Page 19 of Breathe
Azrael leaned in again and instead of a hard kiss, he brushed his lips lightly over Real’s mouth.
Closing his eyes, he nuzzled his lips against Real’s.
Finally, Real’s lips parted, and a growl emerged from the man’s throat. The kiss turned heady and hot and Azrael sent his fingers into Real’s hair at the top of his head to hold on when his mouth was possessed—taken and owned for almost a minute.
“Real,” he moaned against the man’s lips.
That got a reaction.
Only, it wasn’t the one he wanted nor expected.
Real jerked his head away and dumped him on the bed.
Azrael bounced and rolled to his knees in time to see Real’s back as he stalked out of his bedroom and snapped the door closed.
Clenching his fists, Azrael fought back the burn that hit his eyes.
He should have known better.
That asshole was as cold as ice.
Saturday night found Azrael out and about.
There was no way he could stay in Dave’s house, so he made the decision to get the list and get the hell out.
He tapped the bar, and the bartender poured him another lemon drop. It was his second one, and he really did love the taste. The bartender had used a sugar-rimmed martini glass, and Azrael licked the crystals from his lips.
“So, you like my suggestion?” The bartender smiled at him, wiped the bar, and pointed to the drink.
Azrael nodded. He hadn’t a clue what to drink when he got there, so the bartender, whose tag read Danny, had suggested he might like a lemon drop. Thankfully, Azrael’s fake ID worked even though he didn’t even look his age.
But Danny didn’t seem to care. Maybe that was because of the appreciative gleam in the man’s eyes.
When the guy flirted with him, Azrael flirted right back.
It was nice.
It was a far cry from being shoved away like Real had done. But that kiss…omg, their kiss. Just the thought of it made his stomach jump.
“Are you taking a car home?” Danny asked.
“Yeah, I’ll get an Uber. But I don’t know if I can drink a third one,” Azrael said with a laugh.
“Yeah, alcohol can hit you unexpectedly if you’re not used to it.”
The next few hours passed quickly, and the small club filled up . Not one for crowds, Azrael finished his drink, paid the tab in cash, and told Danny goodbye.
Glad that he had stopped at two drinks, he stepped out into the cold night. The January weather had turned. Crystal clear skies had become gray thunder clouds and dumped buckets of rain on the city.
He stood outside the club entrance with the music thumping through the closed door. Hovering beneath the awning that stretched several feet over the door, he pulled his heavy black overcoat around him and lifted his face to take a deep breath.
He was lonely.
He shook himself to keep his mind off of that and on the task he needed to complete.
The door opened, the sound of the music grew, and a few people stumbled outside.
Azrael didn’t look around as they shuffled noisily down the street.
