David studied his lover. "Vampire. I"ll be d.a.m.ned."
"Actually, that"s my line. I think you"re pretty safe, yourself."
"Huh." David paused. "No wonder you hated the garlic," he said after a long moment. Then, to his own surprise, he burst into chuckles. "It"s a good thing I"m not a devout Catholic, I"d never have gotten you inside my apartment!"
"You"re taking this a little too well." Jory shifted in his chair. "Aren"t you going to shriek, run, call me names ... maybe all of the above?"
David examined himself carefully. "No ... I don"t think so. Truth. You"re still Jory, aren"t you?"
"Fangs and all." Jory smiled. The effect was adorable, like a puppy who could bite, but whose basic nature was way too sweet to dig in. "I can change back if you want."
"Only if you do." David felt himself trembling underneath the surface, but he was holding it in. Accept. Believe. No safety nets. Okay. He could handle it. He grinned again.
"What"s so funny?"
"For one thing, you have this lisp when you talk."
"I do not!" Jory touched his mouth. "Do I?"
"A little one. I don"t mind. It"s kind of charming."
"And once again, I"m wondering why you haven"t run screaming yet." Jory shook his head, clearly wondering about David"s sanity. "I"m a vampire, lover. Stalker of the night. Prey-er upon the innocent. The thing that goes b.u.mp in the dark. You"re not even a tiny bit scared?"
David thought about the question. "Do you want me to be?"
"No! G.o.d, no. It"s just ... you freak over a meant-to-be-playful tackle in your own bedroom but, here, in a club packed full of men who might or might not have good intentions, you can handle a vampire just fine?"
"I can handle you. Somehow, I can"t see you out roaming the night after some luscious young thing to sink your fangs into.
For one thing, there"s your job at the --" He burst into laughter. "Red Cross! Oh, h.e.l.l, you cheat. You take all the unusable blood, don"t you?"
Jory covered his eyes. "Busted." His voice held a trace of humor. "Graveyard shift. Pretty appropriate, don"t you think? I drive there in the dark and leave before dawn. Sleep away the days by myself in an apartment that"s light-proofed."
"Completely?"
"Oh, yeah. My blinds are rated for darkrooms. You know, where photographers --" "I know what a darkroom is," David interrupted. "Jory, none of this makes a difference. I"ve seen you eat food. Cherry Popsicles. Tomatoes. Chile peppers. You know, I"m suddenly seeing a "red" connection here. Do you just eat those foods to cover up the blood mouth?"
"Sometimes." Jory looked embarra.s.sed. "I"m good about not needing much. Blood doesn"t have many calories, though.
You"d think being dead -- well, undead -- a guy wouldn"t have to worry about the munchies and gaining a few pounds here and there. Well, surprise!" He mimed a shock. "I think they messed up a little when they made me. Some kind of defective mold that broke."
"Really?" David asked, touching Jory"s face. "I think they did just fine. You"re closer to human than some guys I"ve known.
Better than the other one I slept with."
Jory"s golden eyes glittered. "I meant what I said," he replied, voice heavy with menace. "I ever get my hands on that a.s.shole Tommy, he"s going to regret every single thing he ever did to you, and all the things he should have done for you and didn"t. Someone like you needs to be cherished. Respected. You"re a good man, David. You know how rare those are? I haven"t run into anyone like you in a hundred and sixty-five years, alive and undead, and G.o.d, that makes me feel old."
"That"s how old you really are?" David slid onto an emptied bar stool next to Jory. He took his hand away from the vampire"s face, but instead of letting distance in between them, lowered his fingers to Jory"s thigh. He squeezed and kneaded encouragingly. "Go on. You can tell me."
Jory peered at him. "And you"re sure you"re not drunk, high, or out of your mind, maybe?" He sniffed the air. "You don"t smell stoned."
"Why are you so surprised?"
"Well, come on. I"m not exactly used to people going, "Oh, a vampire," and calmly continuing about their business. It"s not the typical reaction."
"Maybe not," David acknowledged. "But from my point of view, things are making a lot of sense now. The daylight thing, the garlic, never getting to see you except at night ... heck, even the candles. That"s cla.s.sic Hollywood." He grew sober. "And Liam. Somehow I get the idea that he"s more than what he seems."
Jory whistled. "You have no idea."
"You want to teach me?" David tilted his head. "I"m serious. Do you see me running? I told you before, you"re still Jory.
The man I fell in love with."
"Answer me one question." Jory stirred his blood again with the celery stalk, then let it fall with a twitch of amus.e.m.e.nt. "Why aren"t you afraid?"
