Page 33 of Lovesick Gods

Danny finished off the last of one of the containers. He’d already finished one before Mal got downstairs. Plucking up another egg roll instead of the third container, he ogled Mal leaning back against the counter with his ankles crossed, one hand on his arm as he sipped his whiskey. “I like the suits.Like your leather. Like this too. Guess you just look good in everything, Ice Man. And nothing.”

Mal flicked his tongue along the rim of his glass. Danny understood all right—the game never stopped. “No mention of the duster, Sparky? I’m insulted.”

“Your costume overall is…cute.” Danny tilted his head.Ha—cute, he says. “But seeing you out of it, it’s hard to enjoy something that keeps you so fully covered, other than your arms. Maybe you could lose the duster, try things in just that skin-tight bodysuit for a while.”

“Like you? I don’t know, you thinkAndrewould give me a discount on a redesign?”

Danny’s smile dropped, as if hearing the CSI’s name spoiled his dinner. The first time he’d spouted the names of his partners during a fight, Mal had thoroughly investigated who they might be. It wasn’t difficult to pinpoint the OCPD medical examiner and a CSI with those names. Now that Mal also knew Danny’s name, sometimes he looked into what they were all doing. It was in his best interest to keep tabs on the enemy, after all.

Pushing the last container away from him, Danny hopped off the stool. “I should go.”

Mal stood up straight to follow him. Whatever had brought Danny here tonight had definitely involved Andre Vaughn, that much was certain. Danny really needed to work on not being so transparent. “So soon? You haven’t eaten me out of house and home yet. A quick fuck and half a meal? Didn’t realize you were such a cheap date.” He set his drink down on the counter as he followed Danny to the door.

His comment prompted that lovely ‘I hate how much I like you’ smile that Mal always managed to goad out of Danny. “Fuck you,” he said again—and that should not have been as hot as it was, hearing Zeus curse so casually.

Cocking his head, Mal licked his lower lip. “Yes. You did. And I’m looking forward to round two.”

Danny chuckled as he finished putting on his shoes and stepped into Mal’s space, close enough that most people would have backed up a step. Mal didn’t. “And three and four and…however much higher you can count.”

“I can count pretty high.” In truth, Mal could win most games of pool by doing geometry in his head, calculating force and angles with adept precision. But Danny didn’t need to know that.

“I’ll call you.” Danny leaned closer.

“Maybe I’ll call you.”

“Maybe I’ll answer,” Danny bantered back. Then he kissed Mal, all heat and power and promise, with a gentle tug at Mal’s bottom lip with his teeth. “Be seeing you, Ice Man,” he said as he backed toward the door.

Oh, Mal could definitely get used to this, for however long it lasted.

ß

Danny considered for all of two seconds whether or not he should head back to the morgue. He was still too fired up, too buzzed on the thrill ofsexand having Cho completely under his thrall. He knew he’d have to apologize to Andre eventually, but he didn’t want to deal with that now.

Looking at his phone, he saw that he had four missed calls from his friend. If there was a real emergency, Andre would have left a message. Right now, Danny just wanted to go home, put on something warm since he’d left his jacket at the morgue, and think about what his next play would be with Cho.

The thief was making it too easy. Danny had all of the control and Cho wasn’t even making an attempt to take it back. Not in any way that would work. Danny would let the man lead next time—he looked forward to it—but by then he’d already have Cho so twisted up in wanting him, Danny would still have the power no matter what they did in the bedroom. He’d make it so good, be so amazing to the man, Cho wouldn’t be able to imagine life without him.

No shred of guilt wavered in Danny’s gut concerning what he was doing. What else could he feel for Cho other than hatred? The illusive Prometheus was even planning to steal something again, couldn’t stop himself, always just a criminal at his core, avillain. Cho felt no remorse, so why should Danny? What more proof did Danny need that he would never, ever change?

Danny did hate him, and giving him everything he wanted only to take it away was going to feel so gratifying. Finally, Danny had the power Thanatos had taken from him when he killed his mother and Rick, terrorized the city for months, and pushed Danny so far past the breaking point that he’d…

No.This time Danny was the puppet master and he’d take his revenge on Cho for abandoning him that night. It wasn’t like he didn’t deserve it.

Chapter9

Danny walked into the morgue the next morning early enough to have a good half-hour to spare before his shift started at the precinct. He’d messaged Lynn and Andre to meet him there. John had given him a stunned look when he bolted down the stairs to leave ahead of him for once. It helped that Danny had actually gotten a solid eight hours of blissful, dreamless sleep for the first time in months.

Carrying a box full of donuts and a drink holder loaded with coffee for him and his team, Danny felt invigorated. All thanks to Cho. Now he had to make things right with his friends, especially Andre.

“Danny!” Lynn said in pleased astonishment as he entered. She rose from her seat to meet him at the center desk where he set his offerings. Andre rolled back from his computer to look at Danny but didn’t get up. “I was worried when you asked to meet us this morning. This is a nice surprise.”

“Did you actually go to bed last night or come straight here?” Andre asked neutrally, eyeing the coffee and donuts—and Danny—with equal stoicism.

“How late did you two play last night?” Lynn raised an eyebrow as she claimed her customary fritter from the box then the coffee labelled with her name.

“Not late,” Andre said, fake smile covering the truth from her, “but Danny had some energy to burn afterward. How’d you decide to do that, anyway?”

“Oh, uhh…” Danny averted his eyes and scratched the back of his neck. “What did you call it before?Recreation?”

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