I had thought there was something commanding about Randal, something that made people want to do whatever he suggested, but I realized then I had been way off. It wasn’t necessarily anything authoritative or commanding about him; it was more along the lines of him being distinguished.
Randal Vincent was undoubtedly the most distinguished man I had ever had the pleasure to accept a date from. He was old fashioned with an added modern twist. These qualities combined with his good looks kept me wanting more.
“I don’t have anything planned.” I moved to sit on my couch and tucked my feet beneath me. “I can meet you whenever.” The level of excitement etched into my words was bordering on embarrassing. I cleared my throat, fighting to calm myself.
I blamed it on the dream; it still held a power over my thoughts.
“Of course. Let’s meet at Breve,” Randal suggested. “Do you know where that is?”
“Yeah.” I knew exactly where Breve was. I also knew that it was the most expensive place to order a cup of coffee in the entire city. “I’ll meet you there in about fifteen minutes.” I cringed as I said the words, because there was no way I could get myself up to par for meeting him in that length of time. At least not the way I wanted.
“Lovely. I’ll see you soon.”
“Okay.” Before I had even hung up, I was dashing to my room for something nicer than the holey jeans and pink tank top I wore.
Chapter 13
Breve was a little on the small side, even for a coffee shop, but it didn’t lack any Italian charm. I stared at the sign cut into the shape of a coffee mug with Breve painted in black scrolling letters across the middle as I steadied my pounding heart outside the entrance. There was no sign of Randal. I was glad because I needed a minute to collect myself before seeing him.
“Kenna, you look exquisite,” Randal’s familiar voice drummed from behind me.
I closed my eyes and took in a deep breath before I spun to face him. “Thank you.” I smoothed my hands against my jean-clad thighs as I took him in. He’d dressed down for our simple coffee date in a pair of khaki-colored slacks and a gray sweater that did wonders for his eye color. “You look good too. I’m glad you called.”
Something glinted in his eyes I couldn’t quite name. Satisfaction? Embarrassment? It was gone before I had a chance to label it. “I’m glad you accepted. Shall we?” He pressed the palm of his hand against my lower back, exactly as he had done last night, and ushered me through the door.
Stepping inside, the robust scent of coffee met my nose and I sighed, grateful for the heavenly scented distraction. I wasn’t a fan of drinking coffee, the taste was always too potent and bitter no matter how much sugar or creamer I spooned in, but that didn’t mean I hated the scent.
A small chuckle rumbled from Randal, forcing my attention to shift his way.
“You enjoy the smell of coffee unlike anyone I’ve ever met.”
Embarrassment nipped at my insides, but I refused to acknowledge it. “Sometimes it’s the little things in life we should strive to enjoy most.”
Randal nodded his head in agreement. “Wise words to follow.”
My lips twisted into a grin as I thought to myself, which is why I read them off a fortune cookie months ago.
“Welcome to Breve. What can I get you today?” the young girl behind the register asked. She smiled at us, but there was a dreamy quality behind it.
“Please.” Randal motioned for me to go first. “Ladies first.”
Tucking my hair behind my ears, I stepped closer to the counter so she could better hear me. “I’ll take a small vanilla chai latté with whole milk, please.”
“And for you?” She focused on Randal and a hopelessly romantic look blossomed in her eyes. It was amazing how even a teenage girl could appreciate the beauty of this man.
Randal flashed a dazzling smile, one I was positive made her knees go weak, before answering her. “I’ll have a small Black Tie, please.”
Even his coffee choice was impressively sophisticated. Was there anything about this guy that wasn’t?
“Coming right up.” Her voice had taken on a wishful tone, and I knew it had nothing to do with any allure stemming from me. While there were times when mine was so strong after feeding that even women took more notice of me, this was not one of them. Nope. This was all Randal. “That will be $12.19, please.”
I reached into my back pocket for the money I’d slipped there before leaving my car, but Randal held out a hand to stop me.
