Nik arrived at the local dive a little early for his appointment with Emma. Since it wasn’t a personal residence, no invitation was needed, and he entered without any trouble. Pausing just over the threshold, he checked the place out, memorizing where the exits were out of habit. It wasn’t hard. There were only two.
He wasn’t surprised at the lack of a Friday night crowd. Places like this catered to regular customers who lived in the area. No one else would drive so far out of the way to get to such a small-town dive. It was one reason he had told Emma to meet him here. Without the crowd, they’d be able to talk.
She sat at the end of the bar. He let his eyes wander over her face and down to what he could see of her body. She was stunning in a simple sweater and jeans. Her hair fell in natural waves just to her shoulders, and his fingers itched to touch the bright strands, to see if they were as soft as they looked. Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she stared at him, wide-eyed. Her lips were slightly parted, her breathing shallow.
He imagined her looking at him like that as she lay naked and open beneath him, gasping as he pumped into her hot little body. His eyes narrowed at the wayward thought, and he felt his cock instantly respond.
As if she knew what he was thinking, her face reddened even more and he had to close his eyes a moment as he scented her body’s response from across the room. He couldn’t help it. He smirked at her, and saw her wide-eyed look change to a glare in response.
Was she angry at him, or at her body’s reaction to him?
Nik allowed himself a moment more to enjoy pondering that question before reminding himself of the purpose of this meeting. The thought instantly sobered him. He headed toward Emma, and she jumped down from her stool to stand ramrod straight at his approach.
He didn’t stop until there was less than a foot of air between their bodies, forcing her to look up at him as he loomed over her. She barely came to his chin, her slender form less than half his size.
His heart actually stuttered as his eyes roved over her face. Good Lord, she was lovely. So close to her, her scent nearly overwhelmed him, and it was all he could do not to scoop her up and take her with him, caveman style, back to his lair.
“Hello, Emma.”
* * *
His voice was bedroom sexy. Way better in person. Or maybe she’d just been too shocked to notice when they’d talked on the phone for that brief time. Just listening to him say her name caused some very unladylike thoughts to jump, unbidden, into her head. Thoughts of popping buttons and tearing lace. Of bare skin sliding on bare skin.
She didn’t even wear lace.
Emma stared at him until, giving herself a shake, she pulled her thoughts back into the here and now. Jesus, what was wrong with her? She’d never been this affected by a man, not even extremely good-looking ones.
Annoyed with herself, she stuck her chin out and demanded, “Who the hell are you, and what exactly do you know about my sister?”
He looked amused, if a bit surprised, with her directness. “Well, now, don’t beat around the bush, sweetheart. Just go ahead and say whatever’s on your mind.”
She narrowed her eyes at him, but her insides quivered as she waited for a response to her question.
After a glance at the bartender who was still hovering near them, he suggested, “Why don’t we find somewhere a bit more private to talk.” It wasn’t a question.
Emma studied his too-perfect face for a few seconds, then nodded once in agreement. Turning to grab her things, she gave old Ned a reassuring smile.
He took her hand as she placed it on her bag. “Darlin’, you just give a yell if you need anything at all.” He looked directly into her eyes while he spoke, making sure he got his point across. “And you just let me know when you’re ready to leave. Alone.” He gave the man beside her a pointed glare. “And I’ll walk you to your car.”
Men were always offering to walk her to her car. Did she really seem that helpless?
The beautiful male beside her tilted his head and looked at Ned with mild curiosity, like he would an animal at the zoo. “Do we owe you anything for the drink, old man?” he asked.
Ned shook his grey head slowly, staring him down. “The young lady has already paid.”
Emma looked over at the newcomer just in time to catch him giving the elderly man a menacing smile.
“I’ll be fine.” She didn’t know if that was true or not, but the bartender was no match for a guy like this, and she wouldn’t have him risking life and limb because of her.
A strong hand wrapped gently, but firmly, around her arm. “Good! Come on, Emma.”
Giving the bartender one last reassuring smile, she let the Greek god steer her toward an empty booth far from listening ears.
He led her to her seat, and then settled himself across from her where he kept one eye on the kindly bartender. “Would you like another drink?”
“No, thank you.” She waited expectantly.
“A bite to eat? Are you hungry?”
