He nodded, his focus sharpening at the endearment. “Probably. Fuck, I love what you do to me.”
“I love your vampire refraction time. Makes me feel like some kind of sex god.”
His smile was fond. “You are totally a sex god.” He shuddered as I thrust deep and his eyes flew wide. “Jeez, your cock is magical. I really am gonna come.” He grabbed his hardening dick and pumped it a few times.
I came first, unable to hold back, the visual of Edwin beneath me, open to taking everything I could give, pulling an orgasm from me that encased me from head to toe, leaving me breathless and trembling. I didn’t realise until my senses returned that Edwin had come too, gluing us together with his cum as I collapsed on top of him.
We didn’t bother cleaning up. I passed out in his arms, his cool limbs around me as I floated into a dream where both Edwin and James told me they loved me and I could finally break free from my lonely prison walls.
When I awoke, I was alone. I pulled on my boxers and found Edwin in the living room, poring over a drawing he was working on. His artwork seemed to improve with every picture I saw. His talent was breathtaking, and yet he seemed to see it as no more than a way to fill the coffers. I wondered if perhaps he’dbeen told that art wasn’t a suitable use of his time when he was younger. He certainly seemed prouder of his forgery work.
He tried to usher me back to bed, but everything felt unsettled since James’ departure, so I waved off his fussing, checked on Terrance, and made myself a mug of fruit tea. When I saw Edwin was once again absorbed in his sketches, I pulled on my work clothes and headed out to see what I could get on with in the garden.
Terrance followed me out. “Why are you not turning on the light Edwin installed for the human child?”
“James is not a child,” I chided him. “He’s a fully grown adult, thank you. I’m not a pervert. I’m not using the light because I don’t want nosy neighbours complaining it’s too bright, or worse, coming over to moan and catching sight of you.” I flicked a piece of broken pottery in my familiar’s direction simply to annoy him.James is very young,my mind unhelpfully supplied. I hushed the thought. Young or not, neither Edwin nor I had in any way coerced him and I was satisfied with that.
Terrance ignored the pottery shard. “And yet you will not use your powers to create your own perfect lighting.”
I glared at him. “Shut your beak, you…” Words momentarily failed me. “…you varmint,” I finished weakly. “If Edwin were to hear?—”
“I’m not a fool. He is inside with the windows fastened.”
“That aside, what the fuck are you saying? You know I can’t.”If only.
Terrance made a weird chirp which I knew meant he was frustrated with me. “You might. But you don’t even try. You should try.”
I glared at him some more and huffed loudly. Finally, he took the hint, leaving me to snip and trim, and repot a few cuttings that had surpassed even my most optimistic expectations. I kept working even when Edwin brought me out a glass of lemonade,confessing rather shyly that he hadn’t been sure which of my many fruit teas I might prefer, so he’d opted for the easier decision; we currently only had one variety of cold drink. I drank it in one long continuous swallow, which had his eyes popping, followed by a suggestion I might be working too hard. I laughed.
“This is what I enjoy the most, getting my hands dirty with my plants. I don’t really consider it work, although of course it is. It makes me happy, Eddie. Drag me inside and sit me at the computer to check orders and invoices and I’ll sulk.”
“You don’t sulk. Do you?” He seemed intrigued. I shrugged.
“I can, especially when faced with technology. I hate it. It hates me right back. That’s why I requested a wired internet connection. I have bad luck with anything wireless.”
“Hmm.” He pondered this as he snagged a broom and swept all my clippings into a neat pile. “Charley fries electronics, but he’s part Fae. They’re known for it, aren’t they? Must be due to their non-human body type. Although James doesn’t seem to have any problem. Perhaps his Fae blood only gave him his cute ears.” He leaned on the broom handle and eyed me thoughtfully. “Do you think you have Fae blood?”
I dug my fingers a bit too forcefully into the plant pot in front of me. “James said he could see magical fields as Charley worked on the ice. He’s got more than pointy ears.”
“Oh yes, so he did. So what d’you reckon? D’you think he’s typical of someone mostly human who’s got a dab of Fae blood?”
My shrug this time was more expansive. “I’m no expert on the possible gifts that being mixed race can bring. But seeing as we’re on the subject, you’re descended from mages, aren’t you?”
Edwin became vampire still. “What?”
“Are you seriously telling me you didn’t know? Your surname isMarsh,for goodness’ sake. And your tracking powers are way better than average regardless of how good a Boy Scout you might have been before you were turned. One might say they’remage diviner level. Your mother was determined to keep her family name and to pass it on to you, her only child. From what I’ve heard, you didn’t have it easy, but nobody in her family disowned her as far as I can tell. They kept their distance, but your uncle sent her money regularly. Not much, because her family might have been embarrassed by her being a single mother, but they weren’t about to let her, or you, starve.” I got to my feet when I realised he wasn’t faking the shock on his handsome face. “Is this news to you, Eddie?”
“Uh, yes? How do you know this about my uncle?Ididn’t know. Who the hell are you, Trace?”
Thatwas a question I was going to dodge forever unless circumstances changed. “You know that photograph of the little boy with a woman? The one on the shelf in your bedroom?” He nodded. “I presume that is you and your mother?” Another nod. “I accidentally knocked it a couple of weeks ago and the frame flew apart. There was a letter between the photo and the backing.” I could no longer meet his eyes as I confessed, “I might have skimmed the contents.”
Edwin sighed. “You’re a nosy fucker.” I couldn’t disagree; I was. Iam.But then he propped the broom against the hedge and motioned for me to approach. I did so a little hesitantly, expelling anoofwhen he roughly tugged me into his embrace. “I must be a sucker for the rest of you, because I’m not even mad. A bit stunned, but definitely not mad.” He kissed me, unexpectedly and full-on dirty, his mouth plundering mine until I was breathless with want.
When we pulled apart, his eyes were glassy with lust. But he wasn’t finished with the subject of his past. “I’d never even considered the mage angle. D’you really think it’s possible? And if so, why didn’t Baxter say something? She’s the nosiest person I know and likes nothing better than delving into someone’s past for clues.”
“It probably didn’t seem necessary,” I offered. “Your talents are amazing no matter where they came from. And you can’t have children to carry on the mage line — if that’s what it is — so perhaps she didn’t think it was worth mentioning. You’re more than the sum of your genetics. Maybe I shouldn’t have mentioned it.”
“No, I’m glad you did.” His brow creased. “Although I’m a bit freaked out to think I might now be in the same general category as that bastard Cormack. And I definitely don’t want to discuss this with James, or not yet.”
