Rosko, Mandy - Night and Day (Siren Publishing Classic ManLove) by Mandy Rosko Read Free Book Online Page A

intended for that to come from his mouth.
    Cedric’s face remained pink, but this time, it was a pleasurable thing to behold.
    Silus sighed and sat down. “Regardless of that, there is still the small matter of my family wishing to kill you.”
    “It’s not so much them I’m concerned about ending my life as it is you.”
    Silus could have snorted if it would not have been so crude. “Of course. I am a vampire.”
    “No, I’m not talking about the whole vampire-sun sprite, love-to-hate-each-other thing.”
    Silus lifted a brow, certain there was a jest in there he was not getting.
    “I’m engaged to be married.”
    A blood rage blinded him. That this sun sprite was already claimed, and belonged to another, yet came here to Silus, was the worst sort of insult.
    Cedric jumped up and grabbed his arm, spinning him before he could leave. “It’s an arranged marriage.”
    Everything in the little room returned to its proper color, no longer red and angry, but there was still a great deal of annoyance flowing in his blood. “Then you have no choice in that matter. Still, may I ask why you would then involve yourself with my kind?”
    With me was what he wanted to say, which was the epitome of stupidity.
    “I’ve been engaged to my cousin since she was born,” Cedric said, “but I never found out about that until several months ago, right before she came of age. Today was actually supposed to be our wedding day, but she’s sick in bed, so it’s being postponed. Last night when you invited me back, I had no plans of returning.”
    “But now that your cousin is ill, it leaves you free?” Silus’s anger continued to simmer. This horrible revelation from a relative stranger should not make his insides clench like they did. He did not enjoy the knowledge that he was being used.
    Cedric’s face was sincere. “That’s not why I’m here. If you want me to go, I’ll go. It’s your choice, and I won’t beg to stay.”
    Would the sprite actually consider begging?
    “As for being free, it’s a yes and no sort of thing.”
    Silus lifted a brow. “I would think marriage would be one way or the other.”
    Cedric bit his bottom lip. “You’re right, but I want you to hear this. A few days ago, I spoke with my father, and he gave me permission to have my own private bachelor party, per se. Just me and Ben.”
    Silus bristled. “That human? ” He would kill the man when he saw him next.
    “He’s my bodyguard. We weren’t going to sleep with each other. He needs to go where I go.”
    Silus recalled Cedric ordering the man to return home after they had met last night, and his flaring temper calmed again.
    “It was to hide from my mother and extended family that I was going to find a man to spend the night with. He had no idea I was looking for a vampire,” he quickly added at Silus’s shocked stare.
    “He wanted me to get it out of my system. One last fuck before I settled down with a wife I didn’t choose.” Cedric’s muscles clenched and unclenched as he chewed on his bottom lip.
    Silus felt a twinge of pity for him. He could never comprehend what it would be like to be forced to marry and Cedric seemed to truly be struggling with his words. “Right before I met you I kept thinking what it would be like if I said no. What could they really do to me except toss me out? After I left your room last night, I decided that whether I came back or not, I wasn’t going to do it.”
    Cedric took a breath. “I talked to my father again today anyway, to try one last time to get him to see reason, and his answer was still no. He still fucking said no. He’ll always care about what others think of him more than me.”
    Silus waited, but for what, he was not entirely sure. Of course there would be no tender feelings to be had between them. Cedric had just admitted he had only been searching for a night of fun, something meaningless to be had regardless of what his marital status would be the next day. This was an