Page 8 of Vampire Claus

Paul would scream or run, no doubt. He dropped his hands, preparing to let the night become no more than a fond recollection to keep him company in years to come.It’s time to deal with Paul’s memories anyway,he thought wretchedly, establishing as much distance as he could.

Yet before he could pull away, Paul clutched at his waist as if to keephimfrom bolting. Taviano still felt Paul’s hard member against his thigh. Whether from naiveté or the thrill of danger, Paul clung to the fiend he’d let into his home.

A small tingle of hope lit up Taviano’s chest. Perhaps it didn’t have to end so quickly after all? He quirked an eyebrow and tried on a grin. “No. Not a ninja.”Tell him. Let him choose.Every part of Taviano’s brain screamed that it was a terrible idea, but he asked, “Do you want to know?”

Paul swallowed hard but nodded. Made brave by the hand around his waist, Taviano leaned closer. He brushed his lips back and forth against Paul’s cheek and readied to say what he’d never before spoken aloud. Paul’s heart thundered in his chest. The rush of blood made his long, hard cock pulse between them.

Taviano whispered a word into his ear. “Vampire.”

Four

Paul trembled inTaviano’s arms but made no effort to disengage. “Well, that makes more sense than ninja,” he finally said, then “I don’t know what to think about that.”

Leaning back enough to meet his eyes, Taviano found belief and acceptance coupled with nothing more than slight shock. Paul wasn’t afraid of him, just stunned.

The trust staggered him.

“You don’t have to think anything about it, Paul. It just is.” Taviano brushed a thumb over Paul’s lower lip. “I’m glad you believe me, but,whydo you?”

Paul licked the thumb against his mouth and clutched Taviano more surely. “Honestly? I’m not sure. But what I saw you do, and then the thing with your blood on my cut, and your fangs…” He choked off and trembled violently in Taviano’s arms though he never let go. “Holy fuck. You’re avampire!”

Concern shot through Taviano and woke his demon, but it realized the lack of danger and quieted again with no fuss. Nevertheless, Taviano remained on guard against it as he swore, “I promise. I won’t hurt you.”

Paul rested his head against Taviano’s shoulder, and that was response enough. The quivering in his body eased and quieted until, amazingly, he gave a small chuckle. “My nonna says I should ask more questions before I bring someone home.”

“You talk to your grandmother about your, uh, men?” Taviano heard the scandalized edge to his own question.

Paul raised his head long enough to smirk. “Not the details. Duh. She’s supercool, except she thinks I’m not careful enough.”

“She’s right, of course.”

“Oh, not you too.” Paul smiled broadly and pushed at Taviano’s shoulder. “’Sides, I’m all talk. I hook up once, maybe twice a month, and we always use rubbers.”

A peculiar feeling stirred in Taviano’s chest and made him clench his jaw. A sudden image flashed in his head, of tracking the most recent man whose seed spattered the futon. He saw himself plunge fangs into the cretin’s neck, for touching Paul. The satisfaction that vision produced had nothing to do with feeding.

Vaguely, his demon throbbed with amusement. When Taviano realized it waslaughingat him he became flustered. To cover, he said again, “I wouldn’t hurt you, Paul. Soon I’ll help you forget and it can all be over.”

The shine in Paul’s face dimmed and he asked in a low voice, “Will you…? Can I at least remember it as a hot dream? I mean, how many people get it on with a vampire?”

Taviano smiled. “Yes, I can do that for you.”But it doesn’t have to be right away, does it?Tilting Paul’s chin up, he could look into those lovely blue eyes as he asked, “You know what I am now. Would you let me kiss you anyway?”

Paul didn’t even answer, but lunged for Taviano’s lips like he starved for the contact. If there had been passion before, this time there was fire. His tongue was agile and coaxing, drawing Taviano onward with increasingly desperate moans. He tugged at his lower lip with teeth, and used the tip of his tongue to probe gently at Taviano’s fangs. Obviously fascinated by the needle-sharp points, he licked up each deadly spike.

The intimacy of that raspy touch over first the left fang, then the right, made Taviano stiffen with alarm. Then the sheer daring of it broke through his reserve. With a growl deep in his throat, he pressed Paul against a wall.

As Paul’s words had let Taviano enter his apartment, so his grip called the vampire to enjoy his body. And enjoy it he did. He explored freely with his hands, roaming up and down Paul’s arms and he plundered Paul’s mouth. He caged Paul with his body, conscious of his own strength and the fragility of the man in his arms.

Finally Paul broke the embrace and sagged, gasping, “Oh man. You got game.”

“What does that mean?”

Paul pressed his forehead to Taviano’s. “It means you kiss great. Like, seriously great.” He lowered his cheek to rest against Taviano’s chest and rubbed like a cat. “I get it now,” he murmured. “Your skin is cold but you’re full of heat.”

“I’m sorry about my cold skin,” Taviano said, trying to step away.

Paul gripped him more tightly. “Don’t let go. It’s different, not bad. You hold me like you mean it.” He ran his palm across Taviano’s back. “I should have a shitload of questions but I’m just wondering… Do you have to work out to keep all this muscle?”

He laughed gently. “No. It’s one of the perquisites of the deal. My body operates at peak efficiency, even if I never go near a gymnasium.”

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