“I am paying,” he insisted. “I was the one who asked you out for coffee, or in your case tea, remember?” A playfulness reflected in the cool gray of his eyes surprised me. The sight of it brought a smile to my face and forced my racing heart to relax its rapid pace.
I crammed my money back into my pocket. “Okay. Thanks.”
After we received our drinks, we weaved through the small crowd of people loitering inside and seated ourselves at one of the few tables. The décor of Breve let you know right away the owners didn’t just breathe coffee and tea, but also had other interests, like photography. Various still-life images in assorted sizes hung sporadically throughout the little café. In addition, there were puffed pastries and baked goods in display cases near the register that looked incredible. Breve was a hodge-podge of interests scattered throughout the place, but it worked.
I popped the lid off my latté so it could cool, and set it on the glass tabletop. My gaze traveled, taking in everyone around us, because the only alternative was to look at Randal and that seemed weird. I didn’t like this role reversal and feeling of awkwardness constricting my insides. Generally, I was the most confident person in these situations. Not this time around.
“Tell me about yourself.” Randal leaned back in his chair. His oddly colored eyes regarded me with an immense level of interest that only added to my unease.
“What would you like to know?” This had always been my go-to response when a guy asked me that question. I felt it was important to narrow down whatever they wanted to learn about me. It saved time and cut back on getting too personal too quickly.
“Do you not drink coffee?”
His question caught me off guard. I’d expected him to ask something personal. “Um, no, actually I don’t. Why do you ask?”
“Generally, a person only orders tea when they are at a coffee shop if they aren’t particularly fond of coffee.” The corners of his lips pulled into a slight smile. “You should have said something. We could have gone to dinner some other night instead.”
“It’s no big deal. Honestly, vanilla chai lattés are my favorite.” I took a sip as though it would prove my point. My tongue burned from the scalding liquid, but I didn’t let it show. “It’s a nice change from my usual green tea.”
“Change is good, every now and then. Every slight change that occurs brings with it the possibility of opening a new door that can lead to far better things. At least that’s what I believe.”
Talk about sounding like a fortune cookie.
His eyes finally dropped from mine, falling straight to the ring on my finger. “What a unique piece of jewelry.”
“Thank you. My mother gave it to me.” I glanced at it, taking in the glittering heart encrusted by tiny diamonds.
“It’s beautiful. Is it a family heirloom? It looks antique.”
“You know, I’m not really sure. She gave it to me the night of my awakening.” I ran my index finger along its outer edge, feeling the roughness of it. “I never got the chance to ask.”
“I’m sorry. Did she pass?” His tone was filled with sympathy.
I shook my head. “No, she’s still alive.”
“You don’t speak to one another often?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry.”
I placed my hand in my lap to hide the ring, and took another sip of my tea. It had cooled enough for me, so I took another. How had I managed to turn this date into something so damn depressing this fast? It had to be some sort
of record.
“Was she like you?” His question caught me off guard.
“By like me, I assume you mean,” I paused, wondering how to word it without sounding bat shit crazy to anyone normal listening in. “is she affected by the same curse I am? Yes, she is. That’s apparently where I got it from,” I whispered.
“Curse?” Randal’s tone was so deflated I couldn’t help but lift my eyes to meet his. “Is that how you view your gift?”
I scoffed. Gift? What I could do was nowhere near being considered a gift, at least not by me. “Of course I do. I’m like a parasite to the human male population. How else am I supposed to view it?”
Leaning across the small table separating the two of us, Randal flashed a sexier-than-sin smile my way. “If that’s how you truly see yourself, Kenna Blake, then I would hate to see myself through your eyes because what I do is far worse.”
I didn’t speak. I couldn’t. My stomach knotted as I scrambled for words to reverse the awkward moment I had created.
