Soph tipped her head back and took the shot of tequila. Music pumped around her, vibrating through her body and making her wired. The alcohol burned down her throat as Luie laughed beside her.

"Another round!" Stefan shouted to the bartender, holding up four fingers. The bartender flipped his tequila bottle around the back of his hand and poured four more shots.

"What are we drinking to this time?" Luie shouted. Soph grinned at her cousin. Luie hardly ever got out, and she was so drunk.

"To Soph!" Marco said, raising his shot glass. "For designing the best new nightclub brands, for making Head of Design, and for finally finding a coven!"

"To Soph!" Sefan and Luie echoed. The four of them downed their shots.

Life was falling into place for Soph. Her new job rocked so much that she was hardly ever late. Bradley still sung praises about her designs, the first of which - Sincere - was opening that night across town. She was even finding that the few occasions that she'd caught up with Sierra from the Night Queens had been enjoyable. They hadn't even talked much about magic, rather connecting over their shared pains of being modern women who worked without children.

"God!" Luie cried, whirling in a stumbling circle. "I'm so fucking drunk!"

"You should be!" Soph told her. "It's your birthday!"

"Come dance with me, Babe!" Stefan said and whirled his fiance towards the dance floor.

Soph leaned on the bar beside Marco and watched as her cousin and Stefan were swallowed by the surging bodies on the dance floor.

"Thanks for inviting me," Marco told her, leaning close so she could hear him. "It's been years since I've been out clubbing."

"Unfortunately, I can't say the same," Soph touched his arm and smiled. "I'm out most weekends. It's my favourite thing to do."

"Ah, a Wickham girl's mentality never dies," he teased her. "I do prefer a nice pub with a band though. Shall we do dinner again? Maybe next week?"

"I'm free on Friday," she slid her hand up his arm, following the contours of his biceps with her fingers.

"Great," he smiled, hazel eyes tracking her fingers as they rose to his shoulder. "I'll make a reservation." his head tilted towards her and Soph's breath hitched, preparing for the kiss. Then Stefan and Luie reappeared.

"We're calling it a night," Stefan said with a grin, his arm around Luie's waist as he helped her stay upright. "This girl is fucked, so I'm going to get her home."

Marco and Soph glanced at each other. "I'm ready to call it a night too," Marco said. Soph nodded, a little disappointed that she'd been cheated of her drunken kiss, and followed him as he led the way from the club.

The air outside Envy was crisp enough to bite, and Soph's hearing was oddly muted after the relentless beat inside the club.

"Will you catch a taxi with us, Marco?" Stefan asked. Marco looked at Soph once more. She waved dismissively.

"You go with them. I'm catching a taxi in the opposite direction."

"I love you, Soph!" Luie cried.

"If you're sure," he said. He gave her a kiss on the cheek and waved goodbye as he followed Stefan and Luie down the taxi rank. Soph watched them go, waving as their taxi drove past. Then she crossed her arms over her body to ward off the cool night air and waited for the next cab to arrive.

"What's a pretty little witchling like you doing out here by herself?"

Stomach fluttering, Soph turned and found Eli behind her, hands in his pockets, watching her with a smirk.

"Eli," she couldn't keep the surprise from her voice. "What are you doing here?"

He pointed towards Envy. "My club," he reminded her. She laughed and shook her head.

"Of course. Sorry."

"You didn't answer my question. Why are you here alone?"

"Waiting for a taxi," she told him, glancing back towards the street to check if one was approaching. "My cousin got far too drunk, so she's had to be escorted out."

Eli looked at his watch. "It's not even midnight. Are you going home?"

"What else are you proposing?"

"Sincere is opening up across town." he shrugged. "Why don't you come with me?"

She snorted. "That place will be buzzing with celebrities, I wouldn't even get within ten feet of the door."

Eli sighed, and Soph laughed again. "Right," she said before he could remind her. "Your club."

"Exactly. Come with me?"

Soph looked at the taxi that had just pulled up beside her. The driver watched her expectantly. Could she go with Eli? It was early in the night still. And she wanted to see how her design looked all lit up in real life. "Fine," she said finally. "Fine, I'll come."

He gestured that she should walk with him up the street. She waved apologetically to the taxi driver and followed.

"Why are you here when your club is opening on the other side of town?" she asked as they reached his car. He unlocked it and opened the door for her.

"I like to go through all my clubs on a Saturday night," he got in the driver's seat and turned on the ignition. Before Soph had time to react, he whipped the car out in a U-turn and roared up the street.

"Fuck!" she gasped, gripping her seat. "Can't you just drive like a sane person?"

"I like going fast." he smiled and put his foot down. Soph grit her teeth and thanked the Founders she was drunk. If they crashed, hopefully it wouldn't hurt so much.

In no time at all they pulled up out the front of Sincere. Spotlights cut through the night sky and Soph could hear the club music from the car. The line of people waiting to get in snaked down the street and out of sight around the block. At the front of the line, she could see reporters and photographers waiting to snag anyone of importance going to the opening. She looked up towards the sign that hung over the entrance. Her sign. She allowed herself a moment of pride.

"You deserve to be here," Eli told her. "Your branding is exceptional."

"How did you know it was mine?"

"You think I wouldn't ask around to find out?"

She met his eye and shook her head. "We have serious stalker tendencies, you and I."

