Last Chance (9 page)

“Why the rush?
It's Saturday,” Stu said between pecks to Aric's collarbone.

He pushed Stu away. Someone had to stay in control, and he figured that was his job. He was older and wiser and enough of a cynic.

“My experiments don't stop on weekends.”

Stu frowned. “You're one hard-ass.” He tossed aside the covers. “At least wait for coffee. It'll only take a sec.” He pulled on a pair of boxers he picked up off the floor, his cock tenting the fabric.

Aric watched him make his way toward the bathroom. He reappeared carrying the pair of boxers and T-shirt he'd given to Aric the night before. He never did put them on, and he felt himself blushing at the implication. Christ. He shouldn't have slept with this guy.

Stu tossed the clothing next to Aric and then made his way to the kitchen. With Stu's back to him, Aric could see the muscles rippling in his forearms as he opened a cabinet and rummaged for coffee and filters. He stared at Stu, engrossed in the fluid motions that made the simple, mundane task of making coffee a very sensual dance. His gaze slid down the well-formed body and focused on that tight ass. It flexed as Stu prepared the coffee. Aric was beginning to have more respect for athletic grace.

Turning away from the enticing scene, he threw his legs over the edge of the bed. Standing up, he stretched his arms over his head, every muscle aching from last night. He slipped on the borrowed boxers and T-shirt. He should never have given in to his lust, but being with Stu had made him…happy. And spending the night was pleasant too.

The aroma of dark roast permeated his nose, sparking his brain cells awake. He glanced sideways at Stu leaning his back against the kitchen counter, his ankles crossed.

“Black or white?”
Stu asked.

“Black with a teaspoon of sugar.”

“I didn't take you for a sweet man.”

“Too sour for that?”
Aric chuckled and sat down on the bed, scooting back to rest against the backboard.

“Wow, you laugh too. You're really cute when you relax.”

Aric stiffened as his humor fled.
Cute
! He hated how straight guys always compared him to girls. That always got him into a shitload of trouble, attracting curious straights who wanted to experiment with one heated night of sex. Was this all it was for Stu?

“Look, we never should have done…well, you know…in the shower.”

“I know, I know.” Stu waved his hands, dismissing Aric's concern. “You think it was a mistake, but I came on to
you
, not the other way around. Don't sweat it.”

Stu turned his back and poured two mugs of coffee, then scooped a teaspoon of sugar into one of them. He walked over and handed Aric the sweetened drink, then rounded the bed and sat, the mattress dipping from his weight. He held his mug firmly in both hands, the steam curling from the surface.

“You don't do it with straight guys. At least, not anymore. Right?” Stu took a sip of coffee, licking a drip afterward on the side of the white mug.

Aric stared at the slick tongue lapping up the drip, giving more fuel to his hard-on. Obviously he
did
do it with straight dudes. And he'd loved every second, every touch, every caress.

“I'm the one who stepped into the shower naked, but I want you to know it wasn't just out of curiosity.” Stu continued. “Well, maybe partly, but I wanted you, or at least my body did.” He frowned, shaking his head. “But no, it was more than that.”

Aric wondered about Stu's implication of it being more between them, but right now he had questions that needed answers. He had to concentrate on the problem at hand. The most important question he wanted answered was what the guy was hiding.

“I don't get you. I tell you I'm a vampire, but I get no reaction. You knew it was a strix that was coming after me. I have no goddamn clue what a fucking strix is. Care to enlighten me?”

Stu sighed, setting down his mug on the nightstand. He rearranged his long legs and sat cross-legged, facing Aric, his hands cupping his knees. “I know all about vampires. My father was a Kresnik, a vampire slayer. When he died, my brother took his place, allowing me my freedom. But before that, Dad trained both of us.”

A sudden headache ballooned in Aric's head. He rubbed his temples, having a hard time believing Stu. It seemed too far-fetched, but then, his condition was even more of a stretch. He gulped down more coffee, hoping the caffeine would clear his muddled brain.

“The Kresniks are an ancient race of slayers. We're born with certain…uh…abilities and are trained in how to kill.”

An icy spasm chilled Aric from the inside. “You expect me to believe you're a vampire hunter?”

Stu mocked a flourished bow, one hand sweeping across his chest, the other almost hitting Aric. “I am. Except I'm not that experienced. That's why I called on my brother. Cor will be able to help.”

Another person knowing my secret! He might as well announce it on Twitter.

“When did you do that?”

“When you went to take a shower.
Uh…” Stu's skin flushed a light pink as he touched the cord of his neck. “Before I came in.”

“You expect me to trust him?” Aric was more than a little angry at Stu for confiding in a brother Aric had never met. He was a slayer and therefore an enemy. As was Stu. An enemy he'd spent the night with in a warm bed.

“He'll want me dead.”

“You're exaggerating. He's not going to kill you. He's not like that. You're not a full-blooded strix yet. That's why you lock yourself away in the lab, right? Trying to find a cure? How long do you have?”

“My markers are multiplying fast. I calculate less than a week before I turn completely.”

