“The door is locked. Able will alert us to any approach. And I’m certain.” Ant leaned down, brushing his lips against Viktor’s. “I need us to focus on each other for a bit,” he added, knowing that was all Viktor needed to hear.
Viktor kissed him slowly, one hand sliding up to cradle the back of Ant’s neck while the other remained steady on his hip. The kiss was familiar, and Ant felt his racing thoughts begin to settle as Viktor’s presence filled his senses.
That’s it,Viktor sent through their bond.Focus on me. Just me.
Ant sank into the connection, letting Viktor’s calm confidence wash over him. Viktor’s hands moved with purpose, yet he was still careful, unbuttoning Ant’s shirt and sliding it off his shoulders. Cool air hit Ant’s skin, but Viktor’s palms were warm as they traced the lines of his chest, his ribs, and the dip of his spine.
“How about you get on the bed,” Viktor murmured against his mouth.
Ant was happy to comply, stretching out while Viktor stripped off his own shirt and kicked off his boots. The bed dipped under Viktor’s weight as he crawled over him, caging him in with broad shoulders and thick arms. Ant’s breath caught. No matterhow many times they came together, the sheer size difference between them never failed to send a thrill through his whole body.
Viktor smiled, slow and knowing. “You like being pinned down.”
“It’s calming for me.” Ant reached up to trace the line of Viktor’s jaw. “When you’re above me like this, the rest of the world disappears, and there’s only you.”
“Good.” Viktor kissed him again, deeper this time, and Ant felt Viktor’s focus narrow to a single point -Ant’s pleasure, Ant’s comfort, Ant’s needs.Through their bond, he could feel Viktor deliberately clearing his own mind of everything else. No worries about Claudius, no lingering anger, no fear. Just Ant. It was intoxicating…and a bit of a relief.
Viktor’s mouth moved to Ant’s throat, kissing and nipping gently at sensitive skin while his hands made quick work of Ant’s belt and pants. Ant lifted his hips to help, and then he was bare beneath Viktor’s touch, exposed and vulnerable in the best possible way. There was a part of him, just a tiny part, that wondered if he should be nervous about their surroundings, but Ant’s brain didn’t work that way. He needed Viktor, and his mate never disappointed.
“You’re gorgeous,” Viktor whispered, his hands mapping every inch of Ant’s body. “Every damn time I look at you, I can’t believe you’re mine.”
Ant’s breath hitched as Viktor’s fingers wrapped around his cock, stroking with the perfect amount of pressure to make Ant moan. The energies that had been clawing at his senses faded to nothing, drowned out by the overwhelming sensation of Viktor’s touch, Viktor’s presence, and most of all, Viktor’s absolute focus on him.
More,Ant sent through their bond, too overwhelmed to form the words out loud.
Viktor growled softly, the sound vibrating through his chest. He shifted lower, kissing a path down Ant’s stomach, and then his mouth replaced his hand, and Ant’s entire world narrowed to that single point of contact.
Pleasure rolled through him in waves, building and cresting as Viktor sucked him. Viktor knew exactly what Ant needed - the pressure, the rhythm, the perfect balance between overwhelming sensation and too much. Through their bond, Ant could feel Viktor’s satisfaction, his pride in reducing Ant to his trembling, gasping state.
That’s my mate,Viktor sent, the words wrapping around Ant like a physical embrace.Let go. I’ve got you.
Ant’s hands fisted in the sheets as the pleasure built higher, drowning out everything else. When he finally tipped over the edge, crying out Viktor’s name, the release was more than physical. A sense of calm chased the pleasure in his system, clearing away the effects of the estate like a hose through a spider web. All he could focus on was Viktor’s presence filling every corner of his awareness.
Viktor gentled him through the aftershocks, pressing soft kisses to Ant’s hip, his stomach, his chest, before finally settling beside him on the bed and pulling Ant against his side.
Better?Viktor asked through their bond.
Yes.Ant pressed his face against Viktor’s shoulder, breathing in his mate’s familiar scent.Thank you.
“Anytime, babe.” Viktor’s hand stroked down Ant’s spine in a soothing rhythm. “You need a few minutes before we tackle the crime scene?”
Ant considered the question seriously. His senses felt clearer, and while the taint of Claudius’s magic couldn’t be ignored entirely, it no longer threatened to overwhelm him.
“Five minutes,” Ant decided. “Then I’ll be ready.”
“Take ten, or even twenty if you need to.” Viktor kissed the top of his head. “I’m not letting you walk into that room until you’re completely steady.”
Ant didn’t argue. He simply relaxed into Viktor’s hold, letting his mate’s steady heartbeat and strong presence anchor him in the moment. Able, who had been lying by the door while they’d been focused on each other, padded over to the bed and rested his chin on the mattress beside Ant’s hand.
Ant reached out to scratch behind his dog’s ears, feeling his precious dog’s energies complete the circle - Viktor at his back, Able at his side, and their suite’s door locked against the hostile territory beyond. The murder investigation could wait ten more minutes. Ant closed his eyes. A little nap wouldn’t hurt.
Chapter Six
Quickly adjusting his own dick that had understandably wanted to play, too, Viktor watched Ant’s breathing slow and deepen, his mate’s face finally relaxing into genuine sleep. The shadows under Ant’s eyes seemed less pronounced now, and the tension that had been pulling at his shoulders since they’d driven through those gates had eased.
Sleep well, precious.Viktor pressed a gentle kiss to Ant’s temple, careful not to wake him.
Able lifted his head, tracking Viktor’s movements. The German shepherd knew something was up - he always did. Viktor held a finger to his lips in the universal gesture for quiet, then pointed at Ant.Guard him,Viktor mouthed.
