Page 39 of A Sip of Sin

Hollen rubbed the bites, his skin prickling as he was nearly overwhelmed.At least I got it that once.He wasn’t sure how he would ever be able to not crave it. When Munro had bitten down, he’d only felt a burn at first, until his fangs popped through his skin and something flowed into him. It had licked a fire right through his veins, hotter than he’d ever felt.

“I’m going to sleep with him again.” Hollen looked at the bed where Munro was resting, his chest rising and falling with every soft breath. “He’s sweet to me, and he makes me feel safe. He makes me feel like I’m just a regular guy and that I’m no worse off for having a demon stuck in my head.”

Hollen let out a sigh, dropping a hand from his wrist. The sensation instantly faded, leaving just the ache behind. His cock wilted as exhaustion hit him again with full force, dragging his eyelids almost closed. “Sorry, George. I didn’t mean it that way.”

“It’s okay.” George softened, flowing beneath Hollen’s skin like the warmth of a blanket. It soothed some of the ache, unwinding the taut fibers of his muscles. “We should go home before he wakes up. Adair’s probably worried.”

Hollen nodded. He could imagine his friend calling the cops if he didn’t get home in good time, especially with him so on edge since the big reveal. “I’m leaving a note, though.”

He grabbed some clothes from the closet after finding the tattered remains of his uniform, before scribbling out a quick note on a piece of paper he’d found in there.

Munro was still resting, his face so soft that he looked like an angel and not some kind of devil like George proclaimed. It would be so easy to slip between the sheets again, snuggling up to his chest and getting lost in his dreams. His shoulders sagged as he fought the urge.

“Adair is waiting for you,” said George, just loud enough to break Hollen’s thoughts.

“Jeeze.” Hollen moved for the door, quickly skirting through the throne room before he started along the hall. “Adair, this…Adair, that. You’d think you have a crush on my best friend.”

Hollen paused in the darkness when George’s presence flared.Whoa.“Oh my God. Youdo.” He chuckled, wiping the sleep from his eyes as he dragged himself onward. He was out of breath before he hit the well-lit area, his heart beating fast.

“You worry about getting us home,” said George, his voice soft. The warmth of him had faded to a gentle coziness, doing more to lull Hollen to sleep than anything.

“I’m not sure if he’s ready to talk much, so don’t just jump him when we get in the door,” said Hollen, wheezing between each breath. “I’m too tired for that, and I’m not really sure how it would work.” He looked to his hands. George had changed them once before to prove his existence to Adair, but how much more could he do?

The restaurant was bathed in shadows, but the front door was still open when he let himself out. The amount of sunlight outside was startling.

“How long was I asleep?” The street wasn’t exactly busy, but there were a few cars going by and more noise toward main street. “Crap. Adair is going to be so worried.”

Hopefully,he was worried. He’d seemed truly happy to see Hollen after his dance, sweat still clinging to his limbs. But he could have been high on cheers and adrenaline. Maybe he’d forgotten about Hollen’sotherfriend altogether.

“Hurry.” George stirred, a touch of energy flowing through Hollen’s limbs. It was enough to get him home at a decent pace, even though his lungs were burning by the time he turned his key in the door and pushed his way inside their apartment.When he stepped inside, he had to slump against the door just to catch his breath. The couch was too far, his bed even farther.

He caught the sound of footsteps thumping from the direction of Adair’s room, getting louder as his friend obviously ran toward the front hall. There was a flash of bloodshot eyes and tears before Adair was throwing his arms around him, pulling him into a tight embrace that smelled of cookies.

“I thought you’d died.” Adair let out a sob as Hollen’s back struck the closed door, his legs too shaky to hold up the added weight. “You didn’t come home after your shift, so I went by the teahouse. Everything was dark and they were already closed. Are you okay? What happened?”

Adair leaned back, holding Hollen by the shoulders as he looked him up and down. “Honey, you look exhausted. Have you been up all night? Was it the…” He lowered his voice into a whisper, “Vampires?”

With his friend so worried, he probably shouldn’t have been smiling, a grin stretching over his lips that he couldn’t contain. He threw his arms around Adair’s neck, sagging against him as absolute joy lit in his gut. “You don’t hate me anymore.”

Adair stiffened, sniffing as he patted Hollen’s back. “I never hated you, baby. I was struggling with a few things, and I wasn’t sure what to believe.” He softened, kissing the top of Hollen’s head. “I’m just glad you’re safe. Another hour and I was going to call the cops.”

That would have been a bad idea.There wasn’t exactly anythingillegalgoing on at the teahouse, but the room with that table was nefarious as hell. It didn’t seem possible to have something like that hidden in the city while the rest of the shops around were normal.

“I’m safe. I’m good.” Hollen winced as he leaned harder against the door, the ache at the base of his spine flaring. Munro had been so gentle at first, but that had changed quicklywhen Hollen had started to beg. A warmth rose in his chest, a matching flush on his cheeks.

Adair’s jaw dropped as he looked him up and down, grasping the fabric of Hollen’s long-sleeve shirt that draped to mid-thigh.

“Did you get laid?” Adair screeched, his voice probably echoing through the entire floor. Hollen winced, rubbing his eyes as his headache throbbed.

“Yeah.” He flushed, bringing Adair’s hand to his mouth and kissing his knuckles. “I should have texted you, but I wasn’t sure if you were ready to hear from me yet…and I passed out. I really didn’t mean to worry you.”

“I was worried.” Adair’s smile faltered. “About a lot of things. And you’re right. I wasn’t sure about it either until I saw you at the competition yesterday. You sat at the very back in that stupid chair that’s always empty, and I saw you cheering away and talking to yourself the whole time.”

Hollen winced, closing his eyes as another wave of exhaustion hit him. He wasn’t sure if he could do this right now when sleep was almost the only thing on his mind.

“I realized that youweren’ttalking to yourself.” Adair’s eyes were shiny when Hollen looked at him. “You were talking to…to him?” He shook his head.

“Baby.” Hollen reached for him, but Adair shook his head harder.

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