DraculaVille - New York - Book One by Lara Nance

walked past to the doorman. She’d made arrangements with the manager of the club for VIP passes since she’d arranged publicity for them if tonight went well.
    She flashed her black and gold card to the doorman. He touched his cap as he stepped aside and opened the door for her. Mumbles of discontent rose from the line, but she didn’t care. The throbbing base of dance music pounded in her veins as soon as she entered and she was immediately absorbed into a swirling mass of people.
    After winding her way among the guests, she located Gerri and Felix at a tall table reserved for them by the bar. It sat atop a small rise, and she would have a good view of the floor when Dracula arrived.
    “Where’s Drac?” Felix scanned the crowd.
    “He’s coming.” She chuckled. None of them had been successful calling Drake Dracula . So they’d settled on Drac. “Where’s Anton?”
    “On the stairs.” Gerri pointed. “He wanted to be above the crowd.”
    The little Frenchman hung onto the stairway’s rail that led to a balcony level. Several cameras hung from straps around his neck. He raised a hand to her and she waved.
    “Look.” Her friend pointed, her eyes shining. “He looks like a vampire king.”
    Talia followed her gaze to the club entrance. The dance floor was a couple steps down from the entrance level. Drake stood poised at the edge, his amber eyes sparkling in the dim light. Anton raised his camera.
    Like the Red Sea parting, people moved aside as Drake strolled to the bar. Women blatantly stared and tossed their hair. Men glared. He stepped to the bar and leaned an elbow on the counter. The bartender noticed him right away and Drake ordered a cognac as Talia had suggested. He wouldn’t drink it, but holding the glass gave him something to do with his hands.
    A blond in a dress that looked like plastic wrap oozed close and planted herself in front of him. Drake gazed past her and found Talia. His stare bore into her, and she broke out in a sweat. She wanted to go to him so badly, she gripped the side of the table until her knuckles turned white. Damn, stupid bracelet. It wasn’t worth a crap.
    Fortunately, he lowered his gaze and followed the woman to the dance floor. As directed, he didn’t join the jumping, fist pumping gyrations of the other dancers. He gazed at his partner and slowly took her in his arms, moving in a seductive circle, swaying back and forth. Dear Lord, Felix had done his dance training a little too well.
    The blond closed her eyes. Her head fell to rest on his chest, completely blissed out. Talia’s nails scratched into the surface of the table.
    “What is the matter with you?” Gerri whispered in her ear, staring at her clawed hands.
    “Nothing, nothing.” She wrapped her arms around her chest and squeezed. The urge to be with him overwhelmed her and an unreasonable anger burned at his closeness to the other female. Her nostrils flared and she finally had to close her eyes to end the agony.
    The song ended and the music wove into another fast paced tune. Drake released the blonde’s hand at the edge of the dance floor, turned his back on her and resumed his place at the bar. The poor girl looked ready to cry. She stood staring after him, running her hands up and down her hips.
    “This is great,” Felix said, shouting over the music. He gave Talia a thumbs up.
    Her shoulders slumped and she took a deep shaky breath. The pull from Drake lessened and she drooped forward, elbows on the table and head down. Her breath came fast and she focused on slowing her respirations.
    “Tal?” Her friend shook her shoulder.
    She held up a hand and took a deep calming breath. “I’m fine. Just felt weird for a minute.”
    Another babe in a tight dress approached Drake, but he shook his head. Several others made attempts but he continued to say no. He stared out over the crowd with a blank expression. Many cast covert glances his way from under thick false lashes, but he noticed none of