Page 94

Jamie

J amie shuffled out of his room on bare feet, rubbing his eyes against the offending morning brightness. Usually when he woke up, he liked to linger in bed, maybe dick around on his phone or read for a while, but this morning, he had a special guest.

Well, fingers crossed he still did.

He listened for signs of his vampire, padding down the hallway and turning into the kitchen when he didn’t spot him in the living room.

There you are.

Jamie couldn’t keep the grin off his face. There he was indeed, in all his luscious, built glory, glaring out the kitchen window onto the street beyond. Or, at least, Jamie assumed he was glaring. He could only see the back of his dark head, but the set of Luc’s shoulders was definitely…tense.

“Morning, monster.”

If Jamie had hoped to startle him, no such luck. Luc didn’t even twitch at his words.

“Morning, human.” Fuck, Jamie really liked that voice. Deep and rough, and with that little touch of a French accent when he got turned on?

Absolutely killer.

Jamie made his way to the coffee maker, rinsing out yesterday’s leftovers and starting a fresh pot. He glanced over at the vampire—still glaring out the window—as the rich smell of coffee filled the kitchen. “What a gentleman you were, sleeping out on the couch all night.”

That had Luc turning away from the window. He fixed his black eyes on Jamie, and Jamie’s stomach swirled at the attention. He wanted those eyes on him always.

“I didn’t sleep ,” Luc growled. Ohh, his voice was extra sexy when he was grumpy. “And you had your lips around my cock less than twelve hours ago, so I don’t know about ‘gentleman.’”

Jamie grinned. So touchy. “Yeah, that was hot. Wanna do it again?”

Luc’s muscles grew even more rigid, if that was possible. How fun. Although, Jamie was a little worried he was going to pull something, tensing up like that.

Jamie knew he was playing with fire, taunting this supernatural creature he’d once seen practically rip someone’s jugular out in a vision. But it was so…enticing. So much power and violence just under the surface. Jamie was itching to see it explode.

Possibly like how it had felt with Luc’s rough hands guiding his head last night. His careful restraint snapping, all because of Jamie’s mouth on his cock.

Jamie shivered at the memory.

He’d have been very happy to continue their sexy games all night long, but Luc had refused to spend the night in his room, no matter how Jamie had pouted. Okay, Jamie hadn’t pouted . But he’d done some real heavy-duty puppy-dog eyes. Still no dice.

But the vampire hadn’t left either. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

Jamie poured himself a cup of coffee, ignoring Luc’s continued stare, not bothering with milk. He needed the full, bitter bite of it this morning. He had a feeling he needed to have his wits about him with this one.

So much fun .

“Did you scare the bejesus out of Monique, lurking out here?” he asked, sipping at his coffee.

Luc shrugged one broad shoulder. “Your housemate never came home.”

“Oh dang, girl must’ve gotten lucky .” Jamie used his free hand to pull his phone out and shoot her a quick text, just to be sure she’d spent the night at Alice’s house and not anywhere more sinister. Although, he imagined he would have gotten a vision if something were truly wrong.

Jamie hadn’t had a single one last night. He’d slept like a freaking baby .

Monique responded immediately, with enough water droplet and tongue emojis that Jamie had to assume he’d been right about the getting lucky thing.

Nice.

Reassured, he started rooting through the pantry for his bagels. He held the bag up to Luc when he found it. “You want one of these?”

Luc shook his head, still eyeing Jamie with otherworldly focus, like he held the secrets to the universe or something. “I don’t eat,” the vampire said.

Jamie’s brows lifted. “ Ever ?”

“My monster doesn’t like it.”

Jamie cocked his head, studying the vampire in front of him. So many interesting things to learn about him. “You had whiskey last night.”

“Liquids are a little more…negotiable.”

Jamie nodded, popping his bagel into the toaster. “So your kind isn’t down with the solid foods. Got it.”

“Not all of us. I’ve known others who didn’t mind it.”

Jamie grabbed a plate. “You’ve got vamp buddies?”

Luc’s face, not exactly an open book to begin with, closed off even more. “No. Not anymore.”

Huh. Interesting . Jamie decided not to press. His dream man was guarded; that was for sure. And Jamie didn’t want him running off again. Not when Jamie had finally gotten a taste of everything he wanted.

He sat down at the kitchen table with his bagel, more than a little amused with the rapt way Luc watched him eat his breakfast from across the kitchen.

It was enough to make a guy feel self-conscious.

Was Jamie a weird chewer or something? He made up for his discomfort by making a big show of licking his lips when he was done, enjoying the way heat filled Luc’s gaze at the sight.

