27 - The darkest night will pass…

“Not long enough to do what I want,” Seth murmured as he looked at Kemp, his eyes bright with need and desire.

“I…well,” Kemp whispered. “After?”

“Oh most definitely after. I don’t want some quickie in the men’s room.”

Kemp didn’t know quite how to respond to that. “Meaning…” He paused and Seth immediately understood.

“No, no, I didn’t mean that the way it sounded. Well I did, but not the way you took it.” He cupped Kemp’s face in one hand, not caring that they were standing there impeding the other dancers on the floor. “I don’t…damn…I’m not looking for a fast bit of sex and then back to work. That’s not me. If I find a man I’m interested in, I want more than that. Much more.”

It took a moment for Kemp to process what Seth was saying. “How can you be interested in me?”

Seth snorted softly as he took Kemp’s hand, leading him away from the crowd to an empty space at the edge of the room. Leaning back against the wall, he wrapped his arms around Kemp’s waist loosely to keep him from moving away.

“Why shouldn’t I be interested? You’re smart I think—most of the time—and sexy and just a bit scary.”

“Scary?” Kemp laughed. “Me?”

“Yes, you. I…” Seth took a deep breath, about to admit something he wasn’t certain he should. “I saw you late one night, dealing with a vampyre. You were a totally different person then. All business and deadly. Very deadly.”

“I would hope so,” Kemp replied somewhat tersely. “It is what I was created for. I’m surprised, after seeing it, that you’d want anything to do with me.” He tried to pull away but Seth wasn’t having any of it.

“I knew what you were even before I met you. You know that. And I was prepared to hate you on sight. But I didn’t.” Tracing a knuckle along the line of Kemp’s jaw, Seth told him, “I saw sadness in you that I wanted to ease. I wanted to take away your pain.”

Kemp smiled, leaning into the touch. “So you decided to lecture me almost ad nauseam.”

“I did and since you’re here I guess it worked.”

“I guess it did.” Without thinking about the consequences, Kemp kissed Seth. Just a swift touch of their lips that gave promise there would be more, if that was what Seth wanted. “When do you get off,” he asked quietly as he pulled away.

Seth told him, saying he’d wait for him outside the club if Kemp was delayed. He took a moment to return the kiss, slowly and gently. “Until then,” he murmured.