Page 17 of Demon's Mate
Ollie pulled Harper in. “Dance with us.”
Harper pressed against Ollie’s back, moving with them. He laughed. The way they were touching seemed suggestive, but there was no heat between the three of them. It was fun, and Harper liked being close to someone he felt comfortable with, with no pressure put on what they were doing.
Ollie turned around, putting his back to Dex, who crowded in, his hands on Ollie’s hips. Ollie gazed up at Harper. “Having fun?”
“Yeah.” Harper grinned as Ollie wrapped his arms aroundhim, the heat of his friend’s hand on the back of his neck warming him in a way he hadn’t known he needed.
It was exhilarating to be out and surrounded by queer men, some of whom were giving the three of them hungry looks. Harper wanted to broaden his sexual experience and get over the hurdle of hooking up for the first time in a long time, but that wasn’t all he wanted. That wasn’t the only way he could embrace being himself. He was glad he wasn’t here alone and hadn’t realized how good it would feel to have queer friends, even brand-new ones he’d only just started getting to know.
Honestly, the night couldn’t get any better.
7
ASH
Ash scowled downat the club. Of course this was what Onyx wanted in exchange for cooperating.
Dante elbowed him. “It’s not so bad.”
“It’s a waste of time.” Ash turned his back on the room below and scanned the VIP area. Onyx sat between two bulky, bare-chested humans who had their hands all over him. “He doesn’t even care that we’re here.”
“So what? Tomorrow, we’ll sit down and figure out what our next move is.” Dante passed Ash a small vial Onyx had given him. “You could use some fun. When was the last time you left your cabin?”
“Hunting lodge,” Ash corrected, passing the vial back.
Demons couldn’t get intoxicated the way humans could. The vial held a strong potion that would do the trick, but Ash wasn’t interested. They might have decided to wait until tomorrow to make their plan, but they were still being hunted. Lucifer wasn’t going to wait for them to have a night out if he happened to find them at the club.
Dante unstopped the vial and took a sip. “So, when was thelast time you left your hunting lodge and found someone to keep you company?”
Too long to admit. Not as long as Dante, who’d decided to wait for his mate a century ago. But the last thing Ash wanted to talk about was mates. He grunted.
Dante stared, expression flat. “Not even a single word in response? Wow. Sounds like somestress reliefwould do you good.” He waggled his eyebrows.
“Maybe,” Ash admitted, turning back toward the club. There was no denying the tension he’d been carrying around.
A whiff of floral mountain air caught his attention. How odd. It was exactly the same as the scent from the plaza and so subtle he shouldn’t have noticed it in a club, even with his demon sense. There was no mistaking it for a nearby florist this time. Did the scent belong to a person?
Now, that was intriguing. “You know what? You’re right, Dante. I’m going to go dance.”
Dante’s eyes widened, obviously having expected Ash to stick to brooding. “Great. I’ll keep an eye on Onyx.”
Ash huffed. “Good luck with that.”
He descended the stairs and circled the club, catching a whiff of the floral scent here and there. Damn, what direction was it coming from?
Ash brought his baser instincts forward. When he caught the scent again, he let his body take the lead, his brain in the back seat. His spine tingled. Fuck, he wanted a taste. The scent wasn’t enough.
He prowled the club, scanning the men around him. Who the hell smelled like flowers and home?
“Hey, Daddy,” a slim brunet called.
Ash gave him an up-nod. He wasn’t the source of the smell.
“You looking for someone?” the man asked, lashes fluttering.
“Yes, sorry. Have a good night.” Ash movedon.
He’d gotten rid of his shearwater shirt, but the button-down he’d borrowed from Dante was too tight, making it seem like he was about to burst from the fabric. Clearly, men found his look appealing.
