The Mortal One (The Mortal One Series) (8 page)

Chapter 6

I DRESSED IN black pants and a turquoise sequined top and comfortable black shoes. I’d dipped into my credit card yet again for some more shopping because boots weren’t an option. There was no point avoiding debt now since the credit card companies wouldn’t be able to find me. They could clear out my apartment and take my car, too. There was no way to go back for it, anyway.

It was my first night bartending at Yankee Bar and I wanted to make sure my feet were up to it. Inside, the bar looked modest enough with wood paneled walls and frosted glass chandeliers hanging low to add ambience. A simple hostess stand was in front with a menu under a pane of glass. Tables were staggered throughout the room with red linens across them and blue napkins, obviously capitalizing on the American aspect of the place.

Matt greeted me and showed me over to the bar. “We have just about every kind of alcohol you can imagine.” He showed me the back wall where all the bottles were done alphabetically rather than by type. This might get confusing, but I started to read all the labels, getting a sense for what was available.

“What are some of the favorites?” I asked, picking up a bottle of Strega and giving it a smell. It smelled a lot like Galliano, but a little stronger on the fennel.

“The Bellini, but a lot of people will ask what your favorite drink is, so be creative.”

I looked around the sink for the different fruits and then bent down to the small fridge. I glanced up at him. “Do you have Red Bull?”

He gave me a strange look. “Yes, in the back. We don’t really sell much of it. What did you have in mind?”

“It’s not a big seller? Really? Then you haven’t had the right bartender here. Red Bull in drinks is huge back in the States right now. You’ll want to get some more in. I promise you that we’re going to go through a ton while I’m here.”

He laughed at my enthusiasm and made a note of it. “Okay, you got it. Anything else we need?”

I peered around some more. It appeared as though I had everything else, including flavored vodkas, cherries, bottle opener, and a blender. “Lighter?”

“There’s no smoking in Italy. They banned it a few years back.”

I shook my head. “It’s for lighting drinks on fire, not cigarettes.”

“Oh, right. We haven’t gotten into that here. You think people will order them?”

I shrugged. “It’s worth a try. Back home, once you lit one on fire, everyone else wanted one, too.”

“I’ll get one for you before the rush gets here. Looks like you’ve got things under control for now. Get yourself comfortable.” He looked at his watch. “It’s five now. The rush starts at six and then we’ll be balls to the wall until we close at twelve.”

Midnight. It was one of the reasons I took this job. It kept me up later and I still got off in plenty of time to see plenty of Nico.

I placed a couple beer steins in the reach-in freezer to get cold for the rush and finished stocking the fruit purees along the side of the cooler. Another bartender slid in next to me. His black hair greased straight back and his bronzed skin showing off his lack of chest hairs as his button down shirt was missing the top four buttons or so.

He extended his hand. “Giancarlo. You must be Dylan. Matt’s been talking about you and some of the new drinks you’re going to show us how to make.”

I shook his hand and was shocked with the warmth in it. “Oh yeah? I look forward to it. Nice to meet you.” His accent was thick but still spoke better English than I expected.

Matt passed by. “I see you two have met.”

I nodded.

He tossed me a lighter. “Have fun.”

Giancarlo reached into the bottles in the well and pulled out a bottle of Sambuca. He grabbed two shot glasses and filled each to the rim. One was slid in my direction and he made a gesture with his hand.

I gave it a sniff. Very strong anise, which meant I wasn’t going to like it. I don’t like any of those, but then again I didn’t like black licorice, either. I shook my head.

“Suit yourself,” he said, quickly downing the shot and then reaching for mine, he asked me for my lighter. I reached over and handed it to him. “Matt says you’re into drinks that light up.”

I agreed. “Yes, but…Sambuca?”

“Just watch,” he said, grabbing an empty glass beside it. “This is called a flaming Sambuca. I had those years ago, but I never made them at the bar. Our usual bartenders can’t usually handle this sort of thing, so just remember you started it.”

He held the lighter above the glass and the Sambuca caught on fire with a bright blue flame. He quickly poured the flaming liquid into the other glass, then placed the first glass upside down over the liquid. He carried the two glasses on top of each other to directly in front of me, moving the top glass to sit upside down on the bar.

“Now do the shot,” he said handing me the glass. I noticed Matt standing in the corner and watching both of us. I looked at him quickly for approval and after I saw him nod, I downed the shot. Giancarlo handed me a straw. “Now put the straw under this glass and suck the fumes.”

Whoa. This was something totally different. “Do what?” I asked, holding the straw awkwardly.

He quickly demonstrated and I did as told. I held the straw just under the glass as he showed me. I came up coughing and feeling like I just did something illegal. “The kids will love it, trust me.”

