Page 25 of Rubbing One Out

Chapter 10

Ben caught Dae as he fell. He’d seen the sudden wooziness cross Dae’s face and instinctively reached out to steady him. He hadn’t quite expected to find a hundred and eighty pounds of warm, pliable man in his arms.

“I’m fine,” Dae gasped as he clutched at Ben’s waist. “It’s only a silly dizzy spell. Take me outside, please. I need air.”

Ben wasted no time in hauling Dae across the dance floor, pushing people out of the way in his haste to get to the deck. He pushed the half-ajar door fully open with his foot and stepped out as Dae took a gasping breath.

“Bouncing Balls, that’s better.” The Djinn took in a few more deep breaths, his exhales misting before him. Ben held him close, making sure he didn’t fall again. At least, that’s what Ben told himself.

The scent of Dae’s spicy perfume—not aftershave, because the man never seemed to grow hair on his face—brushed his nostrils like the delicate touch of a spring breeze. It was intoxicating and Ben closed his eyes and drank it in.

“Thanks,” Dae said quietly, still ensconced in Ben’s arms. “I was feeling a little out of it.” He leaned back against Ben, his hair tickling Ben’s nose. The side of Dae’s neck was only centimetres away from Ben’s lips and he had the insane desire to kiss it and never stop until he’d reached the dark tattoo peeking out of the top of Dae’s shirt. Ben yearned to see it and trace it with his tongue.

“That’s okay. Glad I have my uses.” Someone was smoking, and the scent of it overlaid Dae’s more pleasant fragrance. Ben wrinkled his nose in annoyance. “Couldn’t have you face planting in there and hurting yourself.”

They stood together in easy silence as their breath frosted and Ben felt the soft throb of Dae’s heart against his chest.

“Can I ask you a question?” he asked. “And will you answer me honestly?”

Dae snorted softly. “You can ask, but I can’t promise any reply, let alone an honest one.”

“How did you come to be in the lamp?” Ben asked quietly. Dae’s body stiffened slightly in Ben’s arms, and he held him tighter. “Don’t go. I promise to accept whatever answer you give me, but I care about you and I’d like to know.”

“It’s only been six days, Benjamin,” Dae muttered but didn’t attempt to escape Ben’s grasp. “It’s a bit of a reach to say you care about me, surely?”

“You don’t get to decide how I feel,” Ben whispered against Dae’s perfect shell ear. He smiled at the shiver that ran through Dae’s body. “Your choice is to give me an answer or not. Which one will it be?”

“Given I seem to be your prisoner, I suppose I have no option,” Dae said waspishly. Ben grinned. There was his sassy genie. “Fine, I’ll give you the details but I need a drink in my hand first. Can we go home, and sit comfortably? Then we can talk.”

Ben had no problem with that. “I’ll check on Ryan, see if he’s okay, then we can get going. Meet me outside by the exit.” Reluctantly Ben released his grip on Dae and with a pang of regret, they separated.

“Fine. I’ll see you there. Tell Ryan I said good-bye, and I hope he’s having fun.” Dae brushed past Ben and disappeared inside.

It took a while, but eventually Ben found Ryan hunkered down in a quiet side booth, a smile of pleasure on his face as he huddled close to a man with broad shoulders and a messy shock of chestnut hair. Ryan waved when he saw Ben.

“Hey, Ben, how you doing? Where’s Dan?”

Ben motioned behind him. “He’s on his way out. We’re going home. Everything okay with you?” He nodded at the stranger, who nodded back with a grin. Ryan waved a hand at his tablemate.

“This is Frankie. He’s into building restoration, like museums and churches and stuff. Isn’t that fascinating? He’s been advising on some renovations at Winchester Cathedral, isn’t that cool?”

Ben agreed that was indeed cool, and was glad to see Ryan was comfortable in the club.

With a proper good-bye, he made his way to the exit.

***

Tess was pleased at their return and followed Ben everywhere, her tail wagging. He reached down and ruffled her fur. “Good girl. Do you fancy a quick snack while I make some tea?” He looked around guiltily. Dae thought Tess was getting a bit tubby, given Ben’s habit of feeding her snacks and—to Dae’s horror—pizza slices. Dae was still in the bathroom, brushing his teeth, so Ben slipped Tess a small piece of cold meat from the fridge.

He busied himself making their hot drinks then took the steaming cups through to the lounge. As Ben sat in his chair, Dae wandered through, dressed in his lounging pants and a loose long-sleeved top. He looked vulnerable, not like the sassy smart-mouth Ben was used to.

While Ben wanted to hear Dae’s story, the one thing he didn’t want was to cause the man undue stress or trauma, especially since he already had nightmares. “If you don’t want to talk, that’s all right,” he murmured, taking a sip of his tea. It was white and sugary, the way he liked it. “I’ve no claim on you or your story.”

Dae unrolled his long limbs gracefully onto the couch, pulling his shirt over his knees and then clasping his arms around them. He stared down at his hands, his hair obscuring his face. “I know that. You aren’t forcing me to do anything. I choose to tell you what I’m going to say.” He looked up. His beautiful purple eyes looked haunted. Ben noticed faint shadows beneath them. “You’d think I’d be over it all by now, but some things stick and won’t go away no matter how much I wish they would.”

He took a deep breath. “You need to understand my homeland, Quimaria, is a place of contrast. Our rulers are a mix of empathy and empirical arrogance. Lord Regent Dhimrin— whom you’d call a king here, I suppose, but we called him Lord—was tough, and ruled with an iron hand, but was open to change and progress. Lady Brinil, however,” he uttered a harsh laugh, “was not as understanding.” He stopped, staring down in contemplation at his feet. Ben waited patiently.

After a while, Dae carried on. “Their son, Master Regent Aether, was the joy of their lives. He was a year younger than me, and the people’s hero. Handsome, caring, and always ready to defend the underdog.” His lips twisted. “Except when it came to me. The man he should have protected with all his heart.”