Page 24 of Fated Mates and How to Seduce Them
Ian chose to change the subject. No need to rehash it. “So what are you drawing? Painting?”
“Painting, hence the tackle box. Tackle boxes are great for art supplies.” André paused, sweeping Ian with his eyes and grinning. “Actually, I’m doing figure studies and meant to ask you—”
“You’re not painting me nude.”
“Awwww!”
“I just knew from that lecherous grin. You’re so predictable.”
André snickered, not at all repentant. “I really am doing figure studies, but we’re focusing on the difficult things. Namelyhands. Hands are killer to get right. Can I at least draw your nude hand?”
“Nude hand? Seriously?” Ian shook his head, amused. “Yeah, fine, I think my virtue can handle exposed hands.”
“Amazing. You said you have a huge gap between classes today, right?”
“Right, about three hours. I planned to read one of my assigned books.”
“You read, I draw, then?”
Part of the reason why Ian found it so hard to push André away was that he wasn’t the annoying type. He went out of his way to accommodate what Ian needed, seemingly just happy with Ian’s presence. Like now, when Ian said he needed to focus on schoolwork, André found a way to hang out with him without impeding.
Personally, Ian had an internal bet on how long André would be willing to play host before losing interest in Ian altogether. He waited for the other shoe to drop, but for now, their dynamic worked.
“Then let’s settle in,” Ian suggested, reaching for his backpack hanging on the back of his chair. “How much time do you have?”
“For you? All the time in the world.”
He always did. At least for now. Ian shot him an unamused look but found André already absorbed in a sketchbook, the semipermanent smile he always seemed to wear around Ian in place. For now, for today, he’d focus on his schoolwork and enjoy this baffling man’s company a little longer.
Chapter 7
It had taken three weeks of charm and persistence, but André hadfinallybeen invited over to hang out. Clearly, his consistent effort had paid off.
André sat on the floor of Ian’s dorm room, a cat wand toy in hand, and couldn’t be more delighted. Ian’s roommate had left shortly after André’s arrival, so it was just the two of them and an energetic bundle of fur in this small space. He’d be sure to offer his sacrifices to the gods later for such wonderful luck of having Ian all to himself.
“Right, like that,” Ian coached. “Make it move, like a bird trying to escape. There you go. Now you’ve got her going.”
The kitten was in full chase, determined to catch the bundle of feathers at all costs, wearing her new collar with little cherry blossoms, a gift from him. She had laser focus on the toy, and André had to concentrate on keeping it just out of her grasp. Ridiculously, it took vampiric reflexes to keep the kitten from winning constantly. She looked much better than when he’d first seen her a month ago, her coat now clean and glossy, no longer painfully thin but developing some weight and muscle. Ian clearly took good care of her.
It was a toss-up which he enjoyed more: making friends with the kitten or leaning up against Ian’s leg while doing it. The factIan hadn’t shoved him off yet made André absurdly happy, but it also pushed his self-control to the limit. Within five minutes of arriving, he’d realized that as much as he loved being in Ian’s room, it also caused a little bit of a struggle, too. Everything here carried the man’s smell, and the ever-present mix of the floral, citrusy scent was the most delicious thing, heady and aromatic. André had taken the precaution of staying well fed when around Ian to keep his base instincts in check, but even then he still felt the pulsing ache in his gums where his fangs threatened to descend. He just really, truly wanted to feed from Ian.
Especially since feeding from donors had gotten progressively harder over the last few weeks. Something about Ian called like a siren’s song to his vampiric instincts. He just didn’t find anyone else as appetizing, and what used to be a fun activity he often indulged in during sex had become a loathsome chore.
Why Ian? Even a month later, André had no idea what about the man drew him in so strongly. The pull was there, unmistakable, and growing stronger with every interaction. That much was undeniable. At this point, André didn’t care why. He only knew a casual situationship with this man held no appeal to him. He wanted the full dating package with Ian, and no one else. If he could figure out how to get the man on an actual date, life would be perfect.
But Ian was just now getting to the point he liked hanging out with André. Pushing for anything else would destroy all the progress he’d made. Sometimes, though, sometimes he dearly wished he could say “fuck it” and take what he wanted, to show Ian how good it would feel if he gave in.
So there he sat, leaning against this tempting man, all while thanking his stars for the less appealing grassy scent of the roommate mixed in with Ian’s, the disturbance enough to keepAndré from turning his head and nibbling on the clothed leg next to him. Instead, he directed his scant attention elsewhere.
In contrast to the roommate’s side chocked full of metal band posters, knickknacks, and unkempt clothes, Ian’s side of the dorm room was kept spotless—no surprise there, Ian was the organized type—and simple. There wasn’t any real personality to his space. No art on the walls, no plants, a plain black comforter on his twin bed, and basic school supplies and a plain white lamp on his desk. It wasn’t just a minimalist aesthetic, but an obvious lack of anything but barebone necessities. Aside from a few pictures of him with his late father on the nightstand and all of Casper’s many toys and cat stand, his side could have been a display model for any dorm. Ian had mentioned after his dad passed, he’d only planned to stay in the dorms until graduation. So maybe it was the practicality of having less to move later? Then again, André had been shopping with Ian for the kids, and he knew how loathe he was to spend beyond the basics.
The creative side of André’s nature wanted to bring in some decorations, maybe a few potted plants. Just because.
“Oh, she caught it!” André paused the toy and let her bite into it, her back legs bunny kicking as she “killed” the feathers. “You’re fast.”
“She is. You lose focus for even a second, and she’ll take advantage.”
“Have you thought about taking her to the group home, letting her play with the kids? They’d both love that, I bet.”
