-Caroline-

I came here tonight for a few reasons.

I snuck away from my parents, from their broken, non-official, mess of a building clan they were shoving down my throat with a few goals in mind.

Let loose, finally enjoy myself with some like-minded people, some careless people without a worry or responsibility to be seen. To let myself live these experiences I've only ever been able to hear about in stories. These parties, this liveliness, this fun, and these people... I couldn't find that where I lived.

To be free, just for a bit, and find myself something good to focus on in the meantime.

Something that'll help distract me from the hell I was sure to run into as soon as I returned home. The earful and punishments I knew I was going to ensue from disobeying my family.

But, that was future me's problem. Right now, well, I had someone else in my hands to deal with, who had been successfully helping me reach these goals all night.

I reached my hand back into that soft hair of his, leaning into where he stood behind me, hands guiding my waist in time with the bouncing music.

He'd gone ahead and tucked my hair that I'm sure was a mess by now off of one shoulder that his chin and occasional lips now occupied.

I'll admit he was handsome, in a he-didn't-quite-know-what-to-do-with-it sort of way.

Handsome enough for me to forgive and let him make up for that rather immediate inclination he said himself that he wanted to sleep with me. Though his body temperature hadn't returned back to normal since then.

Still, I let it slide.

I was very good at reading people. Vampire's especially. It was the one thing I could put my strange childhood to use for—some savagery used for good.

I knew my instinct was a little more honed and controllable than the rest of the vampires here, and with that, I could often get a good read on others.

Get a very basic idea of who they were at their core. If I even wanted to associate with them. If I thought that they could handle me or were even worthy of my time during this night I'd wanted to slip away and experience for years.

His was different. It was intimidating to the point where I nearly regretted checking and backed away. But his face and his actions didn't match that, so instead, he became an interest.

He was someone who could handle me, I just knew it.

That, and he'd kept his promise to me thus far. He'd kept the night fun.

He'd gotten me drinks and then shoved water in my hands like we were humans in our early twenties and not vampires who can cure these kinds of things on our own.

I got a tad annoyed when he motioned me off the party floor and dragged me to the other side to snag some food.

It was greasy and messy and nothing like the raw food at home but dammit it was delicious so I forgave him.

It was nice. He was civil and respectful. A lot more so than I originally gave him credit for.

A man who knew what he wanted, but was unwilling to cross lines to get there.

I'd seen him hesitate a few times, then furrow his brows as if confused by it. As if it wasn't something he typically did. I could only smile under the assumption that I was the cause of it, regardless if that was the truth or not.

He'd even tied my jacket around his waist after I took it off for being too hot.

It looked ridiculous, we both knew it, but we both just laughed it off and carried on with the night.

I dragged him back to the dancefloor and kept him close, grinning and laughing every time he'd mimic or try to match my ridiculous moves with one of his own.

Charming this one. I'll at least give him that.

Especially with the way his hands carefully intertwined right at my stomach right when he heard the music start to slow.

"Alright alright!" A man spoke behind a glass box at the front. The one who'd I'd figured out was controlling the music.

I wasnt sure what he was called or how he was doing any of this. Another drawback to living with a clan of borderline feral vampires is that we don't get to see any of this up close.

I'd snuck peaks, I'd sped to the city and back before to see the evolution, just never like this.

"I've seen you all bust your asses and party hard all night! Now this one is for those of you who've made some new friends and wanna get to know them a little better. The rest of you go get yourselves some water and recharge."

The slowed, softer music got turned down a bit. Enough for people to be able to talk at a normal volume.

Many people cleared from the dance floor, leaving behind a few handfuls of couples.

I took that as my cue to turn, finding that his hands didn't plan on leaving me as I did.

Looking up the few inches I had to meet his eyes, I watched them soften as I did, resting my arms on his shoulders and folding them behind his head.

"I guess this one is for us then." He spoke in a hushed voice, pulling me another few inches closer with the hands on my back.

"So we're friends then?" I quietly teased.

"I sure hope so," He replied with a grin, "I don't typically spend nights like this with people I don't enjoy. Do you?"

I couldn't even express how much I wished I could answer that.

"I don't typically spend nights like this," I answered honestly, raising a hand up to caress those dark waves in his hair.

He tried to suppress his shudder. He may have gotten away with it if I was raised normally.

Other than that, those blue eyes just gave me a few blinks of confusion as we began swaying in time with the music.

"Really? You look like you've been having the night of your life."

I breathed out a little laugh.

Was it really that obvious?

"I am, believe me. This was just a little treat for me," I settled with.

Only the gods can guess just how reprimanded I'm going to be once I get back. I'd be surprised if my parents don't keep someone around to watch me at all hours for the next century and a half.

Again I was met with more confusion, which meant more questions were going to come my way.

Alright, maybe I need to stop talking about it.

I really didn't need to get into it with a man I'm only going to be accompanying for one night. One fantastic night.

