Celestial Seductions: The Complete Series: An MM Gay Paranormal Mpreg Romance Collection

by Odin Nightshade

  “Really?” he seemed surprised.

  “Sure, why not?” Matt shrugged, seemingly indifferent.

  “Ok.” Drew took a deep breath and watched Matt’s face for any sign of hesitation. The question might decrease his opinion of him, but it really couldn’t get much lower, so Drew didn’t see the harm.

  Matt was completely unprepared for Drew to lean forward and press his lips against his. The breath caught in his throat, and he felt his eyes involuntarily close. Drew's mouth tasted heavenly; sugar from the cobbler still sweetening his lips. Matt leaned into him, his mind completely blank, swept free of all thought.

  He felt Drew's hand rest on his neck. Matt sighed against his mouth, the opening allowing Drew to deepen the kiss in a way that sent a thrill through his body. He raised his hands to Drew's shoulders and their bodies moved close, their torsos pressing against each other. Matt felt a thumb trace down his chest and its trail left fire in its wake, thrilling through him. He had never reacted this way to someone before. Every place that Drew touched seemed to burst to life, his fingers leaving a trail of lingering sensation as they brushed against his clothing. He very much wanted to know what they would feel like against his bare skin.

  Someone called out for Drew from two floors below and they both froze.

  Matt's eyes snapped open as he realized the terrible mistake that they had just made. This could never happen again, he told himself. He pressed his lips together, as if by doing so he could erase the memory that tingled there, even now. He was certain that those memories would torment him in dreams for a very long time.

  Matt cleared his throat. Drew was breathing very hard.

  “You aren’t going to sway the article in your favor with seduction, Mr. Matherson.” Drew stated stiffly. He made himself smile, wryly; as if it was a joke between them. Inside, he felt his heart ache with longing, and his thoughts whirl with confusion.

  “I wasn’t trying to, Matt.” He said that name in a breathy way that forced Matt to believe him. Drew quickly stood to leave the room, straightening his clothing before stepping into the hallway.

  Matt leaned back on the chaise and tried to process what had just happened. It occurred to him that before he had kissed him, Drew had mentioned that he had been wondering about it since the wedding, when they had first met. He placed his hands on his face. The skin was hot. He decided, straining ruthlessly for calm, that a cold shower was in order before he headed back downstairs.

  He closed his eyes, leaning back on the bed for a moment. The best thing he could do, he thought, would be to shift form and go for a long run. Maybe he could forget everything then. If Drew was a shifter too, he made himself deny it. That would just be too much to bear.

  ***

  The next two days were spent researching his article, firstly by shadowing Drew at his office. It was all fairly uneventful. Matt and Drew maintained a professional distance. Except for one brief moment when he had placed his hand on the small of Matt's back to guide him through a doorway, they had not touched or shared any looks that could be misinterpreted as lingering.

  Matt had interviewed a fair selection of Drew's employees, both those who interacted directly with Drew and those who did not, only to find that they all admired his work ethic and thought that he was both an honest, and fair, employer. Matt was forced to admit that Drew was good at his job and that at least some of Melina’s claims may have been unfounded.

  On Wednesday, Drew was forced to leave town on business and would not return until late the following night. This gave Matt the opportunity to make an overnight trip to one of the Matherson developments. The six-hour drive gave him a lot of time to think. This factor, the destruction that followed in the wake of his developments, was quite possibly the most detrimental claim that was brought against him. Matt was determined to tell the truth about whatever he found, even if it destroyed the man that he was beginning to find that he respected more than he cared to admit. He could not fathom how such a diligent boss would leave a wake of devastation in his path. Yet, if it existed—and it must if no community had countered the statement—then he needed to be held accountable.

