Kissed by a Vampire. Caridad Pineiro

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СКАЧАТЬ a cacophony of noise, but an almost physical assault from the pounding music. Pings, chirps and shouts emanated from some rather avid electronic gaming in an adjacent room. An odd combination of noises, and while Stacia would have preferred a quieter venue, the push of vampire power confirmed to her that others of her kind were present.

      Not many vampires, however. And not one of the vamps she sensed was as powerful as she was, Stacia thought as she threaded her way through the crowd. That was just as well. She didn’t want to spend the night in a pissing contest with an elder worried about her moving in on his territory.

      Plus, the presence of vampires in the club confirmed it was a good place to satisfy undead needs in a variety of ways.

      Pleased, she continued onward, seeking her satisfaction for the night.

      The Widget provided an odd combination of entertainment, from the dancing and nightlife in one section of the club to the electronic gaming and gadgets in another.

      Of course, since certain sections of Miami had once dubbed themselves Silicon Beach, it only seemed natural that someone would one day meld that aspect of the city with those for which the city was more known—the beaches and nightclubs, Alex thought as he slipped from the low-slung seat of his customized Crossfire convertible.

      Even though he was supposed to be on desk duty, Alex wanted to stay in touch with what was happening at his old haunts. A visit to the various clubs would help him be ready when he was cleared to return to his undercover assignment.

      As those coming and going on foot passed by and the noises of activity within the club filtered out into the night, Alex hurried down an alley to a side door. It was guarded by a familiar face. The man smiled as he realized who it was.

      “Hola, Alejandro. Good to see you.”

      The security guard embraced Alex heartily, clapping him on the back. He had the build of a sumo wrestler, was a good half foot taller than Alex’s six feet and twice as broad as Alex across the shoulders and waist. He was also one of the drug dealers along the Ocean Drive strip and an informant Alex had relied on during many an investigation.

      “Good to be alive, Pedro, unlike the guy who shot me,” he said, playing the little game they always did. As far as most of the locals in South Beach knew, Alex was part of the underground that fed the sinful pleasures to be found as part of South Beach’s nightlife. Only a select few knew he was an undercover agent.

      With a playful jab to the other man’s rotund middle, he freed himself from the bouncer’s embrace and stepped through the door into the club.

      The Widget was packed. Alex ducked and weaved through the throng, searching with keen eyes for signs of any illegal activities. As he passed through one section close to the video games, he caught sight of a familiar silhouette, but quickly lost sight of the woman among the crowd.

      He peered over the people lingering close to the dance floor, searching for another glimpse of her and thought he spotted her once again near the bar. As he elbowed his way past the bodies milling nearby, he confirmed that she stood at the bar, apparently waiting for service.

      Her hair was short and dark, nearly sealblack, and cropped close to the elegant line of her neck. The dress she wore was lethally feminine, hugging her very generous curves and providing enticing glimpses of pale, creamy skin beneath all the black.

      Something infinitely sexy about this woman called to him.

      Dangerously sexy, he thought as his gut tightened with a need so intense his knees wavered.

      His powerful reaction made him increase his pace toward her, eager to find out why she affected him so and why she seemed so familiar. But then the woman turned and smiled at someone beside her.

      She wasn’t alone.

      He stopped dead in his tracks. He wasn’t one to poach on another man’s territory, only …

      The woman’s profile rang a powerful chord from him.

      She seemed to sense his interest for she slowly dragged her gaze from the tall, well-built man next to her and transferred it to him. A moment of puzzlement narrowed her dark and exotic almond-shaped eyes, before a dazzling smile stole onto her lips.

      Her smile appeared to be challenging him to come over. The pull of it was so strong that he stepped forward until she once again turned away to attend to her date.

      Was she playing with him? he wondered for a moment before it came to him again that he knew her. He was certain of it, but Alex was at a loss to place the intriguing woman. He chalked it up to the brain fog he had experienced for months after the surgery he’d had to endure to repair his body’s wounds. He blamed that lack of clarity for his failure to identify the alluring creature standing just yards away.

      As the crowd shifted in front of him, blocking his view, he sidestepped a few people and then pushed forward, searching for her again.

      Needing to see more of her.

      But she was gone.

      He dropped back into the crowd, questioning where she had gone. Wondering how it was that they were … connected. There was no other way to describe the reaction he’d had at the sight of her. However they knew each other, it had to have been something more than just a chance meeting.

      Pity him for being unable to remember.

      Her vamp radar detected the powerful thrum of interest.

      She glanced away from the man next to her to survey the crowd for the origin of that sensation as they waited for the bartender to bring their drinks.

      Her petite stature had her peering through the throng of bodies lingering nearby and moving on the dance floor. She peeked between the humans, then rose on tiptoe until her gaze collided with that of a handsome Latino.

      Tall and well built, he had dark hair that was short on the side, longer up top and stylishly gelled into place. His olive skin lacked the tan of many in the establishment, but was creamy looking against the pale beige of his guayabera shirt.

      He was intently staring her way, his deep green eyes narrowing to examine her as their gazes met and held. Her own was puzzled as she explored his features, trying to imagine why it was that he seemed familiar.

      Puzzled that she couldn’t remember someone so deliciously attractive.

      She hadn’t been in Miami in nearly a century, which meant that if they had met, it had to have been somewhere else.

      His stare was so intent—so desirous—that it dragged a sexy smile to her face. A smile that dared him to come visit and explore whatever connection was happening between them.

      When he returned that invitation with the determined glitter in his gaze, it roused desire, making her question how she could fail to remember him. Maybe Manhattan? She searched her memory, but her companion dipped his head close, dragging her attention back to him.

      “The drinks are here,” her dinner date said, nuzzling the side of her face, the heat of his human state pulling her attention back to him.

      She smiled, the handsome Latino man forgotten as the words from an old song—about loving who you’re with if you can’t have the one you love—played in her brain.

      It СКАЧАТЬ