Chapter Three

CHAPTER THREE

ERICH

This was a terrible idea…

Watching Luca exit the station—perfectly buttoned up with not a hair out of place, despite having spent the last several hours on a train—was doing all sorts of inconvenient things to me.

A terrible, terrible idea.

My palms were sweating and that odd tightness had returned to my chest, but Luca hadn’t spotted me yet, so I took the opportunity to drink him in.

The glow from the street lamps was highlighting his high cheekbones and reflecting off his pale hair to create a halo effect around his head. If I squinted just right, it appeared as if actual stars had descended to orbit him, which sounded frighteningly romantic to someone who was staunchly opposed to the idea.

It had only been a month since I’d last seen this man in the flesh, but I’d apparently not only forgotten how devastatingly handsome he was in person, but that I had absolutely no control over how my body reacted to him .

Just as I got my unruly emotions under control, Luca’s icy blue gaze locked with mine.

Fuuuuck me.

It was like being electrocuted—as if my actual nerve endings were lit fuses, racing toward detonation. The halo I’d hallucinated around him seemed to flare, pulsing with an unearthly, blue-green glow that reminded me of the set list I’d created for him.

That’s… random.

I wasn’t given the chance to ponder the association, though, as the grin that stretched across Luca’s face forced a needy whimper from my throat. That outburst would have been a humiliation beyond repair if the rumble of the departing train hadn’t blessedly covered it up.

Small mercies.

Luca’s grin only grew as he approached, and it was all I could do to maintain an upright position as my knees went weak.

Just terrible.

I’d never experienced anything close to the nerves this man brought out in me—not even when I’d first performed in front of a live audience, or when the crowds grew to thousands of people. That might have been because music was as second nature to me as breathing, but I also couldn’t remember having any anxiety the day The Hand of Death appeared at my bedside with an ultimatum.

Perhaps it was the drugs the nurses were administering, but that encounter had invoked more curiosity than anything. After all, I’d already seen Wolfgang kill, and I instinctively knew that if he wanted me dead, I wouldn’t have even made it to the hospital.

I may need another hospital visit after this encounter .

Or more drugs…

Releasing a slow breath, I straightened my spine, determined to keep it together in front of my unwitting crush.

“Erich.”

Too late.

My name on Luca’s lips seemed to vibrate in the air between us—complete with another flash of color, instantly sending me off-kilter all over again.

He must have noticed me swaying on my feet, because he cocked his head, observing me almost clinically. “Are you all right?”

Not at all.

“I’m fine,” I hurriedly replied, plastering on a shaky smile. “It’s simply been a long day of travel, and I admittedly didn’t eat much on the train.”

Never mind that the main reason I hadn’t eaten was because my stomach was in knots just thinking about seeing Luca again.

“Well, then.” His icy blue gaze trailed up my body before landing on my face. “We’d better get you home and… filled up, hmm?”

Jesus…

“Yes!” I blurted out, my voice louder than I intended as I desperately reached for one of his bags. “There should be a few cans of soup left over from the last Nachtnebel family gathering to tide us over. I assumed you and I would go shopping in the village tomorrow, yes?”

Perhaps find a doctor while we’re out.

Luca nodded as he helped me load the bags into the trunk. “ Canned soup will suffice for tonight, but I must insist on handling the cooking after that. And the cleaning.”

I shot the older man a sidelong glance once he slid into the passenger seat of my Volkswagen. “Are you offering to be my hausmann for the week? I’ve never enjoyed such a luxury…”

As soon as the good-natured taunt left my lips, I realized how much the idea of Luca cooking and cleaning appealed to me.

What a picture he’d make in a little maid’s outfit.

Never mind that I’d never spent multiple days in the company of the same person—not unless you counted old touring mates or when Wolfgang convinced me to join his family for major events. In both cases, I’d made a point to keep my dick in my pants, since the last thing I wanted was a recurring run-in with a one-night stand.

Or another bedside visit from The Hand of Death.

“It’s the least I can do,” Luca serenely replied. “After all, I need to be a good little houseguest for you.”

JESUS!

This time, there was no hiding the choked sound I made, but I quickly disguised it beneath a laugh as I maneuvered out of the parking lot and headed toward Schrocken.

“Well, I appreciate the generous offer, but I feel compelled to warn you this is only a modest cottage that has been in my family for generations.” I paused to consider the fresh chaos I’d left behind as I rushed out the door to meet his train. “And most likely not up to par with your usual accommodations… Councilman.”

Yes, I capitalized the honorific in my mind and, yes, it gave me an illicit thrill to do so. While I preferred to top in the bedroom, I occasionally submitted—to any gender—and the idea of dropping to my knees for Luca …

Thank fuck he can’t read my thoughts.

Wait.

Can he?

As a trusted employee of Wolfgang’s, I had insider knowledge of his family’s superpowers, but this intel didn’t include Luca, beyond knowing he was a villain known as The Kinetic Assassin.

Does that mean kinesis or telekinesis?

What if he’s telepathic like the twins?!

“Oh, I’d be happy with however you want to accommodate me, Erich.” Luca’s smile was decidedly sly, although it was unclear whether he knew exactly what sort of turmoil I was experiencing or was simply guessing. “It’s good to switch it up every now and then, hmm?”

JESUS CHRISTUS!

Now, a vision of flip-fucking with Luca was uncontrollably galloping through my potentially compromised mind, and I had to force myself to change the subject.

