“Did you turn it on, on purpose?” I asked, still trying to catch my breath.
He laughed slightly as he shook his head. “Nope, you’re the only one I wanted to turn on.”
The cool air of the table was a welcome feeling, cutting through the cloying heat we’d generated in the dark gaming bar.
My hands covered my face. “Oh my god, I can’t believe we just did that. So much of that was so wrong.” Feelings of horror and shock began to cut through the salacious things we just did.
He tugged my arm down so I’d look at him. “Can we not overthink this for once? Or at least, until tomorrow. I still have somewhere I want to take you. I promise you can regret all of this tomorrow, but not yet.”
“We’re a mess and look like we just had the kind of depraved sex we just had. We should probably clean up first, and definitely clean up in here. ‘Cause if I didn’t think about this being an adult hotspot, I'd say we need to get the place condemned.”
Xander’s thumb covered my lips. “Can you just be here with me for a little while longer? A complete and utter mess together?”
Something in his voice cut me to my core. It was the diverging point between us. My need to control and keep things in order and his inability to do so. A loneliness wavered in his eyes that told me if I didn’t do this, he would be more alone than ever.
I took a deep breath and nodded. I could try.
Then Xander’s face broke into a smile that made my heart skip and tumble all over itself in my chest.
I realized I couldn’t deny him anything.
And for once, that didn’t feel as scary as it should have.
Chapter 20
The Beast
We cleaned ourselves and the bar as best we could, then less than ten minutes later, we walked down the steps to my favorite bar, the Rusty Nail.
Stepping into the dive bar felt like entering another world, one far removed from the supernatural chaos that had become our daily routine.
The air was thick with the scent of aged whiskey and stale cigarette smoke, but the air conditioning from the loud, overworked A/C unit provided a stark contrast to the swelteringdesert night. Neon lights buzzed overhead, casting a warm, inviting glow over the well-worn pool tables and battered bar stools. Classic rock hummed softly from a jukebox in the corner, the tunes a comforting backdrop.
Miranda moved beside me, her presence a constant pull on my senses. The way the dim light danced in her dark eyes, the confident measure of her walk, all drew me in like a moth to flame.
Even after fucking each other like the world was ending, the pulse of desire for her beat under my skin. She was everything, and the fact she didn’t know it was frankly fucking insulting.
True to her word, she’d tabled all her reservations as we got dressed so I could bring her here.
“You… uh, like this place?” Miranda asked, giving the place a skeptical once over. “And don’t worry about hepatitis?” She murmured that last bit, and I pretended not to hear.
I grinned at her. “It’s completely off grid from the other immortals. This is an old-fashioned humans-only bar.” There were only about ten other people milling about at the bar and at the high-top tables, making for a subdued environment as Chuck Berry crooned in the background.
The reservation on her face told me she didn’t care for this as much as I did, so I proceeded to take her on a tour of the place. “See there are pool tables, and have you used one of these? It’s a jukebox. I’d heard of them, but never got to use one until recently. And the drinks are...”
“Cheap and watered down,” the bartender interrupted me.
A short man with gelled hair and olive green eyes, wearing a striped shirt smiled even as I leaned over to shake his hand.
“Nice to see you again, Xander. Can I get you the usual?”
“Yes, and whatever the lady would like.”
“I’m Lester,” the man introduced himself as he reached over and shook Miranda’s hand. “What’ll it be, madame?”
“Miranda.” Then she asked me, “The usual?”
“Shirley Temple,” I said, grinning. “Have you tried one?”
