by Claire Marta
Instead of detracting from his appeal they gave him a mysterious look which Lexi found alluring.
The curve of Twitch’s mouth was naturally mischievous. Something she imagined mirrored his personality. His voice had a soft purr to it, reminding her of a roguish cat.
Black, tight jeans showed off long muscled legs. The rest of him was hidden beneath a long black shirt with bronzed cogs for buttons. Coat carried over his arm, she had a perfect view of his tight arse. Lexi released a sigh. He was hot. Seriously hot. And she couldn’t believe she was going to get to talk to him again.
“How were the chocolate covered peanuts?” she called to him as he walked away. He hadn’t noticed her and she knew that was to her advantage.
Halting, he swivelled around, his gaze wide with surprise.
“Like a sugar infused orgasm in my mouth.” As soon as the words left his lips his cheeks turned slightly red. With a nervous hum, he looked away.
Lexi grinned. She’d caught him off balance. “That good, huh?”
“Best peanuts I've ever had.” The mage replied, watching her from the corner of his eye. His mouth curved up in a playful smile. “What are you doing here, Lexi?”
“I work here as a bartender. I saw you come in and couldn’t believe my luck seeing you again,” she replied, pushing off the wall she had been leaning against. “Would you like to grab a coffee...or something? I didn’t get to ask you the other night.”
Twitch’s brow crinkled in confusion. “You mean...like together?”
Lexi gave him a strange look. How else were they supposed to go? “Erm, yeah.”
“Is this a joke?” He asked, his gaze wary. With one hand, he shoved away the disarray of cinnamon locks that had fallen annoyingly across his face.
Lexi’s gaze widened with surprise. “No, why would it be?”
Maybe she had been wrong. The other night she had been so sure he had liked her too. Maybe she had imagined the spark between them. Disappointment settled in her chest.
Twitch ran his fingers along the strap of his back pack. His attention dipped to her mouth before his gaze darted away.
“You’re drop dead fucking gorgeous and I'm...well, I look like the phantom of the opera’s younger brother,” he muttered, gesturing towards his scars.
A warm fuzzy burst of pleasure passed through her. “You think I'm gorgeous?”
“I’ve never seen anyone as beautiful as you,” he purred. Again, he looked embarrassed. As if he couldn’t quite believe he had admitted it out loud. Anxiously, Twitch glanced up and down the empty hallway.
“You shouldn’t be ashamed of your scars.” Reaching out, she brushed some of his locks aside, so she could get a better look at the marks. They weren’t that bad. Not to her. “My father always tells me scars mean you survived something and they make you stronger inside.”
Twitch flinched at her touch. “Mine haven’t made me strong, just made my life more complicated then I would have liked.” Twitch muttered back, his expression darkening.
“I think you’re sweet, Twitch.” Lexi quickly added, not wanting the moment to sourer. “I want to get to know you better.”
It was true. She’d felt an attraction for him the moment she had set eyes on him. Granted, they had only spoken for five minutes the other night. Truthfully, her father wanted her to keep him distracted. And she would. But that did not mean Twitch had to know that. Lexi wouldn’t let it stop her from getting to know him better. That did not stop the prickle of guilt. Deceiving him felt wrong, although she did not know why.
Twitch’s attention skimmed over her face. Staring at her mouth again, he nodded. “Ok.”
Lexi couldn’t contain her squeal of delight. “Great! Don’t move! Let me go grab my bag.” Without waiting for his reply, she ran off to collect her things.
Twitch stood in a daze, watching Lexi as she bounded away. What the hell had just come out of his mouth? Shit, he was surprised he had been able to get his tongue to work. The girl was a Goddess. A pink haired babe. And she wanted to go for a coffee! With HIM!
This was unexpected. Sure, he had thought her stunning the other night. It had also come as a shock that she’d spared the time to talk to him. Women rarely did that. Normally they took one look at him and walked in the other direction. He’d only run into Lexi because he’d needed some air after witnessing all the fucking kinkery in Asier’s BDSM club.
