Page 21 of Loved to Death

The man’s eyebrows furrowed.

Thomas took a step forward, and the man took a step backward. Deciding to lay his cards on the table, Thomas said softly, “I saw you in the alleyway, and I…well it’s been a long time since I’ve been with someone like you.”

The other man’s stance relaxed and the knife lowered slightly.

“My name is Thomas Clarke. What’s yours?”

“Zhang Shen.”

“Zhang Shen,” Thomas repeated. “Nice to meet you, Zhang.”

Shen shook his head. “You English say your names backward. Shen is my given name.”

Thomas was surprised to hear almost no accent in Shen’s voice and suspected he’d been in America since birth or early childhood. Most of the Chinese people he’d come across in his travels had thick accents, if they spoke English at all.

“Shen,” Thomas acknowledged. “You’re very pretty, Shen.”

Shen’s eyebrows went up, and the knife lowered to rest at his side.

Thomas took a step forward, and this time Shen didn’t take a step back. “Is there someplace we could go to talk in private?” When Shen looked back the way they’d come, Thomas added, “Not an alleyway. A room. Your room perhaps?”

Shen shook his head. “I live with my parents above my father’s spice shop. They would wake up.”

“Are there rooms to rent nearby? A hotel? I can pay.”

“A room?”

Thomas took another step forward. “Yes. A room. Preferably a room with a bed.” He pulled a coin purse out of his pocket and bounced it once to make it jingle.

After a moment, Shen nodded. “There’s a place on the other side of town. They rent rooms by the hour.”

“Perfect.” Thomas stepped closer, leaving less than a foot of space between them. “Why don’t you put that knife back in your pocket and show me the way?”

Shen blinked a couple of times while looking up at Thomas. “You’re tall.”

“I am,” he agreed.

“I’ve never been with someone taller than me,” Shen said softly.

“Does my height appeal to you?”

Shen’s tongue darted out to wet his lips as he nodded.

“Excellent. Would you like to know what appeals to me?”

“Yes.”

“Obedience.”

A small gasp came from Shen’s parted lips before he slowly nodded again.

Thomas reached out and clasped the hand that was holding the knife and brought it up between them. “Are you going to put this away like I asked you to, or are you going to stab me with it?”

“Oh.” Shen blushed as he pulled his hand away and stuck the knife in his pocket.

Thomas’ sharp teeth poked through his gums, and he willed them to recede. He wasnotgoing to give in to his bloodlust again. He was going to be in control of himself and his new companion. Just the thought of someone willing to submit to him caused a rush of long suppressed desire to flow within him. Reaching his hand up, he ran the backs of his fingers down the side of Shen’s face and the human’s warmth penetrated his skin.

“Good boy.” The words had come out of Thomas’ mouth automatically, but as soon as he spoke them, he realized how offensive they would be to most grown men. But when a soft smile grew on Shen’s face at the praise, he knew he’d said the right thing.

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