Mine

CALENDAR BOYS FEBRUARY: MINE …Travis’s well-trained pet didn’t look or acknowledge Erik in any way. Travis wrapped the leash around his hand once more, but the chain remained lax. “It’s a good year.” A beat passed. Erik wondered if the other man would otherwise ignore him. Then Travis poured two fingers worth of the whiskey into the lone glass and slid it to the corner of the table. The alcohol burned going down. Erik stole the welcome warmth and turned it into something stronger, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wry smile when he pushed the empty tumbler back. “Care for some company? Not that you’re lacking, of course.” This time when he looked at the man on the floor, Erik let his gaze linger appreciatively. “He’s extraordinary.” Travis ran his fingers through the pet’s brown hair with unmistakable pride. Pride shone in his eyes, too, though there wasn’t a hint of anything warmer. “Would you like to see just how extraordinary he is?” It was impossible not to get even harder at the dark promise. “I would love to.” Travis tugged sharply at the chain, jerking the pet from his hands to kneel upright. “Take me out.” His pet didn’t hesitate. His long, sure fingers unfastened Travis’s pants and pulled his erection from the leather

confines. “Now show our new friend here what you can do with that pretty mouth.” Another sharp tug on the leash brought the pet’s mouth down to Travis’s cock. “Suck me down. All the way.”

ALSO BY JAMIE CRAIG Fortune’s Honor Keeping Time Master Of Obsidian Mosaic Moon Seduction In Black And White Unveiled Calendar Boys January: Miami’s Perfect Weekend February: Mine March: Kiss Me

CALENDAR BOYS

FEBRUARY: MINE BY JAMIE CRAIG

AMBER Q UILL PRESS, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com

CALENDAR BOYS FEBRUARY: MINE AN AMBER QUILL PRESS BOOK This book is a work of fiction. All names, characters, locations, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination, or have been used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, locales, or events is entirely coincidental. Amber Quill Press, LLC http://www.AmberQuill.com All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced in any form, or by any means, without permission in writing from the publisher, with the exception of brief excerpts used for the purposes of review. Copyright © 2008 by Pepper Espinoza & Vivien Dean ISBN 978-1-60272-203-3 Cover Art © 2008 Trace Edward Zaber

Layout and Formatting provided by: Elemental Alchemy

PUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

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CHAPTER 1 Music bled into the street, a razor reminder of what hid behind the brick walls. From his vantage in his parked Mercedes, Erik Haden watched the couple he’d followed to the club stop in front of the bouncer. The leash the smaller man wore on his collar looped loosely around the taller man’s wrist. Both wore black leather, though the exposed skin of the pet gleamed pale beneath the streetlamps, and Erik caught only a glimpse of the owner’s profile before they disappeared inside the building. That was okay. He would recognize Travis Canavan in a dark alley with a blindfold on. Erik would need no help in finding him again, once he was inside the club as well. 1

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Noiselessly, he stepped out of the car, pocketing his keys as he strolled toward the entrance. There were a million places like Bound in New York City, places where power was a commodity to be displayed and savored. If they knew vampires regularly came in and out, they never said a word, too eager for the pleasure and pain that always followed them. As long as bodies didn’t show up on the doorsteps the next morning, they turned a blind eye. Just because it was the day before Valentine’s didn’t make a difference in that. As Erik approached, the bouncer looked up from his perch. It took only one glance for him to nod and angle his body away from the doorway, the unspoken invitation to enter the only one Erik needed. The bouncer was a pro. Erik might not wear the specific accoutrement that was typical of Bound, but his power had a visible mantle all the same. Recognizing a force to be reckoned with was the bouncer’s only job. Inside, the music wasn’t nearly as deafening as it should have been, considering how much reverberated through the walls. Lighting was low and intimate, and plush booths lined the perimeter, each with its own curtain that could be drawn if the occupants wished privacy. Décor was in black and white, which typified much of the men’s apparel as well. Erik stood out in the faded blue jeans that molded over his strong thighs, the dark blue sweater that heightened his broad shoulders. More than one set of eyes looked him over as he prowled through the crowd. Everyone smelled hungry, a perfume they wore as clearly as the scent of their blood rushing in their veins, but Erik ignored the eager desires reaching out and 2

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wrapping around him. He had his prey already in sight. They sat in a booth in the corner, as far away from the throbbing speakers as possible. Well, Travis sat. His pet knelt at his feet, head bowed, his dark hair tumbling across his sculpted cheeks. Under the strobing lights, his skin glistened, the tribal tattoos that snaked over his bare arms writhing with their own life. The black leather pants he wore pulled tight across his hips, outlining the bulge of his erection and the studs of the cock ring at its base. Travis looked bored. Erik couldn’t tell if that was just an act for the benefit of anybody who might be watching him, or if Travis really was tired of the scene. Occasionally, he would reach down and smooth the hair out of his pet’s eyes. Each caress was explicitly absentminded, a deliberate part of the show. A practiced indifference to having such an exotic and unusual pet sitting patiently at his feet. Erik didn’t approach. He waited until their eyes caught, and something new flittered across Travis’s face. It was just a shadow, but Travis couldn’t hide his interest. Seconds ticked by. Their gazes remained locked. There was no reason to hurry this, after all. Erik had been waiting a long time for this particular meeting. After a couple minutes, he turned to the bar, pulling out his wallet as the bartender approached. “Send a bottle of your best whiskey over to the corner booth,” he said, tossing four hundred dollar bills onto the counter. The bartender didn’t blink at the request or the money. Minutes later, a cute little waiter in silver eyeliner and silver 3

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chains carried a tray containing a bottle and a tumbler over to Travis’s booth. Travis poured a measured amount, saluted Erik with it, then took an equally measured sip. He poured the drops that remained in the glass into his hand and offered the alcohol to his pet. He dutifully lapped it up, his eyes remaining downcast. Under Bound’s lights, Travis Canavan looked every inch the hunter Erik knew him to be. Tall and lean, his muscled chest was clearly visible beneath his leather jacket, the dark stubble shading his jaw lending an added air of danger. Intelligent blue eyes drank in everything, moved with deliberation as he watched Erik saunter up to the booth. He hid weapons somewhere on his person, but for now, Erik contented himself with simply knowing they were there. Travis wouldn’t do anything too blatant in public. At least, not yet. Casually, Erik leaned against the thin partition that separated the booth from its neighbors, hooking a thumb through one of his belt loops. Travis’s attention flickered for just a moment to the thick outline of his cock, semi-hard against Erik’s thigh, but a moment was all Erik wanted. “I thought your excellent taste might extend to whiskey, too,” he commented, nodding toward the bottle. Travis’s well-trained pet didn’t look or acknowledge Erik in any way. Travis wrapped the leash around his hand once more, but the chain remained lax. “It’s a good year.” A beat passed. Erik wondered if the other man would otherwise ignore him. 4

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Then Travis poured two fingers worth of the whiskey into the lone glass and slid it to the corner of the table. The alcohol burned going down. Erik stole the welcome warmth and turned it into something stronger, the corner of his mouth lifting in a wry smile when he pushed the empty tumbler back. “Care for some company? Not that you’re lacking, of course.” This time when he looked at the man on the floor, Erik let his gaze linger appreciatively. “He’s extraordinary.” Travis ran his fingers through the pet’s brown hair with unmistakable pride. Pride shone in his eyes, too, though there wasn’t a hint of anything warmer. “Would you like to see just how extraordinary he is?” It was impossible not to get even harder at the dark promise. “I would love to.” Travis tugged sharply at the chain, jerking the pet from his hands to kneel upright. “Take me out.” His pet didn’t hesitate. His long, sure fingers unfastened Travis’s pants and pulled his erection from the leather confines. “Now show our new friend here what you can do with that pretty mouth.” Another sharp tug on the leash brought the pet’s mouth down to Travis’s cock. “Suck me down. All the way.” Though he watered at the image of the pet dropping his jaw, Erik remained motionless as the wet tip of Travis’s arousal disappeared past the full lips, those same lips 5

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stretching around the long, slim shaft, the throat bulging as it swallowed the entire length. Travis brought his free hand to the back of his pet’s head and rested it there, refusing him the room to pull back. A low humming pulsed beneath the music. Erik didn’t need to ask to know that it came from the man kneeling on the floor. “He doesn’t need to breathe?” he asked. “No.” The word was thick, the first sign that Travis’s passive exterior was beginning to crack. “Not this one.” He looked up to Erik. “For the same reason you haven’t taken a single breath since walking over here.” He didn’t blink. “And you’re not afraid he’ll bite your dick off? You’re either very brave, or very stupid.” “Oh, this one is a pussy cat.” He scraped his nails across the pet’s hollow cheek. “But I’ve taken the proper precautions.” Erik wanted to slide into the booth, but that would mean losing his terrific perspective on the spectacle. With his eyes closed, the pet’s lashes were thick and dark against his cheeks, and the muscles in his throat were in constant motion. He could almost feel the massage Travis’s cock must have been getting. Rubbing his palm along his own erection, Erik licked his lower lip. “I don’t suppose he’s for sale.” “No. Not this one. It’s taken me too long to break him. You can’t put a price on the hours I’ve invested.” His hand moved over the pet’s bowed back, drawing Erik’s attention to 6

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the scars he hadn’t yet noticed. “I’ve got a few others you might be interested in.” “I like this one.” “This one is not for sale.” Travis’s gaze moved sideways again, locking on the outline of Erik’s cock. “But we might be able to work out some sort of arrangement. I’m not an unreasonable person.” There was no mistaking his meaning, but Erik wasn’t going to bend that easily. “I can more than afford a few hours with him, if that’s what you have in mind.” “I’ve no doubt you can afford it. But I don’t like to share my favorite pets.” Erik smiled. “I don’t remember saying I’d share.” “You won’t get him to yourself.” “But I could get him with you?” “Yes. And a fee.” Straightening, Erik closed the few feet distance between them. He dropped his hand over the one Travis had on his pet’s head and pushed, forcing Travis’s cock even deeper into the throat. “I don’t get on my knees for anybody,” he warned. “And I like my partners to bleed.” “You don’t need to get on your knees for me. I’ve been waiting for the chance to see how far I can push this one. I’m sure he’ll bleed enough for you.” Erik slid his hand down the hollowed cheeks until he found the soft sac the pet couldn’t quite manage to suck into his mouth as well. Without looking away from Travis, he 7

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stroked it several times before squeezing lightly. “And if I want to fuck you, too?” Travis’s chest hitched, and he didn’t respond immediately. It only took him a few seconds to recover, but it was a few seconds too long. “I think that can be arranged.” Satisfaction pounded through Erik at the same rhythm of the music. He squeezed Travis’s balls again, smiling when his breath caught, then released him to reach for the whiskey. “The name’s Erik, by the way,” he said as he poured some. “What do I call you? And the pet?” “Travis. This one is Joel. But he’ll answer to anything you want to call him.” Travis watched as Erik downed his drink. “Do you have any place in mind?” He licked his lips, catching stray drops of alcohol as he contemplated the question. “I’m not really the patient sort. Do you have a problem with getting a taste here first?” “I don’t have a problem with that at all.” He tapped the back of Joel’s head. “Stop, boy. Sit up. You’ll need to tell me what you want him to do. He’s been trained to follow only my command.” There were a lot of things he wanted Joel to do, but as he regarded the dark head bowed in supplication, Erik knew they were limited by their surroundings. Bound was progressive, but even it had its limits. “Lay him across the table,” he said, drawing the curtain closed. They lost half their light, the only illumination the candle flickering in the sconce on the wall. “I want to feel that throat around my cock.” 8

