Page 11

“Dinner will be ready in a bit,” Reuben said, unfazed. “Why don’t you pour us some of that wine, Jas?”

Jasper grumbled and led the way through their condo, the tips of his ears reddening slightly at the pet name. Charlie bit his lip to stop himself from smiling. Somehow, dinner with the angel and the demon didn’t seem half as daunting as it had been minutes ago.

He looked around curiously as he followed them. He’d imagined Reuben and Jasper’s place to be austere and minimalistic. It was anything but. Though the apartment was built along clean, modern lines, the furnishings were rich and eclectic, the sophisticated color tones projecting a masculine warmth that made it clear the condo wasn’t just a house but very much a home for the two powerful otherwordly who occupied it.

Charlie accepted the glass of wine Jasper offered him. “When did you guys move in here?”

“A year ago.” Reuben cocked his head at Jasper. “It took some time to convince him it was a good idea for us to live together.”

“Yeah, well, you’re still on probation,” the demon muttered, taking a sip of his wine.

Charlie couldn’t help but study the strong column of his throat as he swallowed. He caught Reuben watching him and shifted his gaze, embarrassed.

“You can look all you want, Charlie,” the angel said quietly.

Charlie stiffened. Jasper shot Reuben an ambivalent look.

Charlie became convinced then that this had all been Reuben’s idea and that the demon was merely tagging along to indulge his lover. A pang of disappointment darted through him at that thought. He blinked, startled.

Since when do I want this jackass’s attention?

The jackass arched an eyebrow as Charlie stared at him.

“Like what you see, kid?” he taunted.

“Bar that sassy mouth of yours, yeah, I like what I see, demon.”

Jasper stilled at his blunt riposte. His pupils expanded, the dark depths filling with a crimson light.

The air thickened with sexual tension.

Reuben’s chuckle broke the fraught moment. “How about we save that for after dessert?”

Charlie swallowed, able to breathe again.

Reuben’s presence made him hyper aware. But Jasper’s?

There was something about the demon that knotted his insides and scraped his nerves raw. He’d thought it was because he disliked him. But now, he wasn’t so sure.

The two of them were alike. Much more alike than he’d ever care to admit.

“What are you making?” Charlie asked distractedly. He joined Reuben at the range.

“We’re having foie gras with caramelized pears and a balsamic sauce for appetizers, and seared duck breasts with a cherry glaze and Belgian endives for our main course.”

Charlie’s mouth watered as he watched the angel put the finishing touches to a meal worthy of a Michelin star restaurant.

“Oh, and Jasper made chocolate truffle cake for dessert,” Reuben added with a warm smile.

Charlie froze, his wine glass halfway to his lips. His wide-eyed gaze found the demon where the latter rested his hip against the counter next to Reuben.

“You bake?”

Jasper crossed his arms at Charlie’s shocked tone. “Yeah, I bake. So what?”

Charlie bit his tongue.

Jasper scowled. “Are you laughing?”

“No,” Charlie choked out.

Reuben’s shoulders trembled.

“Stop it!” Jasper punched the angel lightly in the arm.

Charlie couldn’t help himself. He burst out laughing.

The angel and the demon stared, surprised. Their expressions turned more heated as they watched him.

Charlie wiped his eyes. “What?”

Reuben cleared his throat. “Your scent. It seems it gets stronger when you experience a strong emotion.”

Charlie sobered. “Oh.” He squinted at them warily. “We’re still eating, right?”

“We’re not animals who can’t control ourselves,” Jasper scoffed.

Charlie’s gaze dropped. He arched an eyebrow. “Your erection says otherwise.”

“Let’s eat,” Reuben said brightly as Jasper narrowed his eyes.

The food was as delectable as Charlie thought it would be. Though a hint of sensual tension still danced between the three of them, they made light conversation as they ate. To his surprise, Charlie found the topics stimulating and he ended up talking far more than he normally would when in company.

It wasn’t until they’d finished dessert and retired to the lounge with their coffees that Charlie finally remembered why he was there in the first place. He walked over to the glass wall spanning the length of the room and stared out at the bay to calm his nerves.

“This is some view,” he muttered.

The Golden Gate Bridge rose to his left, its lights painting an orange glow across the dark waters beneath.

“It is,” Reuben concurred.

The angel was sitting on a wine-red Chesterfield chair. Jasper perched on the armrest, a hand draped possessively across his lover’s shoulder as they both watched Charlie.

