair. “I had to do something about all that tension between you two before it imploded and took out everyone on deck.” Her eyes twinkled. “Did it work?”
I tried to suppress a smile, but it burst out. “Yes. We’re going to dinner tonight.”
She squealed. “I knew it.” Then she patted her chest. “They should pay me to play matchmaker on this ship.”
Now as she passed the lounge, she caught my eye. She nodded her chin toward Damien and gave me a conspiratorial smile. I grinned slightly before she disappeared with her coworkers.
Damien’s voice turned my attention back to him. It wrapped around me, so low and soulful, touching something deep inside. I glanced around and saw wistful expressions on many faces as they, too, swayed as if enchanted by his song. A bolt of jealousy struck me, and I squirmed with discomfort.
Damien finished his set, and the audience applauded. People surrounded him to chat. I could use a breather, so I went out to the deck below, where an outdoor walking path circled the ship.The ocean breeze hit me and I had to wrap my arms around myself, but the chilly air felt good.
I leaned on the railing and glanced up at the stars. Far from land, they twinkled so brightly. I took deep breaths, inhaling the salty scent while I tried to settle my systems, which seemed to go haywire whenever I was around Damien. I didn’t actually think I’d have a vacation fling on this cruise. What exactly I’d come for wasn’t clear, but it was something deeper, something more personal—and not just to hook up with some guy. I had plenty of bad experiences with that back home.
Steps behind me were followed by his voice. “Kylie.”
A tingle rushed through me and I turned. “You found me.”
He smiled and shrugged one shoulder. “It wasn’t too difficult. I tracked your scent from the lounge.”
“Oh.” His admission left me slightly disturbed. He was a predator. He drank blood. And I still didn’t know how I felt about that—especially since a much larger part of me was attracted to him. Danger and desire were such a powerful aphrodisiac. “Your performance was incredible.”
“Thanks.” Damien rubbed his ear. “Better than the first time you saw me play, I hope.” His gaze met mine and turned devilish. “You see, this beautiful woman walked in, distracting me…” he teased and motioned toward me.
My eyes widened. “Was I too loud? Oh, I was with Piper. We were probably chatting…”
He broke into a laugh. “No, Kylie, you’d knock me off-guard just by standing still, like you’re doing now.” He stepped closer and stared down at me. “Your eyes.” He raised his hand to lifta strand of my hair. “Your vibe.” Then he trailed his knuckles along my cheek. “Your skin.” Moving down, he used his thumb to rub my lower lip. “Your mouth.”
My pulse sped up and I trembled.
He bent down and whispered, “Your scent.” He inhaled. “I’ve never smelled anything like it.” His eyes closed halfway. “It does something to me. Knocks me off-kilter. Makes it hard to keep control.”
