Chapter Five

CHAPTER FIVE

ERICH

Luca was acting strange.

Please don’t tell me his supe hearing picked up on me moaning his name…

I couldn’t pinpoint what exactly had come over me this morning—why I had dreamed so vividly of the man sleeping on the other side of the wall that it felt like he was in the room with me.

Touching me…

It certainly wasn’t the first time I’d jerked off to fantasies of Luca, but I usually wasn’t quite so… vocal about it.

Maybe I wanted him to hear me?

I’d never been much of an exhibitionist, but I took another sip of my gourmet coffee while I considered how hot it would be to perform for the man currently bustling around my kitchen making breakfast.

Such a good little hausmann…

Luca sharply inhaled before turning to face me. He was dressed in thermal pants with a surprisingly bold satin bathrobe cinched around his waist, covering the best part of seeing a man in thermals.

It’s quite rude.

Further raising my suspicions that he could read my thoughts, Luca blushed before clearing his throat. “How do you like your eggs?”

“However you like them will be fine with me…” My gaze flickered to the fresh groceries lining the kitchen island. “When did you have time to shop, Luca?”

I hadn’t heard him up and about when I’d crept to the bathroom to shower an hour ago, but I also knew how stealthy supes were despite their size.

True predators.

Too bad I’m the one on the hunt at the moment.

He averted his gaze. “I’m an early riser and felt you wouldn’t mind if I borrowed your car to drive down to the village and stock up.”

“That was thoughtful of you,” I replied, taking another sip of the best coffee I’d ever tasted. “Especially as I am not an early riser myself.”

Well… parts of me are…

Luca choked on air, and my previous suspicions were all but confirmed. This should have made me feel violated, to have another invade my thoughts without permission, but I didn’t get the sense Luca was doing it for nefarious reasons. If anything, it seemed as if he was trying to get a read on me, as if he was… curious.

No.

He’s nervous .

“I will say…” I drawled as I moved closer—close enough to catch the scent of fresh linen, dark chocolate, and.. electricity. “I was looking forward to showing you around Schrocken before the storm rolls in.”

“Storm?” Luca absently murmured, keeping his attention fixed on his spatula as he pushed our eggs around the frying pan.

Outwardly, he seemed calm, but I had the oddly distinct impression he was growing more flustered by the second.

Pink.

He feels… pink.

Blinking away the strange association, I refocused on making him blush again. “Yes. The reports predict enough meters to satisfy those hungry for deep powder.” I took another step closer. “Perhaps we’ll be snowed-in together, Councilman.”

“Snowed-in…?” He faced me again before trailing off, looking every bit a deer caught in the headlights.

How adorable.

“What’s the matter?” I chuckled low, unable to resist stepping closer still. “You’re allowed to flirt with me, but I can’t return the favor?”

It was definitely the orgasm loosening me up and making me bold, but Luca had also told me he was interested. Plus, he simply smelled so delicious, and the way he was blushing again was making my brain waves turn into static until all I could focus on was?—

I want to sink my teeth into him.

Wait, what?

“Erich. Please, I…”

An electric shock stopped me in my tracks, and I glanced down to find he’d placed his hand on my chest.

His shaking hand.

Schei?e.

Clearly, I was making him uncomfortable, so I immediately attempted to take a step back. Attempted, because Luca then tightened his grip on my shirt and held me in place.

“I… like you flirting,” he murmured, his breath tickling my lips thanks to our proximity. “I like you close. I like everything you’ve been doing. It’s just that I’m…” His gaze dropped to my lips before lifting. “A bit… out of practice.”

He’s asking me for patience.

There was no question in my mind that I’d agree to whatever his terms were in this situation. Never mind that I had never bothered investing more than a single night in a partner before now—I was more than happy to give this man all the patience in the world if it meant I could have him all week.

I barely recognize myself right now.

Luca huffed a laugh before smiling so shyly, I wanted to take a bite out of him all over again. “Perhaps we can explore this… unexpected development together?”

Because this is new for me too…

At this point, I knew he was poking around my head, so I decided to have a little fun with it.

“I would love nothing more than to be your teacher,” I purred, clearly envisioning him on his knees in that maid outfit I’d already been fantasizing about. When Luca’s breath caught again, I smirked. “You like that, hmm? You want to be my good little student? ”

“Yes…” he barely whispered, gaze now fixed on my lips. “Teach me what you like.”

I felt dizzy, but Luca was inexplicably trusting me to not only take the lead but take things slow, so I quickly added some levity.

“First lesson.” I nodded toward the stove. “Mind your eggs.”

“Merde!” he hissed under his breath, and I stifled a smile at the reminder of Wolfgang’s tiny yet terrifying handler.

Giving him space to work, I watched, fascinated, as he flipped the eggs, moved the pan from the burner, turned off the stove, and brought a plate closer—practically simultaneously.

As if by… magic.

“Now that would come in handy behind the decks,” I joked. “Being limited to what two hands can do is quite tiresome.”

Luca momentarily froze before eyeing me warily. “I assume I may use my… powers in front of you.”

