Sammy bent his torso back far enough to look into Dre’s eyes. Their lips were so close that Dre thought he could feel the heat coming from Sammy. They both moved forward as if somebody was pulling invisible strings until their lips met in a chaste kiss that sent shudders down Dre’s spine. Sammy gripped Dre’s shoulders like a vise. He was panting.
“Hello, Dre.”
“I think you already said that.”
“Did I?”
“To be honest, I can’t remember.”
Silence fell around them while they kept on staring at each other. Sammy’s weight felt pleasant in Dre’s arms, and he knew he would never tire of his differently colored eyes. The one with the brown iris had flecks of gold that reminded Dre of amber. The blue one was not really blue on closer inspection, but a mixture of gray, a very light blue—like the sky in spring—and some faded green dots.Fascinating and gorgeous.
“I think you can let me down now.”
Dre didn’t like that idea, but he did as Sammy asked. Once Sammy’s feet touched the floor again, he went for the kitchen door.
“Just let me get some shoes. Then I’m going to clean up this mess and we can leave.”
Dre shook his head. “I’ve got a better idea. How about you get ready for our date while I clean up the mess, since I’m responsible for it—more or less.”
Sammy looked at the mix of glittering shards and sticky red mass on the floor then back up to Dre.
“If you insist.”
Dre grinned. “I insist. Now get your sexy ass out of here so I can impress you with my cleaning skills.”
“You think my ass is sexy?”
Sammy sounded more incredulous than teasing, which told Dre he wasn’t used to getting compliments. Well, Dre could definitely remedy that.
“Oh yes. Very sexy. It’s one of the reasons I asked you on a date.” He waggled his eyebrows for emphasis.
Sammy opened his eyes wide and clutched his chest in mock consternation.
“You only want me for my body!”
“I see we understand each other.”
They both started laughing and Sammy turned back to the door. “No magic to clean up!”
Dre huffed. “Don’t worry. A demon’s magic is better suited tocreatea mess than to clean it up—though the color would fit.”
Sammy gasped. “Dre!”
“Just kidding. Where do you keep your cleaning utensils?”
“Under the sink. I won’t take long.”
The slight frown on Sammy’s forehead was too cute.
“Don’t worry, Sammy. I got this.”
“If you say so.”
With one last glance, Sammy vanished through the door. Dre went to the sink to retrieve a cloth and some detergent. Careful to not get his clothes dirty, he bent down and started swiping up the marmalade and glass shards. The bigger ones he collected to go into the trash can, the smaller ones he washed down with the marmalade in the sink. He was just giving the floor one last swipe when Sammy returned with nice black boots and a light blue V-neck pullover to complete his outfit. He looked absolutely stunning.
“Wow, Sammy, you’re so beautiful.” Dre spoke with absolute conviction and the blush on Sammy’s cheeks was the sweetest reward. “You’re going to need a warm jacket. Even though it’s pretty warm in Rome, the temperatures still drop during the night.”
“Wait a moment and I’ll get my coat.”
