Seduce

by Jennifer Snyder

  “No, I don’t know who that is.” I handed him his phone, careful not to touch him again. Temptation was a bitch, and I didn’t need any more enticements to press my lips against his, especially not when I was feeling this exhausted.

  He glanced at the screen the second I handed it to him, and I knew exactly what he was going to ask even before I saw the muddy yellow spots of confusion appear in his aura.“Where did they go?”

  “Sage said something to Charles before she walked away, and the woman took off dancing or something.” I hated lying to him, but I wasn’t about to throw Sage under the bus, regardless if we were on the outs right now. “She might have been telling him she needed to use the restroom or something.” I shrugged.

  I had no clue why she would be going into a back room with that woman, but I was positive it had something to do with the supernatural, and I wanted nothing more than to keep that part of the world away from Landon. It could be a blood donation Sage was having dropped off for all I knew. While it was rare she had such a thing happen at work because of the risks involved, I had still seen it a couple times throughout the year in dire emergencies.

  “Oh, there she is. Maybe you were right.” A lopsided grin appeared on his face. “All these people here tonight have me on edge for some reason. Sorry.”

  I smiled. “It’s okay.”

  I was sure it wasn’t the amount of people being here that had him on edge, but rather the type of people here even if he didn’t know what they were. His subconscious must have been picking up on that. My lips pinched together. Sage’s theory about him having been fed off at some point might have some truth to it. This saddened me.

  “Enjoy the rest of your break.” He stood and pocketed his cell. “I think I’ll go make my rounds now.”

  “Thanks.” I nodded.

  “No.” He paused at the door and turned to glance at me. “Thank you, Kenna.”

  “You’re welcome?” My brows drew together. “What exactly are you thanking me for?”

  Landon chuckled. It was nice to see his professional side crack a little bit and some normalness slip through. “For working your tail off tonight. You’re doing amazing, and I want you to know that I’ve noticed.”

  “Oh.” I was stunned. He’d never given me a compliment that nice before. “Thanks.” I smiled wide.

  His eyes lingered on me longer than they should. Minute dots of red speckled his yellow-orange aura. My lips curved more as my heart picked up pace. I rarely admitted it, even to myself, but I enjoyed having his eyes on me, especially when he wasn’t able to hide his attraction to me as quickly as he would like. It made me wish I could stop denying to him, as well as myself, what felt for him. I couldn’t though, that was the reality of being what I was—I could never have him, at least not the way I wanted.

  The ghost of a smile slipped onto his face and then left the room. My cell vibrated. I glanced at the screen, and my stomach flipped. It was a text from Randal. If I believed in signs, this would be something I deemed as one.

  Care for another chai tea?

  My heart sped up. Was he here?

  I’d love one, but I’m working. ~ Kenna

  He responded back instantly.

  I know you’re supposed to be, but I’m standing at the bar and I don’t see you.

  He’d come to visit me at work? Were we dating now? I’d have to talk with Bree about it later and find out what her thoughts were. It had been too long since I had dated someone. The guys I saw each week served a different purpose, one that was more along the lines of survival and as far from pleasure as possible. It was a trade—they provided me with something I needed to survive, and I provided them with something they needed to create a better life for themselves. This thing with Randal was different.

  I’ll be right there. I’m in the break room. ~ Kenna

  I dashed to the little mirror Sage had insisted on hanging near the door, grateful it was there. Contrary to popular belief, vampires did have a reflection, and Sage enjoyed checking hers out while on break.

  Running my hands through my hair, I skimmed my tongue across my teeth to make sure none of the granola bar from earlier had gotten stuck between them. Exhaling slowly, I opened the door and nearly walked straight into Randal.

  My hand flew to my heart, and I jerked back. “Jesus, you scared me.”

  “I’m sorry.” He chuckled. “The guy working behind bar pointed me back here. I didn’t want you to cut your break short because of me.”

  “It’s okay. My time is almost up anyway,” I assured him.

