Chapter 22
“Are there any more grapes?”
Fox stretched and twisted, enjoying the way his bare chest shifted against Winter’s. They were naked on the couch, wrapped in a blanket, lazily eating grapes from a bowl. The last few days since the massacre at Luke’s house had undoubtedly been some of the best of his life. They’d spent most of that time cooped up in the loft, brainstorming ideas for how to deal with Damon. There were a few video calls with Bel and his other brothers, but mostly it was just the two of them.
And Fox loved it.
They talked endlessly. Fox might have traded a few private concerts for blowjob lessons, in which he figured he was the real winner regardless of who was blowing whom. They fell into an easy rhythm around the loft, sharing the cleaning and other random tasks.
Maybe he even teared up when Winter assigned him his own code to the loft security system, giving him the power to leave whenever he wanted.
Not that he wanted to. He wasn’t even tempted to step outside during the day. He would do nothing to endanger Winter’s life.
While they’d yet to come up with a solution to their Damon problem, Fox made his other goal in life Winter’s happiness. Not the hardest of tasks and certainly a very enjoyable one.
His stretching fingers finally located the bowl on the floor, but there were no more grapes. “We’re out.”
Winter stretched and made a humming sound in the back of his throat. “Then I guess I’ll have to nibble on you.”
“Don’t tease,” Fox chastised and then brushed a kiss across Winter’s lips. “Or I’m going to stick more cheese doodles on your fangs.” Winter glared at Fox, which only made him laugh.
After some lovely early-evening sex, they’d wandered downstairs in search of food. Winter had blood, while Fox munched on puffy cheese doodles. He even managed to coerce Winter into trying one, but the vampire complained about the stuff sticking to his teeth and the roof of his mouth.
There might have been a little teasing as Fox washed some grapes and placed them in a bowl. So far when it came to food, Winter was preferring simple things like fruit. The vampire didn’t care for anything processed, not that Fox could blame him. But sometimes, a boy just needed some fucking junk food.
“Do you think if we got your brother to take some of my blood, he’d be able to tell if it was safe for you?”
Winter’s expression clouded. “I don’t like the idea of you becoming Bel’s latest guinea pig. He’s already got two wolves to play with.”
Fox pushed Winter onto his back and climbed on top of him, straddling his waist. “And maybe I don’t like the idea of you feeding off some stranger.”
They didn’t argue often, but this was one sticking point Fox had trouble getting past. Winter had needed to feed, and he wouldn’t allow Fox to accompany him. It wasn’t that Fox was afraid he was going to fuck someone else. Winter had sworn there would be no one else so long as they were together, and Fox believed him.
He was more worried about someone attacking Winter while he was occupied with his dinner. The vampire needed someone watching over him.
In the end, Fox was left behind in the loft, his eyes locked on the door as he waited. Winter had been gone for barely an hour, but it had to have been the longest hour of Fox’s life.
“And you know this isn’t about trust, but your safety,” Fox snapped before Winter could argue.
Winter’s expression softened and he reached up to touch Fox’s cheek. “Thank you, but I don’t want to turn you into food just so I’m safe.”
A snort left Fox and he leaned down to bump his nose against Winter’s. “I won’t only be food. I’m also your sexy Fox who blows your mind in bed, right?”
“Yes.”
“And I’m your Fox who kicks your ass at video games.”
“Some of them.”
Fox rolled his eyes. “The good ones.”
“Whatever.” But it was a smiling whatever.
“I’m your snuggly Fox who helps you sleep. And I’m your brainstorming Fox. And your music-loving Fox.”
“You’re my Fox,” Winter said forcefully. His smile softened and Fox’s heart sped up in his chest. “You’re my everything, Fox.”
“Really?” he asked, forcing the single word out past the catch in his throat.
“You are. And whether or not I can drink your blood doesn’t change that fact.”
Fox kissed him softly over and over again. He couldn’t speak. He was afraid he was going to say something that included the dreaded L-word, and it was way too soon for such things. He was still getting used to all the praise he was receiving from Winter and believing it was true. He’d never had this connection to someone. Never enjoyed anyone’s company as much as he enjoyed Winter’s. They seemed to fit together, and he didn’t want it to ever end.