by Xenia Melzer
“No, you aren’t. It’s just— You’re so damn honest. And even though you’re worried, you’re not frightened, which means a lot to me, but that also means your witch friend is right being worried about you, because when the instinct of self-preservation was handed out, you were clearly occupied with something else.”
Sammy stared at Dre wide-eyed. “So, you are dangerous?”
Dre’s answering smile was definitely predatory and sent a lustful shudder down Sammy’s spine.
“What does your gut tell you?”
“That you would look damn good in my bed.” The words were out before Sammy could think about or stop them. He cringed and felt heat infusing first his cheeks then his entire body. “Did I just say that out loud?” Sammy hid behind his palms.
“Oh yes, you did.” Dre’s voice sounded raspier, deeper than it had just moments before. Sammy risked a quick glance through his fingers and found the demon’s eyes had turned a deep crimson, which did some pleasant things to his nether regions. Sammy groaned. This day was getting worse by the minute. Through the narrow gap between his index and third finger, he saw Dre licking his lips with a tongue long enough to have Sammy’s entire body tingling.
“And I love it, because I’m thinking the exact same thing.”
Sammy shuddered. “This is only the second time we’ve met! We should be awkwardly trying to find out if our feelings are mutual, not discussing…matters of the bed. And Mavis said you’re dangerous!”
Dre grinned. “Oh, I am dangerous, Sammy. I’m known to play mean Halo matches, and men romanced by me are spoiled for everybody else.”
“You play Halo? Great, we should have a match, because I’m quite notorious myself. Wait! What do you mean, men? As in plural?”
At least Dre had the decency to look a bit flustered. “Uh, what I wanted to say was… You see, I’m a bit older than you…and, well, I’m considered a grown-up by my people…”
Now it was Sammy who had to fight against laughing out loud, and just like Dre, he lost the battle. Between hysterical giggles, he managed to say something. “I…know you’re older. I don’t expect you to be…uh, untouched. It’s just…the idea of you being with somebody else. I don’t like it.” The last words came out with more emphasis than Sammy had intended, and his face heated up even more. He groaned.
Dre touched his forearm lightly with his big hand, seemingly not sure if the gesture was welcome. Sammy wasn’t sure either, but his body operated on automatic and he buried his face in the crook of Dre’s elbow. A heavenly scent like ripe strawberries in the sun with a hint of dark chocolate wafted into his nose and Sammy calmed. He was almost sure he’d caught the same scent from Dre night before, but then again, his own body had had a rather ripe aroma and the abandoned building had reeked of all kinds of decay and rubbish. Dre landed his other hand on Sammy’s back, rubbing soothing circles between his shoulder blades.
“If it’s any consolation, I think we can now say our feelings are mutual, and I don’t think it could have been any more awkward. So how about we consider this part of the dating script dealt with and you tell me your favorite city.”
Sammy looked up, still unsure what he should think but too enraptured by Dre’s scent and the pleasant warmth that was spreading through his body from the places where the demon touched him to try and pull away.
“My favorite city?”
“Yes, honey. For our first date, I want to take you somewhere special.”
“We’re having a date?” Sammy had problems keeping up with Dre.
“We are. Unless you don’t want to go on a date?” The hint of insecurity in Dre’s voice melted Sammy’s heart.
“Oh, I so want to go! I just can’t believe this is really happening. I mean, you’re beyond gorgeous and I’m just…me.”
“Which is all I want.” Dre traveled his fingers down his spine, and for a moment, Sammy thought he would melt under the touch.
“Rome. I like Rome.”
Dre smiled encouragingly. “Have you ever been there?”
Sammy shook his head. “No, but I’ve seen La Dolce Vita at least twenty times.” He gulped. “It was my father’s favorite.”
Dre suddenly pressed Sammy flush against his hard, broad chest. “Then Rome it is. I’m sure you’re going to like it. I know some cool places there.”
“We’re going to travel demon-style?” Sammy couldn’t keep the excitement out of his voice. Dre chuckled.
