Page 104 of Taste of Blood

“Elaine, this is getting a little too personal for office conversation.”

She gives me a wry smile. “I knew it. You two are so hot.” I open my mouth to protest, and she waves her hands at me. “Okay, okay, I’m going.”

After she leaves I pull out my phone to text Cord.

Thalium is on the guest list. I’ll call my tailor in Midtown to arrange a fitting for you.

He answers a few minutes later.

Text me the time and address.

I decide not to tell him about Dante right now. I doubt Dante will bring it up to him since he wouldn’t expect him to be going. Ideally I’ll be able to keep them apart at the event, but I know that’s a long shot. And maybe it’s better this way. Then Dante can get eyes on Thalium himself. I have no doubt Thalium knows who he is. After all, he’s targeting his territory.

Maybe that’s exactly why he’s going. Maybe he’s just as anxious to get a face-to-face with Dante.

I open the Python folder on my desk and pull out the photo again. I still can’t shake the feeling that I’ve seen him before, and the fact that I can’t recall where is fucking with my peace of mind.

33: Cord

MY PHONE RINGS as soon as I get back from my run. Thinking it’s Asher, I grab it out of my pocket and answer without looking at the screen.

“I said to just text me.”

“Fuck that,” Dante’s gruff voice barks.

“Oh. I didn’t know it was you. What’s up?”

“I got a job for you. When can you get here?”

Fuck. I was hoping to have a day to myself. I glance down at my sweaty clothes. “Give me thirty minutes.”

The call ends without a word.

“Yeah, goodbye to you too, asshole,” I mutter.

Would I have preferred it to be Asher on the phone, despite the fact that I told him to text me? I told him that so I wouldn’t get distracted by his voice, especially after what happened this morning in his bed. He was in the throes of what had to be a wet dream, and part of me was jealous about the subject of whatever fantasy had him in its clutches.

Who was he thinking about, and why would it matter to me? Just listening to it got my dick so hard I had to get up to get away from him, though part of me wondered what he would’ve done if I’d reached over and touched him. Maybe make some of those noises mean something real.

Probably a good thing I didn’t since he claimed he didn’t remember it. I honestly don’t know what our dynamic is anymore. I know he says he wants us to be together, but does that mean waking him up with his cock in my mouth?

Because that’s what I wanted to do, against my better judgment. When he asked me to spend the night, he didn’t press anything physical on me, despite what happened in his livingroom earlier. He told me he would respect my boundaries and rolled over and went to sleep.

So am I having an identity crisis, or was he just doing what he said he’d do? I don’t know how to react when he isn’t pursuing me. I’m so used to him being the aggressor.

And why am I even tying myself in knots over this? Didn’t I tell him I need time?

Since when does Asher pay attention to boundaries?

Exactly.

Whoever he was dreaming about didn’t mind getting physical. I couldn’t help noticing that his cock was rock hard when he woke up, despite him trying to hide it. Was he embarrassed, or just didn’t want me to know he was thinking of someone else?

And was he actually thinking of someone else? Or could he have been thinking about me? If he was, he sure was quick to dismiss it.

I’m driving myself crazy over something that doesn’t even matter. It was just a stupid dream. It obviously didn’t mean anything to him, so why am I obsessing over it?

I grab a change of clothes from my closet and head into the bathroom to shower, trying not to think about the fact that I have to jerk myself off because my dick is leaking so bad.