His voice was deep, had the barest hint of a country drawl, and a sexy bite of gravel. Devon found it extremely sensual, like he’d just woken up, and she wondered if that was the case or if he always sounded that way when he wasn’t shouting over the music. Dark hair, the same soft black as his close-cut beard, was cut short and pushed back from his face except for a few stray pieces that fell over his forehead. Sweet brown eyes stared down at her, lingering on her chest a moment too long before they moved back up to her face. Devon was tall for a woman, so he had to be at least six-foot-two or -three. A black T-shirt and worn jeans hugged his muscular frame. Tattoos covered the sides of his neck, the length of his arms, and even his hands.
Her face flamed when he smiled with a slight lift to his eyebrows. “Can I help you with something?”
Devon pushed her hood off her head and attempted to smooth her hair, tucking in stray pieces that had escaped her ponytail. “Um, my phone.” Closing her eyes, she shook her head as she gave an awkward laugh. When she opened them again, he was studying her, a slight tilt to his head, the corners of his mouth still curved slightly upward, like he wasn’t sure if he should laugh with her or call the men with the little white coats.
She took a breath. “I was here last night, I don’t know if you remember.”
“I remember.”
“Oh.” His admission threw her off for a few seconds. She took a breath and continued. “I lost my cell phone. I think maybe I lost it here…somewhere.” She stuck out her hand. “I’m Devon, by the way. Devon Young.”
His eyes dropped to her hand, and for a moment, she didn’t think he was going to take it.
Just when she was about to pull her hand back, he reached out and closed his fingers around hers with a firm grip. “I’m Kohl. With a ‘K’. Uh, K-O-H-L. Kohl Sergones.”
The heat radiating off his skin surprised her. Never having actually touched a vampire before, she’d always thought they would be cold. But she recovered quickly and returned his handshake. Her hand felt tiny and fragile in his grip, and she knew he would only have to exert the smallest amount of pressure to break the bones. “Let me guess. Sergones, with an ‘S’.”
He dropped his eyes with an embarrassed twist of his mouth, an intriguing show of vulnerability she wasn’t expecting from a guy like him. Vampire or not.
She smiled, and tried to put him at ease. “Hi, Kohl. It’s nice to meet you.”
His eyes shot up, traveling over her features as though he were attempting to memorize her face. Then his large shoulders relaxed and he returned her smile with a timid one of his own as he gave her hand a small squeeze and released it. “I tend to talk too much when I’m nervous,” he admitted.
“Are you nervous?”
Shoving his hands in his front pockets, he turned on the charm she remembered from the night before. “Only around pretty ladies.” He grinned.
The air rushed from her lungs. Not from the compliment. From that smile. He was beautiful when his entire face lit up like that.
“Thank you,” she managed.
He rubbed the back of his neck, the muscles in his arm flexing, and he suddenly looked as if he’d rather be anywhere else. “I’m pretty positive your cell isn’t here. The club is checked every night after we close before the cleaning crew comes in, and if anything is found, it’s brought to the bar and put inside the safe. No one brought anything to me or Andrew that I can recall. But I can check for you and make sure.”
“That’s not really necessary—” Maybe she’d misread his intentions. Maybe he smiled like that at everyone and was used to sweet-talking women. He was a bartender, after all. Flirting was how he made his tips.
But he was already walking around her.
Devon watched him pass. He moved with an easy grace she could only hope to achieve someday—and probably never would—his strides long and smooth. Yet, the ease of movement didn’t quite succeed in covering the raw power she sensed was carefully restrained. She imagined he always had to be aware not to appear “other.” Vampires were capable of many inhuman traits—speed, mind control, and superior strength, just to name those that were well-known by people like her.
Eyes on his broad back, she followed him back down the hallway. When she got to the bar, he was already behind it, opening the small safe beneath the register. Guilt plagued her for lying to him. “Um, really, you don’t have to do this. I’ll take your word for it. I probably just dropped it in my car or something.”
He gave her a quick glance and opened the door of the safe, then backed away and indicated for her to look for herself.
Feeling rather foolish, she walked over and bent down to peer inside. It was completely empty. “Yeah. It’s not in there. But, thanks for letting me look for myself.” She straightened and took a quick step back so he could lock it up again…
And hit a wall of pure, hard muscle as he stepped forward at the same time.
His arm snaked around her, trapping her arms to her sides and holding her tight against him. Warm breath teased the curls that had escaped her ponytail, tickling her cheek. Curling his big body around her, he breathed in the scent of her hair before slowly moving down to her throat.
Devon froze, her heart racing in her chest even as her breath arrested in her lungs. Tingles of fear and arousal chased each other across her skin.
His voice rumbled just behind her right ear. “I won’t hurt you, Devon.” Something between a growl of restraint and a purr of pleasure followed his words.
The hair on the back of her neck stood up and a chill shivered down her spine. But she held completely still, wondering every moment if this would be her last. She was stupid. Lured by the charisma and the sweet smile, she’d forgotten for a moment who—or rather, what—she was dealing with.
And yet, beneath the panic, ripples of desire heated her blood and tightened the muscles low in her stomach. She felt every inch of him against her. Every tiny shift of muscle. Every breath. Every heartbeat.
He nuzzled her neck, still making that noise, and without conscious thought, she tilted her head away to make more room for him even as her mind screamed at her to get away. She gave herself a hard internal shake. “Kohl? What are you doing?”
