It didn’t help.It just meant that, by the time he opened his eyes, everyone else on the bus was giving him funny looks.Sinking down a little in his seat, he tried to look as inconspicuous as possible.It didn’t help.They were still staring at him when he got off the bus at the stop nearest his house.
He walked as quickly as he could, eager to get the cash tucked away somewhere safe.As he strode up the path to the front door, he spotted Fred waving frantically to him through the living room window, his blond hair fluttering around his head as his movements became more and more dramatic by the moment.Ryland held back a sigh.He never had been good at playing charades, and he really wasn’t in the mood.
If Fred had another man in there, fair enough.Ryland was very happy for him, or, at least, he was willing to nod and smile and pretend he was happy for him.But, if Fred thought there was any way in hell he was going to get away with locking out his housemate just so he could have some privacy to get laid—on today of all days…
The waving hands became even more frantic.
Ryland rolled his eyes as he walked the last few paces up to the front door.“What’s got into you?”he demanded as Fred rushed into the hall to greet him.
“You’ve got a visitor,” Fred said.“I’m really sorry.I tried to get rid of him, but he didn’t listen to a word, and he really freaked me out, and he said I wasn’t to phone you and warn you he was here, and—”
Ryland was halfway up the stairs before Fred could get another word out.He only knew one man who could put someone into that much of a panic just by turning up and glaring at them.He pushed open his bedroom door, fully expecting to find Arslan and a marked folder full of history essays sitting on his bed.And—
“Jason doesn’t like to be kept waiting.”
Ryland just stared at the doorman who’d let him into Jason’s house.What the hell are you doing here?Get out of my room!The words stayed inside his head.“I haven’t kept him waiting,” he stuttered.“I’ve got until the end of the month to make the first repayment—”
The guy caught hold of Ryland by the shoulder.“It seems you’ve got a talent you forgot to mention to Jason when he was calculating the interest on your loan.”
“What are you talking about?Let go of me.”Ryland squirmed within the man’s grip.His struggles made just as little difference then as they had when he’d been kneeling at Jason’s feet.
* * * * *
Arslan leaned back in his seat, listening to the idle babbling of the younger lions with half an ear, but mostly just waiting for the chance to catch the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.
“What’s put you in such a good mood?”Blaine demanded as he moved to stand foursquare in front of him.
Arslan raised an eyebrow at him.
Blaine didn’t take the least bit of notice.He seemed to sense that the leader of their pride was in a good enough mood to put up with a little of his brattiness.Arslan smiled slightly.If Blaine had that good a read on him, maybe the boy was finally starting to learn a little after all.
Luther came up behind Blaine and wrapped his arms around him.Blaine leaned comfortably back against him and murmured his approval when Luther licked his neck.
“Can’t you two even wait for the damn human to get here?”another lion called across to them.Blaine held two fingers up to the other lion, not even bothering to turn around and glare at them.
Arslan settled himself more comfortably on the sofa and let them bicker.
“Figures you would hold up two fingers,” the other lion snickered.“Neither of you can keep a human happy on your own, can you?”
Luther snarled and leapt towards the other lion, knocking him to the ground and rolling around on the rug with him.There were no yowls or real roars; Arslan was content to let them work it out on their own.
Blaine seemed to feel the same.His attention stayed on Arslan.“Is there any point in us waiting for the human, or is tonight’s sacrifice already claimed?”
Arslan knew nothing showed in his eyes.He was far better at hiding his thoughts than that.But he let a rueful smile slipped through on purpose.
“Go and play with the others,” he told Blaine.“There’ll be time enough to speak about tonight’s sacrifice later.”
Blaine grinned at the tiny acknowledgement, knowing that he had been right to guess why Arslan was so mellow.Arslan chuckled and let him have his moment to relish his success.Blaine deserved it.He was finally showing signs of growing up—even if he hadn’t yet worked out that a man didn’t need the company of another lion to enjoy accepting a human’s submission.
Gravel crunched in the drive.A car’s engine came to a halt and fell silent.Arslan forced himself to stay in his seat while Blaine and Luther disentangled themselves from the other lions they were tumbling with and rushed out to see what their arrangement with the humans had brought to their door that night.
Seconds stretched into a lifetime.A naked figure was led into the room.The breath stalled in Arslan’s throat as the young man was nudged onto the rug in front of the fire.
Pale skin.Blond hair.Lean lines of muscle.An apparently inexhaustible supply of nerves.But it wasn’t the right skin, the right hair, the right nervous energy.
Luther cleared his throat.
Arslan’s attention snapped toward him.He waved a hand dismissing his right to have first claim to the stranger.
