Colby: September (2 page)

“
G
oddess
! He’s staring at you, Ella.” Lizzy giggled and hip-checked her. The woman put more
hip
into the bump than she thought was necessary. Ella stumbled, catching herself on Tina before she tipped over. Tina giggled and leaned back into her. Her bright blue eyes dancing with humor.

Once Ella felt stable, well, as stable as she would get, she whipped her head around. “Who?” Her vision swam from the too quick move, making her see double for a couple of seconds. She’d felt a heavy stare on her earlier, but didn’t think much about it. They
were
in Club Satyr after all. Inhibitions ran a bit looser within the confines of the walls than out in the regular world. Hook-ups were practically a given, if that’s what you wanted. Which most people did.

“Colby, the blond Adonis leaning against the wall between the two bars. Goddess, the things I’ve heard about that man.” Lizzy practically swooned on her feet, but then, that could have been because of the alcohol. “He’s a heartbreaker, but totally worth it, and his tongue,” she moaned softly, “its magical.”

Ella glanced at the sexy as hell man her friend was talking about. Long limbs encased in dark jeans and a tight white T-shirt stretched over a muscular chest. He pushed his fingers through his blond hair, ruffling it slightly. One side of his mouth curved up into a sexy
I’m gonna eat you up
grin that had her heart tripping over itself. A small squeak escaped her lips at being caught staring, and she quickly turned back to her friends. Tina poured another glass of White Lightning and formed another ball of fire around it. She passed it around as another song pumped through the speakers. Their preferred game of the evening.

Ella took the ball of fire from Lizzy, whose dark eyes had widened comically, taking up most of her face. “He’s headed this way. Damn, what I wouldn’t give to lick him like a lollipop,” the woman purred then hiccuped. Tiny sparks similar to fireworks popped above her head.

The woman couldn’t hold her liquor worth a damn and it showed. It probably didn’t help that they were slamming White Lightning like it was water. The high alcohol content drink was imported from China, where it originated from, and Satyr was the only club in the United States where it was served. Considering how difficult it was for the majority of Mystics to even feel buzzed, it was the perfect beverage for the Club. People from around the globe flocked there to experience everything Satyr had to offer, including the ability to get drunk. It was why she and her friends picked it for their celebration evening. Lizzy had finally been promoted at the law firm where she worked.

The fine hairs on the back of Ella’s neck suddenly stood on end. She knew he was close. The weight of his stare continued to burn into her. Mainly her ass. It sparked every nerve in her body, heating her from the inside out. Goosebumps scattered over her arms, as a shiver worked its way down her spine.

She knew he was trouble without even really knowing who he was. Sexy, breath-stealing trouble,
if
she were the type of woman who liked chiseled features, rock hard abs (she guessed), and a smile that had women from age eight to eighty swooning (guessing again, as well, going off the look on Lizzy’s face).

Pretending to look at her friend Tina, Ella glanced over in his direction. Too quickly, their gazes locked again. Everything narrowed down to just him. The Club, the music, her friends…all faded into the background.

A slow grin curled his lips and, in the blink of an eye, he was next to her. An involuntary gasp escaped when he pressed his warm hand against the small of her back. More heat shot through her, landing low in her belly, when he leaned into her. Brushing his chest against her arm and shoulder. Her sex throbbed and her nipples peaked. All from one tiny, most likely innocent, touch. She could only imagine what it would be like to have his hands roaming over every inch of her curvy frame. Specifically, the large fleshy globes of her ass; which was, in her opinion, her best feature.

“Evening ladies,” he grinned. There was a twitter of female giggling and blushing all around. Including her. She couldn’t stop it if she tried.

Lizzy, of course, had to up her game and be the center of attention. It
was
her night after all. “Hi, I’m Lizzy,” she purred, batting her long lashes and doing some silly finger wave move.

Ella rolled her eyes and huffed out an exasperated sigh. He hadn’t been staring at
her
for the past ten minutes. Lizzy was only the one that pointed him out. She couldn’t have forgotten already.

“Hi, Lizzy,” he said blandly. Not a total brush off, but enough to show she hadn’t been the one he’d come over to see.