A few guys at the end of the bar gave a chuckle and I quickly shot them a look.

At one point during the night, there were two rows of people waiting to get drinks. Money was waving in all directions to get everything from a bottle of beer to a special concoction of my or Giancarlo’s desires. I poured shots of various liquors and shook martini shakers all night long. My shoulders were sore from reaching for bottles off the bar all night, but as I watched the tip jar fill up, the pain dulled and eventually faded altogether.

We stayed busy all the way until we closed the doors, just as Matt had promised. Closing the doors was quite literal tonight as we had to force the last of the drinkers off their bar stools and out the door. It was refreshing from my days as a restaurant manager where stragglers could stay and hold up our closing for hours. Here, closing time meant leaving time. I liked it. I reveled in the freedom of bartending and forgot how much I enjoyed working and being in the moment. I had gotten stuck in management back home and hated the stress. At the bar tonight, it was just fun, especially when I got the hang of serving flaming Sambucas and teaching Giancarlo how to do a few drinks that were popular in the States.

I walked out of the back door of the bar with a promise to be back in a few days for my next shift. I found comfort with the wad of cash I had in my pocket. Extra cash was an understatement, I thought to myself, having counted over a hundred euros from my share of the tip jar. A couple nights a week at this rate and I could get my wardrobe back up to standards in no time.

I cringed, remembering my closet back home.

***

The next morning, after sleeping in entirely too late, I dressed and headed to Via Tornabuoni. I knew I should be saving some of the money towards paying the hotel bill and getting food, but I couldn’t resist a little shopping spree. Even if I could only afford a few new tops, it was worth it.

As I entered in my jeans and cotton t-shirt, I was having a Pretty Woman moment where the store clerks sort of stared at me, wondering what brought me in here dressed as I was in their stores. Suddenly I wish they were all too busy arguing with boyfriends on their cell phones to pay any attention to me.

I gave them a slight smile and quickly headed towards the discount racks in the back. After a few minutes, a tall, very thin woman in a tight black dress and strappy heels came up to me and asked if she could help. Her English was better than my Italian was, so I felt comfortable talking with her. I showed her some of the tops I had on my arm, which, while discounted, were still very expensive. She escorted me to the dressing room where I checked the price tags a little more closely and did the math. Yikes! The tops were cute, but at these prices, I could only buy one, so the major decision was the black button down or the red one with silver straps.

After careful deliberation, I brought the red one to the counter and paid for my purchase. The clerk was unable to hide her shock quickly enough for me not to see when I paid in cash, but she was nice enough. She also told me about a few stores in North Centro, which were a little more affordable. I thanked her profusely for the tip and took a walk up to the area.

Several hours and a large shopping bag later, I was happily walking back into the hotel to unpack my purchases. I had grabbed lunch on the way and was looking forward to an evening of hanging out. There was no work today and getting a distraction from the events of the last few days was much needed.

Chapter 7

A KNOCK AT my hotel room door startled me awake. I had fallen asleep without realizing the time. I had time off from work and last night had exhausted me more than I had realized. I wiped my eyes and looked at the alarm clock next to the bed. It was eleven.

It couldn’t be the maid and I was pretty sure that I didn’t order room service. I opened the door to find Nico dressed in a red button down and black pants that made him look absolutely delicious. The colors accentuated his pale skin, but rather than looking suspiciously pale, it made him look warmer and more alive. I suddenly cursed myself for not looking at myself in the mirror before opening the door or for shaving my legs in the shower earlier. Dressed in plaid boxers and a tight-fitting green tank top, I was a strong contrast from him.

I should have set an alarm or at least slept in something a little sexier. I pushed my fingers through my hair in an effort to smooth out my bed-head and hoped that he wouldn’t notice. I was tempted to tell him to come back in fifteen minutes and close the door, but I kept it open and faced him while still groggy.

“Can I come in?”

His question made me realize the door was still only cracked open. “Of course.”

Curiosity was getting the better of me on this one. “Do you
have
to be invited in before you can enter?”

“You never stop, do you?” He grinned, shaking his head. “No, I don’t have to be, but it’s nice. Another old wives’ tale to make people feel safer.”

Safe. That’s such an odd term now I think of it.
I’m dating a vampire…yeah, that’s safe
.

Nico closed the door and the distance between us. “I’m not going to hurt you. You know this, right?”

“Y-yes,” I whispered. I prayed like hell I was right on this, but I was too far gone. There was no way I was going to push Nico away.

“Not on purpose, anyways,” he said smiling, his fangs just slightly visible. “Cute outfit. It’s not what I expected.”

