The way I feel when I'm in your hands
Take me now as the sun descends
They can't hurt you now
They can't hurt you now
They can't hurt you now
~THREE WEEKS EARLIER~
Dave sat at the bar, nursing his second drink of the evening. He had an early shift the next day, so he was trying to keep himself reasonably sober. The night had been unproductive so far. There wasn't really much happening in this club, and he told himself that as soon as he finished his drink he'd go elsewhere. The highlight of his evening so far had been getting mixed signals from a curvy brunette who turned out to be there with her boyfriend. The signals she'd been giving became decidedly unmixed when said boyfriend returned to the table, so Dave shrugged it off, figuring correctly that he'd been a pleasant diversion for the brunette while she waited.
He raised his eyes to scan the crowd, inwardly groaning at the fact that most of the people tonight seemed to be coupled off, and here he was, self-proclaimed Stud of the ER, drinking alone. Yeah, wouldn't his coworkers laugh if they saw him now. Ah, well, at least the music was good.
And then he happened to look across the dance floor, and he saw her.
She was drop-dead gorgeous. Simple as that. She reminded Dave of a porcelain doll come to life, everything about her was so perfect, from her pale, creamy skin, to the lustrous waves of copper hair that cascaded down her back, to the vivid emerald eyes that were half-closed as she swayed her body to the music. She moved with a grace that made her seem almost part of the music, her hips swaying softly to the rhythm as her arms snaked out, above her head, and down once more. She was dancing alone, as if the music was playing for her and no other.
As Dave watched, one of the other poor slobs who was out drinking alone approached her, his arms slipping around her waist. The woman's eyes opened fully, a smirk forming on her perfect lips as she turned in the man's grasp, her hand connecting with his chest and lightly pushing him away as she spun out of his reach. Without missing a beat, she kept dancing, her eyes on the man, her head shaking and her finger waggling at him as he attempted to approach her again. The smirk deepened as the man gave up and moved away.
'What are you thinking, Dave old boy? She'll probably give you the same treatment,' he thought to himself. But despite that, he finished his drink, set his glass down on the bar, and moved out on the dance floor. The music was fast and furious, and he began to move in time with it as he scouted the floor for her position.
There she was, the black cropped tank she was wearing over her black leather skirt riding up enough to reveal more of her skin as her arms waved above her head. As he moved closer, he could see the belly ring through her navel, and could also more deeply appreciate the smoothness of her skin. Again the image of the porcelain doll came to mind. Her skin was flawless, delicately cream-shaded.
Dave approached even closer, keeping an eye on her. She was still dancing, completely oblivious to his approach or, indeed, to anything except the pulsing rhythm of the music. He moved closer still, deciding not to make the mistake of the previous guy, at least not immediately. So he just contented himself with dancing in her general vicinity, relying on the crowd on the floor to push him just to the edge of her personal space every now and again.
She finally became aware of him and looked up, green eyes glinting with a hint of amusement as she arched a delicate brow. He simply smiled at her, making no attempt to move closer...for now.
The song ended and a slower one began. Dave watched as the pairs on the floor moved closer, arms encircling each other, bodies pressing together. He cast a doubtful eye upon the dancing goddess, his posture slumping a bit as he began to turn and leave the floor.
So he was surprised when he felt a cool hand upon his shoulder, then an arm slip around his waist.
"Giving up so easily?"
Dave turned and flashed a grin.
"Well, I've seen what happens to those who intrude where they aren't wanted."
"And who says you're wanted?" she asked, slipping her other arm around him and moving closer.
"You're here, aren't you?" He slipped his own arms around her slender waist, drawing her to him as his body matched her rhythm.
"Don't be presumptuous. I'm just here to dance."
"Too bad for me."
She laughed then, looking up at him with a grin that suggested she knew more than he did.
"Actually, I'd say lucky for you."
"Then you don't know me very well," Dave replied, inhaling the scent of her hair as he enjoyed the feeling of her body pressed close to his.
"And you don't know me very well, either," she said, a hint of amusement in her voice.
"We could remedy that." He tested his limits slightly, letting his hands slide to just above her hips.
"You like playing with fire, don't you?"
"Hmm. Depends on how hot it is."
"Hotter than you can imagine," she said, smirking up at him.
"I have a very vivid imagination." He flashed another grin at her.
She laughed, shaking her head, wafting the scent of her hair more strongly to Dave's nostrils. Her hair smelled of cinnamon and roses.
"I'm sure you do. But do yourself a favor and imagine someone else."
