by Kiersten Fay
“I ordered it to ding your wallet as payback.”
“Then you’ll have to do better than that.”
“And I don’t adorn myself in jewels to attract a mate.”
“Likely because you can’t afford it. I see you wear silver around your neck.”
She fingered the locket, and huffed. “This has sentimental value. I suppose you drive a luxury sports car?” She took another bite of her lobster, determined to enjoy it.
By way of answer, he said with a grin, “I’m not looking for a mate.”
The way he stared at her now told her what he might be looking for. Her heart rate ratcheted because all that intense, unbroken attention was directed her way. Perhaps Cortez flirted this strongly with all his potential employees, to see how they’d handle themselves in a real-world scenario. A waitress in this town had to be glib of tongue and quick on their feet to handle some of the miscreants that popped into town to harass the locals. She decided she would ace this interview no matter what Cortez had to throw at her.
When the waiters came by to check on them—they were very attentive to their boss—Cortez ordered another round of drinks and then a second main dish, toasted sesame ginger salmon, stating that Naia might enjoy it more. Then he continued with the questions. “Do you live around here?”
She nodded. “I live near the hills.”
“You can’t have been in town for very long.”
She cocked her head. “Why do you say that?”
“I’m sure I would have noticed you before now.”
Flirting again? “Well, you’re not as observant as you think. We-uh-I’ve been here for a few years now.” At the last second, some protective part of her decided it was best not to mention Cole in any way. If she wasn’t careful, things could go south for her in a bad way, and he was in enough trouble. But Cortez noticed her cover-up.
“We? You mean the man who’s waiting on you even now?”
“No one is waiting on me. I have all night.”
Again he scanned her dress, this time dubious, clearly not believing her.
“Why haven’t you applied here sooner?”
“I did. A couple of times. I don’t have a phone, so I had to keep checking back, but I was told there weren’t any openings. You have such stellar acts on your roster. I guess a simple singer didn’t measure up. But I’m good. I can promise you that. Your clientele will love me.”
He leaned back in his chair. “Who did you speak with?”
“Huh?”
“Which one of my employees did you speak with when you came looking for a job?”
“I, uh.” She glanced around as if their faces would pop out at her. “Not sure I remember exactly. A woman with long dark hair the first time. A guy the second. Why?”
“Just wondering who I need to punish for not sending you straight to me.”
She stiffened, then caught the teasing light in his eyes and returned a smile. “In that case, I really don’t remember. If I’m going to work here, the last thing I need is to start off by throwing my peers under the bus, handsome though that bus may be.”
Something inscrutable flashed behind his eyes. Oddly, some of his humor faded. Did he not like compliments?
The salmon arrived then, and with her first bite, she groaned. “My god, this is incredible!”
His chest puffed up a bit and that pleasing grin was back. “I’m glad you like it. It’s one of my favorites.”
She glanced up at him, incredulous. “You eat? I mean, like, people food? Not people food, I mean human food. You actually do eat people food, though don’t you....” She huffed at her stammering and fought a blush.
He chuckled. “I enjoy human food, but I couldn’t live on the stuff.”
How interesting. She’d never seen Dante so much as snack on a chip.
Around another mouthful, she muttered, “This is so good,” And she wasn’t even putting on airs. An explosion of flavor invaded her mouth with each bite. Before she knew it, she was scraping the plate for more.
“My god, doesn’t your man feed you?”
She flushed and set her utensils down. She was supposed to be impressing this man, not scarfing down food like a starved mammal. “I guess I didn’t realize how hungry I was. Give my compliments to the chef.”
“Would you like to tell him yourself?”
Meet the chef? “I’d love to. But I wouldn’t want to bother him while he’s working.”
Cortez shook his head. “He loves it. To be honest, he can get a little grumpy when he’s not flattered enough.” He snapped his fingers for the waitress and had her retrieve the chef, Victor.
She expected a pudgy middle-aged man with a gut and an apron. Well, he had on an apron, along with full chef garb, sans hat. And he was drop dead gorgeous! Tall, with wild dark hair, the shoulders of a linebacker, and a jaw so chiseled it could slice bread. She wondered if even the cleaning crew looked like cover models.
“Da.” He said to Cortez with a distinctly Russian accent.
Cortez gestured to her. “This is Naia....” He was looking for her to provide a last name.
“DeVoe,” she said without thinking. She realized too late it was a mistake to give her full name. So bad at this. Burying her irritation with herself, she shook Victor’s hand. “I wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed the salmon. Honestly, it was the best thing I’ve ever eaten. Better than the lobster. Uh, though that was good, too,” she added hastily, not wanting to insult him.
“Lobster is shit,” he said. “They used to feed it to prisoners long ago. A peasant dish. You have good taste.” He smiled, and a set of fangs poked out from behind his lips.
A vampire chef? Huh.
It would be just her luck if Cortez only hired vampires.
“You want dessert?” Victor continued. “I make you something off menu.”
“Oh, I couldn’t,” she rubbed her stomach. “I’m stuffed.”
He waved away her statement. “I make you something.” Then he stalked back to the kitchen before she could utter another protest.