  Matt arrived at the elegantly-gated community promptly at eight o’clock in the morning. He toured the neighborhood and found that the lavish homes were exactly the type of project that he would expect to destroy the surrounding neighborhoods if they were comprised of low-income residents. Maybe, he thought, the Matheson’s did not consider the way their projects might affect areas outside of their control. Disappointment welled in Matt’s heart. He realized that some small part of him had hoped to champion the Matherson cause, hoped to prove the previous claims to be those of a scorned and resentful gold-digger who was looking for her next pay check. Strange, he thought to himself, how a few days ago his view would have been so different.

  At the end of a disappointing day Matt finally tipped his hand to explain that he was looking for answers about the effects of the Matherson developments.

  “Why?” the woman he was speaking with replied angrily. “You won’t print it anyway!”

  Matt was taken aback by the vehemence with which the previously docile woman spoke.

  “I certainly will print it. The Mathersons sent me here themselves to tell the truth. Whatever it is, I want to know the truth.” Matt watched as the woman’s face transformed with relief before his eyes.

  “Thank goodness!” She wrapped Matt in a wild embrace. “Every reporter who has been here only wants to see the main development. When we try to show them the rest they tell us that they have seen enough and aren’t interested in viewing more. We’ve finally gotten to the point where we don’t even bother offering. No one wants to see it. Will you really?”

  Matt nodded. He was dying to see whatever it was that no one else cared to write about. They made arrangements to meet the following morning and Matt returned to his hotel room.

  He pulled out the list of all of Drew’s developments from across the globe. Excitement, and anticipation, kept him up into the late hours of the night as he prepared a generic letter to send to every single location that had been built since the Matherson patriarch’s retirement. The list included hundreds of projects, large and small. Matt wanted to know the truth of each location, and he was going to find out.

  The next morning he shocked the post office clerk with a box of letters before leaving for his final tour. MaryAnn, the woman from the previous tour, had instructed him to meet again at the main development office.

  When Matt drove up he found his guide waiting outside of a small, blue pickup truck.

  “Hop in.” she shouted. “This is my favorite part of the tour.”

  MaryAnn proceeded to shock Matt for the rest of their day together. She took Matt to the local school, where Drew Matherson had personally donated a new recreational center, including an indoor pool that offered hours of availability for public use. They drove past the nature park that had been designed to replace the green space that had been allocated for the sub division. Matt interviewed children and teens at the local youth center to which Matherson Development contributed annual donations and scholarship funds, and finally, he spoke with local residents who said that all of the local Matherson projects were maintained and run by local employees, increasing the job opportunities and income for residents of the area. Many of the employees, they informed Matt, were even offered opportunities to continue their careers within the corporate levels of the company.

  Matt was floored. How could the story have been so corrupted? Did reporters really profit more from making Drew out to be a purveyor of destruction and loss? He knew that his main flaw was deeply rooted in Drew's own refusal to contradict the claims. His desire to keep his personal life private had become his greatest weakness. This woman, Melina, had taken advantage of the assumption that Drew would not speak out against her. If the other developments responded with similar claims, Matt was determined to make this right.

  The drive back to Hillary’s house see
med like too much time alone to think. Matt was having trouble maintaining his original opinion about Drew. Somehow, he had misinterpreted his personality. That isn’t to say that Drew had not purposely annoyed him at the wedding, but perhaps he was not a bad person overall. Perhaps, his attempts at hiding his true personality, and intentions led him to misrepresent his own true nature. Matt was not entirely sure where his opinion of the man stood, only that it was on shaky ground. If he found out any more good about him he would be in serious risk of losing his heart, something that he had vowed never to do in regard to a subject of journalism.

  When he arrived back at Hillary's home, Hillary and Jake were still out. Matt realized that he had not informed them of a time at which he intended to return. He found that he did not want to spend any more time alone with his own thoughts. He was almost decided on risking a trip into the woods to change form when the object of almost all his recent musings walked in through the door.

  “How was your trip?” Drew asked after the usual greetings.

  “Informative. And yours?” Matt replied. It seemed almost unfair that Drew was both thoughtful and attractive. Matt wished for some tragic flaw to resurface. He found that Drew was much easier to ignore when he hated him.