"Well, I had thought you were probably having an affair or that you were getting tired of me. I"m inside a club that"s way bigger on the inside than it looks from outdoors. Liam keeps changing from an annoying short guy into something big and bad -- maybe not bad, but I"ve been told he has a lot of power. Besides, I read. Lots of old books have accounts of the paranormal. I was raised on Appalachian ghost stories. Rawhead and b.l.o.o.d.y Bones. You think a couple of sharp teeth are going to throw me?"
Jory began to grin. "David, you are one h.e.l.l of a man. You"ve got a heart big enough to warm up the whole world." He reached for and grasped David"s hands.
For the first time, David noticed -- really realized -- how cool they were. He glanced up, and saw that Jory had stopped breathing. Not as if he were choking, just as if it were a natural state for him.
"It"s no wonder you"ve been hurt. You give and give and give, and you don"t ever expect anything in return, do you?"
"I never did," David replied, tangling his fingers together with Jory"s. "That is, until you. Right now, I think I deserve the whole truth. That"s your trunk, isn"t it? You were in the twenty-second Richmond. It all fits together now. The gla.s.ses. Why you kept that old piece. Where did you lose the key?"
"On the battlefield. The guy who turned me wasn"t big on sticking around to take care of the ones he didn"t just eat. He went through my pockets while the change was coming over me, and he took off with anything that looked halfway valuable."
"Gettysburg?"
"The big one." Jory pulled away to take hold of his gla.s.s and raise it in an ironic toast. "After the third day of battle, a lot of the wounded were left for dead. Too many bodies, and too few survivors to go around checking for who might still be alive. I was.
Just barely. I"d bled out most all I had, but there were a few mouthfuls left for the ... guy. I still don"t know his name. Never did."
He half-laughed. "I thought he"d come to rescue me, at first. Swooped in like an angel, but when he got close enough I screamed even though I hardly had the strength. He bit, he drank, then he made me drink. Don"t know why. Never found anyone to explain why I turned out the way I did, either."
David nodded thoughtfully. "You had to make your own way." "Always have and always will."
"Not any more." David b.u.mped their knees together. "You have me now. I can fit Sweet Rose out with blackened windows. She"ll like it. Make her look all snazzy. On nights off, we"ll go line dancing."
Jory wrinkled his forehead. "They still do that?"
The question made David laugh again. "Yeah. Hopeless old fogeys like me still enjoy it."
"We wouldn"t be able to dance with each other, would we?"
"I don"t know." David plucked Jory"s gla.s.ses off his nose, careful of the curved earpieces. He laid them down on the bar.
"There"s a lot I still don"t understand, and I expect you to tell me. In exchange, I take you for what you are. Do we have a deal?"
Jory rubbed at his face. The vampire visage disappeared, to be replaced by the same rumpled man who"d won David"s heart. "You"ll get everything you can handle."
"I warn you, I want the whole package." Underneath the bar, David touched Jory"s groin. He cupped the man"s c.o.c.k and b.a.l.l.s in his big hand, rolling them gently through his loose jeans. "All of you." He hesitated. "That is ... if you want me."
"How could I not?" Jory shifted, letting his knees fall apart. "You accept what I am, and I don"t think you"re the tiniest bit frightened. I can"t believe it, but there it is. You"re a mystery, David, and one I want to unravel."
David squeezed gently, making Jory gasp. "We both are. But I think we can make a go of it, together. How about it? You want to try?"
"You still haven"t answered my question. Not really."
David waited.
"Why aren"t you afraid?"
"Because you"re Jory, plain and simple. You haven"t hurt me yet, not deliberately, and I know you never will. Besides, you did me a big favor."
"What"s that?"
"I"m not scared of Tommy anymore." He applied a little more pressure, just right to raise Jory"s c.o.c.k in his palm. Savoring the way the man seemed to be struggling for control, he added, "It"s a lot harder to be scared of s.h.i.ts like Tommy when you know your new squeeze can handle them without breaking a sweat."
Jory raised an eyebrow. Boldly, he rocked into David"s grip. "Harder. I can take a lot. And, yeah, I"d beat the ever-loving h.e.l.l out of him if he dares come near you again. But talking about coming ..."
The bartender coughed. "Perhaps you two would like to go somewhere a little more private?"
Jory laughed. "Oliver, this is Amour Magique. I know you have eagle eyes, but come on. Look out at the dance floor. This is just a little playing around."
"Right. And you don"t play around at my bar. Bad for all the lonely hearts who want to get drunk and forget their sorrows."
Oliver winked. The expression made his face look oddly soft, almost feminine. "Go home, would you? The club"s worked its magic for both of you."
