by Kaye Draper
“See,” Luca said around a yawn. “Told you it was simple.”
Grey closed his eyes and relaxed into Luca’s embrace, and for the first time in four years, he slept soundly through the night.
Chapter 39
Luca curled himself around Grey’s warm, lithe body, wrapping an arm around Grey’s narrow waist. He marveled at the strange need to protect Grey, to shelter him with his own body. As if Grey couldn’t take care of himself.
Luca had felt the moment when Grey fed from him. The guy was certainly strong. And stubborn, and straightforward...but there was this strange sense of frailty, of something vulnerable about him—like that hard shell would shatter someday and reveal the scared, abused girl within.
Luca felt the tension leave Grey’s body, his tightly coiled form relaxing bit by bit into sleep. Luca felt as if he held something infinitely precious. He tried to beat back the guilt. There were so many things he wanted to tell Grey. But every time he tried to speak up, something happened, or Grey stopped him. He didn’t want to make Grey’s life more complicated than it already was. Clearly, the beautiful boy already struggled so hard to accept who he was. Luca couldn’t stand to add fuel to the fire.
At least that’s what he told himself. Anything to keep Grey to himself. Anything to remain here, holding him for a little while longer and avoid saying things that would only drive a wedge between them.
Chapter 40
Steffen sat in the plush Dover office with a charming smile plastered on his face while his manager made idyll chit-chat with some studio bigwig. He tried to remember the big-wig man's name and failed. It wasn't important. Compared to the seductive beauty of Arianna's voice, luring and lulling the executive into complacency, nothing else was important.
A small part of him, somewhere deep inside, regretted how lost he had become. But it was far too late for that now. That part of him was quickly submerged in the waves of compulsion that swept through his mind. All he could focus on was Arianna.
Once the negotiations were finished, his gorgeous mistress stood and smoothed a hand over her cashmere sweater-dress. Steff's eyes followed her hand over the luscious curves of her body and his desire stirred against his will, even as he loathed himself for it.
"Come, pet," she said with a soft smile.
Steff stood obediently, without conscious thought, made sure his clothing and hair was all just as she liked it, then followed her out of the office and into the elevator. The doors swished closed and Arianna let out a tinkling laugh. "Oh, this is so much fun." She turned sultry emerald-green eyes on Steffen. "My pretty golden songbird is becoming quite popular."
Steff wanted to run. He wanted to stop the elevator and put as much space between himself and this monster as possible. But he couldn't. She had slipped into his mind. He was nothing more than a slave. How had he ever thought he would do anything to leave Tera, to get off Etna Island? The price was too steep.
Arianna's eyes narrowed, as if she could hear his desperate thoughts, as if she felt his desire to escape. Monster, he thought, screaming the word in his head. He could still feel the smile on his face. Before they entered the office, she had told him to smile and look charming. She’d never told him to stop.
The monster stepped closer, slipping a delicate booted foot between his legs and reaching up to tangle her hands in his hair. "I've given you everything. Lifted you up to fame and made your dreams come true," she breathed. Her smile was predatory. "Don't you think I've earned some gratitude, love?"
Steffen's voice was robotic as he said the only thing he could. "Yes, mistress."
She stepped back with a laugh that sent a chill up his spine. Then she pushed the stop button, halting the elevator. "Come here, pet," she said with a sultry smile.
Steff wanted to shout. He wanted to grab her by that honey-colored hair and slam her head into the shiny stainless-steel walls of the elevator until the song inside his head died along with the monster who created it. Instead, he felt the last of his willpower wash away like water swirling down a drain.
He knelt in front of her, his hands encircling her narrow waist. He would do anything to make her happy. His goddess. His world. He planted a soft kiss on her stomach as she raked her hands through his hair.
"Show me that you love me," Arianna whispered, her emerald eyes glowing as she touched the hem of her skirt.
Screaming internally, Stephan slid his hands up her thighs and did as he was told.
