Page 66 of Demon's Heart
“I’ll be home after dinner,” Ollie continued. “We could meet then.”
“Yes, that would be great.” Dante sat on the bed, legs weak. “I’ll meet you at your apartment.”
“I’ll text you.” Ollie paused and Dante hung on the silence. “Are you okay to wait? I want to be there for you too. We could talk more now if your dream is still bothering you. Or something else?”
“Thank you, Ollie. I’m all right. See you tonight.”
He needed to have this conversation in person when Ollie wasn’t worried about rushing off to work. But Ollie’s offer mattered.
His mate wanted to take care of him. Dante clung to the knowledge all day.
Dante landedon Ollie’s roof, his insides fluttering more than his wings.
He couldn’t afford to hope anything had changed between him and Ollie. Being intimate over the phone was something they’d stumbled into. It might not mean anything. Ollie could feel lust and longing for Dante and still not desire anything romantic.
But Dante had to know for sure. One day of uncertainty had him at his limit.
He should have gone to see Ren and checked on her progress. He should have worked on convincing Onyx to go on the offensive against Luc. Instead, he’d done nothing but eat chocolate and sugary cereal. Then gone to the store to restock his drawer and fill another with a savory treat stash for Ollie.
At least Ash had been occupied with Harper, so no one had witnessed Dante’s hopelessness.
He paced the roof until Ollie texted to let Dante know he was home.
Dante shoved his phone back in his pocket. Did he wait a little longer to go down? That way, Ollie wouldn’t know he’d been sitting up here, darkening the roof like an impatient gargoyle.
No. Dante wasn’t playing games or hiding things. He and Ollie needed to work this out with all their cards on the table.
Dante went inside and knocked on Ollie’s door. A moment later, it swung open, revealing his wide-eyed mate.
“That was fast. Were you already here?”
Dante cleared his throat. “I was waiting on the roof.”
Ollie’s brow furrowed. “Come on in. Let’s go to my room.”
Dante followed him through the apartment, nodding to Ash and Harper in the living room. He entered Ollie’s bedroom and Ollie closed the door. His sandalwood scent was everywhere, the space small and furniture arranged close together with every surface covered in one thing or another.
Dante smiled.
Ollie sat on the bed, his eyes darting around. “Sorry, there’s nowhere else to sit.”
Dante perched next to him. “This is perfectly fine.”
He glanced at the rumpled bedspread and the sounds Ollie had made last night filled his mind. Dante’s insides went molten. Ollie had lain here and touched himself thinking of Dante. Fuck. Last night seemed even more real now that he could imagine every last detail.
There was no doubt he’d revisit the memory, especially when it might be as close to Ollie as he’d ever get.
The heat in Dante’s core cooled.
“I need to talk about what happened last night.”
Ollie’s cheeks bloomed red. “Was it not okay? It doesn’t have to be a big deal or change anything.”
Dante swallowed the lump forming in his throat. “I’m not saying what happened wasn’t okay. I wanted it as much as you did. And it’s fine if it isn’t a big deal for you. But…” Dante’s chest tightened. He had to admit what last night meant to him, even if it opened him up to rejection that would break his heart.
His fire burned and sweat tickled his palms. “I’m happy to be your friend. No, I’m honored to be close to you as a friend. But if we’re going to have a platonic bond, I can’t add intimacy to the equation. I can’t have sex with you without it feeding my romantic desires. If we’re going to remain friends, it can’t happen again.”
Ollie stared at Dante for a long moment, eyes wide and unblinking. Dante’s fire raged inside him and the air between them seemed to pull tight.