  “Here’s that other tea.” He handed me a cup from Breve. “From the looks of this place, it seems as though you could use a pick me up. I haven’t been here before, but from what I can tell, it seems to be a popular place.”

  “I’m pretty sure we have you to thank for that.” I took a tentative sip of my tea. It was still piping hot, but I enjoyed the taste of it too much to care. “And thanks for this again, by the way.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  We walked down the hallway toward the chaos of the club. Music blasted through the speakers, pulsating against my chest. Randal was right, Spark was definitely the hot place to be tonight. A hot bubble bath and a large glass of wine was what I needed when I got home.

  Randal leaned into me, his lips grazing my ear. “I’ll let you get back to work. I was just thinking about you again.”

  His admittance floored me. “Thank you.” I didn’t know what more to say.

  “Let me know about Wednesday. Don’t forget.” He leaned in closer, his cologne teasing my senses, and I swore he was going to kiss me, but he didn’t. Instead, he whispered, “I’m looking forward to taking you out.”

  “Okay.” I nodded. “I can’t wait either.” I watched Randal walk away, taking his crazy sexy scent with him.

  Charles caught my elbow and held me in place before I could slip past him as I made my way behind the bar. “Who is that fine specimen of a man, and where can I find one for myself?”

  My stomach twisted. What was I supposed to call Randal? Charles didn’t know anything about the supernatural world. He was human, so telling him he was a legendary vampire I’d met at the opening of Red River was out of the question. But boyfriend, was that even a label I was allowed to use at this point?

  “Just the guy I’ve been crushing on for years,” Sage snapped as she stalked past us. She reached for the container of limes and carefully plucked one free from inside. Her eyes were trained on me as she crushed it onto the rim of the glass she held. “Kenna happened to meet him the other night at a club we went to and apparently doesn’t care about dibs.”

  My brows lifted to my hairline, and I locked eyes with Charles. “And there you have it.”

  “Uh-oh, looks like someone has pissed someone off royally, girl. You better talk to her about this because I am not working with all this man drama floating around us all the damn time.” Charles narrowed his eyes at me. Then without another word, he sidestepped me and continued with what he’d been doing.

  I sipped my latté, eyeing Sage. Why the hell was she so pissed at me? Couldn’t she see I wasn’t going out of my way to seduce Randal, but he was coming after me? I couldn’t pick who he liked any more than she could. Didn’t she see that? She was being childish and it was beginning to irk me to no end.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  The scent of vanilla bean tickled my nose the second I stepped inside my apartment. Never had it felt so good to be home. After I kicked off my sneakers, I headed to the kitchen for a large glass of wine. My stomach grumbled, reminding me how I had neglected to eat much tonight. I scoured the contents of my fridge for something fast and slightly healthy to eat, and my mind jumped back to how Sage had acted toward me all night. I hated nothing more than a friend who acted bitchy because of something that was beyond my control. It was why Bree had been my only female friend. I’d never gotten along well with other girls. Looking back, maybe it had been a succubus thing.

&nbs
p; My cell rang, startling me in the near quiet of my apartment. Part of me wondered if it was Randal, while the other prayed it would be Bree. I needed to talk to her, but it was still too early to call her.

  I dug my cell out of my clutch, and glanced at the screen. Sage’s name and number surprised me. She was the last person I expected to call me tonight. Tapping on answer, I held the phone to my ear.“Hello?” My tone was sharp.

  “Hey.” It sounded like she’d said the word mid-exhale.

  I pressed the phone into the crook of my neck and began dishing myself up some leftover rigatoni and meat sauce from a few nights ago. “What’s up?”

  “Nothing, I was just wondering what you were doing right now. Care if I come by for a minute?” There was a slight hesitation to her words, which made me feel bad for sounding so harsh when I answered.

  “No, that’s fine. I’ll be here.”

  “Okay, I’ll be over in a minute.”

