STORY EXCERPT

Kevin Bowles woke up a couple of times.

The first time, he still felt cold. His body shivered, even when he tried to curl up in the warm, dry comforter he found himself buried under.

There was the vague, faraway sound of yelling.

He brought his knees up, desperate to hold onto some body heat, letting himself doze again.

The second time he woke up, he was totally dry, his body stretched out, and the comforter only half on his body, as though he’d kicked himself out of it now that he was a little too warm.

But his eyes still felt glued shut.

He managed to get them open, barely, and looked around the room he was in.

It was light. No longer raining. He recognized the space he was in. He’d seen it before. A couple of times. In his dreams, and whenever he went…traveling.

But he was really here. He could tell the difference between his travels and real life. This wasn’t a dream, and he was pretty sure he wasn’t having an episode.

Still, he probably shouldn’t have felt as safe as he did to put his head back down into the pillows and start to doze off.

That was likely a huge mistake, one that he didn’t have the luxury of making. Not with them chasing after him.

Still, it happened. It seemed Kevin couldn’t control his body, and the third time he woke up, it was getting dark again.

And there was someone standing over him, looking down at him, brows pulled together over green eyes that stared at him with a whole lot of confusion and worry.

Something inside Kevin woke right the fuck up at the sight of him, and his fist came up.

The man caught it before it could make contact with his nose.

“Okay, that’s not gonna happen.”

Kevin looked around, the familiar room suddenly not so familiar. Panic swelled within him and he couldn’t think straight. “Where am I? Let go!”

The man above him frowned, still holding onto his fist, as though he thought Kevin was going to try punching him again.

Maybe he would try it, but he just wanted this guy to let him go.

“You came onto our territory. You were in my room last night.”

“I…” Kevin shook his head, trying to remember.

He had been in here. He was sure of it. It had been so cold…his mind had started to wander, and he’d pushed himself here.

That part of himself that could leave his body and see…other things.

How the fuck he was supposed to explain that without getting the cops called on him, or put into a straight jacket, he had no idea. “I was…I was just…”

The man raised a brow. He had stupidly gorgeous auburn hair. Not the bright, ugly orange that Kevin sported. Kevin should be fearing for his life, but he found himself jealous of it.

This guy was gorgeous.

And he looked like the man Kevin saw every night in his dreams.

“All right…” He let go of Kevin’s wrist, finally, pulling back just enough to look down at him suspiciously. He sat on the bed, near Kevin’s knees. “You have two minutes to tell me what the hell you’re doing here and where you came from, Kevin Bowles.”

Kevin blinked, his spine stiffening. “What?”

“You had all your ID with you. You might want to be more careful with that.”

Great.

“Look, I’m really sorry.” Kevin realized he was still in bed, practically using the covers as a shield. He quickly tried to get out from under them and stand up, only to realize he wasn’t wearing anything at all.

“What the fuck?” He grabbed for the duvet again, pulling it around his waist. “Where are my clothes?”

“In the dryer, asshole. Did you think I was going to put you in my bed all soaking wet like that?”

He didn’t expect to be put into anyone’s bed. How the hell had he not noticed he was naked?

Kevin’s throat dried up, but the guy in front of him, still sitting, chuckled, as though the entire thing was amusing or something.

“You don’t have to worry about your virtue. You’re perfectly safe with me.”

“Fuck you, that’s not what I’m scared of.”

It had kind of been what he was scared of. He’d dreamed of this man for years. He’d dreamed of them fucking. Lots and lots of fucking.

This was him. This was the guy he’d been looking for.

But that didn’t mean he knew him.

The man sighed, pressing his hands to his knees, and stood up. “Right, well. I’m Brian. You’re the one who was in my room last night. You wanna tell me how you got in and out of here without me smelling you?”

Shit. Not this again.

“I…I don’t know how to explain it. You’d think I was crazy.”

“Really?” Red-brown brows rose up, as though he was accepting some sort of challenge. “Try me.”

Kevin rolled his eyes. “Look, can I at least get dressed first?”

“No,” Brian said slowly. “You’re going to tell me where you came from and who you are, or I’m going to wrap my hands around your neck and start squeezing.”

 

ADULT EXCERPT

 

Brian was a little ashamed to admit that his hands fumbled as he worked on the button and fly of Kevin’s jeans. The man kissed and nipped at him. He actually used his teeth, gently biting and sucking at the side of Brian’s throat.

