Thirst [All-American Vampires 2] (Siren Publishing Classic) by Bree Younger Page B

was just as she had said.

Chapter Three
     
    Claire sat nursing her drink and wondering for the hundredth time why she had ever agreed to come tonight. She probably should have just gone home and crashed at her apartment. But the night before she’d practically climbed the walls waiting to hear from Hawk, who had never called, damn him. She’d needed some kind of distraction, or she was going to go stark raving mad. When Leanne had invited her to meet up with a few of the girls from work for a night of drinks and dancing, she’d impulsively said yes. Now she was regretting that impulse.
    The Dark Well was a local bar that catered to the paranormal crowd. Claire had never been before, but she’d heard several coworkers talking about it and how popular it was. Not that she’d ever been much for bars, but she hadn’t wanted to spend another night alone with nothing but her own depressing thoughts. So here she was.
    She snuck another look at her watch, hoping against hope that it wouldn’t be too much longer before she could leave without hurting anyone’s feelings. They’d all been trying really hard to make her feel like one of the group, but she knew she was just dragging them down.
    The girls had been checking out the available men when Trisha leaned forward. “Oh, my God. I don’t believe it. Look who just walked in.” She jerked her head toward the entrance, and they all turned to look. Claire’s eyes met the familiar emotionless gaze of the man who had dominated her thoughts for the past two days.
    “He is so gorgeous. What I wouldn’t give for just one night with Mr. Tall, Dark, and Dangerous.” Faith, one of the casino dealers, was practically salivating. “They say he’s very kinky in the sex department, too. I’d let him tie me up any time.”
    “Me, too,” Trisha agreed, her eyes devouring the man as he stood near the entrance.
    Claire watched as Hawk caught sight of her and made a beeline for their table, the crowd parting before him as if they could sense the hidden power which lay so thinly concealed beneath the surface. Vaguely she heard the girls continuing to whisper excitedly, but all she was really aware of was that dark, focused stare. The girls fell silent as Hawk stopped at their table and offered them a brief greeting.
    “Ladies”—his deep voice sent an arrow of arousal up her spine, and she could feel her body pulse in response—“would you mind if I stole Claire from you for a dance?”
    She could feel all their eyes turning to her in stunned bemusement, and a flush heated her cheeks. She knew that they would have all kinds of questions for her about this unexpected turn of events. What the hell was Hawk thinking? Surely he knew the kind of gossip he was fostering with his request. But she could do nothing but acquiesce with a soft murmur of agreement. Then he was holding his hand out and drawing her to her feet. She allowed him to lead her onto the dance floor just as a romantic ballad began to play. He pulled her toward him, and she automatically raised her arms to slide one around his shoulder and the other into his light grasp. They began swaying to the slow rhythm.
    Her senses stirred as she absorbed the feel of him so close against her. She could sense the heat from his hand where it lay against her waist, and his legs brushed against hers with each step. A spicy masculine scent rose to her nostrils. The urge to lean closer to him was almost overpowering, but Claire forced herself to keep a small space between their bodies. She was surprised at her reaction to him, though not shocked. Vampires had high sex drives, another little revelation she’d discovered after she’d been turned. So far she had managed to resist the urge to find a warm body to soothe her loneliness and need because she had been so focused on finding her sister. Honestly, she hadn’t met anyone who’d really tempted her. Until now.
    They danced for a few minutes in complete silence. The darkness of