Page 6 of With the Stars

“There is some website trying to expose my kind. I like to pose for them. You know the whole ‘mix enough lies and truths together’. You know, prevaricating.”

“Not a word I use in everyday conversation, but yes, I know what you mean. So you take pictures with them and they post them on their website.”

“Yes, because why would a vampire pose for pictures with vampire hunters?” Minho walked on, nudging Peter, who quickly caught up. “It amuses me and it keeps them busy.”

“What do you do?”

“I help to protect our people. Just like there are bad humans, there are bad vampires. We had a civil war and split into two factions. One wants to make all humans slaves or kill them off and take over the planet. We want to live peacefully and just carry on living our lives the way we want to. It’s been tense recently because the leader of the other group has made a reappearance after several decades of nothing. We’re preparing.”

“Hmm. Can I take that question back?”

“Too honest?”

“We’re still in the getting to know each other stage, or I am, so maybe a little. It’s good to know, though. I can be prepared just in case.” Peter pointed to the building in front. “We’re here now.”

Minho opened the door. “After you.” Peter walked past, and Minho inhaled his scent. He was here at last with his mate, after all the years he’d stood in the shadows. At last he didn’t have to hide.

Chapter Four

Peter found an empty table and sat, watching Minho sit opposite. With better lighting, Peter could see Minho properly, and if he thought he was attractive before, it paled into what he faced now. Minho was gorgeous. His tanned skin glowed, his hazel eyes shined, and being virtually the same height as well meant neither had to look down or up, which Peter found he liked. It was clear Minho worked out, Peter knew that already, having touched and held Minho when they’d had sex.

On the table. In his cafe.

He hadn’t done anything like that…ever. He’d met Diane, dated her, fell in love and married. He’d been certain she would be the only woman in his life, and when she’d passed, devastated didn’t even begin to cover how he’d felt. The person he loved more than anything had gone, leaving him and the two boys feeling rudderless. Now Minho was here, and even though Peter had never had any inclination where men were concerned, he couldn’t deny the attraction he felt to Minho. They’d had sex, so it was clear there was a sexual attraction.

Moving on the chair, Peter was reminded of the fact that they’d slept together by the dull ache in his ass. He’d never had anything in his ass, and had expected it to remain that way until the necessary colonoscopy he had scheduled soon. Something he was trying to avoid thinking about.

Minho held the menu and Peter stared at his hands. Strong and capable, with long fingers and short trimmed nails. They’d touched him, caressed him, and made him feel fantastic. His eyes moved from Minho’s hands and up his arms, seeing the flex of muscle as he moved, and now he knew he wasn’t as straight as he’d thought. Not like the sex hadn’t already clued him in to that.

Clearing his throat, he asked, “Seeing anything you’d like?”

“You can’t go wrong with moussaka, can you? I’ll also have the keftedes. I missed dinner earlier.”

“I think I’ll have the stifado with beef. Maybe some olives and some cured meats as well.”

“Wine or beer?” Minho picked up the wine menu and scanned the list. “Beer for me.”

“Me too. Not much of a wine drinker. Diane liked…” Peter winced. He shouldn’t talk about Diane with Minho. It didn’t seem appropriate. “Sorry.”

“No, don’t. Please talk about her. She was your wife, the mother of your children, and you loved her. She seemed like a warm, genuine person whenever I saw you together.”

“We were happy. Sure, we had our arguments like all couples do, but for the most part, we were very happy together.”

“You miss her.”

Peter nodded. “I do. She was a huge part of my life, the mother of my children.” Peter paused when a waiter came over and took their order. “I don’t want to make you feel—”

“I want you to talk about her. She was a huge part of your life. I saw how you both were together. I was happy for you to havesomeone like Diane in your life. All I wanted was for you to be happy and loved. You had that with her.”

“If we’re… what you say we are,” Peter changed what he was going to say, conscious of where they were. “It must have caused you some pain to see us together.”

Minho stared at the table, then lifted his head. “It did, yes, but I would never have forced my way between the two of you. I made my decision when I saw you both together and it has hurt at times, but it isn’t a decision I regret. I wanted you to be happy, and you were.”

“I feel like I should apologize.” Peter fiddled with his cutlery; his chest tight. Breathing deeply, he watched the staff move between the tables. It didn’t sit right with him knowing this man or vampire had been hurt, even if Peter hadn’t known he existed. “Where does this leave us now?”

“I want to get to know you.”

“I think we did some of that earlier.” Peter chuckled softly, shaking his head. He’d never done anything like that before and it still surprised him how one kiss had led to him having sex with a man he barely knew, on a table in his cafe. Vampire, not man. He had to remember that.

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