Page 52 of Daman
“Same with me and my brothers. With the food and family stuff anyway. Gray’s impatient and makes us decorate the tree right after Thanksgiving. He goes all out with it too. Our living room looks like Santa’s workshop.” Realizing what I’d said, I paused. “Well, not my living room anymore, I guess.”
That sad feeling from earlier from when I’d said goodbye to my brothers returned. During holidays, I had often sat away from everyone and drew on my tablet as they played games and talked, but I had liked hearing them have a good time—even if Envy was sour about it.
Warrin stopped on the sidewalk in front of a café and faced me. “I know it’s not the same, but I hope you’ll enjoy your time with me this Yule. Perhaps next year, we can spend it in Echo Bay.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
He was already thinking about the future. Hell, I didn’t even know if we’d still be alive by then. The shit with Asa made life unpredictable. The son of Lucifer hadn’t made any big moves yet, other than recruiting five thousand Nephilim to his cause and sending an army of demons after my brothers a few months back when they were visiting an island in the Caribbean. It was mostly a waiting game now. We didn’t know when or where he intended to strike first.
It was why Alastair, damn him, was right.
My mission with the ice dragons was too important to fuck up.
Chapter Eight
Warrin
Daman curled up on the window seat overlooking the tall fir tree in the front yard, a throw blanket over his lap and his tablet in hand. He moved the stylus across the screen, a concentrated furrow to his brow. He looked so beautiful I had nearly forgotten why I’d approached him.
The steaming mug in my hand reminded me.
“I thought you might want coffee to warm you up,” I said, holding out the mug once his green eyes lifted to mine. We had returned from the village about thirty minutes ago, and he’d stripped out of his snowy clothes and settled in at his nook by the window to draw. I’d been trying to find a reason to talk to him ever since.
“Oh. Thanks.” He accepted the cup from me, the stretched neck of his sweater falling a bit with the action and showing a peek of his collarbone.
My body hardened. I could still taste him on my tongue, could still feel him on my lips and beneath my palms as I caressed his naked body. Gods, I recalled the intoxicating sensation of being inside of him too, how I had never felt anything so incredible in all my life.
That orgasm had taken the breath from my lungs. It’d been earth-shattering.
“You’re staring at me,” Daman said before taking a sip of coffee. He rested his head back against the wall and smirked. “Are you thinking naughty thoughts, Warrin? It’s okay. I don’t blame you. Now that you’ve had sex, I expect you to be like a teenaged boy discovering his dick for the first time. You’ll always want to play with it.”
“Was that how you were after your first time?”
“Pretty much. I lost my virginity when I was eighteen. It was shortly after Lazarus let us loose into the world after years of training. I met a boy a bit older than me and fucked him in the back of a tavern. Then I fucked another.” He took a drink before setting his mug aside and returning to his artwork. “Does that bother you?”
I thought on his question before answering. “No. As I said last night, I’m the one you married. The men in your past don’t belong in our present.”
“I can tell you actually mean that. I don’t sense any jealousy coming off you.”
“I wouldn’t lie to you.” I stoked the fire and added another log before sitting in the closest armchair. I had made coffee for myself too and took a drink, my knee bouncing. It was routine for me to be training with my warriors on the field at that time, but I had taken the day off to spend time with Daman. I felt so restless not doing anything.
“Hey, Warrin?” Daman released a shaky breath. “I might’ve been with a lot of guys… but none of them made me feel like you do.”
“How do I make you feel?”
“Just… different,” he said, his exasperation still somewhat present. “Yeah, I’ve fucked a lot of guys, but every time, my head’s filled with thoughts like, ‘He wishes you were someone else. He’s probably thinking about a guy who was better than you in bed.’ It prevents me from fully enjoying sex. But it wasn’t like that last night. I don’t know if it’s because you were a virgin or what, but Envy likes you. And that bitch hates everyone.”
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the rim of my mug. Envy liked me?
“So yeah.” His words came out in a rush as he added, “You have something those guys didn’t. Just in case you needed reassurance or whatever.”
Opening up like that was difficult for him. It was obvious in how his demeanor changed from cool and relaxed to flustered.
“Have you ever been with a woman?” I asked.
“Once.” Daman paused. “I… I didn’t really like it. I couldn’t finish. I even closed my eyes to see if that would help, but she felt too soft. Too different.” He gave a quick shake of his head and looked at me. “What about you?”
“You were my first for everything.”