Charlie’s pulse quickened. He finished his drink, took the seat opposite them, and put his empty cup on a side table. He leaned his elbows on his knees and folded his hands together before taking a shallow breath.

“One night.”

Reuben blinked. “Pardon?”

Charlie’s fingers clenched. He forced himself to meet their stares unblinkingly. “If you want a threesome, I’ll give you one night.”

A strange look came over Jasper. He seemed almost…disappointed.

Reuben cocked his head to the side. “I think you’re misunderstanding something, Charlie. What we want isn’t just one night with you.” He stroked Jasper’s thigh.

Charlie’s gaze focused on his long, strong fingers. He couldn’t help but wonder how they would feel on his body.

It took a moment for the angel’s words to register.

“What?” He blinked, his confused gaze swinging between the two men. “What do you mean?”

It was Reuben’s turn to rest his elbows on his knees. He steepled his hands under his chin.

“We require something more…permanent.”

Charlie flinched. “But—why?!” he blurted. “The two of you are perfect together. Why would you need a third person in your relationship?!”

Reuben stilled. Jasper’s eyes widened.

“You think we’re perfect?” the demon asked stiltedly.

“Well, yeah.” Charlie waved a hand. “You’re the grumpy asshole and he’s the saint. You’re salt, he’s sugar. You complement one another, like a thorn does a rose.”

Jasper’s mouth thinned. “I don’t know whether to thank you or smack you right now.”

Reuben stayed quiet, his eyes full of a nameless emotion.

“I love Jasper,” he finally admitted with a candidness that shocked Charlie. “And he loves me, however much he may deny it.”

A muscle twitched in the demon’s jawline. The angel ignored his vexed look.

“There’s something he needs that I can’t give him.” Reuben paused. “Something we both need to make this relationship…perfect, like you say. We want to see if you’re the third piece of our puzzle.”

Charlie’s heart pounded heavily against his ribs as he digested Reuben’s words. He couldn’t quite believe his ears. After all, what could he possibly offer them?

He didn’t realize he’d said the words out loud until Reuben replied.

“You’re someone who can tame Jasper’s rough edges. Who can make him less scared of expressing the softer side of him. And his dominance.”

Jasper recoiled as if he’d been slapped. “Wait! What do you?—?!”

“You know what I mean, Jas,” Reuben said in a tired voice. “I told you you could fuck me but you still refuse. It will take more than my mouth to satisfy your rut.”

The demon opened his lips to voice a protest. He faltered and lapsed into a frustrated silence.

“As for me, I will gain pleasure from watching the two of you together,” the angel told Charlie.

Charlie flushed. He was annoyed all of a sudden and he didn’t even know why. “You mean, you won’t participate? You just want to sit there like some kind of voyeur and look on as Jasper fucks me?!”

His anger wasn’t lost on Reuben.

The angel smiled tightly. “Oh, I’ll participate alright. In fact, I would like both of us to take you.” He arched an eyebrow. “At the same time.” He paused as Charlie drew a sharp breath. “That’s if you’re up to it, of course. We would never do anything without your consent.”

Charlie’s mouth dried. His hole clenched.

He’d never experienced a double penetration. The thought to taking two cocks inside his ass, let alone that of the angel and the demon before him, should have scared him senseless and had him bolting out of their apartment.

Yet he found he couldn’t move. Didn’t want to move.

What Reuben was suggesting and Jasper seemed very much on board with despite his wavering look from earlier was exactly the kind of sexual fantasies he’d indulged in. He knew instinctively that they would break him and satisfy him in ways he’d only ever dreamt of. That the pleasure and pain he would experience in their arms would soothe his hungry, twisted soul.

Charlie swallowed and closed his eyes.

I must be certifiably insane to even be entertaining this—this craziness!

He opened his eyes to find Reuben and Jasper watching him, bodies as still as stone. What he read on their faces had him voicing an answer he never thought he could give.

“Yes,” he breathed. “I would like that too.”

Reuben blew out a soft sigh. Jasper’s hand clenched on the angel’s shoulder, his eyes darkening with what looked like relief.

Charlie blinked. He hadn’t realized they’d been so tense. It gave him a taste of the power he had over them. A power that made his cock throb and his ass ache.

“How about I start the show?” Reuben said.

Charlie stared, confused.