First and Only: Ember Lane (Book #1)

by Kelly Goode

‘Excuse me. Can I get a drink over here, please?’

  I turned around sharply to give him a sarcastic reply about this being a bar and he could have a drink wherever he wanted when I noticed Carter leaning casually at the far end. Those hooded blue eyes scanned my face with the same mix of irritation and lust that I’d seen when I’d danced.

  ‘Ms,’ the customer said again. ‘A drink…please.’

  I turned my attention to the tall, thin man and served him his requested pint of beer. I fumbled with the coins he gave me as payment and dropped one.

  As I bent down to retrieve it, I heard Carter chuckle.

  ‘Jerk,’ I muttered again. ‘All men are jerks.’

  I stood back up and pressed the button on the cash register so I could put the coins in the drawer. Once I’d done that, Carter beckoned me over.

  ‘What can I get you to drink, sir?’ I asked sarcastically.

  Carter smiled and the scar on his cheek extended.

  ‘Sir,’ he repeated. ‘I like you calling me that.’

  ‘It’s all part of the service. I hope you’re enjoying your evening.’

  ‘I am now I’m talking to you.’

  ‘Very smooth. Does that line ever work for you?’

  ‘I’ll tell you later,’ he said and I couldn’t help but return his smile.

  ‘What do you want?’ I asked.

  ‘Vodka on the rocks and get one for yourself. You probably need it after all that twisting and turning. You certainly have a talent for dancing.’

  I blushed as I remembered crawling around on my hands and knees.

  ‘Did you see…everything?’

  Carter nodded.

  ‘Everything,’ he repeated and his husky tone made my stomach tighten. I felt vulnerable beneath his gaze.

  ‘I didn’t want to do it,’ I blurted.

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘It was Darrick’s fault.’

  I slapped my hand over my mouth, hoping the vampire wouldn’t suddenly appear just because I’d said his name. Carter’s entire body language changed from laid back to poker straight.

  ‘You met Darrick?’ he asked. ‘When?’

  ‘Not long after I arrived. He was the one who forced me to dance. He used some mind control thingy on me and before I knew it, I was up there swinging my hips on the podium as if I owned it. That’s not me.’

  Carter touched his ear and started talking quietly.

  ‘This is Red Leader,’ I managed to hear him say. ‘Interest has finally been shown… no, not Sasha. It was Ember… I will… I understand.’

  I started preparing his drink to calm my nerves. I took a small glass, filled it with ice and added a shot of vodka. He nodded his thanks when I placed it in front of him and then downed the contents in one.

  ‘Where’s yours?’ he asked as he handed the empty glass back.

  ‘You told me not to drink on duty.’

  ‘I thought you enjoyed breaking the rules.’

  ‘What does that mean?’

  Carter shrugged his shoulders. ‘I don’t know, why don’t you ask your boyfriend?’

  I automatically looked across the room where I found Harvey leaning against the emergency exit door. He had his arms folded across his chest, his disapproval evident on his face as he stared at me.

  ‘He’s not my boyfriend,’ I said.

  ‘Ah, but you knew where to look so he must be something.’

  ‘Apart from an arsehole, you mean?’

  Carter nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips from my comment.

  ‘He’s just a recruit,’ I said with a weary sigh. ‘Same as me. Nothing more and nothing less.’

  Carter reached across the bar and took my hand in his.

  ‘He’s nothing like you, Ember,’ he said, his words low and sombre. ‘If you remember that then there’s every chance you’ll end this mission a free woman.’

  43

  Carter’s hand covered mine completely and I tried not to react as something sharp pressed into my palm. My eyes widened in surprise and he shook his head at me, his way of telling me not to draw attention to his action. He removed his hand and touched his ear again.

  ‘This is Red Leader,’ he murmured. ‘How do you want us to proceed?’

  There were a few seconds of silence but from the changing expression on Carter’s face, whatever he heard via his earpiece, he wasn’t happy about.

