Siren's Song

by Kaye Draper

  As he stood at the sink scrubbing out the pan he’d fried the sausage in, Grey felt the older man’s eyes on him, sharp and probing. He glanced up to find Mr. Smith looking him over with frank appraisal. Something had changed in his easygoing manner now that his sons were out of earshot. It made Grey suddenly want to keep the guy in his line of sight.

  “What are your intentions toward my boys?” he asked abruptly. “If you mean them harm, you can leave right now. Our kind don’t mix. I’ve been telling Luca that from day one.”

  Grey stared at him, a guilty flush creeping up his neck for no good reason. He didn’t even know what he was being accused of—but he was probably guilty. “Uh…I don’t know what you mean, Sir.”

  The older man narrowed his eyes at Grey. His eyes were so like Luca’s, with that same stormy sort of cast that indicated strong emotion. “I know what you are,” he said, drumming his fingers on the countertop. “You might be playing harmless now, but I have no reason to trust you around my boys.”

  Grey shook his head in confusion. “What do you mean?” Could he tell that Grey was a morph? Or, worse yet, could their dad sense Grey's romantic interests? Oh God, the man had gaydar. Grey wanted to laugh, but he felt trapped, exposed.

  Luca's dad leaned against the counter and regarded Grey with an unreadable expression. “I suspected your people had something to do with this whole mess. But…how is it that you got changed over too? You anger a relative? Start thinking for yourself and get tossed out on your can?”

  Grey had absolutely no idea what in the world he was talking about. “I…what?”

  The burly guy stared at Grey some more. Then he burst into deep, rich, belly-shaking laughter. “You…Luca was right, you honestly don’t know what you are, do you?” He stood and took his empty beer bottle to the sink to drain. “Oh, this is rich.”

  Grey glared at him. “Look, I don’t know what you’re getting at, but I don’t appreciate the implications!” He stood taller, his hands fisted at his sides. “I would never do anything to hurt Luca! Or Cameron,” he added as an afterthought.

  Their father leaned against the counter and regarded Grey with a relaxed expression, as if Grey wasn’t standing there fuming at him. “Oh, I see.” The strange man chuckled again. “I see.”

  Grey was done with this crazy conversation. He went to get his shoes, but the older guy stopped him. “No, no. You stay. I’ll go. Far be it from me to interfere with young love.” He tossed his beer bottle into the empties bin at the end of the counter and headed out of the room. “But I warn you, woman, if you put my son in danger, your cursed existence will be a short one.”

  Grey swore he saw the man’s eyes swirl, like clouds over water. And...had he just called Grey a woman?

  Luca reappeared as his father was shrugging into his coat. “Tell Cam I’m gonna watch the rest of the game at home, will ya?” Mr. Smith said, his expression back to its usual jovial good nature.

  Luca frowned and divided a look between Grey and his father. “Sure, okay.”

  Once his dad left, Luca relieved Grey of his chore. “Leave it,” he insisted. “Let Cameron do the rest. His punishment for being such an ass with the sausage jokes.” He twined his fingers with Grey's and drew him away toward the back of the house and up a flight of stairs.

  Grey was afraid of how weird it would be with Luca once they were alone. He didn't know how to act now that his feelings had been exposed. And he didn’t know how Luca expected him to act. Luca closed the bedroom door and leaned against it for a moment, his dark eyes on Grey. Then he hauled out a gaming chair and an overstuffed footstool. He held up Zombie Apocalypse IV, the latest game in the series.

  Grey grinned at him, glad to have at least one hobby that was acceptable for an adult male—and glad to have a distraction. “I’ve been dying to try it.”

  They proceeded to kick, shoot, blow up, and melt mutants to their hearts’ content. Grey didn’t know how long they had been playing when he sat back and realized that he hadn’t laughed this hard or had this much fun in a long time. Luca always had that effect on him. Or he usually did. When Grey looked back over the last few months, he didn’t know how he’d lived before he met Luca and the others.

  Of course, that suddenly made him stop laughing. Cam seemed fine with Grey and Luca being a thing, despite all his teasing. But what would everyone else think? Were they going to tell the band? Would it ruin all the fun they had together?

