Part 7 (1/2)
”Don't let this come between us, Alex.” Dylan shut the lid again. ”I chose a life on the land. The seas aren't what they used to be, and there's no safe place for a seal anymore.”
”Selkie, I think you mean.”
”Semantics. f.u.c.k! You know what I'm trying to say. I didn't want to tell you until later. You know I'm not human, Alex, just a good imitation. If I wear that skin, there'd be a seal right here on this floor.”
Alex narrowed his eyes. 'So do it, then.”
”What?”
”Do it, I said. I'm an open guy. I want to see you change. Put it on.”
”No! I mean, sweet Jesus, we just met.”
”Oh, lover, I think we did a lot more than meet. I'd say we're good acquaintances by now. So put it on for me.”
”f.u.c.k. f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k, f.u.c.k. Alex, I had this whole night planned out. More s.e.x ... more food ... more s.e.x ... I was going to ride you until the sun came up in the morning. If you get all stubborn and mule-headed now, I'll have to spank you or something.”
”I should be so lucky.” Alex stood up, twitching his hips. He reached for his pants where they'd landed on the floor.
”Oh, come on, Alex.”
”Nope, bartender. We play this my way or not at all.” Alex stepped into the pants and pulled them up, frowning at the way the spot with the dried j.i.s.m itched. He looked exactly like the fact he'd come in his pants, which was a shame. When he put on his s.h.i.+rt he left it unb.u.t.toned to camouflage the area.
Dylan sat back with his arms folded over his chest, looking mutinous. ”You're not being fair. And while you might be one h.e.l.l of a s.e.x kitten, I don't just bend over backward for anyone. Respect my choice to leave the past in the past, or get the h.e.l.l out of my room.”
”What does it look like I'm doing, sugar?” Alex flipped the tails of his s.h.i.+rt at the other man. ”If you change your mind, you can come find me. I'm not leaving Amour Magique until dawn. Until then, I plan to have me a fine ol' time.”
”How the h.e.l.l are you even going to find your way back to the main floors?”
Alex lifted Dylan's pants and tugged out the chain full of keys. ”The same way I got in.”
Dylan got up and lunged for him. ”Oh, Christ, Alex, don't!”
”Sorry, sweetie.” Alex darted for the door, turned the k.n.o.b, and bolted into the hallway, betting that Dylan wouldn't follow him naked. And, oh, yes, right there was one of the dark shadows. He sortedthrough for the weird flat key, and stuck it into the pool of blackness.
It opened into a yawning oval. ”Perfect,” Alex said smugly, tossing the keys behind him.
He heard Dylan scrambling from the room. Turning his head, he saw the man -- selkie -- still struggling into his clothes. ”Alex, don't. Please. You go through one of the portals, and there's no telling where you'll end up. I won't even be able to trace you.”
”Then you'll just have to find me the old-fas.h.i.+oned way, won't you?” Alex frowned. ”That is, if you decide to straighten up and face yourself -- and trust me.” His anger burned bright at the words. Hadn't they been through the whole faith in him issue before, in the pictures? f.u.c.k Dylan. ”I can take you on.
See you around, bartender.”
Taking a deep breath, Alex stepped forward into the portal. He felt a hiss, a rus.h.i.+ng wind, and then -- pure freefall.
He lifted his arms, screaming silently with glee, and waited to see where he would land this time.
Chapter Six.
Much to Alex's disappointment -- although really not to his surprise -- the portal deposited him smack in the middle of yet another crowded bar on the fringes of the main dance floor. Once again blocking a TV, d.a.m.n it. The patrons sent up a chorus of boos and hisses, one man standing up and yelling, ”Get that f.u.c.king thing out of the way!”
Alex scrambled to one side, but the black oval remained in place. ”What, you're not done with me yet?”
he asked the non-ent.i.ty. ”Close already. I'm here. Wherever here is.”
”I believe one would say that here is the point of no return, or perhaps the opposite,” a familiar voice remarked. ”If you wish to know, the portal is in a state of dormancy. It requires a key, or a touch of magic, to make it close.”
”Liam, thank G.o.d.” Alex rushed to the sweet little man's side, where he sat placidly on a bar stool drinking something alarmingly green. ”If anyone can help me out, it's you. Close the d.a.m.n thing, would you?”
Liam arched an eyebrow. ”If, in exchange, you explain to me why you opened one. I had thought you were getting along so well with your shenanigans tonight.” He slid off the stool and walked to the portal.
Petting the insubstantial edges, Liam crooned to the opening. ”Yes, yes, you have done well. Go along, now, until you are called for again. No, wait. Do not go far. You may be needed sooner than some of us think.”
The portal wavered, for all the world like a small child who had one finger stuck in his mouth, not sure what he should do.
”Scoot,” Liam scolded. ”We will call you when we are ready for you. Have no fear. You did your job well.” Rippling once more, the portal disappeared. The ragged choir of jeers and raspberries died down to a disgruntled rumbling. Ignoring the men who could finally get back to watching their show of choice -- figure skating? -- Liam hopped back up onto his seat and patted the bar stool next to him. ”Do have a seat, Alex. Tell me about your troubles.” He pa.s.sed a hand over his forehead. ”I sense that something bothers you very much. Alas, I had thought you would be one of the easy Brothers. Perhaps I was wrong. I do seem to be losing my grip ...”
Concern overcame Alex's pique at Dylan. ”Sweetie, are you okay?” He reached over to put the back of his hand against Liam's forehead. ”You're burning up.”
Liam waved him aside. ”Leave me be. It does not matter at the moment.”
”How many of those drinks have you had?” Christian demanded. ”Too many for you to take some aspirin?”
”Ha! Aspirin does no good to one of my kind. I have a remedy waiting for me that merely needs a little brewing time.”
”Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble?”
”In a sense.” Liam toyed with a basket of broken crackers, then pushed it toward Alex. ”From the smear of pineapple juice on your cheekbone, I would suspect you are not hungry, but would you care for some of these? They are bland but appealing in their own way, much like me.”
”You? Bland? That'll be the day, and one I hope I never see.” Alex got himself arranged on the stool and hooked his legs around its rungs. ”Can you do anything about dried come stains?”
”I can recommend several excellent dry cleaners.”
”Very funny.” Alex made a face. He plucked up a crispy fragment of cracker and popped it into his mouth. ”Dear Lord! Salty!”
”Have some of this.” Liam pa.s.sed his green drink over. ”The two tastes mix very well.”
”What is it, a lime margarita?” Alex took a sip, expecting tequila and salt. Instead, he tasted something fruity and sweet, without a hint of alcohol. It took away the salty sting, but at the same time it made his throat feel thick. ”Good G.o.d, what is this? Pure fruit juice with about ten cups of sugar per serving?”
Liam chuckled, shaking his head. ”One needs to refuel oneself. Sugar is a quick booster. The bartenders here at Amour Magique are excellent at mixing and serving up exactly what one needs.” He gave Alex a sharp look. ”Something I suspect you already know.”
”Oh, Lord. You know what? I'm not going to ask how you got the4-1-1 on Dylan and me.”
”Ah, yes, Dylan. I was amused by your choice. The grapevine around here is remarkable, giving me the wherewithal to know precisely whom you had wandered off with. The price for that Full-Body Special, by the way, is going to leave me a poor man for days.”
”The day I believe you get your information from the grapevine is the day they can bury me toes to the ceiling.” Alex waved over the bartender, a short and square man. ”Let me have a beer. Something niceand dark. Full-bodied.”