  I looked at the small piece of metal he’d placed in my hand. It was a silver cross attached to a thin silver chain.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Carter asked tersely, glancing at me with concern in his blue eyes. ‘Ok, I’ll tell her.’

  ‘What’s going on?’ I asked, feeling my stomach twist with apprehension as he signalled for me to get him another drink. ‘Should we even be talking like this? What if Darrick hears us?’

  ‘Darrick is in the V.I.P area otherwise engaged with his female admirers. He’s not listening to us. Make the vodka a large one this time,’ he said.

  I poured a double shot of the clear spirit into a glass and handed it to him. I served another customer while Carter knocked back his drink.

  ‘They want you to approach Darrick,’ Carter said after I came back to take his empty glass.

  ‘What! Are they insane? Tell them about the mind control stunt he pulled on me.’

  ‘It won’t change the objective, Ember. Chief Andrews wants you to engage the vampire.’

  The way he said the word “engage” sounded seedy to me.

  ‘How?’ I asked.

  ‘You need to get inside his office. We know Darrick has the stone, we just need confirmation of where he’s hiding it.’

  ‘Shit, Carter. I don’t know if I can do that.’

  Carter rubbed the scar on his cheek seemingly contemplating something.

  ‘You have to,’ he finally said, ‘but put the necklace on first.’

  I unclipped the fastener and placed the chain around my neck. The silver felt cold against my bare skin as the cross nestled inside my cleavage.

  ‘Why did you give me this?’

  He shrugged. ‘It’s Christmas in a few days so consider it an early gift. Go talk to Darrick and I’ll meet you outside when you’re finished.’

  With that, Carter pushed away from the bar and headed towards the exit. He had to pass Harvey but neither man acknowledged the other.

  I took a deep breath, smoothing any stray hairs back inside the confine of my hairband and ensuring that the neckline of my t-shirt was pulled down as far as I could allow before my breasts fell out.

  I left my position behind the bar and headed across the dancefloor. Sasha was still gyrating around the podium even through the majority of the men left in the club were either struggling to stand straight or passed out in a booth.

  As I neared the V.I.P area, Darrick reacted almost instantaneously. Even with all the other people, drinking and dancing around him, his head whipped around and those penetrating pale blue eyes met mine. They seemed to glow inside his pallid face and I faltered tripping over my own feet.

  I stumbled forward but managed to correct myself before hitting the floor like a total klutz. My clumsiness made the vampire frown and I contemplated aborting the mission, but Darrick lifted his hand and beckoned me forward.

  The entrance was roped off in what I assumed was an attempt to discourage the public from trying their luck. As I reached down to unhook the barrier, two guards stepped forward to stop me.

  ‘No admittance to staff,’ one guard said, looking down my top as he spoke rather than at my face.

  ‘Let her in.’

  Darrick’s voice was clear and authoritative, and I caught the surprised expression of the other guard before he composed himself and moved aside.

  44

  Now that there was only a rope between me and the vampire that could turn me into a writhing pole-dancer, I wasn’t sure I was ready to cross onto his turf.

  ‘You’d better go inside,’ the guard said as he unclipped the rope for me,
‘before he changes his mind.’

  I did as instructed, trying to commit to memory the design of the V.I.P area and the other guests, but I found myself inexplicably drawn to Darrick. As if he were a magnet, pulling me in so that nothing else around me mattered.

  ‘Do you always use mind control on your employees?’ I asked with more bravado than I felt, as I stopped mere inches away from him.

  Darrick smiled and the sight of his fangs caused my heart to beat faster.

  ‘It’s been a long time since any of them has noticed what I do,’ he replied. ‘You’re an interesting woman, Ember. And a brave one to call me out on it.’

  His gaze roamed over my face before his attention moved lower.

  ‘You obviously find my breasts very interesting too,’ I said, causing the impassive vampire to laugh. ‘Did you enjoy my dance?’

  ‘What can I say? I like beautiful things and you move with such feline grace. I could watch you dance for hours.’

  That almost sounded like a threat and I imaged myself in a glass box, forced to dance continually for his pleasure.

