“Stand still,” he says.
“The fuck are you doing?”
“Wiping that guy off your neck.”
“Give me a break,” I tell him, shoving him away. The cool sensation of the alcohol on my neck feels refreshing, though.
Even if Niko’s acting like a tyrant right now.
“Come with me.”
I follow him back into the main room and he finds a spot on one of the long couches. I sit next to him, and across the room, I see that Leo clearly already found someone else to flirt with.
Leo’s already leaning against a wall, close to some other guy’s face, reaching up to tuck a lock of his hair behind his ear.
From my peripheral vision I see Niko drinking.
Not just drinking.
Downinghis drink like it’s goddamn medicine.
“Damn. Chill out on that cocktail,” I mutter.
“You’re clearly steeped in tequila right now. You have no ground to stand on.”
“Can’t argue with that. So, should we take a picture here on the couch?”
Right as I’m finishing my sentence, Niko moves in closer to me.
I feel like I have the breath knocked out of me as he leans over, giving my neck a quick bite.
“Fucking vampire,” I protest.
It’s a complete contrast to the sweet kiss Leo tried to plant on me earlier.
It’s rough. A little violent. Out of nowhere.
Yet my body responds more to that nipping bite than it did to anything that happened with Leo.
“Need to leave a mark,” he mutters. “Next time some prick tries to pull that on you, they’ll know you’re mine.”
Something flares deep in my chest.
Don’t pay attention to it. Clearly, he’s just in a mood.
“Is that what I am?” I ask him in a tone that comes out more teasing than accusatory.
He keeps his gaze on me, cold and unreadable, but he doesn’t respond.
Instead he leans in and kisses me a little lower, just above my collarbone, and my body isn’t as smart as my brain.
I know Niko doesn’t actually mean it when he says I’mhis, but when it feels this good I can’t help but let myself slip into a momentary delusion. Something I know is bad for me, but I’m going to allow for as long as I can get it.
Like an addict.
Like a fucking desperate goddamn fool.
So I guess this is how it feels.
