Just a Bit Wicked (Straight Guys 7)

“You can talk to me, you know,” Luke said one day as they were having a quiet dinner. Vlad seemed distracted and tense, quieter than usual.

Vlad lifted his gaze from his plate, a wrinkle appearing between his brows. “About what?”

Luke eyed him thoughtfully before coming to the conclusion that Vlad wasn’t yet ready for this conversation. Vlad was clearly struggling with coming to terms with his sexuality and didn’t need to learn that Luke knew about his thing with Sebastian. If Vlad wasn’t comfortable with their relationship himself, he was unlikely to be comfortable with other people knowing about it.

“About anything,” Luke said with a shrug. “You seem tense. Tenser than usual.”

Vlad’s piercing, suspicious gaze nearly made him squirm in his seat.

“I’m concerned for Roman,” Vlad said.

Luke glared at his bodyguard. Vlad knew how worried he was for Roman. Using it to divert Luke’s attention was a dirty tactic—dirty but effective. Luke had been trying to keep his mind occupied with anything but Roman; he’d go crazy with worry otherwise.

“Any news?” Luke said stiffly.

Vlad shook his head. “Not after Anna’s call two days ago. They should still be somewhere up in the mountains. Charves is rumored to have a base there.”

“There’s probably no signal where he’s at,” Luke said with more optimism than he felt.

Vlad nodded curtly, his expression grim.

Luke felt a twinge of guilt for his earlier thoughts. Maybe he was wrong and Vlad really was worried for Roman, too.

“You are not used to this, are you?” Luke said. “You probably hate that instead of being out there you’re stuck bodyguarding me from a non-existent threat.” The last time Roman had contacted them he did say Charves was definitely in Peru and was unlikely to be a threat to Luke.

Vlad shrugged. “It does feel strange. Anna is good, though. She’ll watch his back.” Despite his reassuring words, Vlad still seemed tense and distracted.

Luke was certain there was something else bothering Vlad.

But what?

* * *

Sebastian almost drifted off to sleep when he heard the nearly silent sound of footsteps approaching the bed.

“Your locks are pathetic,” the familiar voice said.

“Stop breaking into my flat,” Sebastian mumbled into the pillow, yawning. “I’m sick of getting my locks fixed.”

“Get good ones.” Vlad switched the bedside lamp on.

Sebastian turned onto his back just as Vlad leaned down to kiss him.

When their lips met, Sebastian sighed, feeling himself melt into the kiss as Vlad kissed him unhurriedly but thoroughly. Sebastian’s hands found their way onto Vlad’s back and pulled Vlad closer, his mouth opening wider to give Vlad’s tongue better access. God, he felt the kiss down to his toes, warmth spreading all over his body. This was just what he needed after such a long day.

But his eyelids were growing heavier and Sebastian pushed Vlad away a little, breaking the kiss.

“You should have called,” he said with a yawn, closing his eyes. “I’m too sore and tired for sex.” It wasn’t strictly true, but he was bone tired after the photo shoot and didn’t feel like he was in any state for a few rounds of rough, energetic sex he and Vlad usually had. He felt like being pampered and loved up tonight, but obviously that was out of the question with Vlad.

“Sore?” Vlad said in a strange voice. “Why?”

“Because being a model is actually very tiring, you know,” Sebastian said. People often thought that being a model was as easy as having to smile for a few minutes. They didn’t realize how long it could take to set up the shots, the lights, the camera, how hard it was to assume some poses and do it again and again and again, until the picture was just right. By the end of the photo shoot, his muscles ached, and not in a good way. “We barely had time to eat.”

“We?”

“Antonio and I,” Sebastian mumbled with another yawn. “Didn’t I tell you we were working together for Tristan’s fashion line?”

“You did.”

Sebastian frowned, noticing that Vlad sounded tense. He had to bite back the question on the tip of his tongue. He didn’t need to know Vlad’s intimate thoughts. He was content to keep it that way.

It was bad enough that he was kind of…addicted to Vlad in the worst possible ways. When Vlad kissed him, he felt worshiped. When Vlad touched him, he melted into the touch, wanting more, more, and more, until their bodies were inside each other. When Vlad stared at him, he felt beautiful and interesting. The latter was particularly intoxicating. He loved how badly Vlad wanted him, loved seeing the reluctant attraction and fascination in Vlad’s eyes when he looked at him. Sebastian couldn’t explain it. He just knew he got a bit giddy and warm on the inside whenever their eyes locked. It was a heady, addictive feeling—and a dangerous one. He and Vlad were casual fuck-buddies, nothing more.