They leave Max's store hand in hand. Sofie nervously chews her lip, her brow knit together in concentration. Her head is spinning. Marko glances at her, his expression worried.
"I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would say no."
She's quiet for a moment. Contemplating.
"I'm not exactly jumping at the chance to drink from David and Max," she confesses. She wants to be closer to Marko, and only Marko. The idea of her belonging to Max feels unnecessary. He's not even really a part of their circle. He's more of a vampire consultant.
Marko stops and sticks out his pinky finger.
"It's only one time. I promise."
"David's really gonna milk this, isn't he?"
Marko tries not to laugh.
"Probably. But I promise. Just once."
She links her finger with his and smiles. He pulls her in for a slow, soft kiss. Sofie sighs and wraps her arms tightly around his waist. He can make her forget about anything just by pressing his lips to hers. She closes her eyes, letting him take control, as he deepens the kiss. His hands roam up and down her body and he growls, not caring who's watching. Normally, she would be shy about public displays of affection, but the only thing that matters is him, and the fire he sparks in her bones. She breaks the kiss, breathless, but hungry for more.
"Let's go dancing," she whispers.
He grins.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I want to forget about Kevin, about that part of the ritual... I just want to be with you."
Marko grabs her by the hand and practically drags her down the boardwalk. She giggles.
"Where are you taking me?"
"To my bike. I know a place."
The ride isn't that long, maybe ten minutes. He drives into a part of town that she's either never been to despite living here all her life, or that she's forgotten. He parks in front of a club with no signage. It's a dark, nondescript building that looks like a small factory. There's a small, square neon sign just above the door. It looks dingy and pretentious all at the same time. Sofie looks around for any sign that the building is even open, but Marko seems confident. He climbs off his bike and reaches for her hand. Sofie laughs.
"I knew you were cool, but I didn't know you were 'I hang out at bars with no name' cool."
He steps forward and brushes her hair away from her face.
"There's a lot you don't know about me," he whispers. Her skin tingles at the low rumble of his voice and she runs her hands up his shirt, caressing his well-muscled abdomen. Marko lets out a soft groan.
"Show me," she says softly.
"Come dance with me."
Sofie follows him into the club. It's dark, but it only takes her eyes a second or so to adjust. Sofie shrugs her jacket off to reveal a tight black tank top. Marko glances at her, letting out a low whistle as he takes in her form. She tries to fold her arms over her chest, but he grabs them and holds them out so that she can't conceal anything.
"You're a fucking smoke show. You know that, right?"
"Sometimes." She looks to the coat check and bites her lip, desperate to change the subject. "I didn't bring my purse and I wanna check my coat."
"I got it, darlin'."
Marko takes her jacket from her gingerly and walks to the coat check. He taps on the counter and the girl in the booth whirls around, flashing him a flirtatious smile. She's pretty. Fire engine red hair, winged eyeliner, and a leopard print bustier. The tip jar next to her is practically overflowing with crumpled bills. Sofie watches, her expression neutral, but her eyes piercing into the girl, who doesn't seem to notice or give a shit.
"Hey, beautiful," he purrs, flashing her a million-watt smile. "Would you mind stashing this here for me? I don't really have five bucks."
She takes Sofie's jacket, making sure to brush Marko's fingertips with her own. He feigns a bashful chuckle. Sofie's fists clench instinctively.
"That's okay, handsome," she whispers. "I won't tell anyone."
He leans over the table and licks his lips. Sofie watches, intent on being incredibly jealous and intimidating, but Marko's mostly exposed abdomen distracts her and she practically whimpers at the sight of him. He's so fucking sexy, even if he's flirting with someone else.
"You're a lifesaver..." he whispers.
"Christa," the girl finishes. "I'm Christa."
Marko runs his finger gently across her wrist. Sofie can see the goosebumps rising on Christa's skin.
"Christa. Pretty name."
She flushes a deep crimson. Sofie resists the urge to roll her eyes as the girl passes him a ticket and presses it into his hand, making sure her fingers linger on his skin.
"You want me to take your coat, too?" The girl asks him, now twirling her long red hair around her finger. "It's pretty hot in there."
He chuckles.
Jesus, why don't you just fuck her, Marko?
She can't contain the jealousy shooting through her veins like poison. Marko glances over his shoulder and winks at her.
Relax, Sof. I've only got eyes for you.
Sofie bites back a smile.
"I'm okay, actually," he says to Christa. "I'll catch you later."