  Luca cursed and dropped his controller as his character met an untimely and dramatic end. He glanced Grey’s way. “Tired?” He turned the little alarm clock on his nightstand and looked at the time. “Holy crap. No wonder. It’s three o’clock.”

  Grey started and looked at the clock accusingly, wondering how it had gotten so late. “Oh man, my dad’s gonna freak.”

  Luca gave him a surprised look. “You are twenty-one years old, you know. Your dad’s pretty protective, huh?”

  Grey shrugged, not sure how to explain. “I don’t think it’s that really, not the way you mean. He just likes to be in control.” He bit his lip. “It’s more that we have a routine, and he’s a type A person. I don’t think he’d care where I was as long as it didn’t upset his routine.”

  Luca stood and stretched. Grey pulled his eyes away from the long, lean, lines of his body. “Don’t worry about it,” Luca said with a wink. “You texted him earlier and said you were going to be out late tonight and that you’d probably stay over with a friend.”

  Damn it. When Luca said it, it made Grey’s relationship with his father sound even more juvenile.

  Grey patted his pockets, looking for his phone. Luca pulled it from his own back pocket and tossed it to Grey. “You left it lying on the table after dinner.”

  Grey narrowed his eyes. “You could have just asked me to stay.”

  Luca smiled a slow, lazy smile that made Grey’s stomach do strange little flip-flops. “You would have gotten all freaked out and said no.”

  Grey collapsed back in the chair. “I give up! I’m too tired to argue.”

  Luca laughed and headed for the door. “I’ll be right back.”

  He returned a few minutes later with a mound of blankets and a pillow. He dropped them on the end of the bed and crossed to his dresser. Then he tossed Grey a pair of flannel pajama pants. “Or do you sleep naked?” He waggled his dark eyebrows theatrically.

  Grey blushed and followed him to the bathroom. After they brushed their teeth—a task that seemed weirdly intimate—Grey stood in the doorway watching Luca turn back the bed and re-arrange the pillows. He had no idea how to act. He wasn’t used to spending so much time with other guys who weren’t morphs. Was this just how guys acted, or was Luca treating him like a girlfriend? Or…he guessed that would be boyfriend now? Luca pulled off his t-shirt and Grey’s eyes lingered on his nipple piercings. Grey could hear his pulse in his ears, along with the now-familiar rushing, ocean-like white noise sound that meant he was about to lose his damned mind. He spun and headed back out the door, muttering “bathroom.”

  Once Grey got to his porcelain-filled sanctuary, he stared at himself in the mirror. His wide eyes looked panicked. His hands shook as he undressed and pulled on the pajamas. He had to roll up the long legs, since he wasn’t as freakishly tall as Luca. Grey trailed a hand over his slender torso, so unlike the body he'd had four years ago. His hand idly moved lower. What would Luca think if he saw him naked? It was one thing to say you didn’t care about gender when the other person was dressed. After all, Grey was kind of girly looking. But what would Luca do when he saw how truly, enormously male Grey really was? God, what would he think when he came face to face with The Cosmic Joke?

  Grey took a deep breath and went back to Luca’s room before his panic attack could ratchet up to full gear. He was startled when he bumped into Cameron in the hall. The jock raised a golden eyebrow at Grey. “Staying over?”

  Grey nodded, his throat constricted. Cameron narrowed his eyes. “Does Luca know what you are? You
better be honest with him.” Then he laughed. “You know, Luca usually likes women, so it's his first time--" He made a circle with his thumb and forefinger then inserted a finger from his other hand, making a disgusting face. "Take it easy on him.” He waggled his blond brows in a way that was disturbingly like Luca's earlier gesture.

  Grey glared at him. “Shut up! Look, I’m sorry I ever said anything to you.” Grey squeezed his bundle of clothes and gritted his teeth. He'd never even thought of exactly how they would progress from here. Dear God, was Luca assuming the same thing Cameron was about what was about to happen in that bedroom? He was suddenly having trouble breathing.

  Cameron was still silently laughing at him, and Grey checked the urge to punch him. Ugh, had he really had a crush on this idiot at some point? How dumb was he as a girl? “I never would have liked you if I had known you were so--”

  Luca’s bedroom door opened, and Luca stopped mid-step, looking at them each in turn. Then he gave that charming, lop-sided smile. “Asinine?” He waved at Cameron, obviously having overheard Grey. “Annoying? Self-absorbed? Immature?” He shrugged. “You get used to it. Eventually it seems almost endearing.” Then to Cameron, “Hey, Cam. How about you get lost and mind your own business instead of flirting with my date?”

