“Yes.” He made his voice firm, pleased that he’d been able to cater to the boy without compromising his principles.
Mateo rolled onto his side. “What about you?” he asked without opening his eyes.
What about him, indeed. Christos’ dick was crying for attention like a petulant child. It helped to think of his male member like that, something with a will of its own and acting immature. And like a parent or a pet owner, he had control over the situation. It would get exactly what he chose to give it, nothing more, no matter how much it begged or whined.
“I’m fine,” he replied gruffly. “Remember… That was for you, not me. I’m not a mindless creature that needs indulgence.”
“Are you sure about that?” Mateo reached over with unexpected speed and without opening his eyes. He grabbed Christos’ dick right through his jeans and gripped it like a vise, which wasn’t hard to do, given the thinness of the material and the thickness of his cock. Mateo worked the shaft with strong and nimble fingers before Christos had time to react. His dick had no such trouble, getting with the program without hesitation. It jerked and his balls tingled with urgent anticipation.
And just like that, he was coming with a roar and bent over as if in pain, which he kind of was. The intensity sucked the breath right out of him, leaving him shuddering and heaving as his lungs struggled to restart. His balls emptied with a speed that left them cramping. His cock didn’t care that it was constrained and managed to fill and kick out another climax before the first one had finished. Saliva pooled in his mouth and his fangs started to descend, keen to join the party. It took strength he didn’t know he possessed to pull them back in before he did something entirely unforgiveable.
As opposed to the mostly unforgivable thing of coming in the first place… Goddamn it! Disgusted with himself and infuriated by Mateo getting the best of him, he twisted out of the hold. But instead of doing the sensible thing and escaping the boy’s reach, he rolled toward him and covered his body. For a few seconds, he lay flush against him before he pushed up and braced himself on both arms. He glared down at the wide-eyed human. His breath was coming out in pants. He wanted to yell at the boy, berate him for his persistence in creating something between them when there was nothing there at all.
Instead, he swooped in to take that pretty mouth with its kewpie doll lips into a punishing kiss that morphed quickly into insatiable hunger. He plundered that mouth as he hadn’t before, laying waste to every corner. He dominated in a wordless assertion of his commanding position, reminding the boy that he was in control. On some level, he knew his intent was to frighten the human. It didn’t work. Far from shrinking back or trying to push him away, Mateo wrapped his arms around him and gave as good as he got. By the time they broke for air, their bodies were entirely entwined and they were both hard again.
“Having second thoughts about that ‘no fucking’ thing?” Mateo’s eyes shone brightly in the dark with passion and mischief.
Christos answered with a growl before going in for another kiss. This time, he humped the boy, regardless of whether he was rubbing his exposed dick raw and uncaring that he was going to fill his pants with yet more cum. It took a little longer to come the second time—or was it the third? Like…twenty seconds instead of five. As they both bucked and gasped, he dared to press his mouth against the human’s jugular again, this time licking the skin and picturing the sweet pleasure of sinking his fangs through the flesh and tugging at the vein. His cock jerked at the thought, releasing what had to be the last of his stored cum.
He rolled over, taking Mateo with him, resting the boy’s head against his shoulder. The pounding of both their hearts reverberated in his head. “If you relapse tomorrow because of this, I’m going to be very cross.”
Mateo sighed against his neck. “That’s fair. We should probably shower and maybe change the bedding or something.”
“Yes, that would be the wise thing to do.”
Neither of them moved, however, and soon Mateo’s breathing evened out and his heart rate settled to a normal rhythm. Christos lay there, listening to it, mesmerized by the sound, completely satiated. Guilt threatened his peace of mind, but he batted it away. There was no point in wallowing in the past. That was something he’d learned early on this planet. He could only move forward and do better. This night was an aberration, a testament to Mateo’s strength and his own weakness.
