Pixie Dust (Karli Lane #1) (2 page)

Erica rolled her eyes at me. “Oh honey, who cares if your blood is basically like vampire crack? Hello? Did you not get the memo?
Vampires are
hot
! Besides, compared to most cities, we barely even have a vampire population. I heard Seattle has like, ten times as many because the sun barely shines up there. We just need to find a man who will pound all those negative thoughts right out of your brain with his big, fat cock!”

“Ugh, don’t remind me I don’t have one of those either!” I whined, maybe a little bit more than I had intended. Lately I’ve been plagued with
very graphic
, lusty images that seem to pick the most inopportune moments to pop into my brain. Hey, I can’t help it. It’s been almost a year since I’ve even kissed a guy…..and there are a lot of hot men to ogle in Vegas! It’s not like I don’t have options; I get asked out on a daily basis. I just have trust issues after Chad so I never say yes. I wouldn’t even think that it was possible at this point, but it seems like this overactive libido of mine is only getting worse as I get closer to the change. Christ, I’m a mess!

“Well you know, it is the electronic age.” Erica teased. “If you want, we can go to Tina’s Treasures later and get you a real nice Tom, Dick, or Harry. I heard they just got the new Jack Rabbit G-spot in stock. Dual motors… seven different settings. ….C’mon, you know you want to!”

 I returned her eye roll. “Thanks babe, but I’ll pass.” Okay, so maybe I’ll just go on my day off.

 “Your loss.” She shrugged. “You know what they say….Once you go Jack, you’ll never go back!”

“Perv!” I yelled while snapping my towel at her. “Now shut your yap so I can enjoy what little relaxation time I have left before I have to get ready!”

*************

I arrived to work that evening with less than a minute to spare. Traffic on The Strip can be a real bitch sometimes. I tend bar for one of the hottest places in town called Pixie Dust. We are usually pretty busy because we sit right off the casino floor in a posh center strip hotel. You could say we catered to someone who has more sophisticated tastes, but one who still wanted the sensuality that seeps out of Vegas’ pores. When you first walk in, your eyes are instinctively drawn to the Swarovski crystal bar that lines the back wall. That’s where you’ll find me, Karli Lane, Thursday through Sunday nights as Head Bartender/Manager on duty. There is a combination of table and booth seating throughout, all upholstered with thick green velvet. The walls are coated with silver paint, infused with matching glitter and the 20’ ceilings are adorned with giant crystal chandeliers.

As if all that bling wasn’t enough, you have our main attraction: Two illuminated frosted screens flanking the shelves of alcohol in the center of the bar. Girls wearing nothing but a pair of fairy wings dance behind them all night, leaving very little to the imagination. Just to set the record straight, fairies don’t really have wings. Some animator thought we’d look cuter that way one day and I guess it just stuck. Oh, I almost forgot to mention my uniform! I have the pleasure (Not!) of donning a satin lime green halter top that ends right above my navel with a matching mini skirt every night. Hey, what can I say? The tips are great, so I deal. Plus, you’ve got to love the irony of it all. Pretty clever, don’t ya think? A fairy hiding out in a place called Pixie Dust? C’mon, we’re all walking around looking like slutty Tinker Bells. It’s freaking priceless! Only in Vegas baby!

The bar was just purchased a few weeks ago by a company called Markos Enterprises. Rumor has it that some guy runs the whole show and keeps close tabs on all of his business ventures, whatever that means. We got a memo when the sale was final to conduct ourselves in a business as usual manner. The new boss would make his presence known as soon as possible. Supposedly, he owned several clubs and bars throughout Nevada so I’m guessing he was too busy to worry about us at the moment. We never saw the old owners anyway so here I am. Business as usual.

Erica walked up to me and said, “Quick K, get me a single malt scotch. Neat. Grab the stuff on the top shelf. Only the best for Mr. Tall, dark, and delicious over on table twenty.” While I was pouring a generous shot of 1973 Auchentoshan she continued, “I swear to you, I don’t normally do guys of the fanged persuasion, but I’d be willing to make an exception for that one. I’d bet he’s
at least
a triple O
biter!”

“Classy, Erica.” I replied while she sashayed over to the corner booth, the one reserved solely for our most affluent patrons. She was referring to the rumor that a vampire bite could induce multiple orgasms. Mind blowing, earth shattering orgasms. It was just a rumor, right? Anyway…. I followed her booty shake to see what all the fuss was about. Holy hell……. My jaw dropped. That man was
hot
! Like burning up in the blazing pits of the underworld hot! Hades help me, because I instantly had a whole list of sins that I’d like to commit for that guy! Ooh baby!

Mr. Delicious stood while grabbing his drink from the table and turned in my direction. My Gods, he had to be at least six and a half feet tall! I’m 5’10” so I always appreciate a man that I can stand next to in my favorite Jimmy Choos. His short, chestnut hair was styled in a messy, but purposeful way and was sitting atop a beautiful, but very masculine face. He was blessed with a chiseled jaw, a straight nose, and an olive complexion. Michelangelo would have been honored to sculpt such perfection. He was dressed in all black designer apparel with the sleeves of his button up shirt pushed up to his elbows, revealing thickly muscled forearms. Out of nowhere, I got a vision of him standing buck naked under the spray of a large showerhead, flashing me a knowing grin. Oh……My…….God! His scrumptious bare body personified a Spartan warrior, paying homage to his obvious Mediterranean heritage. He was ripped
everywhere
and was hung like a horse! I think this guy may have inspired the actual workout for the cast of
300
. Seriously. I had a sudden urge to lick the droplets of water from his chest all the way down to his……..