“What? It’s true,” Randal continued. There was a chuckle rumbling through his words that I found to be incredibly…human, and normal, refreshing even. A slow smile spread on my face at his little chuckle. I was thankful he had lightened the mood. “Think about it. I’m a parasite to the entire human race. There are no gender or age restrictions for me. Whatever is available,” he whispered in a husky tone. It was raw and honest.
The look in his eyes was one I could relate to. It came with having admitted secret thoughts, secret truths about the type of monster you thought you truly were. Maybe Randal wasn’t so different from me after all. Maybe he was lonely and crushed by what he’d become, same as I was.
“Well, anyway…” He glanced at his watch. “It’s nearly six fifteen now. Is there a chance we could have a repeat of this sometime?”
“Sure,” I offered too quickly.
“Great.” He took a sip from his coffee. I watched as his Adam’s apple bobbed while he swallowed. “And when do you think you can fit me in your schedule next?”
“Oh, right. You aren’t going to be in town much longer, are you?” I’d forgotten he didn’t live here. Now that I remembered, I wondered if maybe I was setting myself up for heartbreak.
“I wasn’t planning on it.” His eyes locked with mine. They were soft and intense. “But I can certainly be persuaded to stay for a while longer.”
Heat splashed through my stomach. I liked his answer more than I cared to admit. “Is that so?”
My coyness must have taken him by surprise because he tipped his head to the side, and I noticed a playful gleam enter his stare. “Oh yes.”
I took another sip of my latté to dim the ear-to-ear grin that wanted to plaster itself on my face. My insides tingled with excitement. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt this way flirting with someone. An image of steely gray eyes and the ghost of a smile flashed through my mind. Delvin. He had been the last time I’d felt this way.
A shiver slipped through me as memories from the night of my awakening caught up with me again. I took another sip of tea, hoping to wash them away. Randal wasn’t like Delvin. Randal was a supernatural; there was no way I could hurt him the way I had Delvin. It wasn’t possible.
“I should be going.” Randal smiled as he stood and pushed in his chair. His cell was clasped in his hand, and I wondered if I had missed the fact that he’d gotten a text or phone call.
“Right.” I grabbed my cup and stood, my mind snapping back to the here and now. A humming filled my ears. His cell had been on vibrate. Randal’s thumbs flew across the keys of his phone as he responded to whoever it was texting him. “So, where is it you live?” I wasn’t sure why I was asking. The question seemed awkward and oddly timed.
“Sorry. I’m not normally this rude when it comes to cell phone etiquette. It was business related though and couldn’t be helped.”
“It’s fine.”
“Washington. I’m from Washington. I enjoy cooler temperatures and perpetually gray skies, for obvious reasons.” He gestured to himself and then moved to hold the door open for me.
“Oh, I’m sure.” Sunlight bouncing off a car as we stepped outside blinded me. “By the way, how can you even be out right now?” I motioned toward the sun.
He leaned into me until his lips were brushing against the edge of my ear, exactly like they had in my dream earlier. His sudden closeness and the sensation of his hot breath against my ear ignited little flickers of desire inside me. “The older we are, the less sensitive we are to such things.”
I swallowed hard, fighting against the sensations building through me. “Oh, that makes sense, I guess.”
He took a step back and lifted his coffee cup to his lips, but I still managed to catch the smile forming. He knew exactly what he was doing to me, and he was enjoying it.
Randal Vincent was seducing the succubus, and I was letting him.
“So, back to dinner plans.” He grabbed the reins of the conversation. “What night are you free next?”
I scratched the tip of my nose as I thought about my schedule. “I’m not sure. I think I’m off Wednesday, but I’ll have to double-check.”
“Sounds good.” He glanced around. “Where did you park?”
I pointed to my car. “Oh, I’m right there.”
We moved toward it. People parted ways for us as we went. Women nearly broke their necks trying to get one last look at him as he passed. I didn’t seem to get the same reaction out of the men, but it was close.
“I’m glad you decided to meet me. It was nice talking with you more.” Randal paused at my car and took another sip from his coffee. “I’m looking forward to a possible Wednesday repeat now.”