He had to do better. He would, because becoming involved with this boy was a mistake on so many levels. It wasn’t only that he refused to be one more man to exploit Mateo’s vulnerability. He mustn’t lose sight of the precarious situation he was in. Alex had called him to Boston for a reason and nothing had changed. As time wore on, the danger grew closer. He would be damned to hell if he was going to embroil Mateo in that shit. Being on the streets would be safer, if it came to that.
His resolve reaffirmed, he relaxed and allowed himself this one pleasure of spending the night with Mateo in his arms.
Chapter Seven
“So, you and Christos, huh?” Demi dropped the not-quite-a-question as they walked to the elevator.
Mateo scowled. “There is no Christos and me.” And wasn’t that the sad truth. Two nights ago he’d fallen asleep thinking that they were an item of some kind. Yet the next morning, the fucker had acted as if it had never happened, shoving him alone into the shower while he stripped the bedding and put fresh sheets and a comforter on. Any time Mateo had tried to hug or even touch the man, Christos had deftly avoided him. When he’d tried to talk about what they’d shared, he’d shut Mateo down with a gentle firmness that had made him want to scream.
Demi pushed the call button. “The state of your linens says otherwise.”
“Thanks for the reminder of the night that never was.” He followed Demi into the car when it arrived and folded his arms. “Christos acts like we didn’t come all over each other. Well, I came on him. He never took his pants off.”
Demi raised his eyebrows. “Men can be amazingly dumb sometimes.”
“Tell me about it.” The doors opened and the sound of the club music increased. He got out and looked around. All he saw was a hallway. He worried that he was underdressed for the place. All he had to wear was his own ratty jeans, long-sleeved T and grungy sneakers. Demi, as usual, was wearing effectively the same thing, except his clothing obviously came with a much heftier price tag. Mateo envied him his wardrobe. But the guy had assured him back in the bedroom that he was fine as he was, so he tried not to worry that he stood out as the poor friend.
“This way.” Demi motioned for him to walk to the left. “Don’t pay any attention to what Christos says. He’s completely hung up on you. Why else would he sleep in your room every night?”
“He does?” That bit of news lightened his step. “I never hear him come in and he’s not there when I wake.”
“He’s very good at being stealthy.”
“He must be ninja-like.” The idea that Christos watched over him when he was sleeping was both weird and exhilarating. No one who didn’t care would bother to do that. On the other hand, what kind of freak crept into another person’s room then sneaked out again so he wouldn’t be seen? Christos had to know that he wanted him there. What was his problem?
“It doesn’t matter anyway,” he added with a sigh. “He seems to be very stubborn and totally convinced that he’s taken advantage of me. Any time I try to talk to him, to convince him otherwise, he nopes the fuck out of my room.”
“He’ll come around.”
They entered the main room, the one Mateo kept watching every night on television. The images didn’t do it justice. Even in the middle of the day with practically no one around, there was a vibrancy to the place that lured him in. He stopped by the end of the big bar and took in the whole three-sixty view.
“This is amazing. I really hope I can work here.” There was pathetic longing in his voice but he didn’t care. Finally, there was something he could really become passionate about.
“Of course you can,” Demi replied, leaning beside him. “I mean, you’ve got the job if you want it.”
“Really? Don’t I have to audition or something?”
Demi shook his head. “Christos wants you to have the job and that’s good enough for Alex. See that blond boy over at the far-left stage? That’s Quinn. His audition was fainting in Alex’s arms. He got hired on the spot.”
“Well, if passing out into a man’s arms is all it takes, I guess I’m good to go.” Mateo watched as Quinn gracefully twisted to hang upside down. “He’s really good.”
“Sure, now. You should have seen him at first.” Demi chuckled. “He landed right on his ass a few times. That was before he landed in Alex’s bed. He’s been there ever since. Alex doesn’t like him dancing, too, but he knows better than to try to stop Quinn. That boy is sweet and biddable…until he’s not.”
“At least it explains why he didn’t have to be a good dancer. I can’t see my keeping this job if I’m not.”