"How do you know?"
"I can tell. So hands off, gentlemen, and go find a nice, soft bed to lie on. Love each other until the morning light. And you,"
Oliver said, turning to David. "You earned him, the Prince Charming of vampires. Take care of each other."
"Gladly." Eyes shimmering with good humor, Jory grabbed David by the T-shirt and hauled him in for a long, lingering kiss.
David gave in eagerly, stroking his tongue along Jory"s. He found, to his surprise, that he didn"t mind the coppery taste anymore. Maybe a little of it had been there all along. He sighed into the embrace, holding his lover close. The reward was worth it: arms took hold of him.
Still kissing, they slid off the bar stools and stood. David inserted his thigh between Jory"s, which parted eagerly for him, letting David rock against him. Their c.o.c.ks, both swelling rapidly, brushed against each other, ratcheting up an already delicious sense of antic.i.p.ation.
"Want you," David whispered in Jory"s ear, after trailing a line of kisses to it. "Can we go to your place? I want to see it."
David felt Jory nod almost imperceptibly. "I"d like you to see it. It"s not much, though, I warn you."
"Gentlemen," Oliver chided. "Time to leave. I run a clean establishment."
David kept his mouth next to Jory"s ear. "Question?"
"Anything."
"Is Oliver really a woman?" Jory broke into chuckles. "Yes," he murmured back, "but don"t tell anyone she"s actually an Olivia. Amour Magique"s not big on keeping out those who really want to come inside. Unless you end up in Last Chance, everyone"s welcome here as long as they"re friendly."
"Really? All those guys out there look big on the hugs and cuddles." David gave Jory a light shake. "For real?"
"Maybe more piercings and tattoos than snuggles," Jory admitted. "But I don"t think any of them would do anyone any damage. Nothing more than some teasing. Although there are some big players here tonight. I"d feel better if we, uh ... did what you suggested. And what Oliver is trying to push us toward. You, coming back to my place. Would you feel okay about that?"
David could feel the anxiety coming off Jory in virtual torrents. He moved against Jory one more time, letting him feel the bulge in his jeans. "No more secrets?"
"None. I promise."
"The vampire thing was the only jack-in-the-box you had in your toy chest?"
"That"s all. I swear." Jory leaned far enough away to look at David with warm, shining eyes. "Other than that, I"m just a ...
guy, David. One who happens to think a whole lot about you."
David pulled Jory back to kiss him on the forehead. "Then that"s good enough for me. Come on." He took Jory"s hand in his own. "Let"s get out of here. Take me to your home."
"You"re sure?"
"Looking forward to it, actually." David gave a little wiggle. "Jory, you make me feel comfortable in my own skin. I think I can handle you having two faces. Besides, for a vampire, you"re pretty ... cuddly."
"Hey, now!" Despite his words, Jory was clearly struggling to hold back a fit of laughter. "You take that back. I"m a big, tough guy."
"A tough guy who likes to spoon," David murmured. He felt waves of confidence rolling through him. So this was what it felt like to fly without the safety net. He thought he understood what Liam had been talking about now. Sometimes, when you let go of the ropes, you fall, crash, and burn.
And sometimes ... sometimes, you fly.
"Caught," Jory murmured back. "So, what do you think? Two guys our size, bent on getting somewhere that has a cushy bed and a nice stock of lube. Can we make our way through the crowd of people hunting for love in all the wrong, and possibly some of the right, places?"
David nodded. "I just need to tell my friends that I"m going. Liam --"
"Yes?" a familiar voice asked at his elbow. "Oliver, I trust you are ushering these gentlemen off to more discreet quarters?"
"The King of Hearts encourages hook-ups, but not public displays," Oliver replied. S/he reached over to nudge David"s shoulder. "Go on, now. I"ll fill Liam here in on all the details."
David blushed. "Not all of them!"
"Just enough." S/he grinned. "But I might spice up the bare facts a little bit. Liam loves a good story."
"Oh, rubbish." Liam turned David around to face him. David blinked at the easy strength of the little man. His surprise softened when Liam cupped his cheek. "Two for luck, and three for happiness," he said.
But instead of reaching up to brush his lips, Liam picked up David"s big hand in both his small ones, and touched his mouth to the knuckles. "No matter what happens to all the other Brothers, it"s you I"m happiest for," he said gently. "You deserve a love story of your very own."
David gaped. "You knew! All along, you knew. That"s why you sent me to the Fest in the first place. You were setting me up with Jory!"
Liam twinkled. "Not so much planning as hoping," he admitted. "I have certain powers, David. Can you accept this, too?"