Except did that actually make him exceptional? Or was he just making excuses for himself while being rude and cruel, when nothing could be more common than that?
Sebastian, who had survived years of paranormal torture that Wesley’s brain still couldn’t truly comprehend, and yet still had affection to give to cats and dogs and even a curmudgeon like Wesley—
Maybe that was special.
“Lord Fine?”
Sebastian’s voice was even more tentative. The arm around Wesley’s waist had tensed, because Sebastian had also been caught cuddling, and Wesley wouldn’t be the first man to treat his affection with scorn.
Wesley had warned Sebastian not to look at him through rose-colored glasses. He’d told Sebastian he didn’t change. He was a cold man who said predictably cruel things, and no one would be surprised when Wesley froze the warmth between them and became nothing more than one more scar Sebastian had to carry.
His fingers tightened on Sebastian’s wrist.
And then he brought the tattooed skin to his lips, and kissed it. “OnlyWesleynow. For you.”
Sebastian made a noise of surprise,goodsurprise, as Wesley rolled over, still under Sebastian’s arm, and kissed him on the mouth.
“Good morning,” he said quietly, sliding his own arm around Sebastian’s waist to pull their bodies together, a heaven of skin against skin under the blankets.
Sebastian’s eyes were bright, their beautiful brown lit like burnished gold in the silver Yorkshire morning. The waves in his hair were wilder, tousled from sleep and Wesley’s greedy hands. His smile was almost shy, but he looked happy, like it was a wonderful thing to wake up to Wesley. “Buenos días.”
Maybeyou reap what you sowwasn’t always an omen of misery. Maybe sometimes, if you sowed soft things, like joy and affection, that’s what you reaped.
Wesley cupped Sebastian’s stubbled jaw. “Do me a favor?”
“Of course,” Sebastian said, sweet and sleepy as he let Wesley trace a thumb over his lower lip.
Wesley swallowed. “I always ruin everything,” he whispered. “But I don’t want to snuff this spark between us before it’s even had a chance to burn. So I’m begging you to put your cock in my mouth so that I can’t talk.”
Sebastian half laughed in surprise, but with a gentle sweetness to it, like he understood. “You’re so hard on yourself.” He caught Wesley’s thumb between his teeth in a soft bite, then let it go. “Your battle scars don’t scare me either. Come here.”
Then Sebastian pulled him impossibly closer and kissed him, and Wesley lost himself in him.
Chapter Twelve
Sebastian drove the Bentley to the hotel restaurant by the York railway station where they found Jade and Zhang. The four of them sat in the corner by the windows, at a round table with a white tablecloth and china place settings. Jade and Zhang pulled their chairs close together with the familiarity of long-standing lovers, while Sebastian was excruciatingly aware of the inches he and Wesley were carefully keeping between them.
But then the waiter appeared, and Wesley reached over and tapped Sebastian’s menu. “They have coffee.”
Jade glanced between them curiously. Maybe Wesley was already more familiar with him than Sebastian had realized.
Their orders taken, the waiter disappeared, and across the table, Zhang’s astral projection did as well. “I’m waiting for another cable,” he said, with his physical body. “Just checking the front desk.”
“Via the astral plane?” Wesley asked. “That is really remarkable.”
“He is a remarkable man,” Jade agreed. She folded her hands on the table. “Sebastian, you said you came across traces of magic in the alley that felt likeyou.”
Sebastian nodded, but Wesley frowned and said, “There’s no way Blanshard could actually have the same magic as Sebastian, could he? I thought the hypothesis was that he has the same vampire magic as a paranormal some ancient de Leon fought. Which sounds absolutely mad, yes, butvampiredoesn’t sound like Sebastian.”
He leaned forward. “I’ve been on the receiving end of Sebastian’s magic more than half a dozen times by now. It hits like a tidal wave. Even if you made his magic more powerful, it’s not going toshrivelanyone’s heart. Forgive me for being unbearably pedantic, but that sounds like bad magic. Sebastian’s magic is good.”
“I’m not sure anyone would agree with you,” Sebastian said, but that had made him smile.
“I’minclined to agree,” said Jade, her gaze darting between them again. “But it means we need another explanation for why Sebastian felt a mirror of his magic in that alley. And we still don’t have a way to stop Blanshard.”
They fell silent as two waiters approached, balancing plates and cups on trays, and waited as the food was served.
When they were relatively alone again, Wesley turned to Sebastian. “You really have no idea how your ancestral aunt stopped that vampire paranormal in your family’s story?”