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Travis smiled and rose to his feet, pulling Joel up with him. “Get on the table.” The vampire dutifully crawled onto the flat surface, resting on his hands and knees. Travis held him there for a moment—no doubt showing off how still and patient his pet was. “On your back. Open your mouth.” Joel followed each command without hesitation. Travis worked quickly, unfastening his pet’s leather pants and yanking them down his legs. Once his ass and cock were exposed, Erik saw that the collar and cock ring weren’t the only things adorning Joel’s body. Travis pulled a thick plug from Joel’s ass and set it aside. The light danced across his pale skin, etching the tattoos even darker. Erik stood at the edge of the table, his throat tight as he gazed down upon the other vampire’s slim beauty. “He really is a magnificent creature,” he murmured. “I don’t think I’ve ever had a better pet. He’s smart, too. Most of them end up getting themselves staked pretty early, but he caught on quick.” Travis slid his hands up and down Joel’s muscled thighs. “I plan to keep this one for a long time.” “I don’t blame you. If he was mine, I don’t think I’d be willing to even share.” He tore his focus away to glance at Travis’s leaking cock. “I can help you get into his ass, if you want.” Travis nodded and licked his bottom lip as Erik gripped the base of his cock. He flexed his fingers, squeezing Travis’s shaft before guiding him forward to Joel’s stretched hole. The pet didn’t move, didn’t even flinch, as Travis’s head breached 9

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his ass, and Erik’s grip remained firm as he sank deeper and deeper. He knew Travis expected him to let go, but when the side of his hand brushed against the taut muscle of Joel’s ass cheeks, Erik merely smiled and squeezed harder. “I don’t think I would’ve bothered with the plug. They scream louder if they’re not stretched first.” “I like to make sure this one is always ready for me.” His voice wasn’t quite so steady anymore. Erik detected the slightest tremble at the end of each word. “There are other ways to make him scream.” Erik pushed back against the man’s crotch, urging him to begin pumping. Reaching for the whiskey, he dribbled it over Joel’s cock, his smile widening when it visibly jumped. “You’re going to have to share some of those with me.” He couldn’t resist any longer. Erik bent down and ran his tongue along the pet’s shaft. “I’ll pay for the whole night, of course.” Travis sighed, his eyes heavy as he watched Erik’s tongue chase another drop of whiskey. Erik kept the rhythm slow, and the other man didn’t resist or try to move faster. “Of course. His mouth is still open. Don’t you want to get a taste of what he can do?” With words escaping him, Erik shook his head. He lapped at the fluid until it was all gone, only pulling away to pour even more, creating a pool right at the tip. When Travis’s tempo faltered, Erik tightened his hold and glanced at him out of the corner of his eye. 10

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“I want to feel you fuck him,” he growled. “Don’t stop.” Something like anger passed over Travis’s face—his eyes narrowed, his hard lips thinned further, and his brow creased. His features smoothed over again almost immediately. Erik tugged at him, forcing him to move a little faster, though he expected Travis to balk. But he only braced himself against the edge of the table with both hands and bent his head, his tongue catching a bit of whiskey that Erik had missed. As Travis started to fuck his pet, Erik sucked the tip of the cock past his lips. He stopped at the crown, digging his tongue into the slit to chase the pre-come seeping from it. He wasn’t sure he could remember the last time anything tasted so good. When the sticky fluid was all gone, he lifted his eyes and met Travis’s icy gaze. “I want to hear him come. Tell him to make whatever noise he wants.” Travis loosened the heavy cock ring without missing a beat, turning the small screws that held the ring in place. “You can come when I do, boy. Erik wants to hear it. Make whatever noise you like.” A flood of moans immediately assaulted Erik’s senses. “Oh, that’s it,” he said softly. His tongue swirled around the velvety cock, finding the thick vein that ran along its length. Through his lashes, he watched Travis fuck him, clearly frustrated with his lack of penetration. The next time he pushed inside, Erik let him go, reaching down to cup his balls instead. Erik squeezed Travis’s sac with the same force he had 11

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used on his shaft. Travis cried out, but Erik barely heard him. Joel’s moans were getting louder, and he even began to gasp, his body twisting beneath Erik’s mouth. His muscles seemed to be vibrating, trembling with some unlocked need. Travis moved harder, slamming into his pet with only Erik’s hand to check his force. Finally succumbing to his desire, Erik opened his mouth and swallowed down Joel’s length, stopping when it was buried in his throat. He closed his eyes and savored the way his lips stretched around it, the way Joel quivered beneath him, the way the music echoed through all three of them. With his nose buried in the pet’s balls, he smelled every drop of precome leaking from Travis’s cock, every bead of sweat collecting on Travis’s skin. The only thing that would make it better would be the taste of blood. He’d prefer blood hot and fresh, erupting from a vein, but in order to get a bite of Travis, he’d have to take his mouth off Joel. His fangs extended, and he let one tip nick the base of Joel’s shaft. The pet’s blood splashed against his tongue, mingling with the whiskey that still lingered there. Joel jerked beneath him, rising up to meet Erik’s mouth with a guttural moan. Travis immediately grabbed his pet’s hip and forced him back down to the table, holding him still as he continued to plow forward. Erik sucked out thin threads of blood, teasing the small cut with his tongue, and swallowed around Joel’s cock again and again. His entire body ached. He couldn’t remember the last time 12

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he’d been this aroused, but the last thing Erik wanted was to tear his mouth away and focus on his own erection. He wanted to hear Joel shout, wanted to taste his come, wanted to feel him convulse over and over again. But he’d been forbidden to come until Travis did. That left little option. Letting go of Travis’s balls, Erik shoved his hand between the man’s thighs and sought out his hole. It was tight, tight enough to make him growl in anticipation of what it would feel like stretching around his cock when he fucked the hell out of Travis, but he was relentless as he shoved his index finger deep into its depths. He found what he was seeking right away and scraped across the man’s prostate, looking up to measure Travis’s response. Travis’s face contorted, his eyes squeezing shut, his mouth falling open. He came with one more violent thrust of his hips, and Erik smelled the salty fluid mere seconds before Joel jerked against his tongue. His shout of release was louder than Travis’s had been, and it seemed to thrum through Erik, echoing in his mind. He swallowed the pet’s jizz, making sure he didn’t lose any of it as the shaft continued to twitch between his lips. The other vampire didn’t move when Erik finally found the fortitude to straighten. The pet’s cock slapped against the taut stomach, and while it would have been tempting to stay down there and suck until it was completely soft, Erik resisted. He dragged the back of his hand over his mouth. “He’s worth whatever you want to charge,” he said, his voice thick. 13

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“I want the whole night.” His eyes flashed as they locked with Travis’s. “With both of you.” Travis nodded and tucked himself in his pants. He named a number, but Erik barely heard him. He could have named any price, and Erik would have nodded and agreed to pay it. Once Travis’s pants were fastened, he deliberately tightened the cock ring again, and yanked on the leash. “Stand up and get dressed.” Turning to Erik, he added, “I have a place that’s just a few blocks away. It’s convenient.” “I’ll follow you there.” And he would. He had waited too long for this night. He would follow Travis to hell if he had to. It wasn’t as if hell was a new notion for him. After all, that was where he’d lived for the past six months.

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CHAPTER 2 Travis did not often invite strange vampires to his home. He had only gone to Bound to show off his pet—he hadn’t planned on trading or sharing him for the night. But there was something about Erik that Travis couldn’t resist. Maybe Travis had simply been responding to the raw hunger in his eyes when he looked at the pet. Travis couldn’t blame him—the first time he had seen the vampire, Travis had vowed to make him his. He beat Erik to the apartment by a few minutes, but that was all he needed. He ordered the pet to strip before leading him into the room he had converted into a dungeon. There was enough serum to keep both vampires safely under control. The 15

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only problem was injecting it. He doubted Erik would let him slam a long needle through his neck. “Do you like Erik?” The pet blinked. He wouldn’t respond unless ordered to do so. “Well, you must. I think that’s the first time you’ve been allowed to come this month, isn’t it?” Another blink. “He’s paid a pretty penny for you, boy. If you make one mistake tonight, you’re going back to your cage. Do you understand? Answer me.” “Yes, Sir.” “Good.” He turned away from the pet to fill another syringe with the serum. This one was pretty easy to control without the thick agent, but Travis was more comfortable with the added protection. “Show me your neck.” The pet lifted his head immediately, but the revulsion on his face was clear. Travis didn’t mind, though. He could inject the serum anywhere. It didn’t matter. But he enjoyed forcing the pet to expose his throat—an act the vampire so clearly hated. Jabbing the sharp needle into the pet’s muscled neck, just above his collar, made Travis hard. More than that, it made him ache. He wanted to slam his cock down Joel’s throat. Only the knock on the door stopped him. “Come on. Let’s go greet our guest.” 16

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The pet dropped to his hands and knees and followed on the leash. When the serum kicked in, it would make him docile, pliable. Travis hoped the chance to use the serum on Erik would present itself early. Just the thought of getting the big vampire on his knees made him tight. And adding a vampire like Erik to his collection? Travis couldn’t help but smile as he opened his front door. He had thought Erik was riveting at Bound, but here, under the softer illumination of his home, the vampire was even more arresting. Blond hair mussed into a deliberate windswept look, a wide brow with gray-blue eyes that bored right through you beneath it, an aquiline nose above a mouth that was downright sinful. He was powerfully built, the thin weave of his sweater highlighting rather than hiding his muscled arms and chest, and he stood as tall as Travis at six-four. Travis’s gaze swept downward. There it was. The thick cock clearly outlined in the worn jeans. If he fucked Joel without stretching him first as he’d hinted at Bound, he’d tear the pet’s hole. The thought of blood dripping down the back of Joel’s thighs made Travis’s mouth dry. “I half-expected you to answer with your cock buried in his throat again,” Erik said with a wry smile. “I’m not sure I’d be able to resist if I were you.” “If you had been a few minutes later, that’s exactly how I would have answered. Come in.” He pushed the door wide and allowed Erik to enter. “It’s your show tonight.” He gestured to the dungeon, and then to the bedroom. Erik stopped at the pet’s side, dropping his hand to the top 17

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of Joel’s head and absently stroking the dark hair. “Maybe we’ll start with some discipline. I’d love to see how you got him so well-trained.” Travis nodded. There were many, many reasons to keep a vampire for a pet, but Travis’s favorite was how well vampires could take punishment. They could take whatever he dished out, and were always fully healed and ready for more within a day or two. He led the pet back into the dungeon and over to the bench Travis had designed and built himself. It had a bar in the middle for the pet to lean over, putting his ass in the air. Another bar at the front was the right height to hold his throat and head steady. The bench was made of two parallel bars, and there were chains in place to hold down the pet’s legs and arms. It gave Travis perfect access to any part of the pet’s body he wanted to reach. “Up.” There was just enough slack in the leash for Joel to climb into place without Travis having to move to accommodate him. The bench was adjustable, but it had been set for Joel’s slighter build for months now. None of his other pets interested him enough to bother with adjusting it. Settling his ankles and wrists directly in place, Joel lowered his head in mute compliance, waiting to get chained in. Erik slowly circled the bench. The hunger was back in the vampire’s eyes, and more than once he licked his lips. He paused behind Joel and reached out to stroke a strong flank. “I have to fuck him soon,” he mused. “You two are one up 18

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on me for orgasms already.” “You should warm him up first.” Travis opened a cabinet to reveal a wide array of floggers, whips, and other blunt instruments. His collection was much larger than what was represented there, but these were the items that always garnered the best response from Joel. “Nothing beats fucking him after he’s been tenderized.” He turned back in time to see Erik pulling the plug out of Joel’s ass, running the come-coated tip up and down the crack. Erik’s intense eyes, however, were fixed on Travis, catching his attention for long seconds before raking down his body. “And what about you?” Tossing the plug aside, Erik prowled closer, every step slow and measured until he stood directly in front of Travis. One more foot, and he’d have Travis pinned to the open weapons. Travis wasn’t completely convinced Erik wouldn’t try that anyway. “I meant what I said back at Bound. I’m paying for both of you tonight.” Erik grabbed Travis’s hips and pulled him flush against his own. “And as delicious as your pet looks, nothing beats a hot, human hole squeezing around my cock.” Travis knew it was a serious gamble to fuck a vampire—or let a vampire fuck him—before drugging the creature. He wouldn’t be able to simply overpower this one. But he felt like he was a little drugged. Erik’s body was hard, and the thought of having that thick cock buried in his ass made his blood run hot. He never let his pets fuck him, so he would be tight for Erik. 19