“So…” After setting his plate in the sink, Jamie settled in and leaned back in the kitchen chair, refilled coffee cup in hand. “Your monster. Explain.”

Luc stepped forward then but only to the edge of the kitchen counter, still keeping several feet between him and Jamie. He clearly was really afraid of getting too close, no matter how much he denied it.

Adorable.

“The part of me that…awoke…when I was turned from human to vampire,” Luc explained.

Jamie cocked his head. “You talk about him like he’s a separate person.”

“It feels that way. The longer I live, the stronger it gets. Eventually it will take over completely. I’ll go mad and be put down by others of my kind.”

“Well, that’s not very nice.” Jamie didn’t like that bit at all, actually. He’d just finally found the man of his dreams; he wasn’t about to let him get taken over by some overeager demonic inner entity.

He rose from his chair, approaching the vampire.

Luc gave him a hard look, one he clearly hoped would stop Jamie in his tracks. “What are you doing?”

“Shh,” Jamie soothed. He reached up to hold Luc’s face in his hands, the vampire’s short stubble scratching at his palms, pleased as punch when Luc didn’t move away. “Hey. Monster.”

“What—?”

“Shh. I’m not talking to you.” Jamie met Luc’s black gaze, searching for…he wasn’t sure what. “Hey, monster,” he repeated. “Sounds like you’ve been giving Lucien here a hard time. I’m gonna need you to chill. I like this guy, can’t have you driving him bonkers when we’ve only just finally met.”

Jamie had thought Luc’s eyes were a solid, flat black. But peering into them like he was, hard enough to drill a hole, he could see there were depths there. Shadows. And some of those shadows…shifted…at his words.

Jamie grinned wide. “He hears me.”

Luc, his head still gripped in Jamie’s hands, scoffed at that. “That’s nothing special. It hears everything.”

“Will he talk to me?”

“Perhaps sometime. Although, that’s not something I’d ask for, were I you. Right now, it’s watching. Waiting.”

They stood there for an endless minute before Luc shook his head out of Jamie’s hold.

“It doesn’t work that way, human. You can’t just command it to behave.”

But he didn’t look too sure of his own words, in Jamie’s opinion.

Jamie crossed his arms, his fingers tapping against his biceps. “Then how does it work? How do we keep you from losing it?”

Luc opened, then closed his mouth, seeming to wage an internal war with himself. “I— There—” He didn’t finish his thought.

Jamie cocked his head. “I bet Mr. Monster would tell me, if I asked nicely.”

Luc’s brow furrowed. “It’s not a pet . You should be afraid.” He leaned closer, invading Jamie’s space. “Do you know what it wants to do with you? It wants to eat you up, little human. Wants to drain you dry and then make you one of us. It wants to steal your life. I want to steal your life.”

Jamie held in his grin at having his vampire in his space and didn’t say the thoughts he wanted to out loud. My life is already yours. It has been since the first time I saw you in my head. His dual-faceted monster clearly wasn’t ready to hear it.

That was okay. Jamie could wait.

Instead, he asked, “You want to turn me?”

The mild tone of his voice only seemed to enrage Luc further. “Why are you not afraid ?” he growled, black eyes flashing. “You don’t know me. What I’m capable of. And you would be bound to me for eternity?”

That caught Jamie’s attention. “Why would I be eternally bound to you if I turned?”

Luc leaned back, startled, like he’d said too much. He didn’t answer Jamie’s question. There was clearly a fair amount he wasn’t telling Jamie—wasn’t willing to tell Jamie. But that was all right, for now.

Jamie would get it out of him eventually.

Jamie stepped back and gave in to a deep, catlike stretch, enjoying the way Luc’s gaze traveled to the bit of skin between his boxers and sleep shirt that was exposed with the gesture. “Well, now that your temper tantrum is out of the way, I’m gonna go get dressed. Got places to be.”

Luc’s lips pressed flat, the vampire clearly displeased with the idea. “Where are you going?”

“I’ve got some errands to run. You’re coming with me. Unless”—Jamie shot Luc his best sultry look—“you want to take me up on my offer to get my mouth on you again?”

Luc made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, but he shook his head.

“Shame,” Jamie sighed.

Luc didn’t rise to the bait this time. He was rubbing at his chin with one hand, assessing Jamie. “You want to be seen with me? Out in the daylight? Like this?”

What kind of question was that?

“A hunk like you?” Jamie asked. “Hell yes.”

Luc shot him a bemused look. “You’re strange, human.”

“I liked what you called me last night better.”

Luc raised a brow in question.

“You called me your flower.” Jamie bit his lip, suddenly embarrassed. He’d meant to tease the vampire, but he felt more like he’d exposed himself instead.