The sexiest girl he had ever seen had been outside.
The moment he’d set eyes on her he’d been tongue-tied. Leaning against the wall, her candyfloss hair had been rumpled down her shoulders. A matching bright pink kiss-me-now lipstick had covered her plump lips. She’d been wearing a short, black mini skirt and a pair of black knee-high boots which he knew would be featured in all his wet dreams. Her breasts...Gods her large breasts had been encased in a tight, black t-shirt with the words ‘Liquor and Lust’ blazoned across the front.
It had been awkward sporting a major hard on barely disguised by his shirt tails, compliments of staring at her tits.
Fuck, he’d barely been able to mumble out his own name to her. She’d been more than happy to tell him hers. Lexi.
Then she’d given him a bag of chocolate covered peanuts. He’d stood there like an idiot. A goofy smile on his face as she had walked back into the club. It had taken some minutes to realise she was gone. After that, he had not been able to find her. Now here she was. And they were about to go on a date. Holy fuck balls. A DATE.
Panic rose in his chest. He’d never had an actual date before. The closest he’d ever come to were movie nights with Jasmine. And cyber dates did not count. Not when it was your game avatar involved. No, this was the real thing.
Lexi was practically skipping as she made her way towards the staff cloak room. She still could not believe she was going out with Twitch. Rushing inside, she headed straight for the lockers.
“Where are you off to in a hurry?”
Lexi grinned at the woman who was already packing her own things. Dressed in jeans and a white shirt, her long, tawny brown hair had been pulled up into a pony tail. Sally was a house slave. She’d only been working as a submissive in Lust for the last few months and still wasn’t sure if it was for her or not. They had hit it off straight away and become fast friends.
As usual, Claus hoovered nearby. Young by vampire standards, the dark-skinned vampire was never too far from the human female. Not that Sally seemed to notice. But Lexi did.
“I’ve got a date! Well...it’s coffee with a cute guy, but that still counts as a date, doesn’t it?”
“Oh my God, a date! Your first ever date!” Grabbing hold of her, Sally gave her a quick hug. Lexi returned the embrace with a giggle.
Claus frowned. “Lexi, does Asier know about this?” He was leaning casually against the wall by the door. Arms folded across his broad chest as if he had nothing better to do.
Sally jumped at the sound of his voice. She obviously hadn’t been aware of the vampire watching her this whole time. It was funny how they were always covertly observing each other.
“She’s a grown woman. She doesn’t need her Boss’s permission to go on a date.” Sally scolded.
Claus looked flustered. “Of course she is, but he is our Master.” Straightening up, he moved closer to the women.
“Yes, he knows, and he’s fine with it,” Lexi responded defensively. Her friend was right. She was twenty years old and fully capable of making her own decisions. Telling them that Asier had asked her to keep Twitch distracted was out of the question. It was business. Something she never discussed with her friends. None of them knew the Master vampire was her father.
“Don’t keep this guy waiting then.” Sally gave her a push towards her locker. “And Claus, you’re cutting it fine this morning. Get to bed.”
The vampire’s lips curved in amusement. “As you wish, but only so I can dream of you in the depths of my slumber.” His gaze had a seductive glint as he regarded the human.
Sally
rolled her eyes. “I’m sure that’s what you tell all the ladies.” Turning, she returned to packing her things.
Lexi saw Claus’s expression fall. She knew he had a thing for Sally, but as of yet he had not been brave enough to tell her. He was like a silent ghost who was always hovering around her.
Subtly, she nudged her chin towards the human. The vamp had to make a move. Doing nothing would get him nowhere. Sally was oblivious to his real interest. Flirting was something all the vampires did in the club. It was more than clear that her friend did not take Claus seriously.
The dark-skinned vampire shook his head sadly.
Lexi released a sigh. She was going to have to think of a way to get these two together. It was obvious they were smitten with each other. Stuffing a few items into her bag, she slammed her locker shut.
“See you guys later.”
“Bye, Lexi. Have a good time,” Sally called after her as she moved towards the door.
