Page 4 of Discovery of the Vampire
I watched as Brogan and a female I'd seen there before who usually stayed in the back—Kenya, I think the bartender had called her once—exited the club. Brogan locked the door behind them, muttering something under his breath. I couldn't quite make out the words, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the set of his jaw.
Kenya glanced in my direction, and I met her gaze head-on, unafraid. I wanted them to see me, to know that I was here for him. Brogan followed her gaze, his eyes widening slightly when he saw me standing there.
They exchanged a few words, too low for me to hear, but I could tell by their body language that they were discussing me. Kenya seemed unconcerned, but Brogan…the expression on his handsome face was wary.
Shit.
I'd spent the entire day convincing myself that I hadn't done anything to raise his suspicions the night before. Apparently, I was wrong. But I couldn't run away now. Not when I was finally making progress.
After a moment, Kenya started walking in the opposite direction, leaving Brogan behind. He watched her go, then glanced back at me, his brow furrowed. I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he tried to figure out what to do with me.
I didn't move, didn't say a word. I just waited, holding my breath as he took a step toward me, then another. But before he could reach me, Kenya called out to him, and he hesitated.
They spoke again, still too far away for me to hear, but I could see the reluctance in Brogan's posture, the way his eyes kept darting back to me. Finally, he nodded, and with a quick kiss on the head, he let her go on without him and continued toward me.
I needed to get closer to him. Just a little bit closer. Get him to trust me enough to let his guard down.
"Hey," he said as he reached me. "It's awfully cold tonight. What are you doin' out here?”
Even though he was trying his hardest to be nonchalant, I saw the burning desire in his bright green eyes as they took in my tight red dress.
I smiled up at him, trying to focus on my mission and not the way my heart raced at his proximity. "I wanted to see you."
Brogan sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Look, Esme...I appreciate the attention, really. And playing around and flirting with you in the club has been fun. But I don't date customers."
His words hit me like a slap in the face. I blinked, taken aback by his bluntness, so different from the man who'd enjoyed teasing me the night before. "I...I wasn't asking for a date."
"No?" He raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing me. "Then what are you doing here, alone, waiting on the street for me in the middle of the night?"
I swallowed hard, scrambling for an excuse. "I...I wanted to talk to you. To get to know you better."
"Why?" His eyes narrowed suspiciously.
“No particular reason,” I lied, my voice trembling slightly. "I'm…curious about you, that's all."
Brogan studied me for a long moment, his gaze intense and searching. I held my breath, praying that he couldn't see through my deception.
Finally, he shook his head. “Look. I’m sorry, but I can't do this. And I’m sorry if I led you to believe something different. Whatever it is you think you want from me, I can't give it to you."
My heart sank, but I refused to give up that easily. I smiled. "Brogan, you're overreacting. I don't know anyone else here is all, and I just thought?—"
"No," he cut me off, his voice firm. "I have rules, Esme. And one of them is not getting involved with customers outside of the club. It's too complicated."
I bit my lip, fighting back the urge to argue with him. I knew that pushing too hard would only make him more suspicious of my motives.
"Okay," I said softly, taking a step back. “I understand. I’m sorry for bothering you."
Brogan's expression softened slightly, and for a moment, I thought he might change his mind. But then he shook his head again, his jaw clenching with resolve.
"Go home, Esme," he said, turning away from me. "And don't come looking for me again. It's not going to happen."
With that, he walked away. I watched him go, my heart heavy with disappointment and frustration and my ego more than a little bruised.
But I wasn't giving up that easily. Brogan may have rejected me tonight, but I was far from finished with him. One way or another, I would find a way to get close to him.
And when I did, I would finally get the answers I so desperately needed.
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