I let out a soft sigh. I was nervous but in a strange, butterfly-in-the-stomach sort of way. It was hard to explain. He walked through the small room and took his time on everything. He trailed a finger across the cluttered desk mindlessly and ventured, “So, what are you doing tonight?”

“Umm, hadn’t really thought about it yet.” I hadn’t wanted to tell him anything past that or admit I fell asleep and was planning on staying asleep. “I’ll be right back,” I said, slipping around the corner.

I took this time to disappear into the bathroom. If I could just get a brush through my hair and find the mouthwash somewhere in here. I dumped out my makeup case in the sink, hurrying. In an attempt at speed, half my mouthwash fell down the drain, narrowly missing my hair brush. I didn’t have time for a lot of makeup, so I went for the basics. I tried for small talk to stall while I did as much as I could. “So I got a job.”

“What?” He asked from the other room. “Why did you do that?”

I laughed and continued to brush out the knots in my hair. “I’m out of money and need to continue to pay for this hotel for a while. There is an American bar not far from here that was looking for a bartender. Italian isn’t required but English is a must.”

I heard the bed squeak and knew he was sitting on it. I resisted the urge to look and continued to make quick work of a presentable version of myself. “What do you think?”

“I think this bed is very comfortable,” he called from the next room.

Shit. I let the hairbrush fall into the sink and hesitated, almost scared to leave the bathroom.

“
Vieni qui
,” he called to me, amusement in his voice.

I left my hand on the door frame.

He smiled, dimples just reaching his cheeks. “It means come here.”

A breath left my lips. “I know what it means.”

As if drawn to the sound of his voice alone, I walked to the edge of the bed. His Italian could get me to walk to the ends of the Earth. I wasn’t sure if it was just him or if it was a vampire thing. My eyes were glued to him. I didn’t care what the answer was. I watched as he slowly unbuttoned his shirt to expose an inch of pale, muscled skin with each released button. My throat was growing dry with anticipation. My feet were attempting to stay planted on the ground, fighting the urge to push him onto the bed and ravage him.

“Dylan,” Nico spoke. “Come closer.”

I took a step towards him.

“Closer,” he repeated.

I took another step forward, as though in a trance. Each time he spoke, something took a hold of me and moved me closer to him until I was within arm’s reach of him. I opened my mouth to speak but didn’t trust my vocal cords to actually work.

His arms reached out and encircled my waist. He pulled me to him so I was standing between his legs where he sat, naked from the waist up. I looked slowly from his belt to the small dark curve of hairs traveling to just above his naval. From there, it was completely smooth the rest of the way up his chiseled chest. I knew I was staring, but had to make sure the mental image was well catalogued for a long time. He pulled me onto his lap so my legs were straddling him.

We sat there, eyes locked for several moments before he spoke. “Tell me what you want.” His frigid fingers played with the spaghetti strap of my tank top, sliding it up and down my shoulder. He knew what I wanted but he was going to make me say it.

“You.” I couldn’t believe this was actually happening. I listened for any sounds out in the hall, but heard nothing. I didn’t want any interruptions.

In a single movement, I was laying on the bed and he was on top of me and sliding a hand under me to guide my tank top off. There was no bra since the tank had one built in. He seemed shocked by this realization and cupped my breasts with his strong hands.

“Dylan, these are beautiful.” He kissed the top of each one.

I glanced away, feeling apprehensive about what was about to happen.

When I looked up, I found his sapphire blue eyes piercing into me.

“You don’t believe me?”

I shrugged, not wanting to admit the insecurities I had about my body.

“Look at me.”

I stared up into his face. This was something I wanted more than anything I could think of, which terrified and exhilarated me at the same time. Chris was the last man I had slept with and that was months ago. The sexual tension had been building in me for a while now and the release was desperately needed.

His mouth settled onto mine and I returned his kisses with as much fervor as he gave. I ran my tongue along his lips and let them trail to his fangs. I hesitated a little, and the exploration continued further. My hands ran lower, playing on his belt buckle.

Startled by my eagerness, his mouth moved too fast from mine. I tasted the wound immediately and froze, unsure of how to proceed. The coppery taste of blood stung in my mouth where his fang nicked my lip. My tongue moved outwards on my lip to assess the damage.

Nico inched towards me, watching my eyes for any sign of my thoughts. The room seemed to move in slow motion as he reached forward, holding my chin in the palm of his hand.

“Let me,” he begged as he moved his lips closer to my face.

I stayed frozen in place in an attempt to decide if this was a good idea or not. Before I had a chance to object, his lips were on the injured area and his tongue slid gently along the wound. He gently sucked on my bottom lip while he stared into my eyes, assuring me it was okay. I closed my eyes and let myself relax again as he continued to probe my mouth with his tongue and remove all evidence of the accident.