Chapter 41
Now that they were trying out this whole…couple…thing, Luca had insisted on taking Grey out on a “real date.” Whatever that meant. Grey was revolted to find himself standing in the tiny bathroom of his trailer fussing with his hair, trying to make sure his clothes lay just right while he waited for Luca to pick him up. He grimaced at himself in the mirror. His eyes looked too wide and lovestruck. It was disgustingly feminine. But…maybe that was part of why Luca liked him? Maybe he’d be turned off if Grey was some big hulking Abbie-style lumberjack?
A knock sounded at the door and Grey sighed in relief. At least he could stop his stupid fussing now. He was horrified at the hot blush he could feel creeping up his cheeks when he met Luca on the porch.
“Hi,” Luca said with a smile. “Hope you weren’t waiting long? It took me longer to get here from my dad’s house than I thought it would.”
Grey shook his head and swallowed, unable to stop looking at his feet. When he finally peeled his eyes off his sneakers, he found Luca regarding him with an embarrassed smile himself. His sleek black hair was pulled back and he was wearing a grey sweater that looked brand new. It clung to his frame, accentuating his broad chest and narrow waist. He’d even switched out some of his piercings, replacing plain silver and black for the subdued sparkle of gemstones here and there. Even his lip ring had a tiny captive ball with a deep blue stone the color of Luca’s eyes. He tilted his head and one long chain with a silver star on the end dangled from his ear and brushed his shoulder. Clearly, Grey wasn’t the only one nervously obsessing tonight. The thought was a relief, on some level.
“You look nice,” Grey said, immediately wishing he hadn’t. God. So dumb. Luca didn’t look nice. He looked hot.
“Thanks. You too.” Luca reached out and captured Grey’s hand, twining his fingers through Grey’s and giving him a tug and a shy lopsided smile. “Let’s go.”
They slipped into Luca’s Monte Carlo and drove downtown, where they got out and braved the weather to amble around town. At first, Grey was stiff as a board, rigid with self-consciousness, but Luca pushed through his own nerves and treated Grey with the same humorous affection he always had. And Grey finally gave himself license to actually enjoy it for once.
They wandered around the shops in old town, then subjected themselves to some abuse at The Chow Hound before catching a movie. Luca hardly let go of Grey’s hand the entire time, and Grey, though embarrassed by the curious looks of passersby, couldn’t find it in him to pull away. Luca seemed so…proud. Like he’d won some prize, rather than the dubious honor of holding Grey’s hand in public. The weirdo.
Grey’s heart just couldn’t take it. It was going to explode with cuteness overload any minute. He rolled his eyes at himself. What an embarrassing way to go.
They were walking along Seaway Drive, laughing over the cheesy plot of the action movie they’d just watched, when George pulled up and unceremoniously yanked them off the street and into his car. Grey tried to let go of Luca’s hand, but the long fingers tightened around his and wouldn’t budge.
“What’s up George?” Luca pushed a wayward strand of hair back off his face, looking unconcerned.
George glanced into the rearview mirror to examine them where they sat in the backseat, looking pointedly at their linked hands. Grey squirmed uncomfortably under his gaze. “What is this?” George asked with a definite edge to his voice.
Grey looked down. He felt Luca shrug beside him. “It was a date until you came along,” the guitarist supplied, sounding
put out.
Grey smirked at Luca’s tone, but George wasn’t amused.
“Neither of you ever mentioned that you were gay. Luca, for fuck’s sake, I’ve known you for years! I’ve met your girlfriends.” He turned a gimlet eye on Grey. He probably thought that he—as the newcomer—had corrupted Lucifer’s guitarist.
Grey was kind of getting sick of the way everyone just immediately assumed you had to be one way or the other. Even Grey was guilty of that sort of black and white thinking. It was ridiculous. Especially in this day and age, and in this place.
Luca leaned back, letting go of Grey’s hand only to drape his arm along the back of the seat. “Our sexual preferences are none of your business, George.”
Grey could have died. A good old lightning strike would be good right about now. Maybe the earth could open up and swallow him?
George huffed. “None of my business?” He rolled his eyes and glanced at the stoplight in front of them. “If you want to be in the public eye, then everything about you is my business, from the gigs you play, to the clothes you wear, to the food you eat, to whoever crawls into your beds at night.”
