Titus braced himself against the bar. He reached out to wrap his hand over hers. The moment his skin touched hers,his eyes flashed red. Alessia lost her battle. She crawled up onto the polished surface. Titus scooped her into his arms and hugged her tightly to him.
“Damn! I should have tried the prowl over the bar thing,” a woman said behind her.
Chapter
Two
“Ladies! I can only make ten drinks at a time,” Titus laughed, holding his hands up to stop the tidal wave of orders that the crowd around his station launched at him.
The bar hadn’t operated for many weeks, but already the female regulars swarmed his spot at the bar every evening. Titus loved how excited everyone was and did his over-the-top best to entertain. Carina, Marcus’s mate, usually joined him when she was on the floor. Tonight, however, she’d chosen to watch from the security deck with Marcus. That immense vampire took his job as the head of Nightfall’s security very seriously.
Let me share the news. Carina’s voice burst into his mind. Titus almost dropped the tequila bottle he spun in the air. Carina had not mastered volume control.
Tell me what, sweetheart?Titus heard Marcus’s guttural growl at his use of the endearment and grinned.
Bram says your mate is at the bar.
What?Titus roared through his connection with the clan.My mate? Where is she?
She’s in Luke’s section, Bram told him.
Titus stared across the nightclub, picking out the handsome bartender. Women and men occupied the stools in front of him. Which one was she? He inhaled, not picking up her scent. His gaze focused on a female whose beaded gown still dripped with rainwater. That, combined with the perfume the crowd of gathered women at his station wore was why he hadn’t detected her.
Signal Luke that we’re rotating stations, Titus demanded. He finished the margarita he was working on and announced to the crowd, “The big boss is moving me. Have a great night and welcome Luke when he arrives. You’ll love him!”
Titus forced himself to maintain the charade of devilish bartender as he walked toward Luke’s station. “Hey, Luke! Thanks for switching!” he greeted the other bartender. Luke had worked at Nightfall since opening night. He was human, not a clan member.
“You’re throwing me to the wolves, Titus!” Luke ribbed him good-naturedly.
“They’re going to love you. Show them that flaming move,” Titus suggested. “Just don’t set yourself on fire.”
“I think I’ll practice that a dozen times more before I do that with a packed bar,” Luke said with a laugh. He didn’t protest when Titus slid past him to head for his mate. Obviously, the staff member who had told him to switch stations had clued him in that something special was happening as well.
As Titus got closer, he could sense her presence. His eyes zeroed in on a thin brunette with Mediterranean features. Italian? Instantly, he was concerned by her disheveled state.
Tell me about her, Bram!
Alessia Costa. Sister to Enzo. According to what I found, his least favorite sibling. He has two others, Mirabella and Serafina.
Titus growled through their connection. How could anyone not favor her? He rolled her name around in his mind.Alessia.
Is she here as a spy? Or do we think she has plans to cause harm?Titus had to know.
She passed through the scanner clean, Titus. Nothing about her that alerts as a threat. A scout, definitely. She wouldn’t have come here on her own volition.
Unable to delay any longer, he jogged the last steps and braced himself against the backside of the bar to keep from grabbing her into his arms. As he exchanged pleasantries with those at his station, Titus focused on Alessia. She gripped the bar as if holding herself in place. Before he could stop himself, Titus reached forward to smooth his fingers over her skin.
Instantly, she reacted. Like a sensual creature, she crawled over the bar into his arms. Titus pulled her tightly to him as their bond clicked into place inside him. His mate. His beautiful mate.
Someone take Titus’s place. He’s a goner.Marcus’s amused tone was enriched with Carina’s delighted cheers.
Titus didn’t wait. He carried his mate out the rear door of the bar and through the employee hallway to a private room. He had to get her alone. Now.
As soon as the door closed behind him, Titus lowered her feet to the carpet. Her gasp of pain made him reverse the process and sweep her back into his arms. “Alessia, what is wrong?”
“How do you know my name?” she demanded.
“You had to show your ID to get in, Alessia Costa.”