"Harmless when reciprocated, I say." he winked at her and got out of the car. For a moment the sounds outside were amplified, then his door closed and Soph had a blessedly quiet moment to herself. She watched the paparazzi spot Eli and surge towards him, held back from crushing him by the bouncers who got there first. She suffered a moment of apprehension as Eli walked around the car to her door. She was about to get out of Eli Damiani's car. In front of a pack of paps and journos. Fuck.

Then her door opened and she couldn't think about it anymore. Eli held out his hand for her and she took it, allowing him to help her out of the too-low bucket seat. The reporters swarmed around them and Eli put his arm around her waist, tucking her safely against her side.

"Eli, Eli! Who's your girl?"

"Is it serious, Eli? Are you two a thing?"

Eli ignored them all and moved towards the entrance of the club. "Just smile," he told her, "you look gorgeous."

His words, coupled with the shots she'd downed earlier, were enough to bolster her. She smiled for the cameras, pausing when Eli did in front of the sponsor's wall at the door to have an official photo taken. In the line nearby, Soph could see a few recognisable faces; TV and soap stars. And she was cutting the line to get into Sincere before them. It was so fucking surreal.

They stepped inside the club and the noise changed from the chaos outside to the thumping music of the night. Laser lights rippled across them and dancers hung from swings in oversized birdcages above. Everywhere she saw her work; splashed across the wall behind the DJ, printed on the glasses that people held. Even on the skimpy bras of the waitresses.

"Stay close tonight," Eli told her. "There's other vampires here and they'll think it great fun to try to woo you away from me."

"Other vampires?" she searched the faces nearby, though she knew they would be indistinguishable from the humans in the room. "How will I know who they are?"

"How about," he suggested, his hand on her back slipping dangerously low, "if we meet any, I'll squeeze your butt to let you know."

She turned to face him, stopping him in his tracks. "Are you coming onto me, Eli?"

He leaned close, his words a whisper against her ear. "I very well could be, Soph."

"Champagne, Mr Damiani?" A waitress offered. Eli winked at Soph as he took two glasses from the tray and handed one to her.

"Time to work the room," he told her. His hand once more found her backside, and they headed deeper into the club.

Eli introduced her to everyone of note; from SinCorp board members and local politicians, to celebrities, socialites and strippers. He knew executives from companies that Soph had only ever dreamed of working at, and he always ensured that they knew exactly who had designed the branding for Sincere. And all the while he kept her at his side, a hand always on her hips or her back. Firm, protective. Not only did he make her the center of attention of anyone he introduced her to, she was his total focus as well and his presence so close to hers had her heartbeat thundering.

"Oh my God," Soph said at one point, clutching Eli's arm. "Is that Chase Rickon?"

Eli followed her gaze to where the movie star sat in a VIP booth with half a dozen ladies around him. "Yes, that's him."

Soph sighed dreamily. "I loved him in Murder Me."

"Do you want to meet him?"

"What? No, I -" but it was too late. Eli steered her towards the booth where Chase was sitting. At the very last moment, he squeezed her butt.

Her eyes widened. "Chase a vampire? No way!"

"Chase," he said to the movie star, ignoring Soph's shock. Chase looked up, then grinned.

"Eli, brah! How are you, my man? Wicked club, man, absolutely wicked!"

"Thanks for coming, Chase. I hope the girls are keeping you well watered."

"They are, man. They always do." Chase looked at Soph then, and his vivid green eyes pierced hers. She felt like both shrinking away and falling into his arms under their scrutiny. "And who is this tasty little morsel?"

Soph's breath hitched, and she took half a step towards Chase. Eli's arm around her tightened, holding her firmly in place. "Ease off, Chase. She's with me tonight." he said the words easily, but Soph heard the hint of warning in his tone. Chase smiled and held up his hands in surrender. Soph was sure she saw the vividness of the green in his eyes dull a little.

"All in good fun, my man."

Eli nodded and the two men turned away from each other; Chase back towards his waiting groupies and Eli turning Soph back towards the main bar.

"What was that?" Soph blinked away the strange sensation.

"Chase is a Possessive," Eli smiled grimly. "He just tried to collect you."

"I actually don't think I mind," Soph said and Eli stared at her.

"I think I should take you home," he muttered eventually. "You've had about ten drinks tonight."

"More like twenty. But yes, I think I'm ready to go."

They left the club through the back entrance this time, and a valet brought Eli's car around. He helped her into the passenger seat and while she waited for him to get in the driver's side; she kicked her heels off.

For once Eli didn't take off like a madman. "Put your seatbelt on," he instructed. She obliged, and he pulled out onto the main road. They drove through the city in relative silence, and Soph watched the lights pass in a blur. She was intensely aware of Eli beside her, his fingers drumming idly on the steering wheel. When they slowed at a set of red lights, she turned to look at him, his face washed in the red glow of the traffic lights.

Vampire. She reminded herself. Does it matter?

"Are we going to hook up tonight?" the words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. His eyes flashed to hers in surprise.

"Is that what you want?"

She caught her bottom lip between her teeth as she watched him. His expression gave nothing away. Did he want her? Her heartbeat thudded with anticipation. Could he hear it?

"Yes," she whispered.

Eli leaned over and cupped one hand behind her neck. His other hand slid over her thigh and under the edge of her dress. Then he kissed her.