His nostrils flared. Inwardly I cursed. I could fake cool all I wanted, but Bones was a vampire. He’d be able to tell from one whiff how he was affecting me.
“Perhaps you did miss me after all,” he said low, flecks of green appearing in his eyes.
I pretended to be blasé. “Don’t get flattered; you’re just a good dancer. Felicity seemed to think so, too.”
“Seeing me with Felicity was the least you deserved after I had to watch that human teddy bear fawn all over you,” Bones replied curtly. “Really, Kitten, what were you thinking? Your mum has bigger balls than Noah.”
“His balls are fine!” I snapped, then flushed. Hell if I knew, and God, did I just say that?
Bones snorted and twirled me in a circle before yanking me close. “Right. No wonder you’re so hot around me. I reckon you’ve had a better time shagging yourself than him. Must be frustrating.”
His hips were brushing mine as he taunted me. Anger flared in me, covering my lust. No way was I going to admit that I hadn’t slept with Noah or, hell, anyone since Bones. Frustrating? That didn’t even begin to describe what I was feeling.
But two could play the taunting game. I hitched a leg up, curling it around Bones’ hip, and gave a hard circular twist against him that had his gaze turning flat green.
“Looks like I’m not the only one who’s frustrated, Mr. Optical Hard-on. Might want to tone your eyes down. People will notice.”
Bones closed his eyes, then he locked his hands around my waist and bent until his mouth touched my ear.
“Careful, luv. I might be angry with you, but that doesn’t mean I don’t still want you. So if you do that again, I’ll shag you right here, right now, and sod anyone who wants to watch.”
His sudden hardness below emphasized that he wasn’t making an idle threat. That scared me—and turned me on in ways I didn’t even want to contemplate.
Bones took in a long breath. I shivered, knowing since vampires didn’t need to breathe, he was inhaling the traitorous scent of my desire.
“Oh, Kitten... ” His voice deepened. “Now you’re just daring me, aren’t you?”
I was saved from a reply—or worse—when the energy in the room shifted. Bones felt it, too, a lot clearer than I did. He tensed and his eyes snapped open, no longer green, but hard brown orbs.
“They’re here.”
FOURTEEN
THE VAMPIRES CONSISTED OF two men and a woman. They moved through the bar with a lethal, sensuous grace no living person could duplicate. Pity the living people around them couldn’t sense the danger, however. No, they were vying and jockeying to catch the beautiful predators’ attention instead.
Then they did something that made me groan out loud. They split up. Dammit. I’d hoped they would all head en masse to their secret break room, leaving Bones and me to block their exit and kill them at our leisure. But of course that would have been too easy.
“I’m going to have to call in my team,” I said low to Bones. “Have the perimeter secured.”
He gave a disparaging snort. “Right. Your toy soldiers are well over an hour away, and I can practically feel the bloodlust pouring off these sods. They’re going to feed soon. You wait, and someone will die.”
He was right. Already the three seemed to be picking out their entrées. If one of them headed back to the very messy members-only area and then sounded the alarm, the other two might get away. Furthermore, I couldn’t just do my regular act of offering myself up as a test bite. The blood on my dress ruined my innocent-snack look.
“Got any ideas?” I asked.
Bones smiled. “I do.”
He surprised me by grabbing the girl nearest to him and yanking her close. His hands cupped her head as he brought their faces right up next to each other. I was about to ask him what the hell he thought he was doing when his eyes glowed, partially concealed by his hands. It only took a moment. Bones’ eyes returned to their normal brown, and she stared ahead with a very obedient expression.
“Go to the ladies’ room,” Bones told her, “and switch your dress with this woman.”
I was shaking my head in admiration when a thought occurred to me.
“You could have done that before; then we wouldn’t have needed to dance together!”
Bones only smiled. “So I could have.”
I gave him a single glare before I led the girl into the bathroom. We received a few odd looks when we both went into the same stall, but now wasn’t the time to worry about winks and nudges. Quickly I stripped off my dress and she did the same, just as she’d been instructed. Hers was a little tight and a lot smuttier than my bridesmaid’s dress. It was also backless, so I had to take off my bra. When we got out of the stall, I caught a glance of myself in the mirror. My boobs were bulging out from the low-scooped neckline, and anybody could tell I wasn’t wearing a bra.
Just like old times, I thought ironically. I look like a slut, and Bones is my backup while I go after murdering fang-bangers. The only thing that would make this complete would be to take off my underwear.
Then I smiled. And went back in the stall.