“I think you made his night,” Cortez told her. “He’ll be high on his own importance for weeks.”
“Your chef is a vampire.” She had inadvertently leaned forward as if she were revealing a secret.
He mirrored her. “You caught that did you?”
Their faces mere inches apart, a strange spike of adrenaline burrowed through her. She caught a whiff of his cologne, and it seemed to go straight to her head. It was a faint scent, musky and enticing. Not cloying like some men who often smelled as if they’d bathed in rat piss. No, Cortez smelled...perfect.
She just managed to stop herself from inhaling deeply and giving herself away. With effort, she sat back in her seat. Cortez did the same, seeming to go through a similar struggle.
The music and chatter from the other guests filled in around them as if the volume had been turned up, even though nothing outside of their little bubble had changed. She cleared her throat, mentally acknowledging the moment. Something was going on. Maybe it was just in her head, or maybe he was feeling it as well. This whole interview was unorthodox.
She tried to find her footing. “I’d be happy to audition for you.”
His eyes lit with a kind of humor that bordered on mischievous. Had she said something funny?
“Perhaps something can be arranged.” He stood and held out his hand. “Come.”
“Where are we going?”
“I want to give you a tour.”
Tour. That was a good sign, right? “But the dessert?”
“Someone will bring it to us.”
She slipped her hand in his and allowed him to guide her around to the back of the room toward a set of elevators. As he pressed the up button, she glanced down at their clasped hands with fascination. His hand nearly swallowed hers, making her fingers look dainty in his grip.
The doors slid open and he pulled her inside, pressing the button for the top floor. As the doors closed, she detan
gled herself from him, feeling the space constrict around them. She wasn’t normally claustrophobic. It was him. His presence was almost too much in the tiny compartment. As if both needed the extra distance, they moved to opposite sides of the elevator, facing each other.
The look he gave her now was almost carnal. Like he was starved and she was the only meal in sight. It was unnerving. It was exhilarating. Receiving such unwavering attention from a vampire should not send forbidden tremors through her spine. Her heart began a slow drum. Her breaths began to shallow. The effect must have been causing her chest to noticeably rise and fall because he lustfully glanced down at her breasts, then back into her eyes, smiling when he realized he’d been caught.
“You are exquisite.”
“Thank you,” she breathed. My god, he was making her feel as if she were the sexiest woman in the world.
Ding. The doors parted. She practically dove out. He followed her, albeit, more slowly.
They were in another hallway, and there were doors lining either side.
“This way.” Cortez started down the hall, not taking her hand this time. Relief and disappointment took turns kicking her in the gut. But when they got to a dim stairwell, he once more held out his hand to her. She glanced up cautiously. Where in the world was he taking her?
Maybe it was the stark switch from being surrounded by a crowd to the sensation of complete isolation with this engrossing man, or the sporadic strobe of the cold, blue-tinged halogen bulbs that lit the stairwell, but she was suddenly hesitant.
“It’s safe,” he said as if he sensed her wariness. “You are safe with me.”
Her mind split into two camps. One vying to believe him one-hundred percent, recklessly willing to follow him through hot coals just to experience more of the delicious way he was making her feel. The other wondered if, to her at least, he wasn’t the most dangerous man alive.
Battling her uncertainty, she took his hand and up they went.
Chapter 6
A beautiful sea of twinkling stars above greeted her as cool ocean air rolling in from the coast fanned across her face.
They were on the roof. She marveled at a three-sixty view of the darkened city. Ever Nights was the tallest building in the city, so for miles there was nothing to obstruct her view. To the west, she caught the moon glancing off the Pacific, like liquid white-gold on black. What must it look like in the day? Sunsets had to be breathtaking.
Half of the roof was set up like a mini retreat, complete with a pool, hot tub, sidebar, and a seating nook under a trellis of wisteria. The other half looked like a greenhouse. The scent of different herbs and sweet fragrances mixed in the air.
They were completely alone.
Now that the initial awe had worn off, she faced Cortez, suddenly aware that he’d been watching her, not saying a word, as she had taken everything in.
This couldn’t be a normal interview. In fact, it felt very much like a date. But that couldn’t be right. She had to be imagining things. Except the look he was giving her—had been giving her the whole night—said she might be on the money.
He strolled to the bar. “Would you like a drink?”
“I think I’m confused. Is this an interview or a date?”
He pulled out two flutes and a bottle of Champagne, cracking it open. After filling each glass he passed one to her. “Which would you prefer?”
Her mouth briefly popped open. She squashed her surprise behind her glass, taking a quick sip. Wow! This Champagne was delicious. The garbage she’d had before must have been squeezed through the ass of a donkey.
She took a bigger sip and tried to get her bearings. “Is this how you welcome all your new employees?” She was suddenly racked with inexplicable jealousy over all the beautiful women she’d seen below. But why should she be? She’d only just met this man.
“I don’t date people I work with,” came his simple reply.
Her brain took a pause. Surely that meant that they wouldn’t be dating. “You just feed them unbelievable meals and ply them with Champagne?”
