What was coming through the link got Duron grinning. “Aren’t alligators nocturnal?” he murmured right before flipping Beaumont onto his back and pinning him to the mattress.
“Why yes, I am,” he answered, returning the grin with a toothy one that did crazy things to Duron’s heart rate before he found himself back under his laughing mate.
Duron struggled for show. When he got more laughter, he rolled over the bed, forgetting their sizes. They landed on the floor in a heap of limbs. Breathless, he went to apologize. Only Beaumont claimed his mouth in a ferocious kiss.
Let’s see what you’ve got.
The teasing tone from Beaumont got all his animals excited at once. A surge of power gave Duron increased strength. The edges of his lips turned up against Beaumont’s. His eyes flashed quickly as the animals merged, making it hard to control the strength within.
He hesitated, hating the thought of hurting his mate after the reverence of his lovemaking. He might not understand love, but his heart knew the difference.Are you sure?
The large cock beneath his hardened so fast, Duron’s body responded in turn.Give it to me.
One last sweep of the feelings and thoughts coming through their connection. Any sign of fear and Duron would have stopped.
Pulse slowing while he calculated what he was going to do. His mate wore a smug look, back was the unrecognizable, devilish smile. Duron rolled so fast, Beaumont had no time to blink. He brought them up to standing, pushing Beaumont flat against the wall, one flip and he had his mate’s chest pressed against the wall. He used his body to pin Beaumont, immobilizing as he reached for both wrists, then held them in one enormous fist above his head.
“Fuckkkk,” Beaumont groaned breathlessly. The delight and desire pulsing in Duron’s mind from his mate encouraged him to really let go like he never had.
His lips traced over the shell of Beaumont’s ear. “Want to see what else I can do?”
A full body shudder and hips bucking back hard enough to nearly impale Duron’s cock in his ass came with a growled, “Yes!”
“Remember, you asked for it.” He let go of the hands and bodily slid Beaumont up the wall, his muscles barely bulging under the weight as his gaze was square with Beaumont’s ass. The man’s arms scrabbled to find purchase on the painted wall.
Duron had him. He wouldn’t fall. He came forward and bit hard on the round globe, letting his animals all out at once. His teeth sank into flesh, blood filling his mouth, and he swallowed, groaning.
The scent of cum met his nose as the large body shuddered against the wall. He released the flesh and lapped at the wound until it healed. “Now, where to start?”
The squeak above was wholly satisfying as he buried his nose back between the ass cheeks, his tongue size increasing to get to where it wanted to be.
So yummy. By the time I’m finished, I’ll know every part of your body, and which bits tastes the sweetest.The threat was real and got only a delightful shiver.
Oh, what fun.
Chapter Eight
Beaumont
The magnitude of what he’d done hit Beaumont as he was taking a shower. Duron, who was like a machine, and apparently didn’t need sleep like regular people, had slipped out of bed about an hour before, muttering something about training. Beaumont, his body still aching in unfamiliar ways, was sated and happy enough to roll over, burying his nose into Duron’s scent in the pillows to grab an extra nap. His bond let him know Duron was nearby—that he didn’t need to worry, and for once Beaumont gave into his instincts and closed his eyes. It was his rumbling guts that finally propelled him out of bed.
Soaping up, with the water pounding and easing the ache in his stiff muscles, because honestly, Beaumont hadn’t had a workout like the one the night beforeever, he let his mind wander. In itself, that wasn’t unusual. As his life had gotten busier over the years, running his businesses, doing his duty for the shifter council, and never giving up on his search for what happened to his long-dead family, a shower was one of the few times in a day when Beaumont knew he wouldn’t get disturbed by people or devices. His mind would skip from things he needed to do that day, things he might’ve forgotten, happy thoughts about his family Beaumont refused to let die, and… thoughts.
Mated!That wasn’t a thought, it was like a yell in his brain, and it was Beaumont’s brain, not Duron’s, thank goodness. Because as Beaumont stood naked in the shower, soap in one hand and washcloth in the other, his mouth dropped open, and the realization slammed into his chest like a freight train, making his breath stutter and his heart beat faster.
Mated—as in that bond that will never be broken. Mated to a man, no less, who was physically bigger than he was. Mated. Permanently tied to an assassin, with, at best, a limited view of how the world worked, and at worst had a dozen animals inside of him who were probably capable of killing anyone who looked at him funny.Mated!
Even as the shock rolled over him, Beaumont pulled his errant brain back under control. There was no point in wondering what the heck Eugenie would think—Beaumont was just glad Duron’s arrival in his life was a hundred years after Eugenie would’ve passed naturally, even if she hadn’t been murdered. And his precious Eugenie had been born in a time when relations between men were conducted in back alleys and the private rooms of gentlemen’s clubs. They did not discuss it in public.
No, no, this is a different time, a different life. A life the Fates believe I am ready for.
Ever practical, Beaumont thought about the positive attributes of his assassin mate. The man was quiet. When Duron spoke, he said something worth listening to. That was a huge plus in Beaumont’s eyes. He had no time for people who just talked to hear the sound of their own voices,like people on the council, I won’t mention.
And big. Duron was more than capable of looking after himself, to the point of wanting to protect Beaumont, too. As he absentmindedly ran the washcloth over his belly, Beaumont thought about that a bit more, and then decided he liked it. Last night had proven he didn’t have to be on top of things all the time.
Duron’s not defenseless. He’s not an idiot. He’s not what I expected…But then Beaumont had made peace with the way the Fates believed his life should go after his family’s deaths. It’d taken a good ten years, a lot of empty whiskey bottles, and some rough encounters Beaumont preferred not to think about as he’d trolled the worst parts of society looking for his answers. He’d come out of it in the end, and that was all that counted.
There was still the minor matter of having to have that discussion with Duron. Beaumont had no intention of forgetting Eugenie, sweet little Victoria, Beau, or James. But he was confident he had room in his heart for Duron, too. Shutting off the water, Beaumont reached for a towel, only to see Duron standing by the towel rail watching him.