  “See you soon.” I hung up and let out a loud sigh. Tonight had drained me. All I wanted to come home to was wine, a bubble bath, and some food. Instead it looked like I would be talking out guy issues. Fun.

  After warming up my meal, I moved to my couch to eat while wondering what Sage’s defense would be for how childish she had been acting about Randal and me. Twenty minutes later I was rinsing my plate in the sink when I heard a knock at my door.

  “Come on in,” I shouted.

  Sage walked through the door. There was a bottle of red wine in one of her hands and a plastic container of something else in the other. She handed me the wine and then set a container of brownies on the counter making a sick face. “Hey, I ate one on the way over here. They were screaming to be eaten, and now I feel like crap. Sugar does not go well with my metabolism, at least not when I consume it in large, rich quantities like that. I always forget.”

  The sweet scent of the brownies floated to my nose, and I understood why she hadn’t been able to resist them. They smelled heavenly. “These look so good. Thanks.”

  Sage shucked off her coat and draped it over the recliner. “Look, you know I’m not one to drag shit out, so I’m just going to be blunt with you.” She cut right to the chase; maybe this would go smoother than I’d thought.

  “Okay.”

  “I was a bitch tonight, and I’m sorry.” Bold and direct, that was Sage. At least she had admitted it without me having to say anything, which was a plus.

  “Apology accepted.” I pulled a brownie free from the container and sank my teeth into it. The chocolate bliss hit my tongue, and I felt all the muscles in my body loosen. “I just don’t understand the why part.” I wasn’t willing to let her off the hook that easily. I needed to understand a few things first.

  Sage walked to the cabinet beside my sink and pulled down a wine glass. “It’s complicated.”

  “I’ve got time.” I took another bite of my brownie eyeing her. When there was chocolate involved I had all the time in the world to listen to anything.

  “Randal and I have a history.” She popped the cork on the bottle of wine she’d brought and began pouring a glass. “He was the one who turned me.”

  I paused mid-chew. Now that was something I had never expected her to say. Questions wanted to pour from my lips, but the bite of brownie in my mouth prevented that from happening with its gooey consistency.

  Sage took a sip of wine before she reached over to top my glass off. “I had some weird fixation with him, you know falling for your mentor type crap, but he didn’t feel the same. Apparently I reminded him of one of his sisters who died, which was why he had attempted to turn me instead of leaving me to die.”

  I swallowed the wad of chocolatey goodness I’d been chewing. “Letting you die?”

  Sage had never talked about her transition, or her human life for that matter. I knew nothing about how she had become a vampire, but then again I never asked either. Now that she had brought up, I wanted details.

  “It’s an even longer story than this one, and not something I prefer to talk about.” She handed me my glass back. The memories she was fighting to keep at bay gave her eyes a sad, haunting look. I decided I wouldn’t press the issue. “A horrible thing happened, and I was left for dead. Randal found me and decided I resembled his dead sister too much to let me die, so he opted to try and save me knowing the risks that surround changing someone into a vampire. Obviously, it worked because here I am, so you at least know there’s a happy ending to the story.” She left the kitchen and moved to sit on my couch.

  I didn’t know much about the transition phase of becoming a vampire, but I did know that it wasn’t something everyone survived. Sometimes, for one reason or another, people didn’t make it through the transition process.

  “Okay, so tell me what happened between you and Randal. I’m not stepping on your toes or anything by seeing him, am I?” Knowing he was her creator made this situation a hell of a lot more complicated. If she told me it was too weird for her, and that she would rather I didn’t date him anymore, I’d stay away. This wasn’t strictly about dibs; it was more about a sire bond I knew nothing about. In some ways, it made this worse than dating your best friend’s ex.

  “Nothing happened between us.” She took another sip of her wine and then flashed me a smirk. “Not for lack of trying on my part though, I’ll tell you that. You’ve seen him; he’s a hard one to keep your hands off.”

  I forced a smile. What else could I do? The situation was becoming more awkward by the minute. Dear God, when would tonight end? I was tapped out emotional wise.