  Cameron snorted and stomped into the bathroom, closing the door behind him. Luca laughed. “Sorry. He's an ass. It gets worse when he's confused.” He spoke louder, his voice directed toward the bathroom door. "It's like his tiny brain just overheats."

  Grey followed Luca into the bedroom and dropped his clothes on a chair as Luca closed the door.

  Chapter 38

  Grey fidgeted, feeling extremely awkward after his encounter with Cameron.

  Luca brushed by him and went to sit on the bed. He patted the place beside him. “Come here.”

  Grey swallowed. “Look, Luca, this is…I mean…I don’t know…I’m not sure….”

  Luca laughed and grabbed Grey’s wrist, dragging him closer. "I'm sorry, but it's so adorable to see you acting all shy. It's so not like you. What happened to the pushy, hot-headed guy I know so well?"

  He tugged Grey onto his lap. Grey was amazed at how easily he fit there, but he couldn’t make himself relax. He just sat there stiffly, looking at his hands, not knowing what to do. All his usual bravado had abandoned him. Luca’s fingers traced his cheek, and he planted a soft kiss behind Grey's ear, making him shiver.

  “I’m not going to attack you,” Luca breathed. His hand stroked Grey’s back, trailing lightly over his bare skin, but he seemed content to just hold him, to let them both get used to this.

  Grey snorted. “Oh please, restrain yourself.”

  Luca’s whole body shook as he laughed. “I’m trying to.” Then he gave a self-deprecating snort. “Actually, I have no idea what I’m doing. This is completely foreign to me too, you know. I’ve never…wanted a man. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

  Grey looked at him, pleading. “You’re not supposed to do anything. You don’t have to force yourself just out of pity.”

  Luca pulled back and looked at Grey, his eyebrows raised. “Is that what you think? That I’m forcing myself to put the moves on you because I feel sorry for you?”

  Grey shrugged. “You like girls. I know you do.” God, did he ever know. He’d heard it too many damned times.

  “You have way too high an opinion of me if you think I’m that selfless.” Luca scooted Grey off his lap and went to turn out the light. Then he slid into bed and drew Grey down to lie beside him.

  Luca's graceful musician's fingers stroked Grey’s face, then he gently slipped an arm around his waist as he curled behind him, his hand stroking the sensitive skin of Grey's stomach and chest. Grey could feel him, rock hard through the thin layers of their pajamas, but Luca did nothing more than hold him as the minutes stretched on. “Do you….” Luca sighed. His hand stilled, splayed over Grey’s heart. “I want you,” he whispered into his hair. The bald statement sent a shock through Grey. Luca’s voice trembled a bit. “So much. Do you…?”

  Grey sighed. “Yeah.” It was easier to say in the dark, his blushing face and trembling hands hidden from that sharp blue gaze. “I feel the same way. It’s just that it’s so complicated….”

  Luca tightened his arm around Grey’s waist, pulling him in even closer, wrapping his long frame around Grey more securely. “It’s not. It’s not complicated at all. I need you. I can’t stop myself from wanting you—whether you’re a woman or a man, or...an albino giraffe.”

  Grey snorted with laughter and Luca continued, his deep voice laced with humor. “It’s that simple.” Luca planted a soft, lingering kiss on Grey’s shoulder, then another, moving up to his neck. “I meant what I said. I don’t suddenly expect anything from you. Nothing’s changed, Grey. I’m just happy to be with you—to be able to hold you and finally tell you I love you. But…I wouldn’t object to more. Tell me what you want, Grey. Please.”

  Grey caught Luca’s hand, where it lightly stroked his stomach. He lifted it to his lips and pressed a kiss to the palm, not letting himself think. This was Luca. His Luca. And he was asking what Grey wanted. “Touch me,” he whispered, tilting his head so Luca could have better access to his neck as he pressed their hands to his lower belly and slid them downward.

