“Limo’s here.” Natalie called out to me as I dabbed the last shred of concealer on my pale skin. Just a little blush here, and a little bronzer there, and I looked normal-ish.

I walked into the circular driveway of Natalie’s palatial estate and looked for our ride to the premiere. Caleb had spared no expense with the stretch limousine he’d hired. It was positively luxurious.

I smoothed my hair, and applied a quick gloss of deep merlot lipstick. I’d worn a conservative black sheath dress and black heels, but I looked downright dowdy next to Natalie.

Not to be outdone by anyone, Nat wore a gold lame dress over her sun-kissed skin. It hugged her curves in all the right places. Her elegant up-do framed her perfectly proportioned face. The tendrils of hair that swept her forehead accented her sparkling gray eyes. I felt so plain; I considered running inside and changing my outfit.

Then I saw how Caleb looked at me, and I knew I needn’t have worried. He stepped out of the limo, and I was awestruck by how good he looked in a tux. His well-tailored slacks hugged his ass, and his pressed suit jacket made him look supremely sexy, and a little dangerous. He had a wild look in his eyes, and I wondered what tricks he had up his sleeve for this evening. I doubted any woman at the premiere would be able to take her eyes off him. He looked tantalizingly tasty, and completely irresistible.

Even Natalie stared at him, mouth agape. “Caleb cleans up good, for a blood sucker,” she whispered.

“Don’t forget, he’s my date, Nat.”

“How could I ever forget that?” She rolled her eyes. “Look at how he gazes at you. Like you’re the only woman on Earth. But watch out for those fangs, Abby. He bites, you know.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I shook my head and whispered under my breath.

“Don’t let him turn you into a vampire.”

“Why would I do that?!” I looked at her incredulously. “What made you say that?”

“Just that once a vampire turns you, it’s the beginning of the end. That’s what Ansel told me, anyway. You’re like fruit with an expiration date. Good for a while, but they always move onto the next younger, riper thing.”

“Good thing I don’t have to worry about that,” I cast my eyes aside.

“Just don’t let him bite you and then throw you away once he’s used you up. A vampire will say anything to make you his…for a while.”

“I get it, Nat.” I kicked my heel into the soft dirt at the edge of the driveway. Natalie knew how to press my vulnerabilities. I tried to remember that she’d just broken up with Ansel, and it hurt her not to be the center of attention. It had been a problem in high school, when guys looked at me and not at her. But I thought we were past that.

“Remind me why is Crane coming with us?”

“I told you. He already had plans to go—he’s friends with the director. I thought it would be fun to double date.”

“Double—what?!” Natalie’s eyes were as big as saucers.

My stomach wrenched. When I told her Caleb was coming with us, I’d conveniently left out that he was bringing a friend for Natalie. I thought it would be fun. I hadn’t realized that she’d turned into such a man-hater post-Ansel.

“I thought I told you that?” I lied.

“No, you didn’t.” Natale placed her hand on her hip and smirked. “A freaking double date? Seriously, Abby? You know I have to watch who the press links me to romantically. I can’t be seen with just any guy. Who is this loser, anyway?”

“I can guarantee you he’s not a loser,” I winked at her. Inside, I was crumbling. I couldn’t tell her that I had no idea who Caleb had invited to the premiere. Hopefully, it was someone who was up to Natalie’s high standards.

“Are there any more surprises you have in store for me?”

“Well…” I hesitated. “Not that I can think of at the moment.”

Natalie smirked. “I was going to tell you something about the film, but now I think I’ll wait. You deserve a few surprises, as well.”

I shook my head, ready to ask her what she meant, when Caleb called over to us.

“Ladies. We’re making a stop before we get the Premiere.”

I wobbled towards the car in my heels, and rested against Caleb’s strong shoulder for support.

“Where are we going?” I whispered to Caleb.

“We have to go pick up Natalie’s date.”

“He’s not coming here?”

“No, I told him we’d come to him.”

“Caleb…” I sighed.

“You’ll like where I’m taking you, I promise,” he smiled. “We have some time to kill before the red carpet opens, and I want to make the best of it.”

