Soul Mates 04: Secrets(36)

"Yeah. He's been breaking that one for a while now."



"I think we all are, Peter. This&thing that's going on between the four of us? There's no standard way of dealing with it. It's just too complicated."



"I used to think we'd be okay in dealing with it, but now I'm just scared; scared of everything going wrong and us hurting each other in ways that can't be overcome."



Sabaan sat quietly, looking around, and I wondered what he knew that I didn't. Had Lucien confided in him about all of this? Did he already know what the outcome might be?



"That's a valid fear, I guess." He stood and took my hand. "But for now, we need to get you to bed or you'll be spending the day on the floor."



I sighed and put the cigarette out in the ashtray before standing. "I should go to my own room."



"Nonsense, Peter. This is your room, too. Just stay here today."



"Will you stay with me today?"



"Of course I will. I hate sleeping alone as much as you do."



I started undressing and dropped my clothes beside the bed. The moment the sun set, I would be out of here. I felt Sabaan's gaze on me and glanced over. "What?"



"Just admiring the view."



Yeah. Just like half the coven liked to 'admire the view'. It had been flattering in the beginning, but now it made me just a little uncomfortable. Flattery and flirting had been the one thing that got me into other people's beds and, well& That's what had led to all of this shit I was going through now.



"What's wrong, Peter?"



"Nothing," I said as I climbed into bed. "Just feeling the dawn."



"Don't lie to me, pretty boy."



I lay there for a moment, shaking my head. "Why me? Why am I the center of so much sexual attention and jealousy? Do I just make myself seem that available? Is it because I have a hard time saying no? Is it my."



He put a finger to my lips to silence me. "Because you're you, Peter."



"Sometimes I'd give anything just to be out of my shoes for one night . to not have to worry about all of this shit."



"You know what you'd be then?"



"What?"



"Just another vampire looking to Lucien for approval and acceptance. You know what I think you need?" I groaned and he moved closer, taking me into his arms and smoothing my hair away from my face. "You need to learn how to be an asshole."



"Huh?"



I felt the weight of dawn pressing heavily and it was all I could do to keep my eyes open. Sabaan was going on about&something, but it was too late for me to engage in any sort of conversation. Soon, my breath left me and everything went silent.



* * *



"Excuse me?"



"You heard me." Sabaan stretched out on the bed beside me, grinning. "Stop trying to be the nice guy."



"I am a nice guy."



"Too nice, if you ask me. What you need to do is growl a little more. Okay, a lot more. Say no, even when the request is small and of no consequence. Be a jerk and make people suck you off, then cast them away instead of petting them and making sure they didn't feel obligated to do it in any way."



"I can't do that, Sabaan!"



"You can and you will."



"Great. I've found the demon who wants to sit on my shoulder. I'll blame it all on you when I fuck up from now on."



"You might check with Simon. He'd probably go for sitting on the other side."



I grabbed a pillow and smacked him in the head with it. "I'm not turning into an asshole because you think it'll fix me."



"I never said you needed fixing. You just need a little&experience of a different kind." He rolled over and straddled my hips, crossing his arms over his chest. "You need to feed?"



"Thanks for the offer, but I'll pass."



Sabaan seemed shocked at the very idea. "Excuse me?"



"Feeding leads to sex with you and even though I'd love to just fuck you until the sun comes up, I should probably go and find Lucien. We didn't leave things in a good place at all last night.. I poked him in the middle of his chest. "And you need to go make up with Nikolas."



"The man is a stubborn, pig-headed oaf."



"Maybe. But he's your stubborn, pig-headed oaf, tonight."



"Yeah, yeah. I know." He settled back on my thighs and I wanted to touch him so badly, but refrained. Touching would be bad. "You want to know what I think?"



"Shoot."



"The four of us should be locked up in a room down in the dungeon."



"What the hell for?" One eyebrow raised slowly as the thought started to sink in before he even answered. "Lock us in and let us fight until we either make up or kill each other?"