The fork Zane had been lifting to his mouth dropped with a sharp clatter, hitting the edge of the porcelain plate.
Pavel picked it up for him, holding it out with his left hand, while his right arm dropped over the back of Zane’s chair. “Careful, baby. Wouldn’t want to make a mess. If I have to clean up after you, you’ll need to wait longer to watch the movie. Aren’t you looking forward to it?”
He blinked at him incredulously. “You just said youshapeshift into meand touch yourself, and you expect me to sit here and eat like that’s totally normal?”
“Would you prefer I shapeshift into someone else? Kazimir, perhaps?”
“Try it,” Zane growled, “I fucking dare you. See what happens.”
“I love when you get all possessive.” Pavel ran his hand through Zane’s hair and handed over the fork, waiting for him to finally take it back before turning to continue eating. “There’s no camera in your bedroom. Or in your bathroom. Apparently even Lyra has lines she won’t cross. I’ve only ever been able to watch what you do in your living area, and you’ve never touched yourself there.”
Zane couldn’t recall if that was true or not. It didn’t really matter, he supposed. Speaking of the cameras again brought something else to the forefront of his mind, and though he speared a piece of fish and brought it to his lips, after he was done chewing, he demanded, “Going to tell me you weren’t aware of the ones in the pool room?”
“Not at all.”
“You did it on purpose, didn’t you? Fucked me there so that Lyra would see.” It’d been their first time and Zane couldn’t help but feel used all of a sudden. He set his fork down and went to stand, but Pavel was quicker than him, slapping a hand over his thigh to keep him in place.
All the while, the other man kept eating, casually, as though Zane wasn’t vibrating next to him with unspent energy and hurt feelings. His fingers splayed out across his thigh as he held him down firmly, his immense strength seeming like nothing.
“I fucked you there because I knew a pool was how you’d lost your memories of me,” Pavel quietly explained. “It was cathartic for me, more than anything. Lyra never came to mind. I also knew I could distract you by holding you under, long enough to cut you open and slip the small tracking device I had custom made beneath your skin.”
Zane felt some of the tension leave him. “Really?”
“Yeah, baby. Now,” he removed his hand and Zane instantly missed the warmth of his touch, “finish eating. I bought a dark cherry hot cocoa mix I’m dying for you to try.”
They settled into more small talk, stuff about the weather on the island and the types of things Pavel liked to do in his free time. Conversation became easier, comfortable, and by the time the two of them had cleared their plates, the irritation from before had left Zane.
He even helped bring the dishes to the sink, lingering close to Pavel’s side as the other man started to wash them, not wanting to leave them overnight.
“I can’t cook,” Zane said, watching the way Pavel’s long fingers gripped the sponge and passed it over the plate with more force than when he’d cleaned him with that towel in the bath. It shouldn’t be erotic, but it was, and before he knew what he intended, he’d taken the offending sponge and pushed the other guy out of the way.
“That’s fine.” Pavel leaned back against the island bar, crossing his arms as Zane took over the cleaning. “I can, and I also happen to own a building with a five-star restaurant in it.”
“Speaking of, think we can give Great a voucher or something? For a free meal? I ran out of him kind of rudely the other night.” He didn’t want to dwell on how he’d just gotten jealous of a sponge yet was bringing up the guy he’d gone on an impromptu date with.
“I’ll let him keep his kneecaps, how about that?” Pavel drawled.
He snorted. “Yeah, I guess that’ll do.”
“You’re more possessive than I am, but that doesn’t mean I’m not at all.”
“Try controlling.”
“Zane.”
“You switched out my toothbrush,” he reminded. “Don’t think I didn’t notice how there’s an identical set in the bathroom upstairs.” Then he motioned at their clothes. “Just how many matching pajamas did you order?”
They were in a different pattern from the ones that had gotten soaked in the rain—and the pair Pavel had been wearing before Zane had noticed all the blood. The burgundy shade with royal purple trim wasn’t something he’d personally gravitate to, but he had to admit, on Pavel, the colors really popped.
“I can’t be certain,” he shrugged. “I just kept adding to cart. There are matching coats in the closet as well, have you seen them yet?”
“No, because, unlike some people, I don’t make it a habit to riffle through other people’s things.” Zane finished the last dish and set it in the drainer, breath catching in his throat when he turned back to find Pavel staring at him intensely. “What?”
“These aren’t just my things,” Pavel said. “They’re ours. Everything in this house and on this island. Everything back in Valeo as well. You own all that I have and all I’ll ever acquire. I’ve told you that before.”
He’d said that he was Zane’s and Zane was his, sure, but…
“What movie are we watching?” Zane wasn’t ready to go there yet. He turned and headed to the living area that was set in the same relative space as the dining room, just closer to the front door. The black velvet couch situated in front of a large holoscreen TV was big enough to comfortably seat five men.