He backs up, snakes his arm around Sofie's waist, and winks at the girl in the booth who looks puzzled.
"I'm off soon!" she offers desperately.
Marko ignores her, nipping at Sofie's earlobe as they descend into the heart of the club. The music floods her ears and all she can smell is tequila and cigarette smoke as he pulls her close and licks a stripe up her neck. Sofie giggles and leans into him, inhaling his scent.
"You want a drink?" he asks. His lips brush her skin and she feels a wave of electricity rush through her.
"Sure."
"Tequila?"
"I could do tequila."
"Excellent."
Within seconds, he's back with four shots of tequila. Sofie laughs.
"Really?"
"They were cheap. Drink."
He hands one to her, they clink glasses, and she tosses the liquor back, relishing the sting it leaves in the back of her throat. They toss back their second shot. Marko does it with ease, barely making a face. She coughs and laughs. He grins.
"I thought you could handle your liquor," he teases.
"I think there's a reason these are so cheap," she chuckles.
"More?"
"Fuck yeah."
He kisses her on the cheek and disappears again. They go through two more rounds until they're giggly and practically falling all over each other. Being a vampire has certainly increased her tolerance for alcohol, but not by that much. Marko leans in and kisses up her neck. She sighs.
I love you. His voice echoes in her head. She brushes his cheek.
I love you too.
"We gotta find another word," he laughs.
"We will."
The song fades out and "Heart of Glass" by Blondie blares through the speakers. Sofie's eyes go wide and she smiles. Marko gestures to the dance floor.
"You wanna?"
She grins.
"Definitely."
He leads her out onto the dance floor. Sofie wraps her arms around Marko's neck, linking her fingers together as they sway in time with the music. They both mouth the words with big smiles. Marko leans forward, pressing his lips to her earlobe and she hears him singing along, soft and low, with the music. Marko pulls back and stares at her for a long time. Their bodies are still despite the music and the writhing bodies that surround them. All she sees is him and those gorgeous, sparkling blue eyes. He licks his lips and leans in, kissing her softly at first until her fingers dance up his torso, sliding beneath his shirt. He instantly increases the intensity, gripping her hair tightly. Sofie moans into his lips. She breaks the kiss and turns away, grinding her body on his in time with the music, just like the first night they danced in her apartment. His hands slide down to her hips and he pulls her as close as he can. His teeth gently capture her earlobe. She moans and lets her head fall back. Marko runs his lips over her skin as Sofie grinds her ass against his growing hardness. Everything seems to disappear and all she can focus on is how fucking good it feels to hold him next to her. Nothing matters, and for the first time, the wound that Kevin left all those years ago begins to fully heal. She feels a growl erupt from the center of Marko's chest as he runs his hands up the sides of her breasts while they writhe to the music.
Sofie turns to face him. His eyes are golden and he glows underneath the lights. She closes the space between them and lets her hands run up underneath his shirt. Her fingernails gently scrape against his skin. Her hands eventually come to rest in his beautiful golden curls and she feels him grab her hard by the waist, pulling her as close as he can. In an instant, his mouth is on hers again and they both begin to devour one another. Sofie moans. Marko pulls away and flashes her a small smile.
"Bathroom?"
Sofie nods. He takes her by the hand and drags her to the women's bathroom at the back of the nightclub while they both giggle maniacally.
"Lock the door," he growls, kicking the stall doors in to make sure that they're alone while Sofie slides the lock in place and rips off her tank top. As he turns around, she hops up onto the counter and leans back on her elbows. Marko lets his eyes rake over her body as he steps toward her. His eyes darken and she moans as he runs his hands up her thighs and touches his forehead to hers. His fingers tug at the fabric of her jeans.
"You trying to tease me again?" She breathes.
A devilish smile creeps across his lips.
"I don't think we have time for that."
As their lips crash and he's about to unbuckle his belt, there's a loud knock at the door.
"Ignore it," he hisses while he pulls off Sofie's jeans. "We'll just be fast."
She lets out a small, disappointed groan. Marko chuckles.
"I know, sugar. I'll make it up to you."
His hands are like ice on her thighs. She moans and throws her head back as he slowly enters her. Before they can even establish a rhythm, another loud knock echoes through the bathroom. Sofie's head snaps up and she growls.
"Fuck off!"
"Open the door!" A low, rumbling male voice calls out. "We're getting complaints!"
"What part of fuck off do you not understand?!" She bellows.
More knocking.
