Page 74 of Bloody Temptations

“Yes, asecretclub that nobody knows about does limit our capacity for social reach.” It’s now Aristet rolling his eyes at me, over Matteus’s dry observation. “Not to mention we’ve been an Osneau institution for a good four centuries now. The cat really is out of the bag on that one.”

Matteus gasps, in the extremely put upon way that old vampires do, spinning on his chair to face Aristet. His face is lit up in sarcastic enthusiasm.

“I know,” he begins, Aristet already groaning and rubbing his temples at whatever bullshit is about to be flung his way. Honestly, the beings out there that are terrified of Matteus should see the childish way he carries on with Aristet behind closed doors. It’s ridiculous. “Why don’t you go andstarta secret, underground, hush, hush vampire club and leave Hearts Gate to me? A grand idea, don’t you think, Finn?”

Two pairs of eyes land on me. Well, fuck. It really does suck when Dads are fighting, even if the simmering tension between them is kind of hot. Usually I get paid well enough to ignore their behaviour, but tonight I have a video message burning a hole in my pocket, and places to be. Important ones.

I cap my whiteboard marker and shift on my feet, trying to find a polite way to tell my boss—the guy that took a totally wild chance on me—that he’s being a dick.

Probably not like that.

Especially since tonight is the last night of my probation. Three months—three whole ass months—since Iquit ORA and started as Matteus’s assistant. Thanks to him, I can barely recognise my life for how much it’s changed since he took me under his wing.

He’s a great boss, and an even better mentor. Not to say that it’s all been easy. Just because he’s a great boss, it doesn’t mean he’s always easy to work with. The vampire is a perfectionist and he expects his staff to be too.

But I’m learning more than I ever could have dreamed of under his guidance—including about Christoff. Learning about my maker hasn’t been all sunshine and roses, but at least I’ve had support—and not just from Kai and Matteus.

Staying true to our deal, I go to my weekly support group for vampires with difficult or traumatic turnings; we meet at a nearby community centre. Outside the group, I’ve started therapy too. It took a couple of therapists, but I think I’ve finally found one I like in Rodrigo. He challenges me and my negative thought spirals and never lets me sit by and let life just happen to me. It’s the kick in the pants I’ve always needed. My mother certainly thought so when I called and told her about him.

It finally dawns on Matteus that he’s put me in an awkward position—again—and he smiles at me, one of those genuine smiles where the real him peeks through his facade

“Finn, my sincere apologies. Thank you for your assistance. I understand you are celebrating tonight? You don’t have to listen to this any longer, go and get ready to join your friends.”

“Ah yes! Off probation tonight, aren’t you?” Aristet perks up, looking in my direction with a disarmingly charming smile.

Being the big boss and owner of the place, I was terrified of him for my first week working here. Until the first argument. I cannot overstate how hard it was to take them both seriously as big scary bosses when I caught them arguing over whether or not Matteuswas purposely stocking the office suites with the blood Aristet hates whenever Matteus was mad at him.

Despite Matteus’s profuse denials, I knew for a fact hewasdoing that. And sometimes not even when he was mad. Sometimes he just did it to irritate the club owner.

“Yes, sir.” He may not be scary, but he is still hot and I can’t help the blush on my cheeks.

“What have I told you, call me Aristet.” He winks this time, making my blush even worse. Matteus scoffs—I can feel the strain of how hard he rolls his eyes at the over the top behaviour.

I’m still not entirely sure if the flirting is something he does to piss off Matteus, or if it’s just a natural thing for him and pissing off Matteus is just a bonus. Either way, it’s something I’m still getting used to. Not that I really care about the flirting. I can guarantee that whatever video I have waiting for me on my phone is going to be three hundred percent hotter than whatever Aristet can dish out. So I roll my lips over my teeth to keep from saying anything dumb that will keep me here even longer.

Kai, Nikki and the group are all coming to have a drink with me this morning. They are getting up super early and everything to do it too. Or staying up. I don’t know. I’m still not great at keeping up with the group chat but I’m putting much more effort in now. It’s all a part of that progress I’m making with Rodrigo.

“Uh, thank you,” I say when I get hold of my tongue. “I’ll see you tomorrow night.”

“No you won’t. You have tomorrow off. I don’t approve of you overworking yourself now anymore than I did while you were on probation. Now get out and go have fun with your friends.”

Following Matteus’s dismissal I scramble to get out of there as quickly as I can and head to my rooms. It took Matteus exactly threeweeks to get sick of me taking so long to get to Hearts Gate from my place on the bus before he gave me one of the rooms on the third floor. It’s miniscule by the club's standards, and therefore, was rarely occupied. But it is more than enough space for me.

It has the secondary bonus of being closer to Kai and Bloody Temptations, which means sleepovers are a regular occurrence nowadays. I don’t think we’ve spent more than a single night alone since the night I made a drunken fool of myself at Hearts Gate.

Leaving my work bag on the small dining table that separates the kitchenette from the lounge, I pull out my phone and throw myself on the bed. The bedding is a lot more froufrou than what I’m used to. This room is done in pastel yellows and creams—which might also explain why it was never booked out.

I quickly unlock my phone and open Kai’s video message.

His face fills the screen and I still get the same flutter in my stomach as I always have. His hair is expertly tousled, and his eyeliner perfectly smudged around his heavy-lidded eyes.

“Hey baby, I’m so proud of you on your last day of probation.” His voice is husky, and he pauses to bite his lip, his eyes drooping heavily shut. In the corner of the screen I can see the hint of his bare shoulder, and its rhythmic movements.Fuck yes.

“I have been thinking about you all day, working hard, looking sexy as fuck in your suit—ah! Fuck!” He hisses, his mouth falling open into a little‘o’shape.

My cock swells rapidly in that aforementioned suit, and I reach down to rub myself over the material, watching him pleasure himself.

“Oh, Finn. Fuck. I can’t wait to celebrate with you tonight. I needed—needed—to take the edge off.” He’s writhing around now, the camera shaking with his movements. His eyes spring open, catching me off guard. The eye contact, even through the video isintense and I go from semi to rock hard in an instant. I’m gonna need more blood to get through this.

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