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“If you fuck me first, it’ll give the pet a chance to…recover from earlier.” A slow smile turned Erik’s eyes feral. Travis almost expected to see fangs already. “Eager, are we?” He leaned in closer, as if to kiss him, only to turn at the last minute and drag the tip of his tongue over Travis’s cheek until his mouth reached Travis’s ear. “You’ve been drooling over my cock since I walked up to your table. Almost as much as I’ve been watering at the thought of letting you have it.” Travis couldn’t deny it. He palmed Erik’s erection, rubbing it through the stiff jeans, and was rewarded with a soft moan in his ear. “I think the pet isn’t the only one who will scream for you.” Goose bumps rippled down his back when he felt the almost delicate probe of Erik’s tongue along the curve of his ear. “Is he the only one who’ll bleed for me, too? Or will you let me get a taste of more than your come?” Teeth caught the lobe and bit down just hard enough to sting. “I might be persuaded to make a trade for that. You fuck my throat. I get a few sips of your blood.” His shirt hid the scars covering his neck and shoulders. His obsession with vampires really came down to his obsession with their fangs sinking into his flesh. He did let his pets bite him—always as a special treat. Joel had had more than one taste of him, because Joel was a fast learner. And because 20

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Travis had developed the serum for this very purpose. But he kept his voice neutral. He didn’t want to encourage any serious biting until he could get Erik injected. “That sounds like a fair trade to me.” “Let’s get my cock nice and slick then.” With one last squeeze of Travis’s hip, Erik pulled back, glancing over his shoulder at the bench. “Get him chained in. I’ll feed him my cock first if you want to play with him a little.” For the first time in months, there was something in the room that interested Travis more than his pet. But he certainly didn’t have a problem watching his pet suck down Erik’s cock. Joel had such a perfect mouth for swallowing cocks. He secured the chains, pulling them just tight enough over the pet’s arms and legs to hurt. When he turned around, Erik had lost his pants, and he looked even better than Travis had imagined. His mouth watered to wrap around the shaft, to pull his lips tight over the smooth skin. He damned near hit his knees right then, but he wanted to see his pet’s throat bulge with Erik’s length. Erik stood in front of the bench, pulling lazily at his shaft. His eyelids were heavy, his focus transfixed on the bowed head before him. Without the encumbrance of denim, his cock seemed thicker, pre-come already shining at the tip. Every other stroke, he wiped his palm over it, and after half a dozen of those, he held his hand out in front of the pet’s nose. Joel didn’t move. A frustrated growl came from Erik. “Docile is one thing,” he shot at Travis. “A reactionless puppet is another.” 21

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“He’s not a puppet. He just knows who he belongs to.” Travis ran his hand down the pet’s back. He did not like to pass over his authority to anybody. The pets generally found it confusing. But he thought the night would be better for him if Erik wasn’t left unsatisfied and frustrated. His hand went between Joel’s thighs, and he cupped his heavy balls. “Do what Erik wants you to do, boy. Anything he wants for the rest of the night.” The pet tilted his head then, and from the softening of the lines in Erik’s wide forehead, Travis could tell that he was pleased with what he saw. “You are a pretty thing,” Erik murmured. He pulled back the hand Joel had been licking and grasped his cock again, swiping the wet tip over and back along Joel’s face. “Show me how much you want it.” Joel immediately opened his mouth, his tongue darting out to chase Erik’s cock. He moaned as soon as the tip brushed against the slick head. Erik kept it just out of reach of the pet’s lips, teasing him, but Travis knew Joel would not stop trying to catch the thick cock. Erik finally relented after several moments, pushing his length past Joel’s lips and along his tongue. Travis watched, rooted in place, as Erik’s shaft disappeared bit by bit, inch by inch, into his pet’s waiting mouth. Travis didn’t move until Erik’s balls brushed against Joel’s chin. Travis moved away from the bench long enough to grab a few items from his cupboard. A weight for the pet’s balls, and a hard paddle with raised, silver studs. 22

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Erik cradled the back of Joel’s head, keeping him tight against his crotch as he watched Travis return. “I want to see you, too.” It was the first time Travis had heard any loss of control in the vampire’s voice, and now it rasped like sandpaper over his skin, making him shiver. “Do what you want, and then get undressed. I might end up sucking you off before I split you open.” The promise of being split open was the only thing that could dampen Travis’s immediate flare of annoyance. This was another reason he used the serum—vampires never knew their place without a bit of outside help. Travis attached the weights to Joel’s sac, then stepped back to admire the effect. His balls hung low and ready for the paddle. Travis bent, unable to resist, and ran his tongue down the pet’s smooth skin, from his ass to his balls. When he lifted his head again, Erik was still holding Joel’s head firm, and his eyes were half-lidded. Desire marched down Travis’s spine with a thousand tiny feet, and his hands went to his fly. He undressed quickly, tossing his pants and shirt out of his way. “Maybe when the night is through…” Erik started slowly pumping in and out of Joel’s mouth, his strokes languid. Without taking his gaze away from Travis’s erection, he ran his tongue along the edge of his teeth. “We could talk about setting up a regular engagement. I think we’re going to find we’re very…compatible.” Travis didn’t disagree with Erik’s assessment. He imagined that if he had both Erik and Joel as pets, he’d never leave his apartment again. He slid the paddle over the curve of 23

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Joel’s ass, letting each stud caress his taut skin. “I think I want to feel your cock before I consider making this a regular engagement.” A gleam appeared in Erik’s eye. “A man after my own heart. If it still beat, of course.” Without warning, Travis brought the paddle down, making sure to land mostly on Joel’s exposed sac. A howl erupted from his pet’s throat, followed immediately by Erik’s hungry groan as he tightened his hand around the back of Joel’s skull. “Fuck,” Erik muttered. “Do that again.” Travis grinned before the paddle reconnected with Joel’s balls. He didn’t try to soften the blows, or hold himself back. The paddle was large enough that each downward swing hit the pet’s thighs as well. It was a bit harder to make a vampire’s skin blossom red, but it wasn’t impossible, and Travis always made the extra effort. He was rewarded for each blow with the satisfying sound of the leather hitting flesh, and his pet’s shouts and growls. Erik had his lower lip caught between his teeth, his throat working over and over again as he thrust forward. There was something eerily intimate about the way he kept stroking Joel’s face, but the soft touches countered the near violent blows, and the contrast left Travis harder than ever. His heart leapt when Erik finally let go of his pet’s head and held his hand out to Travis. “Paddle from the side,” he said. “Let me touch your cock.” Travis switched the paddle to his other hand and moved to within touching distance of Erik. His cock dripped with pre24

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come, and he groaned as Erik ran his palm over the wet tip. Erik’s touch was almost enough to make his knees weak, his arm falter. When the paddle connected with Joel’s red and bruised skin, the studs finally broke the skin, and Travis shuddered as the first trickle of blood ran down the pet’s thigh. Erik chuckled. “If I couldn’t hear your heart beating a mile a minute, I’d almost think you were a vamp.” “This one always looks so pretty when he bleeds.” He dropped the paddle and reached over to smear his fingers through the streaks of scarlet. Once the pads of his fingers were covered, he held them up to Erik’s lips. Burying his cock in Joel’s throat, Erik used his free hand to capture Travis’s wrist and hold him still as he sucked the fingers into his mouth. The suction was exquisite, almost painful, and his tongue danced between the digits as he moaned in delight. His other hand curled around Travis’s shaft and dragged him closer, not stopping until Travis was practically pressed into Erik’s side. Erik didn’t release his fingers once Joel’s blood had been cleaned from his skin. He felt Erik’s mouth shift as fangs descended, and then the sharp, surprising prick of the tip of one tearing through his thin skin. Travis swallowed hard as he felt a thread of blood being pulled from his finger. Erik only took the smallest of sips before letting go of Travis’s hand and reached for the back of his head. His fangs retracted a mere second before he slammed his mouth to Travis’s. His head spun. His body did as well, when Erik’s powerful arm wrapped around Travis’s back and pulled him flush to his 25

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front. It broke Erik’s contact with Joel, but at that moment, Travis didn’t care. He was too lost in the ravenous sweeps of Erik’s skillful tongue as it swept through his mouth. His breath choked when Erik grasped both of their cocks in one, vise-like fist. “Let your pet eat your ass so that I can fuck you,” Erik growled. As if to help, he let go of Travis’s head to reach down and cup a cheek, separating it from its mate. “I don’t want to wait any longer than I have to.” Travis opened his mouth to issue the direct order, but before he could speak, he felt Joel’s cool tongue slide against his pucker. He took a step back, pressing himself against Joel’s face, letting the vampire sink his tongue into his body. Travis was thankful he’d already come once that night to take the edge off; otherwise, he might not have been able to tolerate the combination of Erik’s grip and Joel’s tongue. He barely had a chance to gasp for breath before Erik’s mouth was on his again. Erik’s grip was relentless, squeezing the shafts together before stripping them up and down. His teeth, though blunt, savaged Travis’s mouth, refusing him the room to move away or breathe or even think straight. It didn’t help that Joel seemed to have developed a newfound lust for Travis’s ass, digging his tongue as far into the tight channel as he could, nipping at the tender skin whenever he pulled out. Travis ground further back on his pet’s mouth, which only served to tighten the hold Erik had on them. “You need to fuck his face while I’m tearing into your 26

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hole.” Erik licked Travis’s lower lip, over and over again, teasing him from another kiss. “Or I just fuck you hard enough to push your balls into his throat. That works, too.” Once again, Travis tensed at his tone. But he couldn’t stay upset—not when he was suggesting exactly what Travis wanted from this encounter. Erik released him so suddenly, he almost stumbled. The ground tilted a bit beneath him as the blood rushed from his head. He turned to face his pet and ran his fingers over the vampire’s fine features. He was almost fond of this one, the way he was fond of any of his finest possessions. The pet didn’t have to be told to open his mouth. His lips were parted, waiting, ready for Travis’s familiar length. He gripped the sides of Joel’s head between large hands and drove his cock as deep as he could. Erik pressed into his back, his thick cock nestling between Travis’s cheeks. His mouth blazed a wet trail over his shoulder, lingering on the fading bite marks he’d kept hidden from the vampire earlier, before settling at the curve of his neck. He sucked hard at the muscle, drawing all the blood to the surface of the skin, and reached around to caress Joel’s hollowed cheek. “Are you going to be tight for me?” he whispered when he finally lifted his head. “Am I going to have to use extra force to get into that pretty hole of yours?” Travis’s cock jerked against the roof of Joel’s mouth. “Yes.” A tiny voice insisted he couldn’t let the vampire do this to him without any control. There was nothing to stop the 27

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creature from going too far, but Travis was too far gone to pay attention to that voice. Every inch of his body throbbed, and he ached at every point of contact. “I want it hard.” Erik splayed his fingers around the base of Travis’s cock. Pushing against Travis’s groin, he forced the rhythm to get set up, sliding out of Joel’s mouth before using his hips to push Travis back in. Back and forth they went, the entire effect maddening. Each movement reminded Travis of the thick cock nestled in his cheeks, so close and yet unutterably far. “Do I get my trade first?” The suction at his neck was replaced by a quick sting, a needle prick more than anything else. “It’ll be worth it. I’ll even eat your ass out in fangs, if you want. But I want your promise I get a bite now. Before you ride my cock. Because, fuck, you smell exquisite.” His skin tingled, and he shivered at the thought of Erik’s fangs slicing into his flesh. He wanted it all—the pain, the slow dance with a dark oblivion, even the connection it gave him to the creature. Travis wanted to answer with a mere moan and a nod, but he needed to keep what little control he still had. “You can bite me first.” The soft sigh of satisfaction that followed made him shudder. “I like a man who knows what he wants.” His hands gripped Travis’s sides, broad thumbs pulling his flesh apart to expose his clenching hole to the air. Angling his body, Erik dragged his cock down the crease, stopping as soon as he found the ring of muscle. “You always taste better then.” Travis was stopped from arguing by a vicious slam 28