"I swear, I'll kick this shit down!"
"Try it!" Sofie threatens. "I'll tear your fucking head off!"
Marko collapses into giggles and buries his face in her neck.
"Great," she whispers. "Now I'm horny and angry."
More laughter from Marko. He kisses her collarbone. They hear the sound of keys jangling and immediately look at each other, wide-eyed and grinning. As the door opens, Sofie yanks her jeans back up over her hips and tosses her hair out of her face while Marko buckles his belt. In the doorway is the biggest bouncer that Sofie has ever seen in her entire life. He looks like he was birthed out of a giant dumbbell and eats nothing but steaks and pure rage. It's actually a great look for a bouncer, but vampire or not, he could probably rip her head off with one finger. His eyes are narrowed and his arms are crossed over his chest. He takes one, intimidating step across the threshold. Marko and Sofie exchange bemused looks. He grabs her hand and they bolt out of the bathroom and up the stairs faster than the bouncer can catch up with them, laughing and whooping hysterically. They lose him in the crowd on the dance floor and finally stumble out the front door, gasping for air and giggling.
"Did you see his face?!" Marko roars.
"I could have taken him," Sofie says pushing her hair out of her face.
He pushes her up against his bike and kisses her ferociously.
"That I want to see."
She plays with a loose thread on his jacket and looks up at him, batting her eyelashes.
"Uh oh," he chuckles.
"What?"
"I know that look."
"What look? This is my face."
"That's your 'I'm about to get whatever I want' look."
Sofie feigns offense.
"Me?! Manipulate the man I love? I would never!"
He chuckles and brushes her hair away from her face with one hand before running his thumb across her bottom lip.
"What's on your mind?"
"Let's go to my bar. Nobody's there."
Marko raises his eyebrows and he immediately hops on the bike and revs the engine. Sofie giggles as he takes off and they speed toward the bar. She holds him tightly. She loves the way his jacket scratches against her skin. He barrels down the street at a speed that Sofie can only assume is highly illegal. He screeches to a halt in front of the bar and they're both almost tossed off the bike. Marko looks back at her, breathing heavily and grinning. Sofie's eyes are wide and she gives his long hair a firm tug. He laughs.
"What?" He asks. "That was fun!"
"Fun like a heart attack," she mumbles.
Marko feigns a pout and climbs off, kissing the tip of her nose. Sofie immediately relaxes and smiles. She reaches up and touches the earring dangling from his ear. A small black skull on the tiniest chain. It suits him. Maybe that's why she's never really noticed it before.
"You like it?" He asks.
She nods. He kisses her again.
"You want one?"
"Kinda," she purrs.
He chuckles and wraps one arm around her waist.
"I had a feeling you might."
He digs into his pocket and pulls out an identical earring and places it in her hand. Sofie looks up at him as a wide smile spreads across her face.
"I've been saving this for a long time," he says softly.
"I don't have pierced ears," Sofie says.
"You got a needle in there?" He asks, gesturing toward the door.
"We keep one in the sewing kit for the server's aprons."
"That's all I need." He grabs her hand and pulls her toward the door. "Come on."
They get situated at the bar. Sofie pours them both a large glass of whiskey from one of the few bottles that hasn't been smashed to smithereens. Beside her cup is a big glass of ice. Marko gently ties her hair back with a piece of string and kisses her before running a sewing needle over the open flame of his Zippo after dunking it in the whiskey. Sofie watches, somewhat apprehensive. She's not the best with needles. When she was eight, she had to get a tetanus shot and passed out in the doctor's office once the needle hit her skin.
"Are you sure this isn't gonna hurt?"
"Promise," he whispers. "Pass me that pen."
Sofie slides Kara's favorite ballpoint pen across the bar and he places the sewing needle delicately between his lips while capturing her earlobe between his thumb and forefinger. He makes a small dot on her skin and hands her the pen back. Sofie instinctively puts it in her mouth and hears his soft laugh echo through the room. She shrugs. Marko gently removes the pen from her mouth and presses his lips to hers.
"You don't need it," he assures her.
She chews her lip and he and aims the needle at her earlobe.
"Breathe in," he instructs.
"Wait a second," she says, quickly downing her drink and pouring another.
Marko chuckles. Sofie sucks in a large breath and closing her eyes as he presses the tip of the needle to her skin.
"Breathe out."
