Free PoisonedPen by Zenina Masters Page B

own room and locker, they exited in search of the Crossed Star bar.
    “So, this is where I can meet just about anyone?”
    “Most if not all of the men come through here. They need a place that takes some of the social niceties and chucks them out the window. Speaking of…Chuck! This is the newest guest of the Crossroads.”
    A huge hulk of a man came toward them. His body was covered with tattoos, and his eyes wore the unmistakable mark of a reptile. He grinned, showing a bit of fang. “Welcome to the Crossed Star. What can I get for you?”
    “Hi. Um, some juice?” she bit her lip.
    He grinned. “Not much of a drinker, huh?”
    She shook her head and watched as his smile changed him from frightening to charming.
    He mixed her a cocktail of juice with as much care as he would for alcohol. With a flourish, he presented her with a tall hurricane glass, complete with a wedge of orange and an umbrella.
    “Consider this a Crossroads-colada. Order it any time.” He winked.
    She wrapped both hands around the glass to cover the flutter in her heart. She found the details of the rind of the fruit fascinating and found herself noting the bubbles foam and break in the glass.
    Ivy sipped at the juice and hugged Teal farewell. “I will see you in the morning about that pond.”
    Teal grinned. “It will be nice to swim with someone for a change. See you in the morning.”
    Ivy waited until Teal was gone before she leaned forward to get Chuck’s attention. When he ambled over, she said, “I need to know where I can hide in here.”
    He blinked in surprise. “Hide?”
    “Yeah, I have been sent here under duress, so I am going to avoid the opposite sex as often as I can. It should work.”
    “The darkest corner is over there. I can disconnect the lights, and you can sit there in the dimness.”
    “Excellent. Thank you.” She smiled brightly, and he seemed dazzled by it.
    The corner in question contained a leather-padded bench in a high-backed booth. She scooted into place with her drink and settled in for a night of people watching and reading on her ereader. The Crossroads wasn’t going to be so bad.

Chapter Two
    “What are you reading?” Chuck came by with another drink, and he lingered for a moment.
    “This one is a rather torrid love affair gone wrong. It is a solid three and a half stars but nothing too exciting.”
    “What do you do in the outside world?” He leaned on her table and fixed his wide-slitted eyes at her. His head was clean-shaven, which left plenty of room for more scalp tattoos.
    “Half the time reviewer, half the time editor.” She sipped at her fourth drink. “You have done some time in the human world if that ink is any indication.”
    He grinned, showing some serious fang. “I was abandoned as a child and was raised in a circus as the snake boy. It was a hard life, but it gave me some charming skills that I have used as I matured.”
    She tried not to stare at the bicep so near her own. There was a swan in a Celtic knot pattern wrapped around his arm. Her mouth was dry, and she wanted to trace that design with her tongue.
    When he left to attend another patron, she tried to snap herself back into sensibility. There was no reason for her hormones to run out of control just because an ex-circus attraction and current bartender smiled at her.
    She watched him. His movements were graceful, smooth and when he served the ladies at the bar, his attentions were polite but didn’t invite any further approach on their part.
    Ivy got the distinct impression that when he looked at her, flirting was on his mind. She sipped at the new fruit juice concoction and scrolled to the next book in her review list. Now and then, she peeped up at Chuck, and to her surprise, his gaze was fixed on her.
    ****
    Chuck was resigned to his life in service to the Crossroads, but Ivy had caught all of his senses. He was holding back his tongue. He wanted to flick it out and taste the small pieces of her scent in the air.