  “Anyway, he didn’t see me like that. Still doesn’t apparently, so no, you’re not stepping on my toes by dating him. That’s what I was coming over here to clarify.” She sloshed her wine in a small circle. “I’m sorry I acted like such a bitch. It was just hard seeing him go after you so hardcore.”

  What the hell was I supposed to say to that? Sorry? “Well, if you feel uncomfortable with me seeing him, then please let me know.” It was all I could offer.

  She waved a manicured hand. “No, don’t worry about it. He made it clear years ago that he isn’t interested in me in that way. I’m over it now.” She tilted her head to the side and grinned. “Even though the way I acted doesn’t show it. I’m glad he’s interested in you.”

  “Thanks.” I took another bite of my brownie. “You know, I’m only following your advice, right? That’s why I was seeing where it would go between us.”

  “I know. I told you to give someone supernatural a try. I just didn’t know Randal would be the one you tried out.” She paused and let out a breath. “Just don’t toy around with him, okay? If it isn’t serious, then leave him be. He doesn’t deserve to get his heart broken.”

  “I’m not.” At least I didn’t think I was. “I like him.”

  “Just not as much as Landon.” She pinned me in place with her stare.

  And there it was; the truth I had been avoiding. The reason why if she had told me to leave Randal alone, I would have been fine with it. She had done the same for me with Landon.

  “No, not as much as Landon, but we both know nothing can happen there.” I took another sip of my wine, hating the turn this conversation had taken.

  Sage lifted her glass. “A toast: to wine, chocolate, and unrequited, unattainable love.”

  A tight fist gripped my heart and slammed it to the bottom of my stomach. She did still have feelings for Randal, maybe even more than I’d thought. Maybe I should play the girl code card and distance myself from him.

  I lifted my glass. “Here, here.”

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Two days. That was how long it had been since I’d last spoken to Randal. The only problem with the situation was that it wasn’t my doing. Sure, I had thought about distancing myself from him to spare Sage’s feelings, I’d even thought about telling him straight up I couldn’t date him because she was my friend, but I had yet to do either. I hadn’t been given the chance because Randal had disappeared from my life witho
ut me having to say a single word.

  I pushed my thoughts away. Vibrant yellow was what I should focus on because if I shifted my attention from the mouthwatering aura of the guy sitting across from me, I might walk out of this restaurant and find Randal to ask what the hell was going on. I didn’t understand. From the way he had acted when he showed up at my work with the latté the other night, I had assumed he was into me. The last two days said something completely different though.

  The urge to check my cell and see if he had messaged me about the dinner plans he had claimed he wanted to make bit at my insides. I refused to give in though because I needed to concentrate on the guy in front of me. He was more important than dinner plans with Randal, at least he should be.

  Grayson muttered something, and I nodded and smiled like I had been doing the entirety of our one-sided conversation. My mind wasn’t on his words or his cute, nerdy looks. It wasn’t on the way everyone around us seemed to stare with such curiosity; it was fixated on things it shouldn’t be. I needed to get a grip. If not I’d be going home tonight with my main hunger still raging.

  I took a small sip of the wine Grayson had ordered for me and forced my eyes to his. He wasn’t horrible looking. In fact, he was sort of cute. If it weren’t for his thick-rimmed glasses obscuring his gorgeous blue eyes, he would be incredibly handsome. I hadn’t seen eyes the shade of his on many. They were an icy color of blue that reminded me of a frozen lake. I wondered if anyone had ever told him he should wear contacts instead of glasses so he didn’t dull his most striking feature. I made a mental note to pass the idea along to him later.

  Our waiter brought our salads then, and I attempted to focus on what Grayson was talking about. He deserved my full attention.

  “Then I said, well you shouldn’t have told me you would, then.” He laughed at his joke as though it were the funniest thing he’d ever heard. I forced a giggle free, one I hoped mirrored his enough to seem genuine. There was not a single thing in his story that made sense to me. Accounting jokes were way over my head.