Page 41 of Mystique of the Fallen
Roman choked on the bite of steak he’d popped into his mouth. With unholy amusement in his green gaze, Grant helpfully smacked Roman’s back. His eyes watered, but Roman managed to swallow.
Taking a deep breath once the food was no longer lodged in his throat, Roman wondered if being unsettled would be a permanent thing whenever Grant was around. “I’m going to be the first fallen knight to die.”
“Nah, you’ll be fine,” Grant replied. “But you know, I don’t think it’s too early to negotiate how quickly you’ll be on your knees.”
“I’m far too much of a gentleman to suck my mate off the day we meet. A relationship should take time, Grant. The emotional component of our matebond is just as vital as our physical attraction to each other.”
“You sound really condescending right now. Complete pompous ass. The old Venerable Knight telling me how life works,” Grant teased.
“I have something awful to admit to you.”
“Go on.”
“I wasn’t expecting to like you this much.”
Grant’s mouth twisted as he cocked his head. “I’m trying to decide if I should be offended or feel sorry for you that your expectations sucked.”
“Go with the second.”
“Okay, but if you keep up this bad behavior, you’re going to have to make it up to me somehow.”
“We’ll stop at the store on the way to Redmilla’s and I’ll buy you a candy bar.”
“And maybe some cookies?”
Roman grinned and nodded. “I’ll even throw in a bag of chips. Maybe a pack of gum.”
“A bottle of lube?”
Lifting a brow, Roman said nothing as he stared at Grant. The new Venerable Knight lasted about two seconds before he broke into chuckles. Roman loved hearing his joy and couldn’t believe how well their first meal together was going. His expectations of the future were shifting seismically with each minute he spent with Grant. The other fallen knight was devilish and had a terrific sense of humor, and Roman couldn’t wait to watch him bloom in every aspect of his life.
Roman wasn’t sure why he’d needed to have those brief encounters with the human Grant. It was apparent the past had no place in his future. Content with his decision to keep those previous interactions far from the man sitting next to him, Roman took another bite of his steak and hoped Grant would understand when the time was right to fill him in.
Because the last thing he wanted to do was dampen any of the light shining so brightly in Grant’s eyes. In fact, Roman was already wondering if he had to tell Grant about those brief, unsettling conversations. Ultimately, it would come down to what was best for Grant. Roman wasn’t sure yet. He didn’t like secrets, but he also had a growing need to protect his other half.
Chapter 16
As Grant walked into Redmilla’s behind Roman, he hoped to hell his ass looked half as fine in jeans as his mate’s. While the other fallen knights in his now-graduated class had eagerly experimented with sex, Grant had lacked any interest. He hadn’t bothered to question it. All Grant had cared about was being Venerable Knight.
But now that he’d gained his title and somehow met his other half on the same day, he was enjoying the spark of desire that flashed through him whenever his eyes met Roman’s. There was no question that the minute he was alone, he’d take matters into his own hands and jerk off with Roman fresh on his mind.
“Grant, this is Redmilla Ursus Arctos,” Roman said, stopping next to a long wooden bar that gleamed under the low lights. The woman behind it had red hair tied back in a ponytail, and she wore a friendly smile.
“Nice to meet you,” Grant commented, offering his hand to the bear shifter.
Redmilla grinned. “Same. Congrats on your title.”
“Thanks, appreciate it.”
“What can I get you? I’m sure Roman’s chomping at the bit to show you off to everyone in here.”
Grant glanced around at the packed bar, then narrowed his eyes at Roman. They’d already established how much Grant disliked being the center of attention. If Roman did anything to embarrass him, Grant vowed silently to have his revenge.
“He better not,” Grant remarked. Roman smiled in a way that unsettled Grant, so he scowled. “I don’t really know about different beers. The kind I had at Roman’s was good.”
“Centaurian Brew,” Roman said.
“Two of them coming up,” Redmilla promised.
