Page 24 of Colin

“Lotta toxic masculinity with this Philip Marlowe character.”

Dane wasn’t sure if Colin was trying to bait him on purpose, but he couldn’t exactly argue the point. “I like the leads together. Their chemistry. It’s classic. Bogie and Bacall.” Did that sound as idiotic out loud as it did in his head?

But Colin nodded, his head tilted down toward his paper. “You like the vibes, I get it.”

Dane wanted to bite at that exposed neck, that silky skin. He wouldn’t even use his fangs. He swallowed hard. “Yeah. I like the vibes.”

He took a chance, leaning closer to try to sneak a peek over Colin’s shoulder. It was kind of like having a temperamental cat in the house. He didn’t want to make any sudden moves or loud noises, afraid it would retreat. “What are you drawing?” he asked, trying to sound as casual as he could.

“Humphrey Bogart as a vampire.”

Dane had to see it. He sat up straight, peering over Colin’s head. Yep, that was Humphrey Bogart as a vampire, complete with fangs and all-black eyes. But Colin had…enhanced it? “You’ve put black veins all around the eyes,” he pointed out. “It’s creepy as hell.”

“Had to make it look a little cooler.”

Well, that was an unexpected source for feelings of inadequacy. “Regular vampires aren’t cool enough for you?” Dane asked.

“I just mean, like, aesthetically.” Colin finally turned to look at him, taking in the no doubt offended look on Dane’s face, and he laughed. He actuallylaughed.

It was short, and yeah, he’d been laughingatDane, but it still did something to Dane’s chest. It was just so lovely, that surprisingly light, happy sound. His offense dissolved in an instant. He leaned infinitesimally closer. “You like comics, right?” He’d seen Colin unpacking them when he’d moved in. “That’s the standard? Everything over-the-top, exaggerated?”

Colin turned back to his drawing. “You get it. Subtlety doesn’t work as well. Well, I guess it depends on the style you’re going for.”

Touch.

Dane tensed on the couch, shocked at the word reverberating in his head. He’d known vampires whose inner devil spoke to them regularly, but Dane’s had hardly ever. It had never needed to.

No, he replied in his head.

Want to touch the human.

Dane had a vision, as if planted there from some external source, of them reaching out, wrapping a hand around that slender neck, and pulling Colin back toward them. Delving into his mouth with their tongue. Tasting every bit of him.

It was tempting as hell. But…skittish cat, remember?

No.Dane repeated.We’re getting to know him.As if that was going to make any sense to his inner vampire urges. Dane tried again.If we get to know him, and he likes us, he might let us touch him a lot more, later on. Taste him everywhere.

His devil grumbled its displeasure, but it settled back down, sulking in the back of Dane’s mind.

Dane tried to settle as well, leaning back into the couch to create some distance between himself and temptation. He was watching the back of Colin’s head more than the movie now.

Eventually Colin spoke again. “When were you two turned?” he asked.

Dane hesitated. He was so used to keeping secrets from the humans around him that it felt weird to say it out loud. But what harm could it do? “In the sixties.”

“The sixties?” Colin whirled around to stare at him. “Thenineteensixties?”

Dane blinked at him. “Yeah, 1967. Why?”

Colin was looking him over, studying him like he’d never seen him before. “So you’re not even ancient. You’re just like…old men?”

What the fuck?

“I mean, we’ll be ancient one day.” Dane could hear the defensiveness in his own voice. But holy hell—first his vampire face wasn’t cool enough, and now he and Fox weren’t old enough to be impressive?

He cleared his throat, determined to change the subject. He couldn’t handle this critique of his vampireness without Fox to back him up. “Hey. Did you come down here because it was just me? Is it too much with the both of us?”

Dane didn’t really want to ask. What would Colin’s answer do, other than illustrate the obvious? Who wanted to be hounded by the two of them, especially someone like Colin, who wasn’t clear on his own sexuality in the first place? But it would be better to know now than find out later, after they’d gotten…attached. Dane couldn’t touch this human—couldn’t hold him, couldn’t taste him—if Colin didn’t want the both of them. If he didn’t want Fox.

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