Strong and Sexy (Sky High Air #2)(82)

And a wild fling was exactly what he wanted, too. Man, this all seemed to be falling into place so easily. There were brief times in his existence when he didn’t feel quite so cursed. This was definitely one of them.

Of course he still sensed some reservations in her that would need to be worked around. Actually two distinct feelings swirled around her like a cocoon. One real and one manufactured.

Her announcement had her embarrassed, and she’d also drunk too much. He could take care of her embarrassment. She had nothing to be ashamed of, period. But he did not want sex with this woman to be the drunken variety. He should have realized in his presence alcohol would affect her more.

Humans always got more drunk, more tired, more overwhelmed in his presence. A side effect of his nature. Even when he wasn’t trying, he still stole some of a human’s energy, which brought their natural tolerance down. A part of being a lampir that he couldn’t totally control.

He did not want Maggie drunk when he was with her. He wanted her fully aware of him when he ran his hands over her soft skin, kissed her, and entered into her curvy little body.

His cock pulsed against the material of his jeans as if cheering at that idea.

And Maggie was so worth cheering about. Her energy snapped between them. So alive, so powerful. She had a wholesomeness to her that radiated from her and filled him. He liked that feeling. Wholesomeness. When had he ever known that feeling?

He started to reach out to tuck one of her flyaway waves behind her ear, but stopped himself. She was too uncomfortable now. He needed to give her time to settle down again before touching her, even in the most innocent way.

Instead, he pushed away her drink. “I think you’ve had enough Impaler for tonight.” God, no double entendre there. Although not in the direction he wanted to go.

She didn’t argue. “I think you’re right.”

“Do you want to get out of here?” he asked, needing to take her somewhere where he could touch her. Not that Sheri would think twice if he decided to make out with Maggie right where they sat. Hell, he’d done more than that at this very table. But Maggie so wasn’t like the women he was used to. She needed seduction, not the usual inelegant groping he’d simply gotten accustom to.

“I think that’s a good idea,” she said.

He noticed that her eyes tracked the features of his face as if they were moving. Oh yeah, she’d drunk too much—and he’d taken too much of her energy, too. It was so damned hard not to.

“Fresh air might be good,” she said, still looking a little disoriented.

Ren nodded, and immediately regretted the action as she nodded in response, trying to focus on him.

He waved to Sheri, thanking her. Maggie thanked her too, her voice sweet and only a little slurred.

“Maybe we should walk around for awhile,” he suggested.

“I think that’s a good idea.” This time “that’s” was only slightly slurred.

He took her elbow. She allowed the touch, even leaned into it. He liked the feeling of her against his side, warm and soft. He focused on giving some of his energy back to her. Another trick a lampir had. He constantly took energy from those around him, but he could also give it back. That didn’t make him so much of a leech, right?

They stepped out of the bar and he headed left onto Bourbon, only to take the next side street off. The smells of Bourbon were not even close to the equivalent of fresh air. Between the smell of beer, trash, and other disgusting things, it was not the place for sobering up someone who was a little tipsy.

He walked slowly, not pushing her into conversation in case she didn’t feel quite up to it. But once they were away from the music blaring from within the bars and the air was mildly less aromatic, she spoke.

“I already feel better. Thanks.”

“Sure. Not like I haven’t been there.” It took him a lot more than three tumblers of wine and a half an Impaler to get there, but he did understand. And yes, he had been counting her drinks. He’d been aware of everything she’d done since she’d walked into the bar tonight.

They reached Jackson Square, and he gestured to benches lining the outside of the wrought-iron fence. “Want to sit?”

She nodded.

Once they were settled, she turned to him, her big gray-green eyes regarding him solemnly—and more focused.

“I’m sorry I told you about the—thing at the cemetery and the tea leaf reading.”

He wasn’t. He liked both announcements, a lot.

“Well,” he said slowly, “technically you didn’t tell me anything about the tea leaf reading. And I really liked what you had to say about the cemetery tour.”

The dim light couldn’t hide Maggie’s blush.

“That was a really good story,” he added when her gaze dropped to her hands folded on her lap.

“I don’t think blurting out that I wished to have a wild fling really constitutes a story.”

Ren smiled at that. “Oh, I don’t know, I think there’s a story there. And frankly, I’m really hoping that I get to be an integral part of it.”

Her head popped up, surprise clear in her wide-eyed expression. How could she possibly be surprised by that? Did she still doubt that he wanted her? Silly woman.

“Ren,” she started, and the slow way she said his name didn’t make him think he was going to like what she had to say after it. So he did the first thing that came into his mind.