Page 10 of Bloody Temptations

Well, late for my imaginary timeline anyway.

I try to keep my cool as I rush my way through my shower, but I’ve been cool probably three times max in my life and I’ve obviously used up all my credits. I get soap in my eye in the shower, making it look violently red. And then, because my bathroom is tiny, I manage to whack my arm on the door handle, leaving a wicked looking mark there. What a waste of blood.

The magic continues when I go to pull on my brand new outfit—all black obviously—and I realise they’ve left the security tag on. And then because it takes so long to figure out how to get that off, my hair air-dries all funny making it go fluffy and basically impossible to style.

It’s the nerves. They are making my dork factor increase by a thousand fold. After I break my favourite mug—knocking it clear off the table while reaching for it—I decide to quit while I’m ahead and leave now.

My bus to the city is blessedly empty. I shove in my earbuds, listening to a podcast to distract me from my nerves. It works, even when the bus pulls up at my stop and I hop out, walking the few blocks with my hands in my coat, with the collar tucked up high against the icy wind.

It’s not until I’m outside the big black doors, with the glowing neon red vampire mouth that the nerves hit me again. I stand there for far too long, staring at the blacked out doors, but at least there are no door staff tonight to watch my embarrassing indecision.

It’s now or never, I reason, and a hard lump forms in my throat. Then I swallow against it, taking a shaking step towards the door. One step, then another, and I’m hauling the heavy door open. It’s time to be brave.

6

Kai

“Hello, beautiful beings!” Iannounce to the breakroom, throwing the door wide open. There’s a crash when it hits the wall, with a few boxes falling off the shelves from the impact. “Whoops.”

I wince, stepping over them to throw my duffle bag into my cubby. I should probably stop being so dramatic with my entrances.

There’s only one being in the room, Erod, a tall fae with a stubby hot pink ponytail and a perpetual scowl. He doesn’t respond, just looks up from his phone to give me a baleful look before using his magic to lift the boxes back into place.

“It’s gonna be a good night, Erod.” Okay, so I always think it’s gonna be a good night, but to be fair, I’m usually right.

I give him a big cheesy grin and start getting myself organised. It’s only midweek, and Nikolo’s not on shift tonight, so there’s no fun get-ups to work the bar—just my black jeans and super tight black singlet. I shuck my thick hoodie and cram it in my bag and grab my toiletries, moving to the small vanity to finish up.

It’s not that I’m vain, but I like to look good for work. Okay, maybe it is that I’m vain. But it’s also because the tips are better when my body shimmers under the bar lights, so I dutifully rub glitter moisturiserover my chest, and touch up my eye-liner all under Erod’s vaguely disapproving eye.

When I’m done, I make sure my hair is looking perfect. It’s all natural tonight—meaning a long wavy mop that has a tendency to frizz when it gets all hot and humid behind the bar—something that shouldn’t be an issue midweek. For a finishing touch I add a thick, silver, collar-like chain around my neck.

Grabbing my till key, I shoot finger guns at Erod as I leave—just because I know he secretly loves it—and head through the inconspicuous door into the club.

Bloody Temptations has a very different vibe on weeknights. It’s still tacky and kind of over the top, but the music is more chill and the lights less flashy. There are crowds milling about the high tables, and half the booths are occupied with beings and humans enjoying after work drinks.

I scoot my way behind the bar, up-nodding Aiden, the weekday security guy on the way. Belinda is caught up with a mixed group of beings and humans in suits ordering an absolute suite of complicated cocktails by the looks of it, so I log on to one of the tills and get to work.

“What can I get for you?” I ask absently, tucking a towel into my back pocket and checking the diary for any notes.

Amongst the stupid messages we leave for each other, I spot it. Fuck. A pre-mateship party is coming in this weekend. From the size of the booking they are going to take up the whole club.

Ugh. Pre-mateship parties are always filled with drunk menaces. There’s always a disturbing percentage of the group who get handsy with the staff, none of them ever tip and they piss off the rest of the patrons.

“Uh, I’ll just have another blood-apple martini, thanks?” My sluggish heart stutters and my eyes snap up to the being at the bar. How the fuck had I missed him sitting there?

Maybe it’s because he’s in all black tonight. It doesn’t suit him in the slightest. The cut of his loose shirt, unbuttoned just enough to show off his delicious collar bones, is perfect, but the black is too harsh and washes him out. Not that it matters—he still has that aura of adorable-awkwardness that is indescribably attractive. At least on him.

He looks just as uncomfortable tonight as he did last time he was here, nervously fidgeting with his martini glass. There is enough of a flush on his cheeks to show that the blood in the glass in front of him wasn’t his first tonight. It’s gotta be fresh and strong in the system to show that vividly on his cheeks.

My lips curve into a sly smile and I lean forward onto the bar, just as eager to get all up into his space as I was last time.

“Hot Stuff! You came back!” He freezes like a rabbit when I lean a little bit closer, getting as close as I can to his ear with the bar between us. “You came to see me, didn’t you?”

Those brilliant green eyes flare wide and he jerks—not away from me, just awkwardly on the spot, like he doesn’t actually want me out of his personal space. Or at least, that’s what I tell myself.

His complete lack of game is endearing, but not as endearing as his blush. It’s a sight to behold. All the blood he’s drunk tonight rushes violently to his head. It turns him a bright red colour from his hairline all the way to where his creamy skin disappears beneath his collar.

My first question is why getting under this guy's skin sparks something so strong in my guts?

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