They were all here to get a good gawk at the woman whose kiss was responsible for a man’s destruction.
The name of her bar was meant to refer to a kiss of vampire, but it was pretty appropriate on a personal level too.
Michael sat at the end of the bar, eyes tracking her movements. He looked relaxed, but she knew he was aware of everyone in this place. Even though she thought it was overkill, she was grateful for his presence.
Turning, she slid the chilled bottle of Yorkshire into Mac’s waiting hand and took another order.
She was pretty sure that Michael hadn’t meant to sit in the same place where Louis had sat once upon a time, before he’d turned verdorben. That had been back when they’d just been friends, on the verge of something more. Back when Louis had nursed a crush on her and she’d been too oblivious to notice it. Before she’d bought the Twisted Kiss, she’d worked there. Every night she’d had a shift, Louis had sat at the bar, sipping orange juice and trying to pretend he wasn’t ill at ease in a vampire establishment.
Back then, Louis had been training to be a physician under old Doc Williams. He’d been one of the few other humans in Sweet Rock, set to take over Williams’s practice. Louis had been committed to the care of all, even the supes who made him a little uneasy. All those dreams had ended, of course, with the press of her lips and the slip of her tongue.
“Kylie, I think that glass is dry now,” came Cody’s voice. “You can go home anytime, you know. No worries. I got it covered.”
She blinked and looked down at her hands, not even remembering picking the glass and towel up in the first place. For all she knew, she’d been standing there drying it for the last half hour.
She met Michael’s gaze and he jerked his head toward the back.
Nodding, she turned control of the bar over to Cody, then slipped down the hallway and found the refuge of her office. A few moments later, Michael entered.
She leaned with both hands flat on the desk, her back to him. “Any word from Christian?”
He came up behind her, his warmth radiating into her spine. She stood and leaned back against him, letting him envelop her in his arms. She sighed, feeling a slight release of stress. “No,” he whispered near her ear. “Nothing yet. It’s late evening. The weres should be finishing up their hunt. The vamp posse plans to take over for deep night.”
She closed her eyes and her breath shuddered out of her. “I’m half relieved they haven’t found him.”
“I understand. This is hell for you.”
Opening her eyes, she focused on the old painting behind her desk and swallowed hard. “He’s on my mind tonight. He’s got no one to miss him but me, you know. Me and maybe Doc Williams. His family’s all dead.” Maybe that was a blessing.
“I remember.”
“He wanted kids.” Her voice broke. “He wanted a whole bunch of them to make up for feeling so alone in the world.”
“Louis was a good guy.”
“Yes, he really was.” She paused. “Now he’s twisted and warped.”
Michael turned her to face him, tipped her chin up, and forced her to look into his eyes. “Everything is twisted and warped these days, Kylie. That’s why it’s important to grab on tight to whatever beauty you can find and never let it go.”
Her eyes filled with tears, even as her heart grew huge and warm—filled with the thought of Christian and Michael. “The council was so right about you and Christian. You have become everything to me and it hardly took any time at all.”
“It was there locked away in you already. You just needed the key. That’s what the council gave you.”
A tear rolled down her cheek and he kissed it away. She found his mouth and slanted hers across it, sliding her tongue aggressively within. His body went still for a moment, almost like he was shocked. Then he kissed her back, hard, his tongue spearing into her mouth hungrily.
She wanted him, wanted his body
The name of her bar was meant to refer to a kiss of vampire, but it was pretty appropriate on a personal level too.
Michael sat at the end of the bar, eyes tracking her movements. He looked relaxed, but she knew he was aware of everyone in this place. Even though she thought it was overkill, she was grateful for his presence.
Turning, she slid the chilled bottle of Yorkshire into Mac’s waiting hand and took another order.
She was pretty sure that Michael hadn’t meant to sit in the same place where Louis had sat once upon a time, before he’d turned verdorben. That had been back when they’d just been friends, on the verge of something more. Back when Louis had nursed a crush on her and she’d been too oblivious to notice it. Before she’d bought the Twisted Kiss, she’d worked there. Every night she’d had a shift, Louis had sat at the bar, sipping orange juice and trying to pretend he wasn’t ill at ease in a vampire establishment.
Back then, Louis had been training to be a physician under old Doc Williams. He’d been one of the few other humans in Sweet Rock, set to take over Williams’s practice. Louis had been committed to the care of all, even the supes who made him a little uneasy. All those dreams had ended, of course, with the press of her lips and the slip of her tongue.
“Kylie, I think that glass is dry now,” came Cody’s voice. “You can go home anytime, you know. No worries. I got it covered.”
She blinked and looked down at her hands, not even remembering picking the glass and towel up in the first place. For all she knew, she’d been standing there drying it for the last half hour.
She met Michael’s gaze and he jerked his head toward the back.
Nodding, she turned control of the bar over to Cody, then slipped down the hallway and found the refuge of her office. A few moments later, Michael entered.
She leaned with both hands flat on the desk, her back to him. “Any word from Christian?”
He came up behind her, his warmth radiating into her spine. She stood and leaned back against him, letting him envelop her in his arms. She sighed, feeling a slight release of stress. “No,” he whispered near her ear. “Nothing yet. It’s late evening. The weres should be finishing up their hunt. The vamp posse plans to take over for deep night.”
She closed her eyes and her breath shuddered out of her. “I’m half relieved they haven’t found him.”
“I understand. This is hell for you.”
Opening her eyes, she focused on the old painting behind her desk and swallowed hard. “He’s on my mind tonight. He’s got no one to miss him but me, you know. Me and maybe Doc Williams. His family’s all dead.” Maybe that was a blessing.
“I remember.”
“He wanted kids.” Her voice broke. “He wanted a whole bunch of them to make up for feeling so alone in the world.”
“Louis was a good guy.”
“Yes, he really was.” She paused. “Now he’s twisted and warped.”
Michael turned her to face him, tipped her chin up, and forced her to look into his eyes. “Everything is twisted and warped these days, Kylie. That’s why it’s important to grab on tight to whatever beauty you can find and never let it go.”
Her eyes filled with tears, even as her heart grew huge and warm—filled with the thought of Christian and Michael. “The council was so right about you and Christian. You have become everything to me and it hardly took any time at all.”
“It was there locked away in you already. You just needed the key. That’s what the council gave you.”
A tear rolled down her cheek and he kissed it away. She found his mouth and slanted hers across it, sliding her tongue aggressively within. His body went still for a moment, almost like he was shocked. Then he kissed her back, hard, his tongue spearing into her mouth hungrily.
She wanted him, wanted his body
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