Page 20 of Demon's Desire
As they reached the first landing, Nico found himself saying, “I’m bisexual.”
“Noted.” Onyx proceeded upward. When Nico didn’t immediately follow, he paused. “We aren’t playing poker in the strip club, are we?”
Nico had stopped outside the club’s second story, which housed the men’s stage. “No, we’re playing in the casino.”
A funny sensation spread within him, almost as if he’d anticipated something changing now that everyone’s sexual orientation was out in the open. Nico shook it off and continued up the stairs, but that little spark inside him remained.
Onyx matched his pace. “Good. I’d be distracted otherwise. Seems rude not to give the dancers the attention they deserve.”
Clearly, confirmation that Nico liked men wasn’t of any particular interest to Onyx. Nico bit back a misplaced swell of frustration. It didn’t matter.
Except apparently, it did. Possibilities opened in Nico’s mind, and he tried to ignore them.
At the next landing, Nico nodded to the vampires guarding the casino door. Their gazes lingered on Onyx, but he either didn’t notice or did a good job of pretending he didn’t.
“Good luck,” the man on the right said as he opened the door.
“Thanks, Jack.” Nico led the way inside, the demon at his heel. “Would you like a drink?”
“No.” Onyx wrinkled his nose. He was cute all scrunched up like that.
It wasn’t as if Nico hadn’t noticed Onyx’s attractiveness before—far from it—but now he wanted to do something about that attraction. Nico’s insides fluttered. Damnation, it was like he couldn’t stop his train of thought now that it had started.
“You sure you don’t want anything?” He had to say something other than what was going through his mind. “There are non-alcoholic beverages too.”
Onyx took in the casino with an assessing eye. “I figured as much.”
“Do you not drink?” He’d bypassed refreshments at lunch and the meeting with Rowan.
Onyx’s sharp gaze finally landed on Nico. “Only blood.”
A shiver wound down Nico’s spine, his heart rate picking up. He tilted his head, cracking his neck to ward off the pleasurable sensation.Fuck.
Onyx laughed. “Don’t worry, I’m not after your life force. I’m perfectly capable of feeding myself.”
“Of course you are.” Nico was suddenly hot in the cool casino. “I’m going to grab something. Have a look around and I’ll show you to the private room after.”
Onyx didn’t hesitate to wander off, and Nico stalked to the bar and ordered a bourbon.
He wasn’t usually into blood or biting, and couldn’t even blame his reaction on curiosity. Being friends with vampires his whole adult life, it had been inevitable that he’d let a partner or two bite him during sex. He’d enjoyed it well enough. But he’d never craved anyone’s bite.
Onyx’s fangs piercing his flesh was another story. A second shiver raced through him. Onyx was beautiful and very much Nico’s type. Even remembering Onyx’s terrifying glowing facefrom the night they met didn’t make his bite less appealing. Onyx’s fury was as intriguing as the rest of him.
Did his and Onyx’s tastes align?
Just because Onyx acted like a brat didn’t mean he wanted to be disciplined. He probably had no interest in Nico hauling him over his knee and spanking his ass until it turned red. Right? But if he did…and if Onyx was good for Nico, he could reward Onyx with a taste of his blood, among other things.
Nico cleared his throat and braced against the bar.
He had to stop. It wasn’t a good idea to find out what Onyx was into. Nico didn’t want any drama, and Onyx seemed ripe for it.
Nico planned to be present in Harper and Ollie’s lives as long as they allowed—even after everything settled down—therefore, he’d be in the demons’ lives. Hooking up with Onyx even once would complicate his long-term relationship with the group, and it wasn’t smart to get involved with someone who was waiting for a fated mate.
Sounded like a recipe for heartbreak.
Nico wasn’t Onyx’s mate and didn’t want to be. He’d never been interested in immortality and had no desire to be bound to anyone.
Nico hoped to find a partner to share his life with long term, whether exclusively or more openly, in a relationship that included others. There was no reason to get attached to a demon who was destined to be part of a perfect pair when Nico wasn’t the other half of the equation.
