Downs, Jana - Ravyn's Heart [Ravyn Warriors 2] (Siren Publishing Allure ManLove) (16 page)

Ally grinned cheekily. “If I can bite you at the same time, sure. I love the way we connect when we do that.” Damian hesitated. He really shouldn’t. It was getting to the point where taking and giving blood to Allasandro was bordering on dangerous. He doubted the Ravyn would take too kindly to the knowledge that he was forming a Bride bond with him. If he fully wedded him on accident, there would be hell to pay. Ally’s face turned from teasing to concerned. “Is it the close thing? I shouldn’t have said anything about closeness… I mean, just because we’re dating now doesn’t mean that you’d want, er, extra intimacy or whatever. It’s cool. I get it. Which vein you want?” he babbled. His babbling was insanely adorable. But his hurt was undeniable and unacceptable.

“I’ll take your wrist. Anything more intimate and I will not be able to help myself,” Damian teased with a wink. He slipped a pocketknife from his pants and nicked his own wrist. “And you’re right about the intimacy. Take from me.” He was such a stupid ass.

* * * *

“I’m thinking about bringing on a second singer to harmonize with you during the second half of the first song,” Santiago said in way of greeting as he waltzed through the door from torturing the other members of the troupe. Damian lifted his head from Ally’s wrist, licking the wound closed as he went. Ally drew back from the wound he’d been nursing on Damian’s wrist and pressed a kiss to the still-cut flesh. Santiago stared, his gaze shooting to Damian’s face.

What the hell are you doing
? Santiago put directly into his mind. As the head of the line, he had the ability to converse telepathically with all of his progeny.

Sharing
a little blood, Grandsire. He got dizzy when I drank,
Damian lied. Santiago raised an eyebrow.

Uh-huh. You haven’t had enough time to drain enough blood to make him dizzy. You’re not even tapping a major vein,
he stated skeptically.

He hasn’t eaten enough. His blood sugar dropped
.

He’s not pale, shaking, or any of the other symptoms of sugar drop.
Santiago’s voice was accusing.

Not now. He did a minute ago
.

“Hmmmm…” Ally stretched his arms to the heavens and floated over to his chair and sat down on the wooden surface. “What’s this about saddling Damian with a singing partner?”

Please don’t say anything,
Damian begged.

“Yes,” Santiago said, not missing a beat. He shot Damian a look that said they’d be revisiting the discussion later. “I think I’ve pinned down the reason the first movement sounds off. He needs another voice to balance him.”

“I don’t partner,” Damian protested. He’d never sung a duet in his life. It just wasn’t done. His voice was meant for poignant, longing pieces that touched people.

“It’s a love song, Damian. You need another voice with yours,” Santiago corrected. “The rest is a declaration, but this is seduction.”

“What moron chose a love song for Damian? He’s never been in love,” Allasandro asked with a yawn. Damian’s eyes bulged, and Santiago’s lips thinned.

“That would be me,” Santiago said dryly.

“Oh shit. Man, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to insult. I just thought someone else might’ve…” Ally stuttered.

“It’s fine, Ravyn. Please do not take up any more time with your stammering. Damian, you need a partner.” Santiago slid easily into a calm indifference. It wasn’t that he was hiding anything, It was just that he didn’t find much worth getting worked up over.

“Will it help if I disagree?” Damian asked hopefully. Santiago shook his head no. Damian sighed.

“Just try it. If it doesn’t work, you may have the rest of the evening off to spend doing God knows what with Allasandro.” Santiago dangled the carrot effectively. Damian nodded.

“All right. Try me.”

Santiago went over to Allasandro and took his arm. He pulled him off the stool and dragged him over to where Damian stood.

“What are you doing?” Allasandro asked.

“Demonstrating,” Santiago explained. He took Damian’s black notebook from its place on the music stand. “All right, you’ve heard Damian sing this a thousand times. Your turn. Just try to mimic the notes.”

“I can’t sing!” Ally protested, backing away in horror. “I’ve never sang before. I’ve never even sang in the shower.”

“No time like the present,” Santiago said cheerily.

“He can’t sing, Grandsire,” Damian interjected, coming to his lover’s rescue.

“Nonsense. Everyone can sing.” Santiago sniffed. “You wouldn’t be attracted to him unless he matched you artistically.”

Damian snorted. “Not everyone gives their lovers tryouts before dating them.”

“You are an Entertainer,” Santiago said haughtily. “Now, enough protesting. Allasandro. Sing.”

“I…I…” Allasandro stammered.

“Grandsire!” Damian growled.

“Sing!”
Santiago snapped. Then something extraordinary happened. Allasandro began to sing.

The notes rose like the aroma of a great meal to fill the room with a pleasant and hunger-inducing desire. Damian and Santiago were enraptured by the purities of the untrained voice. It was rare and unpolished and absolutely perfect. The first verse sounded like a dream.

Ally stopped singing. “You’re staring. Why are you staring? Crap. I told you that I can’t sing.” They both continued staring. “Jeez. I didn’t think it was that bad.”

“It was beautiful,” Damian murmured a little breathlessly.

“I have found your partner, Damian,” Santiago added, looking far too pleased with himself. “I hate to say ‘I told you so’…”

“You do not,” Damian said.

Santiago grinned. “You’re right. I do not hate to say it. I told you so.”

“What did you tell him? I’m confused. I’m sorry I screwed up your song, er, movement or whatever.” Allasandro started his babbling.