“Of course. I promised you. Remember?”
“You did.”
They were silent for a few moments, staring into each other’s eyes. Sammy noted that the crimson in Dre’s gaze had faded and been replaced by black. It took all his willpower to stop staring into the depths in which he could easily lose himself.
“So, you were looking for a manga?”
Dre shook his head like a kitten that had just gotten wet. He clearly had been lost in his own world as well. When he started to smile, Sammy had butterflies fluttering in his belly.
“Yes. I was told you’re the man to talk to.”
With some difficulty, they let go of each other. Sammy straightened and gestured toward the desk where his computer sat.
“Then let’s go over there and see what I can do for you.”
Chapter Four
Dre was nervous. He didn’t want to admit it, but there was no other explanation. Why else would he have changed his outfit three times already, still not satisfied with how he looked? He wanted to impress Sammy so badly that he almost didn’t recognize himself.
“Hey, big brother, why are you having a staring match with the mirror?”
Barion was leaning in the door to Dre’s bedroom. His brother had come over to his place when he’d heard about the date. Dre could understand. This was the first time in almost a hundred years that he was going on a date—and with a human to boot. After his last, disastrous attempt at a relationship, Dre had restricted himself to hookups, only to spare himself the pain of being cheated on. Why in the nine hells he’d thought trying to build a life with an incubus was a good idea, he couldn’t tell. Back then, he’d been so in lust that he’d had trouble remembering his own name. Only finding his so-called partner in bed with not one, but two other demons had finally opened his eyes. He’d tossed the horny fucker out on his hot ass and spent the next year licking his wounds. Like Barion, Dre yearned for a stable relationship with somebody special.
Looking at his brother, Dre could see that Barion was dying of curiosity about who had managed to get him to date again, but Dre had kept the information about Sammy and the details about the date vague. He loved his brother with all his heart, but he had no intention of giving him a chance to ruin the date with one of his well-meant interferences that always ended in chaos. He and Sammy needed some time alone before Dre would even think about introducing him to any family members.
“I’m not sure if I should wear this shirt or…” He tugged at the black silk shirt he was wearing while looking for the dark red one he had tried on before.
Barion shook his head. “If I wouldn’t know better, I’d say you’re actually nervous, Dre. And that can’t be. Can it?”
Dre didn’t answer. Admitting to himself that this date meant more to him than any date he’d ever had was one thing. Telling his little brother was probably not wise.
“You are nervous! Dre, the charmer, is nervous about going out with a human. Wait!” Barion furrowed his forehead and the silver patterns on his skin seemed to glow. Where Dre was red, Barion was blue, but they both had the silver marks that announced them as royalty. The patterns on the other demons were either black or—if they were warriors—bronze. “Could he be—?”
“Don’t even go there, Barion.”
“But, Dre, this is important!” Barion pouted, which looked ridiculous on a male his size.
“I said don’t go there. I’m having a date with a human I find interesting and whose scent I like. There’s no need to get all excited.”
“
But—”
Dre shook his head. Barion was a romantic at heart and still dreamed of finding his fated mate one day. For demons, that was a bit more difficult than for other paranormals. Shifters recognized their mates by scent, as did vampires. Gargoyles needed to hear their mate’s voice to know, and phoenixes reacted to the aura. They all knew instantly who their mate was. For demons, it was different. For one, it was rare for a demon to find his or her true mate. There were only two dozen couples or ménages who’d had such luck. And a demon couldn’t tell immediately if somebody was their mate. They could find a person’s scent intriguing, like Dre did Sammy’s, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. It was a hint, nothing more. The only way Dre would know was when he bit Sammy during sex and his skin pattern developed on Sammy afterward. It was a sign that the body of the mate had undergone the necessary transformation to enable him or her to be a demon’s companion. Since that transformation was rumored to be painful, Dre was in no hurry to bite Sammy—not to mention that Sammy would probably appreciate being told about the possible implications of sleeping with a demon.
