Page 16 of Cassian

“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. “Youdon’t likeme.”

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 howmuchhe 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 toCass. 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 ourboyfriends,” 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 wasgood—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 yourVcard 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.

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