by Xenia Melzer
“You’re reading The Guide to Successful and Satisfying Sex with a Paranormal?”
“You know the book?”
Sammy was beet-red, and if Dre’s skin hadn’t been red naturally, he would have blushed as well, though he did feel heat infusing his cheeks.
“Uhm, you know, it’s a great book. Very detailed. With information that’s not always easy to come by…” Dre knew he was blabbering. “You were right. This is beyond awkward.”
Sammy arched a brow. “Believe it or not, I’m already feeling a little better about it. Why did you read it?”
“Do you remember when I told you about the bad break-up I had?”
Sammy nodded.
“I was with an incubus back then. When I realized our relationship was going down the drain, I tried to salvage it. I thought it would maybe help to surprise him with some new techniques in bed. Contrary to what you might think, I’m not that experienced when it comes to sex. He was an incubus, so I figured I was somehow lacking in that department.” Dre sighed. “If I had paid the chapter about incubi more attention than just the obvious pointers about sex, I’d have spared myself a world of hurt.”
“Oh, Dre, I’m so sorry.” Sammy cupped Dre’s face with both his hands, pulling him down for a gentle kiss. “He was an idiot to let you go. Any man who can recognize a quote from Speed and play Halo is a definite catch. Add your ability to take your date to places most people never get to see, not to mention your incredible good looks that hide the sweetest person I’ve ever met, and I’m grateful you haven’t been taken before I met you.”
Dre took a deep kiss from Sammy, too moved to answer him right away. “You say the sweetest things, mo grah thu. How about we eat the pancakes now and talk about why exactly you felt the need to read about sex with a paranormal.” He waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Sammy slapped him on his biceps.
“Now it’s awkward again…and embarrassing. As if you don’t know why I was reading up on it.”
“Well, what’s better than putting a theory to the test? I, for my part, can’t wait.”
Sammy groaned. “Now I don’t know how to keep my hands off you.”
They both laughed and fell down on the couch. Dre reached for the box to retrieve their pancakes.
“I guess the peppermint tea is very well steeped now.”
Sammy giggled. “The great thing about peppermint tea is that it’s still delicious with the right amount of honey added.”
“Isn’t that a universal truth. Okay, open up for your first taste of Pannekoeken.”
“I love it when you go all Archie Leach on me.”
Dre arched his eyebrows. “If I keep saying sweet nonsense in a foreign language, does that mean we can move this to the bedroom?” he asked teasingly while he put the first piece of pancake in Sammy’s mouth. Sammy started coughing.
“Dre!” He chewed twice before swallowing the bite. “Now I will forever associate apple pancakes with sex…or talk about sex. I’m not sure. Definitely not what something so delicious deserves.”
“Isn’t sex delicious as well?”
“You know what I mean. And I told you, I’m not ready yet. Remember…only the first chapter.”
Dre forked another piece of pancake and put it in front of Sammy’s mouth. “Okay, how about we read it together? That way I can intervene immediately if things are inaccurate.”
“I thought this book was so good?”
Dre loved how Sammy kept his wits, even when the topic was difficult for him. “It is. Just in case… I never read the chapter about demons, you know.”
Sammy sighed. “Fine, we read it together. And if I die of embarrassment, it’s your fault.”
Dre couldn’t help himself. He kissed Sammy deeply, tasting the sugar, cinnamon and apples on his lips and underneath the by-now-familiar flavor that was all Sammy. The rest of their lunch break was spent with kissing and feeding each other the pancakes. Around two, people started flocking into the shop and Sammy got busy. Dre made a quick trip to his cottage to get his copy of Corum, found Barion had left without putting his tea mug away—which would have annoyed Dre more if he hadn’t been in a hurry to get back to Sammy—and made himself comfortable on the leather couch after coming back to the book shop. He didn’t get far, because he spent most of his time watching Sammy interact with his customers, most of whom seemed to be regulars. At half past five, the shop was empty again. Dre had just gotten up to go give Sammy a kiss and ask him if he needed help, when the chimes announced another visitor. Dre didn’t need to turn around to know that trouble had just entered.
