Roger strode as if life were one long drama and the gleaming boards beneath him were the latest stage. He had broadshoulders, a narrow waist, an ass sculpted by a higher power, and long legs that added to his swagger prowess. At just over six feet tall, he was nearly five inches taller than Zack. His smile was cocky and sinful, while merriment lit his brown eyes. The small gold hoop earring in his left ear drew attention to his square jaw. Long black hair framed his chiseled face and draped over his shoulders. His raven locks made his white skin seem even starker and paler than he actually was.
Lately, he’d adopted a “coven captain appropriate” wardrobe. Everything he wore cost more than Zack wanted to know, but he always looked amazing. His shirt was dark red silk and had a billowing sort of look. The front was parted for the first few inches, showing off the curve of his pecs and his smooth skin. His pants were black and barely whispered as he walked. And it had to be magic the way his black leather belt and boots perfectly matched the shade of his pants.
Somehow, this amazing, hot immortal found Zack attractive. Digging into the coven’s history had revealed a few details about Roger, even though Zack had shied away from directly researching him. He didn’t want to think about the countless men Roger had been with over the centuries, and he didn’t want to discover how many victims he’d left in his wake. Sometimes ignorance was better.
Still, Zack had learned through pieces of conversation and bits of gossip no one thought he was overhearing that Roger tended to have multiple partners. Pets, other vampires, demons, Seelie, Unseelie—the only thing Roger seemed to be picky about was that his partner identified as a man. No one in Taliville was boasting about sleeping with him recently, but that didn’t mean Roger wasn’t seeing other people. After all, Kit was his actual pet. Kit identified as nonbinary, so Zack wasn’t sure the two of them were hooking up, but Roger usually slept with his pets.
I shouldn’t be jealous about that. We’ve never talked about it. And maybe they aren’t sleeping together.Just because they spent so much time together, Zack couldn’t assume they were boyfriends. They’d never had that talk. Was he a casual lay for Roger? Something more?
Roger approached Zack and kissed his temple. Physical touch was common between pets and their masters, but Zack’s stomach squeezed tight as he realized Reed and Josefina were witnessing Roger doting on him. Heat flared in his cheeks as he also noticed that Roger’s mere proximity was turning him on and that was probably tenting his pants, and even if it wasn’t, Josefina would be able to psychically feel his desire if she paid close enough attention, and … The spiral continued roaring out of control, egged on by that nagging internal voice that insulted him.
“I thought I’d catch you practicing.” Roger stroked the top of Zack’s shoulder and then down his back.
“Josefina said we’re done, master.” Zack pouted. Putting out his bottom lip in just the right way had been how he’d bent Roger to his will during his recovery. He’d learned it when asking for another bowl of ice cream. “I’ve barely tried the foxtrot.”
“He’s been acting up,” Josefina replied. “He’s also hiding the fact that his shoulder’s killing him.”
Roger slid his hand up and around to put his finger under Zack’s chin and tilt his head up. The smile on his lips could melt an iceberg. This was Roger at full charm, and Zack had no trouble picturing him as a pirate on the high seas or a gentleman thief in Georgian England or a bootlegger with a heart of gold. “Now, now, is that how a good boy behaves?”
The ground was slipping out from underneath Zack’s feet. His hunter’s tattoo remained dormant, meaning Roger wasn’t laying on any supernatural charms to woo him. The pet role heplayed had few perks, but the way Roger spoke to him often caused a rush.
He murmured, “It’s not hurting that much, master.”
Firmly, Roger pinched Zack’s chin between his finger and thumb and tilted Zack’s head up farther so that Zack had to straighten instead of relax.Masters manhandle their pets frequently, Roger had said during one of their lessons. Expect to see them in physical discomfort. Especially when they misbehave.
Zack held out, biting back the building pain. Roger’s grip smarted, but he’d been training for fights his whole life. The little bit of pain he felt was nothing.
“Be honest, boy,” Roger said, his voice cooler and dripping with authority. “Does your shoulder hurt?”
The command in Roger’s voice made something inside Zack bristle. He was sick to death of listening to other people. First, his parents and the rest of his family, now the vampires. Everyone thought they knew better than he did. But here he was, alive, on his own, and having to keep step with dangerous creatures.
“I really want to practice,” Zack said, his voice tighter than he wanted it to be. He hated how young he sounded. “I need to be able to nail this.”
Roger rumbled with an inaudible note of pleased annoyance as he released Zack. “I suppose I can’t be upset about that. I have a little time before Nell’s ready for me. We should dance.”
Josefina put her palm to her face and then wiped downward. “You two are impossible.”
“I think they’re sweet,” Reed said.
“Because you are a hopeless romantic.” She sat down on a chair.
“And you like to hide your gooey center.” Reed settled onto her lap, resting his arms around her shoulders. In turn, she wrapped an arm around him.
“Josefina, can we have a waltz, please,” Roger said.
“We were working on the foxtrot,” Zack said.
Roger raised an eyebrow.
“The waltz is boring,” Zack complained.
Completely disregarding Zack, Roger looked away from him to speak to Josefina. “You’re right. He is misbehaving.”
Because, of course, Roger wanted him to use the rules. Zack was outside of their bedroom, so he was apet. And he was supposed to like it. But this night was one of the last ones where he could get away with breaking the rules. “Can we drop the master shit?”
Roger glowered at him. The disappointment in his expression made Zack take a step back. “You understand that you can’t just ‘drop’ it when we’re in Chicago?”
When they were alone in their room, Roger had a warmth to him that could comfort Zack as well as tease him. Here, pretending they were in high vampire society, Roger was a marble statue. Beautiful and nearly unreadable and utterly a work of art hiding his own gooey center. This was the Roger he would have to deal with nightly once they left their safe haven.