“The club members don’t care very much. They like to ogle pretty boys. You’ve got that down already, right, with those Bambi eyes of yours. And some of them like to tie them up and beat them in the playrooms. Dancing skills aren’t high on the list of qualities they’re looking for.”
Mateo swallowed hard. “Is that always part of the job, the stuff in the rooms?”
“Oh, no. Some of the club members have their own subs—submissives—that they bring with them. Only a few of the go-go boys are into that kind of shit. Honestly, whatever you do outside of the dance floor with the members—or not—is totally up to you. As long as everything is consensual, Alex is cool with it.”
“What kind of cut does he take for, you know, the extra stuff?”
“None.”
“Seriously? What pimp doesn’t take money off the top?”
Demi smacked him lightly on the arm. “Alex isn’t like that. He’s just an employer who pays well with a great benefits package. The stuff guys earn on the side is their business, not his.”
“Right, sorry.” Mateo didn’t want to argue the point, even as he found it hard to believe. Likely Demi didn’t know the ins and outs of the club because he was a family member—and a young one at that. He probably was kept out of the loop on a lot of things. He’d have to ask some of the other boys for the real information.
Or maybe he could ask another certain person, if he could convince the man to stay with him long enough to have a conversation. “I guess Christos must be a part owner or something.” That had to be it, otherwise his influence in getting him a job didn’t make sense.
Demi shook his head. “Alex, Val, Emil and my dad Harry own it, I think. Or maybe only Alex. No one tells me much around here.” He shrugged. “Not that it matters. It’s our home, no matter what—or, it used to be. Now we live in the next-door building. This place was getting too small.”
“And Christos lives there too?”
“Not really. He, ah, is really just having an extended visit. A lot of the family has come to stay awhile.”
“For how long?” He’d assumed that Christos had relocated from somewhere to Boston. It hadn’t occurred to him that he’d be leaving at some point.
Demi merely shrugged, looking uncomfortable. “Hey, Quinn’s finished his set.” He waved at the guy to come over.
Mateo wasn’t done with his questions, however. “Where does he usually live? Christos, I mean.” As if that weren’t obvious.
“Uh, Greece, I think.”
That explained his accent—and the fact that he spoke Greek. “Like Athens?” He’d read about that place from long ago. It was probably still a bustling city.
“No, more like the mountains, maybe.”
“Oh.” That didn’t sound quite as fun, although it wasn’t as if it mattered. The man was determined to brush him off. What difference did it make where he lived? When he left Boston, he wasn’t going to take Mateo with him.
Quinn came to join them, his face flushed from dancing and gripping a bunch of bills in one fist. “Hey.”
“Quinn, this is Mateo.”
“I figured. How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay.” His cough had subsided significantly and his fever had been gone for over a day. It didn’t feel like someone was sitting on his chest anymore, either. “I was going stir-crazy in my room and Demi volunteered to show me where I’d be working—if I get the job,” he added, because he couldn’t quite believe in his good fortune.
Quinn laughed. “Of course you have it. It’s up to Harry to give you the green light, which I’m guessing won’t be for another week. This is hard. You have to be completely well.”
Mateo twisted his fingers together. “I don’t know why your man would agree to spend his money on me when he already has lots of go-go dancers.”
Quinn shrugged and started counting his money. “Alex is filthy rich and doesn’t care how much he spends on employees. This club is an amusement to him more than anything else.”
“If he’s so rich, how come you’re dancing for a living?” Nothing about this made sense to him.
The boy paused and looked pointedly at him. “He’s rich. I’m not. I am also not a charity case and I need to make my own living.”
Demi grunted. “You could always accept his marriage proposal.”
“I’m thinking about it. It doesn’t mean I’d stop working. Do you plan on staying home like June Cleaver when you marry Trey?”
“Point taken. I’m engaged to be engaged,” Demi said, holding up his left hand to show off his simple ring.
