Page 49 of The Secret Experimentation

“And round. I love round cats,” Daniel adds.

“That why you keep feeding our kitties too much food, little dove?” Pete asks him.

“I wasn’t talking about a fat cat! Lucifer the guardian of hell. Big, red skin, big horns,” Kaiden barks.

“You think I have a big horn?” Cole asks suggestively.

“Why don’t you show me?” Kaiden suddenly turns his flirt on.

“Nah. You’re not quite my type. But thank you for the invitation.”

“Not your type? You…” Kaiden and Cole continue their banter, but I’m more interested in the smooth skin of Mel’s waist under my fingers. The new red, blue and brown bear tattoo on my forearm burns slightly with the movement, but I smile at the sting. Daniel did an excellent job. Mel chose the colors, red like his hairband, blue like my house and the ocean, and brown like my eyes and his messy waves. The tattoo is like a combination of him and me.

“I can see…sparkles between those two,” Mel says, laying his head under my chin. Almost purring.

“Right?” Jordan agrees.

Pete grunts. “Kaiden hates that guy.”

“I’ve seen Cole checking Kaiden out more than once,” Asher adds, placing his hand on Jordan’s shoulder.

That’s true I’ve seen him, too. But I don’t say anything, not wanting to out my friend.

“Kaiden ogles Cole’s ass all the time,” I offer instead.

“He looks at all asses!” Pete huffs.

“I’ll call you later, Russ,” Cole suddenly tells me. And he’s barely able to say goodbye to the others before Kaiden shuts the door in his face.

“Fuck me! I have a new neighbor. And it’s the devil,” he grunts angrily, pointing at the door. Didn’t he know Cole moved to this building?

Unconcerned by the ongoing drama, I curl my fingers around Mel’s. I pull our joined hands up and rest them over his heart. Feeling his slow heartbeat under my wrist.

Mine.

Mine, his heart seems to claim back.

MEL

FutureBoyfriend requirements

He treats you with respect - sock it to me, sock it to me, sock it to me…

He takes care of you - two, sometimes three times a day

He bares himself to you - especially when I tickle him

He rocks your world in bed - my ass is permanently sore

He loves you - giggling like a teenage girl

He’s proud of being with you - he actually yelled it in front of his whole family

He loves your furry babies - Alfred is still on trial

He not so secretly wants to keep experimenting with you - the forever is inferred

THE END