Page 56 of His Eternal Temptation

Lane smiled. Pure joy, all because Rowan offered to share this with him.

His heart fluttered.

“Look at you two,” Onyx teased, his glee nearly blinding. “Hand holding and sweet little smiles. Are you in love, Rowan?”

Embarrassment swelled inside him. He felt stripped bare. “Like I’d share anything personal with you.”

The last thing he needed was Onyx knowing how desperate he was. How needy and mushy inside. He didn’t know the man well enough to let his impeccable image shatter, and despite himself, he cared about Onyx’s opinion. If Onyx sneered at this side of him, as he did with everything else, it would chip another piece of Rowan’s soul away, and he wasn’t having it.

Onyx smiled wider, as if Rowan’s bitchiness pleased him. “That wasn’t a denial. Sounds like you and Nico need to catch up. Sorry, I’ve been hogging all his attention.” He clearly wasn’t sorry, the smug little thing. You’d never guess he was ancient, or the most powerful being in the building.

Rowan wished he could say Nico and Onyx made no sense, that he had no idea what his friend saw in the demon, but he couldn’t. He was well aware Nico harbored a soft spot for brats—one of the reasons Nico’s and his friendship had never shifted to lovers.

It was no wonder Onyx and Nico had been destined by fate. A steady hand and a wild flame. Rowan was happy Nico had been granted an immortal mate. He didn’t dislike Onyx, but the demon didn’t hide his less-than-flattering opinion of Rowan, and fair was fair.

Petty, but fair.

As Onyx grinned manically at him, Rowan told himself to make more of an effort to get along. Onyx had given Nico immortal life by binding them together with eternal magic. They were fated mates, and Rowan was grateful he wouldn’t lose Nico to death. He’d never wanted to become a vampire, even though Rowan had offered him a place in his coven.

“Nico and I should come to one of your bite nights. So we can all catch up. Have some fun.” Onyx smirked. “He’s been telling me about them.”

Damnation. Didn’t Onyx hate him? Why would he want to come to one of his parties?

“I bet he has,” Rowan mumbled. He wasn’t opposed to the idea of Onyx at Bite Night in theory, in the spirit of all getting along, and if Onyx could be respectful for once.

“Will you be there?” Onyx asked Lane with mock innocence, his eyes comically wide.

Lane focused on his bourbon. “Guess you’ll have to wait and see.”

Onyx pouted.

Of course Lane wouldn’t commit, not having discussed it with Rowan, but after today, he knew Rowan wanted him there. Right?

Rowan longed for Lane to sit by his side in his most guarded space, finding pleasure together, relaxed and free. When the curse was broken, he’d ask Lane to come along to the next event.

Surely he’d be as interested as he was all those years ago. Lane, it turned out, was a fairly open book. Rowan was the one who had strict rules outlining his life. Would he pull away and settle into a more familiar relationship with Lane once the curse was gone? Something casual and solely revolving around Bite Night encounters?

He tried to picture it, and couldn’t pretend it was what he wanted. Not after what happened in his office and the way Lane had stood by him in the clinic. He couldn’t give this up.

Fantasies of Lane by his side in all things grew.

No one will want you forever, the Cris in his head sneered.

Rowan clenched his fist. He wouldn’t believe it. Cris could fuck off. Rowan wasn’t worthless, and Lane wouldn’t hurt him or treat him carelessly. Rowan didn’t have to carry around the unworthiness Cris had tried to bake into his very existence. It wasn’t real.

But even knowing all this—telling himself he could face his fears of rejection, not let old pain overshadow his growing trust in Lane—Cris’s presence seemed to lurk in Rowan’s blood as strong as it ever had.

Commotion out the window called Rowan’s attention. A man yelled at the employee overseeing the roulette wheel, gesturing aggressively. Security moved in as another customer came to the employee’s defense.

Lane followed Rowan’s gaze and sucked in a breath.

“What is it?” Rowan did a double-take, but didn’t recognize the man causing trouble, or anyone involved not employed by him.

Lane went pale. “He was with the man who cursed me. The Hillmans.”

Rowans stood at vampire speed, sending his chair crashing backward. Only knowing Lane needed to stay by his side stopped him from charging out of the room.

Lane got to his feet a second later, determination settling over him. “Let’s go.”