Page 82 of Devoted

17

Sam

An hour and a shower later, I was trailing after Zeke as he led me through the house. Or, as he called it, the compound.

In the daylight, it was even more grand than it had looked the night before. Strangely though, it wasn’t imposing. There were details everywhere, small touches that reminded you that this was a home. A vase filled with sunflowers on a console table, receipts and a set of keys beside it. Novelty teapots on the shelves of a Welsh dresser.

Most of all though, it was the photos. Interspersed between pieces of art were endless images of Zeke and his friends. From the quick glimpse I got, they seemed to have been taken all over the world.

And when I say ‘a quick glimpse,’ I mean exactly that. Zeke took my hand, rushing me past them so fast I almost tripped over my own feet.

“What’s the hurry?” I tried to look back over my shoulder at the frames.

“Nate might have plans today,” Zeke said, giving me a strained smile. “So if we want him to see what he can recover from your laptop, we need to catch him.”

“Oh, yes.”

We’d come to a stop in front of a door. From the loud chatter behind it, I was guessing this was where everyone was congregated. I tried not to think about it, focusing instead on how I was going to get my work done. “I’m going to have to pop out this morning and get a new one. Two of my authors need graphics today, and another needs a newsletter.”

“We’ll get it sorted,” Zeke said, squeezing my hand in reassurance. “Don’t worry about it.”

According to Zeke, it was reading week at the university, which explained why they were all home. He’d asked me if I wanted to meet them in smaller groups, but meeting them all at the same time would be better than dragging it out. He’d been right when he’d said my anxiety would grow the longer I avoided it.

A shout came from beyond the door, followed by a burst of laughter. Hmm. Maybe I’d been wrong in suggesting this route. I wasn’t worrying about my laptop anymore, instead pinning all my anxiety on this. “Okay.”

Zeke lifted our joined hands to his lips, brushing a kiss there. Instantly my mind went back to his bedroom. His sofa.

Maybe we should’ve stayed there and carried out some experiments instead.

He lowered our hands with a smirk. “I don’t know what you’re thinking to put that look in your eyes, but it has me wanting to toss you over my shoulder and take you back upstairs.”

I was about to suggest he did just that when the door suddenly swung open. A huge, stunning man filled the doorway, a knowing smile dancing on his lips. I couldn’t help but gape at his size. He made Zeke look small, which was saying something.

“Nope. No shenanigans in the house. Remember?” the other man said.

Zeke glared at him. “That rule applies to the public areas, not that Nox and Micah have ever stuck to that.”

“Guilty,” a chipper voice called out.

“Well, no running away now.” The man’s brown eyes were kind as he smiled at me. “Not when we’re all dying to meet your…friend.”

Zeke dragged the hand not holding mine over his face with a groan before giving me a tight smile. “Sam, this is Rami.”

“Pleased to meet you.” Rami extended a giant hand for me to shake. Instantly, I felt sweat break out on my forehead. If I shook it, how long would it be before I could sneak away to wash my hands? Oh, god. How many hands was I going to have to shake before I would be able to leave the room?

The reality of what I was facing was suddenly too much. My breathing sped up as my temperature rose.

Rami’s smile faded the longer he waited, his hand dropping slightly.

‘See? You’re not even in the room yet, and you’re already fucking up.’

Taking a deep breath, I forced a smile to my face and lifted my hand. Before I could clasp Rami’s though, Zeke knocked it down.

“No.” He was glaring at Rami again. “Keep your hands to yourself.”

I shot Rami an apologetic look as Zeke shouldered past him, towing me along with him. “That goes for the rest of you too. You can look at Sam, but don’t touch him.”

“Is he an exhibit in a museum?” The question came from a tall man sitting on the counter. He had a shock of white hair and…were those lilac eyes?

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