My Life Without Garlic (10 page)

“Are you people
insane
?” Augustin demanded.

Tony glanced behind him then back at Augustin. “Probably, yeah. Everyone can be cranky after just waking up.”

That seemed to make Augustin relax, strangely enough.

Tony cocked an eyebrow at him.

Augustin shrugged. “I feel like hitting people until I’ve had at least one cup of coffee in the morning.”

Tony was taken aback by the way Augustin’s eyes lit with amusement, and the curve of his lips when he smiled. There was a faint dimple in his right cheek, and fine lines appeared at the outer edges of his eyes. He looked happy, and it made Tony’s chest tight and his body warm to see the expression on Augustin’s face.

“I thought you’d left again,” Tony found himself saying, reaching out to touch that dimple.

Augustin’s smile kicked up a notch. “And instead I was down here starting a riot. Do you know the punchline to Mark’s joke? He hasn’t said, and his boyfriend is all smooching on him. Guess he’s not mad at Mark.”

Tony snorted. “Quentin adores Mark completely. I’m surprised Mark spoke up, though. He’s really shy.”

“He hid in a closet but I talked him out of it in five minutes flat. Heard I broke the record on that.” Augustin was positively beaming now. “Punchline? Surely you’ve heard all the jokes by now.”

Tony knew the joke. “What do you get if you cross a vampire with a circus performer—someone who goes straight for the juggler.”

Augustin groaned then giggled and rolled his eyes. “Man, that is bad. It sure beats my stupid joke about the vampires walking into the bar.”

Tony cringed. “Oh, yuck. I’ve heard that one, too. And before you ask, no. We don’t do that. Fresh from the vein only.”

“I was reassured already,” Augustin said. “Abernathy and the others made sure of it.”

Tony saw Abernathy trying to calm the vampires down. He’d have thought Abbie would have been a perfect mate for Claude, but… Well, it was obvious he was no matchmaker.

“You like Abbie?” Tony asked, unable to stop that bit of jealousy he felt. Abbie was tall, well-built, kind, smart, handsome—but more importantly, he was human.

“He’s a nice guy.” Augustin flicked a glance at Abbie. “I’d marry him for his cooking skills, though. Damn, he can cook.”

Tony hated pain. He hated emotional pain as much as physical pain. The blisters had been bad, but Augustin’s comment was like a fiery hot barb that slowly pierced Tony through and through.

Augustin looked at him and frowned. “Are you okay? You look like someone pinched off a vein on you.”

And as quickly as that, Tony’s mood shifted again. Augustin was worried about him, not staring at Abbie and lusting after him. And Augustin hadn’t left him. Granted, that could have been only because of Abbie’s cooking, but Tony was hoping that wasn’t the case.

“Seriously, Tony. What’s up? And when are those morons going to stop trying to kill each other?” Augustin asked. “Wait, if they do—”

Tony didn’t want Augustin to say anything else. He was flying on the fact that Augustin had expressed concern for him, and if Augustin said anything about all the vampires killing each other off, that would douse Tony’s fledgling joy.

So he did what any smart guy would do, and silenced Augustin with a kiss.

Chapter Eighteen

There were times when Augustin really wondered if he’d done something to kill off his functioning brain cells. Having Tony all over him in an instant was one of those times, because how the hell had he not noticed that Tony was gloriously, amazingly naked until that moment?

Oh. Because he’d been having fun with people who might kind of become friends, given enough time to get to know them.

Then again, that might send all of them running screaming from Augustin’s presence.

Augustin quit wondering about any of it when Tony pushed his tongue in deep, laying claim to Augustin right there in front of anyone who cared to look.

By the wolf whistles making Augustin’s ears ring—or maybe it was Tony’s kiss, or a combo of both things—well, regardless, people were watching.

“I give them a seven,” someone said, and Augustin, who’d been reaching for Tony’s broad shoulders, tipped up both middle fingers instead to whoever that idiot was.

“I’d say a nine,” Abernathy chimed in. “Be a ten if Augustin stopped paying us any mind and put his heart into it.”

Oh yeah? Well fuck you too, Abbie.
Augustin, not normally one to cave to such goading, brought his hands to Tony’s shoulders and let himself melt into the kiss as he held onto his lover.

Tony growled into his mouth, nipped at his tongue and pushed into the spread of Augustin’s legs, but before the kiss could get impossible, Augustin stood.

