Valac hummed. “Yes.” His violet eyes darkened, and Julian felt soft shadows slip down the back of his jeans, between his cheeks and into his hole. The sudden sensation of being filled sent him rocking into Valac, clawing at his shirt and hiding his shuddery moan in Valac’s chest.
“Warning,” he choked out. “You’re supposed to give me a warning.”
Valac’s sinister chuckle filled his ear. “Don’t worry, my jewel. No one’s paying us any attention.”
That was true, Julian realized as he cast his gaze around the room. Talon was conversing with a group of halflings near the bar, one arm draped lazily around Alex’s shoulders. Ira and Nathan were sitting together at the end of the bar, sipping drinks and people-watching. Wolf was busy slinging drinks and gravitating toward Ira whenever he had a free moment. Malachi and Luke were lost in the undulating crowd. People up on the platforms drew the eye, beautiful bodies in scraps of fabric moving to the music. Around the room, people in booths and tables were too preoccupied with their own hedonism to pay Julian and Valac any mind, and the tension drained from Julian’s body.
He turned his head into Valac’s neck again, sucking a mark into his pale skin and loving the way Valac’s hands tightened on his body in response. Valac had been so kind and patient with him, letting Julian control the speed of every aspect of their relationship.
Maybe it was time to surrender some of that control. He’d been white-knuckling the steering wheel of his own life for so long, it would feel blissful to let someone else take over for a while.
“Valac,” Julian breathed.
“Tell me what you want, my jewel.”
Julian’s eyes fell closed as he lifted his head and found Valac’s lips. “You,” he said between their mouths. “I want to feel only you. I want you to make my mind shut off for a while. Take it all away until there’s only you and me.”
Valac’s violet eyes darkened with heat. He searched the room for a moment, then smiled in a way that set Julian’s blood on fire.
“Come with me.” He threaded his fingers through Julian’s and led him away from the bar.
Every step moved the shadows plugging him up, brushing his most sensitive areas, and he could only hope his walk looked relatively normal. It took all he had not to melt into a puddle on the floor.
They stopped in the dark hallway where the bathrooms and emergency exit were located. A handful of people were there, too, some of them kissing and others talking. All of them were distant enough that they faded from existence when Valac crowded him against the wall.
“We have a bed right upstairs,” Julian pointed out, but he couldn’t wipe the excited grin from his face. He’d never done anything like this in hislife.
“We’ll get there,” Valac said. “You want me to wipe your mind of everything but me. So focus on me.”
That was easy to do when Valac occupied every one of his senses, his body pressing against Julian’s and his shadows gently stretching him open. He pushed up on his tiptoes, seeking Valac’s mouth, and then they were tangled together, arms wrapping around each other as they kissed, hot and slick and deep. No one had ever made him feel this way before, like he might die if he couldn’t be with them.
Pressure wound around his cock, and a choked sound got stuck in his throat as the shadows began to stroke him and thrust in and out of him at the same time. Valac tore his mouth away, his glowing eyes boring into Julian’s as his head fell back against the wall. Panting for breath, he tried to work his hips against the shadows for more, but Valac’s thigh was between his own, pinning him in place.
“Valac,” he whimpered, clawing at Valac’s back.
Valac put a hand over his mouth, silencing his growing moans. “I have you, my jewel. I’m going to make you feel so good. But if you make a sound, I’ll stop. We don’t want anyone else to see you like this. Only me.”
Julian nodded frantically. They could just as easily go upstairs for privacy, but something about this was thrilling, the knowledge that a part of Valac—the darkest, most demonic part—was fucking him right here in front of everyone made molten heat boil through Julian’s veins, made his sac draw up tight against his base.
The rest of the club fell away. All he could see was Valac’s violet eyes, feel the planes of his broad, hot body. Pleasure was like a wildfire, spreading through his limbs and consuming everything but sensation. He whimpered behind Valac’s hand, and the shadows expanded in his hole, going deeper and thicker. Maybe it was almost as big as Valac’s cock. He hoped so.
“Come for me,” Valac growled. “Show me how much you like it. And remember, not a sound.”
How was he supposed to be quiet when Valac was torturing him like this? His throat tightened in an effort to choke off the scream trying to build. He sucked down one last breath as he spilled inside his jeans, his body convulsing and his eyes rolling back in his head. The back of Valac’s shirt ripped in his claw-like grip, and his ears rang. Spots danced in front of his eyes, and he sagged against Valac, who wrapped him up in a tight hug, chuckling in his ear.
“Beautiful,” he murmured, kissing the top of Julian’s head. “Absolutely beautiful.”
Julian couldn’t form a response at first. He just let himself be held. When he finally found the strength to lift his head, he drew Valac down for a kiss that curled his toes and made his heart sing.
“Take me home.”
It wasn’t really home. He was beginning to think home was wherever Valac was. But it would do for now.
Chapter 22
Valac
Valac could barely controlhimself when they got back to the apartment upstairs. A pliant Julian was one of his favorite things, and tonight he’d all but told Valac to ravish him however he wanted. He threw him down on the bed, using his shadows to spread his limbs out, and barely remembered to slick his cock with lubricant before he was pressing inside Julian’s soft, willing body.