“Can't you have a complete blood transfusion?”

“It doesn't work that way. It's hard to explain, but in layman's terms, think of it as trying to find an antidote to a blood disease.”

“When did it happen?”

Aric rubbed his eyes, the memory still fresh and painful. “When my mother died, I had to get away.” First he'd lost Devon to a woman, and then a few years later, his mother to a drunk driver. The loneliness had become unbearable. “I took off for Europe, traveling by myself, trying to make sense of things. I was left with a trust fund, enough to continue my studies, live on my own. But I wasn't satisfied with my life.”

Now he knew the tragedy of being dissatisfied. If only he'd stayed home.

Stu rested his palm on Aric's thigh. “Yeah, I understand. Nothing seemed worth the energy when my dad died. Everything ceased to make sense.”

Aric nodded in understanding. He took a deep breath and covered Stu's hand with his own. The contact eased the ache in his chest. He could get used to Stu's friendship.

Moving his hand away from Stu's, he cleared his throat. “It was in Prague. I went to a gay bar and met this…this man. His name was Johan, and he was handsome and charming. I was flattered that such a good-looking guy had approached me. We stole to the alley for a quick…” Aric coughed in his hand, not looking at Stu. “That's when my life went to all hell.”

“He fucked you in an alley,” Stu stated, his face unreadable. “Did he wear a condom?”

“We did it bareback.” What an idiot he'd been not to use a condom, and he would never let anyone take him in the ass again. “You think it's disgusting. That I deserved it.” Because that's how
he
felt—totally stupid for allowing someone to take him without protection.

“No, no, I don't.” Stu squeezed Aric's wrist. “It's not wrong to want companionship, even if it's only for a night.”

Aric licked his dry lips. He longed for Stu's embrace, where he could feel secure and safe like he had last night. Telling the story brought the memories into full focus. Remembering the hurt scared him and made him feel like a coward.

“I can't explain why I wanted him. Those eyes of his were eerie but compelling. It was as if I was spellbound. Afterward, I threw up and had a horrible headache.” He shivered. “Then I got deathly ill.”

He grabbed the pillow from behind his back and squeezed it against his chest. “When I returned home, I took a blood sample. I was scared I had contracted AIDS, but discovered how whacked up I
really
was. I've been trying to reverse the effects ever since.”

“Vampires have the power to control people through their voice and their gaze. It's called glamouring. They hypnotize their victims before turning them.” Stu trailed his hand across Aric's thigh. “We'll figure it out. I won't let him harm you.”

“This isn't one of your football games. If I lose, it's game over.” Aric hugged the pillow harder. Stu's knowledge seemed trustworthy. “Why didn't I turn completely when it first happened?”

“The Count Dracula myth is just that—a complete hoax. There are many species of vampires. Some infect their victims by drinking their blood, but not all of them are like that. Johan's a strix, so once you'd exchanged bodily fluids, he infected you. The virus works slowly. It's his semen that does all the dirty work.”

Aric blushed, his hand flying to his neck. He stroked his collarbone and forced himself to meet Stu's gaze. “I have puncture marks on my throat.”

“I noticed them.” Stu swept aside Aric's hair and ran his fingers down the curve of Aric's neck. Shivers of lust rode up Aric's chest, momentarily stopping his heart. He took in a breath and let it out slowly, careful not to touch Stu. It was best to forget about what they had done last night. A second encounter would lead to another, and then another, until he'd find himself entangled in a relationship he couldn't handle.

He swatted Stu's hand away from his neck. “Why did he bite me if it wasn't necessary?”

Stu shifted and stretched his legs across the width of the bed. He arched his body into another stretch, then leaned on his elbows, letting out a long sigh. With his head tilted back, he stared at the ceiling, then began his explanation.

“Blood feeds their life force, but it's the sex that transmits their disease. It's like being poisoned or cursed. Once it happens, the victim's body begins to morph into one of them.” He propped back into a sitting position. “It can take up to a year, depending on the person. When were you taken?”

“Last June, and I'm running out of time. I have the urge for blood, but I can satisfy it by taking my own. Last night was the first time I almost broke my vow not to feed on another's.” Aric hung his head, torn up with guilt and despair. “It's getting harder to resist the scent of another's blood.”

Stu tugged a strand of Aric's hair, luring him into a kiss. A sweet, gentle kiss meant for comfort, not seduction. Stu placed a quick peck on his cheek. “Taking my blood won't hurt me, and we didn't exchange semen.”

Aric blushed at the mention of bodily fluids. Stu patted his shoulder, got up, and brought over the carafe to refill their mugs with hot coffee. Aric was thankful for a reprieve. When Stu returned from bringing the carafe back to the kitchen, he sat at the far side of the bed, cradling his mug in both of his broad hands. An odd pang flared within Aric as he remembered where those hands had been only hours before.

He picked up his mug from the nightstand and brought his nose to the rim. The mug shook in his hands, and he gripped it tighter. The aroma of coffee wafted around him in one long stream of invisible mist. It relaxed him, and he loosened his grip slightly. So many unanswered questions raced through his mind.