“So you are new in town then,” he began, forcing his eyes back up to her face. To his embarrassment she was smiling at him with a knowing look in her eyes.
Setting the bottle back down gently, she rested her elbows on the table and leaned closer. “I am. Just came in on a ship this morning,” she replied, her voice nearly a purr to his ears.
“Well welcome to Morcath, then,” he offered with only a bit of bitterness in the words.
“You look like you are having a miserable night. Whoever she is, she isn’t worth it,” the woman replied with what could have been sympathy. “I am, though,” she added with a smile that was definitely predatory. Even he couldn’t mistake that expression.
“How did you know it was a woman?” he asked with a disgusted sigh.
“That isn’t the right question at all, but I’ll answer it anyway. As sweet as you are on the eye it has to be a woman and only a woman can make a man drink like you are drinking,” she explained.
“I could have just found out I’ve contracted a lethal disease,” he offered with a smirk.
She rolled her eyes and shook her head faintly with an amused smile. “You are obviously Elder Blood and the Elder Blood don’t get sick or catch diseases,” she countered.
“Well, there is that, so what was the correct question to ask?” he asked, swirling his drink in his hand. The conversation had him distracted enough that he wasn’t sure he actually wanted to complete his mission of getting blisteringly drunk.
Can you prove you are worth it? would have been a good one. Would you like another drink? would have worked. But the one I was looking for was Do you have a room here? Want to try again?” she replied in a teasing voice.
Shade eyed her for a long moment and took another sip of his drink. In Sanctuary, a woman would have never spoken to him like this. Of course, in Sanctuary, all the women knew who he was. There was a certain appeal in this anonymity that he couldn’t deny, and it wasn’t as if he had a reputation to protect anymore. “Would you like to prove it while enjoying another drink in your room?” he asked with what he hoped was a charming smile.
A wide smile spread across her mouth again and she slowly nodded. “Very much so,” she purred and stood slowly with catlike grace.
“Well, I’ve never been one to deny a lady,” Shade said and stood, grabbing the bottle as he did. “Lead off,” he said motioning toward the stairs with his free hand.
“That is good to hear. I do hate to be denied,” she said as she walked toward the stairs.
Shade fell in behind her and tried to keep his gaze from lingering on the skin tight leather pants she was wearing. He felt a moment’s panic as he began to climb the stairs and quickly silenced the inner voice that was screaming at him to go back to his ship alone. He was sick to death of listening to that inner voice. So far, it had gotten him nowhere. “So are you going to tell me your name?” he asked as they reached the hall above.
“Are you going to tell me yours?” she asked, glancing back at him.
“Do you want the real one?” he countered, taking another pull from the bottle.
“Do you?” she returned and pushed a door open.
“OK, we seem to be at a standoff then. Names are not important,” he relented, and followed her into the dimly lit room.
“For right now, they aren’t,” she agreed and took the bottle from his hand. Tilting it back, she took a long pull and crossed the room to the small table. “Close the door, would you?”
Nodding, Shade pushed the door shut and glanced around the room, not really sure what exactly he should do first. “I feel I should warn you I’ve uh, never … Well I haven’t …” His voice trailed off as she sat the bottle down solidly on the table and turned back to him, her fingers rising to the laces of her bodice. “So, no small talk. Got it,” he muttered, his gaze locked on her every move.
She smiled at him and raised an eyebrow as she let the garment drop to the floor. Raising one hand, she crooked a finger at Shade, motioning him forward and he found himself in motion before the thought fully registered. “Don’t worry about it being your first time. I’ll show you exactly what to do,” she promised in a low throaty voice.
“And I have a feeling I’ll happily do whatever you say,” Shade murmured as she began to unlace his pants. He watched her in fascination, still not quite believing he was doing this. Gripping him by his unbuckled belt she spun him back against the table with more force than he would have thought her capable of, and dropped to her knees in front of him. Puzzled for a moment, Shade watched her with confusion and then shook his head slightly. “Your mouth. Are you sure you want to use your …” His voice trailed off as she ignored his objections. “Never mind what I said, you obviously know what you are doing. Please continue,” he said weakly and hastily braced himself against the table. The inner voice was, for once, deathly silent.
*
Mind fogged and sweat soaked, Shade looked up at her in eternal gratitude. “I have no idea why I waited so long to do that,” he muttered, his words thick. His entire body hummed with pleasure and his eyes were heavy. “Give me a minute to rest and I’m more than willing to make up for lost time, though,” he said with a weak grin. With a contented sigh, he let his eyes close.