  ‘Would you like a glass of champagne?’ he continued.

  ‘No, thank you. I just wanted to let you know that my shift was over and I was heading home.’

  ‘And where is home?’

  ‘Soho,’ I said, deciding not to embellish my cover story too much. ‘I’m renting a flat with a friend.’

  ‘Do I know this friend? Is it Sasha?’

  ‘No, it’s not Sasha.’

  Darrick reached out and took a strand of my red hair between his fingers.

  ‘Will I see you in my club again?’

  I shook my head. ‘I think I’ve seen everything this place has to offer.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t think you’ve seen everything.’

  As I stared into his blue eyes, I had the overwhelming urge to kiss him. I started to lean forward but caught myself and pulled back.

  ‘Will you enjoy it as much if you force me to do it?’ I challenged, hoping to provoke his ego into releasing whatever psychological ploy he was using on me.

  ‘Will you enjoy it as much if I don’t, Ember?’

  His voice was smooth and persuasive, and I remembered how the coven had told me to avoid vampires as they could talk you into doing anything. They were the ultimate predator and it seemed as if the handsome one before me wanted me to be his prey.

  ‘I doubt you need to coerce many women into spending time with you, Darrick.’

  Darrick smiled and released my hair from its band, allowing his fingers to linger on my shoulder before brushing against my collarbone and down the neckline of my top. I shivered under his cold touch, trying to remain calm so I didn’t accidently expel a fireball.

  Darrick only removed his hand once he reached the silver cross. It was like a barrier that he could not penetrate and I silently thanked Carter for giving me the necklace.

  ‘I don’t coerce, Ember. Merely encourage,’ he said, lifting my hand and pressing his lips against my knuckles. ‘So for now, I bid you farewell and a safe journey home. It truly was a pleasure to meet you. Thanks again for covering the bar. You can collect your wages from Iris on your way out.’

  I tried not to let my disappointment show on my face. I obviously wasn’t very good at flirting and now I’d pushed him away, rather than gaining an invitation to his office.

  ‘Ok, I will,’ I said. ‘Thank you.’

  Darrick moved away from me and immediately struck up a conversation with a petite blonde who had no qualms locking lips with the vampire within sixty seconds of meeting him.

  I felt my face heat up at his blatant dismissal of me. The guards noticed too, and I heard them snickering between themselves.

  I turned to leave, but Darrick called my name.

  ‘Ember, wait.’

  ‘Yes?’

  I was annoyed that my voice conveyed how hopeful I was that he might have changed his mind and decided to take me somewhere private.

  ‘Keep the uniform. Consider it a little something to remember me by.’

  I managed to force out a half-smile and incline my head in thanks.

  What a condescending git!

  ‘Don’t feel bad,’ a guard said as I left the V.I.P area. ‘Mr Darrick usually prefers the blonde ones anyway. You didn’t really stand a chance.’

  I didn’t appreciate his tone or the way he was eyeballing my breasts, so as I passed by, I reached out and lightly brushed my fingers against his trousers. A small spark flickered from my hand and set the cotton alight.

  I smiled and after a few seconds, I saw the pain register on his face as the heat reached his skin.

  ‘Did you just burn me with a damn cigarette?’ he snapped, smothering the flame with his meaty hand until all that remained were wisps of smoke and a hole in his trousers.

  I held my empty palms up.

  ‘Wasn’t me. Besides, you’re not allowed to smoke in here. It’s against the law.’

  He didn’t seem happy with my answer but with no evidence of any wrongdoing, all he could do was watch me swing my hips as I walked away.

  I just hoped Carter wouldn’t be as angry with me for failing my first solo mission.

  45

  Carter focused intently on the pretty woman’s lips as she spoke, hoping some of her words would register and snap him out of his melancholy. She was giving him the blatant come-on but something was stopping him from reciprocating.

  That something being that she wasn’t Ember. He’d singled her out mainly for her red hair but up close, it wasn’t natural or the right shade. She had green eyes, but they were nowhere near as clear or intense. As for her body, while it curved in all the right places, now that he’d seen what was under Ember’s uniform he was unaffected.

