“Ah, yes. Well, we can certainly arrange for a flight of beverages in the dining room, if that’s what you would like.” I saw the answer for what it was: careful, calculating, and trying to gauge where I was going with it.
I might as well lay it all out there. “But it’s not normally, right?”
Maxime cocked his head, his long, silky hair flowing with the movement. “I’m not sure I know what you mean.”
“The flight? It’s an actual flight, right? Like… flying?”
His red-rimmed eyes widened for a fraction of a second. I might have missed it had I not been watching for his reaction. “Excuse me?”
I leaned in closer, not really sure who all was aware of what Creature Comforts was, since I had been so clearly in the dark about it. “It’s okay. I know.”
“And what is it you think you know, Mr. Thomas?” He was so cautious, which I understood. Although if there were others here that didn’t have a clue what was happening around them, I wondered how they kept it all a secret. Wait… Rudy mentioned Maxime had a trick for that. Damn, I wanted to know. I wanted to know everything.
I waved my arm around. “About Creature Comforts. I know what thisplace is.”
“Hmm.” Maxime scanned over me and nodded almost imperceptibly. “Very well. Yes, the flight is as you say.”
My brows raised at the confirmation, and I felt a jolt of excitement at the thought. “Badass! Can anyone participate?”
One perfectly painted brow arched high. “Those who are able to fly of their own accord may participate. Those who cannot must be accompanied by someone who can. However, there is a viewing deck on the rooftop, though the cloud coverage may impede those without…keenvision.”
AKAsupernaturalvision. Heard. It still would be cool to try to see it, though. “Thank you, Maxime.”
“You’re welcome. Is there anything else I can do for you?” He seemed a little distant, wary, or maybe that was me reading into it too much. If he were an animal, it would be easier.
Stepping closer, I lowered my voice, hoping I could offer some sort of reassurance. “I have no ill intentions here; I just want you to know that. And if you could maybe pass that along to Zephyr, that would be helpful.”
Again, another flash of surprise was gone as soon as it appeared, but he offered a slow smile and dipped his head. “Enjoy your evening, Bowen.”
“Thank you. Um, you as well. Or your morning, I suppose, not really sure how thatworks.”
Pointy brows arched high again. Maybe I shouldn’t have been so obvious about knowing what he was, but talking to a vampire wasn’t something I was used to, at least not that I knew of. I couldn’tun-saywhat I’d said, so instead I gave an awkward wave and fled. With any luck, I could catch a glimpse of the evening flight. My curiosity was creating all kinds of imagined scenarios and creatures in the sky.
Rudy
Closing the door between Bowen and me was one of the hardest things I’d had to do. Harder still were the steps away from my apartment.
“Fuck, Wolfie, I shouldn’t have to be sent down to fetch you, I’ve got my own stuff to do. Why haven’t you been checking your messages?”
Because I didn’t want my phone to bother Bowen when he was resting. He looked so beautiful and so peaceful sleeping that I’d silenced my phone and tucked it aside. I watched the way his mouth would quirk, watched his chest rise and fall, heard the soft hums he made. I’d never allowed myself a moment like that.
When I pulled his legs across my lap to give him more room to stretch, I had the notion that my only job in the entire world was to watch over him as he slept. Nothing else mattered. Not when he knew who I was and still gave me total and complete trust. Enoughthat he was able to sleep beside me after a restless night. Was it too soon to suggest he sleep in my apartment so he wouldn’t have to have any more restless nights?
Sigh. No. I couldn’t do that, no matter how much I wished I could keep him in my sight at all times. And in my nose. Gods, I couldn’t get enough of his scent. His earthy orange marmalade was heavenly on its own, but damn, when it bloomed with arousal, it nearly undid every last little fraction of control I had.
A nudge against my shoulder brought me back to the present. Which was probably good considering I was seconds away from turning back around to return to the man I left in my living room.
“Hello? Are you in there?” Zee waved a hand in my face, making me blink.
Knocking his hand out of the way, I muttered, “Yeah, sorry. I was busy, uh, earlier.”
“Busy? That’s all you have to say?” Beneath the bite in his tone, there was a hint of hurt mixed in. The realization of that gave me pause. Zee was my best friend. We talked about everything. Well, mostly he talked; I didn’t often have a lot to contribute, but now I wasn’t keeping things from him. It wasn’t that I wanted to keep Bowen a secret, but I just didn’t know enough of what was happening to share it yet. There was also the matter of how he’d been treating Bowen, and I feared that if I opened that door, I would do or say something to my friend that I would regret. Evennow, my wolf pushed from within at the thought of Zephyr saying even one wrong thing about Bowen, and I needed to keep my cool.
“Later, okay?” It was all I could manage through clenched teeth.
Zee clicked his tongue. “Fine, but then we’re going to have a heart-to-heart, you and I.”
I gave a tight nod. Iwantedto tell him everything. Well, almost everything. I wanted to be able to talk out all these new, big feelings, but at the same time, they were so big, I didn't know how to put them into words. Work, though. Work was something I could do. “What’s the emergency?”