Her nerves strung out as it was from the near confrontation at the bar, she leaned forward, got right up into his face, and slammed her hands on the table. “No! I don’t want a drink! I don’t want food! The only thing I want is to know is where the hell my sister is!”
Emma normally had a sense of self-preservation, but her patience with this was at an end. If he had some information for her, she wanted it. And she wanted it now.
“Calm down,” he told her. “And I’ll tell you everything I know.”
Sitting back in a huff, Emma crossed her arms and waited for him to speak, idly wondering where her sanity had gone.
He leaned forward. “Emma, do you have any inkling of who or what you are?”
What is he talking about? “What do you mean?”
“I mean, who you are. Who your sister is. Who your parents were. And, more specifically, what they were?” He put his elbows on the table and linked his hands, drilling into her with those eyes, until she felt like he could see right down to her soul.
“I’m not sure I know what you mean…” Emma hedged, genuinely confused.
He continued to stare at her, his head tilted to the side, like he was listening to something she couldn’t hear. After a moment, he seemed to come to some type of decision. “Emma, I’m just gonna put it out there. You come from a family of very powerful witches.”
Well, that wasn’t exactly what she’d expected to hear. “Witches,” she repeated blandly.
“Yes,” he affirmed with a nod.
Was this guy for real? If her family was full of witches, don’t you think she would know?
She should’ve star sixty-nine’d him earlier, demanded more information before agreeing to meet him. Not that he had given her a choice. Clearly, he wasn’t a cop or any kind of detective. Mentally unstable was probably more like it.
“I am so, so stupid,” she finally admitted aloud. Disgusted with herself for falling for…whatever the hell this was, she grabbed her bag and stood to leave.
“Where are you going?” he demanded.
“I’m leaving. Obviously,” she spat back at him.
“Emma, please. Sit down and hear me out.” He held up a hand, halting her. “Please.”
She paused next to the table. I don’t know why the hell I’m doing this. “Fine. But I don’t want to hear about whatever it is you think you know about my family. I want to know who you are. And I want to know what you know about the whereabouts of my sister.”
“I promise I will tell you all of that, but in order for you to fully understand, I need to give you some background about my people, and about your family, that you are apparently unaware of.” He waved his hand at her seat. “Please, Emma, sit down. As much as I hate to admit it, I need your help, and you need mine.”
His tone sounded so sincere, it gave her pause. Slowly, she went back to her seat and sat down again, giving him a hard look. “Just so you know, giving me sad puppy dog eyes will get you nowhere with me.”
His lips twitched. “Duly noted.”
“Ok, wiseass, tell me about all this stuff I presumably don’t know about. I’m listening.” Crossing her arms again, she leaned back and waited for him to speak.
“Let me start over.” He paused. “Emma, have you ever noticed any strange things that happen around you?” Another pause. “It’s okay, you can trust me.”
Surely, her expression alone clearly showed how much she disagreed with that comment, but just in case it didn’t, she spelled it out for him. “What makes you think I would trust you with anything at all? I know absolutely nothing about you. I don’t even know your name! Although you seem to know quite a bit about me. Or at least you think you do.”
Emma had spent her entire life safeguarding her secrets from everyone except her immediate family; she was not about to give them up that easily. She didn’t care how hot he was.
Or how lonely she was.
He ran a hand through his hair and started over again. He seemed to know he was totally blowing this. “I’m sorry, you’re completely right. My name is Nik, or actually, Nikulas. Nikulas Kreek.” He held out his hand.
She regarded that hand warily for a moment, and then hesitantly placed her palm against his much larger one. He closed his fingers firmly around hers.
The skin on skin contact instantly caused electric pulses to run right up her arm and straight down to her groin, where she felt a rush of wetness between her legs.
Her eyes snapped up to his, and her breathing became hindered as their gazes locked. Her heart pounded in her chest as the blood rushed through her veins.
She squeezed her thighs together to try to relieve the yearning between her legs that hadn’t totally gone away since this man had entered the bar, and was oh, so much worse now.
Really, what is wrong with me?
Nik inhaled sharply, his nostrils flaring slightly, and she watched as those strange eyes of his seemed to shine even brighter. The muscles on each side of his jaw bulged out as he clenched his teeth, and his hand tightened around hers.
So. She wasn’t the only one affected by the touch. Good to know.