“Even if he is my mate, this is our very first date. I don’t want to overwhelm him. I just want him to have fun.”
“So, it could be.” The pure longing and hope in Barion’s voice kept Dre from lashing out at his brother. He understood how much his brother longed for a mate because he felt the same. He had just learned to deal with this yearning by ignoring it, which was unhealthy, as he well knew. But at least kept him from becoming depressed because his chances of finding his mate were slim to nonexistent. Sammy was like a ray of sunshine in a dark room, though Dre still refused to be too enthusiastic.
“Yes, it could be. But it’s too soon to tell, and I don’t want to get my hopes up. I’m going to enjoy this night, and if he wants to see me again, I’ll work from there.”
Barion sighed. “You’re right. Sorry, Dre. I didn’t mean to be a nag. It’s just—”
“I understand. Really. And you will find your mate, Barion. I’m sure. Now what do you think? The red or the black shirt?”
“The black one. Brings out your eyes,” Barion said after carefully assessing Dre. “You want to look your best when you take him to…?”
“Nice try, little brother. I’m so not going to tell you where I’m taking him. Perhaps afterward.”
“That’s just plain unfair. I promise that I won’t do anything. I just want to know!” Barion whined.
Dre shook his head. “I know you. You promise me now, but the moment I’m gone, you’ll start wondering, then you get impatient after five minutes of waiting. Then you can’t hold back anymore and you follow me, and we both know what’s going to happen then. No. I love you but no.”
Before Barion could voice his protest, Dre closed the last button on his shirt, took his wallet and cut open time and space to step into Sammy’s kitchen. Barion’s high-pitched whine was the last thing he heard before he was greeted by a shriek and the sound of breaking glass.
“Jesus, Dre!” Sammy stood next to the kitchen counter with one hand clutched to his chest. The sweet smell of strawberry marmalade permeated the air. Dre glanced over the kitchen table and saw shards of glass and a red smudge on the floor.
“I’m so sorry, Sammy. I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Dre was contrite. What a terrible way to begin a date. Sammy rubbed his chest. He wore a white button-down with anthracite-color slacks that hugged his body just right. Dre couldn’t wait to see Sammy from behind. He shook his head to get rid of his inappropriate thoughts when he realized why Sammy was still rooted to the spot like a statue. He was barefoot. Dre rushed over to him, careful not to step into the marmalade, and lifted Sammy out of harm’s way. Before he let him down again, Sammy slung his arms around Dre’s neck, which felt so good that Dre almost toppled over.
“Hi, Dre. It’s good to see you.”
Sammy’s breathless voice was close to his ear. “And don’t worry about the marmalade. It’s store-bought and nowhere near as tasty as the one Mavis and Maribell make.”
Dre chuckled, pressing Sammy closer to his body, unwilling to let him go. “Would I be in trouble if it had been one of their glasses?”
The answer came without hesitation. “Yes. Wasting their cooking is a sacrilege. You’ll understand once you’ve tasted their cookies.”
“I can’t wait.”
Sammy bent his torso back far enough to look into Dre’s eyes. Their lips were so close that Dre thought he could feel the heat coming from Sammy. They both moved forward as if somebody was pulling invisible strings until their lips met in a chaste kiss that sent shudders down Dre’s spine. Sammy gripped Dre’s shoulders like a vise. He was panting.
“Hello, Dre.”
“I think you already said that.”
“Did I?”
“To be honest, I can’t remember.”
Silence fell around them while they kept on staring at each other. Sammy’s weight felt pleasant in Dre’s arms, and he knew he would never tire of his differently colored eyes. The one with the brown iris had flecks of gold that reminded Dre of amber. The blue one was not really blue on closer inspection, but a mixture of gray, a very light blue—like the sky in spring—and some faded green dots. Fascinating and gorgeous.
“I think you can let me down now.”
Dre didn’t like that idea, but he did as Sammy asked. Once Sammy’s feet touched the floor again, he went for the kitchen door.
