It shattered.
The vampire glanced her way, those elegant eyebrows dipping before her expression smoothed out and she returned her attention to the man in front of her.
Nora’s finger touched a second wineglass. Pushed it off the counter.
The vampire’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t glance her way this time.
Nora pushed a third glass off. Before it hit the ground, a new vampire swooped in and caught it.
Not Jared. This was a vampire she had definitely not seen before. He wore a swallow-tailed coat over a purple shirt tucked neatly into dark gray trousers. His hair was on the longer side, straight and rather choppily cut, and the hand that set the wineglass back on the bar was adorned with one large gemstone ring.
“Would you like a broom, Ms. Lehr?” the vampire asked.
“Where is he?”
He gave her a smile and a shrug and said, “He is about.”
She shoved another glass off the counter. He caught it too and, with a sigh, set it out of her reach.
“I suggested he send flowers,” the vampire said. “He decided on buying Swirl instead.”
“Call him,” she ordered.
“One does not call— Wait!” He held up his hands to stop her from throwing a glass into the wall behind him. “At least allow me to remove some of the more expensive bottles.”
She set the glass back on the counter, said again, “Call him.”
The vampire lowered his hands. “You are causing a scene.”
She let out a sharp laugh. This wasn’t a scene. Not yet.
She started to lift the glass again, but a hand covered hers, keeping it in place.
His body warmed the air behind her. He leaned in close to her ear. “You have my attention, Snowflake.”
She couldn’t stop the chill bumps that spread over her skin. He moved fast, not a sign or scent of him until he was there, half caging her against the bar.
Donning the most unaffected expression on the planet, she looked at him. “You bought this place out of spite.”
“It was a good investment.” He put a small amount of space between them. “For financial reasons as well as for sustenance.”
“You’re one of the Aged.” An understatement. “You have vampires throwing themselves at your feet. You don’t need humans.”
“Every vampire needs dessert on occasion.”
Next time you will scream my name. Nora didn’t know why those words ran through her mind. Maybe it was his voice, that low, rumbling octave that betrayed the amount of power he held inside his very memorable body.
“Is this a bad time to offer a dustpan?”
Nora looked at the ridiculously adorned vampire on the other side of the bar who held out a dirty white dustpan like he actually thought she might clean up the broken glass.
Loud laughter erupted from the corner her friends occupied. The sound grated against her nerves as much as these vampires did.
“Vodka martini,” Nora ordered.
The dustpan-bearing vampire scowled. “I do not wait on—”
Jared looked at him.
