Frankly, I never minded clinic sessions before this. The Vyastil are a little impersonal, but the orgasms are an amazing stress release, and if I’d never met Cielo, I’d probably be looking forward to it.
But it’s different now.
‘What’s wrong with the clinic. You used to enjoy.’ He looks a little exhausted, and there’s something else swimming in his gaze. Something that tells me Vegas wasn’t a normal expo trip.
But I don’t have it in me to ask right now.
‘I know but…’ my hands hesitate in the air before I finish, ‘I really don’t want to go this time.’
He makes another noise, one of concern. ‘Something happened?’
Something definitely happened. I went and fell for the monster currently sleeping in my bed. I take a breath and step back, shrugging. ‘It’s just…never mind. It’s nothing.’
His brows fly up as he suddenly gets it. ‘Cielo,’ he signs, using the sign name he’d given him. A C tapped near his chin.Sweet, he’d told me.
My shoulders sag. I have no poker face, and even if I did, I wouldn’t be able to hide it from my brother. ‘I like him.’
He snorts. ‘I know.’
‘You don’t understand. Ilikehim.’ I emphasize what I mean with both my expression and my hands, and he rolls his eyes.
‘I know,’ he repeats, tapping the side of his head a little harder. ‘Can you tell them you can’t do it?’
I shake my head. ‘They’ll ask for relationship documentation, and I think part of Cielo’s punishment is that he’s not allowed to have anything personal with humans. He won’t even take my cum.’
Luca pulls a face. ‘Why not. It’s free. You offer it.’
‘His punishment,’ I repeat. ‘No cum. No humans.’
‘That’s bullshit.’
I can’t help a small laugh. ‘Yeah. And I don’t think anyone will notice or care, but he seems terrified to break the rules again. Not that I blame him. You saw what he looked like when they were finished with him.’
Luca’s face darkens, and he gives a stiff nod.
‘I can’t tell the clinic I want to be with him because he might get arrested or whatever. And I have no other excuses to get out of it.’
‘Lie. Pretend Deaf,’ he suggests. ‘They’ll fire you like they did me.’
‘I should have tried that years ago,’ I tell him. I didn’t expect Luca to have any real advice for me, but it did feel nice to unload some of this. And to confess my feelings to someone. I want to tell Cielo exactly how I feel about him, but I know that won’t go well.
I’ll have to be patient.
‘I need to go,’ I tell Luca. ‘I’m going to be late.’
Luca squeezes my shoulder. ‘Let me drive you.’
‘No thanks. I already ordered a car. Dinner tonight. You can tell me what happened in Vegas.’ He’s been acting cagey since he got back, and for once, I’d rather grill him on his feelings instead of being under his irritating and all-knowing gaze.
He meets my eyes, and he looks…angry. ‘Maybe.’
Luca’s normally the kind of person who will tell anyone anything. He never holds back. So amaybeis a big deal. A maybe means some serious shit might have gone down.
I wave at him as he starts to move past me toward his car, and he stops. ‘Are you okay?’ I ask.
He lifts his hands, drops them, opens his mouth, then closes it. After what feels like forever, he shrugs. ‘Will. Will.’
I suppose that’s the best I’m going to get out of him now. ‘Get some sleep. If you need me, I’ll be at the shop later. I’m opening today at noon.’