"Why should I do that when I have perfection right here in my arms?" He chuckled quietly as he said it, just as aware as she was of how cheesy his line sounded.
Her expression turned serious as she gazed up at him.
"No, really," she said. "I think I might like you. So run while you can."
Dave raised a brow. "That sounds pretty contradictory."
"Take it from me, it's not."
Dave pulled away just enough to give her a scrutinizing gaze. Her face was dead serious.
"You're a puzzle, aren't you?"
"Maybe," she replied, shrugging. "But that's not your cue to figure me out."
"But what if you've got me too curious?" he asked, grinning at her again.
"You know what they say about curiosity and the cat."
Just then the song ended, and she extricated herself from Dave's grasp, much to his disappointment.
"Hey, wait," he called, but she didn't turn, simply made her way through the crowd and off the floor. Frowning, Dave moved after her. He reached for her arm, but she shrugged it away, her pace quickening as she started weaving in and out of the bodies in her way.
"Damn," Dave swore under his breath, trying to keep pace with her as she suddenly seemed to melt into the crowd and disappear.
Shoving his way through the crowd, he found a clear spot from which he could see most of the club, and cursed again as he saw her disappear through the door. Once again, he was on the move, picking his way as quickly as he could through the mass of bodies, exiting the door and casting about on the street. Just in time to see her red head turn a corner.
As unobtrusively as he could, he followed, keeping a discreet distance from her. Luckily there were other people on the streets at this hour, going and coming from the various nightspots in the area, so he had cover if she happened to turn around.
She didn't, however, and he was able to track her until she turned into the door of a club he'd never seen before. He followed her in, uncaring of where he was or how he'd find his way back. He made his way further into the club, looking for her, then groaned softly. Had she eluded him again?
Then he felt someone grasp his arm firmly from behind and spin him around. He blinked as he was turned to face his redhaired goddess. He definitely wouldn't have guessed at the strength in that slight body. And she was glaring at him with a look that, if he were to embellish upon a clichè, not only would have killed him, but would have done so in the most agonizing manner imaginable.
"You followed me!" she hissed, the soft sound surprisingly audible above the blare of the music. "Why?"
Dave shrugged. "I would think that would be obvious."
"I warned you to leave me alone," she spat, still glaring. "Do you have any idea..."
"Any idea of what?" he asked, clearly confused. "You haven't exactly been a treasure trove of information about yourself. In fact, the only thing I know for sure is that despite the fact that you may like me, you want me to stay away. A fact that makes no sense to me, as I'm sure you can imagine."
He paused, then narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at her, taking her arm gently in his.
"Are...are you afraid of someone? Is that why you want me to keep my distance?" Because that was the only thing he could think of to explain her odd behavior.
And he was confused even more when she threw back her head and laughed.
"Afraid of someone? Oh, that's rich," she said, trying to regain composure.
Dave silently watched as she struggled to stop her laughter. When she finally did, she looked at him with an expression that seemed almost sad.
"Yes, I'm afraid of someone. And you should be, too. Afraid of me."
Dave dared to move a step closer, speaking softly. "And why would I be?"
She simply shook her head, her near melancholy expression unchanging.
"Listen to me. Please. Keep. Your. Distance. I can't explain why, but if I could you'd be thanking me. Just...take my word for it."
She looked at him with a soft expression before continuing. "And get out of here, for fuck's sake. You don't belong here."
At that, Dave blinked, finally looking around him. Really looking around him. And despite the fact that he wasn't exactly a stranger to a few sexual practices that might be considered slightly kinky, he was taken aback by what he saw.
A few of the patrons sported canine teeth that had been filed to points. A few more wore false canines that were similarly sharp. And in a few darkened corners, he could make out patrons who were using needles or razors to make small cuts on their bodies, then offering the blood to be lapped by another.
"Holy shit," he muttered, still trying to process the sight. He'd heard of people who were into pretending to be vampires. Hell, he'd even seen a few movies that made the whole vampire scene seem pretty sexy. But actually drinking someone's blood, or letting them drink his own...that was a little too weird, even for Dave Malucci.
He turned back to look at the redhead, blinking.
"Um...is this your scene?"
She looked at him openmouthed for a moment, then laughed again. Her eyes scanned over the patrons of the club as she smirked, her expression a mixture of contempt and amusement.
"Fuck, no," she said softly. "They're a bunch of fucking posers."
Still, she turned away from him and disappeared into the crowd.
Only this time, Dave didn't follow.