Monster mash, p.38
Monster Mash, page 38
“I see you want to haggle. All right, then. If you’re a package deal, I’ll take the whole set. Don’t answer now,” he said, patting my hand with the card in it. “Have a good think and give me a call when you’re ready to say yes, kid. And if someone else makes you an offer in the meantime, I will double it. Triple it! And throw in a signing bonus plus…Oh, by the light! Is that a Yari Spotlight? Come to papa, beautiful.” Wings fluttered, and he flew away with a whoosh, leaving me standing in the middle of the floor with nothing but his card.
Gaston chuckled as he closed on where I was standing.
“What just happened?” I asked.
“I think you just got offered a record deal.” He took my free hand and pulled me close as if we were about to dance.
I narrowed my eyes at him. “You set this up, didn’t you?”
Smug pride leaked through the bond. “Guess I had a surprise of my own today, huh? Told you I didn’t expect to you to be my househusband.”
“Gaston, I don’t know if I want a big record deal. I just want to play music.”
“And you will. We can negotiate. The pack has good IP and PR lawyers, and they work for you now.”
I sighed and leaned forward, letting my head rest against his chest. Even though I was overwhelmed, I was probably going to say yes. The money alone could make a huge difference, not just for the pack, but for the foundation I wanted to start. I wanted to build transitional housing all around the state and a few shelters and safe places for the homeless. Gaston had promised to help, but if I had my own money, big music money, I could make a real difference in the lives of the people of Louisville.
Plus, there was no way Boyd and Alabama would let me turn it down. I owed it to them, especially after giving up the six hundred for tonight’s performance.
“How did quitting go?” I asked quietly as we danced to music only we could hear.
Gaston sighed. “It didn’t. Yet. I wanted to make sure you were okay first.”
I stopped swaying and looked up at him. “I’m fine.”
“Excuse me, Mr. Boggs?” Someone tugged on my shirt and I turned. “Can I get a selfie with you?”
“Go. Be with your adoring public. I’ll go handle Inzo and we’ll meet after?” Gaston kissed my cheek and left me to a growing crowd of people clamoring to ask for selfies and signatures.
I smiled to myself and gestured for the first one who’d asked to come forward. Maybe this whole star treatment thing wouldn’t be so bad after all.
Walking back to Adam and Inzo’s table was the most daunting thing I’d done all night. At least their dinners had arrived. Inzo had ordered half a rack of ribs with a side of seasoned fries, and Adam was devouring a pulled pork and slaw sandwich. Coco the cat was happily munching on scraps from Inzo’s shoulder.
“This is really good,” Adam said as I sat down. “Would it be awful if I asked you for the recipe?”
I smirked. “Sorry. That’s a family secret.”
“Damn.” Adam stuck out his bottom lip, pouting.
“How is business?” Inzo inquired. “This place does well?”
“I hope so,” I said with a sigh. “It’s been on the decline for a while. That’s why I had to come out here. After dad broke his hip last year, he hasn’t been able to be as active and his second had no idea how to run this place. It was a mess when I got here, Inzo. You wouldn’t believe.”
“Well, you seem to have turned things around.” He scanned the room, taking in groups of people, his tail swishing in the air.
“I hope so. If business doesn’t pick up, Bluz might have to close its doors in a few months. Which sucks because it’s a major source of income for the pack.”
“What?” Adam’s eyes widened. “But this place is awesome! This is the best barbecue I’ve had since my grandma used to make it.” He turned to Inzo and put a hand on the incubus’ arm, giving his husband his best pleading puppy eyes. “Inzo, do something.”
Inzo let out an exasperated sound and rolled his eyes, reaching into his jacket to retrieve his checkbook. He clicked a pen. “How much is a forty-nine percent stake in the business going to cost me, Dupris?”
I tugged at my collar and winced. “You, uh, may want to hold off on that until you hear what else I’ve got to say, boss.”
He leaned back and gave me a look that said he was waiting for me to continue.