She exhales sharply and feels a small, but sharp pain shoot through her earlobe. She grimaces and slams her hand on the table. Marko shushes and soothes her, expertly grabbing the earring out of his pocket and feeding it through her earlobe. He grabs an ice cube and presses it to her ear. Sofie sighs and the burning sensation subsides.
"All done," he purrs, kissing her softly.
"That actually wasn't so bad," she chuckles.
Marko plunks down onto the chair beside her and drains his drink. She slides the bottle over.
"Thanks."
He pours another and lights a cigarette, handing it to Sofie. She takes a long drag and blows a few smoke rings. Marko watches her, his eyes dark and burning into her. She turns her head and bites her lip.
"What?"
"I know you're scared about the ritual," he whispers, only slightly slurring his words.
"How do you know I'm scared?"
Marko taps his temple with one finger. Sofie sighs.
"I'm scared too," he confesses. "I haven't felt this way about anyone. Ever."
"Me neither."
"I knew what happened to Dwayne, and I tried so hard not to love you."
Sofie's eyes well up with tears. She sniffles and laughs.
"Me too. I couldn't stop it."
He smiles.
"I couldn't either. And after a while, I didn't want to."
She twists her ring nervously around her finger.
"I want to do this. I want to belong to you."
Marko takes a sip of whiskey and brushes her hair away from her face. His gaze is gentle, yet intoxicating. For a moment, Sofie forgets where she is. He's the only thing that matters.
"This isn't ownership. I'll be bound to you too."
She stubs the cigarette out, wraps her arms around his neck, and kisses him with a ferocity that she hasn't felt since the first night they met. He takes like whiskey and cigarettes. Marko groans; she expects him to fight her for dominance, but he submits and lets her take control. Sofie slides off of the barstool, clinging to the lapels of his jacket, her mouth still firmly attached to his. She drags him to the pool table and climbs on, pulling him on top of her - her vampire reflexes and instincts taking over completely. Marko growls into her lips and chuckles.
"You know, the first night I saw you, I couldn't stop thinking about kissing you," he breathes.
"Me neither," she giggles.
She pushes his jacket off his shoulders and he tosses it across the room, abandoning his shirt in the process. Sofie rips her tank top off and pulls him in for another kiss. Her skin feels like its on fire, yet it's still ice cold. Their hands work quickly to tear buttons and wriggle out of the rest of their clothing. Marko grins.
"You wanna take this slow?"
"No," she whispers. "I want you now."
Slowly, he slides into her and Sofie's head falls back. A soft moan tumbles from her lips. She rakes her fingernails down his back as he sets a slow pace. He tugs on her earlobe with his fangs and she cries out. Even though she knows most of his tricks, it always feels like he's touching her for the first time. Goosebumps cover her skin and their eyes lock.
"You're so beautiful," he whispers. "So fucking beautiful."
Sofie's hands grip the back of his hair and she wraps her legs around his waist, encouraging him to speed up. This time, he doesn't tease her; doesn't mock her. He simply obeys, his hips thrusting harder and faster. Sofie growls and cries out. She feels that familiar tightening in the pit of her stomach and digs her fingernails deeper into his back. Marko lets out a gravelly moan. He's teetering somewhere on the edge of pleasure and pain as he fucks her harder and tilts his head back, offering her his neck. Sofie bares her fangs and sinks her teeth in.
"FUCK!" Marko cries out. "Don't stop."
His blood tastes incredible and her eyes roll back. She hears snarling and growling and realizes that it's coming from her as she drinks deeper. Their rhythm is erratic, almost violent. She can feel the bruises forming on the inside of her thighs. Marko's body begins to tremble and twitch. He comes with a snarl, and Sofie immediately crumbles, tearing her mouth away from his skin as her own orgasm hits her like a lightning bolt. She shouts and buries her fingers in his hair, whispering his name until it no longer makes sense. He's savoring every second as he watches her fall apart. His hips come to a slow stop and they nuzzle against each other. Sofie lifts his head and gently laps at the bite mark on his neck, watching it heal right before her eyes.
"That'll never cease to amaze me," she whispers.
"The sex?"
"No."
He raises his eyebrows.
"No?!"
"I mean, yes, obviously," she laughs. "I meant how quickly we heal. I guess there's a lot about being a vampire that I still haven't gotten used to."
"You will," he purrs. "It takes time."
"Is there anything I don't know about? Like, at all?"
Marko perks up, his million-watt smile lighting up the entire room. Sofie quirks an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Get dressed," he whispers, kissing her again. "I wanna show you something."