Colin & Becca Ch. 01

I scanned the sparse crowd, surprised I hadn't seen him yet. Colin always had some girl on the line by 11:30. The pickings were really slim, though. A score of people, myself included, had braved the heavy rain to come out. We all had to be crazy.

What else would make me, Becca MacReady, intrepid author, come to Club Elysium on a Tuesday night when I should have been at home doing line edits? Madness and curiosity.

But that madness was tempered by frustration. Two weeks of observation and digging thwarted by a downpour in Las Vegas. Why were people so scared of a little rain? Wet streets weren't that bad.

I sighed, setting my drink aside. As much as I loved Goth night, clove cigarettes and ominous music weren't doing it for me. I loved the people, with their elaborate outfits and hair. Sometimes I was tempted to participate. I wore only a black poet shirt with my black jeans. My long hair was brown, and I wore no makeup. I didn't belong, and hoped I didn't look too desperate.

I was obsessed with Colin, though, and I wouldn't be soothed until I watched him hunt again. Two more songs, and I'd leave.

They were an edgy couple of songs. Not the music, but my behavior. I started at every movement, seeking the familiar figure. At 6'4", Colin stood above most patrons, even in their massive hair and platform shoes. No one entered the club, and the few dancers were lost in their world. Everyone else loitered near tables and boots. But nowhere was my Colin.

My Colin, hah! From what I'd observed, he belonged to no one. Since I'd first seen him, he'd had two or three girls a night at his table, flirting and touching all of them. Feeding on all of them. Making them feel good and special, then sending them on their way.

He wasn't going to be here tonight. Grinding my teeth, I turned to go, and met the stare of the suspected vampire. My heart stumbled, heat rose to my cheeks, and my limbs went numb. I couldn't move, even as he stepped away from the wall and approached.

Colin had me mesmerized, and I waited breathlessly. He was only taller than me by six inches, but he seemed to tower over me. He looked like an undertaker from the 1800s in his double-breasted long coat, even with his long hair. Not like one of the pretty Goth boys, and that's why he'd immediately stood out to me. All he was missing was a top hat, and a horse-drawn carriage.

"You've been stalking me." He was barely louder than the music, but I caught a soft Irish accent. Slightly gravelly, at the middle of baritone, his voice made my skin crawl pleasantly.

I couldn't tell what color his eyes were in the club lighting, even though I couldn't look away from them. I swallowed and stammered, unable to think straight. "What do you mean?" Sure sign of guilt. I blushed harder, and struggled to calm my mind. It had to be some vampire power; I couldn't be reacting like this to just a guy. No matter how attractive or striking he was.

He smiled, a mere softening of his lips. It was getting hard to breathe. "Have a drink with me, Rebecca."

I stiffened, eyes wide and face draining. He knew my name. I hadn't made friends with any of the regulars, hadn't been that outgoing during my discreet questions. Even when I'd introduced myself, I'd never used my full name.

Unless he got it from the bartender or the waitress. But I'd only had been carded once in all the nights I'd visited. Swallowing hard, I nodded, allowing Colin to lead me to his regular booth.

I was following Colin to his booth. My insides were clenched, and heat flushed to my extremities. I knew what happened in his corner, how the girls always came away dazed and rapturous. Fear clawed at me; was I willing to research Colin this deeply?

His booth was far in the back, with a slim view of the dance floor. Surrounded by shadows, lit by candles, anyone sitting there was in a shroud of privacy. It had been hard to watch him, and I thought I'd been subtle. Not subtle enough, it seemed.

Avoiding his hand as he gestured to his corner, I sat on the outer edge of the bench, hands in my lap, staring at the candles. My skin tingled, like I was under the summer sun. Colin slid into the booth, moving a third of the way around; he wasn't directly across from me, but he wasn't exactly in the middle. Did he know how uncomfortable he was making me? He usually moved immediately into the necking phase with his target.

The music was much quieter over here. We could have had a conversation, if I wasn't shaking and tensing. Colin laid a hand on the table, getting comfortable, and I flinched. "Scared?"

"Nervous," I corrected, finally looking up at him. My lips were so dry, I was amazed I said anything at all. Meeting his gaze, the world froze again.

I understood why I found Colin attractive: he was somewhere in his early fifties, with only a few marks of age; his nose was long, and had been broken but set well; his mouth was a perfect line, with just enough fullness to look kissable; almond-shaped eyes were narrow beneath straight brows. But not every girl at this club had a thing for older men. Yet he had them falling all over him, even the underage ravers who snuck in on techno night.

The distinguished look wasn't all of it. It was his presence, the surety with which he walked. It was the suit straight out of a Western movie. It was the piercing gaze, and the fierceness even in his smiles. He was a hawk, staring at a rabbit.

Me.

"Why should my stalker be nervous?" The waitress approached, and Colin nodded and smiled. She flushed, bending over to lay out the drinks, giving him a long view of her deep cleavage. I clutched at the tumbler of soda, biting my lip as Colin winked at the woman. She left with an extra sway to her hips.

