Page 53 of Becoming D'Vaire
Delaney slapped the brush down onto the counter. “No, I’m the one who can’t measure up to the Volkov standard.”
Despite the truly shitty way Delaney was acting, Grigori tugged him into his arms and held him tight. Delaney relished the contact and held him close. “There’s no Volkov standard, and even if there was, you’re gorgeous. I’ve told you before I like your hair the way you prefer it. You didn’t have to waste time putting a bunch of stuff in it because someone or more than one someone told you it was necessary.”
“I’m sorry, I’m nervous, so I’m being an asshat.”
Grigori pulled back, dropped a kiss on Delaney’s mouth, then smiled. “I’m the one in this relationship with the weird, nervous stuff. Stop trying to steal my eccentricities.”
“My apologies, Vampyr Lord.”
“Here’s some more information to blow your mind. Only outsiders call me that. In the vampire world, I’m just Lord Grigori.”
“Huh. I guess it’s like how I’m Delaney D’Vaire but within the Spectra Wizardry, I’m Delaney the Dark.”
“Exactly,” Grigori agreed. He brushed their lips together a second time. “Ready to go?”
“I have more questions about vampires.”
Grigori put some space between them, so they could teleport to his parents’ condo for their meal. “Ask my mom,” Grigori suggested, then shimmered out of view.
“Sure, because it’s not weird enough that we both know I’m having sex with her son. Now he wants me to bombard her with questions,” Delaney muttered to himself. Letting his lashes fall to avoid any dizziness, he teleported to Grigori’s bedroom at the Volkov home.
“You made it,” Grigori enthused.
“I almost didn’t.”
“I know, those tremendous eyes of yours are basically filled with terror.”
“Okay, so give me a kiss and hold my hand through this. I just might make it.”
“Whenever you need a friend, I’ll be here,” Grigori told him as he bussed their lips together, then entwined their fingers.
“I hope you want to be more than friends,” Delaney murmured as they walked out into the hall.
“Be sure and start dinner by talking about our sex life,” Grigori suggested. Delaney grinned. If he was not so afraid of his emotions, he would tell Grigori how much he adored him. Despite how well they got along and the fact that they’d spent over a week straight together, it was way too early to discuss what was in their hearts.
Delaney was enamored of Grigori and with each passing hour he grew closer to him, but fear had consumed him since the griffins started converting a room to Grigori’s lab. He worried over Grigori finding D’Vaire not to his tastes or some other nefarious thing getting in the way of their happiness.
When they entered the dining room to find three impossibly beautiful vampires smiling at them, Delaney’s anxiety over his future was replaced by alarm. It was important to him that he get along well with the people Grigori loved; it would tear him up to be a source of strain within his family.
“Delaney, it’s such a pleasure to have you as our guest tonight. Grigori speaks so highly of you and as his mate, we’re delighted to have the opportunity to get to know you better,” Grigori’s mother said.
“Thank you, Vampyress. It was an honor to be invited.”
“Please call me Irina.”
“Of course, Irina. Thanks again.”
“Shall we have a drink?” Grigori’s father asked.
“I’d love one Vamp—”
Grigori’s father lifted a single elegant brow that made the words dry up in Delaney’s throat; then he said a single word to remind him not to worry over titles. “Alexei.”
“Sorry, I’d love one, Alexei.”
“Don’t fluster Delsaurus Rex, he’ll go on a rampage and destroy a city,” Grigori said. When Delaney gave him a what-the-fuck-are-you-talking-about look, Grigori leaned close. “You don’t have to worry, they’re all used to weird crap falling out of my mouth.”
“You’re perfectly delightful, Grigori. I’ve told you that your whole life,” Irina argued.
