Vamps in the City by Crissy Smith Page A

exit to the road that led to the small motel. It looked clean and well taken care of, next to a restaurant and a bar. She wasn’t interested in the restaurant but the bar looked promising.
    Paige parked in front of the motel and rented a room from an elderly man. He smiled pleasantly and directed her to the back entrance where she should park. Paige thanked him and headed off to drop her things and head out to dinner.
    Opening the door of the room, she was pleased with the accommodations. The room was clean and well organised with a bed, nightstand, and closet. Paige sat her two bags on the bed and went to the restroom. She washed her face and stared in the mirror.
    She was pale and her eyes had dulled. She needed to feed. She had tried the night before, but images of Grant had haunted her and she hadn’t been able to. There was only one man she truly wanted to be with.
    With a long sigh, she grabbed a clean pair of jeans, underwear, and shirt from her bag and headed for the shower.
    After showering, dressing, and doing what she could with her hair, she pocketed her room key and some cash then headed to the bar.
    Outside she stopped once to sense around her and didn’t feel any other vampires in the area. She relaxed a little more.
    She heard loud country music coming from the bar as she stepped up to the door. The bar was dark and smoky when Paige went in. She could see men playing pool in the back, couples dancing and others on bar stools with beer or other drinks in front of them. She took a seat on the side of the bar from which she could see the door.
    “Hello there,” the bartender greeted her. He was around her age with dark brown hair and pretty green eyes.
    “Hello,” Paige smiled back trying to gently thrall him. She wanted to be able to step out back with him later but didn’t want to draw any attention to herself.
    “Name’s Curtis. Don’t remember seeing you around these parts,” he said with a thick Texas drawl.
    Paige continued to smile at him. “Just passing through.”
    “Well,” he tipped his hat back. “First one’s on me. What’s your poison?”
    “Whisky.”
    His smiled broadened. “My kind of girl.”
    He placed the glass tumbler in front of her and poured top shelf for her but was called by another patron before he could start up more conversation.
    Paige tossed her drink back. Vampires could eat and drink—it just didn’t do anything for them. And she couldn’t get drunk. She’d tried.
    The bartender was headed back towards her when she sensed a vampire. It was overwhelming, all of a sudden, like he was moving fast.
     

Chapter Eight
     
     
     
    Just as the bartender reached her, Paige looked at the front door and watched him step in. She sucked in a breath, not believing it. She was hundreds of miles away from
California
. She would have almost believed he wasn’t there, in the same room with her, but she felt him throughout her entire body.
    Grant’s eyes narrowed as the bartender leaned across the bar and offered Paige another drink. She nodded in agreement, not taking her eyes off Grant.
    Could he track her that well? What did he want? And why was she so relieved to see him?
      Grant walked towards her with such determination on his face that she grew nervous. She looked around for a back door. She shouldn’t have bothered—the moment she took her eyes from Grant, she sensed another vampire. She knew this one too.
    Standing in the back, Sam leaned against the wall. He even sent her a little wave.
    Paige straightened as Grant reached her. Curtis put her drink in front of her and frowned at Grant.
    Grant leaned close to her and picked up the drink. He threw it down his throat and smiled at the bartender. It wasn’t a nice smile. It was a warning and Curtis seemed to understand. He asked them nervously if they wanted another drink.
    He looked relieved when Grant shook his head no and passed him a twenty.
    Grant watched him walk to the other end of the bar before turning