Page 39 of Lucien

Izzy stepped away from the door, apparently too stunned for further words. Jamie understood the feeling. His vampire was a grade A hottie. And with that hint of a French accent when he played it up? Total lady-killer.

Although, it might have alsopossiblyhad something to do with the all-black eyes and little glint of fangs Luc was sporting. But who was Jamie to say for sure?

His mom’s voice rang out from the direction of the kitchen. “Is that Jamie?”

She appeared in the kitchen doorway a second later, wiping her hands onto her jean shorts. “And you must be Luc. I’m so happy to meet you! I’m Elena.”

Jamie watched in delight as she stepped on tiptoe to give Luc a kiss on the cheek, equally proud of both of them: her for ignoring his vampire’s less-than-normal appearance, and his vampire for braving what was so clearly such a foreign situation for him.

How long had it been since Luc had been invited to someone’s home for something other than sex? Since he’d been around a real family?

They followed his mom into the kitchen, where his stepdad, Eric, was halving an avocado, his light-brown hair covered by a baseball cap. He greeted them both with the same warmth as Jamie’s mom. He was a good guy all around. Jamie felt lucky he’d come into their lives. And he’d never, not once, called Jamie “buddy.”

Jamie thought he might be beaming at all of them like an idiot, but he was just so pleased. They were all doing sowell. Of course, he’d warned them ahead of time that Luc had a few…body modifications. (Black contacts, he’d explained. Filed canines. “It’s a look, Mamá.”) And they’d promised not to comment, if that was going to make his new boyfriend uncomfortable.

But maybe Jamie’s pride was a little short-lived, because then of course as soon as Luc sat down, Izzy sidled up right next to him, fiddling with one of her barrettes. “Can I see your teeth?”

Well, fuck.Oh well. What’s done is done.

Luc shot a startled glance to Jamie, as if expecting him to jump in and protest. When Jamie only smiled back at him reassuringly—you can do it, monster—Luc turned back to Bella, giving her a small, tentative grin of his own, the sharp edges of his fangs peeking out from between his lips.

“Oh, cool,” Izzy whispered, reaching out a hand. “Can I touch one?

“Isabel,” his mom chided, turning from where she was removing plates from the kitchen cabinet. “Dios mio. You can’t just ask to stick your fingers in someone’smouth.”

“Eww. I wasn’t gonnastick them in.” Izzy rolled her eyes at the apparent ridiculousness of their mother’s assumptions. “I just want to see how sharp they are.”

Luc looked again to Jamie for reassurance before lowering his head to her level, baring his fangs a little more. “If you’re very careful, you can touch.”

Izzy reached up slowly with an index finger, pressing lightly against the tip of Luc’s left fang. “Whoa,” she whispered. “It feels real.”

Luc drew back and huffed a small laugh. “Theyaremy real teeth, little one.”

Jamie’s chest felt weirdly tight. Was he having a heart attack? Or was this what it felt like to be overwhelmed by…affection…for another person?

He was used to Luc being more or less careful and polite with him—except when he was choking Jamie on his cock, of course—but that didn’t usually carry over to the rest of the world. Luc didn’t seem to concern himself with the feelings of any humans other than Jamie, and normally that suited Jamie just fine. More monster for him.

But to see Luc so gentle and kind with Jamie’s little sister was just…doing it for him. Jamie was feelingfeelings.

“How much to get something like that done?” Eric asked, taking the plates from Jamie’s mom and setting them on the table. “Dental work is so pricy these days. I can’t imagine what optional cosmetic stuff like that costs.”

Jamie covered his laugh with a small cough. Bless his stepdad, such a practical soul.

“I paid for them dearly, I assure you,” Luc answered, shooting Jamie an ironic little smile.

They sat down to lunch, a stuffed zucchini dish that was one of Jamie’s favorites.

Jamie was filling his plate when his mom stage-whispered to him in Spanish, “Are you sure I can’t convince him to eat?”

“Mamá—” Jamie started.

But Luc’s gruff voice cut in. “Comeré un poco, por favor.”His accent was flawless because of course it was.

Jamie’s mom smiled at Luc like he’d just told her he’d pluck the moon out of the sky for her. “Hablas español?”she asked in delight.

“Por supuesto,” Luc replied easily. “It’s a beautiful language.”

Jamie’s mom giggled like some sort of schoolgirl—a mildly horrifying sight to witness—clearly smitten by Luc’s manners.

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