"I'm sitting with a womanizer." I took a sip of Coke to keep from looking at him.

"It's more than that." The confidence in his rugged tone made my insides all warm and liquid. It was more than that, and I wondered how he knew that I knew. "It's certainly not that you want what the others have gotten." Colin started arranging the two shot glasses and the lemon wedges.

Put like that, I was almost ashamed. I'd been researching, wanting to dig deeper into an anomaly, but I could easily have appeared as a groupie.

Although, he was only partly wrong; I wanted to know what the others got, and if that meant experiencing it, I would.

"I know what you are," I whispered, watching a bubble work through the ice. I shouldn't have been surprised he knew I normally drank soda.

"Oh?" The word was long, drawn out like a sigh. Colin shifted, drawing a knee up on the seat, laying an arm on the back of the bench. He toyed with one shot glass, fingers tracing the rim. "Do tell."

I was watching his fingers, and thinking about them on my collarbones. Had the other girls been this easy to attract? Had they put up any fight?

"You're a vampire." It sounded stupid in my head, and it sounded stupid as I said it. Maybe he wouldn't hear me, and I could say something different.

He didn't pause to mull over my statement. "You're quite perceptive." Colin was impressed,and I looked up to a gently smiling face. "Most people can't see what I'm doing here."

Endorphins flooded my body. My skin crawled, nipples tightened, and I gaped at him. I was right. He was a vampire. I had to know what it was like for him. I started to ask when he held up a forestalling hand. "I can't make you like me."

I frowned, but still rode a rush of arousal. I hadn't thought of that, just if it would feel phenomenal to be fed from. But now I wanted to know what he meant. "Why not?" I leaned closer, head throbbing with my pulse. Realizing what I was doing, I sat back, eyes on the table. "I mean, that's not what I was going to ask. It's not why I'm here."

He scrutinized me, and I began to squirm. "I've never met such a brave woman who is so shy."

My voice lingered in my throat, refusing to come out. I stared at the dancers, blushing, wanting to flee. Yet I wanted to stay, to have him claim me.

My neck was exposed in this position, and he could close the distance to lay his mouth over my skin. I probably wouldn't resist much as he pulled the rest of my hair aside, and drove fangs into me. Shivering, I looked back at him, hiding my throat. Was a bare neck to a vampire what a flash of thigh was to a normal guy?

"I don't know what you mean." My voice was husky, and I was still tingling from my fantasy. Colin hadn't moved, but I really wanted him to. Staring boldly, trying to show I was brave, I took another drink.

He blinked slowly, just watching me. There was a disconcerting quality to his stare; very predatory, almost devoid of life. It was hard not to squirm beneath the weight of it. Surely none of his other targets felt like this.

But was I really his target? Sure, my imagination was running away with my libido, but was his? He hadn't made a single move, though it would be easy to reach out and take my wrist, to start his seduction.

Man, I needed a boyfriend. Someone to keep me from immediately wanting to make out with a stranger.

"You've been following me, even after you knew what I am. Yet now that we're face to face, your heart is racing, and you keep blushing." Colin tipped his head. "Why are you here?"

I drew a deep breath, straightened my spine and shoulders, and kept my gaze on his. "I'm a writer. I was doing research for a book, and a co-worker suggested Elysium. I saw you, how different you were, and my curiosity was piqued. Once I figured out you were a vampire, I wanted to know more."

Colin laughed, eyes crinkling almost closed. He turned to the table, bringing his leg down. "I was worried you were a hunter. Especially when you never approached." Unbuttoning his long coat, Colin slid one of the shot glasses toward me. "Drink, relax." Exposing his white shirt, the vampire did the other shot.

The shyness he'd accused me of came back. I took the shot of vodka, and just watched as he bit into a lemon wedge. I wasn't much of a drinker, and had never had vodka. Taking the shot might impress Colin, get me an in to ask him all about being a vampire. At the same time, I was trepidatious of the taste and overreacting.

Colin set his glass and wedge aside, staring at me. I flushed, lowering my gaze. He chuckled, and picked up the other wedge. "Come here."

There was a moment of hesitation. If I came closer, I wouldn't have my escape route. My pulse jumped, because I'd also be next to the vampire, close enough to touch.

I kept staring at the shot glass as I scooted nearer. We weren't quite touching, but I was close enough to be aware of his body. So solid and strong. I didn't normally get this close to people, so the sensation was strange. Not unwelcome, just strange.

"Take your drink," he commanded. It was easy to listen to him instead of my doubts. "Open your mouth, and slam it all back. Don't sip, don't let it linger. Back and swallow." I did as he said, trying not to breathe the almost chemical scent. I closed my eyes, and took my first shot of vodka.

It was vaporous and strong, but not completely horrible. I swallowed as my lips started to burn. "Bite this." Colin pressed the lemon wedge to my mouth, and I obliged. My breath was taken by the liquor, and restored by the sudden rush of lemon juice.