Chapter Seven
Sammy couldn’t suppress a groan when he saw Mavis and Maribell enter the shop. They were dressed in their finest grandmother gear—all flowery aprons, knee-length dresses and their knitting baskets with the needles sticking out like a threat. Maribell wore a white bowler hat with a yellow floral print on it, while Mavis had opted for a church bowler in bright orange with a huge white silk rose at the side. It was their equivalent of armor.
As soon as they were through the door, their piercing gazes homed in on Dre, who must have felt the shift in the force, because he sidled toward the counter where Sammy was standing.
“Am I in trouble?” Dre mouthed.
Sammy shrugged. “I don’t know. Either you, me—or both of us.”
He wanted to say more, but Mavis and Maribell were already at the counter, smiling very sweetly at them. “Sammy, my dear, do introduce us to your friend here.”
Mavis sounded like a noble lady who had just found the gardener sitting in her favorite seat with his dirty boots propped against the white tablecloth. Sammy swallowed nervously.
“Uhm, Mavis, Maribell, this is Dre, my…uhm, boyfriend.”
Sammy saw Dre’s face light up at his words and that helped him bear the strict looks he got from the witches.
“Well, Dre”—Maribell put more emphasis on the name than was strictly necessary—“as Sammy’s friends and guardians in the paranormal world, we do have to ask you about your intentions with our boy.” She gestured toward the couches. “Why don’t we sit down and have a little chat?” Somehow, it didn’t sound like a question.
Dre shot Sammy a pleading look. And even though Sammy would have loved nothing more than to go hide behind his coffeemaker, he took Dre’s hand and led him back to the leather couch, knowing Mavis and Maribell preferred the one with the crocheted cover. They were in this together. Abandoning his boyfriend at the first sight of trouble was not how he wanted their relationship to start. When they were all seated, Sammy tried to smile at the witches in hopes of deflecting their wrath a little. “Can I get you something to drink? I think I have some muffins left, too. Are you hungry?”
“No, dear. Don’t try to distract us. We’re here to determine if Dre is right for you.” Mavis let her gaze roam over Dre’s muscular body and how it towered over Sammy’s smaller form on the couch. Without thinking, Sammy leaned into Dre, taking comfort in his warmth, no longer sure who was protecting who. “He definitely passes when it comes to looks. Well done, Sammy.”
Sammy wondered if the blush on his cheeks would become permanent, as often as it had happened to him during the last days. “Dre is right here, Mavis.”
“We know, dear.” Maribell smiled her best grandmother smile, the one that always had Sammy on edge because it meant trouble. “Now, Dre, what do you want from Sammy?”
Dre’s hand settled on Sammy’s nape before the demon started to talk.
“Sammy is very important to me. We just figured out we’re in love, and I want to see where that leads. Both of us do, actually.”
Dre locked gazes with Maribell, and from the strange way he had phrased his answer, Sammy got the impression that he was telling the witches something he didn’t want Sammy to know. Mavis’ and Maribell’s reactions didn’t help to ease his suspicions. They stared at Dre intently, then at each other, then at Dre again.
“Are you sure?” Mavis sounded tentative.
“As sure as a demon can be. I assume you know what it’s like for my kind.”
The witches nodded. Sammy knew he was missing something important, and he didn’t like it. He wasn’t a child, just a human.
“What aren’t you telling me, Dre? Mavis? Maribell?”
The three had the decency to look guilty. “It’s not our place to tell you, Sammy. This is between you and Dre,” Maribell said soothingly.
Sammy arched an eyebrow. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but you’re here to chew Dre out because you think he’s not good for me. Why are you suddenly on his side?” He looked at Dre. “What can’t you tell me?”
Dre sighed and took Sammy’s hands in his. “It’s not that I can’t or don’t want to tell you, mo grah thu. It’s just that I think it’s too soon. Today is only our fourth date and I don’t want to overwhelm or burden you.”