Grey sighed. “He’s just afraid we’ll ruin Lucifer’s image, Luca,” he said tiredly.
Luca snorted in disbelief, but George threw up his hands. “Exactly! At least one of you has some sense.”
Luca glared, but Grey knew what George was getting at. “The female fans,” he said reasonably. He doesn’t want you to lose fans, especially now that we’re selling on the mainland.”
George eased up and stopped looking quite so much like a snorting bull as he drove through the city. “Your fans too, Grey.” He shook his head. “You guys should have told me you were dating.”
Luca sat up. “Why? So you could forbid it, oh Lord and Master?”
George gave him “the look.” George and Grey’s dad would get along great. They had the same way of looking down on you when they were disappointed. “I would have told you not to do it—it’s never a good idea to date a bandmate, no matter what the gender. But I know both of you well enough to know you wouldn’t listen to a word I said anyway. Stubborn assholes.”
“So why did you kidnap us?” Luca wasn’t impressed with their manager at the moment, and he wasn’t making any effort to disguise that fact. Grey wisely kept his mouth shut. He hadn’t known George long enough to piss him off and get away with it.
George ignored Luca’s peeved tone. “Do whatever kinky crap you want—in the privacy of your own home. At night. With all the shades pulled.” He pointed a finger at them as if they were a couple of recalcitrant high school kids caught making out under the bleachers. “But do not let a single person know about this. No photos of you two holding hands. No talk of forbidden love. Got it?”
Grey nodded. He felt Luca’s eyes on him, but the guitarist didn’t say anything else. Since it was nearby, and they’d planned to end up there anyway, George let them out at the townhouse. They could always go retrieve Luca’s car later. George gave them a final thunderous warning look and drove off.
Luca moved to put his arm around Grey, but Grey pulled away. “Wait until we’re inside,” he said, resigned.
Luca followed him in, silent. They both paused when they saw Ethan and Matheus were hanging out in the living room. Grey knew Luca had probably been hoping the same thing he had—that they’d have the house to themselves, since the other guys didn’t spend the night there that often. Grey heaved a sigh as he acknowledged the death of their romantic evening alone.
What a spectacular first date this had been. Stellar. Amazing. Just like everything Grey tried to do. For fuck’s sake.
Ethan looked up from a printed schedule he’d been studying, his blue eyes latching onto Grey like he was so happy to see him, he couldn’t contain himself. “We’ve got an interview tomorrow,” he said happily. Grey managed not to laugh at how much Ethan reminded him of a happy puppy right now. Maybe a golden retriever, with that thick bleached blond hair.
Mat groaned and ran a hand through his brown waves, making his hair stand up on end. Grey was never going to tell him how adorable that stupid look was on the usually perfect broodmaster. “We’ve got to be up at the butt crack of dawn, so we decided to just camp out here. I called you guys, but apparently you were too busy to answer.” He shared a narrow-eyed look between Grey and Luca, as if he knew exactly what they’d been up to.
Grey shared one last look with Luca and shrugged. It had been nice while it lasted. The easy way Ethan and Matheus carried on helped to soothe some of Grey’s nerves. But he could feel the tension radiating off Luca. The guitarist was pissed. And calm, reasonable Luca pissed-off was not something Grey enjoyed. He headed into the bathroom to escape the building storm in those deep blue eyes.
Grey stared into the mirror that hung above the sink. The first-floor half-bath was small and narrow. The trendy silver-and-white papered wall was only a couple feet from Grey's back. Grey wondered what Luca thought when he looked at the face of the man in that mirror. Was Grey really worth risking the band’s success? He stuck out his tongue at his reflection and made a face. Bleh. He was so done with all the freaking worrying. Hadn’t they already been through all this and decided to stop getting in their own way?
Grey turned on the faucet and washed his hands, letting the warm water take away some of the tension in him. He hadn’t really thought of the band’s reputation when he was out with Luca. Now he was ashamed. He wanted Luca more than he’d ever let himself want anything in his life. But of course he didn’t want the band to suffer. As much as he hated it, the world would think they were entitled to talk shit about Grey and Luca’s sexual preferences, just because they were public figures.
