That wasn’t true on my part, but I kept silent.
“—Sar and I aren’t happy about not being able to be intimate, but that’s how it is. I accept that. She accepts that. I want her to be happy, even if it’s with that fucking cat—”
“Lash, do you think you could make Sar happier than Theo can?” Carol interjected.
Lash stopped talking. In a fluid motion, he got up and walked toward Carol, who shrank back in her chair again, her eyes wide. “What are you poking at me for, Carol?” he hissed. “People who can’t leave a snake well enough alone tend to get bitten—”
“Lash, come back here and sit down,” I said sternly. “Stop acting threatening. She’s a therapist, not one of your marks.”
“She’s aiming to be one,” Lash hissed at Carol. But he did come back to the couch, and sat down again. I put my hand on his arm, and he relaxed somewhat, moving my hand off him and putting his arm around my shoulders, stroking me with his fingers.
“Please answer the question, Lash—”
Anger flared within me. “Carol, enough with the remarks about rivalry,” I said irritably. “I told you, there isn’t—”
“Sar, I can see just by the way you two act that you are one tiny step away from becoming lovers again,” Carol said flatly. “You are an adult, Sar, and you are married. If you want your marriage to survive, you need to ask yourself if what you feel for Lash is more important that what you feel for Theo. And whatever conclusion you come to, you need to tell both Theo and Lash the truth about what you feel.”
Lash gently took his arm off me, and moved away from me on the couch. “She already told me,” he hissed, upset. “She wants to try with Theo to make it work between them. She doesn’t want to lose him over what she and I did together. I accept that.”
“Then Sar needs to stop you when you try to touch her, and Lash, you need to respect that, and not touch her like you just did,” Carol said gently. “She needs you to just be her friend. Can you do that for her, Lash?”
“Of course. I am grateful for all she did for me. I value her friendship.”
“Lash, do you feel what you feel for Sar because of her part in saving you?”
What did that have to do with anything? More importantly, what would he answer?
“No. I’m grateful for her help, for what she did. But I cared for her long before that.”
“Lash, can you be supportive of Sar and Theo’s relationship? I know there is strong dislike between you—”
“Theo’s an asshole, plain and simple. I’m not going to change my opinion of him,” Lash said angrily. “Just why Sar loves him so much, I don’t know. It must be for his body.”
“Why do you hate him, Lash?” Carol asked.
“Because he’s a simple jock, and a fool, and he talks too much. I don’t like anyone who mouths off to me, and it pisses me off that I can’t just kill him, like I would anyone else who says the shit he does to me. But Dev’s asked me not to kill him from way back, for Danial, and so I just kick his ass usually when we fight, knowing he’ll pull the same dumb shit the next time I see him, and I’ll have to fight him again then. I do enjoy kicking his ass, it’s true, but I wish it wasn’t so easy to get a rise out of him. But maybe that is the reason Sar loves him.” He smirked at me. “I hope he’s not a one hit wonder.”
Carol looked appalled. I glared at Lash.
“What?” he said easily. “Since he’s a fuckup at everything else, it’s natural to assume he’s shit in the sack, too—”
“Stop being a jerk,” I said gently. “Your digs aren’t making this go any faster.” I looked back at Carol. “I am tired of their fighting,” I added wearily. “It’s true that Lash runs his mouth at Theo, but Theo’s just as guilty. And it’s always Theo that starts the actual fighting. I tried to interfere a few times, but it didn’t help. They still fought.”
“Just stay out of the way,” Lash said arrogantly. “It never takes me long to put him on the ground. He usually stays there, once he’s down—”
“Still, it would be better if you didn’t fight,” Carol said firmly. “Especially as there is nothing to fight over. Sar, do your best this week to try to get Theo to control his temper for those times he can’t just avoid Lash. And Lash, don’t verbally bait Theo—”
“I’ll keep my mouth shut, so long as he does,” Lash hissed. “But I’m not taking his insults. I don’t take insults from anyone but Dev, and sometimes Danial, as a favor to Dev—”
“You and Devlin are good friends?” Carol asked.