“You did not screw it up, Allasandro. It was breathtaking and beautiful. I think you may in fact be the newest member of our little charity performance.” Santiago looked at Damian. “You’ll have to call the program printers and add his name under yours. ‘Vocalist’ seems an appropriate title.”

“Ask him first, Santiago,” Damian demanded softly.

“So I’m good?” Allasandro asked, his eyes shining. Santiago petted his head like he did to all of his “children.”

“You will be. You’ve got talent,” Santiago offered.

“He said I had talent,” Allasandro told Damian. Damian smiled at his childlike enthusiasm.

“He did indeed.”

“No one ever said I had talent with anything other than women and weapons.” Ally returned his grin. “Guess that means you’re dating a hot commodity, eh?”

“Hot commodity or not, you need practice,” Santiago interrupted. “I need both of you back here at precisely seven p.m. I need to rework the rest of the music and reorganize the movements to accommodate an extra voice. It’ll still be mostly solo work, but I think there is room for a few duets.” He was already lost in his art. When Santiago worked, he got this dazed expression on his face like he was staring at something invisible and fascinating just beyond the scope of regular people’s sight.

“So we’re free to go?” Ally directed at Damian as Santiago started humming to himself. Damian took his lover’s hand and kissed his knuckles.

“Yes, my love. We’re free to go.” He glanced at Santiago. “I’ll call the printers tomorrow before bed. Good night, Grandsire.”

* * * *

The night air was crisp despite the kiss of summer heat that Haven was experiencing. They stepped out the back entrance of the theater and into the employee parking lot.

“So…” Ally began, twining his hand with Damian’s. “I’m in the mood for a little celebration, and we have a whole”—he glanced at his watch—“two hours before dawn. What do you want to do?”

“Hmmm, this feels like a first date,” Damian said. He felt sixteen as he swung their entwined arms back and forth as they walked down the second row of cars.

“Yeah, but instead of a slow buildup for the hope of a delicate first kiss at the end of the night, you, sir, are getting lucky,” Ally declared. Damian’s laugh echoed through the space.

After a moment, Ally spoke again. “I was thinking there should be food involved in this first date thing.”

“I concur,” Damian said agreeably. “Since I haven’t eaten in the past six years or so, why don’t you pick the place?”

“Six years? Are you serious?” Ally’s eyes bulged. “I love food way too much to give up any of it. I have an appetite for life. Why’d you stop eating?”

“When Kal was young, he didn’t understand why his daddy didn’t want to eat. So, I started eating with him. After he was taken, I didn’t see the point of keeping up the charade,” Damian shared. He stopped walking and turned Allasandro so that they faced one another. “So where do you want to go to eat? Keep in mind that it is four in the morning.”

“McDonald’s?” Ally asked.

“That is not food.” Dageus’s voice cut through their planning. They turned and saw a very heavily bundled Dageus and Alex coming toward them. “That is thinly veiled rat poison.”

“You used to love it when you were little,” Damian reminded gently as he wrapped his arm around Allasandro’s waist. “Besides, we weren’t asking you. We’re planning on going out on our first date since Santiago has released us from purgatory for the night.”

Alex nodded. “We were about to do the same.” Alex kissed Dageus’s forehead. “Good night, brother, Allasandro.” He steered a protesting Dageus away from the two of them.

“You’re going to have to talk to him at some point,” Ally said with a sigh as the two of them disappeared in a blink of Alex’s power.

“Yes. But not tonight.” Damian pulled Ally closer and pressed a kiss against his lips. The Ravyn surrendered to the pressure of Damian’s kiss with enthusiasm that Damian found absolutely intoxicating. It thrilled him to know that this man, this beautiful man, was his to take.

Their tongues danced and courted, rejoicing in the touch of flesh. Allasandro’s hands crept up under his shirt to brush against the bit of skin that was located just above his waistband. He was pressed against the vampire from head to toe. His hands crept around Damian’s waist to rest for a moment on his lower back before creeping higher. Damian deepened his kiss, commanding Ally’s response. His lover didn’t disappoint.

The Ravyn’s hand slipped down his body to cup the impressive erection that Damian was sporting. He nipped at the vampire’s bottom lip.

“Is this for me?” he asked in mock surprise. Damian couldn’t help but groan. His hips pressed into Ally’s cupped palm. “Why, sir, I do believe that you are trying to take advantage of me too early on our date.” He gave a gentle caress to Damian’s swollen cock, eliciting a growl in response.

“Keep it up, naughty boy, and I will have to punish you,” Damian said. His voice was a rumble of desire. Allasandro’s eyes dilated, and he pressed his own erection against Damian’s hard thigh.

“I’m counting on it, sir,” he whispered.

Chapter Sixteen

“You know, I’m never going to look at French fries the same way again.” Allasandro gasped as Damian continued to stroke his bare cock while feeding him French fries.

Instead of teleporting them to McDonald’s, Damian had taken one of the theater’s vehicles to a local drive-thru and got a bag of stuff before Ally could even tell him what he wanted to order. They had broken several speed limits getting back to Damian’s penthouse suite, and the vampire had practically thrown the keys at the valet. The second they’d entered the apartment, Damian ordered Ally to strip and get onto his bed. Though Ally had protested that he was hungry, Damian just gave him that “I’m-the-boss-you’re-my-naughty-boy-go-do-as-I-say” look, and Ally had obeyed.