Page 14 of The Storm Within

“The Overlook Hotel?” Nate’s face scrunched so adorably Ryker wanted to kiss him.

“The Shining,” he replied like it should’ve been obvious until he remembered—like a dimwit who’d forgotten the guy’s circumstances that quickly—Nate wouldn’t have seen the movie or read the book because he’d been stuck in this motel since the 1920s. “Never mind.”

Nate lay back down and sighed. “I wasn’t exactly innocent before I was trapped here.”

Despite being a demon, Ryker couldn’t imagine Nate being evil. Then again, he’d known him less than a day. Still, Nate had an innocence about him, a vulnerability Ryker wanted to protect and nurture.

“What made your halo crooked?” he asked with a smirk. “You hold up banks or sell kids rotten apples?”

“I said I wasn’t innocent, not that I was a monster,” Nate huffed. “I counted money for Diobno’s crime organization.” He said it so flatly that Ryker suspected his mate thought it had bought him a one-way ticket to hell.

“The 1920s… hmm.” Ryker tapped his finger against his chin. “If I remember correctly, my family and I were running a preternatural speakeasy.”

There was a sparkle in Nate’s deep blue eyes when he turned to look at Ryker. “No offense, but you guys look like you would’ve done a lot of illegal stuff back then. Ya’ll got the bad-boys vibe down pat.”

“Is that good or bad?” Ryker grinned, rolling to his side and propping his head on his fist. “You into bad boys, honey bear?”

“I’m a demon,” he pointed out with a roll of his eyes.

“Are you saying you are a bad boy?” He was trying to be smooth, taking their conversation in a more enjoyable direction, but Nate burst out laughing, causing Ryker’s ego to take a hit.

Thank god Killian hadn’t been there to see it. Before his brother had mated, the two used to compete to see who had the smoothest pickup lines to close a deal on a hot little number they both wanted to bed.

Their intended sex partner knew up front the two were trying to outdo each other and was all for it. If a guy wasn’t, they apologized and the competition ended.

It was all about having fun, but Ryker and Killian always remained respectful of the men they were trying to bed. Since they’d passed the juvenile milestone, their father had taught them to be considerate and not to cross a potential bed partner’s boundaries.

Quinton would kick their asses if his sons disrespected those who didn’t deserve it.

“Sorry.” Nate curled his lips in, clearly fighting to contain his laughter.

Ryker arched a brow. “Is your mirth your way of saying I suck at flirting?”

“Teddy bear, I haven’t been flirted with in a century. You could use the lamest pick-up line and I would eat it up and beg for more.”

Ryker wasn’t sure if that was the saddest thing he’d ever heard or if Nate was screwing with him. “You’ve probably had countless travelers in the past hundred years. You’re telling me no one has flirted with a guy drool-worthy enough to turn heads?”

That was hard to fathom. Nate was stunning as hell, and Ryker could see plenty of men, and probably women, vying for a chance to sleep with him.

The thought made his bear snarl.

“It’s not like my uncle allowed the motel to reappear every year,” Nate retorted. “Out of all the people who have been here, only a handful were gay, I think, and they were too busy freaking out and calling me crazy to flirt.”

“Then why’d you laugh?” Ryker didn’t like the idea of anyone hitting on his mate, but that was just messed up. He couldn’t wrap his head around going a century without sex, and flirting was a part of the foreplay.

The poor guy had probably forgotten what his cock was used for besides relieving his bladder. Ryker’s nuts hurt just thinking about his dick being on lockdown for a hundred years.

Taking matters into your own hand only got a guy so far before he was ready to kill, steal, beg, and lie just to get laid, and that wasn’t a hyperbole.

Jesus.

“I honestly don’t know why I laughed.” A pretty red blush swept over Nate’s delicate cheekbones, causing Ryker to softly growl.

“Has it been so long you’re simply nervous?” He glided his hand over his mate’s hip. His cock had thickened and now everything else was kicked to the back burner—escape, food, a hot shower. All Ryker could think about was sinking into Nate’s tight heat and claiming him.

His mate stared at him as if he were daft. “It’s been so long I might as well be declared a born-again virgin.”

Ryker chuckled then groaned. “I could help you break your world-record dry spell, honey bear. Take those training wheels off your cock.”

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