My head turned one way and then the other, searching for the voice. Fuck. I held my head. I shouldn’t have drank that beer.
“Princess?” Tate stood over me, his hand out. “I said, do you want to dance?”
“Huh? Oh, uh, sure.” I let Tate pull me up, my beer having disappeared somewhere.
The next thing I knew, I was on the dance floor, Tate’s hand warm on my back, the other holding my hand. My face pressed to his muscular chest beneath his black t-shirt. His heartbeat pulsed beneath my head, a steady beat that made my own pulse calm.
We swayed from side to side for… I wasn’t sure how long. After a while, my head felt a little less tingly. The witch’s brew was fading from my system. My eyes slid around the room before lifting up to the man holding me.
Tate’s dark eyes settled on mine, his lip ring glinting in the light.
The warm line of his body pressed against mine. The scent of the forest filled my nose and surrounded me. The music made the dance so much more intimate, more sensual. My fingers curled around his neck, playing with the braids that laid there.
Only one other time had I felt like this, a sense of safety and attraction. It may be the lingering effects of the witch’s brew talking, but I had a feeling that Tate would be more to me than just my roommate.
“Jack,” Tate murmured, his head bending slightly.
My head tipped up, and anticipation thrummed in my pulse.
His fingers curled with mine, and his other hand shifted up my back, pressing along my spine. I could feel his breath hot on my face, the bitter scent of the witch’s brew on his breath. The cold metal of his lip ring brushed against my lips, teasing mine.
My eyes fluttered shut, expecting the kiss, wanting it even.
Tate’s voice brushed against my lips. “I’m not going to kiss you, princess.”
My eyes shot open, my brows furrowed.
“Not that I don’t want to,” Tate answered the unspoken question in my face. “But the first time I kiss you won’t be on the back end of witch’s brew. No, I want you to remember it. Beg for it.”
“Oh.”
If I hadn’t been still buzzing from the witch’s brew, I might have been insulted or bothered by how sure he felt it was going to happen.
Tate cupped my chin. “Until then, let’s get you to bed.”
“No.” I tried to step away from him, shaking my head. “I need to stay. To listen for…”
Tate chuckled. “You need to sleep this off. Believe me, the first bout of witch’s brew will kick you in the ass the next day.” He wrapped an arm around my waist and drew me through the dance floor.
My eyes caught on Iris and Xinyi, who gave me a questioning look. I gave her a thumbs up.
The party sounds dissipated. Before long, the hallway turned into our bedroom. And then Tate was laying me down on my bed. He pulled the painful shoes Xinyi had convinced me into off my feet. The blanket was pulled up over my shoulders.
Tate brushed my hair away from my face, and my eyes fluttered shut.
“Get some sleep, princess.” His lips brushed along my forehead and then I let the darkness take me under.
Chapter ten
Kyren
MyeyestrailedafterTate, my newest obsession pressed against his side. I didn’t bother with following them with my shadows, knowing my lover would see to it that our girl was safely put to bed.
An annoying nasally voice pulled my attention.
“I’m telling you. Everything comes down to the Durands. If they hadn’t taken over the council, then we’d be drinking our fill right this very moment.”
My gaze settled on one of the vampires who always gravitated toward me and mine, Gavin. A younger vampire of only a few decades. Rash. Greedy. Always having to be reminded of his place.
