Page 69 of Luxuries of Lust

“If I ever talk to her again, I’ll make sure she knowsOllieisn’t interested.”

With a sharp inhale, Gem’s head whipped around, and his large eyes stared hard into Rusty’s. Rusty didn’t look away, letting him search his fill. He must have found what he was looking for because his muscles unclenched and his fierce expression softened.

Cautiously, Rusty reached out and placed his hand on the back of Gem’s neck. Eyes still locked, Rusty slid his thumb toward Gem’s pulse point, and without a hint of hesitation, Gem angled his head, baring his throat. A purr erupted in Rusty’s chest, low and soothing, as he rubbed his thumb up and down the tendons running the length of Gem’s neck.

As the Araknis’s pulse throbbed against the pad of his thumb, Rusty massaged his scent into his dark skin. And all at once, they both relaxed. Gem’s eyes closed, his fur vibrating in contentment, and Rusty smiled.

When Gem opened his eyes, their gazes met. Rusty read the questions there, but Gem didn’t ask them, so he didn’t answer. They sat in silence, eyes locked, for a long time.

Chapter sixteen

Killer Pierogies and Stardust

Gem

As August turned toSeptember, the weather grew milder, and summer released its death grip once and for all. One night, a thunderstorm blew through the Pentagram, bringing some much needed relief, and Rusty and Gem stood on the fire escape as the wind howled and the rain soaked them to the skin. Rusty tilted his head back, face to the rain, and smiled, and Gem thought him beautiful.

For Oliver’s birthday, he invited the whole cafe crew to his parents’ ranch in the human dimension—a magical and wonderful place called Montana—and Gem had never been more excited for anything in his life. He was going to see a real life cow. And not just one. Oliver’s parents had many cows, and according to Oliver, Gem was allowed to hug them all.

Honestly, he wasn’t sure if he’d be able to handle it without dying. Hugging a cow was a life-long dream, after all, like visiting the Illian Caves in the Wrath mountains during the solstice or having an eight-way where every one of his holes—including all six hands—could get utterly demolished.

When the day finally came, Gem was only able to tamp down his excitement for the cows by focusing on supporting Toni. This was going to be the first time Toni saw Jude after their quasi break-up over the summer, and Gem couldn’t help but worry. Toni gave off a devil-may-care attitude, but deep down, he was tender-hearted and surprisingly sensitive.

Thankfully, he and Jude’s reunion at the cafe before they left for Montana seemed to go well, though Gem wasn’t close enough to hear the words exchanged. But they were both smiling, and Toni looked hopelessly in love, so Gem gave them their space, watching from afar should Toni need back-up.

“This weekend isn’t gonna be weird, right?” Rusty whispered, following Gem’s line of sight. “Or are they back together?”

“I don’t know,” Gem whispered back, rebuilding the espresso machine he’d just cleaned. “Jude really hurt Toni, and while I’m not going to judge too quickly, because everyone deserves a chance to explain, I will also kick his ass if tries to string Toni along again.”

“You’re too good for him. You know that, right?”

Gem blew a raspberry. “Oh, both Toni and I are fully aware of that. He is lucky to have me.”

“Alright,” Quin said sharply, gesturing for everyone to gather. “Form a circle, and everyone hold hands.”

After Quin teleported them all to Oliver’s ranch, Gem claimed the cow-themed room for Toni and himself. Above the bed was the most beautiful painting of a black and white cow, and Gem smiled at it adoringly as he unpacked his duffel bag. He shoved his clothes into the dresser and set up his skin care supplies on top.

Gazing out the window, he spotted the cows in a distant pasture near a large red structure—the cows’ house, Gem assumed. “Toni, oh my gods! Those arerealcows.”

“Gem, I told you, you need to lock that shit down,” Toni said from the bed. “Everyone already thinks you want to fuck the cows, baby, and that ain’t normal.”

“I don’t want to fuck the cows,” Gem insisted for the millionth time. “I just want to love them. There is a difference.”

He returned to the dresser to finish emptying his bag but was interrupted by a knock on the door. Jude peeked his head inside at Toni’s invitation, dark hair curly, eyes guarded.

“Hey, uh, do you have a minute?” Jude asked Toni, and Toni waved him inside.

“I have lots of minutes.”

“That’s my cue to leave, right?” Gem asked as he kicked his bag out of the way and headed for the door. He paused at Jude’s side and studied the small human. “If this conversation goes well, then I’d really like to hang out more and get to know you.”

Jude blinked up at him in surprise. “Uh, yeah, me too.”

“Cool,” Gem nodded, adding some steel to his voice as he added, “Though if it doesn’t go well, be prepared for me to hate you for all eternity.”

To Gem’s delight, Jude shrank away slightly. “Sounds fair.”

Easing his intensity, he smiled down at him. “Awesome, though I’m hoping for the former.”

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