Now or never, Gaston. Deep breath. “Okay,” I said, folding my hands on the table. “I know this is kind of sudden, but I swear to you, I wasn’t planning on doing this when I flew out here. I didn’t even know Greyson was still here, and I didn’t find out he was my mate until after I’d been here a while. Even when I did, I didn’t plan to leave Brimstone, but then I realized the pack needs me, and my dad needs me. I’m happy to fly back for a few weeks to train a replacement or give you the names of some good…What are you writing a check for? I haven’t finished.”
Inzo ripped the check free and slid it across the table to me. “You’re fired.”
I blinked. “What? What’s this then?”
“That’s your severance pay,” he said simply.
“But…” I looked down at the check and my eyes nearly fell out of my skull. “But this is a whole year’s salary!”
“Is it?” He flicked his tail dismissively. “I hadn’t noticed. Now, while I have my checkbook out, I’d like to purchase a stake in your restaurant. I’ve been looking to expand my restaurant empire eastward, but this isn’t the right market for fine dining, nor am I interested in building something from the ground up. It’s too much work, Gaston, and I simply haven’t got the time.”
Adam snorted, drawing a dirty look from his husband. “What Inzo is trying and failing to communicate is that he wants to help, and there are no hard feelings, Gaston. You’ve earned this. We’ll miss you at Brimstone and Northstar, but we want you to be happy. Besides, you’re only a short plane ride away, and there are way fewer paparazzi here than out west.”
“Plus, Adam wanted the recipe,” Inzo added, sneaking another French fry. “If I can’t buy the recipe out from under you for my anima, purchasing a stake is the next best thing. So…” He clicked the pen again. “How much?”
I grinned. He was going to have to talk to Dad about that before any money changed hands, but the deal was sure to go through. Dad wasn’t going to turn away Inzo’s money, not when the pack would benefit. As long as the pack retained ownership, he’d be down to sign whatever needed signed.
Since I’d been nose deep in the books for weeks, however, I knew a ballpark figure and gave it to him. Inzo didn’t bat an eye, just wrote down the number and asked me to set up a meeting with Mason Dupris. Then he and Adam left with their kitten for their hotel room, awaiting my call.
Di called last call at the bar, and slowly, people began to filter out.
It was almost three in the morning by the time we’d finished cleaning everything up. I was exhausted, and so was everyone else, but I gathered up the crew, thanked them for their time, and sent them on their way, all except for Grey.
While I tallied up the books for the night, he fed Simon and waited for me in the bar. I didn’t look up from my bookkeeping until I heard the familiar opening to Greyson’s favorite song coming from the jukebox. I smiled and put the pen down.
Simon looked up from where he was sleeping next to the stairs and wagged his tail in greeting. I gave him a quick pat on my way past.
Greyson was still standing at the jukebox when I made it out to the bar. I did my best to sneak up behind him, but I was sure he detected me. He still smiled when I put my hands on his hips and kissed his ear.
“How’d it go, Sunshine?” he asked as he started to sway against me.
“Record-breaking,” I replied. “You? How’d Boyd and Alabama take the news?”
“They were tickled as frog’s feet,” he reported. Greyson turned around and took my hands. “I think I’m going to call him, Gaston. Probably take the deal.”
“You should.” I threaded our fingers together briefly before pulling him closer, still swaying to the music.
“You sure you’re okay sharing me with the world?”
I tipped his chin up. “As long as you keep singing for me when we’re alone, too. Afraid you’re stuck with me, Greyson Boggs, no matter where you go.”
He smiled and kissed my nose. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
I’d really won the lotto with him. My best friend, my private song, my mate. He was everything I never knew I wanted, and I’d almost let him get away. That wasn’t a mistake I was ever going to make again. So, I held him close, and we danced long into the night.
Brewtiful's
A Culinary Creatures Novella
L Eveland
I woke up and winced at the light. My head hurt almost as bad as that time I got hit in the head with a flying puck.