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forward, a thrust that ripped through his pucker, drove him balls deep into his pet’s throat, buried Erik’s thick shaft deep inside Travis’s ass in a single stroke. A sound, half-cry, halfscream, came from his lips, but then Erik was moving again, pulling out, as slowly as he’d driven himself in. The unhurried slide was excruciating, each inch burning. Travis eased back as well, until his head was at his pet’s lips. Without warning, Erik pushed into him with the same force as before. Travis kept from screaming a second time, but just barely. It felt like Erik was tearing him apart, and a sharp pleasure emerged from that pain. The vampire followed the same pattern again and again—a gradual sliding out followed by another violent thrust. “So fucking tight,” Erik muttered. His fangs raked along Travis’s shoulder, creating thin, stinging scratches that he then soothed over with his tongue. “I’m going to fill you up, boy. We’ll let the pet clean you out, and then I’m going to fill you up again.” Travis could do nothing but shout his agreement as Joel’s throat convulsed around his shaft, and Erik drove his cock home once again. He registered what Erik had called him, but almost as soon as he latched onto the word, it was gone again, forced out of his mind by Erik’s relentless rhythm. He shook every time Erik touched him with his fangs, teased him, tormented him with the briefest sting before soothing the skin with a rough tongue. Erik’s strokes quickened, no longer languorous as he pulled out. He gave up holding Travis’s ass apart, lifting his 29

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hand to grab Travis’s chin and pull his head to the side. “Not going to last,” he hissed. “Do we need to bury your balls in your pet’s mouth to get you to come? Or maybe you have another trick you’d like to try?” “Bite me.” He ground the words out, surprised Erik could talk at all. “Just bite me.” The fingers on his chin tightened further, and the cock in his ass pistoned faster. Travis felt like his heart was going to explode through his skin as he waited for the fangs to come. One second. Two. Three, and then four. He was about to shout in frustration when everything about Erik tensed. In the next blink, he struck, sinking through flesh, sinew, veins, until his lips sealed his mouth over the pulsing puncture wounds and he sucked hard enough for Travis to feel it all the way in his cock. Joel’s blunt teeth scraped across Travis’s shaft—just enough to feel, not enough to require a punishment later—and his throat constricted around the head. “Oh…fuck.” The earlier orgasm had been good—fucking his favorite pet was always good—but he felt like he was being turned inside out. He filled Joel’s throat as Erik stole more and more from him. Each time Erik’s cock jerked against Travis’s wall, he shuddered, glad that Erik had his arm around him, that he could brace himself against Joel. The edges of his world were starting to blacken when he finally felt Erik retract his fangs. His mouth remained glued over the bite, however, his tongue dancing across the pierced skin, and he smoothed a hand over Travis’s stomach to caress 30

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the base of his still twitching cock. Travis rested his head back against Erik’s shoulder, his eyes closed as he contemplated what it would be like to have both of the vampires at his beck and call, and couldn’t hold back the contented smile as he imagined both of them on their knees. “So…” He’d never even felt Erik lift his head. “Did getting a feel for my cock convince you to turn this into a regular engagement?” “I’m convinced,” Travis said thickly. “Your cock is very persuasive.” Erik chuckled. The sound reverberated through Travis’s flesh until it felt like his toes were vibrating. “Well, we’ve got all night. Let’s get you cleaned up like we wanted, okay?” Travis nodded and turned around. Erik didn’t step away, and when they kissed, his fangs came down to cut Travis’s lips. It was almost enough to distract him from the heavenly sensation of his pet pushing his tongue into Travis’s torn and stretched ass. *

*

*

Travis felt thick and distant and smothered in cotton. Erik had been just as violent and intense the second time they fucked. The only difference was, he hadn’t taken as much blood. The vampire had collapsed to the floor, his back against the wall, his eyes closed. He looked as sated and sleepy as a bear. Travis wanted to collapse with him. But he wasn’t going to miss out on his chance. 31

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The serum was waiting where he’d left it, a clean needle nearby. After a moment, he decided to give Erik a double dose. Erik was a large vampire, and now he was full of blood and stolen strength. Travis didn’t want to risk giving him too little and having the effects wear off too soon. Erik hadn’t stirred by the time Travis returned to his side. He looked just like a corpse. Travis felt a moment of revulsion that was slow to pass as he crouched beside the vampire, the needle poised. The sudden vise around his wrist stopped the needle just inches from Erik’s neck. Bones crunched. The tip of the needle wavered. Slowly, Erik’s eyes opened. The gray-blue irises were as cold as an arctic wind. “Fucking you was fun. Killing you is going to be even better.”

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CHAPTER 3 When it came to Travis, Erik had to make one concession. The man had balls of steel. He’d honestly believed he could get away with drugging Erik with whatever poison he’d been using on Joel. Erik squeezed a little harder, listening to the small bones grind together. “I suggest you drop it before all you have left is a worthless stump.” Travis resisted for another long beat before his fingers fell open and the needle fell harmlessly to the ground. Despite his situation, Erik didn’t sense any fear coming from Travis. That would change soon enough. Slowly, Erik slid up the wall, pulling Travis with him. He 33

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kicked the needle out of the way, and it skittered across the floor to hit the far corner. “Did you really think I was that stupid?” His tone was almost casual. He had the upper hand now. Whether he chose to pretend or not, Travis’s minutes were numbered. “Or has your God complex fucked your perceptions beyond repair?” “Vampires, by and large, are that stupid.” Travis had been almost affable before, but now Erik could see that he had reached the man capable of trapping and torturing anything that took his fancy. “I had no reason to believe you were any different.” “Clearly, you’ve met the wrong vampires then.” “I don’t think so.” The corner of his mouth lifted, almost mockingly. “Joel here is quite intelligent for a vampire. That doesn’t mean he won’t lick the bottom of my shoe. I like the ones that aren’t quite animals. It’s better when I break them.” Only the sight over Travis’s shoulder of Joel still strapped into the bench stopped Erik from snapping the man’s neck then and there. Every second watching Joel like that had been torture, but as long as he was patient, just a little bit longer, it would all be over. “You didn’t break him. You drugged him. That’s the coward’s way.” His lip curled into a sneer. “Any true master wouldn’t need to resort to games to get his slaves to do his bidding. But I guess if you can’t get it up any other way…” “And you’re here to rescue him? You can have him, for all the good that does you. The effects of the serum aren’t reversible. Well, not easily.” 34

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Everything inside Erik froze. That was exactly what he had been terrified of when he’d first felt the needle marks on Joel’s throat. “What exactly does the serum do?” “Vampire physiology is a fascinating thing. Your brains are technically dead, and yet there’s some form of higher brain functioning and thought processes. Call it a demon. Call it magic. Call it whatever you want. The serum blocks the agent. Look at his eyes. You think there’s anything going on back there?” Erik couldn’t resist. He’d gone six long months without Joel, counting the minutes until he found him and brought him home. It still amazed him that they were in the same room. But Travis was right. There wasn’t a glimmer of cognizance in the dark brown eyes. Joel stared ahead, an automaton waiting for his next command. Travis moved without warning, the bottom of his foot connected with Erik’s knee, forcing it to buckle. The hand Erik wasn’t holding closed into a tight fist, and Travis slammed it against Erik’s nose, hard enough to shatter the bone. Blood spurted over both of them. The taste of it flooded Erik’s mouth, fueling his anger, and when Travis attempted to use Erik’s imbalance to twist free, Erik roared and swung the hand that still held Travis to the side. Both arms slammed into the wall with a sickening crunch. To his credit, Travis didn’t cry out, but Erik knew from the sudden limpness of his hand that he’d broken the wrist for 35

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good. His knee throbbed. Putting weight on it made it ache. Instead of trying to brace his weight on it, he used that leg to lash out and sweep Travis onto his back. Travis’s teeth came down on his tongue when he hit the floor, and the scent of fresh blood erupted in the room. He struggled, his limp hand already beginning to swell, but Erik wasn’t about to give him another opening. He kept his hold firm and put his foot on Travis’s chest, pinning him down. Blood dripped from Erik’s face onto the other man’s chin and throat, mingling with the dark rivulets already there. “If you kill me, you might as well stake him.” “No. You’re going to tell me how to reverse this shit you’ve been pumping into him.” “So you can kill me anyway?” “You’re going to die, one way or another. The difference is how. Tell me how to reverse this, and we’ll make it pleasurable for you. Don’t?” He pressed a little harder against Travis’s ribcage. “It’ll last for a week. And you’ll feel every excruciating second with the body parts you have left.” Travis licked his bloody lip, his eyes thoughtful. Calm. “The only way to stop it is to flush it out of his body. Drain him and feed him, drain him and feed him. Have you ever been drained entirely dry? Based on what I’ve seen, it’s not a pleasant process.” It made sense. In a cruel, twisted way, it all made sense. Of course, there was also the chance that Travis was lying, but what would he gain from that? He wasn’t an idiot. He had to know that if Joel died because of something Erik had done 36

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trying to save him, he would be the one to suffer the consequences. “It’s better than the alternative,” Erik said. Reaching down, he grabbed Travis’s broken wrist and dragged him across the room to the St. Andrew’s cross mounted on the far wall. It took only a few moments to lock him in place, and Erik bent the locks on the manacles to prevent him from being able to escape. Only someone with preternatural strength would be able to free Travis now. “For your sake, you better be telling the truth.” He grabbed a ball gag from the nearby cupboard and slipped it over Travis’s head, tightening it painfully. “I’d start praying if I were you.” He didn’t wait for a response. He’d waited long enough to get Joel back into his life as it was. *

*

*

The world had been awash in a dull red, everything he heard and saw coming from a great distance. Joel had thought he would be stuck in that impossible limbo for the rest of his existence—however long that would be. He had always been aware of everything around him, but he could never touch it. The red had been a shield, a wall, hindering him rather than protecting him. Until he saw Erik. Joel could have cried, but the redness was too thick. He wanted to cry again when Travis stuck him with another dose of the serum. Knowing that Erik would come back had given 37

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Joel the strength to resist its most stifling effects. If Erik was there, it meant he had a plan. All Joel had to do was follow his lead. He drew on whatever remaining puddles of strength he could find to keep himself focused, to do what Erik wanted him to do, and not just what Travis commanded him to do. Joel felt the familiar—missed—sting of Erik’s fangs sinking into his neck, then the red turned black. The whole world was dark and muffled, and he felt more and more of himself being pulled away. It hurt. He was starving most of the time, and it hurt to let the precious blood Travis had allowed him ebb from his veins. It felt like Erik was pulling strings around his flesh, tighter and tighter, until the strings sliced right through him. Then color returned. More colors than just red. Blood flooded his mouth and throat, and the first thing he felt was something sticky and cool at his feet. As he swallowed more and more of the bagged blood, he realized that the fluid at his feet used to be the fluid in his body. His throat worked automatically, and he swallowed the sweet, thick blood until he thought his body would burst with it. “Erik…” “Sshhh…” A broad hand he had never thought to feel again pushed back a lank of hair. The touch was gentle, a match for the tender caresses Erik had bestowed during Travis’s latest sessions. His sire had done everything he could to counter the viciousness he knew Joel had had to endure, and Joel loved him all the more for it. 38