If it wasn’t one thing, it was something else. Was Grey really just fucking cursed? Maybe the crazy religious zealots were right, and Grey was being punished for his past life sins or something.
He closed his eyes as the water flowed over his hands. He couldn’t give up his relationship with Luca—that was absolutely not happening. They would just have to be more careful. He knew Luca didn’t want to hide, and the thought of being open with their relationship—of walking down the street holding hands, maybe stunning narrow-minded people with a stolen kiss or five—made Grey’s blood rush….
Something brushed the back of Grey’s hand and his eyes flew open. He slammed the taps off and braced his hands against the sink as he stared down into the bowl. The water had flowed faster than the drain, and the sink was half-full of rapidly dwindling water. Grey watched in horrified fascination as a small, neon green fish swirled round and round with the water spiraling toward the drain.
He jumped when someone knocked on the door.
“Hurry up,” Matheus said from outside. “Ethan wants to do celebratory shots before bed.”
When Grey looked back at the sink, the water was gone—and so was the neon fantasy fish.
Chapter 42
George leaned back in his office chair, causing the sturdy leather-clad thing to creak under his portly weight. A beatific grin stretched across his face, and his blueberry eyes crinkled up at the corners. “Will you just look at this?”
He gestured grandly at the computer screen in front of him, where he'd been monitoring data on their album release. “They’re going crazy. The women on the mainland are losing their minds—and their panties!”
Grey felt his cheeks warm as Luca turned the monitor toward them, impatient with George’s rambling. Grey scanned the screen over Luca’s shoulder. There were multiple tabs open on the screen. Luca clicked through with increasing speed. They were all music websites. Various rating scales for new bands. Popularity ratings, forums, you name it. Lucifer dominated them all. Their album, released last week, had been well received.
Luca stopped on a blog post proclaiming Lucifer to be “The blessing from the curse.” Of course the fact that the band was from the mysterious quarantined island had probably helped Lucifer’s fame just a tad.
George
guffawed. “Oh, man. Look at this website. They’re all picking their favorite members.” He leaned over and took the mouse from Luca. “See! Our little Grey is a chick magnet. I knew it! Girls love that effeminate type nowadays.”
He grinned at Grey, who glared back. “Ah…um…you know what I mean,” he backpedaled.
Luca twitched. Grey glanced at him, eyes narrowed. The guitarist’s shoulders shook. Luca compressed his wide mouth into a thin line as Grey watched him with suspicion. Finally, it was too much for Luca to handle and he burst out laughing, chuckling until tears ran down his face. Grey crossed his arms over his chest and gave Luca a murderous look. The women on the mainland were all in a tizzy over the girlish good looks of a man who was secretly a woman. Oh, fucking har-har. “Laugh it up, asshole.”
George’s phone started ringing merrily before he could ask what was so funny, playing a chunk of a Lucifer song. He picked it up and stared at it, still grinning. “Damn thing’s been ringing all day.” He looked up at Luca and Grey, suddenly serious. “You tell the other guys that we’re doing interviews tomorrow too. All day. Thank god for that new online concert app. A little thing like a quarantine can’t stop us!” He stabbed a finger at his phone then held the thing to his ear. “Hello, George Silverstone speaking. How may I help you?”
Luca and Grey beat a hasty retreat. Grey leaned against the wall in the hallway as Luca eased the office door closed. He couldn’t stop the smile that split his face. Luca grinned back, his blue eyes sparkling with joy. “We’ve got to tell Ethan and Mat.”
Grey nodded, his grinn deepening. “And then we’ve gotta go celebrate.”
Chapter 43
In the end, the guys all went out and got sloshed at The Anchor. Luca didn't know whether to feel guilty or count his blessings that Grey had given in and taken part in the toasts and shots. They both knew Grey's weakness for alcohol. Grey had waved away Luca’s concern, letting loose in a way he rarely did. Luca had to admit, confident and happy was a good look on his boyfriend. And he liked to think he had at least a little bit to do with Grey’s growing self-acceptance.
