Buying Quartet Air had been a statement. An “I have the money and the power you never will.” If Nate had to guess, he bet he’d surprised Kaz when he’d quit. The Brumal member had no doubt thought buying the business meant he had the means of controlling him, and after he’d lost that? He’d stalked him to the Velvet Brew to make the threat again, only he’d spotted Port’s name on Nate’s multi-slate and had switched gears.
That was the other dangerous thing about Kazimir. He could adapt on the fly. Reassess a situation and come up with a new plan.
Like how he’d done last night when he’d come to Nate’s house and used his friend’s safety against him. Kazimir had figured out that outward force wasn’t going to work on Nate. It never had. Bringing things home, however? Yeah. That would do the trick.
He’d grown up with middle-class parents who’d done their best in raising their three children, but there were everyday struggles that came along with that. And then they’d died, and Nuri had been put in charge at too young of an age, meaning Nate had also had to give up the rest of his childhood to help keep things together. Since the age of thirteen, Nate’s life had constantly changed and altered at the flip of a coin.
Kaz wasn’t the only one who’d learned how to adjust.
“Anyway, what are you doing on campus?” Odette asked, and Nate tore his gaze off Kazimir to give her his attention once more. “If you haven’t had lunch yet, we could grab something to eat at the cafeteria. Catch up.”
Nate gave her another friendly smile, pretending not to be aware of the Devil who approached with his two friends hot on his heels. “Sorry, I already have plans. Maybe some other time.”
“Oh, really?”
“Yeah, I’m here to pick up my boyfriend,” Nate said, motioning with his chin toward Kaz as he finally straightened off the hood of his car.
“Your—” She turned her head and gasped at the same moment Kaz stepped up to them. “—Boyfriend.”
“You two are dating?” one of the Brumal members with Kazimir sounded just as surprised as Ledger had the other day at the café. He was dressed in a dark gray button-up, showing he was a junior, and had pale pink hair with darker highlights. The hair gave away that he was a born Vital.
“Hi,” he held out a hand toward them. “I’m Nate.”
“Take that,” Kazimir interrupted, “and I’ll slice yours off, Saint.”
The other member, also dressed in dark gray, leaned toward the pink-haired guy—Saint—and said not so quietly, “He doesn’t mean your hand, man.”
“I got that.” Saint slipped both of his into the pockets of his jeans.
“What’s going on here?” Kaz turned that irritation on Nate and Odette, glancing pointedly between them.
“I came to pick you up and ran into an old friend,” Nate said nonchalantly, reaching out to slip his pointer finger into the empty belt loop at the front of Kaz’s pants. He tugged him closer, smirking at the momentary look of befuddlement on the other man’s face a second before he kissed the expression away.
He’d meant for it to be a peck, just a quick meeting of lips to get the point across to their audience, but Nate found himself lingering there at the first touch of warmth from Kaz’s mouth. When he pressed in a little closer, Kazimir opened for him, allowing Nate’s tongue to slip inside and tangle with his in a slow, sultry exploration.
Last night, things had gone according to Kaz’s schedule, with Nate half out of his mind the entire time. Now, in thelight of day, without overstimulation to distract him, he was able to note the slight hint of sweetness Kaz’s mouth offered and breathe in the scent of something floral and earthy coming off of him.
It was pleasing to the senses, and Nate shifted in even closer, his free arm banding around Kaz’s narrow waist to urge him to stay close.
Until Odette cleared her throat and he recalled the purpose of kissing Kaz in the first place.
Nate pulled away, carefully keeping that one finger in the Devil’s belt loop as he turned to Odette. “Sorry. Things are still new and exciting. You know how that is.”
She nodded and took a tentative step back. “Of course. Hey, I should get going.”
“Right, you said you were hungry. Here.” Nate tapped at his multi-slate. “Let me buy you lunch, at least.”
“No, no!” She waved her hands in the air and almost dropped her tablet in the process. “That won’t be necessary.”
“Come on,” Nate pushed. “I insist. You’re my junior. I should take care of you.”
The Brumal member standing next to Priest made a choking sound and smartly hid his face behind his friend.
Nate pretended not to notice, hitting the button that would transfer twenty coin over to Odette instantly.
The white device on her wrist dinged a second later and she turned beet red.
“What about you two?” Nate turned to the Brumal. “Are you eating? I can—”