“Good,” Natalie huffed. “There’s nothing worse than showing up first to an event. It makes you look so desperate.”

Natalie climbed inside the limo first, and scooted to the seat closest to the privacy glass. As I bent over to slide in after her, Caleb’s fingers slid underneath my skirt and up my thigh. I pushed back into him.

“Caleb. Not now.”

“I can’t help myself.” He smiled wickedly.

I thought about what Natalie had said about vampires growing tired of the women they’d turned. But Caleb’s sexual appetite for me didn’t seem to be waning. I pushed my ass towards his cock, already hard underneath the fabric of his tux. I leaned on it gently with my butt cheeks before I slid into the bench seat at the back of the limo.

The limo headed down the winding road of the Hollywood Hills to the wild, neon-filled nightlife of Sunset Blvd. Music poured out from clubs we passed, and I closed my eyes as the scent of the food from nearby restaurants wafted in through the opened sunroof. The smells intoxicated me. I tried not to look too obvious in front of Natalie as I inhaled the rich aromas.

Before we got to the end of the Sunset Strip, the limo turned the corner and headed down a side street off the main drag. My heart sank. I knew exactly where Caleb was taking us.

The only business down this quiet street was the hole-in the wall club, Opium. It was the exclusive, VIP vampire bar where every pleasure was eagerly fulfilled. I looked at Natalie’s elegant dress and my conservative attire, and wondered how we’d fit in amongst the decidedly alternative crowd that frequented the place. The limo drove past the sidewalk in front of the club, which was lined with wannabes behind velvet ropes, all trying to get in. Only the most beautiful humans were allowed to enter, and they risked their lives going there. Anything and everything went at Opium.

The limo drove around to the back of the club, and stopped near a doorway I’d never seen before. At the back entrance to the building, a black wrought iron staircase with flecks of gold led up to an outdoor balcony with a gilded elevator. I slid out of the limo and stood on the soft gravel of the vacant parking lot. Without saying a word, Caleb took my arm and led me towards the staircase.

“After you,” he said when we reached the first step.

I walked up the staircase slowly, conscious of Caleb staring at my ass as we climbed. I prayed he didn’t squeeze it while Natalie was watching. She’d tease me mercilessly for that. Finally, we reached the landing where the gold elevator doors shone in the moonlight. The air was suddenly chilly, and the moon overhead shifted behind a cloud. I got a funny feeling in my stomach, like none of this was a good idea. But I trusted Caleb. He wouldn’t lead me into danger.

As Caleb gestured with his arm, the doors of the elevator glided open. I felt Caleb’s gaze on my legs, and saw the subtle curve of a smile grace his lips.

Natalie followed behind me and muttered something about being a third wheel. I felt bad enough that Caleb had crashed our Palm Springs weekend. Now he was taking us to God knows where, and giving Natalie the cold shoulder.

The elevator began to climb, and then smoothly rolled to a stop on the top floor of the building. When the elevator door opened, I gasped. I’d been to Opium a few times with Caleb, and I never knew that there was an entirely different club on the top floor of the building. This place was filled with richer, more powerful, and even sexier clientele.

The hostess, clad in a black leather corset and mini skirt, welcomed us to the club. Her mile-high legs and long dark hair only added to her allure. By the way she looked at Caleb, I could tell that she knew him. How intimately, I didn’t know. Scratch that thought. I didn’t want to know.

I checked her over, looking for signs she might be a vampire. Or maybe she was a groupie – I’d heard there was a club of women who liked to be bitten by vampires. They called themselves the Double V’s: Venom Virgins.

I glanced at Caleb, and noticed he wasn’t even paying attention to the buxom brunette. He scanned the club looking for someone else. My hands twisted nervously. Surely, he wasn’t inviting a guy from here to be Natalie’s date.

“There he is.” Caleb smiled and tipped his hand to a deliciously handsome man at the other end of the blood bar. He was tall, with dark eyes and wavy chestnut brown hair that curled at the base of his neck. His body was lean and muscular, and he moved with a kind of grace that I didn’t expect from a man of his stature.

