STORY EXCERPT

He didn’t know how long he had lain there, but the next thing he knew, there was a gong going off, reverberating through the house. It seemed to linger a little longer in his room, as if it was scolding him for being late for dinner.

He flew out of the bath, the waves crashing around him.

“Shit, shit, shit!” he cursed under his breath. He wrapped a towel around his bottom half just as a knock pounded on his door. Without a second thought, he threw it open, excuses ready on the tip of his tongue, but they all fell away when he caught sight of him.

Tall with blond curls and an angelic face, probably about the same age as him. He wore his black suit like he was doing it a favor. Alex struggled to remember where he was for a second. Who was this man? He thought he had been introduced to everyone. Why hadn’t Alan mentioned that he had a guest for dinner? Then it all fell into place at the same time the man extended his hand out to him.

“Emmett Billingswood, pleased to meet you, Mr. Reed.”

He didn’t miss how Emmett’s eyes traveled down his body. He held one hand tight to his towel as he shook the man’s hand.

“Alex, please.”

A soft smile spread over Emmett’s mouth. “Alex,” he said, testing his name out.

Alex cleared his throat. “Please excuse my…erm…” He gestured to his body. “I know I’m late.”

“Nothing to excuse,” Emmett said quietly, the smile not leaving his face. “I’ll meet you downstairs in the dining room when you’re ready. Don’t worry. I’ll get Alan to hold off the dogs.” With one final flash of his teeth, he disappeared down the corridor.

Alex fought off the urge to follow him.

Shit! Clothes, clothes, clothes. He needed clothes.

He let the towel drop to the floor as he rifled through his unpacked bags. This will have to do…

He settled on a baby-blue dress shirt and dark brown trousers. He towel-dried his hair as best he could before his feet carried him down the corridor in search of the dining room. The portraits of past Loves stared down at him in judgment, their eyes following him as he sprinted.

“I’m late, I know, I know, so sue me,” he muttered under his breath, taking the spiral staircase that led him to the hallway. Not far now, surely, he thought. I’m going to need a map of this place. Then he caught a glimpse of Alan’s surly gaze, and he knew he was in the right place.

“Sorry,” he muttered as he slunk into the room.

A long, wooden table snaked through the center of the dining room, while even more portraits lined the wall, Loves in all their finery, jewels sparkling. Emmett sat at the end of the obscenely long table. A place was set next to him. Alex joined him at the table with a smile, and Mary and Alan served the first course, prawn cocktails in tall glasses.

They ate in silence, and Alex could feel the tension creeping up his spine. How had he ended up here, with perhaps the most beautiful man he had ever seen, being served by two of his late godmother’s servants? He shook his head and popped another spoonful of prawns into his mouth.

When he looked up, Emmett was studying him. “A little surreal, no? I know you must be jet-lagged, and I’m sure your grief is playing on your mind. Please allow me to express in person just how sorry I am about Miss Love’s passing.” His hand fluttered above the table, as if he had wanted to cover Alex’s hand with his own and then thought better of it. Alex wished he hadn’t paused to think.

“I know you’re probably exhausted, so we can simply enjoy tonight’s dinner. Perhaps tomorrow, over coffee, we could go over the details of your godmother’s estate?”

Alex almost breathed an audible sigh of relief. He just didn’t have the brainpower for it all tonight. And Emmett was right. He was grieving. Being here in England, in her house, dredged up memories he thought long buried in his adolescent mind. Memories of sitting on her knee, reading fairy tale after fairy tale, the smile playing on her lips when he asked for more, more, more. He was greedy for stories, Red Riding Hood, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, Robin Hood, you name it, the story was in her collection. Now his collection, he supposed.

“You know, little one, the greatest fairy tales of them all are our own. Someday you will go on a great quest, Alex Reed.”

“I will?” His little eyebrows had furrowed on his little face.

She had chuckled. “Oh yes, one worthy of the great man you’ll become.” Then she had pressed her lips to his head.

He smiled at the memory, the next few courses passing quickly. With every mouthful of his decadent red wine, he could feel himself slipping. He was exhausted. He felt as if he could sleep for years.