Tonight I spent like this, tomorrow exploring the city, then right back to my home after the sun has set.

"Why can't there be more little treats?" he asked just as I'd figured, "Anyone can tell just as much as I do how much you've enjoyed it here."

It was the fact that it couldn't happen too often that made me enjoy it so much, that wouldn't let me take a moment of this for granted.

"Responsibilities," I whispered, inching closer to his face with mine, "Things that I don't wish to talk about and came here to get away from."

He thought for a moment, then nodded with a tad more understanding than I was expecting, which truly wasn't that much.

It was a refreshing sight to say the least. Most pressed for secrets they had nothing to do with.

"What about you," I began, "You must come here often, right?"

"Every Thursday. It's become a routine."

This was a routine for him. Ugh, I wish. That sounded like a dream.

A nice break once a week.

I continued stroking his hair through my fingers.

It was so soft, I almost couldn't help it.

Mine was... fine. It was thick and got tangled easily. It didn't feel like this.

"Ah. So you targeted the newbie." I prodded just to see how he'd react.

"I targeted," He repeated with amusement, pulling me fully against his body, "The woman who snagged my attention so hard that my mind went blank. The one who was owning this dance floor, and the most beautiful woman I've ever seen."

I rolled my eyes, activating my senses out of necessity just to see how full of crap his words were.

What I found though causes me to straighten.

There wasn't a single hint of dishonesty from him, which pulled the rather foreign feeling of heat up onto my face.

"Oh wow, you're not lying," I whispered under my breath.

He drew back a few inches and stopped out swaying, brows furrowed with a look of impressed surprise.

"Did you just check?" He queried.

"Of course I checked! I needed to make sure you weren't just filling me with compliments so you could get me into bed with you."

He blew out a soft chuckle, leaning his head forward and down, back against my shoulder.

I heard him inhale a long breath through his nose, but he didn't move from there.

He'd favored my shoulder all night and I've just been waiting for him to turn his head and aim for my neck.

That was a very... sensitive and intimate area for one vampire to another. Again with those lines he wasn't crossing.

Some vampires will go there immediately, thinking that it's a show of power instead of a blatant lack of respect and decency.

And with his instinct being nearly as present as mine, I was impressed with his restraint. With his tact.

I don't know why I found it so damn attractive either, but the more pieces I put together about him, the more intrigued I became.

Vampires outside of my clan were always such interesting beings. Such a variety.

"Bedding you is not my end goal here, Caroline. The option is there if you take it, but you've captured my interest and kept a hold on it that I for the life of me can't understand. And with it made tonight one to remember."

I wonder if he could sense it. That I was different.

The thought of him being able to even use his instinct well enough to figure it out was enough to appreciate. Some vampires couldn't even make a distinction between what them and what's coming from that instinct.

I could feel a purr threatening to rumble in my chest the longer he stayed like this against me, teasing me with flattering words that just somehow managed to be true.

For some reason, I was finding a lot of things about this man very pleasing.

It was a new feeling, but it was warm.

I glanced around the place we'd been together at for more than a few hours now.

I wasn't tired of this place, but if it was only one night, maybe spending the whole thing here wasn't a good way enjoy it.

This was fun, but there was more than just this to experience.

I focused back to the man in my arms. At the softness of his hair, the faint way his thumbs rubbed against my back, that heat still so present all over his body.

I swallowed hard at the new feeling growing within me.

It'd been a while since I'd gotten laid... If the night thus far was full of fun and laughter with him, why should it stop there?

You know what? Fuck it. I'm probably never going to see this man again, and I might as well grab the opportunity while it's here. There was absolutely no reason not to. He hadn't given me any sort of bad feeling and had only stirred up my instincts in a positive light.

Which... didn't happen often.

Even now I could feel it stirring at the thought of taking him away.

Okay okay fine!

I curled my fingers against the strands and tugged, raising his head from me to face me.

He did so rather easily, looking at me with concern at my movement. As if he'd done something wrong.

No... no he's been nothing but great, and I should thank him for such while I can. Before he becomes another memory I can look back on when times get tough.

We just looked at each other for a moment, still feeling the sway of the music.

I let him see my smile before I made my move, before I held him steady and leaned in to kiss him.

The hand on my back tightened and pulled, while mine anchored at the back of his neck, and felt the start of that rumble in his chest.

The growl that somehow sounded more relieved than possessive.

The kiss itself was soft and slow, but I could feel the wildness beneath begging for its turn.

Whether it was from him or me, I didn't know nor care. Both were about to get their chance in the spotlight.

He was a fantastic kisser and that's all I cared about.

I mentally thanked all the women before me that'd gotten him this far, and audibly giggled at the thought of what that meant for what was about to come.

"Alright Levi," I whispered, trailing fingers down his cheek under wide, heated eyes, "You win. Take me away and find us the nearest bed."