“Mina.”I ignored Dennis’brazen laugh from somewhere behind me.“It’s nice to officially meet you.”
“You’re a vamp now, right?”Benji waited for me to nod.“I can tell. It suits you.”His eyes did a thorough search, like he was trying to see through my clothes.
I pretended to be bashful and asked,“You think so?”I knew so, but it never hurt to play modest.
“Yeah.”He leaned a bit closer and smiled.“Can I get you a drink or something?”
“Sure, I’d love that.”
“In a little while,”Mateo cut in politely.“First one’s on me.”
Benji looked at Mateo before shrugging.“In a little while.”He turned his charming smile back to me.“I’ll take you up on that.”
“Come find me. I’ll be waiting,”I said, running a nail along the top of my mostly exposed chest.
He nodded and headed back to his friends. I turned to show my ID but the bouncer waved me past.Ithanked himand practically skipped inside. Either he knew me as a regular now or he was giving special vampire treatment. Either way, I liked it.
I sat on a stool and spun away from the bar, crossing one leg over the other whileIscanned the room for a target. Mina was back and on the prowl. Oh how I’d missed her so.
“You sound like a crazy person.”Dennis stood beside me.
“Get out of my thoughts,then.”
“You know that guy just wants in your pants, right? Up your skirt…”he leaned close and dropped a hand to my thigh,“right between these.”Itslidup, knocking my top leg aside.
“Go away.”I slapped his hand off and recrossed my leg.
“No,” he placed a hand on either side of me, “I don’t really want to. I think I like it here.”
My stomach fluttered, but I was determined to keep a straight face. Mateo was right: our sexual tension was painfully strong. Still, it was a no for now.
“I’m serious. Move.”
He shrugged and took the seat beside me. “You don’t have a good poker face, by the way. But I’ll stay out of your head this time.”
“Is this better?” I changed my blank expression to a fake angry one, making him laugh.
“What drink do you want?”Mateotook the stool on my other side.
“You can choose.”I spun toward the bar, eager to see what he would get me.“Thank you.”
“No problem.”
“What’ll it be?”Asked the bartender who wasn’t Sean. He was decent, probably mid-twenties. Nothing special. I could find better in the room.
“I’ll have a boilermaker, and she’ll have a sex on the beach?”Mateo looked to me for approval.
“I’ve had lots of that.”I laughed at the bartender’s taken aback expression.“I’m kidding. Yeah, sex on the beach is good.”
“I’ll have an old fashioned,”Dennissaid.
The bartender made our drinks and set two on either side of me.“Here you are. And one for the lady.”He gave me the third and I thanked him.“You’re a new vamp, right?”
“How’d you know?”I asked.
“I’ve seen you in here before. I can tell.”
“He changed me.”I nudged Dennis somewhat affectionately.