He turned wry. “Not quite. I’m sure you could tell by the reaction of some of my employees earlier, there haven’t been many to garner such treatment.”
“Why me then?”
His smile was elusive. “You fascinate me.”
You fascinate me too. But he shouldn’t. There was a danger in this dance. She couldn’t get too tangled up in his game. And that was surely what it was. She wasn’t an idiot, her features were pleasing, she might even go as far to say above average, but not by much and there certainly wasn’t anything fascinating about her...aside from her siren lineage, which no one could know about. Was that what he was sensing? Was he drawn to that part of her? Her voice had never had any effect on vampires, thank the Lord! She could run from a human. She could even...kill a human...
She shivered. Block that out.
...but against a vampire? She had no chance at all. Point. Set. Match.
He sidestepped the bar and came to stand in front of her. His forefinger hooked under her chin, and he lifted her gaze to his. Tawny eyes bore into hers. “Tell me what you’re thinking.”
Once again she wondered if he was mesmerizing her, but she didn’t feel compelled to answer. She could refuse.
She decided not to. “I fear you’re playing a game with me.”
His big hand came up to cup her cheek. “I don’t play games with people.”
Her heart rate was slowly rising, his nearness filleting reason. A mysterious crackle of energy seemed to pass between them. Just as her eyes dipped to his lips, his tongue darted out to wet them. She swallowed, and worked to get more air into her lungs. He’s going to kiss me. Her pulse was banging in her ears now, blood rushing to her brain, fogging her thoughts.
His head dipped, and warm lips molded over hers. She was helpless not to kiss him back, leaning into him. Her heart thundered now. Every vamp in a five block radius could probably hear it.
When his tongue delved, testing, she welcomed him into her mouth. Fire roared through her blood, burning away what little resistance she had left. Giving into him completely, her hand came around his nape to hold him close as she deepened the kiss. His arms hooked her waist, drawing their bodies together. Her heels practically left the ground, her tiptoes barely touching, but she only wanted him to hold her tighter.
She’d been kissed before, but never like this. Never in a way that was so frighteningly consuming, so deliciously decadent. Never in a way that made her mind grow dim and her body spark like a live-wire. Never in a way that made her want to groan into this man’s mouth with primal triumph.
He let out a guttural sound as though he were on the exact same page, and the sound bounced around her every nerve like a pinball, lighting her up.
A small gasp to their right had her eyes flying open. Breaths heavy, she pulled back to see one of the waitresses holding a plate: Victor’s special dessert.
Cortez shot the poor woman a look of such malice, Naia wasn’t sure she shouldn’t worry for her safety. “Apologies, I-I’ll just leave this here.” She hastened to set the dish down on a nearby table and then tripped over herself to get back inside.
Too late. The spell was broken. Naia was appalled at her lack of self-control. Untangling herself from Cortez’s arms, she took several steps back while her lungs continued to battle for the proper level of oxygen. God, she was out of her element. She was here to get a job and scrounge up some information for Dante, not to seduce the boss. Or rather, get seduced.
Cortez still appeared perturbed by the interruption, but wisely gave her space, though he studied her expression closely. She must look half in shock. Or half in lust. She couldn’t decide.
“I think we should go back.” She didn’t wait for him to agree. She beelined it to the door and started down the stairs, her heels clanging on the metal. She still had her Champagne glass in her left hand. How she’d managed to hold on to it, she couldn’t say, but she did notice some of the li
quid had spilled over the edge onto her clutching fingers.
At the elevator, she triple pressed the button.
“Will your man be upset by what just happened?” he asked, sidling up beside her.
She was about to snap again that she didn’t have a man, but wondered if that was wise. Could she salvage her mission if he thought she was taken? “Wouldn’t you?”
His jaw clenched. “If you were mine, I’d be murderous.” At her slight intake of breath, he added. “Any man who attempted to take you from me would be risking death.”
“You can’t be serious!”
“I said if you were mine. You’re not...yet.”
She gaped at him, speechless, as the elevator doors parted. He stepped inside and held the doors for her. For several moments, she couldn’t quite get her legs to obey. Stiffly, she made it inside and then was once more entombed with the man who was both terrifying her and amazing her with his every unpredictable action. What would he do next?
“Stay the night with me.”
Stunned, she said, “You don’t waste any time, do you?”
That half-smile returned to his features, blasting the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy. “When I see something I want, I go after it.”
And he wanted her? She liked the idea way too much. “You don’t date employees, but you sleep with them?”
He frowned. “No.”
“So then if I stayed with you, I’d be ruining my chances at a job.” They landed on the first floor, and she exited the elevator.
“What if I told you I have no intention of hiring you anyway?”
Her heart sank, but she didn’t let it show. “Then I’d say I’m wasting my time here. And as you pointed out, I have better things to do.” His lips thinned at the double-entendre. Let him think she had someone waiting on her. Served him right for pulling that rug out from under her. Seven grand went poof in her mind, gone from her future with not so much as a snap of the finger. Her dream job with it. She realized then that there was no way she and Cole could gather the money in time. They were going to have to run.