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“We have to do this again,” Erik said quietly. “I know it hurts, but it’s the only way.” Joel wanted to protest, wanted to beg him not to do it, but the conditioning of the past months stopped the words. More than that, he knew Erik wouldn’t do anything to hurt him. If he said it was the only way, then Joel believed him. He tilted his head back slightly and realized the collar was gone. As was the cock ring he had been forced to wear constantly, and the weights Travis always liked to use on his balls. “Do it fast,” he rasped. Erik cupped the back of his head. A shadow fell across Joel’s face as he bent over, but when he closed his eyes, he didn’t feel the touch at his throat. He felt it on his mouth, a soft, lingering kiss stifling Erik’s moan. “Fast,” Erik repeated, but Joel knew what that really translated to. I love you. The pulls this time hurt even more, like icy-hot hooks worming through his veins, but their brevity made up for the pain, his world black much sooner than it had gone before. When he felt the first droplets of blood hit his lips, he was ready, latching onto the bag to suckle like a child. Erik didn’t let him drink too fast, though Joel desperately wanted the hollow feeling inside his flesh to go away. But the blood came in slow, steady streams, hitting the back of his tongue, and then spreading through him. It made him stronger almost immediately, his flesh absorbing it like parched ground absorbed water. Erik’s face swam into focus again, and almost 39

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immediately blurred as Joel’s eyes began to burn. “You’re here.” “Of course I am. I’m just sorry it took me so long to find you.” “I don’t know how long it took.” He didn’t know if it was his unstable eyesight or something else that made Erik’s features shadow. The hand still holding the back of his head tensed, and a thumb began stroking Joel’s jaw. “Too long,” came the eventual reply. “Six months.” He paused. “An eternity.” In Travis’s control, a single night could be an eternity. Time had become meaningless to Joel. Even now, he couldn’t quite understand six months. “Can we go home?” “Eventually. As soon as I know you’re strong enough to shake this so that I can kill Travis.” Joel could see. He could move. He could think. He could act. He felt strong enough. “Kill him now.” Erik shook his head. “Not until I’m sure.” When Erik scooped him into his arms, pulling him into his hard body, Joel realized he wasn’t in the dungeon any longer. It was Travis’s kitchen, the tiled floor cold beneath his bare skin. Empty blood bags were scattered around them, but all he wanted to focus on was the broad chest that used to hold him every dawn, the strong embrace he had known from the night he had died. Joel closed his eyes and nuzzled into Erik’s neck. He smelled like home. Joel ached, his nose quivering. He had 40

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dreamt of this smell when he had been allowed to sleep. The tip of his tongue danced across Erik’s taut skin until he found what he was looking for. Scars. A mark. His. Still there, still the size and shape of his mouth. With fangs extended, he fit his mouth over the scars. A shudder wracked through Erik’s body, and his arms tightened painfully around Joel’s back. “That’s it,” he whispered. “Take what you need. I’m here now. We’re not going to be separated again.” Joel didn’t try to suck the blood from Erik’s broken skin. He just let it trickle into his mouth before it rolled down his throat. The bags of blood had been good to give him a boost of strength, but feeding from his sire was different. The blood wasn’t as hot as feeding from a human, and it didn’t gush over his tongue, but it still tasted sweet and thick. Once he had his fill, he ran his tongue over the holes, cleaning the crimson stains until they began to heal. Erik didn’t let go. “Part of me doesn’t believe this is real. I dreamed about holding you for so long. I’m not sure I can stop now.” “There’s a part of me that wonders if this isn’t one of Travis’s tricks. He’s big on…experiments.” “Did you see what happened? Do you…remember anything?” “Yeah. I saw everything. I can remember it. I tried…to show you that I knew you were there.” Erik eased back then, his sharp gaze probing Joel’s. “Does that mean you heard the deal I made?” 41

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Joel nodded. “I heard everything.” “We don’t have to do it. Give me the word, and I’ll march back in there and snap the bastard’s neck.” Joel had thought about revenge, when he could think of anything at all. Torture—the sort of extended torture Erik had promised—had its appeal. But Joel didn’t like that option. “No. I want to give him exactly what he thinks he wants.” Erik dropped his hand to Joel’s neck, tracing the fresh puncture marks with fingertips that seemed to quiver against his sensitized skin. “You know I had to do it this way, right? I couldn’t just take you at Bound, as much as I wanted to. I needed to know how to get you safely away from him.” Joel didn’t quite understand why Erik kept apologizing to him. Joel didn’t blame him for any of this, didn’t think he could have or should have done anything differently. Or anything better. “I know. I never doubted you had a plan. And it was so good to…to feel you again, to touch you.” “Good. Good. I was afraid…I thought you’d hate me for taking so long to find you. For not keeping you safe when that’s all I ever wanted.” “You’ll just have to find ways to make up the last six months.” He said it lightly, but he wasn’t joking. It felt like more than six months had been stolen from him, and there were so many things he needed to do, needed to find again. “Killing Travis would be a good start.” For the first time since he’d felt more like himself, something akin to a smile curved Erik’s mouth. “You keep coming back to that. I’d almost think you really, really want to 42

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kill Travis.” “He’s got a death wish. I knew he’d bring you here the second you walked over to the booth. We all win with this plan.” Erik brushed his thumb over Joel’s mouth the moment before leaning in to capture him in another kiss. This time, he pulled their bodies tight, his cock hardening against the back of Joel’s leg, as his persuasive tongue swept inside to taste and tangle with Joel’s. Nothing had ever felt as wonderful as that caress, nor as arousing. His body might have been trained over the last six months to comply with Travis’s desires, but his heart had long ago been conditioned to respond to Erik’s. When they parted, Erik rested his brow against Joel’s, eyes closed, his hand firm around Joel’s nape. “We’ll make him wait a little bit longer. Considering how long I’ve had to wait for this, I think that’s fair.” Joel nodded. Now that he knew Travis wouldn’t live to see the next night, his patience returned. He nuzzled his mouth against Erik’s neck again, and again, Erik dropped his head back, a silent invitation to take whatever he needed.

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CHAPTER 4 At the first taste of Joel’s poisoned blood, Erik had feared the worst. It tasted bitter and thin, and even though he spit out every mouthful, it left a sour aftertaste that had him wanting to string Travis up all over again. But then Joel had uttered his name, and Erik had been transfixed by those thick, dark lashes fluttering against his cheeks, the light he had fallen for before he’d even thought of siring Joel reappearing, and Erik had known everything was going to be all right. With that realization, however, came the first rush of guilt that this had happened to his lover in the first place. They were as exclusive as vampire couples came, but that didn’t mean they didn’t occasionally have their forays into solo games. He 44

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hadn’t even noticed Joel’s absence over six months previous until he realized almost a week had passed since Joel had come home. Concern changed to worry. Worry to panic. It had taken far too long to track the path back to Travis Canavan. It shouldn’t have happened in the first place, no matter what Joel claimed. Erik kept him in the kitchen as long as he could. He held him close, relishing the way his slighter frame fit so well against Erik’s larger body. He stroked up and down the sinuous back, ignoring the fresh scars to focus on how familiar it felt, how right. He drowned in slow, lazy kisses, relearning the mouth that had first captivated him with its playful smile. He couldn’t wait to see the carefree smile again. That would be a sign that the worst was behind them. More than anything else, Erik encouraged Joel to talk. Not about his captivity, or the time they were apart. Reminiscing. Reliving memories that they shared, favorite kills, favorite cities. It was halting at first, but as he fed Joel more and more blood, it loosened his tongue, until the vampire he held almost sounded like the one he had lost. That had been the second hardest part of Joel’s absence. The loneliness had been deadly, but existing in such a silent world had been almost more so. Joel’s return meant no more quiet. A glance at the clock warned him of the passing time. “It’s only a couple hours until dawn,” he said. “Are you ready to face Travis?” Joel brushed the hair out of his face. “I am. What are you 45

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going to do to him?” “I promised him pleasure.” Erik shrugged. “The man likes to be bitten, so we fuck him senseless, then feed, I figure.” Erik watched for any signs of weakness as Joel stood, but he seemed fine. In fact, he seemed eager. “I’m gonna fuck him.” “I’m guessing you haven’t done that before.” Joel snorted. “No. Travis didn’t just rely on the serum to make sure we…all us pets…knew our place.” They were halfway down the hall to the dungeon when Joel’s words sunk in. “You’ve seen the others?” He ground to a halt and extended his senses. “Are they here?” Joel shrugged. “He’s got places all over the city. They might all be dead by now. Travis has kept me at his side almost nonstop for the past…” Joel shook his head. “I don’t know. It was a long time.” As he resumed his path, Erik made a mental note to look into Travis’s holdings as soon as they were done here. If any of the others still lived, he wanted them free. Being somebody’s slave by choice was one thing. Using drugs to get that same power was something else entirely. He paused outside the dungeon, his eyes solemn as he gazed down at Joel. “I think you should take the reins with this. You’re the one who’s had to endure what he did to you.” Joel stopped short. “I don’t know if I can. Just because the serum is out of my system…” “We’ll put him in the bench. He can’t hurt you if we’ve strapped him down.” He cupped the back of Joel’s neck, 46

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rubbing his thumb along the muscle to soothe the sudden anxiety. “I’ll be right there. And I plan on getting my own, too. He wanted me to suck him off. It’s going to be my pleasure to bury my cock in his throat, instead.” As soon as Erik opened the door, the fear disappeared from Joel’s face. He slunk into the room, moving like the predator Erik remembered. It might have just been an act, but it was still an effective one. Erik held back, watching as Joel made his way across the room. Travis’s face was impassive, but like Erik, he never looked away from Joel. “Well, look at you.” Travis licked his lips. “I guess this is my own fault. I should have done more to break you down.” Erik prowled around the room to come to a stand behind Joel. Reaching around his waist, Erik lightly grasped his lover’s cock, slowly stroking it to a full erection. Travis’s gaze riveted to the sight. “You could never have really broken him,” Erik said. “He knew all along I was here. That I’d come to get him away from you. Everything you thought was true was a lie.” “So what happens now?” “Now,” Joel said, his voice hard, “Erik is going to take you down from that cross and put you on your favorite bench.” He didn’t move right away. It felt too good touching Joel, watching Travis’s eyes darken with hunger, smell the need emanating from Travis’s skin. Erik supposed Travis probably didn’t completely believe he was about to die; he couldn’t otherwise believe that any human could be so willing to embrace death—be ready to beg for it, almost—no matter 47

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what Joel said. Finally, Erik let him go, stepping around to deal with Travis’s bindings. He freed the broken wrist first, making sure to twist it painfully in order to keep Travis more docile as he undid the rest of the manacles. There was a brief moment of struggle, but Travis didn’t have the strength left in him to make it more than a token, and soon enough, he was bent over the bar on the bench, his ass up and exposed to the air, fresh cuffs holding him in place. Joel circled him, almost lazily, like they had all the time in the world. “I heard the deal you made with Erik. And Erik is honorable. He keeps his word.” He ran his fingers down Travis’s spine. “And I want to give you exactly what you crave.” He dropped to a crouch in front of Travis, brushing a thumb over his mouth. “Tell me you want it.” Travis didn’t respond. “I think he needs some help getting his voice to work.” Erik strode over to the cabinet on the wall and took out the finest whip he found. He flicked his wrist once, testing its weight, and when it cracked in the air, he smiled. “Do you want the honors, or should I?” “I think he needs to know what it feels like to be whipped by a true Master.” Joel straightened. “Start with one for each month I’ve been here. Then I’ll give him another chance to find his voice.” Erik stalked around the bench, revolution after revolution, letting the whip dangle at his side. He rotated his wrist just enough not only to loosen himself up, but also to keep Travis 48

