Meeting

I froze as the striking red-haired woman flowed onto the barstool in front of me. My unbeating heart inexplicably lurched in my chest. I had to control the strong urge to clutch at the feeling there. She was tiny, with an ethereal but dangerous beauty that called to my darkest instincts. Something ancient and powerful radiated from her, setting my senses alight.

As she glanced my way, our eyes locked, and it felt like staring into a bright emerald inferno. I was helpless before it, mesmerized by flickering flames of supernatural green. Who was she? What was she? I’d never felt anything like this before. I struggled to find my voice.

“Can I get you something to drink?” I asked, striving to keep my voice smooth despite the riotous reaction within.

“I’ll have a glass of wine,” she replied, her hauntingly melodic voice sending a shiver down my spine.

“Red or white?”

“Red, of course. Dark as you have,” she answered, her fingers playing with her hair where her flowy top dipped low toward full, high breasts.

I swallowed hard and nodded, fighting to still my trembling hands as I poured her a glass of red. As I pushed the goblet toward her, layers of scent enveloped me—earthy wine, sweet flowers, ancient magic. A heady perfume that left me reeling. I had to flatten my palms against the shiny wood of the bar to balance myself. I hadn’t been this overcome with lust in centuries—if ever. Was there something about her blood that called to me? Or was it simply her presence?

As she took the glass from me, our fingers brushed, and it was like being struck by lightning on a clear night. I was electrified, every nerve suddenly awake. Surely, she felt the charge too. A shiver danced down my spine, a primal spark flickering to life as our gazes locked. I searched those wide, mossy eyes, looking for awareness of the feeling. She was obviously not human, but she definitely wasn't vampire. How was I so inexorably drawn to this stunning woman?

Again, the dark, cold organ in my chest thumped unexpectedly. Part of me longed to unravel her secrets, to bask in her glow despite the possible peril. Could she be a weapon of Queen Oriana's sent to tempt and snare me in a trap? I had to know what she was. Why had fate led her through my door? For the first time in ages, I yearned for something more than just existing. More than safety. Here before me was a flame in the dark, guiding me to something that was too dangerous to want.

"I haven't seen you in here before," I offered lamely, leaning toward her, drawn like a magnet. I willed her to be brave, to feel the spark arcing between us. Her bright blue fingernail shimmered in the fairy lights as her finger traced the rim of her glass.

"I haven't been in here before." Her voice was smoky and rich, winding its way through my mind like silk. She tilted her head, eyes boring into mine with an unsettling intensity. "What's your name?"

"Nick," I managed, cursing myself for the way my voice rasped.

"Nick," she purred, sending another shiver through me. "I'm Celeste."

She leaned across the bar, giving me a tantalizing glimpse of the alabaster skin of her breasts set in silky, black cups like an offering as her hair cascaded forward like molten copper. Celeste was a predator of some sort. Being one myself, I recognized her toying with her prey but felt powerless to resist.

"So, Nick, what's your story?" Celeste purred as she sipped her wine. "You seem … special."

I fumbled for words under her intense gaze, trying to gain control and raise my defenses again. "I'm just a bartender trying to get by."

"Hmmm," she mused, clearly unconvinced. "Hiding any interesting secrets?"

My hand that had been wiping the countertop froze. That wasn't a normal question. Did she suspect what I was? Was this a new tactic by Oriana to trap me into revealing myself? I struggled to keep my tone light. I quirked a black brow and let my lips tip up in a half smile in a move I knew was seen as charming. "We all have secrets, don't we?"

Celeste smiled back cryptically. "Some more than others…"

Her eyes bore into me, as if trying to strip away my facade and expose the darkness within. The silence stretched taut as a tightrope between us. Finally, she spoke again, changing tack. "You have a little bit of an accent. Not from around here, are you?"

I shook my head, latching onto the mundane question. "I'm originally from Russia."

"Russia," Celeste repeated thoughtfully, tapping a fingernail against her pouty bottom lip as she studied me. She seemed fascinated, though her expression remained enigmatic. I felt like a lab specimen under her scrutiny.

After another uncomfortable pause, she tilted her head and asked innocently, "What time do you get off?" Too innocently. Her eyes flashed with a dangerous invitation.

I hesitated before stammering out, "I … ah … not until 3 a.m." I hadn't tried to turn on my vampire powers of suggestion, but here she was propositioning me. What was her game? An ever-growing part of me didn't care.

Celeste's red lips curved into what I imagined was a practiced pout. She had me cornered, and she knew it. This hypnotic flame seemed determined to consume me.

"That's a shame. It gets lonely at night." She twirled a lock of hair. "Do you work that late every night?"

She was a flame I should avoid, and yet I found myself shaking my head. "I'm off on Mondays."

Celeste's grin widened, obviously satisfied at the knowledge she had pulled from me. She downed her wine in one smooth motion, eyes never leaving mine.

"And do you live near here, Nick?" she asked, a hard edge to the final sound of my adopted name.

I thought I saw a hint of gold flashing in her eyes, but it was gone in a blink. I was afraid mine would start to glow red any moment. I had to break away from her, but I couldn't seem to look away.

"Yeah, I live … near here." I'd almost come out and told her I lived in an apartment above the bar. What was she doing to me?

Placing her empty glass back on the bar, she pulled a ten-dollar bill from the small purse she had draped over her shoulder and put it on the bar. "Maybe I'll be in the area on Monday." Her bright white teeth snagged her bottom lip and looked at me through her long lashes. "Keep the change, Nick from Russia."

With that, she slid off the stool and slowly sashayed away, easily threading her way through the crowd. I watched until she turned the corner and disappeared out of sight. I blinked and shook my head to clear it.

"My friend, you are screwed," a deep, accented voice said to my right. I looked and found Leo sitting there. I hadn't even noticed him.

"What do you mean?" I asked innocently, though I agreed with him. This woman had ignited something in me that I thought long dead.

"That woman is Fae. You should steer very clear away from her," Leo warned, taking a sip of his long neck that I didn't remember getting for him. I often found Leo with drinks that magically appeared in his hand. I pushed the thought away and returned to the crisis at hand.

Fae and vampires didn't mix. At all. Ever. In fact, we'd just as soon kill each other. What then was this smoldering allure that had me so entranced? If I didn't resist her pull, she would devour me like kindling. As my heart squeezed yet again, I felt almost helpless to resist her siren call. Consequences be damned, I wanted more of this feeling. I was like a drug addict. Despite the danger she might be, she was a pretty little poison I couldn't resist.