Wait a minute!
Where
the hell did that come from?
Shit Karli, focus! I blinked twice and found myself staring back into his pale, hypnotic eyes. What color are they anyway? I couldn’t tell from this distance but they had me completely captivated; I felt like I was drowning in a reflection pool. With a barely perceptible nod, he raised his glass and then took a sip of his very expensive alcohol. His fangs lengthened in satisfaction as he withdrew it from his sinfully tempting mouth. I must have looked like a jackass with my mouth hanging open because he laughed a little as he sat down. I think he caught me licking my lips because his amused expression became very primal all of a sudden, hungry almost. I had a feeling of absolute clarity in that moment. I knew, without a doubt, that this man…..no, this
vampire,
was about to complicate my life in a major way.

                                            Chapter 2

                                            ************

Things picked up and I found myself multi-tasking my ass off for the next few hours. Before I realized what was happening, Chad was pulling up a stool right in front of me. Are you freaking kidding me?? Oh this is bad because he is looking way too good tonight. Mama needs some of
that
sugar.

“Hey Kar.” He assessed me salaciously.

“Chad.” I shamelessly did the same.

 I haven’t seen him in months and unfortunately for me, he is still one incredibly sexy halfling. He could almost pass for a human because only pure bred demons can shift, but his eyes will always give him away. They are usually a beautiful light shade of blue, but in the heat of the moment, they turn pitch black. You’d think the contrast would be a little spooky, but it’s actually pretty exciting. I always knew something
really
good was coming when his eyes changed color like that. At times, I could swear he was getting bigger inside of me…. Like,
much
bigger. It was as if the animal inside of him was desperately trying to break free.

“How’ve you been?” He asked.

Oh, I don’t know…..Unrelentingly horny? Nope, can’t say that. “Fine.” I lied.

I inhaled his signature scent and instantly began salivating. I was like one of Pavlov’s dogs; my body knew countless hours of pleasure in his presence and it expected it, even after a year’s absence. I think a moan may have escaped my lips while I was brazenly coveting his body.

“Fine, huh?” He asked. His eyes started darkening, revealing his demon half.

I once asked him if he was bothered by not being able to shift. He actually thought he was better off this way because he retained the stamina and sexual prowess that his breed was known for, yet he didn’t have to worry about scaring anyone off in bed. I once heard that it was difficult for a pure bred to maintain their human appearance during really great sex. It had something to do with their inner beast taking control during heightened emotions. Supposedly, his demon form would be pretty terrifying.

It pains me to admit this, but he was totally right about being better off. He definitely had one aesthetically pleasing human form. Southern California born and raised, he was a badass surfer boy to the core. One mischievous grin was all it took to convince even the most timid girls to jump on his board and brave the gnarliest waves. Think of Paul Walker from
Into The Blue.
I swear
they could practically be twins.

Christ, I need to get laid. My brain is having extreme difficulty winning an argument against my burning loins right now. Did I really just say burning loins? Yep, it’s settled. Definitely need some hot, sweaty monkey sex. The sooner, the better. I wonder what he’s doing later…..

Hold on, I hate this guy! This is the jerk that broke my heart into a thousand pieces! Seriously, what is wrong with me tonight? Where’s my hot vampire? I could really use a distraction right now. I scanned the room. Damn, he’s gone! When did that happen?  Okay, breathe Karli, you can do this. Settle down girl.

“What’s your pleasure Chad?” I asked impatiently. Fuck, bad choice of words! Why do I have a feeling I’m going to regret this?

He flashed his stupid, perfect grin on his stupid, perfect face and studied me for two seconds too long. Then he grabbed my hand and starting stroking the skin between my thumb and fore finger. WTF?

 “Oh Karli, Karli, Karli.” Ah, he could practically patent that slow, seductive tone of his. “You know me too well to ask that question. I’m sure you remember in vivid detail what my pleasure is, and how much I like to…….
give pleasure
. Lots and lots of pleasure. If you need a refresher, I’d be more than happy to accommodate you. You are looking mighty fuckable, as always.”

God help me, but in my current state I actually considered it. Hell, let’s be honest. I was considering it the second he sat down in front of me. If nothing else, Chad was spectacular in bed, and he clearly had no qualms with casual encounters.  I had a quick flash back to one of our more memorable bouts of marathon sex. I felt myself blushing at the memory of him looking up at me from between my thighs after he had just given me yet another orgasm. I’m getting wet right now just thinking about it. I almost talked myself into it until Leslie, one of our waitresses walked by. Romeo here actually leaned over to pinch her ass right in front of me! Even worse, she winked at him! Really?? Is this
really
happening right now?

“Hey baby,” She purred. My eyes were shooting darts at her but the bitch was completely ignoring me. “I’m off in five minutes. If you want to wait for me, I’ll make it worth your time.” Chad gave her a slight nod in acknowledgement before she sauntered off to deliver her drinks.

Okay…..well, that was the wakeup call I needed. Thank the Lord! Revolted, I pulled my hand away from him and snapped, “I was talking about a drink Chad. Do you want a drink, or did you just stop by to annoy the hell out of me?”