Page 132

Cass

C ass was changing into fresh pajamas when he heard the sound of the hotel lock disengaging.

He’d tried to occupy himself until Blake’s hopeful return as best he could, showering and straightening up his duffel, keeping his phone across the room so he wouldn’t be tempted to send some sort of pathetic text.

That itchy, restless feeling had come back, the one that had led to him running to Blake in the first place that morning (and had it really only been that morning?).

But as Blake appeared in the doorway, looking tired but unfairly beautiful as always, his black hair disheveled and his green eyes shining, smelling like home, everything in Cass eased.

He had to physically hold himself back from flinging his body into Blake’s arms like some sort of movie damsel.

He was going to be mature , damn it. Selfless, even.

“Hey, buddy.” Blake was staring at him intensely, more intensely than he had when Cass had literally transformed into a vampire right in front of him. Was he worried Cass would bite again?

“Hello, Blake.” See? Super mature. Hey s were for kids. Hellos were for grown adults, making grown adult sacrifices, like not getting on their knees and begging Blake to stay with them forever.

“How are you feeling?”

Cass shrugged a shoulder. “Fine. Good, even. I’m not tired at all. Or hungry. Danny gave me some extra blood though, just in case.” He winced as those last words came out of his mouth. Was it too much, to be talking about drinking blood? Was he skeeving Blake out?

But Blake was nodding along like they were discussing Chinese takeout. “Good. That’s good.”

There was an awkward silence then, as they stood facing each other. It was hard not to step closer, hard not to try to breathe Blake in. Fuck. It was going to be more difficult than he’d thought, wasn’t it? Keeping away from Blake? But he had to.

Cass was just opening his mouth to say so, to tell Blake he didn’t have to do anything he didn’t want, when Blake spoke first. “I want to start as boyfriends.”

Cass stood there, his brain trying its best to catch up to the words he’d just heard. “Um…”

“I’m not saying that’s, you know, endgame. But it’s what I need to start with. Boyfriends first.”

Cass shook his head. “No, that’s not—”

“No?” Blake sounded almost devastated. “You can’t want to—what—turn me this instant?”

“ What ?” What kind of a bloodthirsty beast did Blake think he was? “No. I mean no to…you know.”

“No to boyfriends?” Blake asked, sounding no less devastated. “You don’t like me? I thought you liked me.”

Cass was beginning to think he’d slipped into a different dimension somewhere between the shower and getting dressed, one where Blake had been the one with the fierce monthslong crush and Cass was somehow the guy rejecting him.

“Of course I like you,” he said, trying not to laugh at the absurdity. “ You don’t like me .”

Blake frowned at him. “I don’t?”

“No, you’re just…you’re taking care of me. That’s what you do. You’re sweet and supportive of your friends, but you don’t—”

Blake stepped forward, a strange smile on his face. “I’m not though.”

“What?”

“I’m not usually any of those things. I’m pretty selfish, actually. Kind of a dick, even. Same with most of my friends. I’m sweet with you. Only you.”

“Well…” But Cass didn’t actually know what to say to that. Blake just kept stepping closer, and he smelled so good. Cass could even hear Blake’s heart pounding, which was kind of wild. Was it Cass making it pound like that?

“I’m like that with you,” Blake went on, his voice deepening with each word. “Because of how I feel about you.”

Cass had to resist retreating backward, even though he wanted nothing more than to step forward, meet Blake in the middle. He was afraid of exactly how much he wanted that. “How—how do you feel about me?

“I like you,” Blake said, stripping off his puffy jacket and throwing it on the hotel carpet.

“I like spending time with you. I like having you in my life. And I liked touching and kissing you today—I liked that a lot. I even think there’s a very good possibility I could love you, if we ever gave it a chance. ”

“Oh.” The word left Cass like a sigh.

“Yes.” Blake’s lips quirked up. “Oh.”

This was maybe the nicest confession in the world.

And it was happening to Cass . The trouble was it was becoming hard to focus because Blake was pretty much in touching distance now, and Cass was getting distracted.

That itchy, restless presence didn’t understand why they weren’t already touching him, licking him, biting him.

It wasn’t even hungry, Cass didn’t think; it just wanted more of Blake.

Blake cocked his head. “Cass?”

“Sorry, it’s just…the new vampire thing. Danny told me we can get really, um, horny? For our ma—for our boyfriends ,” he corrected.

And there, that had to be the least nice confession in the world, didn’t it? Blake had said all that lovely stuff about liking him, and Cass had just told him he was a mindless, horny beast.