Ella peeked at him and was shocked to see him staring at her. His perfectly sculpted blond eyebrow was lifted, and she could read the question in his eyes.

Lizzy, ever the lovable, oblivious friend, didn’t seem to notice his lack of regard. She barreled on like she really was the focus of his attention. “We’ve actually met before. I was at the
Bump & Grind in the Night
party last week. My friend Nicky used me in his spanking demonstration. You seemed particularly,” Ella watched her friend’s gaze drop to his crotch, not bothering to be subtle, “responsive to it,” Lizzy finished, obscenely licking her lips.

Colby lifted his stare from Ella and looked at Lizzy. She saw when recognition hit him. He snorted softly and smiled politely. Ella didn’t think he was as in to her as Lizzy wanted to think. “I remember you. You turned a lovely shade of pink up on the stage.”

Lizzy, the crappy friend she was turning out to be, pushed forward, edging Ella out of the way. She reached out and ran a finger down Colby’s arm. “I was hoping you’d remember. I’ve been,” she hiccuped again and the fireworks popped above her head. People snickered around them. It didn’t seem to deter her in the least though. “I’ve been thinking about you—a lot.”

Ella’s gaze bounced back to Colby. She canted her head and studied him. Her eyebrow rose, and she smirked at the look on his face. He might as well have been a deer caught in headlights at that moment. His vibrant blue eyes rounded in surprise, and she could see he was trying to formulate an escape plan.

Colby, the poor dear, stepped back out of Lizzy’s reach. His eyes narrowed suspiciously on the glass in Ella’s hand. “What have you ladies been drinking?” He stared at Ella in accusation, like it was her fault the woman hitting on him was drunk as a skunk.

Ella shrugged. “White Lightning.”

His mouth dropped open, surprise or shock flitting across his handsome feature. “On fire?”

She paused at his reaction, a bit perplexed by it. She shook her head, clearing it. He took the action the wrong way and smiled.

“Well, yeah.” She didn’t stop the roll of her eyes. It was a bad habit of hers. Forgive her—she was working on it. “Is there any better way to drink it?”

Colby’s smile dropped, and he squeezed his eyes shut. Long, almost elegant, fingers came up and he pinched the bridge of his nose, and groaned. “Do you know what that shit will do to you when heated?”

“Make it less potent,” she said, tilting her chin up stubbornly. At least, that’s what she believed. Fire burned some of the alcohol off. She cooked with it all of the time. And she didn’t have reason to think otherwise.

“Oh Goddess,” he groaned louder than before. “How long have you been doing that?”

Ella narrowed her eyes as he went slightly out of focus. Damn, the alcohol was hitting her hard. “Tonight or since the first time I ever had it?”

“Tonight,” he said, his voice void of emotion.

Ella shrugged again and looked around at the group of women she was with. The way Colby appeared beyond anxious about it had a tight ball of nerves tumbling in her tummy. Her friends did seem to be a bit more out of it than usual. A couple of them plopped down into chairs, glassy-eyed looks on their faces. “Since we got here a couple hours ago. The bartender didn’t say anything to us when he gave us the second bottle.” She gestured toward the table and the bottles of White Lightning, one empty and the other close to it. Really, there was only a swallow left. It would be a shame to waste it. She should probably finish it off, her little inner voice encouraged. Yeah, definitely. Without thought, she moved to grab it, but was stopped by a strong hand on her upper arm.

“Oh, no you don’t. Setting White Lightning on fire makes it
more
potent. Not less. But even still, you and your friends shouldn’t be
this
bad off,” Colby sighed and dug something out of his back pocket. He held what turned out to be a little black radio to his mouth. “I need a couple of attendants over in section five. We’ve got a bunch of drunk witches that need tending to.”

Ella’s mouth dropped open in indignation. It wasn’t like they were causing trouble. “You don’t need to do that. We’ve been behaving.”

“Not for long.” He gestured over to where Lizzy had wandered off. It was apparent she wasn’t too upset Colby wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. She’d latched onto a tall, dark demon, and even
he
looked panicked as she ran her hands over his bare chest. Ella watched bits of magic leak from Lizzy’s fingers and flit along the demon’s skin. He winced and tried to back up. Lizzy wasn’t having it. She gripped his forearms tightly with a look of determination lighting her eyes.