Natalie crossed her arms in front of her body and tried her best to look bored. “I got ready early so we could come here? This place gives me the creeps,” she groaned. “I’ll be waiting in the limo.”

As she turned to leave, she made eye contact with the tall, handsome stranger. Her breath halted, and she clutched her chest.

“Who is…who is that?” she whispered under her breath.

“No idea.” I checked him out as he walked closer towards us. Every woman in the room had their eyes on him, and many of the men did, too. He was sex personified. “Looks like he’s looking at you, Nat, and he likes what he sees.”

Natalie bit her lip and blushed. “Well, I guess I could stay for one drink. That is if this place serves anything besides blood juice.”

“Blood juice?” I raised my eyebrow.

“That’s what Ansel called it. It made it sound less…savage. I mean, it’s disgusting, right?”

I nodded my head, and tried to change the subject. Lying to Natalie about my transformation was becoming harder every day. Now that we were at a vampire bar in the epicenter of Hollywood, I was terrified she’d find out my secret.

Natalie’s eyes were still fixed on the sex god headed our direction. She rolled her shoulders back, and stood up to her full height of five feet, two inches. With her shiny gold dress, she looked more gorgeous than she ever. That sexy man walking towards us didn’t’ have a chance if Natalie put her sights on him.

Caleb walked towards the guy, and they gave each other a friendly embrace. I’d never seen Caleb interact with friends, much less hug one. He’d always been the aloof film director, moody and holed up in his basement cave. After a moment of small talk that I couldn’t hear, Caleb brought the man over for an introduction. Before Caleb had a chance to speak, Natalie reached out to shake the man’s hand.

“I’m Natalie.” Her eyes danced as she tried to look nonchalant. She came off looking like an awkward schoolgirl, not a glamorous celebrity.

“Nice to meet you, Natalie.” His eyes met briefly met hers, and then tracked over to me. “And who is this lovely creature?” His gaze traveled a path straight to my voluptuous breasts.

“This is Abby, and she’s already taken.” Caleb practically growled at him, and the air surrounding us snapped with tension.

The man laughed. “Of course, I know that. I was only messing with you, Caleb. Everyone knows that you’ve been busy these last few months. That’s why we haven’t seen you around here.” His eyebrow cocked and he gave Caleb a look I couldn’t read.

Caleb quickly diffused the awkwardness. “Natalie, Abby, this is Drew Savage. He’s the owner of Venom, and happens to be a good friend of mine, too. Or at least I thought,” he joked.

“Venom?” Natalie’s voice quivered over the sound of light jazz in the background.

“Yes, Venom. Club V. The playground of Hollywood’s most elite…” His voice broke off as he glanced nervously at Caleb.

“It’s one of the many establishments Drew owns, and it happens to be one of my favorites.”

Drew leaned casually against a barstool next to the black onyx bar countertop. “We have good memories from here, don’t we, Caleb?”

“That we do,” Caleb laughed. I tried not to be jealous, but it felt like an inside joke they kept from me intentionally.

Then it hit me. I’d heard rumors about Venom. Club V, as it was called for short. I’d heard musings about the secret, elite lair above the vampire bar, Opium. Caleb had been in the alleyway, behind the building, on the night Ansel was attacked. I had always doubted that he was at Opium when that happened. It was too loud, too visceral for Caleb’s taste. I looked around at the modern, sleek décor and the assortment of beautiful people on the lounge sofas, and I knew that he’d been here on that fateful night.

A tall, blonde waitress casually walked towards us and interrupted my thoughts.

“Your private room is ready,” she said in a crisp, professional voice.

Caleb took my arm and led me towards the back of the club, into a private room with soft lights and black, silk covered walls. The intimate dining table in the room was made of smooth obsidian that shone in the candlelight. Caleb pulled the chair out for me, and I slipped into the seat with ease.

Natalie walked shakily towards the table, her eyes as big as saucers. “I hope we’re not staying here too long. I wouldn’t want to miss the premiere.”

“We have plenty of time,” Caleb said confidently. “You know those things always start late anyway.”