Humming cheerfully to herself, Lexi hastily went in search of Twitch. Hopefully he was still where she had left him.
A shadow fell across her path. Startled, Lexi looked up to find Kane staring down at her. The large vampire was her Father’s second in command. He gave her the creeps.
Standing her ground, Lexi stared up at him. Kane grinned in amusement. The vamp knew he made her uncomfortable. His attention was unwanted. Yet he never seemed to take the hint that she was not interested. In fact, he seemed to regard it as a challenge.
Lexi was more than aware whenever his gaze was on her. It made her skin crawl. She tried to move around him, but he continued to block her path.
“Where are you off to, Pet?” He enquired, one hand stroking his blond goatee.
“Out.” Hand on her bag, Lexi adjusted it on her shoulder. She hated his questions. Kane always wanted to know what she was doing, who she was seeing. It got on her nerves.
“You rarely go out.” He pointed out in his deep melodic voice. “So, I’ll ask you again, where are you off to?”
Tilting her chin up, she pinned the hulk-like vampire with a glare. “Look Kane, I don’t need to tell you anything, so stop hassling me.”
Kane’s stare dropped to her breasts. Lexi fought the urge to cross her arms protectively over her chest. He was always staring at them. She knew he wanted to fondle them. It was there, written all over his face, but so far he had never made an attempt. She noticed he had started to corner her more often for these silly conversations. Lexi knew it was time to mention them to her father.
“No need to give me attitude, Pet. I’m sure Asier would want to know.” Slowly, he stepped to the side, allowing her room to pass.
“He already knows. Now, if you will excuse me, I have things to do.”
As she moved passed, Kane’s fingers brushed her arm. “Remember, you’re not allowed to stray too far.”
Lexi shuddered in disgust. She hated it when he touched her. “Whatever.”
The vampire’s gaze burned a hole in her back as she rushed down the hall.
Twitch was right where she had left him. One shoulder rested against the wall as he examined the smart phone clutched in one gloved hand. Carefully, he ran the tip of a finger over the surface. The way he caressed it made Lexi brush. It was intimate. Almost loving.
Hearing her footsteps, he raised his head. Lexi did not miss the way his green eyes lit up when he saw her. Spiralling strands of unkempt curls tumbled across his handsome features.
“Hi,” she greeted breathlessly.
“Ready?” Twitch asked, his mouth tilting up playfully.
“Sure, let’s go.” Lexi tucked a lock of pink hair behind her ear. Her hands were shaking and the sensation of a million butterflies fluttering tickled her stomach.
As they made their way out of the club Lexi was relieved to see Kane nowhere in sight. The big vamp was a complication she didn’t need. A few of the staff waved to her as she passed. They were almost done clearing up.
As they stepped outside, she breathed in the early morning air. Twitch was beside her. Wearing his long black coat, he had one hand on the strap of the back pack on his shoulder. His other one was toying with a cog button on the front of his shirt.
“Where do you want to go for coffee?”
Lexi gave him a sideways glance. “I don’t really know the city that well. Is there anywhere near here?”
“You don’t know London?” He asked, surveying her with a raised brow. “How long have you lived here?”
“Thirteen years. I don’t get out much. Work keeps me busy.” She had been out with friends. But leaving the club or her flat was something she rarely did. Lexi wasn’t a hermit. She preferred the comforts of home. Mostly, she spent time in her spare room turned studio, drawing.
“Fuck, you are missing out then.” Twitch’s expression held a hint of confusion as if he couldn’t understand why she had not explored the place. “We’ll have to fix that.”
As he began to walk, Lexi fell into step. “You think I’m missing out?”
“You can’t live somewhere and not get to know the place... that’s just wrong.” He pointed out. “Trust me, I know.”
“So, you know all the good places?”
“Sugar pants, I know this city like the back of my hand.”
Lexi grinned at the nickname. She liked it. It was better than Pet, which Kane had always called her even when she was a child.
The sun slowly crawled up, spreading its bright rays across the city. It chased away the shadows of the night and sent the nocturnal creatures into hiding.
