“No, I haven’t changed my mind. I’m excited about my trip.”
Haruka pauses in his kisses. “And I am grateful.”
Thirty-Two
Haruka left Milan Sunday afternoon. Simultaneously, Nino feels as if there is a gaping hole in his chest.
It’s Monday and Nino is sitting alone in his brother’s office. As he waits, the memories of the week he and Haruka spent together run through his mind like a rosy movie reel. Everything is sepia toned with soft edges.
He can kiss Haruka now—openly. Greedily. He can also touch him. He was naked and Haruka had done… other things to him that had nearly sent his body into a state of shock. He stares blankly, recalling the moments in detail as his groin tightens.
The panther is not shy. Or squeamish.
Despite this, Haruka is still restraining himself. Nino can feel his knotted, muted aura deep within him. But if they can only have sex two more times, Nino supposes he has to hold back.
Two. Because things got out of hand again with Haruka’s feeding the night before he left Milan, when Nino took him out to a jazz club in Navigli. Another surprise attack from Mr. Spontaneous. It was great, but they still hadn’t even been naked. If possible, next time, Nino is very much hoping for a lack of clothing in their final countdown of physical intimacy.
“Two more times. Jesus.”
“Two more times what?” Giovanni strides into the room like a vampire on a mission. He moves toward his desk looking sharp but simply stated in tailored black slacks and a patterned button-down. “Has tall, dark and complicated offered himself to you yet?”
Nino frowns, decidedly ignoring his brother’s first question. “No.”
Giovanni stops before he sits down, his brow creased. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m waiting for you to yell at me or say something rude.”
“Why? Because I walked in on you sucking face with your boyfriend?” He sits down, smirking as he checks his titanium wrist watch. “I’m not going to yell at you. I’ll probably be rude though.”
So embarrassing… Nino folds his arms tight, bracing himself. He also didn’t go with Giovanni when he took Haruka to aristocracy meetings and social visits. Not once. Haruka was his guest, so ideally, Nino should have accompanied them. But after the terrible dinner with Signor Moretti, he had felt drained.
Giovanni lifts his chin. “What’s the plan with Haruka? Talk.”
He takes a deep breath. “Haru is going to return to his realm.”
“He should.”
“After he gets settled—maybe a couple months?” Nino guesses. “I’ll go and visit him. If I like it there and we agree, I’ll move and stay with him.”
The room falls silent and Nino shrugs. “That’s the plan.” Giovanni sits, just staring with his hazel-green eyes and his arms folded. Nino frowns. “Why aren’t you saying anything?”
“Because I said I wouldn’t yell at you. Let me start by saying I’m pleased that you’ve formed a meaningful relationship with Haruka. He’s intelligent, patient and pragmatic. I think he’s exactly what you need.”
“Thanks,” Nino says, relaxing his shoulders but not his guard. More is coming.
“I also like that you’re working with him on something important that benefits our race,” Giovanni continues. “Running that bar, I was terrified you’d come home with some gutter vampire or fetishy human and expect me to welcome them into our home. So I’m pleasantly surprised that you’ve done exactly the opposite.”
Nino cuts his eyes away. I wouldn’t have brought her home. Jesus, I’m not stupid.
“That being said…” Giovanni raises his eyebrow. “Your plan sucks. I don’t like it.”
“Why? It makes sense for us. And you know Haru doesn’t want to bond.”
Giovanni rolls his eyes. “Right. I’ve never heard of a bond breaking—that shit is crazy. But lover boy needs to get over himself. You’re going to move there and do what, exactly?”
Nino adjusts in his seat, feeling the heat of his brother’s inquisition. “I don’t know yet. But I’m capable of running a successful business, G. I just need to get there and figure out where there’s a need—”
“So while Haruka is dealing with busy vampire aristocracy bullshit and overseeing his entire realm alone, you’re going to open a bar across town so that humans and low-level vamps can gawk at you? You’re going to live in his house, eat his food and give him hand jobs when he comes home?”
Nino drops his head, laughing despite himself. “Not… necessarily.”
“Nino, you cannot go to Japan—a new realm, a new aristocracy with this old-blooded and exquisite creature—and do the same garbage you’ve been doing. If you move there, you need to be his equal partner. You have to stand beside him and solidify your place in front of his society members in his realm. You can’t go there and be his fucking house cat.”
He’s right. Nino sits back and runs his palms down his face. If he goes to Japan and does the same things he’s always done—avoid other ranked vampires and shy away from his proper designation in their culture—he’ll end up in the same situation he’s in now. Disrespected. Pitied.
“You should have come out with us when I took him to greet our society members—”
“I know, G,” Nino sighs.
“You can’t let assholes like Moretti get to you. He might be older, but in the hierarchy of our culture, you outrank him, Nino. You’re purebred. Do you really get that? You’re an unflawed, rare and extraordinary creation. There are billions of humans and millions of fucking ranked vamps on this planet, but there probably aren’t even a thousand purebred vampires. You need to let that sink in and think before you hopscotch over to Japan to play house with Haruka.”
He understands. Spending so much time with Haruka in the past three months has shown Nino that he needs to change. That he needs to grow. In the beginning, he commiserated with Haruka over their shared reluctance to engage within the aristocracy. It is the foundation of their relationship. The irony that brought them closer.
But Haruka has slowly changed. The guarded hermit that Nino met in the beginning has transformed, shedding his heavy cloak and lifting his head to the sunlight. Now, Haruka is looking back at Nino and reaching his hand out to him, as if to say, “Come with me?”
Instead of grabbing his hand, Nino is hesitating.
“I hear what you’re saying, G, but what am I supposed to do? I can’t just start barging into meetings and events with my chest puffed out like some asshole.”
