Page 9 of Vampire Claus
Paul met his eyes again, all earnest and curious and guileless. “But like, blood drinking and undead and all that shit? It’s really like that?”
The expression on his face moved Taviano and he stole another kiss before he answered. “Yes. All that…shit. You’re very calm about this.” He smiled. “You’re neat. Do people still say that?”
Paul buried his face against his chest again. “Not for, like, thirty years. You know, I’m so freaked that I can’t even. I’m just gonna roll with it like the mugging.”
The lack of instinct for self-preservation continued to amaze Taviano. He was confident that his demon posed no risk to Paul, but the man was a menace to himself. “I’m grateful you aren’t throwing me out, but I can’t help wishing you showed a little more caution. You won’t always have a ninja on hand to help out.”
Paul snorted. “It’s not like I’m a thrill junkie or anything. I just try to keep it real. I don’t want to live in fear. Honestly, it goes wrong sometimes, but people are mostly all right, if you trust them.”
Thrill junkie? Keep it real?Had he and Gero spoken in such slang that he just didn’t recall? A question for another time. He focused instead on Paul. “You’re a remarkable young man.”
That earned a full scoff. “C’mon, you’ve got to be right about the same age as me.” Eyes widened again. “Oh shit, that’s probably not true. How old are you?”
Taviano considered the question. “I was born one hundred and ninety-four years ago. My body died when I was twenty-two.”
Paul opened and closed his mouth several times like a fish on a dock. Shook his head. “Nope. Can’t make that compute. I’m twenty-four so let’s say we’re the same age.”
“Is there anything else you’d like to ask?” Once the floodgates were open, Taviano found it tantalizing to confess the whole of his existence. Hundreds of things he’d never said to a living person, and he wanted to say them to Paul. Of course he would make it all go away so the risk was minimal. Yet the lure of unguarded conversation was nearly as intoxicating as Paul’s scent.
Paul flashed a grin at him. “Dude, so many questions. But I have a big one first. You ready?” Taviano smiled and nodded. “You wanna make out with me some more?”
He laughed and let Paul’s innate happiness and determined rejection of reality sweep him up. The respite from decades of shadow and alleys and solitude was a gift that would sustain him for a long time. He would not hurry to end it.
He was talking. Touching.Kissing.
Paul’s joy was contagious, and Taviano pulled them together again to spring across the small room. Twisting smoothly in mid-air, he landed on his back lengthwise along the futon. Paul ended up cradled on his chest like a kitten.
He choked out, “That was sofuckingcool,” and then kissed Taviano, squirming and tugging on his black hair. Long, pleasurable moments passed.
Finally they relaxed again and Paul rested his head on Taviano’s shoulder. Body heat soaked into Taviano. It reminded him of a day he’d lazed on the bank of the Volturno River in the sun with Gero’s head across his belly.
“This is the best date of my entire life,” Paul murmured.
“Is that what this is? A date?”
He shrugged. “I don’t know what else to call it. It doesn’t feel like a hookup.”
“I don’t know that term either. Is it like getting picked up?”
“Sorta. It’s just two horny guys low-key fooling around or fucking and then going on about their day. No strings, just sex.”
“Do you like that? Having sex with, er, no strings?”
Paul tucked his head under Taviano’s chin as he muttered, “It’s what I get. It’s all good, though. I enjoy sex and besides, it isn’t like anyone wants to date a guy who cooks in a diner.”
Taviano stroked his hair. He didn’t need his sensitive ears to pick out the tinge of sadness in Paul’s words. “I can tell you are far more than that.” He tugged Paul’s chin up until he could see those blue eyes again. Firmly, he announced “I’ve decided I’d rather be on a date with you than in a hookup. You should know, however, that I’ve never gone on a date before.”
“Never? Man, you’re so lucky. I used to be thegoatat dates,” Paul enthused. “Greatest of all time. Goat. Get it?”
“I do, and I admire your modesty.” They shared a smirk and Taviano asked, “Do we get to kiss more on this date, oh wisest of goats?” His head resonated with the thought,Please say yes.
“Oh, totally. But first we should talk a little so it isn’t only about yoursmokin’ hot body.” Paul frowned. “Smokingcoldbody? No, that sounds like I’m a necrophiliac.”
Taviano grinned. “I hate to be the one to tell you, but that’s closer to the truth than you might care to examine.”
“Nope,” Paul said firmly. “When you turn this all into a dream, I’m not gonna care about that. I just want you to be all intense and sexy and unable to keep your hands off of me.”
“Your request is duly noted. And at least part of that is true.” He flipped their bodies until Paul lay on his back. Tracing a finger along the sunrise tattoo, Taviano admitted, “I can’t keep my hands off you.”