  “I suppose informative would be a good word for it. It was just business as usual.” He took a step towards Matt. Matt took a step backward. He did not trust that he had enough control of himself to be in close proximity to Drew.

  He thought it was interesting that Drew would call it “business as usual”. Were the additional community developments considered usual for him? Did Drew even realize how wonderful the Matherson contributions really were? Did he know how much the community that he had visited that morning had loved his work?

  “Where are Jake and Hillary?” Drew asked, suddenly. “I was going to invite all of you to dinner at my place tonight, but I didn’t know if I would be back in time.”

  “They’ve already left.” Matt informed him. “I don’t think they expected either of us to be back tonight.”

  “Hmm,” he mused. “Well, I’ve already purchased the steak.” He held a hand out in invitation. “Would you like to join me?”

  Matt shook his head, fighting a sudden panic. The thought of spending an evening alone with Drew, in his home, was about the most dangerous idea he could think of. He felt his throat close, tightening irreparably around any words he wished to say.

  “Come on.” Drew revealed that captivating half-grin that caused Matt’s heart to beat fast. “I promise to behave like a perfect gentleman.”

  Matt stared at him for a long moment before tentatively agreeing.

  “I need to change first.” He informed him as he headed up the stairs. He was still wearing a blazer and suit from when he conducted the interviews. Jeans were what he needed at this moment. As he climbed the stairs he muttered, “Who is going to make sure that I behave?”

  “What was that?” came the shout up after him. Matt placed his hands on his cheeks as he continued on his path, resolute. There was no way that he had heard the exact words, but it was another reminder that he needed to carefully monitor his behavior tonight. It was clear that he was already testing the limits.

  Matt returned in jeans and a golden-brown shirt. He had brushed his hair back into its usual nonchalant parting. The look of appreciation on Drew’s face when he came back downstairs made Matt's stomach clench. He smiled shyly in return, and followed him out into the night.

  “I’ll take my car.” Matt insisted, forcing the words through a tight throat. I'd prefer if I could leave when I choose, before I do something we might regret, he thought privately.

  “You'll feel more comfortable with having an emergency escape?” Drew teased.

  “Yes,” Matt laughed, “but only so there is no need for you to drive me home tonight.”

  “This isn’t a date?” Drew pretended offence, a theatrical look of surprise on his face. Matt liked this type of teasing much better. He found that the casual banter made it easier for him to avoid focusing on Drew himself; anything to make him stop thinking about his wide shoulders and narrow waist. Were those creases in his shirt or were his muscles truly that defined? Matt gave himself a mental shake.

  “No, it isn’t a date.” He smiled.

  “Too bad.” Drew's mock-rueful grin made Matt's heart stop a moment.

  He took a moment to compose himself before getting behind the wheel. Insufferable man, he thought with a mixture of affection and irritation. Drew's ability to rattle him in a moment and then act as if nothing had happened was unsettling, to say the least. Matt had a feeling that he was already in way over his head. He could hardly admit it, even to himself— but he could not deny it, either. Matt pulled out of the driveway behind Drew's car, shaking his head at his reflection in the wing mirror as he drove.

  True to his word, Drew was a perfect gentleman during dinner. His home was on the opposite side of the lake from Hillary and Jake’s. In the distance Matt could barely see the twinkle of the lights of their back porch. Matt enjoyed a glass of wine while Drew manned the grill, beer in hand. He prepared seasoned potatoes alongside the steak, creating a flavor combination that made Matt’s mouth water. He sat on the porch steps and watched the rippling water, trading tales of their lives like old friends.

  Matt was surprised at how comfortable he felt in Drew’s home. It was neither the mansion that he had expected, nor a bachelor pad, but somewhere in between. It was comfortable.