I laughed and stepped forward, grabbing the seemingly floating plate while holding out the second for him to take. “Of course you may! We both know Wolfgang has me gagged within an inch of my life. Plus, I’m nosey and want to know more about you.”

Another unexpected development.

My handsome hausmann was suddenly extremely invested in placing the eggs on the plate just so. “You might not like everything you learn.”

That this infamously powerful supe seemed so unsure of himself made me want to do everything in my power to reassure him. “I’m sure I will. Who wouldn’t want a man with extra hands in the bedroom? ”

“It’s not extra hands!” he blurted out before blushing again. “Not… exactly.”

That piqued my interest—not only because it was a hard rule that supes only discussed their powers with those they trusted, but that it seemed Luca was about to spill the tea.

I nodded toward the table so he’d follow me with his plate of eggs. Toast with butter and jam waited for us there, along with a pitcher of juice and a ridiculously large selection of fresh fruit.

How did he find pineapple in Schrocken this time of year?

When he still didn’t elaborate on his abilities once we sat, I felt an odd pang of disappointment, even if I completely understood his discretion. “Luca, you don’t have to tell me?—”

“I want to,” he interrupted in that sexy stern voice of his. “It’s just that it can be a bit difficult to explain to…”

“Normies?” I smiled kindly before squirting ketchup over my scrambled eggs. “Ah, but I’m not just any normie, am I?”

His expression softened as he watched me drown my breakfast in tangy deliciousness. “Baltasar puts ketchup on his eggs and no, you are certainly not like other normies, Erich.”

I dared to lead the witness. “All right, then. I already know you are The Kinetic Assassin, so I assume you’re moving objects with your mind.”

Luca grimaced, and I wondered if I’d pushed too far. “That’s the rumor… However, telekinesis is not what’s going on.”

Now I was salivating for more intel, but my mysterious superman chose that moment to take a long sip of coffee.

What a tease .

“How about I tell you a secret?” I smiled over the rim of my mug, doing my best to keep my thoughts focused elsewhere so as not to give the game away. “I’ll give you my deepest, darkest shame—the scandalous scandal that not even my closest friends know about me.”

Secrets were currency in the supe world, so—as expected—Luca sat up straighter and squinted at me with great interest.

Gotcha.

I set down my mug and peered around, as if checking that imaginary spies weren’t listening in on this top secret conversation. “One of my favorite artists to listen to is…” I lowered my voice to a stage whisper. “Taylor Swift.”

And you’d better take that secret to your grave.

Luca’s brow furrowed. “I’m not entirely sure who that is.”

I threw my head back and laughed harder than I had in a while before wiping my eyes. “Luca, I have to ask… Do you know anything about music?”

Please say yes.

Luca dropped his gaze, adorably shy once again. “I do. I speak it, in a way…”

“Me too,” I replied.

He raised his gaze and smiled. “I admittedly don’t know much about the music you play, but I’d like to learn.”

Oh.

He wants to learn about EDM.

About… me.

Burying the dangerously romantic thoughts that threatened to bubble to the surface, I flashed my most charming smile. “I would be happy to teach you about my work—and about the musical genius that is Taylor Swift—but it’s your turn now.”

Luca hummed that oddly comforting sound again. “What do you mean?” he absently murmured, his eyelids half-closing as if the sound soothed him as well.

With a huff of mock annoyance, I gestured in his direction. “I’ve shown you mine, now you need to show me yours. I want to know the secrets of the great Kinetic Assassin.”

I want to know everything about you.

Luca blew out a slow breath before rising to stand.

Oh, so I’m getting a show then?

“Erich…” He fiddled with the tie of his robe. “I hope what I’m about to show you doesn’t?—”

“Frighten me?” I interrupted, smiling gently when he rapidly nodded. “Councilman, I am well aware that every supe on this planet could kill me without breaking a sweat.” When he winced, I powered on. “But the night I almost died, it was at the hands of my fellow humans, and it was a supervillain who saved my life. I promise, nothing about you will frighten me.”

Promise.

When he still hesitated, I tried a different tactic. “C’mon, little hase.” The oddly appropriate nickname slipped from my lips before I could think better of it. “Start with one secret at a time.”

My nervous bunny rabbit swallowed thickly but squared his shoulders and bravely held my gaze.

Good boy.

And then, the supervillain known as The Kinetic Assassin revealed his powers were not, in fact, telekinesis, or a set of invisible hands .

My brain went blank with shock as a dozen starry tendrils appeared out of thin air—blindingly white at the sharp-looking tips, darkening to yellow and burnt amber, then blue-green where they met his body.

Emerged… from his body.

“Well?” Luca awkwardly shrugged, as if this wasn’t the most amazing thing I’d ever seen. “What do you think?”

He looked like an angel—like the celestial beings who graced the pages of the Sunday school primers I’d disregarded until this very moment. I wasn’t a religious man, but I could quite easily see myself on my knees for this man.

Who’s apparently not a man at all…

I was so overcome, I momentarily struggled to get my mouth in gear. Knowing my silence would only increase his anxiety, I managed to croak out the only word that came to mind—the perfect word.

“Beautiful.”