ADULT EXCERPT

They couldn’t keep their hands off each other. Now, back in Alex’s bedroom, they didn’t have to. Alex had been ready to beg Emmett to take him to a room with a door they could close.

Their kiss was slow, languid, like they both wanted to savor the moment. Savor each other. Alex felt his heart hammering against his ribcage as Emmett dipped his tongue into his mouth, exploring, venturing. Emmett seemed to like what he found, judging by the low groan that reverberated from the back of his throat.

Emmett tilted his head to take Alex’s mouth deeper, to claim it at an angle he liked. When Alex moved it to the exact angle he wanted, Emmett would reward him with a deeper kiss, pushing him back against the bedroom wall, his fingers lacing around the back of Alex’s head to protect him.

Alex grinned against his mouth.

Emmett broke the kiss, heat blazing in his eyes. He didn’t remove his hands from Alex’s hair, like he needed to touch some part of him.

“Something amusing you?” he questioned.

“No, God, no, just…” Alex tipped his head back to press harder against the hand that held his head. “Always my protector.”

“Always,” said Emmett, and it felt like a promise.

Alex swallowed thickly. He could feel the swell of his cock pushing against his boxers, his shorts, like it wanted, needed, to escape, to be touched.

He shifted, trying to get more comfortable. Emmett traced the movement then dipped his hand and traced the outline of Alex’s cock. His hips bucked at the merest contact, and Emmett chuckled, likely knowing that Alex was eating out the palm of his hand.

The bastard. Alex didn’t know Emmett would be like this, so dominant, so confident. It made him wonder about his sexual abilities. They must be damn good if he were being so cocky. The grin that spread across Emmett’s face told Alex everything he needed to know.

Emmett dipped to his knees, tugging Alex’s shorts and boxers so that they fell around his ankles. Alex squeezed his eyes shut, feeling exposed, so exposed. Did Emmett like what he saw? Was Alex what he expected? When all he felt was the cool air and Emmett’s silence, Alex opened his eyes to see Emmett staring up at him.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered, and Alex felt a chill lace up his spine. “Let me show you how beautiful you are.”

At the first point of contact of Emmett’s mouth, an embarrassingly low moan escaped Alex’s lips. Emmett lightly kissed his way up and down his cock in teasing light strokes of his lips. Gooseflesh trickled its way up his skin. More. He needed more. Could he even handle more? He was a moaning mess at this alone. Emmett’s tongue coated his dick in one long lick and his cock twitched, seemingly begging for more, more, more. It seemed this man could do the bare minimum and he would have Alex writhing, moaning, unable to remember his own name. A throaty chuckle from Emmett vibrated up the length of him, like he had heard his thoughts, his begs of more, and then Emmett was no longer doing the bare minimum. He was sucking and bobbing and lightly biting like his life depended on it. His other hand cupped Alex’s balls, massaging them, like he was trying to massage his come from him. Alex’s hands fell lazily onto Emmett’s head, his body going limp at the pure heady pleasure coursing through his veins.

Emmett knew Alex was close. He seemed to sense it. He flicked his tongue over the head of Alex’s cock, licking it around the rim, moaning at the taste of pre-cum he found there before it was all Alex could do not to scream, to rattle the house awake, as he spilled his release into Emmett’s mouth. Emmett waited patiently, like he had nowhere else he would rather be, before sitting back on his heels, a self-satisfied smile passing along his face. It took Alex a minute to realize he’d swallowed his come. All of it.

He was panting, panting, panting, as Emmett rose to his feet.

The look on his face seemed to say, What now?

And Emmett’s replied with, Just you wait.

Emmett covered Alex’s mouth with his own, forcing Alex to taste himself, to taste his pleasure. For some reason, it got him going, heating his blood to new levels.

They tore each other’s clothes off, kissing furiously, backing toward the bed, and Alex allowed himself to trail his hand downward. His breath caught in his throat. Emmett was huge, beautiful. He rolled his dick in his hands, cupping the base and tugging once, twice. Emmett hissed, and Alex had never heard a more beautiful sound.

He wanted Emmett. All of him. Emmett looked up, meeting Alex’s gaze. Emmett’s usually pale face was flushed, and Alex felt a small sense of satisfaction that he was the one who had disheveled him, because God knew, Alex was a mess for Emmett.