Unbound (Forbidden Bond Book 1)(17)

"Can Vince help you?" Vince's baritone asked gruffly as he passed her.  "We aren't hiring any waitresses right now if you're looking for a job,  and I can't let you squat here, so move along."

Dani hopped to her feet and hurried after him. "You said I should come  to you if I needed anything." Vince turned and a wide smile cracked the  harsh planes of his face when he recognized her. His eyes ran down her  body with interest.

Danielle cocked her head to the side and tried to be cute. She stepped a  little too close for comfort. She saw a flash of something hot in his  eyes before he shook his head and took a step back. His expression  changed from heated interest to concern. He brushed her cheek with the  back of his hand. "Vince would be glad to help you get whatever you  need. As much as Vince would like to be the male to take your mind off  of whatever ails you, I can't risk my job. Your boy Chase would have my  ass handed to me right after he canned it." Dani blushed and frowned.  Did he have to bring up Chase?

"Princess, are you alright? You look sad," he asked with true concern.

"I'm fine, Vince. All I need is some privacy and a few drinks. You think  you could let me in until the club opens? I would prefer to drink alone  today." Tears began to form in her eyes. "And don't call Chase, please.  I know he's a friend of yours, but we're friends too, right? And I do  still owe you a dance. If you get the music going, I'd be happy to pay  up."

Vince let out a hearty chuckle. "Bad day, princess? Come on in, and  Vince'll hook you up." He put an arm around her shoulders and led her  into the club.



Once inside she settled herself onto a sofa in the VIP section. Vince  got the music on, but not too loud. A very attractive man came to take  her drink order. "What can I get for you?"

"I'll be honest. I'm not a drinker, so you can surprise me. Maybe something sweet would be good," she politely suggested.

"Of course you're not a drinker." He smiled at Dani playfully and went  to get her drink. As he walked away, she took in his broad shoulders and  the tight jeans that showed off his assets and wondered what he meant  by that. Did she look so young that she obviously wouldn't be a drinker?  Vince gave her a wave from the other side of the club and disappeared.

The bartender returned, shirtless, with a tray of drinks and shots. Holy  smoke, but he was hot. He had dark hair and smoky eyes to match, his  body honed to perfection. He handed her a drink and took a shot for  himself. They clinked their glasses together, and he downed his shot.  Not to be outdone she gulped hers as he took another shot. He took her  empty glass and handed her another. They were good. It didn't taste  anything like the nasty Purple Jesus or the beer she'd choked on. She  drank it quickly, and he took a third shot.         

     



 

Holding out his hand to her he asked, "Would you like to dance?"

She smiled and took his hand, feeling a little torn. She was  second-guessing the wisdom of being alone with a guy. This wasn't what  she'd come for. She only wanted time alone to think about everything  that was happening in her life and to her body. Then the memory of Lucas  nearly having sex with some strange girl came back to her like a kick  in the gut. "I'd love to dance." She held out her hand to the handsome  bartender.

And so they did. He led her out to the floor, and they danced. She could  actually see the beautiful hardwood floor that had been obscured by so  many people the last time she'd been there. The lights flashed as they  moved together to the beat of the music. He left her on the floor once  to go fetch another drink. She was already pretty buzzed, but that was  what she'd come for, right? To achieve the same numbness she'd  experienced the other night. She wanted to forget for a while, and so  far, she had done a good job. Dani threw back one more drink, and her  companion, whose name she hadn't bothered to learn, drank his shot. He  looked buzzed too. They laughed and danced and spun around the floor,  until she was so dizzy she could hardly stand. Thankfully, a slower song  came on, and he gathered her up in his strong arms and held her close  to his chest. She smelled him then. He smelled spicy, like hot cinnamon  candy. His essence was so sweet and hot, she wanted to taste it. The  urge became overwhelming, and her vision went all weird. Memories of her  own jet-black eyes gave her pause. That had to be how she looked. What  would the bartender do if he noticed? He looked down and smiled at her  with smoldering expectation. Good thing it was dark, and she was too  drunk to care.

