The woman sitting behind the desk looked up at them and waved in greeting. She was starting to look down again when her eyes shot up and focused on Jack. Hannah could smell the lust that rolled off the woman as she broke into an inviting smile that set Hannah's teeth on edge. Something menacing slithered through her and it took her a moment to realize that the green eyed monster was rearing its ugly head. It was a feeling she'd never experienced before.
The woman rose from her seat as they approached. "Hannah, Ellen," she greeted but she never once looked at them.
"Louise," she grated out. She'd never disliked the woman before, in fact they'd always been friendly, but there was nothing she would like more than to drive her fist into Louise's pretty face right now.
Ellen's head bobbed between Hannah, Louise, and finally Jack. "Who's your friend?" Louise inquired.
Hannah was pretty sure that Jack wasn't wearing any clothes in Louise's mind as she settled herself onto the corner of the desk. "Louise, this is Jack," she forced out from between her clenched teeth.
"Hello Jack." There were cats that didn't purr as loudly as Louise just did.
"Louise," he greeted with a small bow of his head.
Louise's crossed top leg began to sway back and forth as she leaned closer to Jack and pushed her cleavage forward. There was plenty of cleavage to emphasize too as she pursed her lips and batted her lashes. Ellen rolled her eyes. "Oh puh lease," she muttered as she shook her head. "I'll be in the back room Hannah."
"I'm coming with you," she told her as she dropped the shoes she'd just picked up from the repair shop onto the desk. "I just need to leave these here for a bit."
"Of course," Louise said but she still wasn't looking at her.
"Down that hall are where the willing humans are located if you'd prefer that." The annoying knot of jealousy in Hannah's chest made her words terse as she thrust her finger towards the other hall for Jack.
Hannah kept her chin high as she strode down the hall with Ellen at her side. "What is going on?" Ellen hissed.
"Nothing."
"Well nothing is following us down the hall right now."
Despite her every intention not to, she chanced a glance back at him. His hands had been shoved into his pockets; his shoulders were thrust back as he examined the hall. Watching him walk was like watching liquid in motion as he appeared to almost flow forward. No man should be that attractive and sure of himself, it should be against the law, she decided.
She had been so focused on him that she hadn't realized they'd made it into the main room. Hannah opened one of the coolers set up on a bench and pulled out a bag of blood for her and Ellen. Jack's chest brushed against her arm as he stretched around her and pulled out another bag.
"You wouldn't prefer a more alive sample?" she hated the fact that her voice was still so clipped but she couldn't get it to go back to normal.
His eyes twinkled when they came up to hers, but instead of finding it charming, she was irritated by the fact he found her entertaining. "I spent years feeding off of animals instead of humans; I much prefer a blood bag to a human."
She was taken aback by his statement but before she could question him on it, he wrapped his hand around her elbow and led her forward. There were alcoves set into the side of the main room, she could smell at least two other vampires in here but they had retreated to the curtained privacy of the alcoves in order to feed. Ellen disappeared into a different one and Hannah stopped at an empty alcove fifteen feet away from Ellen's.
She could feel his eyes boring into her back as she pulled the curtain aside. "I'm sure the next one is free."
"No need," he assured her.
She watched as he gripped the top of the bag with his teeth and ripped it open. She'd never seen anyone else feed before, it had always been a private matter but she was fascinated by him as he tipped the bag back and began to down it. His tanned skin gleamed in the candlelight flickering around them; he had to have spent a lot of time beneath the sun's rays in order to achieve that golden hue.
His lips were tinted red when he brought his head back down. She should be feeding; instead she was mesmerized by the eyes that latched onto hers. His body seemed to vibrate with barely leashed power as he took a step closer to her. Hannah tried to move away but her feet were planted to the ground as he pressed against her. She was in over her head here, she knew that, but she found she didn't care as his hand braced against the wall beside her head.
Her body was completely rigid as he leaned closer to her. His mouth was only inches away from hers, she was certain that he was going to kiss her, and just as uncertain as to how she was going to react if he did. She was tempted to push him away, to prove to him that she wasn't like Louise and probably most of the other females he'd encountered, but she had never craved anything more. She was certain she might just shatter and fall apart if that mouth touched upon hers.
Instead, he reached around with his other hand and pulled the curtain of the alcove back for her. He bent lower over her as he took the bag from her hand and tore the top off for her. "You're hungry, drink."
It wasn't what she really wanted, but he was right, she was hungry. She tried to get her feet to take a step into the alcove but she found herself unable to move. "Aren't you going to get inside?"
She bristled at the challenge she heard beneath the gravelly tone of his voice. She'd never backed down from a challenge before but there was something extremely personal about consuming the bag of blood in front of him. Her fingers trembled as she was torn between her habit ever since she was a little girl, and her pride.