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aware of its danger, the glimpses he would catch when Erik passed in front of him, the cracks it made in the air. He finally came to a stop behind him and lifted his gaze to Joel’s. Wordlessly, Joel nodded. The first blow went across the back of Travis’s thighs, just below the curve of buttock. A thin red line appeared across the smooth skin, but Travis never uttered a sound. Erik shrugged and grinned. “One.” Number two landed higher, on the fleshy part of his ass. Three was higher still, a scarlet stripe paralleling Travis’s spine. Erik counted each off, and after four crisscrossed with the slice already across his cheeks, Travis finally made a sound. A grunt. Joel didn’t acknowledge it, and Erik didn’t pause. The fifth strike was different than the others. Rather than flay skin Travis would expect, Erik took a step back and brought the whip down across the arches of his bared feet. Travis howled, and the sixth blow landed before the sound stopped. Joel again dropped down at eye level. “Tell me.” “You know I do,” Travis finally spat. “I made my deal.” “Well, that wasn’t very convincing.” Erik dragged a finger through the blood trickling down Travis’s thighs, sucking it past his lips. “Oh, fuck, Joel. You have to taste this. His voice isn’t selling it, but the lust in his blood sure as hell is.” Joel grinned and found a fresh line of blood. His eyes sparked as soon as the rich fluid hit his tongue. “I told you, didn’t I?” He leaned forward and sniffed Travis’s neck. “I’m 49

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going to show you just how much I appreciate that you invited Erik here.” He reached beneath Travis’s body and gripped his growing erection. “Use the paddle, Erik. Give him six more.” The more blood Erik had drawn, the brighter the gleam in Joel’s eye. It was a joy to switch implements, picking up the same paddle Travis had used earlier. Standing next to the bench, he brought it down in swift, deadly strokes on Travis’s bloody ass, smearing the scarlet streaks into broader swipes. The skin flushed beneath the stain, and Travis grunted, then groaned as Erik approached six. All the while, Joel kept his hand firm on Travis’s arousal, squeezing across the crown every time Erik counted off. “God, you smell good. Can’t wait to sink my fangs in you.” Joel gripped Travis’s chin with his free hand and forced his head over, exposing his neck. Erik brought the paddle down for a fifth time as Joel ran his tongue over a fresh scar. “When you let me drink, you never wanted me to stop. You’d wait until just before everything went black…didn’t you?” “Yes.” “You even let Erik take a bit too much earlier, didn’t you?” Erik brought the paddle down for a sixth time, and Travis shuddered. Joel was right—he did smell good. Erik could even detect the first hints of pre-come on Travis’s cock. “I did.” Tossing aside the paddle, Erik smoothed his hand over the clenching cheeks, smearing the blood even more as he absorbed the heat from the enflamed skin. “Ever had two 50

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vampires bite you at the same time? It’s double the rush.” Travis waited a moment before replying, and when he spoke, his voice was hoarse. “No.” Joel released him and straightened. He caught some of the blood with two fingers, but instead of bringing it to his own tongue, he lifted his hand and smeared the crimson across Erik’s lips. Before Erik could lick it away, Joel cupped the back of his head and claimed his mouth with a hard kiss. He forgot everything in the passion of the kiss. He forgot the hot, bleeding body in front of them. He forgot the thrill of whipping the man responsible for keeping them separated. He forgot months of loneliness, days of aching. All of it was gone in the hunger of the vampire now pressed to his front, and Erik wrapped his arm around Joel’s back and hauled him closer, crushing their bodies together as he let his fangs descend and tear into Joel’s tender lips. Joel didn’t hurry the kiss, or try to break away from it. Their tongues entangled as they both sought the drops of blood coming from Joel’s mouth, mingling with the blood smeared on Erik’s lips. Erik’s entire body ached for more, and he thought Joel’s must be, too, because when he brushed his knuckles against Joel’s hard cock, he shuddered and moaned. Finally, Joel lifted his head. “We have to hurry if we’re going to get home before sunrise.” A slow smile spread across Erik’s face. “Stop tempting me, then.” “Not my fault. You know what it does to me when you use a whip.” 51

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Erik let his hand graze lower, fingertips caressing Joel’s heavy balls. “I brought a few special toys with me,” he said, lowering his voice to exclude Travis. “When you’re stronger, we’ll find some sweet young thing to strip bare. Then I’ll fuck you on top of his bloody body.” Joel’s smile matched Erik’s. “You always know just want to do to make me feel better.” After another short kiss, he stepped away from Erik and turned his attention back to Travis. The scent of the other man’s arousal was stronger now, and his skin was flushed where he wasn’t bruised or bleeding. “It looks like I’m not the only one who likes it when you use a whip. It’s a shame he won’t get a chance to see just how good you are.” Erik came around the front and crouched down. Travis’s breathing bordered on labored, his excitement about what was to come a warm rush across Erik’s flesh. “He’ll get a taste of other things. I’m looking forward to seeing if his mouth is anywhere near as good as his ass was.” “I don’t want to wait anymore to see how good his ass actually is,” Joel said, stepping behind him. He gripped the base of his cock and slid the head between Travis’s cheeks. “Should I get him ready for me?” The sight of pre-come glistening in the fresh blood made Erik salivate. “Did he ever give you the same courtesy?” “No, he did not. Sometimes, he didn’t even wait until I was awake.” He licked his fingers and his eyes flashed. “I don’t think I can wait anymore, anyway.” 52

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Joel paused, his hard cock lined up with Travis’s hole. He dug his nails into the man’s hips, slicing into the skin to make ten more bloody marks. Travis’s mouth hung open, his breath coming faster and faster, and his pupils were dilated. Erik only wished the sweet tang of fear would join the arousing musk coming from Travis’s body. There was something exquisite about that split second before penetration. Something that sharpened every predatory instinct Erik had. It drove him to straighten, to grip the back of Travis’s head with one hand and his own cock with the other. When Travis licked his lips, Erik smiled. “Maybe this was your mistake all along, Travis. You never wanted to master vamps. You want to be at their mercy.” Joel slid his hand around Travis’s hips to find the man’s cock once again. He slid his palm over the head, collecting the pre-come, and licked his hand clean. “I think you’re right, Erik. I don’t think he’s ever been this excited before.” Joel thrust forward then, burying himself in Travis’s ass with a long, hard stroke. Travis screamed, and buried in the harsh sound was a word that seemed suspiciously like more. The scent of fresh blood filled Erik’s nose. Nudging forward, he dragged his cock over Travis’s mouth and chuckled when Travis then chased it. “Someone wants it,” he taunted. Another hard slam from Joel pushed Travis forward, helping his quest to capture Erik’s cock. His lips sealed around the crown, and he bit down just enough to refuse Erik the right to pull out. The sting made Erik shiver, and he cupped 53

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Travis’s face. “Just remember,” he said. “You asked for it.” Slowly, he pushed forward, past the resistance of teeth scraping across the skin, past the hungry lapping of Travis’s hot tongue. He reached the back of the throat and hesitated, looking up to catch Joel’s lustful eyes. “Do I give him the rest? Or do we punish him a little bit longer?” “Make him wait for it.” The directive was followed by another powerful thrust, and Travis’s scream vibrated around Erik’s cock. “I want him begging you to fuck his throat.” Erik smiled at that, pulling out until the head rested on the tip of Travis’s tongue. “Hear that, boy? It’s your turn to beg.” “I’m…not…going to.” His refusal would have sound more convincing to Erik’s ears if each word hadn’t been punctuated by a fresh shout. Another wave of blood made Erik’s nose twitch, and he realized Joel was aggravating the cuts left on Travis’s lower back by the whip with his nails. “Really?” He trailed his fingers down to Travis’s throat, finding the twin puncture marks. Placing fingers over each, and his thumb over the soft skin at the hollow, Erik squeezed, cutting off a fraction of Travis’s air at the same time he aggravated the fresh bite. “You could get that same effect choking on my cock,” Erik crooned. “Just think about it.” Travis was thinking about it, Erik could tell. And when he 54

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tried to move, rocking back to meet Joel’s thrust, Erik couldn’t help but smile. But Joel didn’t smile. He gripped him harder, forcing him to be still. “Beg him. Say, ‘Erik, please fuck my throat.’” Travis wavered, his mouth opening and closing, his lips brushing against the tip of Erik’s cock. Joel patiently slid his hand around Travis’s body, smearing more blood with it. He cupped Travis’s balls, flexing his fingers tightly. “Beg him.” “Erik…please fuck my throat.” He smiled down at him, the blue eyes burning where they added to Travis’s plea. “See, that wasn’t that hard, now was it?” Any response was muffled by his purposeful push past the swollen lips. Travis’s tongue curved around the shaft, sucking hard, but that didn’t stop Erik from going deeper, not hesitating when he reached the resistance at the back of Travis’s mouth. He continued on, groaning in unison with Travis as he sank the length of his cock into his throat, the man’s shallow breaths puffing against his crotch where his nose was buried in the coarse hair. Joel didn’t waver from his vicious thrusts. To keep Travis walking that knife-edge, Erik pulled out just as slowly, his grip on Travis’s head firm. A whimper escaped as soon as the tip tugged free, but before Erik could plough forward a second time, Travis spoke. “Stop teasing me, you son of a bitch. Just fucking give it to me.” 55

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Erik paused, cocking a brow as he glanced at Joel. “He’s definitely got spirit, I’ll give him that.” Joel caught Erik’s eyes and ran his tongue over his teeth. “It’d probably take weeks…or months…to break him. Properly.” Erik clutched Travis’s hair and yanked his head back, forcing him to look up. “It’s possible, you know.” This was directed at Travis. “Being a true Master doesn’t require drugs to keep your pet in line. And I’ll bet you look as pretty in a leash and collar as Joel did.” “I think we should leave it up to him. It’s only fair.” “You heard him, boy.” He wiped the head of his cock over the full lower lip, laughing when Travis chased it with his tongue. “He’s giving you a choice. We drain you dry, here and now. Or we fuck you, feed from you, and then take you with us as Joel’s new pet.” Erik expected a longer pause, but Travis’s answer was almost immediate. “Fuck me. Take me with you.” Joel’s smile was feral. “Make sure he knows what he’s asking for.” “Sure about that?” Erik asked Travis. “Because if we let you walk out that door, your life is going to be nothing like it is now. No more thinking for yourself. You’ll exist for our pleasure, and our pleasure alone. That means we feed from you whenever we want. We fuck you whenever we want. No hole is off limits, and there’s no safe word. There’s only, ‘Yes, sir.’ And, ‘Please, sir, hurt me more.’ You’ll come when we want you to, and when we’re asleep, you’ll be locked in a 56

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spreader, waiting for us, waiting to get fucked or bitten or whatever our mood dictates. Do you understand? Is that what you really want?” Joel slowed his thrusts as Travis absorbed Erik’s words. His own description made his balls ache, and he was surprised to discover that he wanted Travis to agree—almost as much as he wanted to drain the bastard dry and leave him as nothing but a husk. Until Erik heard the very soft, “Yes, sir.” He heard Joel shudder, saw his fingertips whiten further as he tightened his hold on Travis’s hips. “That’s all I needed,” Erik said. Travis’s mouth was open long before Erik guided his cock back into its warm depths, and he swallowed eagerly as he pushed into his throat again. Erik sighed in ecstasy, holding him still as he appreciated the double rhythms, the vibrations constricting around his cock and the pulses as Joel resumed his harsh rhythm into his ass. “We’ll have to let our new pet know both its Masters’ bites,” he said to Joel. “We’ll have to see if our new pet can handle its Masters’ bites. It won’t be anything like the drugged bites he’s had before.” Joel’s fangs glistened in the light. “He doesn’t know how much it can hurt.” “Somehow, I don’t think he’s going to mind very much.” The heat of Travis’s mouth coaxed Erik into moving, sliding out of the tight channel, shivering at the scrape of teeth along his shaft. He settled into a slow tempo, to counter Joel’s ragged pistoning, until the scent of blood and arousal saturated 57

