She pouts. “Nino.”
“I’m not mad,” he says. “But I’ll take the cannoli anyway. Chocolate cherry?”
“Of course.” Cellina winks.
When Nino thinks about that night at Moretti’s estate, it turns out it was a blessing in disguise. The tumultuous evening had somehow brought him and Haruka even closer.
Cellina leans onto the table with her elbows, cradling her chin in her palms. “You smell like you’ve made some significant progress with your handsome friend.”
Nino turns his head and lifts his arm to sniff his coat. “G said that as soon as he saw me the other day. I can’t smell anything.”
“Well, the purpose is to let other vampires know that you are off the market as a feeding source. That you’re being taken care of.”
Nino smirks. “Is that why you never let me feed deeply from you? So you were always free to shop around?”
“Don’t be stupid.” She waves her hand. “What’s going on? Give me the scoop. He finally pulled your aura, yeah?”
“He did. It was better than any sex I’ve ever had.”
Cellina laughs and claps her hands, bubbling with delight as a waiter approaches to take their drink orders. When he walks away, Cellina coolly runs her hand up her hair, patting her large bun. “I’m so happy for you, Nino—you need this. The actual sex will be phenomenal.”
Nino’s entire lower half stiffens. He takes a breath to calm the arousal. “Lina… Jesus.”
“It will.” She smiles warmly. “You two are gorgeous together, like perfect bookends. Sunlight and moonlight. Jupiter and Mars… Mercutio and Romeo.”
“Cheesy.” Nino frowns. “They weren’t a couple.”
“Maybe they should have been? So talk. I’m listening.”
He considers for a moment, allowing the charming image of Haruka to flood his mind. “We’re just… taking it slow and doing whatever feels natural. It’s unbelievable, Lina, I never—I don’t know. I never imagined that I would meet someone like him. It sounds cliché but being with Haru is so easy and comfortable, and now…”
Nino stops to think again, the warmth in his heart overwhelming him.
“And now?” Cellina gently prompts.
“He’s opening up. In a new way. It’s slow, but I’m seeing more of this… seductive and frisky side of him that I didn’t expect. He’s still being careful, but a lot less formal and rigid than he was when we first met. Maybe… this is the real him? When he’s comfortable…”
Cellina sits straight and smooths her hair again. “Ugh, I am eating this shit up. This is amazing.”
Nino laughs. “I’m glad you’re entertained. You know what I told him? He’s like a black panther. He’s watching me and taking his time thinking, prowling around me in a circle with those wine-colored eyes.”
“Mm, if he’s a panther then you’re a tiger.”
“Can you please stop?”
“When is the panther going to start feeding you?” Cellina leans against the table, folding her arms as she rests. “Am I off the hook today?”
Nino frowns. “Have you been on the hook? Am I troubling you?” The waiter returns to the table with their drinks and appetizers. He lingers a little longer than necessary, smiling and chatting in Cellina’s direction. When he walks away, he winks at her.
“Of course you’re not,” says Cellina. “But if he’s seducing you, pulling your aura, and you enjoy these things, he should feed you. You feed him. Don’t you want his blood?”
He sighs. Nino wants his blood like a hungry wolf wants meat. His body is aching for it. He ignores the feeling as best he can, but the longing burns hot from the inside out. He leans forward with his elbows on the table, running his hands into his hair as he drops his head. “I want everything from him. I want all of him.”
For the first time, he admits it aloud and to himself. The quiet truth has been acknowledged. He can’t keep pretending otherwise.
“So…” Cellina says. “You want to bond with him?”
“I just want to be with him. I love having him close like this and always talking to him. I want to touch him and I don’t want any more boundaries between us. If all that means forming a bond then yes.”
Cellina pouts in a sigh. “But he doesn’t want to bond.”
“Right,” Nino says, his head still low and pounding.
“You can only go so far.”
Nino nods in his hunched position. He doesn’t know exactly how far because they haven’t discussed it. But there is absolutely, unequivocally a limit.
“He’s been traumatized by having a bond break,” Cellina muses. “I mean, it’s unheard of. The fact that he even survived something like that. Wow… Did he talk to you any more about it?”
Nino lazily sits upright. “He did. He told me what happened.”
“I think that’s a positive sign, Nino. Don’t be so downhearted. You two are making beautiful progress, so just keep being patient and let him heal. He used to hide in his house all the time, but now he’s here in Milan, with you. And I think he’s damn lucky to have you. Most vampires are horny jerks these days. With that rosy aura he keeps wrapped up, he’s like a magnet.”
“You’re right. Thanks, Lina.”
“Has he ever let it rest for you?” she asks. “His aura?”
“Not intentionally, no.”