“Just let me get some shoes. Then I’m going to clean up this mess and we can leave.”
Dre shook his head. “I’ve got a better idea. How about you get ready for our date while I clean up the mess, since I’m responsible for it—more or less.”
Sammy looked at the mix of glittering shards and sticky red mass on the floor then back up to Dre.
“If you insist.”
Dre grinned. “I insist. Now get your sexy ass out of here so I can impress you with my cleaning skills.”
“You think my ass is sexy?”
Sammy sounded more incredulous than teasing, which told Dre he wasn’t used to getting compliments. Well, Dre could definitely remedy that.
“Oh yes. Very sexy. It’s one of the reasons I asked you on a date.” He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.
Sammy opened his eyes wide and clutched his chest in mock consternation.
“You only want me for my body!”
“I see we understand each other.”
They both started laughing and Sammy turned back to the door. “No magic to clean up!”
Dre huffed. “Don’t worry. A demon’s magic is better suited to create a mess than to clean it up—though the color would fit.”
Sammy gasped. “Dre!”
“Just kidding. Where do you keep your cleaning utensils?”
“Under the sink. I won’t take long.”
The slight frown on Sammy’s forehead was too cute.
“Don’t worry, Sammy. I got this.”
“If you say so.”
With one last glance, Sammy vanished through the door. Dre went to the sink to retrieve a cloth and some detergent. Careful to not get his clothes dirty, he bent down and started swiping up the marmalade and glass shards. The bigger ones he collected to go into the trash can, the smaller ones he washed down with the marmalade in the sink. He was just giving the floor one last swipe when Sammy returned with nice black boots and a light blue V-neck pullover to complete his outfit. He looked absolutely stunning.
“Wow, Sammy, you’re so beautiful.” Dre spoke with absolute conviction and the blush on Sammy’s cheeks was the sweetest reward. “You’re going to need a warm jacket. Even though it’s pretty warm in Rome, the temperatures still drop during the night.”
“Wait a moment and I’ll get my coat.”
Sammy bounced out of the kitchen again. Dre used the time to clean the cloth and hang it over the tap on the sink. Sammy rushed back in, now with a coat with a white and dark blue herringbone pattern dangling fr
om his left arm.
“I’m so excited, Dre! Just to warn you, I’ve read up on all the trivia about Rome, and I so want to see the Colosseum.” Sammy paused when he stood right in front of Dre, his two-colored eyes glinting happily. “Thank you for taking me, Dre.”
Dre put his arm around Sammy’s slim waist. He wasn’t entirely sure where they stood regarding their relationship but he liked touching Sammy, and Sammy seemed to be on board if the embrace when he’d arrived had been any indication. Still, Dre decided to not rush things. His lips grazed Sammy’s hair in a brief, chaste kiss.
“Thank you for agreeing to go with me.” He leaned back a bit to look at Sammy. “And just for the record, I read up on Rome as well. We can have a little match about who knows more.”
“Geez, competitive much? I like it. Challenge accepted.”
They grinned at each other like madmen.
“So, what did you plan for tonight? Or is that a secret?”
Dre pulled Sammy closer again, enjoying how well the young man fit against his side. “No. We’ll start at this little restaurant I know. After we have dinner, we’ll take a stroll through the historic parts of Rome, get some gelato for dessert and see what tickles our interest. Are you a church kind of guy?”
Sammy shook his head. “No, not really. I mean, I do appreciate the art and everything, but what fascinates me most are the antic parts—the Colosseum, the Catacombs, the Forum Romanum.”
“Splendid. A man after my own heart. This is going to be great. Now hold on.”
Dre loved how tightly Sammy clung to him while he let one of his claws slide out to cut space and time. Traveling like this was second nature to him, but seeing how Sammy reacted to the tug when the seam opened, followed by being sucked into the darkness of nothing then being spit out at the destination, was highly entertaining. One day soon he would take Sammy hopping around the world.
