Chapter 12 Dex #3
“Don’t be sad, Dex. You’re too intoxicated to consent. But that doesn’t mean I don’t desire you. You’re beautiful and deserve better than being penetrated against a wall in a dank alleyway.”
Heat bloomed in Dex’s cheeks, and he pulled the sweater on, getting caught momentarily, and glaring when his head finally emerged. “There’s nothing wrong with wanting quick and dirty. There’s nothing wrong with what I want.”
Luc cupped Dex’s cheek. “No, there’s not. I didn’t mean to shame you. If filth is what gets you going, I understand the appeal, believe me. But know that you deserve the best, whatever that looks like.”
That was more like it. “The best dirty sex?” Dex grabbed Luc’s waistband and pulled him closer. The best kinky sex. But he couldn’t say it.
“Only the best, but not now. I’m flying you home. Remember?”
Dex shook his head, setting everything spinning. “I don’t want to go home. I hate being there.”
“I know.” Luc’s gaze turned tender. “We’re going to my place. It’s a loft. Not as exciting as an evil lair, but it will do. I’m going to release my wings and horns now.”
“Okay.” Dex didn’t let go of Luc’s waistband. It wasn’t as if Luc told him to. Besides, he might slide to the floor if he did.
Luc didn’t pull away. His body was so warm, his smoky scent nearly overwhelming. Suddenly, deep-red horns sprang from the sides of Luc’s forehead, curling outward like a ram’s. The skin seemed textured, and Dex reached out, running a finger along the base of one.
“Leathery.” He petted the other horn, confirming that they matched.
Luc chuckled. “It’s very presumptuous of you to touch my horns without asking.”
“It’s pre-presumptuous to push me against a wall,” Dex countered as his hand found its way back to Luc’s waist.
“I didn’t want you to fall.” Luc pulled back, and Dex went with him, refusing to let go of Luc’s waistband.
He stumbled forward. Dammit.
“See?” Luc caught him and hauled him against his chest.
“Yeah, fine. Hold me,” Dex muttered, pretending it wasn’t exactly what he wanted.
Luc’s eyes locked on his, expression unreadable, and red wings rose from his back without further warning. Dex gasped, longing to touch Luc’s feathers surging through him.
“Let’s go.” Luc hoisted Dex up, and he squeaked as Luc maneuvered him into a bridal carry. “Hold onto my neck.”
Dex did as he was told, not even sneaking a brush of feathers along the way. Luc was so strong. Carrying Dex didn’t seem to strain him at all.
“How much can you bench press?”
Luc made a sound like he was choking and dissolved into laughter. “I don’t know. I’m inhumanly strong. It’s a demon thing.”
“You don’t even go to the gym?” That wasn’t fair. Nothing seemed fair these days. Dex didn’t go to the gym either, but he wasn’t trying to bulk up or lift full-grown humans. He should probably still go—
“Dex?”
“Hmm?” His eyes fluttered open. Shit, he’d closed them again.
“I’m going to take off now. We’ll be in the air for a few minutes before we land.”
Oh, right. Flying. Dex closed his eyes on purpose this time. “I like your arms around me.”
Luc’s hold tightened. “Me too.”
A moment later, Dex’s stomach lurched, and he gasped, air rushing around him. His eyes popped open, revealing a blur of buildings as they shot into the sky.
He clamped his eyes shut.
“It’s all right. I’ve got you.”
Dex took Luc’s word for it. This was the kind of reckless thing he shouldn’t be doing. No way flying back to Lucifer’s not-evil lair was a good idea, but it was happening, and Dex couldn’t hold on to his worry. Luc’s wingbeats lulled him into a daze.
With a jolt, everything stopped.
“We’re here,” Luc said, but Dex didn’t open his eyes to check.
Luc carried him without complaint. It sounded like they went through a few doors and maybe along some stairs. Eventually, Luc laid Dex on something soft, and he opened his eyes.
Luc’s deep brown gaze and red horns filled his vision. “What would you like to eat?”
Dex’s fingers found their way into Luc’s hair, to his horns. Was he on a bed? Luc’s bed? They were going to have sex after all.
He wanted Luc, but a twinge of disappointment cut through his desire.
Luc had brought him to a bed rather than use him out behind the bar like a whore.
Did Luc think he wanted soft lovemaking?
Whatever. If Dex couldn’t ask for what he wanted, he couldn’t expect Luc to fulfil his fantasies. Sex would still be nice.
Would Ollie be mad? No, he said it was okay. He might have suggested talking to Luc, not fucking him, but could Ollie blame him? He’d started this. Dex never would have texted Luc if Ollie hadn’t told him to.
Dex pulled Luc closer, needing to feel his big body pressing him into the mattress, but Luc didn’t budge.
“Food, Dex. We aren’t kissing now. I’ll get you some water and order pizza.” Luc pulled away, and Dex whined.
Luc stood over the bed, doing his looming thing again, and tapped on his phone.
“Is looming a hobby of yours? You’re very tall.”
Luc’s gaze tore from the phone and landed on Dex. He covered his mouth and laughed, his whole body trembling.
Dex grinned like an idiot. Look at him, making funny jokes.
Luc pulled his hand away from his mouth, revealing the most beautiful smile. It was as if he had transformed. He seemed younger and more at ease, even compared to the careful poise Dex had observed when they’d first met.
Luc turned away, taking his smile with him. Dex wanted it back. He wanted to get up and follow, but the bed was so soft, and moving required energy.
