Immortal Dawn
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Jennifer Brian
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166
New Dawn, New Day š¶
LEA
She has honey-colored eyesā¦
It was the first thing I noticed about the mesmerizing woman who had just walked into Connect.
They were gorgeous, golden orbs that seemed to follow my every movement as I mixed a Manhattan behind the bar.
Iād never seen eyes like that beforeāthey were sparkling.
I was becoming completely lost in their effervescent hue.
And the woman behind those eyes was striking too.
From head to toe, she was so stately I couldāve sworn she was royalty.
Her sharp, two-piece suit was definitely designer, and the blazer was incredibly low-cutā¦with nothing underneath.
A bold choice, which she pulled off flawlessly.
She was tall, with a regal neck that wore a blood red diamond choker. Her shiny, mahogany hair framed her pale, heart-shaped face and pouty lips.
Lips that were parting just slightlyā¦
Beckoning meā¦
āLea, easy on the whiskey!ā Hector shouted at me.
I looked down to see the glass tumbler overflowing, spilling out onto the bar.
āFuck,ā I muttered under my breath, feeling my cheeks burn.
I grabbed a towel and hastily cleaned up my mess as my co-worker, Hector, side-eyed me. He began to remake the drink Iād just ruined.
āGirl, what is on your mind? Youāre, like, spacing hard.ā His head whipped from one end of the bar to the other. āWho the hell here is dickmatizing you?ā
I tried not to look at the woman who I was sure was still staring at me.
Why is she making me so self-conscious?
Iād only strictly dated guys before, so surely I couldnāt be attracted to herā¦
Could I?
I didnāt even know how to process the possibility.
āIām just tired,ā I replied quickly. āYou keep scheduling me on the late shifts.ā
āUm, yeah, so you can make money,ā he said, rolling his eyes. It only took a moment before those rolling eyes landed elsewhereā¦on a muscular man in a button-up, approaching the bar.
āThis oneās just my type,ā he said, giving me a wink.
They were all his type. Thatās what I loved about Hector.
As he disappeared to the other end of the bar, a flirtatious bounce in his step, my mind returned to the woman with honey-colored eyes.
She seemed way too high-society for this shit-hole club.
Although, admittedly, Connect was a shit-hole club that was near and dear to my heart.
We prided ourselves on being a safe haven to anyoneāregardless of race, gender, or sexuality.
I wondered what had brought her here tonight.
I tried to resist getting caught up in her golden gaze again, but I couldnāt help myself.
I stealthily glanced over to where the woman had been sitting, butā¦
Sheās gone.
I felt a wave of disappointment wash over me.
I donāt even know her nameā¦
āGrace,ā a silky voice said, startling me from my thoughts.
Holy shit, itās her!
She was suddenly sitting directly across from me, her ruby lips smirking playfully.
āArenāt you going to tell me yours?ā she asked, looking me up and down.
āMyā¦uhā¦myā¦ā I stammered.
āYour name,ā she said.
āLea,ā I finally managed to spit out.
āWell, Lea, can you make me a Bloody Mary? Extra bloody,ā she said, leaning over the counter, exposing her cleavage.
āYou got it,ā I tried to say coolly. As I turned away and flipped on my phone camera to check my appearance, I looked anything but cool.
I quickly fussed with my wavy, auburn hair and tried to convince myself that I didnāt look like a total mess.
āYou look lovelyā¦trust me,ā Grace said, making me even more flustered.
Is she flirting with me?
āOh, uhā¦thanks,ā I replied without turning around. āWhere are you from?ā
Maybe mindless small talk would help suppress whatever the hell was happening here.
āYouāve never heard of it,ā she replied mysteriously.
āReally? Try me,ā I said as I garnished her drink with a celery stick and passed it across the counter.
As she reached out, our fingertips grazed each otherās skin, and I felt a surge of electricity course through my veins.
It tingled and touched every part of my body.
Every part.
My eyelids fluttered as I pressed my legs together tightly.
I was so aroused that I was starting to get wet.
When I looked into Graceās eyes, I saw the same arousal. Her tongue lightly licked the edges of her lips, and she leaned forward.
Wh-what is she doing?
I suddenly realized that I was leaning over the bar too.
For a moment, it seemed like Graceās lips were heading for mine, but she changed course at the last second.
I was frozen, unsure of what to do.
Why am I not stopping this?
Because I donāt want it to stop.
Her soft breath drifted over my neck as my own breath hitched.
My nipples were hardening underneath my thin, white tank top.
I was scared.
I was excited.
I was captivated by this woman.
Graceās lips grazed my neck, but only for a momentā¦
She pulled away, and the arousal in her eyes had been replaced with alarm.
āIā¦I have to go,ā she said, hastily throwing a twenty-dollar bill on the bar.
I was so speechless that I couldnāt even protest. I wasnāt even sure I wanted to.
What the hell just happened?
Graceās heels clacked across the floor as she rushed out of the bar without looking back.
Why did I feel such a strong connection with her?
When she looked at me with those eyes, it was as if she was staring into my soul.
And when she touched meā¦I felt as though nothing would ever be the same again.
She made me feel things that Iād never felt beforeā¦at least not with a woman.
It was only two or three secondsā¦but that momentā¦
It would linger in my mind forever.
***
Jeff
can we just talk?
Jeff
please?
Liam
I donāt know Jeffā¦
Liam
It might be kind of difficult to talk with your mouth wrapped around Seanās dick!