But Blake was smiling at him fully now, all tender lips and heated eyes. “Well, I guess these new vamps’ boyfriends better take good care of them, then, huh?”

“Huh?” That was the best Cass could articulate. Because now Blake was pressed against him, so close that Cass had to lift his head to look at him, and Cass had the brief, mortifying fear that his fangs were about to pop out without permission.

Blake pressed a kiss to the corner of his mouth. “Are you gonna let me take care of you?”

“H-How?” Cass asked, trying to focus on words when every bit of blood was rushing south.

“I could stroke you again, if you wanted,” Blake offered, apparently completely unaware he was dangerously close to giving Cass an aneurysm.

“You seemed to like that, all hot and eager on my lap, squirming your ass against my dick like it was your first time jerking off. Or I could use my mouth on you. I’ve never done it before though.

You’d have to tell me what feels good. Help me out, yeah? ”

The thought of it—of Blake on his knees, swallowing Cass’s cock, waiting for Cass to tell him he was good —almost made the point moot, as it had Cass a breath away from coming in his goddamn pants.

Blake seemed oblivious of the impending danger, mouthing along Cass’s jaw, pressing hot kisses to his neck. “What do you think, hm? What sounds good?”

“What if—” Cass tried to find his breath, to find the words. “What if I wanted…more?”

Blake’s lips paused on his throat, and then he was leaning back to peer down at Cass, what looked an awful lot like a smirk threatening to form. “You still trying to lose your V card this weekend, baby?”

Cass tried not to squirm, even as he felt his cheeks heat. “Would that be—would that be bad?”

His answer was Blake picking him up with two strong arms under Cass’s ass—hello, secret masturbation fantasy number one—and then plopping him on the neatly made hotel bed, blanketing him with his body a second later.

Cass lifted his head for a kiss and was rewarded with Blake’s mouth on his, tongue parting his lips with outrageous confidence. They made out long enough for Cass’s head to go pleasantly fuzzy, his entire being focused on the feel of being kissed by Blake.

When he finally let Blake up for air—and Cass was panting too, whether from actual need or old reflex, he couldn’t be sure—he realized they were both already somehow shirtless.

His eyes widened, taking Blake in. He had such a fucking nice body.

Cass had always known, of course, but he hadn’t had blanket permission to ogle before.

He took advantage of it now, drinking in his fill, stroking his palms along Blake’s broad shoulders, his muscled arms. “I can’t believe I get to touch this. ”

Blake pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss to his lips. “Touch all you like.”

“And you—we’re gonna…?” Cass looked pleadingly at him, hoping he didn’t have to finish his own sentence.

A familiar teasing glint lit up Blake’s green eyes. “Oh, I don’t know. Because see, I’ve kind of poured my heart out a bit, and all you’ve told me is that you’re horny for my body.”

“It’s a really nice body though.”

Blake slid down enough that his head was level with Cass’s chest, his hands doing their own exploration of Cass’s bare skin. “So is this one.”

“I’m not—”

“Hush, baby. You’re so pretty. You’re the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen. I could do amazing, unspeakable things to this body.”

Cass was nodding with possibly the greatest enthusiasm of his life. “Yes. Do those. Unspeakable things. Let’s.”

Blake tilted his head up to meet Cass’s eyes, and he was still teasing, wasn’t he? “But you never answered my question, did you, Cass? Do you like me?” He rubbed a thumb over Cass’s nipple, smirking at Cass’s gasp. “Huh, baby? Do you like me too? Tell me. Don’t leave a guy hanging.”

Cass narrowed his eyes. He had absolutely no doubt Blake knew—even if he hadn’t figured it out before this trip—what a massive crush Cass had been harboring.

“You’re being a jerk, you know. You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do this.

You’re so fucking hot . All the time. Walking around looking hot and acting sweet and…

ugh!” He threw his hands up, covering his face.

His body started shaking shortly after, and he realized Blake was laughing, his face pressed against Cass’s belly.

“Not funny,” Cass muttered through his hands.

Blake lifted his head, smirking at him. “It would only be unfunny if I didn’t feel the same way.”

“You didn’t though.”

“I just didn’t realize it,” Blake said, nuzzling his head against Cass’s stomach. “I’m not very smart.”

Cass moved his hands from his face, frowning down at him. “You’re plenty smart.”

“Eh.” Blake shrugged, popping up onto his knees. “Luckily you’re smart enough for the both of us.” He started wrestling with Cass’s pants, unbuttoning them and pulling them off his legs. “And we’re gonna need those smarts.”

“Planning a naked study sesh, are you?”