Page 63 of Twilight of Embers
“It’s something,” I mumbled. And while it certainly wasn’t my usual scene, there was something about it. The heady feel of so many people searching for fun, for pleasure.
Bella grinned. “It’s still early. Things only get crazier.”
That had my stomach hollowing. I wasn’t sure I could handle crazier.
Delaney laughed, reading the panic on my face. “Relax and live a little, Hayden. It’s time to have some fun.”
Annoyance fluttered deep inside me as we worked our way toward the bar. I had fun, didn’t I? I tried to remember the last thing I’d done that would classify as such.
I thought it was fun studying with Cáel. We snuck in snacks and laughed at the students sneaking off to hook up in the stacks. But somehow, I didn’t think Delaney would agree.
She, Maggie, and Bella pushed forward, shouting their orders to the bartender. I gulped when it was my turn. The guy was older than us, probably about twenty-five, and definitely good-looking.
He shot me a wide smile. “What can I get for you, beautiful?”
I leaned forward as the other girls had. “Can you give me something nonalcoholic but make it look like alcohol?”
I let my eyes do the pleading as I leaned back.
He just winked at me. “I’ve got just the thing.”
He set to work making our drinks as the girls chatted. In a matter of seconds, he was handing them to all of us. When he got to me, he extended his arm with a flourish. “My specialty.”
It was in a rocks glass and looked fizzy. When I took a sip, all I tasted was sparkling water and pineapple. I smiled at him appreciatively. “Thank you. It’s delicious.”
I expected another wink or a grin, but instead, his face paled as he took a massive step back.
Heat flared at my back as someone boxed me in. Lips skimmed the outside of my ear. “I don’t think you’re old enough to drink, Little Flame.”
A pleasant shiver skated over my skin as I whirled around.
Cillian’s large frame all but engulfed me. Even though there were a million different scents swirling around us, I could somehow still pick his out of the crowd. It was a smoky cedar and something else I couldn’t pin down.
I let my lips close around the straw and took another sip.
Cillian’s dark green eyes flashed brighter, and then the color swirled. “Little Flame…”
“It’s not alcohol,” I admitted.
He chuckled, low and throaty. “Good. Then maybe I won’t have to fire my bartender. But based on the way he was looking at you, I probably should.”
My stomach dipped and rolled. What the hell did that mean?
“What are you doing here?” I asked.
Cillian’s mouth curved as though he were trying to smile but didn’t quite remember how. “This is my club.”
My jaw went slack. “You own Ashes & Emeralds?”
His eyes twinkled in the moving lights. “Yes. Welcome to the lion’s den.”
Lion’s den was absolutely right. My gaze moved over the space, taking it in with new eyes. “How long have you owned it?”
Cillian shrugged, the action making his black button-down pull taut over his broad chest. “About five years now.”
“Wow,” I mumbled. My gaze moved to his face. “How old are you?”
Those beautiful lips twitched. “Thirty-two. How old are you?”
