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I shifted to the right to escape the tickle of his breath on my bare skin. “I have nothing to tell.”
“You’re more than a ghost whisperer, I’d wager.” He seemed to stare straight into the depths of my soul; part of me wondered whether he could.
“You heard about that?”
He chuckled. “Of course. You’ll find I’m somewhat of a collector of secrets. Stay here long enough, and I’ll have yours eventually.”
“Is that a threat?”
“Not at all. I don’t use them as blackmail or to expose anyone. They’re purely for my own enjoyment.”
“You have a strange way of amusing yourself. Is that why you oversee the Assassins Guild? Shits and giggles?”
He sipped his whisky. “Ah, I see.”
“See what?”
“There’s no joy in your life.”
“Excuse me? I have joy.”
He set down his glass. “Very well then. Tell me what amuses you. What makes you laugh when no one’s around?”
I struggled to come up with an answer. “This is your way of getting personal information out of me.”
“I’m going to go out on a limb and say what brings you joy is a secret even from you.”
A woman straddled the stool next to me. Her lips parted sightly, revealing two sharp fangs. “I’ve been waiting for you to notice me, Kane, but you’ve been too preoccupied,” she complained.
“The usual, Vanessa?”
The vampire flung her thick hair over her shoulder. “I’d like to change it up tonight. Surprise me.”
“Oh, I like your attitude.” He snapped his fingers, and a bartender seemed to appear out of nowhere. It seemed Kane wasn’t joking about only serving those he deemed worthy. Tough break, Vanessa.
The actual bartender was bare chested underneath a black leather vest and matching shorts. I tried to not to think about the level of chafing. Even with the air-conditioner running at full blast, the outfit seemed ill-suited to summer weather.
As she awaited her drink, Vanessa eyed me curiously. “Are you from the city?”
“This is Lorelei Clay. She’s new in town,” Kane said smoothly.
Vanessa continued to stare at me, appearing slightly unnerved. “Are you a witch?”
“Definitely not,” I said.
Vanessa’s fangs pressed into her lower lip. “Then why do I feel like I want to run?”
“I imagine it’s that her beauty intimidates you,” Kane interjected.
Vanessa studied me. “No, that’s not it.”
Kane suppressed an amused smile.
The bartender set a highball glass on a coaster in front of Vanessa, and the vampire squealed. “Cole, it’s like you can read my mind.” She held up the glass to salute Kane. “This is why I come back as often as I do. You always know how to please a woman.”
Kane pressed his lips together. “I’ll let that statement stand.”
Vanessa brought the glass to her red lips and took a delicate sip. “It doesn’t seem to be the usual crowd. Is there an event happening somewhere else?”
