Hiding my return grin behind the rim of the glass, I took a sip, then another.
Damn,that Fallen Angel concoction was good—good enough to savor over a long conversation laced with innuendo. A conversation that on any other night might’ve led to a kiss and maybe even an orgasm or two.
But tonight?
I tipped back the glass and chugged it all down. Then, before I could talk myself out of it, I said, “I’m looking for Elian.”
3
HALEY
Iblew out a breath, seriously impressed with my ability to say the bastard’s name without crying and/or breaking something.
Progress!
The sexy bartender, however, wasnotimpressed. Quite the opposite, actually.
“Elian,” he said flatly, folding his arms over his chest again, and I swear the temperature dropped ten degrees.
It didn’t feel like jealousy. Aside from a little teasing, he wasn’t exactly putting out any “let’s take this back to my place” vibes. So why did he clam up when I asked about Elian?
“Is he in tonight?” I pressed.
The guy sized me up with his singularly intense blue eye, which apparently found me lacking. When his gaze finally made its way back to mine, he scowled as if I’d just threatenedhisdick with the stake. “Who thefuckwants to know?”
“Pro-tip, buddy. Usually, when a person straight-up tells you they’re looking for someone? Dead giveaway right there.”
Glaring. He had it down to a science. The eye, the ticking jaw muscle, the flex of those pin-me-down forearms.
I tried to glare right back at him, but when it came to squaring off with intimidating, hot-as-hell demons, I was out of practice. “Youdorealize the size of your tip is inversely proportional to your bullshit, right?”
“What do you want with…Elian?” His lip curled when he said the name—a reaction I understood all too well.
“I need to speak with him. It’s private and it’s important. So if you could just fix me another drink for the road and point me in the right direction, I’ll gladly—”
“Are you a dancer?”
A dancer?Was this demon for real?
I reached for my stake again. It wouldn’t take much. I could probably put it through his good eye before another insult had time to fall out of that sexy mouth.
The thought calmed me almost as much as the booze.
“I’m more of a stabby, pokey kinda girl,” I said. “With a little magick thrown in for fun.”
“Well, we’re all set on security detail and spell casters, so unless you can work that stabby, pokey bit into a cage dance, we’re not hiring.”
“You think I’m here about a job?”
“Not sure I care enough to give it much more thought, honestly.” He grinned, but I could tell he didn’t mean it. Something about all this had gotten under his skin. Something about Elian.
I opened my mouth to push him on it, but before I could utter another word, he flicked his hand to shoo me away, already turning to the next customer.
“Enjoy your evening,angel,” he said over his shoulder.
Enjoy myevening?
It’d taken me two years and the threats of a scary-ass goddess to work up the nerve to set foot in this city, a killer outfit to walk through those silver doors, and a good dose of booze just to say Elian’s name without a string of curses attached.