“All better,” he finally said while pulling back.

My finger touched my lip. “It’s gone?” I already knew the answer, but it still came out like a question.

He smiled at my naivety. “Yes, mia mortale, it’s gone.” He kissed me softly on the lips. “I didn’t mean for that to happen. You just surprised me.”

“I-it’s okay,” I laid back down on the bed with my head hitting the pillow. More questions were spinning through my mind but they disappeared when I looked up at Nico.

As I watched his approach, I smiled up at him. His hands effortlessly removed his belt and as his pants slid down the length of his legs. I kept wondering about
how
this was going to happen. Technically Nico was dead—or undead, but still. There was no blood flow, so how was he going to perform?

His briefs stood away from his body eagerly and while I knew he’d have no problem with what was inevitably going to occur, the question of how was still at the tip of my tongue.

He must have seen my expression because he paused suddenly. “Yes?”

“Hmmm?” I asked, not wanting to let on what I was thinking about. My panties were already flooding with my own anticipation.

“You have more questions, so go ahead,” he said patiently while leaning his elbow against my pillow. He played with the edge of my boxers and gently tugged at them.

“No, nothing.” This was too embarrassing of a thought to share out loud.

“Dylan, just ask….”

I bit the corner of my lip, mortified that I was actually going to repeat my question aloud. “Well, how do you get enough blood flow to, well….” I angled my glance down at him, hoping he wouldn’t make me say the rest.

Laughter filled the room. “Dylan, Dylan, we’re about to make love and
that’s
what’s going through your head?”

I felt the burning sensation rise up my cheeks. “I know, I know -.”

“It just requires a little blood. I fed before coming over here so things could work. Without feeding, then -,” he paused, “we wouldn’t be able to do this.” His hands wandered up my chest and traced the side of my breasts.

“Oh.” My mind was spinning. Someone died earlier just so I could have sex, It didn’t seem right. Was I just as much of a monster as he was for allowing it? Granted, I didn’t know that’s what it took, even though I had read enough vampire erotica to know how it was supposed to work.

“Dylan?”

I looked at him but felt like my humanity was slipping away.

“I didn’t kill anyone,” he assured. “I just had a little drink.”

What?
Now I was completely confused. How can he possibly just take a little drink off of someone without them noticing? I certainly would have noticed, not to mention the fang marks to give it away….

Nico let out a sigh before he sat up in bed, ready to give a full explanation. He reached out, pulling me into his lap. “This is all going to make a lot more sense in a year, but I’ll try my best.”

I desperately wanted to pull him back down to the bed and tell him to forget it, yet curiosity was getting the best of me. My nipples ached to be kissed again and I let the hardness of his body embrace me.

“I can wash away recent memories. There was a man earlier that was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He stepped in front of me, I pulled him into a quick hold, took a few, umm, sips, if you will. It was no more than half a pint – less than what you’d donate at a blood bank. There’s a bit of mind control which goes with it, but there’s no danger. I take what I need, and then, well, remember what happened to your lip?”

“Yes,” I said, my finger automatically tracing my bottom lip.

“Our saliva has a sort of healing mechanism in it. Once applied, any marks heal almost instantly, so there will never be bite marks for this man to see later. Then I wash away the memory of me being there and he walks away thinking he had one too many beers at the pub. These little sips aren’t enough to last a few days, but it helps spread out the full feedings over a week or so. The sips help to give me enough blood for—well, you already know that.”

“Which is why your face can flush at certain times, too?” I asked, calling him out on the redness filling out in his cheeks.

He chuckled softly, “Yes.”

“Well,” I said, growing bolder I leaned back against the bed, “
Vieni qui
.”

“Whatever you want,” he moaned, leaning across my body and closing the gap between our lips again.

Cold fingertips played along my back and his mouth kissed my shoulders. The touch of his skin sent my nipples into a hardened state instantly. He kneaded them in his fingertips and his eyes never left mine.

I draped my arms about his neck and let my fingertips play in the curly hairs at the bottom of his hairline.

His skilled hands traveled down the length of my body and came to rest along my side. My hips rose to meet him so I did not lose too much contact with him.

He broke the kiss. “Slow down. I want to take my time with you. This is all about you. We can go all night if you like….”

Nico was already going to have to peel me out of my panties. Waiting or going slow wasn’t something I could handle but I nodded anyway in hopes of changing his mind somewhere along the way. And all night? He might have enough stamina for all night but I’ve been out of practice. I doubted my own abilities. I was only mortal, after all.

His mouth moved along my jaw, down the length of my neck. As the blood beat faster through my veins at the base of my throat, my breath caught. Fangs trailed down my skin and left goose bumps along every inch of exposed flesh.