Page 43 of Unholy

Malachi grinned. He’d love to show Luke, love to take him in one and play, but there was no way Luke was ready for all the toys hidden behind those doors.

“If you’re truly curious, you can come to my apartment,” he offered. “I have most of what they—no, that’s a lie. I havesomeof what they have here, and I’m certain you’d be more comfortable trying things out there than here.”

“Things? What kinds of things?”

Malachi looked down at his hand, still wrapped around Luke’s wrist. He imagined what it would look like wrapped in soft leather instead. Heat simmered under his skin at the very idea, and he tamped down on it. His human might not like the idea of being held down. It might trigger his fighting instincts. But they wouldn’t know until they tried, would they?

“Would you like to find out?”

Luke’s throat bobbed. “Will I like it?”

Honesty had served him well with Luke so far. He didn’tintend to change that any time soon. “You might. If you don’t, we don’t have to do it.” He stepped closer, kissing Luke’s neck, trailing his lips up his pulse point to the hinge of his unscarred jaw, and latched on, sucking just enough to tease. Hands slid around his body, pulling their bodies flush.

“Okay,” Luke said breathlessly. “Then take me home.”

Chapter 16

Luke

Malachi’s apartment was spacious.The door opened into a short hallway that became a large living space. The kitchen was to the immediate right, with warm wooden cabinets, marble counters, and stainless steel appliances. The walls were made of exposed brick, and there were two matte black, steel pillars in the living room that extended up to the twenty foot ceiling, which was also black and had exposed black ductwork. A large television hung on one wall with a brown leather sofa positioned in front of it, on an oriental rug that was cream, slate blue, and red. Behind the sofa was a dining table with four chairs. It was all… warmer than Luke expected. The far wall was made of glass and had a tastefully decorated balcony beyond it.

Malachi flicked on a light, and a trio of pendant lights bloomed to life above the spacious kitchen island.

“We’ve been living in my pocket-sized apartment when you were hiding this place twenty minutes away?”

Malachi opened his mouth to refute that, but nothingcame out. “I wasn’t…hidingit, per se. I just like your apartment.”

“What? Why?” He barely even had anythinginhis apartment. It was a utilitarian means to an end. He needed a place to sleep, shower, and store things. Only recently had it begun to feel anything remotely like a home.

“Because it’s yours,” he said, like that should be obvious.

Luke softened, drawing him in for a kiss. “Okay, we’re here. What is it I may or may not like?”

“Well, that would be in the bedroom.”

“Then lead the way.”

Malachi hummed, narrowing his eyes at Luke as he led him through the living room and into the short hallway on the right, by the television. The doorway immediately to the left was the master bedroom. There was a sprawling bed with a wrought-iron frame at the head and foot. There was another glass wall across the room, and the balcony extended to this room, as well.

He led Luke to an ornate wooden chest at the foot of the bed. “Okay, like I said, if you’re not interested, we don’t have to use any of this, okay?”

He opened the chest, and Luke… stared. It was filled with toys. Leather straps, buckles, dildos and vibrators of all shapes and sizes. There were many things he didn’t even recognize—metal things, things with D-rings and loops, things with openings of different sizes—and heat flushed through him like he had a fever.

“That is… much more in line with what I expected to find in your apartment. Is that awhip?”

Malachi snorted. “I’m not some sort of deviant. And yes, it is.”

“You’renota deviant?”

“No. I don’t leave this stuff just laying around. I keep it all put in a secure place like a normal person would.” He beamed, like he was proud of himself.

“Is this… Have you used this stuff yourself? Or on other people?”

“No. Well, yes and no. The straps and restraints, those are all fine for multi-partner use. Anything that requires, ah, insertion—that stuff gets replaced after each new partner. So a lot of what you’re seeing there has never been used on anyone else.”

“Oh, okay.” That was somewhat reassuring.

Malachi eased closer, kissing a line up his neck like he had in the VIP hall at the club. “You asked what was in the private rooms. I told you I would show you. This is a small taste of what you’d find in most of those rooms. If you’re interested in trying some of it, I’m happy to guide you through it. I didn’t know how you’d feel about being restrained, so I thought I’d show you here, where you might feel safer and less exposed, and let you decide.”

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