Sammy stared at Dre with his mouth hanging open. “I appreciate that. I really do. But I’d appreciate it even more if you’d tell me what’s going on. I know we still have a lot to find out about each other. Hell, I don’t even know if you have siblings or what your favorite color is. All I know is that I like you, a lot—enough to call it love, even though I’ve never been in love before. It hurts, Dre, when you’re keeping things from me.” With an angry gesture, Sammy wiped away the tears threatening to spill over. He didn’t know why he’d become so emotional all of a sudden, probably because this was all new to him. Under the watchful eyes of the witches, Dre kissed Sammy’s tears away.
“I could never hurt you, mo grah thu. Never. It’s just that I’m so afraid myself. You see, demons very rarely find their fated mates. I’ve been hoping to meet mine since I was old enough to understand the concept. The problem is that demons can only know for sure about their mate when they have sex and bite the person. I think you can see why I didn’t want to put additional pressure on you. It’s bad enough that I’m pressuring myself. I so want you to be the one, my forever, and I’m terrified what it means for us if you aren’t.”
Sammy realized he had been gripping Dre’s shirt harder and harder while the demon spoke. The thoughts whirled around in his head, too fast to grasp one of them for closer examination. Dre thought they could be true mates. Sammy knew how sacred that concept was for paranormals. Dre was afraid to find out they weren’t. It was similar to Sammy’s fear of falling in love with somebody who would inevitably leave him because he was mortal. Even though they were a demon and a human, their fears and hopes were the same. The thought gave Sammy hope.
“What happens if you bite me and I’m your mate?”
Dre glanced briefly at the witches. “Maybe we should discuss this matter in private?”
Mavis and Maribell shook their heads vehemently. They had been watching their exchange with gleaming eyes. “Are you out of your mind, dear? I can’t remember when we last had this much fun outside the bedroom. Go on. Don’t mind us.” Mavis snuggled up to Maribell as if they were in a cinema, watching a film. Sammy shot them a dirty look that they conveniently ignored.
“I guess that’s what you get for being friends with witches.” Dre chuckled lightly before he turned serious again. “When I bite you during sex, I inject a venom into you. It’s not deadly or anything, so don’t worry. It only reacts to my true mate. If you are the one, the venom will spread in your body and start to change it so it becomes compatible to mine. You will get the same tattoos I have on my body, as the outward sign that you belong to me.”
“Why isn’t my body already compatible to yours if I’m your true mate?” Sammy was puzzled. Dre opened his mouth, clearly not sure what to say, when Maribell chimed in.
“When you have sex with a demon, things tend to get heated in the truest sense of the word. They are the children of fire, after all. Usually, demons can control it and have normal sex without burning their partners from the inside out, but not when they are with their fated mate. That’s why your body needs to change. It has to be made fireproof. Just imagine the fun you could have!” Maribell grinned broadly, looking like a young woman again.
Sammy hid his face in Dre’s chest. “Can’t you make them go away?”
Dre’s chest rumbled with laughter under Sammy’s cheek. “They’re your friends. And they’re right.” He caressed Sammy’s hair. “We don’t have to rush, mo grah thu. Let’s go on our dates this weekend. Let’s read the book together. We can experiment, have some fun. And when we both feel the time is right, I can give you my bite. I’d be more than honored if you’d go on this journey with me.”
“Of course I will, Dre. Of course I will. I just need some time to think about it all. It’s a lot to take in.”
“Yes, think about it, Sammy. And while you think, have fun with your demon boyfriend. You have our blessing.” Mavis leaned over the table to pat Sammy’s arm. “I guess we won’t need those spells now.” She pulled the knitting needles and knitwork from her basket to reveal an assortment of glowing orbs at the bottom, neatly stacked in what appeared to be two egg cartons. Maribell sighed.
“What a waste. They were good curses.” She blew on the orbs and they vanished.
“You were ready to fight me over Sammy?” Dre sounded surprised.