Then there was naked man right the hell there, and a hard, wet-tipped dick prodding at Augustin’s stomach. Augustin did forget their audience then, forgot he was only wearing a badly draped sheet around his body.

When Tony ran his hands down Augustin’s arms, around to his back, Augustin whimpered and pressed closer to Tony. It felt so good, to have Tony touching him, stroking, caressing, warming his skin and balls all with the same touch.

Augustin pushed closer, shivering at the cool draft on his back. He ghosted his hands down until he was kneading the firm mounds of Tony’s ass. There was no fat on his backside at all, unlike Augustin’s. Tony’s was all firm, hard muscle and fuzzy hair.

It was a very fine ass and it got Augustin to thinking about taking a different role in regards to sex. Topping wasn’t one of Augustin’s favorite things to do. He was perfectly fine with spreading and letting his lover do the harder work while he got more pleasure than he could stand at times.

But he’d dearly love to fuck Tony.

Augustin pushed his fingers into the warmth of Tony’s crack. The flesh there was covered in a bit more hair, and Augustin loved the crinkly feel of it beneath his fingertips.

At the same time, Tony rumbled and sucked on Augustin’s bottom lip. He raked blunt nails lightly over Augustin’s back, then pushed at something.

Augustin was vaguely aware of Tony shuffling back just a little, then those big hands were on his butt, Tony moaning, kissing with more aggression than skill and damn it all, that turned Augustin on when it should have caused him to pull back.

Tony gripped his backside with a firmer hold and used that strength of his to bring Augustin up onto his toes. Augustin refused to let go of Tony—he wasn’t giving up the prize he was clinging to. He curled his fingers and pressed into the taut flesh beneath them.

Tony shuddered, cursed then made some sound Augustin couldn’t interpret as it spilled from Tony’s mouth into his. He rubbed against the man, eager, needing, aching for so many things he couldn’t pinpoint just one.

He wanted to absorb Tony into himself, to mingle so deeply with him there was no separating them.

He’d call that a distinctly warped, stalker-like craving in someone else, but fuck it, this was him feeling that way and it was awesome.

Tony bit his lip then Augustin tore his mouth away to nip along Tony’s jaw line.

Which was why he heard the voices.

“Jesus… He
does
have quite the, er, backside.”

Billie, you—

“That he does. It’s no wonder your mate was eyeing it.”

At Abernathy’s words, Billie gave a shriek.

Augustin started to pull back, but Tony began sucking on his neck and everything in Augustin’s being zeroed in on that. A thrill shot through him—fear, he told himself—thinking about Tony biting him, really sinking his fangs in deep and—

“My God, he’s got more than back, back there. He’s got back and a half, like, you know, maybe one of those chicks on that TV show—”

Augustin understood then what that draft meant, that cool waft of air on his back…and ass. A heated streak of embarrassment washed over him, but was quickly gone. Why should he be embarrassed? Tony wasn’t faking his desire for Augustin. And damn it all, that made Augustin proud enough to strut if it hadn’t meant letting go of Tony.

Still, he knew the second Tony caught on to him being nude, too, because Tony went rigidly still, except for spreading his hands out to cover more of Augustin’s buttocks.

But Augustin, contrary to what Chelsea or anyone else might think, wasn’t down on his butt. Yeah it was there, but it’d always been his gut he’d been more concerned about. And maybe his thighs, but no one was noticing them.

So he kept kissing Tony’s jaw, worked his lips up to Tony’s and pressed kisses there until Tony parted and tangled tongues with him. And the people and vampires continued to chatter without giving a shit that they could be heard.

“That’s just… Well, surely it’s not healthy to be heavy even there,” he heard Billie protest when more than one person remarked on him having a nice rear.

There were snickers and Augustin decided he didn’t give a damn what anyone else thought. Tony was into him, and if Tony wanted to shove him down on the table and fuck him right there with everyone watching, Augustin would sure as hell let him.

The idea even kind of made him hornier, which he wouldn’t have thought possible. He’d only let one boyfriend fuck him up against the sliding glass doors, that was as far as his exhibitionism had ever gone, and it’d been dark—inside the rented cabin and out—so no one would have seen them. It’d also been years ago when Augustin had been younger and more adventurous.

Or maybe not. He gave his ass a shake. Scattered applause broke out.

