* * * *
Sammy was engrossed with his e-reader when somebody cleared their throat. Startled, he shot out of the leather couch, almost dropping his reading device to the floor. After narrowly catching it, he turned around to see Dre standing next to the couch with an insulated box in his hands.
“Hi, Sammy. I thought we could have lunch together.”
Sammy placed his e-reader on the table with Smaug and Drogon, making sure it was switched off. No way did he want Dre to see what he’d been reading. He would probably die of embarrassment. The Guide to Successful and Satisfying Sex with a Paranormal was so scorching hot and bluntly accurate that it had Sammy’s body swinging from painfully aroused to completely shocked, like a metronome set on four quarters. And he had only read the foreword and the first chapter about common terminology so far. What would happen once he got to the actual instructions, he didn’t know. His e-reader would probably combust. To hide his nervousness, he pointed at the box in Dre’s hands.
“What’s in there?”
Dre lifted the box. “Fresh apple pancakes from this quaint little café in Amsterdam. Want to try them?”
Sammy perked up. “I love pancakes! Put them down here. I’ll get us plates and something to drink. What do you want?”
“I’m fine with whatever you’re having.”
“Peppermint tea with honey it is.”
Sammy filled two mugs with hot water from the coffeemaker, placed two pyramid bags with peppermint leaves into them, put them together with two spoons, their plates and a pot of honey on one of his trays and brought them over to the lounging area. Dre was sitting on the leather couch, caressing the material with his fingers.
“This is a very nice couch, Sammy. And I love the table.” Dre pointed to Drogon and Smaug.
“I found all the pieces on flea markets. Working on them was fun.”
Sammy placed one of the mugs in front of Dre. Then he turned to the insulated box. “Can I just open it?”
Dre chuckled. “Sure. The pancakes don’t bite.”
Sammy rolled his eyes. “You’re so funny.” He took the lid off the box and gasped. “Dre, those aren’t pancakes! Those are wheels! I’ve never seen anything this big.”
“Those are traditional pancakes, as they’re made in Holland. As you can see, they’re a lot bigger and thicker than the ones we have in the US. They’re also not as thin as French crepes or even German Pfannkuchen, which both are traditionally filled with either sweet or hearty things then rolled or folded. The pancakes, or Pannenkoeken, you see here are quite thick and the filling, in this case the apple slices, are placed on the dough while it still warms in the pan. There are also differences in the consistency and ingredients of the dough. Crepes are traditionally made with butter, milk, eggs and flour, while Pfannkuchen consist only of milk, eggs, flour and mineral water to make the dough fluffier. Pannenkoeken have yeast, butter, milk, eggs and flour in them. As you can see, the basic idea is the same, while the conducting varies. All kinds are delicious, though.”
Sammy looked at Dre wide-eyed. He felt heat creeping up his neck to fill his cheeks. Dre was so damn sexy when he recited trivial facts. Before his natural shyness could get the better of him, he blurted out, “I think I’m falling in love with you.”
Dre had just leaned forward to slice the pancake in half and froze midway over the insulated box, the knife poised above their lunch. Very slowly, he lifted his head. For a brief moment, Sammy feared he’d see rejection or disgust in Dre’s eyes, although his logic told him that wasn’t possible after the great weekend they’d had. When he finally met Dre’s gaze, he saw that Dre’s eyes had turned completely red and his fangs were poking over his lower lip. Sammy was just glad it was a slow Monday and the shop was empty.
“You can’t say things like that, Sammy. You’re killing me here. Do you have any idea how hard it is for me to keep my hands to myself? And you go and tell me what I’ve been longing to hear ever since Ostia Antica.”
Dre straightened himself and put the knife down before he reached for Sammy to pull him into a tight embrace. “I think I love you, too, Sammy, even though it’s still early days for us. And I want you so bad… So bad.”
Sammy leaned into Dre’s warm body, inhaled his delicious scent that was mixed with a hint of cinnamon and apples from the pancakes, and it must have been that heady blend that had him talking before his brain could intervene.
“We can’t yet. I’m only through chapter one.” The moment the words were out, Sammy bit his tongue, but it was too late. Dre pushed him back a little, a confused expression on his face.
“Chapter one?”
“Forget I said anything. Forget I even opened my mouth. Let’s get back to cuddling and perhaps we can feed each other the pancakes? Before they get cold?”
“The pancakes are just as good cold as warm, and I’d love to feed them to you, but first, I want to know about that ominous chapter. What have you been up to, Sammy?”
“I’d rather not talk about it.” Sammy was sure his skin had now the color of a ripe tomato.
“Now you’re making me curious. Sammy, please, I need to know. We just declared our love to each other, which, by the way, was a lot less awkward than we both feared, if I may remind you of one of our first discussions.”
“That was about finding out if we wanted to have a date, Dre. And awkward wouldn’t even begin to describe the mood if I had to tell you what I’ve been reading.”
Dre pulled Sammy back to his massive chest and kissed him on the forehead. “Come on, mo grah thu. Tell me.”
Sammy shivered at the endearment. “You’re not playing fair.”
“Please!”
Sammy huffed. “Fine. But I warned you. And just FYI… If you so much as lift the corners of your mouth, I’m never going to forgive you.”
Dre held up his hands in surrender. “I promise to behave.”
Dre watched as Sammy turned back to the table where he had placed his e-reader. He couldn’t believe it. Sammy had said he loved him. Well, that he thought he loved him, but that was just as good in Dre’s book. Now he wondered what had Sammy so flustered. Sammy came back, switching the e-reader on. When he held the display to Dre’s eyes, it took a moment for him to understand.
“You’re reading The Guide to Successful and Satisfying Sex with a Paranormal?”
“You know the book?”
Sammy was beet-red, and if Dre’s skin hadn’t been red naturally, he would have blushed as well, though he did feel heat infusing his cheeks.
“Uhm, you know, it’s a great book. Very detailed. With information that’s not always easy to come by…” Dre knew he was blabbering. “You were right. This is beyond awkward.”
Sammy arched a brow. “Believe it or not, I’m already feeling a little better about it. Why did you read it?”
“Do you remember when I told you about the bad break-up I had?”
Sammy nodded.
“I was with an incubus back then. When I realized our relationship was going down the drain, I tried to salvage it. I thought it would maybe help to surprise him with some new techniques in bed. Contrary to what you might think, I’m not that experienced when it comes to sex. He was an incubus, so I figured I was somehow lacking in that department.” Dre sighed. “If I had paid the chapter about incubi more attention than just the obvious pointers about sex, I’d have spared myself a world of hurt.”