Edward
These damned business matters were going to drive me mad. Once again, I was running late, and today of all days was far too important for that.
I really needed to sort this problem out and start finishing my work on time.
Though, to be fair, the whole situation with my father had changed matters considerably. I hadn't even realised how much his influence had helped me in business.
Of course, I wasn't an idiot. I knew that being the son of the owner of a major conglomerate had automatically opened many doors for me. Still, I'd believed I'd already earned the respect of all the important people.
But as it turned out, having one's father on an international wanted list did very little to help with business.
Getting permission to open the bar had proved nowhere near as simple as Michael and I had once thought. We'd had to put in a huge amount of effort and dig up every connection we had to secure the damned licence.
Even then, it had taken nearly two months.
Two months!
By that time, the bar was already ready and just waiting to open.
And finally, after all that time, The Little Night would welcome its first guests tomorrow.
To mark the occasion, Kazuo had decided to throw a party tonight for everyone who had been involved, and naturally, he'd invited me.
I could hardly wait for the party.
Mostly because I hadn't seen Luka for several days.
God, I was glad I'd managed to get his phone number. Why had I been such an idiot for so long? I wanted to go back and hit my past self for not asking for it sooner.
Barely a few hours would pass before I started missing him, and my hand would drift towards my phone on its own.
Though it wasn't simply that I missed him.
I was worried.
Every day. Every hour. Every minute, I found myself worrying about whether he was safe.
I'd hired several men to keep an eye on him wherever he went, but that arrangement hadn't lasted very long. Luka had protested immediately, so now the most they did was sit quietly in a car outside the bar or outside Kazuo's house, where Luka was staying for the time being.
Those bastards who had attacked him were behind bars now.
Even so, I couldn't bring myself to stop worrying.
The people who had truly been behind all of it still hadn't been found.
My hands tightened around the steering wheel.
I didn't want Luka to see how worried I was, so I let out a slow breath, forced my emotions back under control, and turned the steering wheel.
The car turned onto a familiar street.
From a distance, I could see the sign for The Little Night glowing ahead, along with people making their way out.
It seemed I really was late.
The first thing I saw when I entered the bar was Michael standing on a chair.
I'd seen him in all sorts of states, but this was something new.
"You fucking lunatic, get your ass down from there!" Kazuo growled.
"No, let me speak! Do you even realise what a massive thing we've done? Just imagine it. This bar is going to be full of hybrids, and we're going to be brilliant. We're going to change the world!"
Michael shouted the last words, swayed, and toppled off the chair.
Kazuo caught him and set him back on his feet with a distinctly displeased expression.
I searched the room for Luka. He smiled when he saw me.
"Hi. I think your friend got drunk." He said, walking over.
"Drunk? He doesn't drink."
"My best friend!" Michael spread his arms wide and started towards me, evidently intending to hug me, but Kazuo grabbed him by the collar, forcing him down onto a chair.
"Sit your drunk ass down!" he growled.
"Well, this is all Kazuo's fault," Luka said with a grin.
"The hell it is," Kazuo shot back.
"Who told you to pour booze into a teacup?"
"How the hell was I supposed to know this idiot wouldn't even check what he was drinking? Besides, what sort of normal person gets this hammered after two sips?"
I burst out laughing.
I'd never seen Michael so drunk before.
It was hilarious.
"If he starts throwing up, I'm not cleaning up after him," Luka swore, glaring at Kazuo.
"Fine. I'll take responsibility for him," Kazuo said, giving Michael a stern look.
"James, can I touch your little ears? Please?" Michael sprang to his feet and reached towards the poor guy, who immediately recoiled from him.
Only Kazuo's hand on the back of Michael's collar stopped him from continuing to pester poor James.
"Knock it off," Kazuo growled, yanking him back into the chair.
"Then," Michael said with a sly grin, "if I can't touch his ears, I'll touch your tail instead."
And with that, he buried his fingers in Kazuo's wolf tail.
Kazuo's eyes went wide with shock. He pulled it out of Michael's hands and held it protectively against himself.
"What the hell are you doing?" Kazuo growled, staring at him in disbelief.
He looked at me.
"Send me his address. I'll drive this idiot back myself. If we stick him in a cab, he's definitely gonna find a way to get himself, and us, into trouble."
James hurried to his feet.
"I'm really, really sorry," he said apologetically. "I honestly wish I could stay longer, but I've got so much to do. I should get going too."
"Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll see you at work, James."
A few minutes later, when all the commotion had finally died down, Luka and I were left alone.
"They're so noisy," Luka said as he cleared the mess from the bar.
"They really are," I agreed.
He was wearing a bright yellow T-shirt today.
I'd never seen him in such vivid colours before. He had always worn his old jeans, and that grey hoodie pulled over his head.
Lately, though, he seemed to turn up in a different T-shirt every time I saw him, and every single one was bright.
"Yellow suits you," I said.
Luka blushed all the way to the tips of his fox ears.
