Page 35 of Inevitably Yves

“Yes.” We pause near the end of the deck and lean against the railing. “Perhaps I couldn’t let go enough, and I’ve learned to feed on the energy of it all.”

“In my mind’s eye, I see you in the middle of it all, on your golden throne, beautiful men and women at your feet, desperate for your attention, a slight smile, a hit of your thrall. They would worship your body, every inch, and willingly open their veins for you. Yet, you resist such indulgence. I’ve always known you are a stronger man than me.”

Yves chuckles. “My brokenness and fetish for control don’t equate to strength.”

I close the space between us, pressing our chests together as I search his eyes. “Let me be your salve, Yves. I want to fix anything still broken.”

Yves reaches up, brushing his fingers across my cheek. “My love, I believe you already have.”

TWELVE

Yves

Desire crackles around me like electricity. I can’t remember the last time I felt so…myself. My old self.

“There’s another space I want to show you.”

Damiano nods, flicking his tongue out to wet his lips. Somehow, he’s even more beautiful than he was. More perfect, more…everything.

“Show me.”

I push off the wall, putting a bit of distance between us, even though that’s the last thing I want. I chuckle, and Damiano does too, obviously aware of my thoughts.

“Who is your favorite?” he asks as we walk on. “I bet I can guess.”

“I don’t have a favorite. I love my brothers equally.”

“No, you don’t,” he challenges. “Or perhaps you love them equally, but some hold different parts of your heart.”

“No.”

“Syn is special because he’s the first. You loved him the most,” Damiano guesses.

Memories flood my mind. “I wanted to love him. Outside of you and Hadrian, no one else captured my attention the way he did at that time. Something inside him called to me. I couldn’t deny it.”

“Where did you meet him?”

“Italy. He was the son of a wealthy Florentine banker. He was bored out of his mind and so deliciously queer. It didn’t take much to lure him away from his perfectly constructed life.”

“It must have been a rush to take him.”

“Ours was a tumultuous beginning. I didn’t know how to be anyone’s maker, let alone a lover for more than a night or two. Syn—Alessio, as he was called then—was headstrong, but so loyal and dedicated to me. I became who I am in large part due to the challenges he gave me.”

I smile, pausing to remove a key from my pocket and unlock a door. As we step into the dark space, my eyes adjust and I lead us up a second staircase.

“Thorn,” he says. “Your connection is different from the others.”

“Thorn is my free bird. A rare, exotic creature who allows his cage simply to please me.” Yves chuckles. “We were disastrously incompatible as lovers, but he was a perfect choice for my family. I believe he was born to be a vampire. He’s so suited for it.”

“But without your guidance, he would self-destruct?”

I glance over my shoulder, smiling. “Most definitely.” I open a door, revealing a smaller private deck, high above the one we just left. “How’s this for a view?”

“Incredible.” Damiano leans on the railing and looks over, then out again at the skyline. “Your private lair?”

I nod. “Unused. Tiago had it made for me, but I never feel compelled to come up. Just once or twice when I want silence.”

“I’m honored.” He walks to an emerald-green velvet sofa under an awning but on a platform where the view is still visible. “Midnight. He’s dark. Is that where his name comes from?”

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