“You know I’m good at what I do, Ms. Seongyun. You needn’t worry,” Barbatos chirped, flipping the book he had been reading closed. He placed it back on the shelf and crossed his arms. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s tricky business what I do, but unless, say, they know exactly—and I mean,exactly—what to look for, they’ll never know.”
Noah didn’t exactly understand the full setup, just what Barbatos had shown him when they’d deployed the Empire’s spyware on the fake network, but even that part itself had been rather complex. In any case, he had his own task to worry about, trusting Barbatos to be able to handle his.
Ms. Seongyun asked Noah a couple more questions about the Church’s workings and aspirations here in the Federation, dismissing him and the rest shortly after. With their unofficial business concluded but their official one still ongoing for the rest of the afternoon, he didn’t have to return to the embassy and could instead pass the day doing whatever he wanted.
Noah contemplated his options, but pretty soon he knew exactly how he wanted to spend the rest of his day. He glanced at Reign who glanced back at him as if he could feel Noah’s stare. He didn’t suggest what he had in mind however, not until it was just the two of them in Reign’s car, with Barbatos on his way to make a contract with some new human.
“Reign, I want to draw you,” Noah said in a tone that sounded a little more demanding than he’d meant it.
“Tired of your landscapes? I quite liked the one you did of the Bone Palace based on my descriptions,” Reign mused, garnet eyes playfully twinkling.
Was he tired of them?Not really, but he felt like dedicating another painting to his red-skinned muse, and he knew not to fight inspiration when it struck.
Reign seemed to recognize that, his expression shifting to one that betrayed his answer before he gave it. “How would you like to draw me, Noah? Not from imagination this time?”
Noah could do that, sure, but he felt like having Reign pose for him instead, maybe in his robe, or maybe just in the harem pants. “On the sofa. The one by the fire plinth. I want it in the painting. Or maybe you can sit on the floor and lean against it instead?”
The black, glossy surface would offset Reign’s pale skin, make him look even more ethereal in his human form. Or should Noah draw him in his demon form? Or maybe both?
“I suppose that is the rest of our afternoon sorted then,” Reign deemed, looking a little thoughtful, like he was pondering something.
Lately, that happened more and more, and it made Noah wonder what the demon had on his mind. Right now, he supposed that prodding about it could wait, his fingers already itching to get to work and bring to life Reign’s beauty yet again.
As soon as they were back at Reign’s residence, Noah set up in front of the sofa, looking for the right angle and light, testing out compositions. In the end, he had Reign turn off the fire, so he could sit naked on top of the black plinth. He let one leg hang off the edge and tucked the other one in, propping his elbow on his knee and resting his cheek against his forearm. It resembled Rodin’sThe Thinker—or an unintentional modern take on it,perhaps?—but Noah deemed the classical vibe it exuded fitting of Reign’s natural elegance.
The sketch didn’t take too long, Noah’s mind knowing each and every line of Reign’s body, how to turn it and manipulate it. Still, he made sure he had all his proportions right, his volumes and shadow shapes, not moving onto color until he was satisfied with the rough line art. He chose oil paint for this piece, opting to try the new set he’d bought last week when Reign had taken him to Seoul’s art market.
As soon as Noah opened the first tube, his attention narrowed down to what he was about to do, everything else forgotten. The paints were high grade and thus could work without a solvent in theory, but Noah added it because he wanted to get the first layer in and move on to the next one tomorrow. Or maybe later tonight, depending on how quickly it dried. Time ceased to matter with the first brushstroke and Noah became no longer part of the world, his body simply a vessel for his inspired mind to replicate on paper what he was seeing with his eyes.
“Watching you draw me, Noah, it makes me want to bend you over and have you,” Reign said once Noah’s trance ended. Despite the long session Noah had made him endure, he didn’t even bother to stretch before he was circling the easel to see the painting’s progress.
“You can have me now,” Noah whispered, delicious shivers racing down his spine as Reign placed his clawed hand at the low of his back.
Reign studied the painting silently as anticipation built inside Noah, then, without a word, stepped around Noah and pushed him back a few steps until his knees hit the edge of the coffee table. He plonked onto his ass, arms shooting out to prevent him from toppling over, andsplayed his palms on the glass as Reign worked him out of his pants.
“Spread your legs,” Reign demanded, his eyes leaving no space for any doubt how much he wanted Noah.
Noah complied, frantic to have Reign’s mouth on him. He was already hard when the first lick came, then even harder as Reign got right down to it, sucking him like he’d been starving for Noah’s cock for weeks. Needing to hold onto something, Noah reached for Reign with one hand, raking fingers through silky long hair and then pulling onto it to guide Reign’s head. Eye blazing with lust, Reign grabbed Noah’s hips and dragged him forward to the edge of the table so his ass was half sticking out, then plunged two slicked fingers inside him.
Noah cried out in pleasure, losing his balance as he fell onto his back. His body was at Reign’s mercy, shaking as those fingers pumped inside him, as Reign’s mouth worshipped his cock. With both his dick and ass being stimulated, he was racing toward the edge fast. Too fast.
“Reign,” he moaned, grabbing Reign’s hair again and pulling hard enough to force the demon off his cock. Glowing eyes met him, intense and captivating, inducing a rush of adrenaline through his heated body. “Fuck me,” he said, licking his lips as he let himself drown in that gaze. “I want your cock in me.”
In a quick and fluid motion, Reign dragged him off the table and onto the floor, flipping him over so he was on all fours. Reign lined up his dick and rammed hard into him, making them both groan. He clasped Noah’s waist with both hands and held him still as he settled into a quick, rough pace, just the way Noah liked it.
“Reign, harder,” Noah begged over a moan, fisting the fluffy rug with his fingers. “Yess. Fuck. So good… please, Reign, I…I want you.”
Reign’s rhythm stuttered, his thrusts losing that deliberateness. He stopped, froze almost, and then slammed into Noah, coming with a growl that triggered Noah’s own orgasm. He bit down on Noah’s shoulder with enough force to draw blood, but, strangely, Noah didn’t hate the sharp pain as teeth sank into his flesh. It excited him, exhilarating as it aroused desire in him anew, but before he could revel in that sensation as he shook from ecstasy, Reign was slipping out of him.
Wincing as he lost the support of Reign’s hands, Noah collapsed to the floor. He was flushed and panting, his hot body exerted in the best way possible—
Why did Reign stop so abruptly?
Noah turned his head to the side where the demon was standing, letting his eyes travel slowly from Reign’s feet up to his face. The red glow was still there in his eyes and along with it, some emotion that had panic seeping into Noah’s contented heart.
Something was wrong, the sensation of it engulfing Noah’s body and insides.
With too much effort, Noah forced himself off the floor with his elbows. “Reign? Are—”
