Page 17 of Lucien

Jamie shivered at the memory.

He’d have been very happy to continue their sexy games all night long, but Luc had refused to spend the night in his room, no matter how Jamie had pouted. Okay, Jamie hadn’tpouted. But he’d done some real heavy-duty puppy-dog eyes. Still no dice.

But the vampire hadn’t left either. That had to count for something, didn’t it?

Jamie poured himself a cup of coffee, ignoring Luc’s continued stare, not bothering with milk. He needed the full, bitter bite of it this morning. He had a feeling he needed to have his wits about him with this one.

So muchfun.

“Did you scare the bejesus out of Monique, lurking out here?” he asked, sipping at his coffee.

Luc shrugged one broad shoulder. “Your housemate never came home.”

“Oh dang, girl must’ve gottenlucky.” Jamie used his free hand to pull his phone out and shoot her a quick text, just to be sure she’d spent the night at Alice’s house and not anywhere more sinister. Although, he imagined he would have gotten a vision if something were truly wrong.

Jamie hadn’t had a single one last night. He’d slept like a freakingbaby.

Monique responded immediately, with enough water droplet and tongue emojis that Jamie had to assume he’d been right about the getting lucky thing.

Nice.

Reassured, he started rooting through the pantry for his bagels. He held the bag up to Luc when he found it. “You want one of these?”

Luc shook his head, still eyeing Jamie with otherworldly focus, like he held the secrets to the universe or something. “I don’t eat,” the vampire said.

Jamie’s brows lifted. “Ever?”

“My monster doesn’t like it.”

Jamie cocked his head, studying the vampire in front of him. So many interesting things to learn about him. “You had whiskey last night.”

“Liquids are a little more…negotiable.”

Jamie nodded, popping his bagel into the toaster. “So your kind isn’t down with the solid foods. Got it.”

“Not all of us. I’ve known others who didn’t mind it.”

Jamie grabbed a plate. “You’ve got vamp buddies?”

Luc’s face, not exactly an open book to begin with, closed off even more. “No. Not anymore.”

Huh.Interesting. Jamie decided not to press. His dream man was guarded; that was for sure. And Jamie didn’t want him running off again. Not when Jamie had finally gotten a taste of everything he wanted.

He sat down at the kitchen table with his bagel, more than a little amused with the rapt way Luc watched him eat his breakfast from across the kitchen. It was enough to make a guy feel self-conscious. Was Jamie a weird chewer or something? He made up for his discomfort by making a big show of licking his lips when he was done, enjoying the way heat filled Luc’s gaze at the sight.

“So…” After setting his plate in the sink, Jamie settled in and leaned back in the kitchen chair, refilled coffee cup in hand. “Your monster. Explain.”

Luc stepped forward then but only to the edge of the kitchen counter, still keeping several feet between him and Jamie. He clearlywasreally afraid of getting too close, no matter how much he denied it.

Adorable.

“The part of me that…awoke…when I was turned from human to vampire,” Luc explained.

Jamie cocked his head. “You talk about him like he’s a separate person.”

“It feels that way. The longer I live, the stronger it gets. Eventually it will take over completely. I’ll go mad and be put down by others of my kind.”

“Well, that’s not very nice.” Jamie didn’t like that bit at all, actually. He’d just finally found the man of his dreams; he wasn’t about to let him get taken over by some overeager demonic inner entity.

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