“Succulent,” you said without even a hint of a smirk.
I crossed the restaurant and claimed the empty barstool next to the man. I rested my elbows on the counter, then remembered it was bad manners, so I forced my hands between my knees to have somewhere to put them. I smelled coffee, bacon, and the staleness of hours-old sweat and diesel fuel. My eyes darted in his direction, and he gave me a sociable smile.
“Have you been on the road for a while?” I asked him.
“Is it that obvious?”
My face heated. I’d insulted him right off the bat. Not the best way to initiate things. “Not at all. I just figured from your hat…”
His face broke into a grin. “Yeah, I did a leg from Reno to Vegas today. Heading back in the morning after I lose all my money at the casinos tonight.”
“You like to gamble?” I asked.
“At times. It’d be better for my wallet if I stayed away from the slots. Lady Luck does not favor me. You play?”
“A bit of poker. This is my first time in Vegas, though.” I’d bet it was a lot different from hustling high school boys.
The man offered his hand and asked me my name, then introduced himself as Dalvin.
“Where are you from, Vincent?”
“Florida. Miami.”
“That’s a long haul. What brings you to Vegas?”
“My friend brought me out here.” I glanced over to where you were sitting, your eyes deadly focused on the two of us. If I didn’t know you better, it would have freaked me out.
“Friend, huh?” the man followed my gaze. “Doesn’t look too friendly to me.”
I wanted to tell him your bark was worse than your bite, but that wasn’t true, was it?
“He’s nicer than he looks,” I assured him.
How one approached these types of arrangements, I had no idea. But I knew how to get people to open up. I placed a hand on Dalvin’s forearm, drawing his attention to my eyes so that I could trap his gaze.
“Are you into men, Dalvin?”
His big, brown eyes widened at my suggestion, but he didn’t pull away. There was a new scent in the air, and a thin sheen of sweat broke out on his forehead and neck. His pulse was a steady drumming in my ears, like ocean waves growing louder with each passing second. There were times when I wished I didn’t have such sensitive perceptions, but for these types of situations, it was truly a gift.
“I could be into you,” he said lowly. “What are you offering?”
I licked my lips and accidentally bit down. I was so hungry. Dalvin offered me his napkin to blot the blood.
“Maybe we could discuss it somewhere else?”
“If you’re planning to rob me, I don’t have much cash.”
Ouch.But I guess it was stupid for that to hurt my feelings, since wewereplanning to take something from him.
“I wouldn’t do that,” I assured him.
“You might not, but I don’t trust your friend over there.”
I glanced back at you, warmed by your protectiveness. I gave you a reassuring look so you wouldn’t leap out of your seat and interrupt us.
“He just wants to make sure I don’t get hurt. You’re a big man.” I ducked my head and gazed up at him flirtatiously.
From the shine in his eyes I could tell that Dalvin liked that. Men and their obsession with size. I was guilty of it too, being the runt of the litter. I ran my hand through my hair, tilted my head suggestively, and bared my neck—all tricks I’d learned from watching Valentina. My bloodlust was making me reckless. I could drink him down right there.