Lash nodded.
“Why? You’re snake and he’s vampire. A friendship between the two is unusual—”
Lash fixed her with a cold glare “I don’t talk about Dev, and he doesn’t talk about me. Dev’s coming with Sar in two weeks. You want him to answer questions, he’ll answer them then. But I don’t talk about him, not without him here to hear me.”
Lash had talked about him plenty with me, but maybe it was a personal thing.
Carol nodded. “I think we are done for today, then,” she said, getting up. “Thank you for coming, Lash.”
“That’s a relief,” Lash said, changing slowly back to human form, his eyes becoming dark as his fangs receded, and disappeared. He stood up. “So I can go, then?”
Carol looked at him, surprised. “I thought you would be older.”
Lash gave her a faint smile. “I was older-looking before,” he said, a faint drawl in his words. “It was an effect of the faerie blood, how I look now.”
She was checking him out, clearly. I was irritated at her assassin groupie-ness, then told myself it was none of my business.
“Sar, I’ll see you next week with Theo,” Carol said, showing us to the door.
I nodded, and left, Lash at my side. When we reached the sidewalk, he turned to me. “I’m going to head back. Do you want a ride?”
What I wanted from him was a kiss and then a nice long ride, but I kept that to myself. “Come with me to brunch; my treat. It’s the least I can do after you were nice enough to come here today.”
Lash gave me a tilted head coupled with a calculating look. “Sounds uptight. Where?”
I immediately began babbling. “There’s a restaurant I know near my house. You can drop me off after. Maybe we can go for a walk after with my dogs, if you aren’t too cold. I’ve only got two hours before I’ve got to get home, so it won’t be a long lunch, or anything. Theo’s got an important meeting later today, and he can’t walk them, so I need to—”
Lash looked at me, considering my words.
God, why couldn’t I shut up? “—we both missed lunch, and after that debacle going out to lunch sounds good. I don’t want to go alone. You’ll like it.” I gave him a scoping look. “Are you not hungry?”
“It’s not that. We’ve only ever gone for sushi,” Lash said quietly, his dark eyes very guarded. “I just never expected for you to invite me anywhere near your home where someone you knew might see us together.”
He was nervous himself. My nervousness evaporated. “Why wouldn’t I?” I said, giving him a strange look. “Why are you saying it like that?”
“Never you mind,” Lash said quickly, turning and walking toward his truck “Let’s go if we’re going.”
* * * *
The instant we walked inside, I felt like I’d made a mistake. Theo and I had come here often in the past year, and our usual waitress was clearly curious about where he was, and who Lash was to me. It got even better when we got up to get our food from the buffet tables.
“Try the blintzes, they’re excellent,” I said, handing Lash the tongs. “There’s bacon there—”
“Sar?” a curious and familiar voice said.
I whipped around to see my parents staring at us. Lash was already facing them, staring back.
Just act normal. “Mom, Chris, you know Lash,” I said calmly. “Lash, you remember my parents, Chris and Tina.”
“Hi, Lash,” my parents said, the question of what I
was doing here with him loud in their voices.
“Hello, Tina, Chris. I am seeing Sar safely home from Devlin’s,” Lash said quietly, putting the tongs back in the serving tray. “We stopped for lunch, as Sar said this place has good food.”
Reassured, my parents gave me a hug, and shook Lash’s hand before they left for their own table.
“They are good people,” Lash said pensively. “I wish they didn’t think I was so awful.”
“They don’t think you are awful,” I amended gently as we sat down. “They think Devlin’s awful, and you are guilty by association. You like single malt scotch and that immediately puts you on good terms with my stepfather, anyway.”
“Still, they were happy to think you aren’t here with me socially. And I can’t say I blame them. They have every reason to think that of me, from what Theo’s probably told them.” Lash met my eyes. “He has, hasn’t he?”
I looked down, stabbing some meat with my fork. Lash was right. Theo had said more than a few derogatory things about Lash this summer, when he, Danial, Theoron, Elle, and me had visited my parents. Danial had joined in, though the both of them had shut up when I’d given them my “dangerous” eyes.
