Page 31 of Slithery Heat

I have no reason to freak out. He likes me and wants me.

“You look lovely, Gideon. I’m profoundly happy to see you again. May I kiss you on the lips?”

The question made Gideon smile. “Always so considerate. Yes, you may.”

Siurin placed a warm hand on Gideon’s nape and brushed his lips gently before softly nipping at the upper one.

“I’m happy to see you too,” Gideon murmured, and Siurin kissed him again.

Then he hugged Gideon somewhat possessively around his shoulders and led him to the reception stand.

A young omega in a white shirt and a black vest watched them wide-eyed before he gulped and glanced at his tablet.

“Good evening and welcome. May I have your name?”

“Good evening. Miraghan Siurin. I’ve reserved a table for two.”

“Thank you. Come with me, please.”

Gideon realized he hadn’t known Siurin’s full name until then.Miraghan. It sounded noble, almost royal. He glanced up at the handsome man by his side. Siurin carried himself with aristocratic grace, and Gideon felt like a prince by his side. The receptionist showed them to their table, and Siurin pulled out a chair for Gideon to sit on. He held his hand until Gideon was settled and tenderly kissed the back of it before moving to his side of the table.

Yep. Like a prince.

Gideon glanced around the elegant yet cozy restaurant and noticed a few curious stares. He struggled not to blush.

“The colors of your shirt suit you,” Siurin said. “I realize we haven’t spent much time in each other’s company while dressed.”

“We haven’t.” Gideon’s lips twitched with a smile. “I think I only had one outfit at the clinic. Most of the time, I wore a bathrobe.”Or nothing at all.

“It feels strange to see you in public where I can’t touch you intimately. But I like it too.”

They should probably change the subject before Gideon started daydreaming about sex with Siurin. They were five minutes into their first date, for heaven’s sake. They couldn’t rush home to fuck—at least not before dessert.

The arrival of their server distracted them for a moment.

“How have you been?” Gideon asked after they placed their orders.

“Good. I worked long hours and spent every spare minute thinking of you.”

He couldn’t dwell on those sweet compliments, or they wouldn’t make it through dessert, and Gideon was determined to accomplish one ordinary date. It couldn’t be too hard. “I don’t know much about your work. What does your company do?”

“I wouldn’t wish to bore you.”

“Try me.”

“I create safe solutions for companies needing to store sensitive data.”

“Oh. Like banks and insurance companies and stuff?”

“Our clients are usually small to medium-sized. Imagine, for example, a dentist’s office or a law firm. Both deal with private client information. Some data must be accessible immediately, and some must be archived, while leaks could have legal consequences. We ensure that the dental records are backed up, safe, and even securely destroyed after a certain period.”

“So you could be, for example, handling the data storage for a surrogate clinic?”

Siurin smiled. “Titanoboa would be a great client, but they are with our direct competitor.”

“You could have staked them out and given them a better offer,” Gideon joked.

“Maybe. But I was preoccupied with you.”

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