I wouldn't want my erection to cause a traffic accident.

“Indeed,” I replied, calling upon a Wolfgang level of calm and praying I could pull it off. “Like shirking supe council responsibilities to slum it in the Alps for the week.”

He chuckled low, and the sound felt like warm molasses—like sunburnt amber shot through with streaks of gold.

Am I losing my mind?

“I already told you, Erich,” he murmured, and I could feel his eyes on me, even with mine fixed on the road ahead. “Your invitation to ‘slum it in the Alps’ was exactly the excuse I was looking for. ”

“To hang out with me?” I joked, although I knew it wasn’t what he meant.

“Yes,” he replied, and I almost drove us off the fucking road.

What?!

“What?” I yelped, my gaze darting between him and the windshield as my hands tightened on the wheel. “I mean… what?”

For a split second, I wondered if this was all a dream—if I was actually back in my Berlin apartment, passed out on my mattress after jerking off to yet another vision of Luca chanting “yes, yes, yes,” while he rode my cock.

Please don’t be a mind reader…

Luca frowned. “Am I not being clear? I saw your text and immediately knew I would accept whatever invitation you extended—because it was coming from you.”

He spoke so matter-of-factly, my brain nearly imploded from struggling to understand his angle. “Because I’m… a member of Wolfgang’s clan?”

The infuriatingly calm man beside me lightly scoffed. “My interest in you has nothing to do with your association. I am not required to focus my resources on the Suarez clan, nor do I answer to clan members. In fact, I am hierarchically above supe clan leaders. I defer to Wolfgang for a myriad of reasons—and I would do so even without an official agreement—but I was fine with making our unique arrangement official on paper when he was younger. Supes do love their silly contracts.”

He’s interested in me…?

I was too blindsided to address this shocking revelation, so I quickly homed in on the second part of his monologue instead .

“I’ve noticed you often talk about ‘supes’ as a separate entity,” I laughed nervously, hoping I wasn’t about to violate the NDA clause of my lengthy contract with Wolfgang. “Is there some reason you don’t consider yourself one?”

A flash of red across my vision had my hands tightening to a death grip on the wheel.

What the hell was that?

“Stop the car, Erich.” Luca’s firm Councilman Voice had me simultaneously panicking and fighting back my arousal. “Now.”

“Yes, S-Sir,” I stammered as I obeyed, realizing I’d royally fucked up somehow.

It might be time to re-read my contract.

Assuming I survive…

I pulled off onto the first decently plowed shoulder I could find, and even though my hand was shaking as I put the Volkswagen in park, I turned toward Luca, ready to accept the scolding— hopefully just a scolding —that was coming my way.

Instead, he simply stared at me for a good sixty seconds, deciding my fate with such focused intensity, it felt as if he was actually caressing my skin. I did my best to sit still through this appraisal, although I’d never felt so exposed in all my life.

Which is sort of hot.

FOCUS, ERICH!

I knew better than to interrupt, but I couldn’t stop my gaze from drifting to the air around him as it seemed to sparkle in the otherwise darkened interior of my car. Then, I startled as he abruptly hummed, though something about the sound instantly settled me .

“That’s better,” he murmured, smiling softly as his eyelids half-closed like a cat’s. “Your emotions have been all over the place since I appeared at the station, and we can’t have that.”

“W-we can’t?” I choked out, still stuck on the fact he could sense my emotions.

Please don’t be a mind reader, please don’t be a mind reader…

Luca huffed a laugh. “No, we can’t. While you should be extremely afraid of me, as a human, I’d prefer you weren’t. I want you to feel comfortable in my presence, Erich, especially as it is now my responsibility to keep you happy.”

It is?

“Because…” I hedged, disturbingly invested in the answer.

Another flash of red momentarily colored my vision as Luca fucking growled. “Because you’re mi?—“

He cut himself off so fast, I got whiplash, but I dared to intervene, sensing we were dancing on the edge of…

Something…

“Your… host?” I offered.

“No!” he exclaimed, his frantic gaze trailing down my body before he collected himself again, clearing his throat. “No, not because I’m your… houseguest. I’ve already told you, I’m here because of you.”

Because he wants to be with… me.

Instead of immediately shutting down the conversation now that the subject of emotions had arisen, I surprised myself.

“Luca Meier,” I teased, “are you flirting with me?”

Please say yes again.

“Yes,” he answered plainly, with absolutely zero trace of self-consciousness. “At least, I’m attempting to. How am I doing? ”

You ridiculous man.

It was my turn to laugh. “Not bad. A bit touch and go at times, especially a moment ago when I thought you were about to kill me, but otherwise, a solid effort.”

Luca grinned, clearly pleased with himself. “Good to hear. And for the record, just because I can kill you doesn’t mean I will.”

“Casual threats, hmm? It appears you’re a supe after all.” I grinned in return, reaching for the clutch.

“Of course,” Luca breezily replied as I pulled back onto the moonlit road. “What else would I be?”

An alien from another planet.

I’d gathered enough about Theo and Ziggy to know they were from somewhere else, but that was the extent of my knowledge on the two newest members of the Suarez clan.

And I am fine with keeping it that way.

I was far more interested in the present situation. Luca had just admitted to being interested— to flirting with me. I was like a teenager, practically bursting with a strange giddiness I’d never felt before, and therefore, I had no brain cells remaining to worry about potential aliens in our midst.

Since it’s none of my business anyway.