Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 63199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 63199 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 316(@200wpm)___ 253(@250wpm)___ 211(@300wpm)
Luke seemed to be hesitating. “His homophobia actually isn’t the biggest issue. The thing is…” He sighed. “I’m not sure I should be talking about it with you—Roman will be pissed off—but I can’t say nothing. Vlad…he’s bad news.” He let out a laugh. “Yeah, it’s probably hypocritical of me—my boyfriend isn’t exactly a saint—but Vlad always made me uncomfortable in a different way.”
Sebastian frowned, confused. “What do you mean?”
Luke looked at his phone before lifting his gaze again. “Vlad’s done some really ugly things in the past.” He smiled crookedly. “Don’t get me wrong—Roman is hardly a saint, either, but he’s cool-tempered and calculating. He doesn’t lose his cool easily, and he’s actually capable of love. Roman can be cruel with his enemies, but he loves his family and me, and he’s ridiculously protective of the people he loves. Vlad is different. He doesn’t have a family to mellow him out. He has a foul temper, and he loses it pretty easily. Obviously I can’t know whether it translates into his relationships—”
“What?” Sebastian said, chuckling. “There’s no relationship between us!”
Luke gave him an odd look. “I didn’t say there was.”
Right. Talk about embarrassing.
Sebastian crossed his arms over his chest. “Is that all you wanted to talk about?” he said uncomfortably.
“One more thing,” Luke said, his brows furrowed. “Roman has told me something about Vlad…He said Vlad was raised by a very old-fashioned family in a very old-fashioned village, and he’s Russian, so…I mean, it’s a stereotype that all Russians are homophobic—I’ve met some really lovely, supportive people while I was in Moscow, and Roman’s family is pretty open-minded, too—but there’s some truth to it, unfortunately. And apparently, Vlad’s family was as homophobic as they get. So be careful with him, okay? I think he’s actually gay, but I doubt he’ll ever admit it. The more he wants you, the more he’ll hate you and blame you for that.”
Sebastian shifted from one foot to the other.
“Anyway, I warned you now,” Luke said with a shrug. “Just so you know. What you do with that information is your choice.”
“You didn’t need to warn me off him,” Sebastian said after clearing his throat. “Really, what you saw was a mistake.” He forced out a chuckle. “I know what an asshole he is. I’d be crazy to get involved with him.”
Luke smiled. “Yeah, you would be. You can do so much better.”
Sebastian smiled back before grabbing Hermione and retreating to his room. Once inside, he put Hermione down and looked at her.
“I can do so much better,” he told her.
Hermione meowed. He chose to take it as an agreement.
“Yeah,” Sebastian said. “No more snogging homophobic bullies.”
Hermione meowed.
He sighed before banging his head against the door behind him.
Chapter 8
Vlad woke up with his mouth full of fur. Coughing, he pushed the offending thing off and glowered at it.
It was a cat. A fat, ugly ginger cat.
By the looks of it, it had pissed on his bed.
Grabbing the cat and causing it to yowl in protest, Vlad stalked toward the room opposite his.
The door was cracked open, which explained how the cat had gotten out, but after the last few days, Vlad wasn’t in the mood to be understanding. He pushed the door open and strode to the bed.
The occupant of the bed didn’t even stir. Sebastian was sleeping peacefully on his stomach, his lips a little slack as he snored softly. The sight spiked a fresh surge of restlessness and anger.
Vlad’s gaze traveled from the wavy raven hair, down the curve of Sebastian’s bare back, to the twin dimples above the generous swell of Sebastian’s ass clad in pajama bottoms. For a model, the guy really had a huge fucking ass.
“Keep your stupid cat in your own room.”
Sebastian didn’t stir, just mumbled something sleepily.
“Wake up.” Vlad put his fingers around a slim ankle and squeezed. Hard.
No reaction.
He looked at Sebastian’s ass. His hand twitched. No, smacking it would be too gay.
Vlad moved his gaze to the cat in his hand, contemplative. The ugly thing looked back.
Vlad smiled and threw it on top of Sebastian’s hair. The cat yowled.
“What the…?” Sebastian grunted, rolling onto his back and rubbing at his eyes. He cradled the spooked animal to his bare chest and glared sleepily at Vlad. “Do you have to be an asshole to innocent animals, too?”
“That innocent animal pissed on my bed.”
Sebastian patted his cat on the head, smiling. “Bad girl, Hermione. You should have pissed on his dumb face.”
Vlad snorted. “Hermione? I thought you couldn’t get lamer. What grown man names his cat after a children’s book character?”
Sebastian smiled, very sweetly. “Oh, you’re a fan, too! What’s your favorite Harry Potter pick-up line?”
Vlad gave him a flat look. Did this guy think he was funny?
“This must be the room of requirement, because you’re exactly what I need,” Sebastian said, looking stupidly pleased with himself. “Wait, I know more. Let me think…”