  They ate outdoors, on the patio set, before moving inside to light a fire when the night air became too chilled. Matt did not feel uncomfortable around him any longer. In fact, the night had quite the opposite effect. Matt found that the reality of Drew’s life was much different than he had imagined, less pompous somehow. His home, in a strange way, reminded him of his own apartment in New York City. He had always felt that his home was casual, but never truly lived in. He had never felt at home in it, he realized, because it had never felt like home. It had not felt comfortable. This apartment, though, felt like home. That thought caught him by surprise, making a sudden ache catch in his throat.

  Matt moved away from the fireplace, where he had been warming his hands, and sat beside Drew where he lounged on the couch.

  “You know,” he turned toward him and mirrored the way that he leaned against the back of the couch. “I’m really glad that I came here tonight.” He admitted. “I feel like this place explains more about you than anything else.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked.

  “It’s…” he searched for the word but could not seem to find it, “simpler than I expected.”

  Drew laughed. “I’m not a complicated person, Matt.”

  “Drew,” he raised his eyebrows and tilted his head at him, “you are a very complicated person.”

  “I don’t try to be.” His brow furrowed. He had clearly never considered this before.

  “I know.” he placed a hand along the side of his face, “I think that is the best part.”

  Drew's breath made a choking sound in his throat; part desire, part desperate. It sounded like a plea not to test his limits. Matt knew, suddenly, deep inside himself, that he would very much want to see what happened if Drew lost that harsh self-control.

  Matt leaned forward and pressed his lips against Drew’s. He could not bring himself to feel a moment's hesitance. Everything about connecting with this man felt right. It was difficult to remember the negative feelings that he had harbored for Drew only five days before. It seemed as if months of understanding had finally been made clear to him in a sudden revelation that had shocked him to the core.

  Matt leaned into the kiss, trying to make it perfectly clear that this was what he wanted. He wanted Drew to forget their agreement, to be as uncontrolled— more uncontrolled— than he had been before, the first night that they truly met, at Hillary's house. He felt Matt's arms slide around his waist and settle on the curve of his lower back. His breath caught in his throat. Their
bodies touched, sliding closer until they were pressed so close together that he could feel Drew's breath, his warmth, his heart beating, fast. Where his thigh pressed against Drew's hip, Matt could feel Drew's growing need pressing against him.

  He kissed him again, slipping his tongue into his mouth. Drew released a sound that was a mixture of groan and growl. The sound exactly matched the raging desire that was coursing through Matt's own veins.

  Deciding to abandon all caution, Matt found the hem of Drew's shirt with his fingertips, tugging it slowly up and off. His own boldness surprised him, but he needed to feel their skin against each other. Drew looked back at him, his eyes warm and full of desire. He nodded. “Now you.” His voice was a whisper, from tight in his throat.

  Matt sat back, removing his own shirt, and Drew pulled back to stare at his body. He reached out with a fingertip, drawing a warm line down Matt's body to his waist, where his jeans met his pelvic bone. The touch of his fingertip left a trail of tingling in its wake. Matt could feel his own body shiver, aching with need. Never once did Drew look away.

  “You have the most beautiful skin.” He breathed, more to himself than to him, Matt realized. Drew raised his eyes to Matt’s “I could look at it all day.”

  Matt smiled. This admiration was something that he could get used to: surprising, arousing and wonderful. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to the skin of Drew's throat. He heard his breath catch in his throat, and saw a pulse, beating fiercely down one side of Drew's throat.

  “Would you mind if I stayed the night?” Matt felt himself ask. He looked into Drew's eyes and grinned warmly; a return to their earlier teasing.

  Drew exhaled. “I would love it if you stayed the night, Matt.”

  Matt felt something deep in his body contract. He shivered and tightened his grip on Drew, moving their bodies even closer. Whatever words Drew he had been attempting in reply were swallowed by Matt’s kiss.

  Drew stirred underneath him, moving his body to the edge of the couch. His arms around Matt, he stood, carefully, and, still holding his body crushed to his chest, Drew eased towards the door and up the short hallway to the bedroom.