“Back? Back where?”
“To the hotel.” He ran his free hand through his hair. “I never told anyone this, not even Izzy, but I went back and you were already gone. I tried to get your information from the front desk, but they wouldn’t give it to me, and when I tried using my magic to manipulate things, I”—he cringed—“sorta melted the computer.”
A surprised laugh bubbled out. “You did what?”
“My magic and electronics don’t really get along, so when I couldn’t charm your info from the lady, I tried to hack into the system. It didn’t end so well. I left some cash on the counter to help pay for repairs, then hightailed it out of there.”
I stared at him for a long time before whispering, “You’re not making that up, are you?”
“No, I swear that happened.”
Emotions clogged my throat, and I couldn’t speak for a few minutes.
Raph quietly said, “I’m sorry for not trying harder to find you after that. I could’ve looked you up, but I… I guess I was scared.”
“Wh-why?” I croaked.
He added his other hand to the mix so both of his were holding one of mine. “The moment we touched for the first time, I felt a connection to you. The only other time that’s ever happened to me was when I met Izzy. But you’re human, and I… I didn’t know what that meant.” He shrugged and winced a little. “I still don’t, but I want to figure it out, if you’ll let me.”
I nodded. “I’d like that.” Biting my lip, I decided to be honest with him the way he’d been with me. “After you left, I felt kinda empty, I guess. I was upset, so I packed up and left so I could get home and whine to Grady about it.”
“I’m so sorry, Lazarus. Truly sorry.” The concern in Raph’s eyes was sincere and too much for this moment.
Yet, I couldn’t help but ask, “After we saw each other again, why were you so cruel?”
He winced. “I panicked. It felt like something… big was happening, and I was already overwhelmed with finding my brother again. Sometimes my mouth gets away from me before I have a chance to stop it. I’m really sorry about what I said. I wasn’t thinking, and I didn’t realize how bad it sounded until…”
“Until I punched you?” I winced this time.
He laughed. “Yeah.”
“I’m really, really sorry about that.”
He waved me away. “I egged you on. I deserved it because I was being an asshole.”
“I think I overreacted because I was overwhelmed, too. Seeing you again, it kinda hurt.”
“I know,” he whispered, squeezing my hand. “I’m sorry.”
I shook my head and squeezed his back. “Can we change the subject?”
He laughed. “Hell yes.”
“How did you and Izzy meet?” I asked after trying to think of something.
A small smile spread over his face, and a little jolt of jealousy shot through me, though I pushed it away as best I could. How must it feel to have someone smile like that from only the mention of your name?
Raph said, “I had only been working for the Conclave for a few years, and I was looking for a change of pace. Working for them was great, but I needed somewhere quiet to spend my downtime, you know? So I found this little town that had no known witches or warlocks in it, and I rented a tiny place to get away from everything and everyone magical. My first day there, I walked into town to its one pub, and to my surprise, there was a warlock working as a bartender.”
“Izzy was a bartender?” I asked.
Raph grinned with a nod. “He was good at it, too. Anyway, he was terrified of me because he’d been hiding out there to stay away from the Conclave.”
My eyebrows rose. “Why was he hiding from them?”
His smile dropped, and he sighed. “I think that’s a story you should ask him about… not really my place to tell.”
My brow furrowed. “Okay… he was okay, though, right?”
A sad smile spread over his face, and Raph lifted a shoulder. “Relatively speaking, I suppose so.”
That made me frown.
Raph sighed. “So anyway, I waited for the other patrons to leave before I approached him, and he threw a shield up, thinking I was there to take him in or hurt him or something. I made an unbreakable vow that I wouldn’t harm him as long as he didn’t harm me, and he dropped his shield but was still wary of me for a long time. It took me going to that pub every day I was home for over a year before he really started trusting me.”
“Wow.”
Raph nodded. “He had good reasons for not trusting easily. To be honest, he still doesn’t trust easily.”
I frowned. “He seemed to trust me pretty easily, unless that was an act.”
Raph smiled softly. “You’re a special case, baby. Normally, he doesn’t really like talking to people he doesn’t know.”
“Oh.”
“Why don’t you tell me how you met Grady?” Raph asked, changing the subject, luckily, since I didn’t know how to take that. I had no idea what could’ve possibly made Izzy trust me more easily than someone else, but it kind of made me feel good knowing he had.
Our food came in the middle of my story, and to my disappointment, it forced Raph to release my hand.
After dessert, I’d been reluctant to leave because we were having such a great time, but I’d decided ten minutes into our date that I wanted to ask Raph to come inside once we got back to my house.
Raph parked his car and walked me to my door. When I stepped onto my porch, I turned to ask him to come in, but the air left my lungs from the hungry look in his eyes. He wanted me as much as I wanted him, and the thrill that knowledge sent down my spine made my dick twitch in appreciation.
He stalked forward, and I stood still, letting him come to me. I couldn’t have moved if I wanted to because I was caught in his gaze. He cupped my cheeks and pressed his mouth to mine. This wasn’t a curious, unsure kiss, no; this was a fierce kiss filled with passion and heat. Sure and demanding. Like he was so positive I was on board, there was no hesitation whatsoever.
And it was fucking amazing.
His tongue pried my lips apart and dove inside my mouth, and he pressed his entire body against me, backing me against the door.
I groaned into his mouth and buried my fingers in his hair, then gave as good as I got. I pushed and sucked and nipped on his lips and tongue, drinking up every little flavor and every little moan rumbling in his chest. He kissed me with the same fierceness that I kissed him.
It made me feel wanted, it made me feel desirable. It made me feel sexy.
It made me want.
Want him, want his skin, want his mouth all over me.
I just wanted him.
I groaned and gave his chest a little push. Raph’s lips traveled down my neck, and I groaned again, closing my eyes and leaning my head back to allow more access, which he happily took advantage of.
Breathlessly, I said, “Let me… let me get the door… open.” I groaned. “Come inside.”
Raph let out a groan that sounded pained, then one that sounded frustrated as he stopped nibbling on my neck and buried his nose there, wrapping his arms tight around my body. He murmured, “I can’t.”