Page 35 of Claiming Demons
“Any time, Wolfy,” she said, setting down the bottle of Helfyr Whiskey and bringing out two shot glasses. “Something on your mind?” she inquired, as all good bartenders do.
“Yes, but it’s for me to discuss with someone else.” I picked up the bottle and two glasses, and Maria shrugged and moved away.
I sauntered across the lounge to where Grey sat, already decked out in a perfectly tailored black suit, and set my things down on the table and sat opposite him. I, too, was all preened and pretty, in a navy shirt and a silver-blue suit, to match Ana’s eyes.
Grey was unusually calm and relaxed today, no void swirling in his sable-black eyes.
“You’re different,” I commented, curious if he’d elaborate.
“I am.” He grinned. “Ana changed me. She got me to master my void and deal with five thousand years of emotional baggage, all with one perfect session of sex.”
I grinned. “Yeah, she can do that.” Not that I’d experienced what he’d just described, but I’d learned that our amazing Ana could do pretty much anything she put her mind to. “I’m glad.”
He smiled, which was also uncharacteristic for him. “So, you wanted to chat?”
I poured out two full shot glasses of the whisky and handed him one.
“I want to talk about that last time we were all together with Ana,” I began. “Specifically, I want to talk about… our kiss.”
“Ah,” Grey said. Then he picked up the shot glass and downed the contents in one go.
I did the same with mine, even though I didn’t really need it. The kiss had been no big deal for me, in fact, I’d enjoyed it. And really, who in their right mind, wouldn’t? Grey was gorgeous and a great kisser.
“What about it?” he said, a little gruff and distant.
Ah. So it was going to be like that.
“I liked it,” I said softly. I didn’t want to push too hard, but I didn’t want him denying himself, either. “And I’m fairly certain, you did too.”
“It pleased Ana,” he said, his gaze wandering to the far side of the bar even as his lips curled into a half smile. “That’s whatIliked about it.”
“I’m pretty sure it was more than that,” I pushed. “I was the one in your mouth at the time, and my tongue is pretty sensitive.”
“What does Ana call it?” he asked with a chuckle. “Your miracle tongue?”
“Yeah, exactly.” But he was getting a little off topic. My tongue wasn’t the issue. I leaned forward. “Come on, man. It’s the twenty-first century, and you’re aGreekdaemon, for Asgard’s sake! Your culture practicallyinventedmale-male love. Why is this so hard for you? You can’t tell me you’re still harboring some silly notion that being with a man makes you less of a man somehow.”
He sighed, looking away for a moment. “Maybe… I’m just… confused.”
“Confused because you love Ana,” I guessed, “and it felt good kissing me, which somehow feels like you’re betraying her?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“Ah…”
That would explain his hesitancy. He wasn’t being weird about it because he wasn’t into it, but because he was in love with Ana.
I poured us both another shot.
“And the fact that it was Ana telling us to do it, and she really got off on it… that doesn’t tell you something?” I asked.
He turned back, his dark eyes studying me for a moment. “You think she wants us to be together?”
I picked up my glass and waited. He picked up his, and we did another shot.
The Helfyr burned all the way down and I let out a satisfied, “Ahhhh,” and sighed.
“Yes, I do.” But I could feel in my soul that Ana wanted more than just to see us hook up. She was a goddess of love after all. “Let me ask you this, Grey. Do you think there will ever be anyone for you other than Ana?”