Page 58 of Thicker than Blood

“No. He’s committed to his desire for you. I think you’re right not to fuck him. He’ll never let you go then.”

“I’ll continue to avoid him. Besides, my interest is elsewhere at the moment.”

Lucius gets a mischievous glint in his eyes. “He is very lovely. You should invite me to join you both. We had so much fun during our time together, didn’t we, love?”

The very thought of Lucius touching my beautiful mortal ignites my anger, spreading rage through me. My fangs drop and my eyes burn. Lucius throws his head back, laughing, making it clear he was only goading me.

“Now tell me again that he’s not special to you,” he says.

“You’re being an ass.”

“As is usual for me. My friend, you’re in danger.”

I scoff at that. “Hardly. As if a mortal could do anything to me.”

“That’s not the kind of danger I speak of.” He leans over and taps my chest over my heart. “Even an immortal creature of the night can lose his heart to love. What a shock it will be to the supernatural world to lose the ultimate lothario to the arms of one mortal man.”

“You’re way ahead of yourself.”

“I am a trendsetter.”

Shaking my head, I end up laughing. “I do adore you so.”

“The feeling is mutual. Maybe that’s your problem with Tristan. You’ve never been truly satisfied bedding vampires. I did my best and you still lost interest.”

“I didn’t lose interest in you. If I recall correctly, I lost you to a sex cult.”

Lucius chuckles. “Oh, that’s right. I forgot.”

“Funny.”

“A hundred years of that. I’m surprised my dick didn’t fall off. I doubt I could handle you again.”

“You looked like you were doing just fine earlier.”

“Mortals aren’t the same as vampires, and no one is the same as you.”

“You flatter me.”

“I never forgot our passion. Have you?”

“I would never deny you an invitation to my bedroom.”

“Even now?”

I open my mouth to invite him up right now, simply to prove a point, and perhaps to get the mortal out of my head, but my words evade me.

Lucius smiles knowingly. “It’s worse than I thought.”

“Shut up, Lucius.”

He pats my hand. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re due. You’re nearly a thousand years old and have yet to be struck by Cupid’s bow even once. Maybe it’s time.”

“Maybe I’ll fuck his brains out for a month or two then move on like I normally do.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. Either way, I’ll enjoy the show.”

“I came to you for clarity.”

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