Viper (Fallen Angel #2)(10)

“Glad I don’t have to fuckin’ drag your ass back here.” As his eyes fell shut again, he reached for me, running his hand along my hip before trailing it down to the curls nestled around my dick. He moved leisurely, like he was still half-asleep, not gearing up for another round, and I relaxed back into the pillow, content to let him explore.

Hard to believe this was the same guy who’d lashed out yesterday, and all because he’d been…jealous? Disappointed? Feeling possessive? All of the above? That didn’t go along with who he was at all, but he made it clear last night that he wanted me. Damn if that didn’t send a thrill humming through my veins.

“There something you want, Angel?” Viper said, his eyes still closed.

Yeah, there was. No point in beating around the bush; Viper was a give-it-to-you-straight kind of guy, but I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer yet, so I answered his question with one of my own. “And if there was? Would you give it to me?”

Viper lifted his head and pinned me with a scorching look. “With that face, does anyone ever say no?”

I grinned. “There’s a first time for everything.”

“And it is a week for firsts,” Viper said, settling on his elbow, his head in his hand. “Any other firsts you’d like to try before the sun comes up?”

“Is that the deadline, then? You turn into a pumpkin?”

“Nothing that sweet,” he said, the hand he had running circles along my pelvic bone coming up to brush over my lips. “I can see those wheels turning. Ask me, Angel.”

I opened my mouth to say, Ask you what? but Viper was a smart guy, and he could probably guess what was on my mind.

“Okay,” I said, bracing myself for whatever would come out of his mouth next. “What are we doing?”

“Well, I’m getting an eyeful of your delicious dick.”

I looked down to where I’d inadvertently put my body on display when I pushed the sheets off. I wasn’t shy about the way I looked, so I didn’t bother reaching for the covers. I’d rather Viper get his eyeful.

“I mean…what is this?” I asked, gesturing between us.

“A mutual fucking attraction, emphasis on the fucking.”

Snorting out a laugh, I shook my head. “Such a way with words.”

“Half of my charm.”

“I know. I’ve been introduced to the other half,” I said, looking pointedly at his cock. “Is that it, though?”

Viper’s hand went over his heart like he’d been shot. “Geez, Angel, I think you just hurt my feelings.”

“You know what I’m asking.”

“Do I?”

Okay, so he wanted to hear me say it. “I need to know where we stand, since it’s not like we’re never gonna see each other again. And after what happened yesterday, we can’t let whatever this is affect the band.”

“Whatever this is…” Viper repeated, testing those words on his tongue.

I thought back to the pissy way he’d dealt with everyone and the way he called me Halo. To know that I was the cause of his turbulent reaction was an eye-opener, and I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly.

“You were really upset that I left, weren’t you?”

Viper adjusted the pillow under his head again. “You can do whatever you want to do, Angel.”

“Except sneak out in the middle of the night.”

“Hell, you can even do that if you want to. Doesn’t mean I have to fuckin’ like it.”

“Huh. So is the problem that you didn’t tell me I could go or that you didn’t want me to leave?”

Viper opened his mouth to respond, and then snapped it shut.

“Viper?”

He sighed, rolling over to his back, and then he threw an arm over his eyes. “I don’t know. Maybe it’s both.”

“I knew it,” I said, grinning. “You’re a secret cuddler, aren’t you?”

He lifted his arm from his face for a second to shoot me a glare. “I don’t fucking cuddle.”

“Oh, yeah, you’re right. That’s absolutely not why you’d want me to stay all night with you. It wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact that you’d want to touch me or maybe lie on top of me.”

“Touching and fuckin’ spooning aren’t the same thing.”

I had to fight back a laugh, because damn, he protested too much.

“You know who I am, Angel,” Viper said.

“I do. But maybe this is more than that.”

“Maybe you want it to be more than that because you’re a romantic.”

“So what if I do? What then?”

“Time for the truth, huh? Okay.” Viper rubbed a hand over his forehead and then ran his fingers through his hair, pushing the wayward strands off his face. “I’m not a relationship guy. You already know that, but as far as what I want from you? That’s up to you.”

“Up to me?”

“I told you. You’re a romantic. You’ll want all the things I can’t give you, so it’s up to you to decide if you’re okay with this being just this. Nothing more, nothing less.”

So Viper didn’t want just a one-night stand, but he didn’t want a relationship either. Fair enough, and somehow more than I expected. Could I do it, though? Keep it to just fucking? With the way the band kept me busy most of my waking hours, I wouldn’t have time for anything more anyway, so having a fuck buddy of sorts to get in a release? Yeah, I could do that. With one stipulation.