Brian fucking loved that. It made his brain all heady. He could hardly seem to think and there was only the sense of how right this was.

How this was everything he ever wanted.

Erik could fuck off with his miserable self. Brian was going to protect his mate this time around. He was going to keep him alive and safe.

Fulfill his every need.

Their fumbling kisses were only interrupted when Brian had to get his mate out of his shirt, pulling it up and over his head. Kevin lifted his arms, letting it be removed before throwing it across the room.

Their pants were next. They undressed themselves and each other like Brian had just come back from a long deployment overseas and it was their first time together in so long.

It sort of was.

Brian moaned when they were finally skin to skin.

Kevin had tan lines. His thighs were well defined. As though he spent a lot of his time walking.

Or running.

Brian couldn’t touch his legs enough, and when Kevin straddled him, their cocks sliding together, he let his head fall back as he moaned.

Kevin didn’t seem to know what he should do with his hands. They slid across Brian’s chest, playing with the hair that grew there. Brian never figured he had a lot of hair growing on his chest and stomach, but Kevin seemed to enjoy what was available to him.

“You look…just like I thought you would,” he said, and then he smiled as their hips began moving.

“Yeah?” Brian kept his hands on Kevin’s thighs, looking up at him as the man canted his hips.

Kevin reached down, using both hands to wrap around their cocks, stroking them together while he thrust back and forth.

It was enough to make Brian’s eyes roll to the back of his head.

“Yeah,” he sighed. “Yeah,”

Brian wasn’t sure if his mate was agreeing with him or moaning from the pleasure.

It was so damned good.

Brian couldn’t look away from him.

His heart. The lover he thought he would never have again. A ghost he’d yearned for, here in the flesh, real, and making his body come alive with all kinds of pleasure.

“I need you,” Brian said, clenching his teeth, his hands, his entire body, aching.

He wanted to grab Kevin and throw him down, push himself between the man’s legs and fuck him, reminding himself of all the times they’d had together.

In their former lives.

But he didn’t want to hurt him either.

Kevin had a gift, like the other servants, but he was still a human, for the most part. Even keeping his hands to Kevin’s hips, gripping as he did, left the risk of bruising.

Kevin leaned in, kissing Brian on the mouth. Again and again, as though they were starved for each other.

Maybe they were.

“I…I want you to fuck me,” Kevin said. “Fuck me hard.”

Oh, well okay then.

“I could hurt you.”

Brian put his hand to the back of Kevin’s neck, just to touch. Kevin didn’t flinch away from him, but he did slow down the pacing of his hips.

He’d said that he understood, but Brian wasn’t going to be so stupid as to believe that Kevin wouldn’t unconsciously want to protect his throat. Not after what he’d been put through all those years ago.

“I trust you,” Kevin said, finally.

Brian pulled him closer for another kiss.

His heart. Kevin really was his heart. No one else had put Brian through his much pain, this much hope or pleasure.

He would give Kevin what he wanted, but Brian was determined to keep himself as in control as possible.

He wouldn’t hurt this man. Not ever again.

So he flipped them around, settling between Kevin’s thighs, pushing his legs up and delighting in Kevin’s gasp, in the way his cock jolted as Brian licked and sucked on his testicles, his hand stroking the length of Kevin’s cock.

Not as big as Brian, but he was a good size, and Brian was stupidly proud that his mate was as big as he was.

Kevin was his.

And his Kevin gasped for breath, fingers clenching into the sheet while Brian worked.

He would make sure Kevin was as relaxed and pliant as possible for what was coming next.

Love him. Love him so much.

“H-holy shit,” Kevin gasped, and his spine arched as Brian licked around his hole, tongue pressing teasingly to his pucker, even pushing inside a little.

The sounds Kevin made, the helpless mewling noises, were reward enough. Brian’s dick ached with those noises, he lived for those noises, so he did everything possible to make sure that his Kevin made them again and again.

“Oh fuck. Oh, fuck, I’m gonna…I’m gonna…”

That wasn’t what Brian wanted. He pulled back, lowering Kevin’s hips, and taking hold of his dick at the base, stopping him from reaching the orgasm he so clearly wanted.

Kevin frowned at him, letting off an annoyed huff. “What are you doing?”

Brian grinned and shrugged. “You thought I was going to just let you come like that?”