Chapter 11

Eleven

" I think you're getting restless." Phillip stroked Cody's hair, lying naked in bed and letting his mate drape over his chest.

"Hmm? Nah."

"Oh, bullshit. You're itching to be back on the road."

Cody pinched his nipple. "I'm right here with you."

"You are." He dropped a kiss on Cody's mouth. "But we do need to make a plan."

"The new bull comes in tomorrow. Thack had to find a strong one."

"Mmm." The whole idea still amused the snot out of him.

"Once he's delivered, we'll make a plan. Fair enough?"

"Sounds perfect." Phillip could wallow in Cody a bit longer…

"You're coming on the road with us, aren't you? We can set the world on fire."

"I am. I'm sick of sitting in an office in Florida." He shuddered. "Too many demons there, even for me."

Cody nodded, fingers teasing his skin. "I hear you. We'll have adventures."

"We will. I look forward to exploring the world with you again." It had been decades. Everything would look new.

"I do too. I think you'll be surprised at how much fun it is."

Phillip stroked Cody's cheek. "Nothing about you surprises me. Now, don't get all angry if I start making new deals all over."

"You do you, demon. I'm happy to share the load."

Phillip knew that. Cody was territorial, yes, but not jealous of the work. Cody loved Darque and Knight.

"I want you to be able to do the parts you love." Electronics had made many things easier over the years, but some stuff still needed to be done physically. So Phillip would take on that work in addition to his stuff at the office, which could go mobile.

"Ah, terrorizing folks. I'm so in." Cody's smile was utterly toothy.

"You're good at it. Though I hear Thack does a lot of that."

"He does anything related to the arena. I handle the rest." Cody winked at him. "Though Thack does love to stick his horns in."

"They're nice and shiny."

Cody's smile widened. "A lot more now that Uri's polishing them."

"I noticed that." Phillip lowered his voice. "Kinda hot."

"Just a little, yeah. You should see them go at it. Fuckers."

"Mmm." He palmed Cody's ass. "I would rather see you."

"You can see me do whatever you want, demon."

"Oh-ho!" Nibbling a line down Cody's neck, Phillip laughed. "Good. So tasty."

"Nom nom nom. I can't believe you're real. Not really."

"Believe it." He let a spark escape to land on Cody's skin.

"Hey, now."

"See? Real."

"Don't burn my arm hairs." Cody pinched his ass.

"Why not? They just grow right back." He winked, though. "I'll be good, baby."

"You're so much better when you're bad…"

"Why thank you." If he were standing, he would take a bow. "So, what do we do while we wait for that bull?"

"I think we explore the house, naked. You haven't been everywhere, have you?"

"Nowhere but the front room, this bedroom, and the kitchen and bathroom." There was a huge, sprawling mass he had yet to view.

"Well, this is our place. It's defensible throughout." Cody waved his arm. "No sun. No magic. You have to be invited in."

"It's a stronghold." That was fantastic. Cody had taken the old place and made it amazing.

"Yes. And the grounds are warded to protect my people." Cody's eyes burned for a moment. "I'll defend them forever."

"I'm with you, love. I've always protected you all from afar, but we'll be a force of nature. Or unnatural force…"

"Mmhmm… An amazing force, right?" Cody stood, the hard body beautiful, unashamed.

"Fuck yes." He followed, because he had to, his hands itching. That ass was absolutely perfect. Deliciously so, and it made his eyes cross.

"Wanna get clean, or wait until?—"

Phillip grabbed that ass. "We need to christen the rooms."

"Mmm… want to lean me over in the tack room?"

"Oh, love, I want to bend you over on every surface." He squeezed, and Cody went up on tiptoe.

The house was decorated in different themes—there was a saloon, a Roman bath. A Regency ballroom.

He loved it. "Did you do a Renaissance room for me?" he teased.

"The attic. There are windows up there."

"Ah. I love that. But I will have covers made for them. Just in case."

"It's like a reverse O. Henry story…"

"We can stargaze together, love. This is no weird short story." He kissed the nape of Cody's neck.

"Mmm… You don't love anything less than two centuries old."

"I love you." That was the truth, no matter how he sliced it.

"We've been a couple for much longer than two hundred years, and I intend to keep you forever." Cody made him shiver.

"Love." He grabbed Cody in his arms, holding on tight. He felt the same way, but to hear it aloud made him shake.

Cody didn't try to calm him; he just held on and allowed Phillip to feel. Which was a rarity in his world. This offer to allow him to just experience his emotions as they came by and not try to hide them. His family would hate that.

The only emotions they wanted others to experience were fear and awe.

Cody chuckled softly. "Well, I know I'm not scary, but my mouth is awesome."

"It takes a lot of trust to let those things get near my dick." He grinned, though, his tension dissipating.

"Now, now, now," Cody teased. "I can think of many, many, many, many times when you were more than willing to let my fangs be near your dick. In fact, if I recall correctly…" Cody tapped one of his fangs thoughtfully. "I think there was begging."

"Nonsense. I don't beg." He totally begged.

"No, I remember it wasn't all that long ago. A hundred years maybe. Maybe one-fifty, but not too long. You wanted me to bite it. You begged."

"It wasn't me; it must have been one of your other demon lovers."

At that, Cody simply lost his shit, laughing so hard that Phillip worried for a second that the vampire would pass out. "As if you would ever… Ever! Allow even the thought of another demon to cross my mind. You fill me up to the top."

"I do. And that is both my pleasure and my vocation." He could worship Cody for hours. "Shower. You do realize that if we go on the road together, there will be the periodic hotel break wherein we have a luxury shower. The one in your trailer is far too small."

"Is it now?" Cody wiggled. "It's just right for me."

"You're a pocket vamp."

"A pocket vamp? Oh, you're in so much trouble." Cody chuckled. "I do see your point though. The shower is tight with two. It is a comfortable trailer, you have to admit."

"No arguments. I think that it's amazing and totally you and even sunproof. It's just that bathroom…"

"My poor bathroom is being maligned." Cody slapped one hand over his forehead, dramatically, before glancing over at him. "Are you buying this?"

Phillip shook his head. "Nope, not even a little bit. You've really gotta work on your drama." He did love playful Cody.

Hell, he loved Cody, full stop.

And he got to play all day before they had to hunker down and get to family business.

In a very combative way.