Page 65 of Incubus
Nathan was tired, his eyes heavy as the film came to an end and Sasha flicked the TV off, but he didn’t feel like going back to his room.
“I concede,” Nathan said, laying his head back on the headboard. “That didn’t completely suck.”
“Told you. You really have to learn to take my word for it, Mr. Grier.”
Nathan grinned. The quiet of the room, harsher now with the TV off, made it easier for him to realize just how close he and Sasha were on the bed. Sasha’ssinglebed wasn’t very big, so with their legs stretched out on the mattress, they were practically touching. The late hour and the proximity of their bodies had Nathan feeling almost intoxicated.
“Hey," Sasha said. "Did I ever tell you about my type? What my type is? As an incubus, I mean.”
“You mean you have one?” Nathan teased.
Sasha's smile widened. “It's nothing physical. You see, my aunt Shiarra, the one who raised me, she always told me that the way things are supposed to work for my kind is like those, you know…symbiotic relationships. We give something, we get something in return. I always liked that idea. So for me, I look for someone who…” He trailed and his eyes lowered to his hands. “Someone who needs me. You know, someone who maybe just came off a bad breakup, or their self-esteem is shot to hell, or maybe they just need a night to feel beautiful or like someone actually gives a damn about them. And it’s not to give them some one night stand they’ll regret in the morning, butsomething simple that they need and would never regret taking. At least, that’s what I try to do.”
Suddenly, Sasha looked so sad again, his eyes shimmering but dim somehow, and his mouth smiling without the expression being wholly real.
Nathan wanted to do something, reach forward, say soothing words,something, but that sort of thing never came naturally to him.
Eventually, Sasha looked up again, and although the sadness still haunted his eyes, there was longing there too, a potentheatthat Nathan was beginning to grow used to.
“But you know," Sasha said, "I’ve never, not once in my whole life, gone after someoneIneeded. I’ve never chosen someone just for me. I always figured I’d save that…for someone I didn’t want to leave in the morning.” Sasha’s voice fell to a whisper, and Nathan noticed again how close they were on the bed.
Nathan wasn’t thinking, which was good, he was just staring at Sasha, at Sasha’s lips that were slightly parted as they moved closer and closer to his.
Awareness struck when Sasha was only an inch or so away, and Nathan gasped, pulling himself just slightly back. Sasha paused, staring hard and heated into Nathan’s eyes that Nathan imagined had to look terrified because that was how he felt. But whatever Sasha found in Nathan’s eyes, it wasn’t enough to deter him. He kept leaning forward, and this time Nathan didn’t pull back.
It almost could have been another dream. It could so easily be a dream for how peaceful and perfect it was to feel Sasha’s lips justthere.
Nathan pressed forward, moving,needing, as he sought out Sasha’s lips. He physically felt his heart pick up speed, heard it up in his eardrums, and knew he was trembling even as hismouth continued to move. There weren't any pheromones this time, just him. And no excuses.
Don’t think, Nathan told himself.Don’t think.It would ruin everything.
But Nathan did think, not about how crazy it all was or how much he would be agonizing over this tomorrow, but about how much he loved the feel of Sasha’s tongue. Sasha kisseddeep. So deep that Nathan didn’t think he could ever get enough.
Sasha’s hand found a hold on Nathan’s thigh, the other moving around his waist to the back of his shirt where it pushed up underneath the fabric and found skin, just like in one of his dreams when it was still so right. This was right. This had to be right.
Nathan was pretty sure he was grinning like an idiot when Sasha pulled back, because he couldn’t think of anything else to do or anything to say. Even the heat of Sasha’s eyes on him made the whole thing feel like it was about to unravel and Nathan just wanted to kiss again.
He reached up to grab the side of Sasha’s face and started to pull them back together.
“Nathan, are you in there!?”
Jim’s voice was oddly quiet despite his frantic tone, no doubt to avoid alerting anyone else. Several tentative knocks followed.
“Sasha, Nathan, open up!”
Nathan almost had to laugh. His lips were so close to Sasha’s, he could feel every exhale of breath.
“He really has remarkable timing, doesn’t he?” Sasha said with a grin.
Nathan grinned back, still holding Sasha’s face as he said, “You have no idea.”
They pulled apart and Nathan started scooting down the bed, having a much harder time not thinking now that the moment was over. He turned his head to the door to shout back but didn’tget even a word out before Jim burst through the door hard enough to almost knock it from its hinges.
“Jesus!” Nathan exclaimed. “Where’s the fire?”
Jim turned panicked eyes on Nathan as he shuffled inside, followed closely by Alex. “Downstairs,” Jim said by way of explanation.
“What are you talking about?”
