Page 53 of A Haunting at Keystone Manor

“If my eyes are closed, I won’t be able to see it,” I tease.

“Oh my god, Jake. Just for one second, no funny business, I promise.” He hits me with the puppy dog eyes, and I’m a goner. I sigh and close my eyes, trusting him. He crawls onto my lap, and I can feel his breath ghost over my face as he says, “Open your eyes.”

I obey. He’s holding up a slim, silver chain that has a tiny padlock charm on it. I can’t help but laugh as I take it from him. “What is this? A necklace?”

He nods. “You wouldn’t let me tattoo your ass, so this is the next best thing. I’m marking my territory,” he explains.

“With a padlock?” I ask. This would only make sense to Alex.

“Yep, I’ve got you locked down now.” He runs his hand through my hair. “No one else will get to do this,” he says as he runs a thumb over my lower lip. “Or this.” He kisses me gently. “All mine.”

I smile against his lips. “Thank you, I love it.”

“You don’t actually have to wear it if you don’t want to. I’m not trying to force anything on you, but I like the idea of seeing it and knowing you’re mine,” he explains as he rubs the back of his neck.

“I am yours. Put it on me, brat,” I command. He takes the necklace and gently clasps it behind my neck, adjusting it so the tiny padlock lays just below my collar bone, between the buttons of my shirt I keep undone for him. It’s not a choker or a collar, just a tiny, delicate reminder of what we both already feel.

“Thank you. This means a lot to me,” I tell him honestly. He knows how much it means to me to feel wanted, and he always does everything in his power to remind me that I am, especially on the bad days. The days I forget that I have a real family here now that cares about me. A family I chose. Every time I forget that, this necklace will be a reminder.

“You’re welcome.” He sits back on my legs to study me, and his gaze heats as he runs it down my body. “You’re so hot. I think it’s the necklace, it’s doing something to me.”

I smirk and grab his hips. “Do you want to do something about it, brat?”

He nods, biting his lower lip. “I really do. Is it too soon, though?”

I shake my head. “No. I want you to touch me. I always want that.”

“Lie down then, so I can make you feel good.”

“You’ll have to get off me if you want me to move,” I tell him.

“Oh! Yeah, right.” He’s flustered as he crawls off of me, cheeks pink. I lay down on the bed and adjust the pillow behind my head, getting comfortable. Alex trails a finger down my stomach to my waistband. “Can you take off your shirt? I want to see that necklace while I claim you.”

I sit up just enough to pull off my shirt before lying back down. I toss it on the floor, not caring at the moment where it lands.

“Your turn,” I say, and his shirt is off before I even finish speaking. The jeans and boxers go next. I take a moment to appreciate his lithe body.

“You’re cute.”

“Just cute? Not a sex god? I’m a little offended. Do I need to punish you?” he asks. Knowing he’d never actually hurt me, I just smirk.

“I thought you were claiming me. Get to it, brat.”

He sits next to me and puts a hand on the waistband of my jeans, silently asking for permission to pull them off. He always asks, always. I’ve told him it’s not necessary, but the care he shows me in these small ways makes me feel safe under his hands. So I nod my permission.

He pulls my jeans off and tosses them before pausing. “Take my boxers off,” I tell him. He complies and then we’re both naked. He grabs my cock and gently strokes me. I toss my head back on the pillow and close my eyes, hands fisting the comforter at my sides.

He leans down and kisses a line from my collarbone to my chin, hand keeping a steady rhythm on me. “That feels amazing.”

“Yeah? Open your eyes, baby,” he says and I look him in the eyes. “I’m gonna suck you now, and you’re gonna watch.”

All I can do is nod as he crawls down my body and puts his mouth on me, not once looking away from my face. I run a hand through his hair, not to control him or force his movements, just a gentle caress. Before long I’m ready to burst. “Alex, I’m going to—”

I try to pull him off, but he sucks harder and swallows everything before sliding up my body to kiss me until we’re both panting.

“That was amazing,” I tell him and hold him to my chest. He wraps his arms around me and presses a kiss to my skin.

“I’ll do that whenever you want. You’re a perfect gentleman.”