Tony turned his head, then whispered in Augustin’s ear, “You’re asking for it, aren’t you?”

“Demanding it,” Augustin corrected, bringing a hand around to shove between them so he could fondle Tony’s dick.

Tony did his growly, rumbly thing again. “Like I’d give them the pleasure of watching.”

Augustin didn’t have time to be disappointed, because Tony had him in his arms—and Augustin was too stunned to be irritated, but he’d get there soon enough. He’d be damned if he got complacent and let Tony turn him into a simpering, lovesick fool.

Sex was one thing, but even a literal sweeping off his feet seemed to hold a symbolism, or perhaps a foreshadowing of what was to come.

And there was no way Augustin was losing his heart to Tony.

“This is just sex,” he got out, far too breathlessly for his liking.

He wasn’t sure, but it looked like Tony clenched his jaw. “Yeah. Just sex.”

Chapter Nineteen

Just sex my ass! There’s no just sex to this!
Though Tony seethed over that, he kept his anger—and hurt—to himself. He reminded himself again that Augustin had been kidnapped, frightened, his whole world perception fucked with.

And Augustin was human. He lacked the instincts Tony had, the ones pulsing in him, throbbing like a heartbeat every time he touched Augustin, saw him, smelled him— Everything about the man called to him.

If he was just patient, surely Augustin would see what they could be together. He’d be patient. He’d also be the best lover Augustin had ever had.

Tony liked the way Augustin was glaring at him. It tickled him to get a rise out of Augustin…in more ways than one. His groan at the pun was internal, but he kept a smirk in place as Augustin’s eyes narrowed even more.

“Don’t like me being romantic?” Tony asked, hefting Augustin up a little higher. “I could toss you up onto my shoulder. Slap your ass—”

Augustin looked fit to be tied. “Don’t you dare!” he said.

Tony was delighted by the response. “You’re hot when you’re angry. I think I’ll keep making you mad just to see your cheeks turn red and your eyes squinch up—”

“Squinch?
Squinch?
” Augustin’s voice increased in volume. “Squinch!”

The second and third shrieks hadn’t been necessary for Tony to pick up on the fact that he’d probably used the wrong word.

“I meant squint, like narrowing them all sexy and mean,” he tried again.

Augustin pressed his lips tightly together before giving a clipped nod. “I can do sexy and mean. Ditch the squint. Just stick with sexy and mean.”

“How about sexy and dangerous?” Tony asked, gaze dropping to Augustin’s lips.

“Oh,” Augustin purred. “That’s way better. You’re good at this seduction business.”

Tony stopped at the top of the stairs. “Do you need seducing, Augustin?” He could do seduction. Maybe. If he read some more of those romance books Claude had…

Augustin wiggled and Tony lowered his feet to the floor, but kept an arm around Augustin’s waist. The serious expression he wore sent a chill down Tony’s spine.

But Augustin continued to study him, then he surprised Tony. Augustin framed Tony’s face with his hands. A soft look came over Augustin, something possibly tender, with shades of fondness and affection to it.

Tony hoped. That was all he could feel, all he could think—hope.

Augustin pushed up onto his toes, his eyelids dropping down. He brushed his lips over Tony’s once, twice, then sealed his mouth over Tony’s.

Tony ran his hands down to rest them on Augustin’s hips. He didn’t leave them there long, moving one to Augustin’s bottom and the other up to cup his nape.

Augustin licked into his mouth, soft at first, then with more of a demanding manner.

Tony couldn’t suppress a moan as Augustin kissed him, growing more commanding with every twist of his tongue. Tony hunched a little so that Augustin wouldn’t have to remain on his toes.

Augustin rumbled into the kiss, the sound more vibration than anything else, but clearly a sign of approval. He began shuffling Tony backward.

Tony let him, excited at having Augustin lead. It only lasted until they reached the bedroom door, then Augustin had to end the kiss so he could lean past Tony and shove the door open.

“Bed,” Augustin ordered, pointing at the thing. His lips were red, wet and swollen, his eyes sharp with lust. “I’m going to ride you until you come so hard you think you’ve died and gone to heaven.”

That Augustin didn’t crack a joke about the dead part was proof how much the man was needing right then.

Tony needed, too. He couldn’t resist a quick taste of that plump bottom lip. Tony gave it a gentle tug as he sucked, then he let go of it and turned, bounding for the bed.