Jeff
let me explain
Liam
Explain what?
Liam
That I caught you cheating on me with our BEST FRIEND
Liam
Fuck you Jeff
Liam
Thereās nothing to explain
Jeff
babe, just come home and we can sort this out
Liam
Donāt do that
Liam
Donāt call me babe
Liam
Weāre fucking done
Jeff
are you really going to throw away everything we had over this?
Liam
You did this Jeff
Liam
Not me
Liam
I loved you
Liam
But I guess that wasnāt enough
LIAM
I shoved my phone into my jacket pocket, my claws tearing at the leather.
Iād gotten so angry that Iād almost shifted.
I quickly retracted them, glancing around to make sure no one saw.
As the cold Seattle wind whipped across my face, all I wanted to do was howlārelease my pain to the moon.
But I couldnāt do that here. I couldnāt risk a human seeing me. It was expressly forbidden by our laws.
My eyes welled up with tears, but I fought them back.
Iām not going to cry over that piece of shit.
I didnāt even know where I was going, but I just had to get the hell away from him.
Not only had I lost my boyfriend tonight, but Iād lost my best friend too.
This was a night that I desperately wanted to forget.
And I knew of at least one way to do that.
I need a fucking drink.
My eyes scanned the street until I spotted a flashing neon sign that read āConnect.ā
I pulled my coat closer as I took in the exterior of the seedy-looking club.
It was a little dive-y for my tastes, butā¦
I guess it will have to do.
LEA
I poured myself a shot of vodka and threw it back, cringing as the liquor slid down my throat.
āYou know you donāt have to drink the bottom shelf shit,ā Hector said, teasing me.
āI do if I want to get drunk,ā I replied.
And I wanted to get very, very drunk.
Ever since Grace had run out of the bar an hour ago, I couldnāt stop thinking about her.
I was really beginning to think that something was wrong with me.
Do I have a fever?
Did I accidentally take a shot of absinthe?
Or do I just want her soft, red lips all over my naked body?
My face burned hot. Fuck!
Theseā¦feelingsā¦were new to me.
Or maybe Iād just been pushing them downā¦
I mean, sure, Iād made out with a few girls in college. But who hadnāt?
And Iād always had, like, a girl-crush on Drew Barrymore. Sheās a total goddess!
But that didnāt mean that I was into girlsā¦did it?
No, I was strictly into dicks.
Exceptā¦maybe I wasnāt.
I poured myself another shot.
āYouād better slow down, girl. Getting drunk is a marathon, not a sprint,ā Hector said, concerned. āWe still have to serve customers.ā
If it meant not having to think about my sexuality anymore, Iād gladly sprint to the finish line.
āExcuse me, can I get a gin and tonic?ā
Hector and I both turned to the husky voice, and our jaws dropped open.
Standing in front of me was one of the hottest men Iād ever seen.
Tall, dark, and handsome didnāt even begin to describe him.
He had olive skin, radiant green eyes, perfectly manicured facial hair covering his prominent cheekbones, and a jawline that gave him a rugged look.
As he slipped off his leather jacket, his muscular chest and biceps practically bulged out of his tight T-shirt.
There was something almost otherworldly about his beauty.
And that just made me think of another ethereal beauty who had just been through here.
āUmā¦uh, yeah, of course,ā I fumbled. āCan I get you anything else, uhā¦ā
āLiam,ā he responded. āJust the gin and tonic, thanks.ā
He flashed a set of perfect, white teeth and gave me a wolfish grin.
Grace had thrown me off my game, but it was probably nothing. As soon as this gorgeous man walked in, I knew it was stupid of me to question my sexuality.
But as I stared into his emerald eyes, Graceās honey-colored irises flashed through my mind.
Sure, just keep telling yourself that.
Hector suddenly grabbed my arm and whispered excitedly. āHow fucking hot is this guy?ā
I looked back at the man, and he gave me a warm smile.
āMaybe Iāll have to turn on the charm,ā I said, smirking. āI might not be going home alone tonight.ā
Hector gave me a condescending pat on the shoulder. āOh, sweetie. Iām pretty sure this one plays for my team.ā
āYou think everyone is gay,ā I replied defiantly.
I dropped a lime in his drink and handed it to the handsome stranger, settling across from him with a flirtatious hair toss.
āSoā¦Liamā¦tell me about yourself,ā I said.
So that maybe I can stop thinking about Graceā¦
GRACE
Fucking hell! What was I thinking?
I hurried out into the cold night air, disappearing down the nearest dark alley.
Iād almost made a grave mistake.
What if sheād found out who I am?
What if sheād found out what I am?
Stupid, stupid, stupid!
My lust for beautiful women was almost as bad as my lust for blood.
At first, it was her heartbeat that had attracted me, signaling like a beating drum.
Followed by her scentā¦like fresh strawberries and honeysuckle.
Then it was that pulsating vein on her neck, so tender and tantalizing.
At first, I wasnāt sure if I wanted to fuck her or simply suck her dry.
But when I saw her faceā¦
I couldnāt believe it.
She looked so much like herā¦so much like Janelle.
The same dark-blue eyes, like azure pools of wonder.
The same flowing, auburn hair that remained untamed no matter how hard she tried.
The same self-conscious mannerisms that I couldnāt help but find adorable.
I tried to shake Lea from my mind.
I couldnāt make the same mistakes Iād made before.
After what happened with Janelleā¦
Iād never let myself get attached to another human again.