Ugh, what liquor store did I drink last night? I lifted a hand, intending to wipe the drool off my chin, but paused when I felt something unexpectedly heavy pinning me down. Cracking open my eyes, I turned my head, despite the creaking complaints in my neck. What the fuck?
The girl laying next to me had dark fur on her shoulders and running up over her head. Adorable, feathery black antennae twitched on the top of her head. The weight I’d felt before belonged to a huge black wing with grey leopard spots.
Even hung over as fuck, the way those wings sparkled in the sunlight coming through the window was mesmerizing. I reached out and traced my fingers down the rigid edge, smirking when the wing quivered under my touch. Whoever she was, that was hot. It was too bad I didn’t remember shit from the night before.
Well, I remembered ditching my appointment with Cage to go dancing and drinking at The Millenium. Good thing I had, too, because I’d run into none other than Chef Adam Northstar, who’d promised to introduce me to his friend…
The winged monster next to me suddenly yawned, stretching one furry arm over his head. The blanket slipped down enough to reveal a muscled torso covered in fine black fur and the top of a perfectly tapered hip.
A male hip.
Oh my god. I was in bed with a dude.
To my horror, my cock gave an eager twitch. I might not have remembered what we did the night before, but my nether regions sure stirred to life like they did.
I’d messed around with a few guys when I was younger, back in high school, but nothing came of it. Besides, I liked tits. I dated girls. Lots of girls. I wasn’t into guys. Was I?
He turned over with a contented sigh and froze. I went rigid as I found myself staring into a pair of huge red eyes. And I mean red, as in there were no pupils or anything. All. Red.
We stared at each other in awkward silence for a minute, my heart pounding in my chest like I’d just done a dozen burpees. Then we both screamed and scrambled out of our respective sides of the bed, dragging bedding with us. Only problem was, we’d both grabbed the same blanket. He tried to muscle it away from me, but I yanked it my way, pulling him with it.
“Let go!” he snarled, flashing sharp teeth.
I shrieked in surprise and let it go, opting to cover my junk with my hands instead. “Who are you?”
“I’m Nicola Lightwing! Who are you?”
“Tripp Powers!” I frowned and leaned forward. “Wait, you don’t know me?” I thought everybody knew my face. After all, it was plastered all over billboards around town, and I’d been in a dozen ads on TV. Hell, I’d been in two Superbowl commercials. Everybody knew what my big dumb face looked like.
“No!” he shouted, defensive and then winced, putting a hand over his face. “Oh my stars. My head!”
Mine was still throbbing too, making it really hard to think. “Let me get some fucking pants on.” I turned, keeping my hands cupped over my crotch, even though he’d probably already seen everything, and searched the floor for my discarded clothing.
The room was a wreck of overturned bottles and little pieces of confetti. I squinted and picked one up. Why were they shaped like dicks? Never mind. It didn’t matter. I spotted a swath of dark fabric across the room and walked over to grab it, but frowned when I realized it was a shredded powder blue tuxedo jacket.
I blinked rapidly and looked around a little more carefully. There were roses on the table with a big CONGRATULATIONS banner half draped over the chairs. Next to the roses was a three-tiered, half-eaten wedding cake.
Oh no.
Oh, fuck no.
Holding my breath, I looked down at my hands and shifted the left one so it was on top. Sure enough, there was a solid gold band on my ring finger.
“Nicola!” I spun around. “Check your fingers. Quick!”
“Stop shouting.” He winced and rubbed his temples.
“Just do it, man.”
“Why would I…” He trailed off when he lowered his hands and looked at them, antennae twitching. “Where did this ring come from?”
“Probably the same place as the giant wedding cake, the roses, and the ruined tux.” I snatched a flier for the Graceland Wedding Chapel on the strip from the table and held it up.
Nicola stared at it. “No. We did not.”
“It sure as fuck looks like we did.” I held up my hand and pointed at the ring.
Nicola’s eyes dipped, and I remembered I was trying not to flash my dick at him.
I yelped and covered up again.
He rubbed his cheek and looked away. “Oh, please, darling. I’ve obviously already seen everything.”
