Centrepiece

Chapter
14

And
other short one.

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“Ah,
there you are.” Tala grinned as he spotted Ray sitting by the fire, cup of hot
chocolate in hand. “I was wondering where you got too.”

“I
went for a walk.”

“So
you said, but you were gone a long time.”

“I
didn’t take my watch.”

“Ah.”
Tala ignored Ray’s abruptness as he moved toward him, dropping down beside him
and glancing quickly into the flames. “So how long have you been back?”

“Half
an hour.”

“And
you didn’t come in and join us? We missed you, you know.”

Ray
shrugged it off. Sure you did,
Tala. You just missed having your own personal little sex toy around while Kai
was screwing your lights out. “Didn’t think you even noticed me go.”

“Oh,
we noticed. How could we not?” Tala cocked his head to the side, blue eyes
sparkling. “When something as cute as you leaves a room it’s hard not to
notice you go.”

Suck.
Again Ray shrugged, taking another sip of his drink.

Tala
watched him for a moment, crystal eyes narrowed thoughtfully as they seemed to
calculate, blinking lazily and causing those long eyelashes to brush his cheeks.
Ray had to admit, despite everything, Tala was
beautiful. Slightly taller than Kai, Tala had the smallest build of all those in
the flat, so thin he looked as if the slightest breeze would blow him over, but
Ray knew it not to be true.

In
strength Kai and Tala were equals, and their strength was almost unnatural. Yet
at the same time Tala was graceful and almost feminine, smooth in every sense of
the word yet at the same time so abrupt. His skin was still paler than most,
though nowhere near as pale as it had been the first time Ray had lain his eyes
on him in the grounds of Balkov Abbey.

Tala
had been smooth then too, an air of authority radiating off him as he stood back
and allowed Ian to battle Tyson, though it had all been a lie, a ploy to draw
out time while Boris moved in on Kai and convinced him to defect to the
Demolition Boys, a ploy that had worked and almost led to Biovolt taking over
the world.

Ray
suppressed his shudder as he brushed those memories off.

Tala
reached forward, the crook of his index finger under Ray’s chin as he raised
the youngers head so that golden eyes met aquamarine. “Are you okay, Ray?
You’ve been acting rather… strange
of late.”

So
he has noticed. “It’s nothing. I just haven’t been feeling too
good, that’s all.”

“Right.”
Tala’s eyes narrowed, telling Ray that the redhead didn’t believe him.
“Are you sure that’s all that’s wrong? Don’t need to go to the doctors
or anything, do you? Just to be sure?”

“Tal,
I’m fine.”

He
nodded, eyes narrowing further still before he seemed to shrug it off, leaning
forward to gently kiss Ray. “I have some news for you.”

“Oh
yeah?” Ray tried to fight the nausea. Why
am I feeling like this? Tala is being nice. I should be lapping it up.
“Like what?”

“Like
a little get together organised by the BBA. All the teams will be there.” Tala
kissed him again, Ray already seeing what this was going to lead too. “You
don’t see your friends much anymore. Might do you some good.”

“Mm.”
Ray had to put his hot chocolate down as Tala slid closer, lips moving over
Ray’s neck. “When is it?”

“In
a couple of weeks. I already said we’d all go, even if it means holding Bryan
at gunpoint.”

Ray
couldn’t help but smile at that. “Can we hold him at gunpoint anyway?”

“Tempting.”
Tala chuckled, hands gliding below Ray’s waistline and closing around him,
causing Ray to stiffen.

“Tala.
What if Bryan walks in…” Oh please do.
Get me out of here!

“You
have a point.” Tala stood, drawing Ray with him and kissing him again, gliding
an arm around his waist and tugging him toward the bedroom, giving the younger
no means of escape even if Ray had tried too. “My teammate can be such an
inconvenience at times, don’t you agree?”

Ray
said nothing. He was too busy trying not to be sick.

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You've
got to feel sorry for Ray. He doesn't even get a choice.