"It doesn't. I'm like a chick."
"That's not true. You look wonderful."
Luka turned away and hurriedly started gathering every glass, mug, and teacup he could find onto the trays.
He was so adorable whenever he got embarrassed.
"Will you help me carry all this?" he mumbled without looking at me.
"Of course."
Luka headed straight for the kitchen and immediately started washing the glasses, piling them into the large sink. He was so energetic that before long his hands were buried in thick foam up to his elbows.
Damn, how incredibly fortunate I had been today. Fortunate that I had been delayed. If I had not been, I would have been forced to waste my time on everyone else. Instead, I could spend every second I had with him and him alone.
A large soap bubble drifted up from the sink, floating lazily around Luka. It wandered through the air for a few moments before slowly sinking lower and lower until it finally settled against the bare skin of his neck. The instant it touched him, it burst, scattering tiny rainbow droplets in every direction.
Luka shivered.
I felt something similar to jealousy. Jealousy towards that little bubble.
There I was, standing there, restraining myself, trying to look but not touch. And that thing had somehow brushed against his skin.
It was foolish, of course.
I knew that, but I couldn't help myself.
So I quietly approached him, making sure I didn't startle my little fox. Then, as gently as I possibly could, I pressed a kiss to the exact place where that damned bubble had touched him.
Goosebumps spread across Luka's skin, and a blush quickly crept over his neck.
I loved seeing him become so embarrassed like that. It was incredible. Incredibly tempting.
I ran my tongue over my lips, trying to hold myself back, but I failed.
I couldn't stop myself.
Leaning in again, I gently bit his neck in that very same place.
Luka flinched, immediately covering the spot with his hand before turning to me.
His eyes were wide with surprise.
His face had gone completely red.
"What're you doing?"
"What?" I smiled. "I'm not allowed to bite my own boyfriend?"
I watched him, trying to commit that expression to memory.
Flustered.
Adorable.
And there was something in his eyes.
Had he liked it?
"It's not like you can't," he mumbled, his voice growing quieter. "It's just... I'm washing these. I could drop one or break something, and Kazuo's gonna be mad."
I rested my hands on the edge of the sink, one on either side of him, leaving him nowhere to go.
"So if we don't break anything, I can carry on?"
"Well..." Luka muttered, doing his best not to look at me.
I pressed my palm against his neck and lifted his chin with my thumb, forcing him to meet my gaze.
He held my gaze for a second, then leaned forward, giving the tip of my nose the gentlest little bite.
I froze.
I hadn't seen that coming.
Heat swept through my body, and it took every ounce of self-control I possessed not to pull him into my arms that very second.
"Well, well, well." I couldn't help smiling. "My sly fox… You don't like it when I bite you? And yet you're quite happy to do the very same to me."
I let out a quiet laugh.
How he managed to be so unbelievably cute and so irresistibly attractive at the same time was entirely beyond me.
"Why are you so surprised?" he asked, peering up at me from beneath his fringe.
"You think you're the only one who's allowed to bite? I'm half fox, remember? If I were you, I'd be careful."
A playful grin spread across his face.
"Don't go teasing a wild animal."
He gave the softest little growl.
My heart skipped a beat.
That was it.
The last thread of my restraint finally snapped.
I drew him into my arms and kissed him, no longer able to hold myself back.
I had always been careful with Luka. Gentle. Patient. He meant far too much to me for anything else.
But holding myself back had become unbelievably difficult. Before I realised it, the kiss had deepened, and I felt his hesitant, unpractised response. Every uncertain movement reminded me that all of this was completely new to him, and that only made my heart beat even faster.
Something fell into the sink full of water behind Luka, bringing me back to reality.
He flinched, and our kiss broke for the briefest of moments.
It was enough for me to regain at least a little control.
I let out a slow breath, resting my forehead against his shoulder.
"What are you doing to me?" I murmured. "I'm running dangerously short of patience."
"Patience for what?" Luka asked.
The warm breath that accompanied each word brushed against my ear, sending another shiver through me.
I laughed quietly.
My poor, hopelessly oblivious bartender.
"Never mind," I said, straightening up. "Let me help you finish this."
Then I leaned closer again until my nose was gently brushing his.
"Unless, of course, you'd rather carry on."
His eyes widened.
"We certainly could," I continued, still lightly nudging his nose with mine. "Though I'd rather our first time didn't happen in the kitchen of this bar."
It took him a second to realise exactly what I'd meant.
The colour rushed back into his face.
I'd thought it impossible for him to blush any harder.
Apparently, I was mistaken.
He turned away from me, grabbed the towel lying beside the sink and, without so much as looking in my direction, shoved it against my chest.
I smiled, took it from him and started drying the glasses while he continued washing them.
We had so much time ahead of us.
And I wanted to spend every bit of it with him.
Even washing the dishes could become something wonderful when you were doing it with the person who meant the most to you.
As for everything else...
I glanced at my little fox and couldn't help smiling to myself.
We'd get there when the time was right.