“Of course we were, dear. Sammy is family to us…kin. We would never allow any harm to come to him.” Mavis winked at Sammy, whose throat constricted. He was still loved. Even though he had lost his parents, he had managed to find a new family, a family willing to protect him, even against a superior enemy.
“Thank you,” he croaked, which earned him another pat on the arm.
“We’re on our way, dears. You surely have things to discuss.” Mavis kissed Sammy on the cheek before she motioned Dre to lower his head so she could do the same to him. “Have a nice evening. And be prepared to be interrogated again during the book club meeting. The others love Sammy just as much as we do.”
After Maribell had kissed them both as well, the witches left the shop. Not in the mood to deal with another customer, Sammy closed the door, even though he still had about thirty minutes until official closing time. From where he was leaning on the door, he stared at Dre.
“Wow.”
“Yeah. Wow. We survived the inquisition.”
“That too. I think I need some sugar.” Sammy went for the counter where the muffins were stacked. He felt Dre’s gaze on his back.
“Do you want me to leave, Sammy?”
“What? No. No! It’s just… You know, I’ve been thinking about us together, about the long-term, how it would play out with you being immortal and me being mortal. I had some very sad Lord of the Rings associations in my head. Then you come along and tell me there’s a chance I could be yours forever. I know how fast paranormals move when it comes to their fated mates.”
“You mean, things just got real?”
Sammy put the blueberry muffin down that he had taken from the tray. “Very real. Don’t get me wrong… If I am your mate, I’d be thrilled, though there are a few doors closing that I wouldn’t want to.”
Sammy looked at Dre and saw the understanding in the demon’s eyes. Immortality meant he would never see his parents again. “And if I’m not your mate, I would have to live with the heartbreak of letting you go one day.”
“I would never leave you, mo grah thu. Never.” The absolute conviction in Dre’s voice reassured Sammy.
“I know. But it wouldn’t be fair to you if you had to stay with an old man, waiting for his death. Damn, I can’t even imagine it without getting all worked up. I’m a mess!”
Dre stepped forward and took Sammy in his arms. “Then don’t imagine it. Our story has just begun, and even though we might not have all the time in the world, we do have some of it. Let’s enjoy our dating phase without worrying about the future. We can go slow, get to know each other better. And when we’re both ready, I can give you my bite.”
Sammy clung to Dre and buried his face in the hard chest. “You’re aware that I’m only going to fall harder for you the l
onger we know each other?”
“I’m counting on it, mo grah thu. Now stop overthinking this. It’s enough if I do it. Tell me how can I help you with closing the shop?”
Sammy straightened and looked around. “Actually, it’s not too bad today. How about you put the pastries into the fridge in my office while I clean the coffeemaker. After that, I usually do a quick sweep through the place to see if any books need to be re-shelved. My cleaning lady comes tomorrow morning, so there’s no need to vacuum. When we’re done, we can go upstairs and order something from takeout. My treat today—and don’t you argue with me!”
Dre held up his hands in a defensive gesture. “I’d never dream of it. Let’s get started.”
* * * *
As Sammy had predicted, it didn’t take long for them to get the shop straightened out. As soon as they entered Sammy’s kitchen, he handed Dre a stack of menus from delivery places in Beaconville.
“Have you got a hankering for anything?” Dre looked at Sammy. Sammy shook his head.
“No, I’m good with anything. The Chinese is decent, and the pizza place makes a delicious panna cotta.”
Dre shifted through the stack until he found the two menus in question. He wasn’t a great fan of Chinese food, but he did love a greasy pizza. “How about we order two pizzas, extra-large—one meat lover and one with four cheeses—plus two helpings of panna cotta and one salad.”
Sammy grinned. “Low on the greens, I like that. We can take it all to the couch and watch a movie.”
“How about A Fish Called Wanda?” Dre tried his hardest to look suggestively.
“Great idea. Though I do have to warn you… I’m not sure if you can match up to John Cleese.”
“Uh, I bet I do. Wanna know why? Because I, mo grah thu, happen to speak fluent demon, which is a lot more erotic than Italian.”