ONE
Dating isn’t for me. As I sipped my whisky sour, the thought grew, weighing me down with its truth. I spun on my stool to face the entrance of Mystic. My eyes skimmed the people loitering in the corridor, waiting to speak with the hostess. I wondered if any of them were my blind date. Assuming he would have to be alone had me ruling out every male standing there. Every guy in view was either with a group of people or had a woman decked out to the nines plastered to his side.
What the hell had I been thinking when I agreed to let Sage set me up with someone?
Blind dates rarely ever worked, which was why they had such a stigma attached to them. I knew this—hell, everyone did—but I had still agreed. I was desperate apparently.
Releasing the breath I had been holding, I attempted to relax my facial muscles and then took another sip of my whiskey sour.
Desperation looked good on no one, least of all me.
I straightened my back and took in a few measured breaths. Maybe I should have signed up with that stupid dating site for supernaturals, Cupid’s Paranormal. I’d stumbled upon it a few months ago. At least then I would have had a picture of the guy I was meeting tonight. My pride had gotten the best of me though. I was too young to be filling out questionnaires on some random dating site. Somehow, that measure of pride had left me hanging high and dry when Sage mentioned setting up a date with one of her guy friends. I slipped my fingertip along the condensation building on the outside of my glass, suddenly unsure how this situation was any different from the dating site route.
I finished the remaining swigs of my drink and set my empty glass on the bar top. I dug my cell out of my purse to check the time. So far, Sage’s guy friend was almost ten minutes late. Was there a rule for how long I was supposed to wait? Or was it evident that I had been stood up?
Not only was the entire blind date situation new to me, but I had also never been stood up before. A slight chuckle slipped past my lips when a thought occurred to me: I’m probably the only succubus to have ever been stood up in the course of history.
“Can I get you another one?” The bartender flashed me a friendly smile. I had noticed her eyeing me, and I was sure it was because I was babying my drink.
I shook my head. “No, I’m good for right now. Thanks.”
My cheeks warmed with embarrassment as I caught sight of a minute amount of sympathy enter her stare. As a bartender, I knew there was nothing sadder than seeing someone getting shitty all by his or her lonesome. Well, unless you could tell by the way a person continuously sneaked glances at the door that he or she was also being stood up. Damn it. I hadn’t planned on being that girl tonight, but it didn’t seem as though I had much of a choice.
“Are you sure? It’s on the house,” she added. A cheesy smile made its way to her face, and I felt the heat of my embarrassment strengthen.
I obviously looked so pathetic that it had garnered me a pity drink. Wonderful.
I had been known to do the same for customers when I saw this scenario play out on my shifts at Spark. It was never easy to witness someone being stood up. Even if I had never been on the receiving end—until now—I had always been able to imagine the humiliation the person felt. Now that I had experienced the situation, I would be even more sympathetic when I saw it, because this feeling sucked. Hardcore.
“All right, sure.” I smiled, giving in. “One more won’t hurt.” A free drink was a free drink, regardless if it was because the bartender felt sorry for you.
“Good.” Her pink aura made her appear bubblier now that she was happy for me and not consumed with pity. “Then, if the guy you’re waiting for doesn’t show up, at least you got a free drink out of the deal. Right?”
She had great logic. In fact, that was right along the lines of what I said to people in a similar situation. Was there some sort of bartender etiquette manual I had never been privy to reading?
I pushed my empty glass toward her. “Thanks.”
“So, is this a first date or is it a douche bag boyfriend keeping you waiting?” she asked as she poured my drink. I watched her, making sure she got the ratios right.
“It’s a blind date actually.”
Her face scrunched up. “Oh. Yeah, those are generally a fifty-fifty chance that they’ll fall through. I think it’s the nerves that get to people, you know? The anticipation of walking up to someone you’ve never seen before and having them judge you based off your looks right there on the spot.”
“Yeah, but would it kill the person to at least text the mutual friend and come up with some reason for why they couldn’t show, even if it was lame, so they could tell the other person?”
“You would think, but some people would find that to be even more embarrassing. It’s easier to say they forgot.” She slipped my new drink across the bar top toward me. “Enjoy, and I hope whoever he is, he shows soon.”
