Page 60 of Once a Rogue
“Three times, really,” said Wesley, “if you count the time you passed out in the London alley.”
“En serio? Pero mira, Wes, I was saving your life that time.”
“Yes, and you barely knew me. What if I’d run and left you unconscious by Fenchurch station? Left you vulnerable to Mercier or any number of London’s crooks?” Wesley exhaled smoke, and then ground the cigarette in the ashtray. He might not be able to resist lighting them up, but he could put them out before they were done.Progress, someone might say, if that someone were an insufferably perky twit. “You saved my life with no care for yourself that night. I need to be able to hold my own in your world, forbothof our sakes, and that’s not going to happen if you feel like you have to coddle me like you’re my nurse.”
Sebastian gave him a suspicious look. “Are you in a mood?”
“A bit, yes,” Wesley said testily. “I’ve been jerked around since we docked in Manhattan and I still don’t know what’s going on. Paranormals are not winning favor with me right now.”
“I’ma paranormal.”
“And you’re cosseting me worse than Lady Pennington with her Maltese, Powderpuff.” Did Wesley soundsulky? Christ, everything about this was unacceptable.
The waiter reappeared, carrying a tray of drinks. He set one in front of Sebastian and one in front of Wesley. “Tonic water and top-shelf gin. Try not to party too hard, gents.” He disappeared again.
Wesley picked up the gin, sniffed it, and grimaced. Top-shelf his arse; this was likely distilled in a bathtub. He tossed it back anyway; Prohibition didn’t exactly give him room to be choosy.
Sebastian took a sip of tonic water, cringed, and set his own glass down. “This tastes off. I don’t want to think about the state of the kitchen here,” he said. “And I don’t think you’re Powderpuff.”
“I should hope not, or you’ve been wildly reticent about your previous sex life.”
“Wes.”
“Might explain the affinity for animals, though.”
“Wesley.” Sebastian leaned forward. “You are the smartest, most competent man I’ve ever met. You know you don’t have to prove anything to me, yes?”
“I don’t know anything of the sort,” said Wesley. “You come from a completely different world, where you grew up with magic and a family legacy to protect those without it. And you don’t know what to do with me.”
He gestured to himself. “I can admit to my own shortcomings here. As I’ve told you, I’ve spent several years knowing I was the meanest, most powerful person in almost any room. Now the paranormal shoe is on the other foot, so to speak, and it’s fantastical and thrilling and also humbling, and I am shit at being humbled.”
“But you’re doing great,” Sebastian protested.
“And that, right there, is exactly it,” said Wesley. “In my world, no one would dare say something to me as patronizing asyou’re doing great. In your world, you don’t give a solitary fuck if I hold you at gunpoint. And I can admit I am not handling that with aplomb, butyouare not making it easier by insisting on shielding me likeI’mthe delicate tropical flower.”
Sebastian huffed. “I just didn’t think you liked Eddie the bouncer—”
“Do I have to like someone to speak to them?” Wesley said testily. “If that were the case, I’d never utter a word to a single person on the planet besides you.”
Sebastian propped his chin on his hand. “So you still like me even though you think I treat you like Powderpuff?” he said ruefully.
Wesley snorted. “Do you still like me even though I just took you to task for ten minutes over it?”
Sebastian smiled, just a tiny bit sly. “You should have given the lecture in the bed again. I learn better that way.”
“No you don’t,” Wesley said wryly, like Sebastian’s words hadn’t just made heat bloom in his core. “If you did, we’d hardly be having this conversation, would we?”
“I guess next time you’ll have to lecture me harder,” Sebastian said, with a straight-faced innocence that sent that heat stealing through Wesley’s blood. Everyone else got quiet, polite Sebastian; only Wesley got this flirtier side, and it was headier than the gin.
“I know you don’t try this shameless impertinence on anyone but me.” Wesley leaned forward. “And before you get cocky, remember that the last time Ilecturedyou, it was hard enough you lost control of your magic.”
Sebastian gave him a dirty look. “We agreed we weren’t going to talk about that again.”
“No,youdon’t want to talk about it again,” said Wesley. “Iplan to bring it up in perpetuity. We’ll be eighty years old and I’ll still be teasing you—”
He hastily cut himself off. It was one thing to jest with Sebastian over what to call their relationship, quite another to assume they would spend decades together.
But Sebastian grinned. “You’llbe eighty.I’llbe seventy-five.”