“I suppose you’re right,” she smiled nervously.

The next hour was filled with fine wine and sparkling dinner conversation. The alcohol was unlike anything I’d ever tasted. It was smooth and didn’t upset my stomach the way other drinks had since I transformed. It had a fruity, effervescent flavor, and with every drink, I craved more. I’d always been able to take or leave wine, but this was something entirely different.

Even Natalie was having a good time. She’d had at least half a bottle of the wine, and began telling stories of the wildest things she’d seen on the sets of her movies.

As I laughed at one of her jokes, I looked up and noticed that Drew was watching me with a wicked, sensual smile. I bit my lip and looked away, feeling uncomfortable with him looking at me that way, especially with Caleb by my side. The way he stared at me, it was as if he knew something about me that I didn’t. I took another sip of the divine wine, and tried to focus on Natalie.

“Should we get going?” Caleb glanced at the time on his phone.

“One more glass,” Natalie said as she tipped her glass towards Drew for a refill. In the background, I heard the sounds of women laughing, drunk on something exquisite. They sounded like they were having a good time. In fact, everyone at Venom seemed to be having the time of their lives.

Caleb’s hand slid down the nape of my neck and traced a delicate line across my shoulder. He took a sip of wine from his glass, and licked his lips as if they were dipped in honey. I didn’t need to read his mind to know what he was thinking. He wanted to taste me, to devour me, and it was driving him mad. The energy between us sparked, and I could barely keep my concentration on the table conversation. I wanted him, too.

I reached underneath the table, and placed my hand on Caleb’s knee. His firm muscles taunted me, as I traced a path up his inner thigh until I reached his delicious, juicy cock. I glanced at Natalie and Drew, afraid they’d know what I was doing. But Natalie rattled on something about flubbing her first acting audition, and Drew watched her with rapt attention. There was nothing to stop me from teasing Caleb, and letting him know how much I wanted him.

When I reached his cock, he was already as hard as stone. His facial expressions and body language stayed the same, but underneath the tablecloth, it was a different story. His cock pushed towards my hand, eager for me to touch it. I squeezed it through the fabric of his pants and ran my fingers up and down the length of his hardness.

His face wore a devilish smile, as if he was egging me on, seeing how far I could go. He was daring me to go further, and I accepted. I never turned down a dare.

I unfastened his pants, and slid my hand down his warm skin to his cock. I stroked him slowly, and squeezed him gently from the base to the tip. It felt dangerous, but I didn’t want to get caught. I liked driving Caleb wild, and by the look in his eyes, he was starting to get uncomfortably aroused.

“What do you think, Caleb?” Drew asked with a wry smile.

“Excuse me. What were we…”

Their conversation faded into the background as I released his cock from his pants, and held the heaviness in the palm of my hand. He was burning hot, scorching. I could tell by the subtle movements of his hips how turned on he was.

The blonde waitress came with another bottle of the elixir, and filled our glasses. Caleb lifted the deep burgundy drink to his lips and smiled as he took a leisurely sip.

I picked up my glass with my left hand and brought it to my eager mouth. When I placed my wine glass down, Caleb drew my hand to his lips and kissed my fingers gently. I pulled away, worried that Natalie or Drew might be tipped off to what was going on underneath the table.

Natalie rattled on about her favorite topic, herself, and didn’t notice Caleb’s romantic, subtle gesture. But I saw a glimmer in Drew’s eyes as he raised his eyebrow at Caleb and smirked.

“We should be getting to the movie premiere, angel. If you’re ready that is?” Caleb drew his arm tightly around my shoulder.

I looked across the table at Natalie, who was in a happy, euphoric daze. Although the wine had loosened my inhibitions, it had made Natalie even more relaxed than me.

“Ready, Nat?” I said.

“If we must.” She rolled her eyes dramatically. “I have to say, this evening has been a lovely surprise so far. I wish we could stay longer.”

I bit my lip. Whatever that wine was made of, it had turned Natalie from a vampire-hating bitch into the life of the party. And as for me? I felt better than I ever had. Whatever that magic drink was, I wanted more.