“Thanks, me too.” I picked up the glass and took a sip before spinning around to face the entrance again.
She was right. There was a huge amount of anxiety that coincided with blind dates, but that didn’t mean it was an excuse to leave the other person hanging. I had battled through it fine, so what was this guy’s excuse? Where was he?
I skimmed the area near the hostess section again, searching for any guy looking as lost as I felt. No luck. There were only two, and they both seemed caught up in conversation with those around them and exactly where they were supposed to be.
“Hey, how’s it going?” a random guy two barstools down blurted. Not sure if he was talking to me or on his phone, I kept my eyes trained forward and locked on the front doors.
“Hello? Lady in red, I asked, how it’s going?”
I arched a brow. Apparently, he was talking to me. I spun to face him. “Fine.”
I wasn’t fine, but I wasn’t about to give him details. In fact, I wondered if he had heard my conversation with the bartender and that was why he had decided to speak to me. I released a breath, hoping to soften my features, knowing I had to appear frazzled. A free drink and a random guy to flirt with wasn’t a bad way to end a night, right? I could turn this night around with cards like that. I hoped.
The guy was all right in the looks department, but the sight of his gray aura put me on edge. Demons weren’t my thing. I was sure this made me sound judgmental, but I hadn’t liked demons even before the bizarre Halloween in New Orleans a little over a year ago when I found out I was one. They were vile, wicked, and dangerous in the movies, and I could say that I was at least one of those things each time I kissed a guy.
“I’ve been watching you tonight. Are you waiting for someone?”
That wasn’t creepy sounding at all. “Yeah, I am.”
“Did he stand you up?”A slight smirk twisted his lips. It made me dislike him even more. Any hope I’d had of potentially turning this night around flew out the damn window at the sight of it.
“I haven’t written it off as that just yet. I’m giving him another ten minutes. Who knows, he could have gotten caught in traffic or something.”
“Resorting to a countdown.” The curve of his lips intensified. For whatever reason, I found myself smirking along with him, suddenly able to see the humor in the situation. “Give it up, sweetness, and admit he’s stood you up. It’s obvious, even to me.” He leaned back on his stool as his body shook with the laughter he was struggling to hold in.
“What tipped you off? I’m new to this side of things.”
“I bet you are.” His eyes appraised me, making me feel violated. “The way you kept looking at the door with this sad little look on your face. You know, if you’re feeling down, sweet cheeks, I can surely feel you up.” He winked.
What. The. Hell. Worst pick up line ever. “Um, no thanks. I wouldn’t call what I’m feeling at the moment sadness. It’s more along the lines of annoyed.”
“I’m just sayin’.” He raised his fat-fingered hands in surrender. The shit-eating grin still twisting at his lips widened. “Just
wanted to put it out there. I have no problem helping you get a little sexual frustration out, if that’s your deal. After all, we’re one and the same, sweetheart.”
Was it written on my forehead that I needed to get laid? Surely not. I knew the guy was a demon of some sort, but that didn’t mean he was psychic.
“Wow.” My brows lifted to my hairline as I continued to stare at him. “Not gonna happen, okay? Just because you’re a demon doesn’t mean I’ll sleep with you.”
I put my back to him and took a long swig from my drink. Hysterical laughter met my ears. He was laughing at me again. I fought the urge to bolt to my car. Obviously, I wasn’t cut out for this. Dating while I was normal had been hard enough, but since becoming not normal, it was ten times harder. All I wanted was to find someone I could kiss without nearly killing and who was attractive as hell. I didn’t think that was too much to ask.
Sage had promised me both with this guy, because apparently my succubus crap didn’t work on other supernaturals.
“I’m just screwing around with you, cupcake.” I could feel the guy’s eyes on me still.
“You can stop at any point now,” I called over my shoulder. This blind date had better show up soon, because I wasn’t planning on sitting here for much longer. Sage would be getting a call from me the second I stepped outside too.
“Okay, I get it. You’re not interested. You know I could have said that dress looks great on you…” His tone was all sweet and apologetic. It almost made me want to attempt to hold a decent conversation with him while I finished my drink. “And then I could have added as a matter of fact, so would I, but I didn’t. Maybe that one would have been better received?”
