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Gary’s expression turned almost warlike, and somehow didn’t seem out of place on his face, or make him any less beautiful. “Did your cousin refuse to help you?”
“No. Not yet.” Finn gazed down at his tea. “I, um, haven’t actually asked him.”
“Maybe you should do that. No sense abandoning hope until you’ve pursued all your options. Even Pandora got that.”
Finn’s eyebrows bunched.What the…“Pandora?”
Gary’s gaze flicked away and he waved on hand airily. “Never mind. The point is, don’t anticipate the worst.”
“Why not?” Finn said morosely. “If I expect the worst but get something that’s a couple of steps above that, it’d be a win. Yay,” he said, deadpan.
Gary waggled a finger at him. “You, sir, are far too fatalistic. Now, here’s what we’re going to do—”
“We?” Finn’s fingers tightened around his teacup, the warmth under his hands matching the dawning warmth in his chest.
“Of course, we. You’ve been my most consistent customer ever since I opened the bakery.” He flushed again. “Chatting with you every morning is one of the highlights of my day, sowedefinitely want to keep you around to brighten future days as well.” His eyebrows quirked, pinching above his perfectly straight, perfectly adorable nose. “That is, if youwantto keep brightening the days.”
Their gazes met and held. Finn knew how to breathe, he was sure, because he wasn’t avampire. He required oxygen. But somehow he had no clue how to get air into his lungs. His vision swam, but through the dark spots, he could see Gary’s expression turning from inquisitive to alarmed.
“Finn, are you— Gods damn it, I don’t even know your last name, or who I should call in an emergency, but you need to—”
“Lassiter,” he croaked and at last was able to suck in a breath. “My last name’s Lassiter.”
He tensed, waiting for the reaction, the revulsion, the withdrawal. But it didn’t come. Instead, Gary patted his hand and smiled.
“Excellent. While it doesn’t look like you’re about to pass out anymore, it’s good to know.”
Of course Gary wouldn’t know the infamous Lassiter name and why so many had reason to revile it.Because he’s human.
Which was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because, hey, no reviling. But a curse because of the damned Secrecy Pact: No one in the supernatural community could reveal their existence to a human under pain of extreme punishment. Any hope Finn harbored for a deeper relationship with Gary would be based on a lie because he’d never be able to tell Gary the truth about his nature.
Gary grinned, planting his palms on the table. “Now that you’re feeling more the thing, why don’t you contact your cousin and find out what he is or is not willing to do for you, and we’ll go from there.”
Finn jerked his chin at his phone’s cracked screen. “I actually tried to reach him, but he’s away for another week.”
“Hmmm.” Gary tapped his full lower lip with a finger. “Then what about—”
“Ganymede!” a voice boomed from the doorway.
A tall guy—Remus’s balls, he had to be at least six-eight—with smooth golden skin, wavy black hair, and flashing dark eyes strode over to Finn’s table. Despite looking like a classical Greek statue, the guy was wearing blue chinos, work boots, and a green T-shirt from one of the nurseries out in Washington County.
The guy planted himself next to Gary, brandishing a cell phone. “Ganymede, you have to—”
“Hell-o,” Gary said, scrambling out of his chair to take the guy by the elbow. “Aaron.”
The guy—Aaron, apparently—wrinkled his perfect brow and gazed down at Gary. “What?”
Gary chuckled breathlessly and looked down at Finn. “Who’s named Ganymede anyway. Silly name.”
He hauled Aaron toward the kitchen door, a feat since Aaron had at least a foot in height and the muscles straining his T-shirt were… a lot. Aaron, however, didn’t fight back, just waved his phone some more.
“Ga—”
“Ah!” Gary cut him off with a sharp syllable. “In thekitchen. Now.” He paused for a moment and looked back at Finn. “Don’t go anywhere? Please?”
“Um, sure.”
Gary’s tense expression relaxed into his usual brilliant smile. “Excellent. I’ll be right back.”