Something brushed against Dex’s forehead, and he realized his eyes were closed again. He opened them, finding Luc sitting beside him. Had he been asleep?
“Feel like sitting up and having a sip of water?”
Dex reached out a hand. “Help me.”
Luc pulled, and Dex’s vision blurred as he sat up. It was a good thing he didn’t have work in the morning. He accepted the water and drank it down, then Luc took the empty cup and exchanged it for a pizza box.
Dex’s stomach growled. “Oh my god, thank you.” He opened the box and peeled a slice from the pie, cheese stretching.
“I didn’t know what toppings you liked, so I got plain cheese. I hope it’s okay.”
Dex nodded, his mouth full, and offered the box to Luc.
He selected a slice. “Looks like we made it to dinner after all.” He had a bite and smiled at Dex, but it seemed sad.
“It’s a date.” Dex finished his slice and grabbed another. “Does that mean I’m spending the night?”
Luc licked sauce from his finger. “You can sleep here.”
Dex narrowed his eyes. “Why are you saying that like you won’t be sleeping with me?”
“We’ve been over this. You’ve had too much to drink for anything sexual to happen. Staying here isn’t changing my mind, so if you’d rather go home, I understand.”
“You’re stubborn.” Dex took a large bite and chewed. “I don’t want to go home. I have to pack, and I really don’t feel like crying.”
Luc’s brow furrowed. “Are you regretting selling your parents’ house?”
Dex’s stomach cramped. Ugh, he’d had too much beer. “I’m not regretting leaving. I’m regretting having to go through all my parents’ stuff to pack it up. It’s still in their room. And in the hall closet, and… I get sick every time I think of dealing with it.”
“Do you need someone to go through it with you?”
Dex considered his pizza crust before popping it in his mouth. “I don’t know. I should have dealt with it years ago, and I’ve already committed to moving. That should have made being in the condo and dealing with it easier.”
“But it hasn’t?”
Dex shook his head, his eyes suddenly burning. He blinked rapidly to stave off his tears. Fuck. Why was he even talking about this?
Luc set the pizza box on an empty, upturned crate by the bed and handed Dex a napkin. “Have you talked to anyone about how you’re feeling?”
Dex wiped his face. “Sort of. Ollie knows most of it.”
“Not all of it?”
“I can’t whine to him about my sad life all the time. It’s been years. He doesn’t need to know every detail.” Dex was sick of himself at this point. Why would anyone else want to deal with his never-ending issues?
Luc scowled as if he didn’t like what he was hearing. “You know Ollie wouldn’t mind.”
Dex reached for more pizza. Talking about Ollie reminded him that he had questions for Luc, but he couldn’t talk and eat, and the pizza was his priority. Everything else was too complicated.
“Would you like me to help you pack your parents’ things?”
Dex jolted, almost dropping his slice.
He stared at Luc, whose head was cocked to the side, black hair tumbling over his brow, his red lips in a serious line. Luc wanted to help him pack up his trauma? Or maybe unpack, depending on how you looked at it.
Unpack while packing up…?
Dex cleared his throat. “It’s not boxing up their stuff that’s the issue. I…I don’t want to keep it. I’m not taking my same old shit—metaphorical or physical—to my new place. But I don’t want to throw it all out either. I need to sort through things and figure out what to keep.”
It was a huge, emotionally loaded task. Dex was exhausted even thinking about it.
Luc seemed to mull this over for a minute. “What if you hired someone to pack the house for you and stored everything that isn’t yours until you were ready to go through it?”
“I guess. Too bad putting it off is why I’m here in the first place. More of the same can’t be good.”
Luc shrugged. “If you’re dreading it this much, maybe a little more time isn’t a bad thing. Some distance could be all you need.”
It wasn’t a terrible idea. If he didn’t feel like he had no choice but to go through everything, maybe he would, but it wasn’t practical. “Seems like a waste of money to store stuff I’m going to end up donating or throwing away.”
Luc’s nose wrinkled. “Cost shouldn’t stop you.”
Dex laughed. “Do you know anything about the world? Money or lack of it impacts everything.” Dex was well off compared to most people his age, but that didn’t mean he wasted money.
Luc’s look of annoyance turned to a full-on scowl. “I know how the world works. Luckily for you, I happen to have an excess of space and no need to exchange money to use it.”
Dex glanced around the loft. The bed sat on a mezzanine level, and the entire area below was empty. It was enormous. The bed was about the only thing in here. Luc might not have an evil lair, but this was closer to one than anything Dex had ever seen. It would be freezing in winter.
“You want me to store my parents’ stuff here?”
“Why not? You can’t argue that it’d be an imposition. And I promise I’ll look after it. Magic can keep everything perfectly preserved, so there’s no need to worry about moisture.” Luc tilted his head toward the ceiling. “I’m not sure if the roof leaks or not.”
Dex gaped at the demon sitting next to him, his head suddenly clear of beer-fog. “That’s very kind of you to offer.”
Luc shrugged, avoiding Dex’s stare. “I’d like to help.”
It really seemed like their date had picked up where it had left off. This was the same Luc that Dex had met in Dorthy’s, the same man who’d bought him ice cream. Could he trust it was the real Luc? Everything in him screamed yes.
“Thanks. I’ll take you up on the storage. I want to buy new furniture. Start completely fresh. If I can put everything here, that would be such a relief. And I promise I’ll deal with it eventually.”
Luc rested a hand on Dex’s knee. “No rush.”
Dex’s stomach twisted. “No, I suppose there’s isn’t when you live forever.”