This guy was a trip. I took one last sip from my drink and then set it down. I’d been stood up. It was blatantly obvious at this point, and there was no way in hell I was sitting here listening to this douche and his corny pickup lines any longer. My night was over. I was tossing in the towel.
“Sexy as sin, red dress, dark hair…” someone uttered from behind me. I rolled my eyes. Great. All of a sudden, I had become a supernatural asshole magnet. “You must be Kenna.”
Or better yet, maybe this was my date finally making an appearance. I turned to glance at the guy. “I am.”
He was broad-shouldered and tall with shaggy brown hair and chocolate eyes. His face looked as though he hadn’t shaved in days, and his clothes—while decently chosen—had a wrinkled and unwashed look about them, like they had been more of an afterthought he had scooped off the floor on his way out the door.
This could not be whom Sage had set me up with. She and I didn’t know each other incredibly well yet—I had only known her since I started working at Spark a little over a year ago—but she had to know me better than this by now. Had to.
“I’m Dex.” He held out his hand for me to shake. I noticed he had a slight southern accent, which was a redeeming quality. Something about a guy with an accent had always called to me. “Sorry I kept you waitin’. The other night was crazy. I’m still catchin’ up on lost sleep.” He yawned and stretched his arms above his head. The edge of his wrinkled T-shirt lifted up, exposing a small section of his toned stomach.
Hmm, maybe that had been why Sage chose to set me up with him. He was easy on the eyes, in all of his unkempt glory. I had to give her credit there.
I locked on his aura—golden brown. Shit.
Sage set me up with a werewolf.
“Sage told me your name was Jack?”
An amused smirk graced his lips that came off as arrogant. I hated arrogant guys. “It is. Jack Dexter, hence the nickname Dex.”
“Right, okay.” Screw the toned abs and cute accent; I was right back to wondering how Sage could think this guy was my taste. “The other night was a full moon, wasn’t it?” I held his stare, already running through ways to cut this date short. I’d had enough for one night.
“Yeah.” He yawned again, but managed to cover his mouth this time. “They leave me feelin’ drained for a few days. You get that way, don’t you? I mean, if you wait too long before feedin’?”
Definitely not a topic I dove into on a first date, or ever. Then again, I didn’t date supernaturals, so there was nothing to compare it to. Maybe this was normal for a date of this caliber. I wouldn’t know.
“I do.” I forced a tiny smile into place. “I try not to get to that point though.”
“I get that.” He motioned for the bartender. When she paused in front of him, he ordered a beer with a crazy name I’d never heard of before and then shifted his attention back to me. “So, are you ready to get a table?”
“Sure, but I don’t think there’s one available.”
His eyes skimmed the place. “Looks like I should have called ahead to reserve us one.”
“That might have been a good idea. They are pretty busy.” Sarcasm dripped from my voice, but he didn’t seem to notice, or if he did, he didn’t let on.
After Dex paid for his beer, the bartender locked eyes with me and smirked while mouthing worth the wait. I bit my bottom lip to suppress a smile. Sage could have done a hell of a lot worse, I knew this, but just because Dex was good-looking didn’t mean I would easily forgive him for keeping me waiting as long as he had. He’d lost a shit ton of brownie points before I’d even laid eyes on him because of it.
“Let me go add my name to the list. I’ll be right back.” He’d slipped off his stool and started toward the hostess before I could respond.
“I’m going to head to the restroom, so I’ll meet you back here in a minute.”
“Sounds good.” He nodded.
I started in the direction of the restroom, passing the demon who had tossed those horrible pickup lines at me. He smiled like a Cheshire cat as I walked past him. A glimmer of want burned deep in his eyes and it sickened me. It was then that I realized what he was—and how his earlier comment of us being one and the same fit—he was an incubus. The male version of me. There was something so vile about him though. I didn’t care for the way he was watching me, as if I were a piece of meat he couldn’t wait to sink his teeth into. It gave me the heebie-jeebies.
I continued past him, digging my cell out of my purse as I went. Sage deserved a nasty text from me about tonight. I clicked on my messages and scrolled down until I found her name. As I rounded the corner to the restrooms, I typed out a message to her.
