“I don’t know,” I whispered. “I like tothinkhe’d be pleased. But,” and I could feel bitterness seeping into my tone, “I’ve been close before and nothing came of it. Please, Dalziel, can we drop the subject?”
We headed back to the others. There was a sports bag in the corridor with a lightweight jacket threaded through the handles, and James’ favourite trainers next to it. Evidently, they’d been busy in our absence.
James was sitting in Edwin’s lap, a look of satiated peace softening his recently too-taut features. Edwin’s expression was cat-who-got-the-cream. I had a sudden thought.
“Is James okay with you heading out to feed while he’s away?” I didn’t imagine so. James seemed easygoing, his current mental state aside, but when it came to Edwin he was as territorial as a lion.
Edwin grinned, his fangs showing. “We’ve discussed that,” he said lazily, his eyes tracking a slow, deliberate path from my toes to my hairline, heating my skin and making my belly tighten with anticipation. “I wondered how you’d feel about subbing for my precious shadow?”
Oh, Goddess.
I could feel Dalziel’s eyes on me. “I would love to.”That’s the truth. Knees, stop fucking knocking.“James, I promise I’ll think of you while I take care of Eddie for you.”
“Excellent.” Edwin’s smile could have swallowed a football field, it was so wide. He pressed a kiss to James’ forehead. “Darling, we should let you go.” His smirk morphed into a pout. “I’ll miss you so much.”
James buried his face in Edwin’s shirt. I’m not sure anything that came out of his mouth was a real word, but Edwin seemed to understand what he meant. He carefully tipped our boy until they were both standing. “You want to say goodbye to Trace?” His tone was hesitant. I braced for disappointment.
But James walked straight up to me and raised his face, his eyes hopeful. “Kiss?” he murmured.
“Always,” I affirmed, clasping him gently between hands I hoped weren’t too work-roughened. “You take care, and don’t forget to tell Dalziel to back off if he gets too bossy. He means well, but he’s a tyrannical control freak when he’s worried.”
To a shocked gasp from Edwin and Dalziel’s muttered “Good job I like you, Dempsey,” I touched my lips to James’ mouth. Our kiss was short and chaste, but it felt infused with meaning. James pulled away first, his blue eyes soft, his pupils large.
“You’ll look after Eddie?” His voice cracked, and I gathered him to me.
“Of course I will. You have my promise on that.” I nuzzled the sweet patch of skin Edwin was so fond of embracing and murmured into James’ hair, “Is physically okay, or just?—”
“Everything. He needs you.” He stepped back, and I let him go. Edwin was beside him instantly, picking up his bag, offering to carry it outside. Dalziel tched.
“The boy’s more than capable of carting one bag to a car, Eddie, stop fussing.” He caught Edwin in a one-armed hug. “He’ll be back before you’ve had time to miss him properly. Use your time wisely. Some folk find relationships are strengthened by short periods of absence.” He shot me a knowing look as Edwin rushed past us both, insisting on staying with James until the last second. “Same goes for you, Trace. But something tells me you’re fully aware of this chance to have Eddie to yourself for a time.”
He spoke so quietly I barely heard him, but I appreciated he was keeping his words from Edwin. I nodded, with nothing I could add to what I’d said earlier. Dalziel’s cool palm grasped my bicep. “I have faith this will all work out. You three work well together. You’re very good for Edwin. He’s been somewhat of alost soul since he was turned, contrary to every effort he makes to get people to think the opposite.”
I knew what he meant. It seemed to me Edwin lived covered in bruises but wearing armour, clanking through life in the hope nobody got near enough to poke at his sore flesh. I'd never met anyone so ready to muffle their hurts and pretend they didn't exist.
I had to say something, but still nothing came. Dalziel seemed to understand. His grip tightened. “Have faith,” he repeated. Then to Edwin as he glanced at his phone, “Time’s ticking on. We should get going.”
I watched from the front step, Edwin from the kerb, as Dalziel pulled away into the empty road. I would miss James, but the thought of having Edwin to myself churned my already heated insides to a veritable froth of anticipation. He intended to feed from me. Would I like it as much as James did? Would Edwin be able to tell?—
“Get your sexy arse inside before I beg you to bend me over in the doorway and fuck me until I scream, right here in the open.” My vampire boyfriend shoved me through the gap and the door slammed as he pulled it shut with enough force to rattle it in its frame. Before I could take a breath, he had me pushed up against the wall with his tongue down my throat, one hand gripping my neck while the fingers of the other wrestled with the belt holding up my shorts. All right then, we were going thelet’s get naked so I don’t have to thinkroute.
We snogged and wrestled our way to his bedroom, leaving a trail of clothing as we went. With a wild look in his eyes, Edwin dragged me onto the bed with him as he fell backwards. “Just so you know, I amabsolutelycompensating for missing James by wanting to shag the second he’s gone, but I’m also utterly fucking desperate for you to bang me into the next century.Christ, I’ve missed the way you touch me, Trace. Please tell me you feel the same way.”
His expression had a sheen of vulnerability I could see that many others would miss. I bracketed him on the mattress with my arms either side of his head and my thighs around his, and leaned down to invade his mouth with my tongue until his chest was heaving. Then I sat back, his erection like a flagpole between us, his pupils massive discs of darkest night as he stared up at me.
“I’m crazy about you, Eddie. I thought you knew, but if you need me to tell you every single day, I will.” I felt a smile stretching my cheeks. “You and James make my world turn.”Now who’s vulnerable?
“I wouldn’t mind if you told me every day.” His fingers drew circles over my hips, before he gripped me tightly and licked his lips. “But right now, I’d be very obliged if you’d make me see stars with that lovely cock of yours.”
I wanted nothing more than to sink into him and plough him until he begged for mercy, but somehow I could tell he didn’t need that, regardless of what came out of his mouth. So instead, I kissed him again, slowly this time, teasing and exploring, from his pouty lips and up into his hairline, across his blond brows and down to his ears, licking, nibbling, sucking, regretting that his skin wouldn’t bruise for more than a few seconds no matter how hard I pressed and bit. Apparently, I was the kind of man who had the urge to mark his lover. Maybe James would one day let me leave an impression on his chest like he’d begged Edwin to do. The thought made me shiver.
Edwin arched and whined underneath me, rutting upwards until I stayed his bucking hips with my arm. “Let me lead,” I urged him, capturing his attention with a flick of one pale nipple. He gasped as it pebbled. “See? I’ll get you there. Be patient.” I stretched across the bed to snag the lube from the drawer.
“You know I’m not good at waiting.”
I grinned. “Oh, I know, which makes all this so much more fun.” I swallowed his cock down as far as I could without choking, wringing a desperate noise from Edwin.
I edged him with my mouth and fingers, pausing and repositioning him every time I knew he was close, until finally he spilled down my throat with a groan. Only then did I ease his legs over my shoulders and slide my cock into his tight hole, while his dazed blue eyes followed my every thrust. “You’re going to come again for me, aren’t you, darling?”
