An empty shot glass sat in front of him. The music was loud enough to make conversation difficult, which seemed to suit them both. Although he looked relaxed, Anna could see that he was completely aware of everything around him. Ian had a carefree and easygoing manner, but there was an edge about him that could prove lethal to anyone who decided to cross him. He was not a man to be underestimated, which made him the perfect endurer, at least in her opinion.
Her drink was almost empty. Ian raised his finger and signaled for more. The old Anna might have declined a second one, but for the moment, she simply no longer cared. Nobody knew what the next hour held for her, much less the next day. She might as well enjoy it while she had the chance.
The waitress quickly replaced their drinks. Ian payed her, with a generous tip. The waitress gave him a big smile and left. Raising the glass in a silent toast to Ian, Anna leaned back against the comfortable chair and let the dark and heady atmosphere soak into her. It wasn’t as if the hotel she would later head to was going anywhere.
The dance floor was packed with bodies grinding against each other in wild abandon. Anna didn’t have any interest in dancing, though, it was enough for her to just be sitting here. The tension was quickly easing out of her body, and she had moved beyond thinking about Shayne every single second. Already, life was improving.
“Oh, shit,” Ian suddenly growled, leaning forward across the table for a better look. “Just my bloody damned luck,” he muttered, his face twisted in a grimace. He cupped his hand across the top of his forehead, attempting to conceal himself.
Anna looked around, but she couldn’t see the cause of his anxiety. She shot him a puzzled look and lifted her shoulders as if to say 'What?'
“See the woman in gold by the edge of the dance floor? She’s obsessed with me,” he explained. Anna discretely scanned the room until she found her.
The woman was gorgeous, with long coal-black braids and a bronzed skin tone. The shimmering gold halter top and matching miniskirt set off her skin and body to perfection. She was so beautiful she could have been a model. As far as Anna knew, maybe she was one.
Looking back at him, Anna said over the loud music, “I hate to break it to you, Ian, but I don’t think your cover is working.” If looks could kill, Ian would be a goner.
The woman was staring at Ian, her expression grim. Her eyes shot fire at their table, visible even from the distance. She looked like she wanted to tear Ian's head off and stomp it into the ground with her four-inch heels.
“Is she watching me?” he leaned over and asked, in an exaggerated whisper. It was comical to see the huge heartthrob of a warrior put into a panic by a woman. Anna fought back the urge to laugh. Instead, she just nodded, in what she hoped was a sympathetic manner.
Ian leaped to his feet. “Quick, dance with me.” Grabbing her hand, he pulled her up and yanked her towards the dance floor.
Wait,” Anna hissed, as he led her through the dancers. “I don’t know how to dance.” She gave one last lingering look at the table and the nearly full drink waiting for her.
Ian ignored her, leading her to the opposite end of the dance floor. Far, far away from the woman who was glaring at him. “It doesn’t matter,” he replied, pulling her into his arms. “Just go with it.”
A slow song started. Anna preferred it to the faster-paced song that had just gone off. She couldn’t imagine her body doing hip hop. With a sigh, Anna wrapped her arms around his neck and followed Ian's lead. Surely he wasn’t foolish enough to think that dancing with her would make the other woman jealous?
Another song went by before he leaned down to her ear. “Nastassia is a female endurer,” he muttered. “It’s rumored that she’s a descendant of a very powerful Voodoo priestess, and she's not someone you want to mess with.”
Anna was surprised. She hadn’t realized there were any female endurers. She said the same to Ian.
“They are not as common as the males, but we do have them,” he replied.
He paused for a moment, then said, “Nastassia and I had a very brief association—a one-night stand—about a year ago. Although we both agreed that our involvement wouldn’t be anything ongoing, she quickly changed her mind after we had sex.” Ian smirked and added, “Not that I could blame her for that.”
Anna rolled her eyes, with her face pressed against his chest. The conceit of the endurers was legendary. “So now you’re trying to avoid her?”
“Yes,” he said, simply. “Her grudge has made it impossible for me to be around her anymore, professionally or personally.”
Anna pulled her head back to look at him. Ian tried to look pitiful, didn't succeed, and with a shrug, he asked, “Do you know how long a scorned woman can make your life hell? I'll tell you. Years.”
Unfortunately for him, Anna didn’t feel any sympathy. It would have been better for him to simply have kept it zipped up. She wondered if he felt the brief pleasure he'd experienced with Nastassia was worth it. Anna frowned. Obviously, a man could live for hundreds of years and still never learn that there was more to life than a quick bedding.
She genuinely liked Ian. It was obvious he was a dedicated endurer who honestly cared about the human race. Hopefully, he had learned a lesson from his experience, and he realized he was sending out the wrong signals. A one-night stand never benefited anyone, not unless both people genuinely had no desire