Well, Dex just now showed up. He was nearly thirty minutes late! ~ Kenna
I hit send and as I pushed through the restroom door. Sage responded instantly, just as I knew she would. Her phone was never far from her.
But he did show. That has to count for something, right?
I pressed my lips together, fighting another grin, and started a response, but another text came through from her.
He’s cute. Don’t you think that gets him off the hook?
I chuckled, my thumbs clacking across my cell screen.
That he is, but it doesn’t cancel out how long he made me wait or the crap I had to put up with while waiting, either. ~ Kenna
“Um, excuse me, miss?” a sultry, male voice called out to me.
My eyes darted to find whom it belonged to. An incredibly sexy, tall, dark-haired guy stood a few feet from me at a urinal.
I couldn’t move. A hot flush crept across my cheeks. I had walked into the men’s restroom. How does that even happen?
“Yes?” I knew I should leave, that I should head straight out the door without looking back, but my legs were rooted in place.
He smirked as he situated himself back into his pants and zipped them up. The sound of his movement echoed through the tiled room. “I think you have the wrong restroom.”
“I-I think you’re right.” I spun on my heel, ready to bolt from the embarrassment of the situation.
My face, neck, and ears grew impossibly hot as I gripped the handle to the door and pulled. It didn’t budge. I pulled again, harder this time, but it was still closed solid. A hand appeared on the door as a
presence pressed against my back. My nose filled with the masculine scent of his cologne as the warmth from his body lapped at the backs of my knees.
“I think you’re supposed to push.” His voice teased the back of my neck as he opened the door in front of us.
“Oh, right.” My teeth sank into my bottom lip as my embarrassment continued to redden my face. Why the hell was there a handle, then?
I darted across the little hall as soon as the door opened wide enough for me to slip through, and pulled open the door marked for women. My heels clicked against the tile at a pace that matched my erratic heartbeat as I made my way to the sink. Glancing in the mirror, I took in my disheveled eyes and red-as-a-tomato cheeks. I placed a hand over my heart and willed it to simmer down while I inhaled a few slow, measured breaths. As if my night hadn’t been bad enough already, now I could add walking into the wrong restroom and making a complete idiot of myself in front of the hottest guy I had seen in forever to the damn list. Fan-freaking-tastic.
Kenna’s Story Continues In…
AVAILABLE NOW
Life isn’t so bad for succubus, Kenna Blake. True, she seems to be the only succubus with a conscience and a specific strategy for finding her male meals, but she has a cute new apartment, a budding graphic design business, and the most unique friends she’s ever had.
Her personal love life, however, is non-existent.
Until the legendary vampire Randal Vincent sweeps into her life. Even though he isn’t someone she set out to date, at least she can kiss him without killing him. But when you’re dating someone who’s the inspiration for Dracula, there are bound to be a few hiccups along the way…
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
As always I’d like to thank my loving and supportive family. You all mean the world to me.
Thank you to my beta readers Alyssa Rose Ivy, T.A. Foster, and Bethany Lopez. I love hearing your thoughts and input, ladies!
Thank you to my editor, Dani. I can’t tell you how much I enjoy working with you! You’re amazing! Thank you to Lindee of Lindee Robinson Photography for creating the stunning covers for this series.
Thank you to Sarra Cannon, Juliana Haygert, and Alyssa Rose Ivy for inviting me to take part in the Halloween project Kiss of Awakening was previously released with, Midnight Kiss. If it hadn’t been for that invitation, I’m not sure I would have come up with this new series. You ladies are inspirational and so incredibly talented.
And as always thank YOU, dear readers! Truly!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jennifer Snyder lives in North Carolina where she spends most of her time writing New Adult and Young Adult Fiction, reading, and struggling to stay on top of housework. She is a tea lover with an obsession for Post-it notes and smooth writing pens. Jennifer lives with her husband and two children, who endure listening to songs that spur inspiration on repeat and tolerate her love for all paranormal, teenage-targeted TV shows.
To get an email whenever Jennifer releases a new title, sign up for her newsletter at https://jennifersnyderbooks.com/want-the-latest/. It’s full of fun and freebies sent right to your inbox!
Kiss of Awakening Page 19