“I noticed that they don’t ever come to see V,” Lash hissed softly. “It’s because of me—”
“No,” I replied. “It’s because of Dev. They forgave Devlin frightening them, but they don’t want to see him at all, ever. My mother refuses to set foot in Hayden again, especially if ‘that demon-thing’ comes around to ‘space warp them there—’”
Lash cracked up laughing, and I smiled too, glancing up at him. “But Devlin won’t let Venus leave Hayden. I’m hoping to convince him to let her go to Danial’s, and have my parents meet her there.”
Lash nodded. “That might work.” He shifted in his seat. “Sar, I have an appointment tonight around eight. I’ll be out for a few hours, if you try to reach me.”
Why was he telling me? “Okay.”
“I know you’re going to be home alone,” Lash said, finishing his chicken. “I wanted you to know I wouldn’t be around, in case you needed me.”
I put down my fork and stared at him. “How do you always know? You knew that day that I would be alone for lunch, too—”
“Brian tells me whatever I want to know,” Lash said, sitting back in his chair. “And I make it a point to know if you are going to be alone, both to let Devlin know and to make sure Titus is around, in case you need help. Now that you can teleport again, Dev and Danial aren’t worried about you being alone as much, but it pays to be extra careful.”
“Thanks,” I said, understanding his comment.
“I’m heading back up,” he said, standing. “Be right back.”
We tried a little of everything at the buffet. I indulged, telling myself I could go back on the diet tomorrow. Lash had sausage, sausage gravy, chicken and biscuits, bacon, beef tips, tilapia, and ham with a little rice.
“Having some rice with your meat?” I teased.
“To each his own,” he hissed, giving me a grumpy look. “I didn’t say anything about your four desserts—”
“Shush,” I said curtly, making him smile again. “They were only three small ones.”
We didn’t talk further, preferring just to nibble leisurely and enjoy the sunlight. It was a cold day, but the sunlight was warm and bright on the frozen earth outside. We were sitting near the windows, and the sunlight was streaming in the windows to land on me, the table, and Lash.
He sighed with pleasure at the warmth, then he looked over at me knowingly. “You didn’t ask me here for the food—”
I gave him a wide grin. “Not just for the food. I’ve often sat where you’re sitting, and relished the sun warming me. I knew with the sunlight so bright today, it would be like that if we came here, and that you’d like it as much as I did.”
“How long can we sit here before they kick us out?” Lash said with a yawn, closing his eyes and relishing the heat.
“Probably another hour,” I answered. “If you keep eating more food, anyway.”
“Not a problem,” Lash said, quickly getting up and heading to the buffet.
* * * *
As we walked out to his truck, he nudged me with his shoulder. “Thanks for inviting me,” Lash said happily. “Basking felt really good, Sar.”
He opened the truck and got in, as I got in on the passenger side.
“I know how much you like the sun,” I said, shutting the door softly.
“I like you more,” Lash said hungrily, sliding me over against him on the seat.
I leaned against him the whole way, breathing in his scent. Too soon, we were pulling into the driveway.
“Drive over by the barn,” I said suddenly. “Park behind the woodshed.”
Lash gave me a curious look, but did as I asked.
I turned to him. “Do you have something we could sit on in the truck bed?”
“Sar, we can’t have sex,” Lash hissed, shifting in his seat. “I gave my word.”
“I’m not asking you for that. I just thought we could cuddle a little, maybe kiss and touch,” I tempted him. “I’d ask you to come inside my house, but Theo would smell your scent. We can’t go to Hayden. My barn is too cold, and a hotel seems too tawdry just for cuddling—”
Lash gave me an incredulous look. “Sar, I may be snake, but I’m not cold enough to resist you if you get me worked up—”
“I am not going to seduce you,” I said firmly.
“Yes, you are,” Lash groaned, moving uncomfortably in his seat. “I’m already hard for you just talking about touching you, and I haven’t kissed you at all. Kissing you and touching you will just make it worse.”
“We don’t have to do it, then,” I said dismissively. “Just drop me off.”