  Luca shifted, propping himself up on his free elbow as he dropped kisses along Grey’s neck and up under his ear, nibbling and tasting along the way. Grey half turned in his arms, meeting his lips in a slow, deep kiss as Luca grasped Grey’s cock, stroking him lightly through his pajamas. Grey moaned into the kiss, not caring that he sounded like a porn star. God, Luca had barely touched him, and he felt like he was going to explode.

  “Wow.” Luca chuckled against Grey’s lips. “I’m suddenly feeling a little inadequate over here.

  Grey was glad it was dark in the bedroom, because his face was probably beet red right now. “Not your fault you’re not a freak,” he mumbled, pressing back against Luca so he could roll to face him and do some touching of his own.

  “You are not a freak,” Luca insisted, trailing his hand up Grey’s side in a tickling caress and drawing him into another sweet, lingering kiss. “You’re perfect. I was only teasing. Not afraid of your giant cock.”

  Grey huffed and leaned into kiss Luca’s collar bone, then paused to nip playfully at his pec. “Less talking, maybe.”

  Luca chuckled, low and rich, then he slipped his hand under Grey’s waistband and wrapped those long fingers around his dick again. “Oh, there’s bossy Grey. I missed him while he was on vacation.”

  “Shut up.” Grey slid his hand down the center of Luca’s chest, loving the feel of the light smattering of chest hair against his fingertips. Pausing, he ran a finger over one of Luca’s nipples, exploring the warm metal of Luca’s piercing with his fingertip. Luca pressed into his hand as he stroked Grey, pulling his foreskin back with gentle, firm strokes.

  Grey took the hint and bent his head to toy with the hardware with his tongue while he got this hand down Luca’s pants to return the favor. He gripped warm, velvety smooth skin and gave him a small stroke. “You’re like me,” he blurted out like an idiot.

  Luca laughed and pressed a kiss to Grey’s forehead in the dark. “What? You thought there was a unicorn down there or something?”

  Grey rewarded him with a nip at his bottom lip. “Ass. I meant this.” He squeezed slightly harder, pulling back Luca’s foreskin and swiping a thumb over the damp, swollen head.

  Luca let out a strained, husky laugh and thrust into Grey’s hand. “Mmm…parents are kind of old-fashioned. They weren’t up for ‘mutilating’ their precious babies. Can we talk about something else, right now, please?”

  Grey laughed and kissed his throat. “I think I already suggested that like five minutes ago.”

  Luca surged toward him, covering Grey’s mouth with his own, making sure they couldn’t speak as they explored each other, teasing touches turning into faster, harder, desper
ate. When Luca released Grey’s cock and pulled him closer, Grey almost whined at the loss of sensation, but then Luca’s big hand was there again, knocking Grey’s aside, pressing their dicks together in one hand as he stroked them both. Grey pressed closer, his balls tingling as his cock glided over Luca’s, nearly out of his mind with the feel of Luca’s hand on him, driving him toward orgasm. Luca’s lips on his, Luca’s deep voice whispering things that were as filthy as they were sweet. Luca was his, and this had to be a dream. The rushing sound in Grey’s ears intensified, then it just…burst dissipating like fading music note. He came in long, hard spurts, clutching Luca’s broad shoulders, muffling Luca’s hoarse shout in the crook of his shoulder as Luca came with him.

  He felt like lightning shot through him, pooling in his belly and filling him with this humming sort of energy as he held Luca in his arms.

  He had no fucking clue what had just happened. But fuck, he’d never felt anything like it in his life.

  Luca panted against his neck, his long body still wracked with shuddering aftershocks. “Grey,” he managed. Then nothing more.

  Grey laughed and pressed his forehead to Luca’s. “Luca.”

  The guitarist chuckled, but he still didn’t speak for a few minutes more. “I think we need a shower. And a change of clothes.”

  Grey flopped onto his back, glad for the way the darkness hid his goofy grin. “Only if we can shower in the dark. Because I’m sleeping right now. It’s fucking four in the morning.”

  Luca huffed a laugh and clambered over him to get out of bed, pausing to straddle him and press a soft, lingering kiss to Grey’s lips. “Fine. No lights, my little vampire. Come on.”

  All joking aside, Grey was exhausted, even with that weird humming energy sensation in his middle. He and Luca hurriedly got cleaned up, Grey taking Luca’s last pair of pajama pants while Luca yanked on a pair of boxers before they snuggled back into bed.