“Yeah, but…” I blushed furiously, unsure how to feel about the whole thing.
It wasn’t like I was a virgin before last night, but I couldn’t imagine fucking a dude. The furthest I’d ever gotten before was an awkward hand job under the basketball bleachers, which hadn’t been terrible, but I’d never fucked a dude.
And here I was, married to one.
At least, I thought that’s what’d happened.
Nicola sighed and sank down to sit on the bed. “This is too much to deal with before coffee.”
Coffee, right. And something to eat, plus some water. That’s what we both needed. Once we could think straight, then we could deal with the fallout from whatever had happened last night.
I padded into the bathroom and grabbed a towel to wrap around my waist. Then I went to the minibar over in the corner to grab two tiny bottles of water.
Nicola looked up at me as I held one out to him.
My stupid cock stirred when he was looking up at me like that, and I blushed like an idiot. “Um. I know it’s not coffee, but we should probably… You know. Hydrate? That’s supposed to be good for hangovers, right?”
He took the water and opened it. “Thanks.”
“Welcome.”
I cracked open my own, but paused when Nicola opened his mouth and a long, tube-shaped tongue rolled out. He stuck it right in the water and sucked it up like his tongue was a straw. My dick decided we wanted to know what that felt like shoved in places and I sat down quickly, hoping that’d be enough to hide the semi I was suddenly sporting.
“So,” I started, “do you remember anything from last night?”
Nicola shook his head, antennae swaying with the movement. “Not much. I remember going to The Millenium with a bunch of friends and a new client of mine, but after that…”
“A client?”
He nodded. “I’m a talent agent. Signed Greyson Boggs not too long ago. He’s going to take the blues rock world by storm. I just know it.”
“Oh.” I chugged the entire bottle in one go and crushed it into a flat disc between my palms.
“You?” Nicola asked, looking over at me.
“Yeah, not much, honestly.” I shrugged. “I was supposed to meet with my assistant last night, but blew him off to go dancing. I was feeling super stressed and just wanted to relax. Not crunch numbers.”
“Crunch numbers?” He squinted at me.
I nodded slowly. “Yeah, I’m trying to open a coffee shop. It’s…not going well.”
I sighed and glanced away. That was probably what Cage wanted to talk to me about. He always wanted me to change something, to follow the next big trend so we could launch with a bang. The problem was, I didn’t want to follow the trends. If Brewtiful’s did what every other coffee chain did, how was it supposed to stand out?
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Nicola gently brushed velvet-coated fingers over my forearm, making me break out in goosebumps.
Fuck. Just what had he done to me the night before that I was reacting that strongly to a simple touch?
I squirmed, trying to do a better job of hiding my hard-on under the towel. “No, you’re probably right. I don’t know what I’m doing with Brewtiful’s. That’s why I hired Cage to be my assistant. It’s just that… Well, it’s not important right now. You want to order food and coffee?”
“Sure,” he said, waving a hand at me and falling over to bury his face in the pillows with a groan. “I’ll take care of it. Just give me a few more minutes.”
“Okay.” I looked around, deciding what to do in the meantime. “Hey, Nicola?”
He sighed and turned on his side toward me, not seeming to notice when the blanket slipped lower, almost to his knees, leaving him completely exposed.
I froze. Don’t look, Tripp. Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look! The more I thought about not looking, the more I just had to look and damn, that was a mistake.
Nicola had a thick tuft of dark fur trailing down from his belly and getting thicker at his groin. His cock jutted out, hard and lavender colored, from a flushed pink slit running between his legs. It wasn’t intimidatingly huge or anything. Actually, my first thought at seeing it was that it was cute, which was confusing as fuck. I’d never thought anything about anybody else’s dick before, let alone that it was cute.
It was different, but that apparently wasn’t a deal breaker as my cock immediately perked up, tenting obviously under the towel, and there was no hiding it.
“Why are you turning red?” he asked.
My face and neck were suddenly burning hot. “Um. Your, um…”