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the air. It left Erik tense and trembling, and he pulled away from the hot suction with more than a little reluctance. “Better to have him between us,” he said at Joel’s curious glance. He freed Travis’s hands and hauled him upright, fisting both of their cocks together. The blood on Travis’s back smeared over Joel’s muscled chest, and Erik’s mouth watered to taste. He settled for pulling Travis’s head to the side, grabbing Joel’s nape, and slamming their fanged mouths together. Tongues tangled, fangs clashed, and fresh blood erupted between their lips. Erik moved in time with Joel’s thrusts, stroking Travis’s cock savagely. Travis was not silent as they kissed, and drops of blood fell from their mouths to his bare shoulder. He sobbed for breath, like no matter how much he gasped, he couldn’t get enough oxygen. Erik couldn’t wait to find out what other sounds this man was capable of making. Finally, the bloody body between them became too much for either to tolerate. Erik sensed the exact moment Joel’s hunger shifted, increased. Joel pulled away, licked the blood from his torn lips, then struck like a snake, his fangs piercing the back of Travis’s neck. For a second, Erik was struck silent by the wild beauty of Joel’s features. The full lips stretched against the sweaty skin, the dark curve of lashes against his cheeks as he sucked hard at the pulsing muscle. It took Travis’s gurgled cry to bring him crashing back, and he clamped his mouth over his previous bite, sinking past sinew and flesh to pierce the tender vein. The throb of Travis’s heartbeat echoed against his tongue 58

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as Erik drank, but his hand never stopped moving, stroking their cocks in tandem. Within two strokes, Travis shot against their taut stomachs. At four, Erik’s come joined it. Still, he felt Joel’s pulls at the blood in opposition to his own, followed by the new swaying of the body that joined them. Joel grunted, his eyes squeezing shut as his body shook. Erik felt him come, felt him shake and jerk. Erik didn’t retract his fangs until Joel did, giving him the opportunity to change his mind, to end Travis right then. But Joel pulled away while Travis’s pulse was still strong. They moved at the same time, their mouths coming together, but this kiss was much slower as they sought out what remained of Travis’s blood. Their new pet was a hot weight between them, cumbersome and in the way. His forehead rested on Erik’s shoulder, even after the kiss was broken, and Erik cocked a brow at Joel. “You’re sure you want to keep him?” he teased. “His stamina is for shit.” Joel reached up and touched Erik’s face, the caress oddly tender. “We’ll give him lots of time to recover.” Erik turned and kissed the palm, closing his eyes as he inhaled the familiar scent of Joel’s skin. Home. That’s what he smelled like. “We’ve got all the time in the world now.”

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CHAPTER 5 Joel was out as soon as Erik helped him into their large bed. He didn’t even remember closing his eyes. He remembered sitting down on the edge of the mattress, then the world went black and time slipped away. When he finally opened his eyes again, there was no indication of how much time had passed, no indication of where Erik was. Or what he had done with Travis. The apartment was dark and silent and familiar and comfortable. Comfortable enough that Joel’s eyes fell shut again. He just wanted to rest for a moment, but when he opened them again, the shadows had shifted. Everything had shifted. And now he could hear Erik through the thin wall that separated 60

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them, and his delicate nose twitched at the smell of burning wax. He was hungry, and he could still taste Travis’s blood on the back of his tongue. He stood and stretched, his muscles pulling tight. He wasn’t accustomed to being able to stand and move freely. His neck felt bare, naked even, without the collar he had become accustomed to. His wrists and ankles were likewise bare, and it felt odd to move across the room without heavy chains trailing after him. The robe he liked to wear was still hanging in the closet. With the rest of his clothes. It would have been easy for Erik to toss it all, to give up, to make himself another mate. But he hadn’t. By all indications, Erik had never given up on him, or on bringing him home. The thought of Erik made him hungry for something besides blood, and he pulled his robe on, eager to find the other vampire. As he stepped into the hallway, the low strains of Wynton Marsalis drifted through the corridor. The scent of wax was stronger here, but with it came a delicate curry, saffron and coriander mixing together to remind Joel of the time they had spent together in London a decade earlier. It had been three of the best months of their time together. He was positive Erik had gotten Indian food deliberately because of that. The living room was awash in candles, flames flickering from nearly every available flat surface. Erik had pushed back the furniture to lay out a cloth in the middle of the floor, while next to it was a low table acting as a buffet for all the steaming dishes. 61

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Erik himself knelt beside it, carefully filling two glasses from a decanter. It wasn’t wine. The thick blood clung to the sides before settling into a soft pool at the bottom. He wore the jeans Joel had always loved, the ones that were just starting to fray in the seat, bordering on this side of indecent, with a dark T-shirt that stretched over his broad back. At Joel’s entrance, he glanced back at him and smiled. The dancing candlelight cast shadows that made his hawkish nose seem sharper, but there was no mistaking the happiness in his eyes. “How do you feel?” he asked. “Did all my ramming around wake you up?” “No. I think my hunger woke me up.” Joel knelt beside him and reached for one of the glasses. “Is this fresh?” He was stopped from sipping by Erik’s hand cupping his face and pulling him in for a soft, slow kiss. “Welcome home,” Erik murmured against his mouth. “And yes, it is.” He sat back on his heels and held his glass to his nose, inhaling deeply. “Only the best for your first night back.” Joel smiled and took a small sip. It was still warm, and the thick fluid spread through his body. It was better than the cold blood Erik had given him at Travis’s. It was even better than drinking directly from Travis. He took another slow swallow before setting the glass aside. “Thank you.” “This will keep if you want to take a shower or anything. Give yourself a chance to wake up.” Joel didn’t want to leave, but he needed a shower. And possibly a bath, and another shower after that. He touched his 62

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brow to Erik’s. “I’ll be right back.” Erik’s tongue darted out and traced Joel’s lip before he nodded and leaned back. Joel hurried into the bathroom. Travis had never allowed him to shower. He had been forced to settle for the occasional sponge bath—and that was only after Travis found the smell too revolting to tolerate any longer. The only thing that could have forced Joel to hurry through the hot shower was knowing Erik was waiting for him. When he returned to the living room, his skin was scrubbed clean and shining, and Erik was right there. Waiting. “We can go shopping tomorrow night.” Rising to his feet, Erik caught Joel’s waist, tracing the slim line with almost delicate strokes. “You’ve lost weight. We might need to pick up a few things while I fatten you up again.” Joel couldn’t help but smile at the promise. “I see some very indulgent weeks ahead of me.” “I think I’m allowed. Who knew six months was eternity, after all?” “Did you spend that whole time looking for me?” “Yes,” came the immediate response. His hand burned a path across the robe’s knotted belt, finding the strip of exposed skin where the fabric didn’t quite meet. “Jesus, Joel. You’re my life. Losing you was like losing most of my senses.” “He found me at Bound,” Joel said softly, his gaze locked on Erik’s hand. “He was clever enough not to come after me directly. He sent me a little gift. I think the boy must have been brimming with his serum, or maybe it was something else he used. I don’t know. All I know is that I didn’t wake up 63

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until three days later.” “Do you want to talk about it?” He caressed Joel’s stomach, the muscles twitching. “We didn’t really do that last night.” “No, not really. You…well, you can probably imagine what he did to me. I tried to escape, but he kept me drugged constantly. There wasn’t much I could do except…wait…and hope you’d figure out what happened.” When Erik remained silent, Joel tore his attention away from his broad fingers to look up. Erik’s gaze was lowered as Joel’s had been, his mouth tight. He reached up to touch the firm lips, prompting them to part and Erik’s tongue to dart out and taste the fingertips. “You’re going to have to put up with me being really possessive for awhile,” he said softly. “Every day without you…it took me too long to figure out where you were.” “But you did.” His arm went around Erik’s waist, and he kissed the bite marks on Erik’s neck. “I like you when you’re possessive.” Erik tilted his head, encouraging further exploration. “Good. Because you’re stuck with it.” “I understand the food, since you want to fatten me up, but I’m a little confused about the candles.” Joel arched a brow. “Unless you want to play with wax.” “Maybe next time.” Finally breaking away, Erik threaded their fingers together and pulled him down to the floor and their spread bounty. “But these are for celebrating. It’s Valentine’s Day.” 64

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Joel smiled. “Is it? The more traditional dinner is a nice change of pace.” He brought Erik’s hand up to his mouth and kissed each knuckle. “Just out of curiosity, where did you put our new toy? I don’t hear him.” Erik pushed Joel flat against the cloth and tugged at the belt until his robe opened. “I asked Sable to keep him until his wrist is healed. That’ll give us some private time, and we won’t have to worry about him taking off and pushing his poison on any other vamps.” He was smiling as he reached over for the small bowl of lime chutney. “Her tits aren’t exactly his style.” Joel grinned, but his focus was fixated on the small spoon Erik dipped into the bowl. He tipped it over Joel’s stomach, letting the thick sauce dribble onto his skin. “You didn’t really think all this food was for you, did you?” Watching him through his lashes, Erik bowed his hand and ran his tongue along the sticky muscle, licking Joel clean. “Oh, chutney always tastes better when I eat it off you instead of a popadum.” Joel couldn’t help but squirm a little, surprised that he was still so sensitive to Erik’s touch. But then, he hadn’t felt anything this soft in a very long time. Erik dribbled more of the chutney on his chest, making a more elaborate pattern to cover both of Joel’s nipples. Joel arched off the floor, moaning softly as Erik pulled a nipple between his teeth and bit gently. “God, I’ve missed those sounds.” He switched to the other nipple, circling around it over and over again. “And I’ve missed this skin.” He let his fangs elongate, scoring faintly 65

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across the hard tip to draw a bead of blood. “And nobody will ever taste as good as you do.” Joel buried his hands in Erik’s hair. Nobody, living or dead, had ever made Joel feel the way Erik did. He relaxed under his touch completely, watching him with heavy-lidded eyes. Erik lapped at the small cut he made, sucking at and then cleaning the shallow abrasion over and over. Joel’s erection grew with each lap of his tongue until he was completely hard. “I dreamt about you.” When he let me sleep. “You know what I dreamt about the most?” When Erik lifted his head, his eyes questioning, Joel brushed his thumb across Erik’s lips. “That mouth.” The full lips twitched. “Anything in particular?” He crawled up the length of Joel’s body until they were nose to nose. “The way it kisses you?” The tender caress reached all the way into Joel’s gut and tugged, leaving his mouth trembling by the time they parted. “Or the way I use it elsewhere?” Joel answered by guiding Erik’s mouth back to his. He loved all the ways Erik used it, but he especially missed kissing. Slow and hungry. Hard and brutal. Fast. Thorough. Joel missed all of it. Travis had been fascinated by the way Joel’s body responded to certain stimuli, but he never seemed to grasp that vampires had an oral fixation. Which was just as well, because nothing Travis did to him ruined the full appreciation, the desire, the simple need, for Erik’s mouth. “The way it kisses me,” Joel breathed when they broke apart. “The way you kiss me.” 66

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Erik slipped an arm beneath the robe and around Joel’s back, splaying a hand across his ass as he held him close. When they had first met, Joel had taken Erik’s larger size as a challenge. It didn’t take long to realize that it was created to fold around him, that there was a perfect place for him against the long, hard lines, but even more, that it yielded as much to Joel’s desires as it did Erik’s. “I couldn’t sleep today,” Erik confessed. He grazed his mouth along Joel’s jaw, up to his ear, across his brow. “I was afraid I’d wake up and you wouldn’t be there.” Joel smoothed his hands down Erik’s back, pulling him closer, holding him. “It’s not going to happen again.” Erik moved down to his neck, his tongue teasing the marks on his neck. Just having Erik’s teeth that close to his neck sent a jolt down Joel’s spine. “If you think you’re possessive, wait until you see how clingy I get. You’ll be begging for a break from me.” “Never happen.” He felt Erik smile against his skin. “Well, the begging might happen, though not for the reasons you think.” “Really? What do you think you’re going to be begging me to do?” Erik sucked against the sinew, his hand stealing between Joel’s ass cheeks to trace the warm cleft. “To let me fuck you. To wrap your legs around me until it feels like I’m going to snap so that I can bury myself in your sweet hole and never come out again.” His tongue teased the tiny punctures, and a fresh array of shivers rolled over Joel’s skin. “Travis was the 67

