She spotted Mitchell as soon as she walked down the stairs into his club, not needing to show her identification card to the bouncers since she’d become a regular. Mitch called to his bartender to pour a shot of her favourite whiskey and beckoned her to join him at the bar. She walked over to him, her eyes full of emotions whilst her face remained a passive stare, an expression she knew he was far too familiar with, one that meant she needed more than a friend.
He stepped behind her to take her jacket, sliding it down her shoulders and folding it on the bar, before he pulled her head back by her hair and tipped the whiskey into her mouth. She swallowed it down, humming with pleasure at the burn running down her throat.
Adriana watched as he hooked his foot around a stool and pulled it towards her, pushing her to sit down on it as he stood between her legs and kissed her. His hands ran up her sides, squeezing her waist, while hers snaked into his dark hair, pulling him down towards her. He tugged the collar of her shirt to theside as he ran his lips down her neck before sinking his teeth into her skin.
Adriana arched her back at the pain. Mitch had learnt to understand what she needed, sometimes even before she did. He hadn’t been overly forthcoming about his past, only sharing that he had not consented to being turned, but she had never shared any of hers with him either. She didn’t have to, he knew enough about her from her brands, he knew who turned her.
He pulled back and pressed his fingers against the wound on her neck with his hand, his eyes darkening as the blood trailed down and stained her shirt. The white lightning markings on his pale arms, the brand of an Aeris, seemed to flare momentarily, as if his power had been tempted to surge at his excitement. Adriana’s body jolted slightly, as a slight zap of electricity trickled from his fingers to her neck.
“Do you want to go with me in the back again?” he whispered in her ear. His hand continued to push at her neck, dragging out the pain she enjoyed. “There’s a few old acquaintances of mine visiting that I promised to show around, but we could have some fun after? I’m pretty sure my friends from the other night will be coming down later, too. I’d be happy to share with them again.”
Adriana sighed. “As tempting as that sounds, it's probably not the best idea. Last week was a one off and Cass gave me a right bollocking.”
“Your sister really does hate me,” he laughed, his bright blue eyes crinkling at the corners. “Look, how about I promise I’d make sure your arms and back stay covered in there? No one would see anything you don’t want them to see.”
“Come on, Mitch, we both know clothes never last long in those rooms.”
He let out another laugh before he held her face in his hands and bent to give her a quick kiss. “Suit yourself, but you’ll be missing out, Ad. Let me know if you change your mind.” Hesignalled to the bartender to get her another drink as he stepped away, giving her one last wink before he headed to a group waiting by one of the back rooms.
Adriana turned to face the bar, thanking the bartender for the drink that had been placed in front of her. Mitch never charged her, so she’d given up offering to pay long ago. She accused him of trying to bribe her into partying with him, but he simply explained he gave all of his friends a free pass to drink at his clubs.
She contemplated his offer, wondering if she should take the risk and join him later, but she knew it was a bad idea. It was very unlikely her brands would stay covered in the heat of the moment, and she’d end up in the same stressful predicament as last time, worrying about who had seen the truth of what she was.
Finishing her drink in one swig, she decided she should go home, apologise to Cass, and plan to cook her a big breakfast for the hangover they were bound to have in the morning. As she set her glass back on the bar, shaking her head with a polite smile at the bartender’s offer of another, she heard a deep voice speak from behind.
“Hello, beautiful. Do you take or give?”
Adriana raised her eyebrow at the question, not even bothering to turn around. “What are you talking about?”
“Blood,” he explained with a laugh. “Do you partake in feeding or do you like being fed from? Either way, I’ve got a room out back a few of us are going to be in, and I think you’d have a great time.”
She could hear he had a thick Spanish accent, although it sounded like he was emphasising it a little too much at times. Before she could tell him to get lost, a woman’s voice rang out.
“Oh, leave her alone, Nic. She’s clearly not interested.”
Adriana heard the man sigh with a laugh as he backed off. She turned and watched him walk away towards the back room, taking in his dark hair tied into a low bun and the formal suit that stuck out like a sore thumb among the mix of scantily clad and casually dressed party attendees. The man joined Mitch, who wrapped an arm around his shoulders and quickly steered him into one of the back rooms. Adriana could have sworn she’d seen a flash of worry on Mitch’s face as he looked back at her, but it was shortly replaced by his easygoing smile, the usual mischief twinkling in his blue eyes.
“Sorry about him,” the same woman said, as she came to stand next to where Adriana sat at the bar. “That prick always thinks he can get what he wants, it’s great when he gets turned down. I hope he wasn’t rude to you.”
Adriana laughed. “It’s fine, thank you though.”
“Would you like to join me? I’ve got a bottle of wine that I could use a little help with, now that he’s ditched me.”
Adriana turned to look at her. She was pretty, and looked to be around her mid-twenties, with sleek black hair that flicked under her jaw, fawny skin and deep brown eyes.
“Sure,” Adriana smiled, and followed her to sit on a sofa in the corner. It had died down a bit now that several groups had split off into the private rooms, with two men remaining at the bar and a few smaller groups in the booths that lined the walls.
Adriana eyed the couple at the bar, watching as one of the men slid his hand up the other’s thigh. The bartender kept a close eye on them, too. Whilst feeding was allowed in the mainroom, everything else was kept behind the doors of the private rooms. She smirked, knowing they’d struggle to find a spare private room on a busy night like tonight.
“I’m Niamh, by the way.”
Adriana’s head snapped to the woman next to her. She cocked her eyebrow at her as she accepted the glass of wine Niamh held out.
“Oh shit, I forgot you’re not meant to introduce yourself at these things.”
“It’s fine,” Adriana replied with a smile. “I take it you’re new?”
“That obvious, huh?”