Ella snorted then slapped a hand over her mouth. She only made that dumb sound when she was drunk. But she couldn’t be drunk. “I feel fine,” she whispered.

“Yeah,” Colby said; but, to her ears, he didn’t sound convinced. They stood there without saying anything for a couple of minutes. His big hand wrapped around the fleshy part of her upper arm. Normally, she’d be trying to pull away from him—or anyone that thought to touch her there. For being a massage therapist, one would think she would have better tone to her arms, but she didn’t, and it annoyed her. Her body wasn’t built that way.

Three men approached Colby, and all he did was motion toward her group of friends. There was low chuckling coming from them, but Colby didn’t let her stay long enough to find out what would happen next. He tugged on her arm and led her away.

“Where are you taking me?” She let out an unflattering squeak. They made a beeline toward the bars. Patrons getting out of their way without being told. It was rather impressive.

“Somewhere quiet.” They stopped in front of a wall. He passed his hand over a pretty design etched into the wallpaper. It seemed a silly thing to do. Until a hidden door slid open and they stepped into an office. It wasn’t like any office she’d ever seen, though.

There was a desk, chair, and everything that a normal office should have off to one side. On the other, there was a roomy-looking bed, an open-shelving unit with some clothes and personal items stacked on top, and a small nightstand with a lamp. It really reminded her of a loft apartment. An extremely tiny apartment, but an apartment nonetheless.

“What is this place?” Ella huffed when Colby pushed her down onto the bed with firm hands on the tops of her shoulders. He stepped back. Disappointment had her forehead scrunching up and her heart dropping a little. She wanted his hands back on her. Their warmth and strength. The strange connection she felt settling around her.

He leaned against the edge of the desk, crossing his thick forearms over his chest. “My office. I share it with the other manager, Holden. I crash here when I’m too tired to head home after a shift. Same with Holden when he works nights.” Worry pinched his eyebrows together. “Is there someone I can call for you?”

“Why?” The sluggish words felt heavy on her tongue. In her mind, she knew she was sinking into oblivion at an alarming rate. Her body didn’t really give a damn though.

He chuckled lightly. The sound twisted around her, sending a delicious curl of heat through her chest. “Because you’re about to pass out.”

“No I’m not,” she slurred. But that’s exactly how it felt. The room got fuzzy, and she couldn’t quite think straight. Ella flopped back. All of her energy suddenly drained from her body. Why resist when the bed was so inviting? “It really is comfy,” she murmured, thinking she’d only close her eyes for a minute or two now that she was lying down.

A snort came from Colby’s direction. She wanted to open her eyes and see what was so funny, but the bed’s lure was too much. “So nice.” She wiggled a little into the plushness. Her breasts jiggled against the soft fabric of her top, making her giggle. She’d picked one of her racier bras even though it lacked the support she typically needed. The silky fabric felt like heaven against the tops of her overflowing breasts.

“Can I at least get your name?”

Ella hummed lightly. The bedding was cool to the touch and felt delicious against her heated skin. “Ella,” she said on a sigh. “Ella Burke.”

“Nice to meet you, Ella.”

She was vaguely aware of being moved up the bed. Damn, the man was strong, and his arms felt good around her. She certainly wasn’t a lightweight. Her five foot four frame packed some mighty fine curves. She loved them. The dip at her waist. Her larger than average breasts, rear, and thighs. She had more of an hourglass figure. The type of body that used to be considered fashionable back in the day. If she could only get over her dislike of her bigger arms.

A yawn stretched her mouth that she covered with her hand. “So tired.” Her body was floating away. The room spun behind her eyelids. Without opening her eyes, she waved a hand over her body. “
Prohibere
telarum
,” she whispered and allowed her magic to flow free. It tickled over her skin and sunk into her bones. Like a snap of the fingers, the unwanted spinning disappeared. She sighed happily. A small purr rumbling in the back of her throat.

A wisp of air, which had nothing to do with her magic, brushed over her and she was moved again. Strong hands gently tugged off her boots, and she was tucked into bed. Covers weighed down on her, relaxing her even more.

“S’nice,” she murmured as sleep pulled her under.