  ‘So what do you do for a living?’ the woman asked.

  Carter sighed. They always asked the same questions and he always gave them the same standard line.

  ‘I’m in security.’

  ‘What kind of security?’

  ‘The job varies by location and client.’

  ‘So you’ve done some bodyguard work before?’

  Carter nodded and was not surprised when she reached out and lightly ran her hand up his arm and across his shoulder.

  ‘And would my body be safe in your hands?’

  She raised an eyebrow but the flirty challenge was wasted on him. He wasn’t in the mood for games.

  ‘I’ve never lost a client on my watch,’ he said straight-faced.

  ‘I think we both know that wasn’t the answer I was looking for. Would I be safe with you, Mr Bodyguard?’

  The woman took both of his hands and pressed them against her breasts. He could feel her nipples were already hard through the thin cotton of her dress.

  ‘Usually I force the guy to do all the chasing but for you, I think I’ll make an exception,’ she said. ‘Ever fucked someone in a public toilet?’

  Carter shook his head.

  ‘No, but I get the feeling you have.’

  ‘Damn right.’

  She stood on tiptoes and kissed him full on the lips, pushing her tongue inside his mouth as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

  He tried to kiss her back with the same vigour but even though his body was waking up, his mind was two steps behind. He told himself he wasn’t due to meet Ember for another half an hour and that gave him plenty of time to take care of his personal needs.

  As if thinking of Ember, caused her to appear, he saw a flash of familiar red hair out of the corner of his eye. The fact he still had his eyes open in first place while kissing a beautiful woman wasn’t wasted on him, and he pulled away.

  ‘Hey, what’s wrong?’

  He looked down at the woman whose name he hadn’t even bothered to ask for, and then across at Ember, who was stomping towards the elevator.

  From the expression on her face, the meeting with Darrick hadn’t gone well. Something about that made him smile. Even though it wasn’t the right result f
or the mission, it was the right result for him.

  ‘Gotta go. Duty calls,’ Carter said, detangling himself from her octopus-like embrace.

  ‘I knew I should have made you buy me a drink first,’ the woman called after him as jogged towards the elevator.

  Carter had to pick up the pace and as Ember stepped inside, he just managed to slip through the doors before they slid shut.

  46

  ‘Shit, Carter, you scared me,’ I said, alarmed by his sudden appearance. ‘What are you doing?’

  ‘Taking the elevator down,’ he replied. ‘The stairs are a complete bitch.’

  I smiled, but after a few seconds, it faded as I remembered that I had to tell him about Darrick snubbing my advances.

  ‘What’s wrong?’ he asked.

  ‘I messed up.’

  I stared down at my feet rather than into his blue eyes. The glass elevator was descending as slowly as it had risen and I wished there was a way to speed it up.

  ‘How?’

  ‘He wasn’t interested in me,’ I said, and Carter laughed.

  ‘Oh, I highly doubt that.’

  That comment got my attention, and I looked back up at him.

  ‘You’re not mad at me?’ I asked.

  ‘Of course not. Why would I be mad?’

  ‘I was supposed to flirt with Darrick, but he didn’t take the bait.’

  ‘His loss. How about I take the bait instead,’ he said, taking a step towards me.

  I didn’t like the determined look in his eyes and shuffled backwards. Carter immediately closed the gap, and there was only so far I could retreat before my back hit the glass wall. He leaned in and placed his hands on either side of my head, trapping me with his body.

  ‘That’s close enough.’

  Being confined caused a surge of fear and a spike in my adrenaline. My body temperature rocketed, and I could practically feel the flames licking my hands.

  ‘No, I don’t think it is,’ he replied slowly.

  ‘Don’t give me a reason to hurt you, Liam.’

  I’d hoped hearing me refer to him by his first name would warn him off, but he only pressed closer. He inclined his head until his mouth was only inches away from mine. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face and knew that unless I stopped him, he would kiss me.