“Nice, but I get what you’re both saying. If you have your own money, you can’t be trapped.” He looked closely at what Quinn had counted. “Wow, that’s over a hundred bucks! And there’s, like, nobody here on a weekday afternoon. How much do you rake in on a Saturday night?”
“Over a thousand—and that’s me not doing anything extra, not even lap dances, because Alex’s head would explode. And I don’t want anyone but him touching me anyway.”
Mateo was practically salivating at the prospect. A job here would mean real security for the first time since he’d been kicked out of his family home. “Oh man, I really want this.”
“Want what?” Another boy loomed behind Demi all of a sudden—another family member, by the looks of him, but younger and with an accent that was different from Christos’ and Harry’s. This family really got around, apparently.
“Hey, Merlin,” Demi said before sharing a quick look with Quinn.
“I want to be hired as a go-go boy,” Mateo explained.
“Oh, that,” the boy scoffed. “Isn’t Christos pushing for you to be one? It’s yours, then.”
“Merlin,” Demi interjected, “you’re not supposed to be here. He’s too young,” he added to Mateo.
The kid made a face. “Like I’m going to be traumatized by the sight of naked boys and drooling old men. Annika sent me over to fetch Mateo, actually.”
“What do you mean?” Demi demanded with an edge to his voice that Mateo had never heard before.
“I don’t think I can say it any clearer than that.” He huffed when Demi glared at him. “She wants him to come hang in the living room. There… Is that better?”
“That’s the family’s private space. We don’t let employees go there. No offense, Mateo.”
“Alex won’t like that,” Quinn interjected.
“Then he can go tell her,” Merlin retorted. “Let me know if he does, because I’ll want to pop some corn to watch that little show.”
Quinn frowned. “Don’t be such a little fucker, Merlin.”
“I’m only the messenger, doing what he’s told. I don’t see the big deal anyway. Mackie is taking a nap in his room. It’s just Annika, Idris and I watching Sesame Street, which frankly makes me want to jab a screwdriver in each ear. Now, doesn’t that sound like fun?” he asked Mateo.
He looked from Merlin, to Demi, to Quinn and back again. There were some heavy-duty undercurren
ts that made no sense to him. All he could think of was to ask, “Who’s Annika?”
The tension among the three boys ratcheted to the proverbial eleven. No one answered him at first. Finally, Merlin said, “A cousin. She’s cool. You’ll like her, just don’t try anything with her.” He had a menacing look and an almost-growl to his tone.
Mateo leaned away. “No worries, dude. I’m not into girls.”
Merlin’s expression turned friendly in an instant. “Great. We’ll get along fine. If you two are finished with trying to kill me with your eyes, I’ll take him over.”
Some silent communication occurred between the two other boys before Demi said, “Fine. Take him through the garage. It’s cold outside and he’s still sick.”
“Thanks. I would never have thought of that myself. Come on,” Merlin jerked his head in the direction of the elevator.
“Sure, see ya.” He waved at Demi and Quinn before following the kid. He was intrigued to see where the family lived and it beat going back to his room. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to be near this Annika and Idris? If they’re watching Sesame Street, they must be pretty little. I don’t want to get them sick.”
“Don’t worry. You won’t. And only Idris is small, anyway. Annika is more my age.”
“Oh.” None of this made sense to him, but he was too excited about the prospect of maybe seeing Christos that he didn’t make a fuss about it.
They went down and came out in a basement area filled with cars. No, not only cars. There were trucks and SUVs and two really awesome monster motorcycles. They were all so shiny. He wanted to reach out and touch the ones they passed, but he didn’t dare. “Do you get to drive any of these?”
“Please… They barely let me out of the house.”
“Your parents are strict, huh? Mine were too.”
“It’s the family, really. Alex and Val, in particular, make the rules. My father goes along to get along.”
“What about your mom?”
“Don’t have one. I never have.”
“You have two dads?” He’d seen that sort of thing on TV, yet hadn’t met anyone before now who’d been raised that way.
Final Dance: Part One (Alien Blood Wars Book 8) Page 12