“Thanks for asking me out. This was nice.”
My heart pounded in my chest. What was I supposed to do here? Hug him? Kiss him on the cheek? Give him a freaking high five? I gripped the handle to my door instead, while chastising myself for being so flustered. I should be better at this by now. Then I remembered that I really wasn’t. My dates always ended with the guy being frozen in a weird zombie mode of rehabilitation, not smiling and bidding me farewell. “Thank you for coffee again. I’ll keep you posted about Wednesday.”
“I sure hope so.” He grinned. “I’ll talk to you soon.” He walked away, and an ear-to-ear grin spread onto my face as I reached in my purse for my keys.
I risked a glance at him. As though he could feel my eyes on him, he looked back at me from over his shoulder. I wiggled my fingers at him, and he returned my wave as he continued in the direction of his nice ass car. A dark shape standing in the alleyway next to where he parked caught my attention. It was a woman.
I only managed to catch the faintest glimpse of her. Even if she hadn’t moved as fast as she had to hide herself, I probably wouldn’t have been able to gain any details about her because of the way she had covered herself up. She was dressed in solid black and the hood of her jacket had been raised to cover her hair. Large dark glasses blocked her eyes as well as a portion of her face from me. All I could make out for sure about her was the midnight blue aura that clung to her. She was a vampire, whoever she was, and she had been watching me with Randal intently.
Chapter 14
Spark was packed. Saturday night was always one of our busiest nights of the week, but this was insane. I didn’t think I had ever been happier to see Charles walk in around ten than I was tonight. He was one of Landon’s first bartenders, who he called on nights like this when the place was slammed to help relieve us for a moment.
“What’s up?” He slipped behind the bar and walked toward the little sink to wash his hands. “Where do you lovely ladies want me tonight, and who’s going on break first?”
If I hadn’t been so irritable and sweaty from keeping up with the place practically on my own, I would have laughed.
Sage was still ticked at me, which made it feel as though I had been running the bar alone. Stressed didn’t even cover what I was feeling ton
ight.
“Lemons need to be sliced, that guy needs another Fat Tire, the margarita salt is trash already, and someone spilled something down at that end,” I snapped in response.
“Damn, you working this place all by your lonesome tonight?” Charles nodded toward Sage. She was leaning against the bar, flirting with some young guy who I hoped she had carded before serving. He looked twelve; there had to be an X on his hand.
I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear with my pinky, trying not to get the rest of my sticky fingers stuck in my hair. “Seems that way, doesn’t it?”
“Why don’t you go on break, baby girl, and let me handle this chaos for a bit?” He made a shooing motion.
“Thank you.” I moved to the sink so I could rinse my hands off before heading to the break room for some quiet time.
Once I entered the narrow hallway at the back of the club, I felt my shoulders relax. The second I entered the break room, I closed my eyes and released a slow breath, not remembering the last time I’d worked such a hectic shift. The opening of Red River seemed to bring every supernatural to the city this weekend. Apparently when the legendary Randal did anything, people flocked to see it. I wondered if all the clubs in the city were this full, or if it was only Spark because of our close proximity to Red River.
“I take it Charles decided to let you have break first?” My eyes snapped open. Landon sat in the center of the sofa with his feet propped up on the coffee table. How I had missed seeing him when I walked in, I wasn’t sure. “I called him in almost an hour ago to help relieve you ladies.”
“Uh, yeah, he did.” I crossed the room. “Thankfully.”
“Good.” His eyes trailed over the length of me before shifting back to his cell clutched in his hand. “You look like you could use a break.”
Was that a compliment or something else? Did I look like crap, or just a little worn down? My hand reached up to smooth my hair.
“I can’t argue with you there.” I sat on the couch opposite of him because sitting beside him seemed too intimate and risky, especially with the tiny spots of red dotting his yellowish-orange aura. “This place is seriously busy tonight.”
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