“Stay here,” Lash hissed. He got out of the truck and slammed the door, then began rummaging in the back of the truck. A few seconds later, he was boosting me into the back, and then he crawled up behind me. “How’s this?”
Lash had laid down a foldable foam mattress pad, and put a few blankets over it.
“Fine. I—”
He pressed me back with his body, kissing fiercely as his hips ground into me. I kissed him back, running my hands up under his shirt to caress his warm skin.
Before a minute was up, I was dying for the contact of our naked bodies. When he reached up under my shirt, sliding my bra up so he could cup my breasts in his hands, I arched my back with a cry and reached down, stroking him with my hand through his jeans. Lash rolled quickly onto his back and pulled me on top of him. Grabbing hold of my hand, he pressed it hard against his straining jeans. “Touch me, Sar,” Lash panted. “Don’t do anything more, just touch me with your hand, please—”
I grabbed the closure with shaking fingers and unzipped his pants, reaching inside. Lash convulsed the moment my fingers touched his swollen flesh. As I curled my fingers around him and brought him out, he quickly unbuttoned his jeans and slid them down. I stroked him, rubbing my thumb across the head, loving the feel of his penis so hot and firm. Lash began to thrust hard into my hand almost immediately. Within seconds, he came with a sharp cry, spilling semen onto my hand and the blanket we were lying on. Lash jerked in my arms as he finished. Tenderly, I held him, brushing his lips with my own.
“I’m sorry,” Lash sighed.
I gave him an odd look. “What for?”
“Because this isn’t fair to you. I can’t give you any release without making love to you, or being inside you in some way. We can’t do either of those. Goddamn it, I shouldn’t have asked—”
“Hush,” I said firmly, squeezing his erection in my hand. Lash went rigid, letting out a hiss. “Come for me again,” I teased. “But this time inside me.”
“We can’t,” Lash groaned, his organ instantly stiffening in my hand. “I gave my word. I won’t break it even for you, Sar—”
“Devlin gave me permission,” I tempted. “He’s still hurt, Lash. He sa
id it was okay for us to be together.”
Lash groaned loudly.
“Be with me. I want you.”
Lash rolled on top of me, kissing me frantically as he began pulling off my jeans. He threw them aside, then bore down with his hips...
“Sar!” Lash said loudly, jolting me out of my fantasy.
I flushed red, realizing we were at my house, and I couldn’t even remember the trip home, any of it. Lash was on his side of the truck, where he was supposed to be, fully clothed. God, could I be a bigger idiot? What had Carol just been telling me! What in hell was wrong with my self-control?
“You okay?” Lash said curiously.
Not to mention that there was no way in the world that an inflatable mattress would fit in the back of an Avalanche truck. The bed was too small and Lash’s truck had no cap, so we’d have been making love out in the open for everyone to see, freezing our asses off in the process. Now if we had driven into the barn, put the mattress up in the loft, and gotten under some blankets there, maybe...
“What were you thinking about?” Lash pressed insistently. “You are blushing like I caught you masturbating.”
I flushed deeper, making Lash erupt in laughter. “I’ve got to go.”
Lash moved fast to block me, grabbing hold of my arm. “What were you thinking about?” he hissed again, his shifting eyes agitated.
“About you,” I admitted, sagging back onto the seat.
“About us together?”
I nodded.
“Sit here with me a while,” he said, settling his arm around me. He let out a sigh, then asked, “Are you happy? Is this what you wanted from your life?”
Unexpected introspection to be coming from him. My eyes looked up to meet his dark intense ones. Was that sadness? “Lash, what do you mean—”
“Don’t play dumb. It doesn’t suit you,” he said bluntly. “I know what you are going through now with Theo is my fault. It’s not so much about you almost dying for him; it’s about the sex we had. The other stuff has been going on for months. Sure, it might be a source of fighting, but Theo and you weren’t going to break up over it. This is serious, like back last fall when Danial and you were together, and Theo couldn’t handle it. He can’t handle what we did. In fact he’s probably more upset over you and me than he ever was about you and Danial.”
Dark Solace Page 27