Lucky for him, he didn’t need nearly as much blood as a normal vamp. They could drain a man dry, and the rogues often did. But he’d taken too much, caught up in his fantasy of drinking from Cassie.
He swore and ran his tongue over the wound, watching carefully. The healing agent in his saliva worked quickly. When the marks were nothing more than tiny pinpricks, he looked the man in the face. “You will not remember me. All you will recall is getting out of your vehicle.”
“Won’t remember you,” the man muttered.
Alexei walked him back to his truck and then slid out of sight. A few seconds later, the man shuddered and blinked several times as though coming out of a daze. He shook his head and then slowly made his way to the entrance.
…
Cassie’s attention strayed to the door for the dozenth time since she’d started her shift an hour ago.
“Watching for someone in particular?” Seated in his regular spot, Buck was working on the first of his two nightly beers.
Irritated at herself, she rubbed a nonexistent stain from the top of the bar. “Nope.”
He chuckled as he scooped up a handful of nuts from the bowl she’d put in front of him. “Maybe you’ve got your eye on the big guy that was in here last night. What was his name?”
“Alexei,” she answered absently, as the door opened.
Let it be him.
She ignored his laughter and had to deal with her own disappointment when another customer walked in. Tiny was a regular, like Buck, only a lot younger. Unlike his nickname would suggest, he was a big man. Not fat, just solid. But tonight, he seemed a little unsteady on his feet. “Hey, Tiny. You okay?”
He sat heavily on one of the stools. “Yeah. Lightheaded is all. Maybe I need to eat something.”
Tiny was a gentle giant, beloved by all who knew him, and that included her. “What can I get for you? A burger?” He looked pale to her, so she poured a glass of orange juice and set it in front of him. “Drink. If your blood sugar is low, that should help stabilize you.”
“Thanks, Cassie.” He drank it all in a single gulp. “I wouldn’t mind a burger.”
“Coming right up.” She passed the order on to Pete in the kitchen. “Want me to call Marlene for you?” she asked. Marlene was his long-time girlfriend. She usually came with him. “Where is she tonight?”
He chuckled. “She’s gone to a wedding shower for a friend of hers. I’m on my own tonight. No need to bother her.”
Any other man and she might think he’d come here to flirt, maybe cheat on his girlfriend, but not Tiny. He was as faithful as they came. She envied Marlene. “Afraid she’ll get ideas?” She’d often wondered why they weren’t married since they were so devoted to each other.
“More like hoping she’ll get them. It’s not me dragging my feet,” he confided.
The door opened again, and against her will, she looked. Everything inside her settled when Alexei entered. He was exactly as she remembered. Tiny might be big, but Alexei made him appear average.
Their gazes met and held. Sparks practically shimmered in the air. Like last night, he wore jeans and boots and a thick sweater. Unlike last night, he didn’t even have a hat on. Had he walked again? She hoped not. Did he even own a vehicle? Maybe not since he was only passing through.
Not that it was any concern of hers.
“Order is up,” Pete called from the kitchen pass-through. Forcing herself to look away, she ignored the pounding in her heart and did her job. She placed Tiny’s food and his regular beer in front of him.
“Thanks, Cassie. I don’t know what’s wrong with me this evening.” He took a big bite.
“Let me know if you want me to call Marlene or anyone else.”
“I’ll be fine,” he assured her around a mouthful of burger.
Unable to put it off any longer, she went down to the far end where Alexei patiently waited.
“I wasn’t sure you’d be back.” She’d told him not to call her, and there were other places to drink.
“I like it here.” His blue eyes stared intently at her, as if he was trying to see into her very core. It was a good thing he couldn’t. It was a dark thing. He’d run screaming if he glimpsed the real her.
She slumped slightly and rubbed her hand over the ache in her chest. Having any kind of relationship with him was impossible.
She’d been fine until he’d shown up, hadn’t realized just how lonely she was until he’d struck a spark inside her, bringing a previously dormant part of her to life.
The scent of crisp, cold air clung to him. Beneath it lay a hint of something muskier that she couldn’t place. It wasn’t fair. She wanted to bury her face in his neck and breathe him in. She twined her fingers together to keep from reaching for him.
“You gonna get the man a drink or just stare at him?”
She glared at Buck, but it didn’t do any good. He just chuckled and ate some more nuts. That was the problem with familiarity. Gave people the idea they could butt into your life.
A part of her liked it. But there was no denying it was also a pain in the ass.
“Well?” she asked Alexei.
“Whiskey.”
Great, he was back to his one-word answers. Without being asked, she set up six glasses and filled them. In a replay of last night, he handed her several folded hundred-dollar bills. This time the corners of his mouth twitched. “Don’t forget your big tip.”
She couldn’t help but smile. “Smart-ass.”
As dangerous as it was for both of them, she was glad he was here. The place seemed brighter, the evening more exciting.
He downed the first two drinks without pause.
Curiosity silenced caution. “So, what did you do all day?” She really didn’t know much about him beyond the basics—he drank whiskey, could be trusted not to take advantage of a woman in an intimate situation, and made a mean breakfast. Oh, and he worked in real estate and was well off enough to travel.
He shrugged one massive shoulder. “Did some work, took a long nap.”
“Rough day at the office, huh?”
“You have no idea.” There was something in his tone that gave her pause. In spite of what he’d said, she sensed that his day was a lot harder than he let on. There was so much more to him than there seemed at first glance.
“You want something to eat?”
“Yes.”
She patted his arm, needing to touch him, even though it would be smarter to keep her distance. “You want to be more specific?” The muscles in his arm had tensed as soon as her hand had rested on him. She half expected him to pull away, but he didn’t. “We have more besides burgers. The nachos are good. Loaded potato skins are amazing. So are the pizzas.” The menu wasn’t too varied, but it was good pub food. She’d tried it all and had no problem recommending it. “Fish and chips, too.” Pete was originally from London and had insisted they have it on the menu.