"Oh my god," I gasped, leaning back. Juice hung on my lip, moments from falling. Colin dabbed it up, and I opened my eyes, forgetting entirely about the drink, even as my mouth still tasted of vodka and lemon. I stared at him, close up, clinging to the memory of his touch.

"Quite something, isn't it?" His eyes were half-lidded, lost in shadows as he watched me. His hands were busy, pushing empty glasses away, gathering used lemons.

I couldn't stop thinking about his touch. I wanted him to lean forward and kiss me. Having a writer's imagination, constantly playing out potential scenes, really sucked sometimes. It's hard to be rational when you're thinking about being kissed.

"You didn't like it?" The smile left his face.

"That's not it," I said quickly, not wanting him to think I didn't appreciate the experience. "It's just new and interesting."

Colin gave me a bemused smile. "You're a writer with a dearth of experiences?"

"Um, sorta." I looked away, but ended up staring at his hands. They were pale, yet scarred and weathered. Full of character and experience. Would they be rough, like hard leather, or somehow gentle? I could touch him. Colin couldn't possibly mind. My left hand twitched as I almost followed through on my impulse.

"I've had experiences." Better to talk than just paw at the man. "I mean, I've dated, and I've traveled, and my sister died when I was twelve. I have a tight family, and sometimes we've struggled to make ends meet." He was easy to talk to, to share intimate secrets.

I met his eyes again. "But that's not what I write about, so none of it really helps."

"What do you write about?" Colin turned, resting his arm on the back of the bench again.

I'd love to have him slide his arm down around my shoulders and pull me close. Touch my face and stroke my hair. Let his breath wash over me just as he kissed me. Tip my head back and bite my neck. "Vampires," I replied breathlessly.

The smile spread slowly across his face until eventually his eyes sparkled. "And you want my expert opinion?" I nodded, biting the inside of my lip. He chuckled, and the waitress appeared with more shots and lemons. "Would shy Rebecca have ever approached me on her own?"

I wanted to say, "Yes, of course." I'd have found the best way to approach him, and have won him over with my wits, and spent many nights picking his brain.

But I couldn't say that, because it wasn't true. I'd have stalked him under the guise of research, and never worked up the nerve to tell him I knew. Lowering my gaze, I shook my head.

"What would you ask of me?"

Beaming, I looked up again. He was still smiling, his face kind. "Everything. I want to know it all."

He arched an eyebrow. "Greedy greedy." Colin took his drink, pinning me with his gaze. "What do I get out of it?" He left his lips parted, revealing a curve of fang.

Adrenaline flooded my veins. My heart thundered in my ears, my skin raced with goosepimples, and I stared mutely. I couldn't say it, couldn't make the offer, but I would give myself to him. I would let him feed as much as he wanted, as often as he wanted, just so I could have his knowledge.

His brow arched farther, and his bemused smile returned. "You think offering to feed me is enough?" Colin slid his arm to my shoulder, holding me in place.

I swallowed hard, mouth dry. My nerves were singing, my insides clenching. I wanted Colin, bad, needed to feel him. I didn't feel trapped by his arm, just secure. He smelled of musky cologne and old clothes. There was no body heat, just the change in air pressure all solid bodies had. I almost laid a hand on his chest, barely keeping still.

Colin took my wrist, pressing his thumb against the veins. I shook, biting my lip as he rubbed slow circles on sensitive skin. "I don't know what else to offer you." My body heat rose, sweat beading on my spine.

He was leaning closer, knee touching mine. My chest heaved as I panted, and even the brush of my own hair on my neck felt great. The rest of the club faded away, and it was only the two of us. Colin's arm around me, his eyes faintly sparkling. His thumb stroking my veins, fingers wrapped firmly around my wrist. My heart lodged in my throat, racing fit to burst.

"Do you want to know what it's like to hold someone close, and feel their pulse against your lips?" His thumb pressed harder into my wrist. "What it's like to have them gasp and moan as they offer up their life? The strength that can be gained from another, when their very soul hangs at your mercy?"

I was squirming, wet and aching, wanting to feel this. He began using his nail along my wrist, moving to my palm. Sharp sensations followed, like pins and needles. "Yes, all that." My words turned to gasps as he lifted my hand to his mouth.

Colin kissed my palm, my wrist, and looked at me as he kissed the inside of my elbow through my shirt. I bit back a moan, leaving my hand on his shoulder when he draped it there. The vampire pulled me closer, dropping his arm to my waist. I was helpless, letting him guide me.

"Drink." He brought the shot glass up, and I dutifully swallowed the vodka. It was less sharp this time, more sensual as vapors invaded my mouth. "Bite." I sank my teeth into the lemon, wincing as it overrode the alcohol. "Close your eyes." My breath caught as I did.

Colin kissed me, hard. The force of it parted my lips, and his tongue darted through briefly. I moaned, trembling, not knowing what to do, kissing him as best I could. He pulled me close, tangling his hand in my hair.

It seemed to take forever, yet didn't last long enough. I licked up his taste as the kiss ended, staring into his eyes as he smiled. "I have so much to show you."