Closing her eyes, Lexi enjoyed its touch. She was grateful she wasn’t restricted to the dark like some supernaturals. Living without the sun was something she wasn’t sure she could ever do.
They found a little cafe tucked away in a corner of the city a few streets away from club Liquor and Lust.
Holding the door open, Twitch allowed her to pass inside. The place was small. Several wooden tables had been clustered into one section with matching well-worn chairs. It looked like it had not been open long. The waitresses behind the counter stifled yawns with their hands. Their eyes still heavy with sleep.
Behind a closed door that read ‘Kitchen staff only’, a male voice crooned along to a song on a radio. The faint, tantalizing smell of frying bacon reached her nostrils.
Finding a table for two in a corner, Twitch slumped down into a seat. Bending down, he stuffed his back pack below.
Slipping off her coat, Lexi hung it on the back of her own, before sitting opposite him across the table top.
“Are you hungry?” Twitch asked, snatching up the cheerful yellow laminated menu.
“No, thanks. Just coffee for me.” She rested her hand bag at her feet. “I’m not really a breakfast person. For me, it’s dinner I guess, but I had something earlier.”
A waitress materialised beside them, pen at the ready, and a small white pad in her hand. Her apron was pristine white, but as the day wore on, would soon become stained. She gave the couple a speculative look.
“What can I get you two?”
“Milky coffee, please. No sugar,” Lexi responded with a grateful smile.
“Tea with milk and please don’t make it too milky. I can’t stand it when someone dunks the tea bag in for ten seconds as if it’s going to make a difference. If I want hot milk, I will ask for it.” Twitch grumbled, yanking off his black gloves before stuffing them into his pocket.
The waitress looked unfazed at his rambling. Scribbling down the order, her attention dipped back to theirs. “Anything else?”
“No, thanks,” Twitch told her as he brushed away some wayward curls.
With a nod, the woman tucked away her pen and pad. Collecting the menus, she headed back towards the front of the shop.
Lexi gazed around. The place was shabby, but it was clean. Framed photos of London crammed the faded cream walls. Many looked as if they had been taken back in the sixties. Fancy, old-fashioned cars and smiling people dressed up smartly we
re forever frozen in black and white.
“So, Asier’s your Boss?” Twitch spoke after a moment. He was fiddling with the container that held the square packets of sugar. “I have to ask, does he practise that smirk in the mirror?” He didn’t look up as he asked the question. Instead, he examined each sachet. His movements were quick and nimble.
“His smirk?” Lexi giggled. She had never really thought about it that way.
“Yeah, that one that can drop a woman’s panties at a hundred yards.”
That made her giggle harder. She guessed that was true. Her father did have a way with women. But why was Twitch bringing it up now? “I don’t think that’s something you can practise. As far as I know, it’s all natural.”
Twitch wrinkled his nose. “That’s a shame.”
The waitress appeared with their drinks. In silence, they accepted them, both waiting for her to leave before they continued.
Lexi’s attention returned to the man across from her.
“You want women throwing their panties at you?” Lexi asked in confusion. It was something she had not been expecting. He seemed so shy.
A flush crept up the techno mage’s neck. “I guess lots of women working in the club tap that.” Grabbing a handful of sugar sachets, he meticulously tore them open and tipped them into his tea mug.
Lexi sat, watching him with bewilderment. What the heck was he talking about? “Tap that?”
“Sleep with Asier.”
Enlightenment lightened her grey dove eyes. “You mean have sex? Yes, they do. He’s very popular with the ladies.”
“Have you?” Twitch asked, as he piled up the eight empty packets in the middle of the table top.
Shock rendered her speechless. Did he really think she would sleep with her own father? It was wrong in so many ways. She had to remember though Twitch had no knowledge of who Asier was to her. “What? No. Gods no, never. He’s not my type.”
“You’re immune to his charms?” Raising his chin, he observed her through a tangle of tumbled hair. Those green eyes of his were intent on her face. It was if the answer she gave was more than important to him; more like essential.