“I don’t hide that I’m Zeus from my family. But we’re not talking about me.”
“Are you asking how my day was, Danny?”
The inherent tease in the words would have almost been infuriating, but in some ways that’s exactly what Danny was angling for. Anything he could use against Cho would be an asset. Ways to better get under the man’s skin, cater to what he wanted, what he liked. All while still playing their familiar game.
“How about one thing?” Danny said. “Tell me one thing aboutMickeyCho that I couldn’t read in a case file. Like…this apartment,” he turned outward on his stool, “your artwork,” he gestured at the photograph on the wall that had so intrigued him that first night, then raised his refilled wine glass before taking another sip, “why you have such good taste in wine.”
“Or whether or not I’ve seduced any other electric young men out of their pants?”
Danny smiled around the rim of his glass. “Whose pants came off first?”
“Yours,” Cho answered plainly.
About to protest, Danny recalled that the first time someone lost their pants it had indeed been him. “True…”
“How about something basic,” Cho said, pushing the plate of cookies Danny’s way and snagging one for himself. “Mickey? Is reserved for Lucy.Malcolm, I almost take as an insult. Never had much deference for my old man’s decisions where I’m concerned.”
“Okay,” Danny nodded—good to know. “So you prefer Cho? Or Ice Man?”
“Mal,” Cho said with a momentary drop in his guiled expression.
Mal. Of course, the way Cho had entered it into Danny’s phone. “Mal it is,” he said and snatched up a cookie. “So if we’re on a roll,Mal, how about another question?”
“I’m listening.”
“Where do you keep your costume? Got it locked away in some safe house, set to explode and take an entire city block with it if you don’t check in every twenty-four hours?”
Cho glanced away with a half-amused, half-chiding chuckle. “So dramatic. Besides, who says my gear is ever far away from me?”
Also good to know, not that Cho needed a costume to be dangerous.
They finished their meal and Cho got up to clear everything away while they divided the rest of the wine between them. The training instilled in Danny by his parents kicked in, and he got up to help, carrying dishes to the sink and putting the remaining food in the fridge, though he left the plate of cookies out. When he was done, he handed Cho his wine glass.
“Keep spoiling me, Sparky, and I’ll never let you out of this apartment.” Cho took the wine, and this time when he trailed his gaze down Danny’s body, he bit his lip as he got to the tight stretch of his jeans.
Stepping closer into Cho’s body, Danny kept his voice soft. “Yeah? Have me walk around in a speedo all day or just an apron maybe?”
“Apron…” Cho repeated. “Hmm…”
Danny giggled as he leaned closer, forcing Cho’s gaze to meet his. “Filed away in your list of things to drape me in…Mal?”
Cho shuddered. There was nothing more satisfying than causing that reaction in an Elemental made from ice. “Definitely,” Cho said and closed the gap between them.
They kissed. It was immediately apparent that their wine glasses were in the way. Danny pulled back to take them both and set them on the counter, then returned full force, grasping the curve of Cho’s jaw to pull him closer. He tasted of the wine, spicy and strong.
Gripping Cho’s hip with his other hand, Danny started to pivot them, backing Cho up until he felt resistance as they reached the island. “I couldn’t stop thinking about you,” he huffed against Cho’s lips, thumb tracing the man’s faint stubble, the fingers at Cho’s hip slipping up beneath his sweater.
“Yeah…?” Cho breathed back, barely any space between them. “Tell me.”
“The way you felt. Howgoodyou felt when I was inside you. How good it’s gonna be when you’re inside of me.”
This time, Danny felt the tremble work its way through Cho’s body and would swear the man’s skin felt a few degrees colder beneath his touch. “Anything else?”
“Your mouth.” Danny kissed it briefly then pulled at Cho’s bottom lip with a gentle bite. “God, your mouth. Anywhere.Everywhere. And my mouth on you…” As Danny spoke, helet his hands travel to Cho’s jeans and started to undo them, opening them up right there in the kitchen. They could move to the sofa or bedroom later.
Cho looked pleasantly flushed as Danny dropped to his knees.
“Killer Queen” erupted from the man’s jean pocket and he dropped his head back with a frustrated groan. Danny didn’t try to hide his frustration either because that was obviously Lucy’s ring tone.