"That's right, beautiful, you're ready, aren't you? You want me right  now, don't you?" He scooped Dani up and carried her back to the sofa. He  positioned her so that she straddled his lap and pulled her mouth down  to his. Dani froze at first, but his body was so damn hot, and she could  hear his heartbeat. It pounded out her name, over and over. His sex was  stiff, and he rubbed himself against her. She kissed him back, until he  turned his face and guided her to his neck. God, the smell of him was  so delicious, and his pulse beat wildly against her lips.

"Take it. Take me now. Please, I want to feel you," he whispered huskily.

She felt pressure in her mouth. Her teeth ached. The need was  overwhelming. She was so thirsty, or was it hunger? His pulse pounded in  her ears, and the spicy, sweet smell permeated her mind. Instinctively,  Dani found a spot below his ear and bit down on his neck. He writhed  under her and panted, "Yes. Please, yes." The flow of hot, sweet liquid  running down her throat was intoxicating and delicious. She felt strong  and sensual, and she hungered for more.



Mason and his mate, Deborah, were having dinner with Griffin and his  mate, Sarah. It had been so long since they had done this. Mason missed  Griffin's companionship and hoped to make it a regular event.

Mason had witnessed Griffin's greatest heartbreak, and seeing Mason  sometimes brought those painful memories back to him. So, over the last  few years, Griffin had withdrawn from him. They spoke frequently at  council meetings but almost always kept it to council-related issues.

The waiter brought their selections, refilled their wine glasses, and  retreated to the kitchen. The women ate and planned a shopping trip to  select new dresses for the gala. They also made plans to have a girls'  night out on the town.

Mason looked at Griffin. "So how are you these days?" Mason didn't expect an honest reply, at least not when Sarah was present.

"I'm still here. Business is good, and the kids are growing and healthy.  That's all you can ask for, right?" Griffin mumbled around a bite of  steak.

"I'm going to the range to hit some balls on Saturday. You should come  with me," Mason said, when his phone jingled in his jacket pocket and  interrupted him. "Excuse me," he said as he pulled it out.

Deborah shot him a dirty look from across the table. She hated it when he took calls at the table.

He didn't recognize the number. Normally, he'd let it go to voice mail, but he was compelled to answer.

"Mason. It's me. I need your help," a voice whispered on the other end of the line.

"I'm sorry. Who did you say this is?" Not recognizing the caller's  voice, he shrugged and smiled at Griffin, who watched intently.

Sarah said loudly from across the table, "Griffin, dear, please don't dump so much salt on your vegetables."

"Shit! He's with you!" the voice on the other end exclaimed. "You should  call me later, when you're alone. It doesn't matter what time."         

     



 

Now Mason was dumbstruck. "Who did you say this was again?" Everyone at the table was looking at him now.

"It's Tessa Vaughn. You promised that if your goddaughter ever needed  anything, I could count on you. Well, now's the time, Mason. She's  turning and I have no idea what to do. Please, help me," she pleaded in a  trembling voice.

The shock of hearing the voice of a woman whose secret he had kept for  over two decades nearly felled him before the words began to sink in. He  couldn't react, and he needed to diffuse the situation in front of him.  He had the attention of the table. As casually as he could manage, he  replied, "I'm sorry, but you have the wrong number." He paused a moment  and then continued, "No problem, good-bye." Looking back at everyone, he  shrugged again and went back to the talk of a golf outing.





Chase slumped on the sofa of his usual table at the club. He looked out  over the crowd where Kayden was busy showing off his dance moves. But  Chase wasn't really seeing anything at all. He was far too busy  replaying the evening he'd spent with Danielle over and over in his  mind. The unforgettable smell of Danielle had clung to him the whole  next day, making Chase crazy with desire. Once it wore off, the fact  that he could no longer smell her drove him insane.

When he'd entered the club, he actually thought she was there. He was  sure her scent lingered all over the dance floor, but a search turned up  nothing and left him disappointed. That sweet vanilla with just a hint  of lavender haunted him. He closed his eyes and remembered the feel of  her skin on the back of his hand as he caressed her, the silk of her  hair as he brushed it with his fingers and it poured over his shoulder,  the weight of her body lying on him as she breathed deeply against his  neck. God, her lips on his neck as she admitted she couldn't stop  thinking of him, dreaming of him. The thoughts did nothing but make him  hot and eager.