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first fuck I’ve had since you disappeared. And as warm as he was, he doesn’t count.” “Wait. Your first fuck?” Erik wasn’t the sort of vampire who could spend six months without sex. In fact, Joel was always surprised when Erik could go for six hours. “Does that mean you didn’t do anything with anybody while I was gone?” He felt rather than saw Erik’s shrug, as if he was too embarrassed by the truth to make it plainer. “I was busy looking for you. I didn’t want anybody else.” It pained Joel to think of Erik alone, searching every night and sleeping in the big bed by himself during the day. Did he sleep? Joel wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Erik pushed himself to exhaustion. His fingers curled into Erik’s shirt and pulled the material up, exposing a strip of skin. “I think before I let you beg me, I want to see you strip.” That prompted Erik to finally lift his head, a sly smile curving his mouth. Peeling away, he sat back on his heels, grabbing the hem of his T-shirt. Joel watched with heavy eyes as he pulled it over his head, revealing inch after inch of chiseled muscle. He had seen him at Travis’s, of course, but this was different. This was getting to savor the succulent sculpture of his lover, appreciate just how beautiful he was as he bared himself for Joel’s gaze. Erik tossed the shirt away, careful to avoid any of the flickering candles. “Is that what you meant?” he asked in mock innocence. 68

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“It’s definitely a start,” Joel murmured, his hands itching to touch, but the outline of Erik’s cock in his soft blue jeans distracted him. He could have easily unzipped Erik’s pants, but he wanted to see Erik do it. “But you’re not finished yet.” The flames danced in Erik’s eyes when his hands went to his fly. He popped the button free, and Joel made a mental note to lick the trail of fine hair that went from Erik’s stomach to his groin. Then the zipper came down slowly, teasing him. Joel didn’t look away, his attention riveted as Erik finally exposed his cock. Joel reached up, unable to resist, and ran the tip of his fingers down Erik’s shaft. Erik shuddered. Rather than fold his hand over Joel’s, though, he skimmed a touch up Joel’s thigh, pushing aside the folds of the robe when he reached his hip. “At least I’m not the only one who’s hard already,” he said, cupping the heavy balls. “Already? I was hard as soon as I saw you.” He glanced over to the low table, then back to Erik. “I’m still hungry, though. Mind if I try that chutney trick on you?” Erik only smiled. Rising to his feet, he slowly pushed down his jeans, throwing them aside to join his shirt. He stretched out next to Joel then, crossing his ankles as he folded his hands behind his head. “Do your worst.” Joel straddled Erik’s thighs, letting the tip of his cock slide against Erik’s. He reached for one of the glasses of blood, his fangs descending in anticipation of the rich, sweet taste. He tipped his hand, letting a steady stream pour from the cup and 69

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splash against Erik’s pale skin. He flicked his fingers, swirling a pattern from his neck to his stomach, then set the cup aside and bent to lick it away. He let his fangs slice across Erik’s skin, allowing Joel a taste of his sire’s familiar blood. Erik’s slow hiss was accompanied by his heavy hand coming to rest on the back of Joel’s head. The scent of Erik’s pre-come mingled with the intoxicating smells already filling his nose, and Joel set a new course, around a dusky flat nipple, then across, its hard tip against his tongue making his mouth water for more. “You’re driving me crazy,” Erik muttered. “I’m beginning to think I should have just pounded you into the bed when I woke up to take the edge off.” “I need to get to know your body again. Are you sensitive here?” Joel licked a spot he knew to be very sensitive, smiling as Erik hissed again. Nothing Travis had done to him could make him forget Erik’s body, of course, but Joel still wanted to take the time to explore it thoroughly, to rediscover the sounds and reactions that always made him shiver. But beyond that, he wanted every lick, touch, caress, and kiss to demonstrate to Erik just how much he loved him—how much he needed him. Joel dragged his mouth down Erik’s chest, then back up, cleaning him thoroughly of the warm blood. Once he reached his neck, he kept going, until their mouths were almost touching. “Hold on to that thought, though.” Strong hands suddenly gripped his hips, grinding their erections together. “Which part?” The tip of Erik’s tongue 70

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came out and traced Joel’s lower lip. “The taking the edge off part, or pounding into you part?” Joel’s muscles clenched. Erik called the six months an eternity, and it was. He couldn’t even remember the last time Erik had fucked him, the last time Erik’s cock and fangs were buried in his body. “The pounding into me part.” “Could do that now.” Erik retraced the path his tongue had taken with a single fang, collecting the trail of blood he left behind. His long fingers stretched to separate Joel’s flesh, tips brushing against the tight hole. “I want to feel you squeezing around my cock.” “Good, because I want to feel you inside of me.” Joel glanced at the spread of items on the table, the corner of his mouth lifting when he saw the small bottle of lubricant. Once, the lubricant wouldn’t have been necessary, but Joel knew his body still needed a bit more time to fully heal. He felt exponentially better, but that didn’t mean a single night’s respite had wiped away the effects of six months. He moved quickly, using it to slick up Erik’s shaft. “Do you need to be on top to pound into me?” Erik shook his head. “All I need is to see you.” Joel smiled when Erik took the lube away from him, coating his fingers before reaching between Joel’s legs. His balls tightened at the brush against his sac, but it was nothing compared to the first probe past his pucker. Hunger gleamed in Erik’s eyes, growing brighter as he sank one, then two fingers into the waiting channel. Joel braced his palms against 71

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his broad chest, riveted by the flurry of emotions passing over his lover’s face, as he felt the stretch and burn as Erik slowly increased to four. “I didn’t last night since you were so clearly exhausted by everything.” Erik licked his lips, and his cock twitched against Joel’s thighs. “But I plan on falling asleep buried in your ass from here on out.” Joel shuddered at the promise, rocking back to meet the thrust of Erik’s hand. He knew Erik meant it. He knew he would hold Erik to it. Each slow stroke only stoked the desire burning in Joel’s body, and he was pretty sure he’d scream when Erik finally replaced his fingers with his cock. Joel’s lips twitched a little—Travis had gone to such ridiculous lengths to make Joel scream for him. “Ready now…” As soon as Erik pulled his hand away, Joel reached for Erik’s cock. His fingers trembled a little, and everything fled his mind. He didn’t think of Travis, or of the months of separation. All he thought about was the nameless satisfaction of sinking onto Erik’s thick cock. When the blunt tip met the tight ring of muscle, Erik groaned, even before it breached the opening. His fingers dug into Joel’s hips, the faintest of tremors vibrating through him, and slowly, deliberately, he began to push Joel down. It seemed an eternity for the fat head to break through the resistance, long enough for more moans to escape Erik, long enough for Joel to clench against it. Erik eased for a fraction of a moment, allowing Joel time to adjust to the girth, then 72

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pushed some more, making Joel feel every inch of contact. He stretched, and ached, and stretched some more. His nails dug into the tight skin of Erik’s chest, creating ten crescent pools of blood where he broke through to muscle, and still Erik guided him down, filling him up until his balls ground into the coarse hair at the base of Joel’s cock. Joel didn’t scream, but he did growl, his chest vibrating. He didn’t want to move. He didn’t even know if he was physically capable of moving. Erik’s cock jerked against his walls, twitching with every moment that passed. His eyes locked with Erik’s, the golden depths almost burning brighter than the candles around them. And Joel still didn’t want to move. Erik released one of his hands to caress the top of Joel’s thigh. “You feel so damn good,” he said softly. The backs of his knuckles brushed along Joel’s cock, making Joel hiss at the scalding contact. Erik smiled. “But if you don’t start riding me soon, I’m going to flip you over and fuck you through the floor.” Joel nodded, catching his lower lip between his teeth. He rose up on his knees, but not enough to lose Erik completely. He sank back down almost as slowly as before, but wasn’t so hesitant to move again. By the third stroke, he began to move in a steady rhythm. Erik didn’t just feel good, he felt right. Erik moaned on nearly every stroke, his eyes fluttering shut, then opening again to gaze up at Joel when he would slide up his shaft. His fingers caressed Joel’s balls, but offered 73

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only the occasional touch to his cock. They both knew it wasn’t entirely necessary. Six months might have passed, but it wouldn’t take Erik any time at all to find Joel’s prostate again. “Love this.” Erik reached up and cupped the back of Joel’s head, pulling him down to rest against his chest. “Love you.” The fanged kiss that followed was slow and sweet, a herald to new beginnings and old lovers. Joel sank into Erik’s welcoming body, whimpering into his mouth when he cupped a powerful hand over Joel’s ass to guide the long, deep strokes. Joel was content to let his tongue tangle with Erik’s, to let Erik’s fangs scrape against his tender lips. Until Erik shifted his hips and changed the angle of his strokes. Then Joel was just thankful he didn’t have to breathe, because Erik finally found his prostate. All of his muscles contracted, and the pleasure was as sharp and immediate as any pain Travis had ever inflicted. “I love you, too,” Joel murmured against Erik’s lips. “So much.” Erik grunted as he began to lift to meet Joel’s strokes, driving more force into his body with each thrust. His hands tightened, digging into muscle as if he feared Joel would fly out of his arms. A part of him still did, Joel realized, and that understanding only made him cling to his lover even more. “Need…need…” But the growing ferocity of their kisses silenced whatever that need was, their mouths flooding more and more with 74

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blood as their bodies slapped and joined together. The taste of Erik against Joel’s tongue made him desperate for more. His fangs itched, the back of his throat clenching. Erik must have known his intention as soon as Joel broke the kiss, because he moved his head to the side, exposing the spot that had belonged to Joel since his first night as a vampire. Without breaking the rhythm of their bodies, Joel bent to pull the skin between his lips. He sucked hard enough to turn the patch red, and then purple, before finally biting through the muscle. Erik shouted and drove harder into Joel’s ass, his mouth striking as swiftly as Joel had taken his time. The dizzying pull of blood drawn through his veins balanced the flow coursing down his throat, and when Erik’s cock slammed against his prostate, he felt the shaft jerk as blast after blast of come coated his clenching walls. Joel growled again, his jaw tightening, forcing more blood down his throat as his cock jerked against Erik’s stomach, trapped between their bodies. He squeezed his eyes shut, his muscles constricting as the orgasm pushed through his body. Erik’s arms tightened around his back, like steel bands, holding him in place as his body relaxed and his fangs retracted. He immediately began lapping at Erik’s bruised skin, soothing it with lazy, slow strokes. Erik wasn’t pulling away, sucking the last drops from the fresh mark on Joel’s neck. His slick lips massaged the firm muscles, until those matched the liquidity of the rest of his limbs. It was more than comforting. It was every reward he 75

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had ever been given compounded a million times over. Then Erik topped all of that. With a single, whispered word. “Mine.”

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JAMIE CRAIG

Jamie Craig is the collaborative efforts of Pepper Espinoza and Vivien Dean. Both successful authors on their own, they began working together in early 2006. Pepper lives with her husband and cats in Utah, where she attends graduate school, and Vivien resides in northern California with her husband and two children. *

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As a freelance photographer, Mal Donnelly is a complete professional, and doesn’t bat a lash at any assignment. Even the special St. Patrick’s Day photo shoot on the set of a gay pornographic film. But just the sight of the film’s star, Alejandro Marroquin, is enough to turn him into a tongue-tied fool. When Alejandro asks him to dinner, Mal knows it truly is his lucky day. Alejandro doesn’t date. With his career, it’s difficult to have any sort of real relationship. But Mal, the soft-spoken, talented photographer, had captivated Alejandro from the

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