“And discovered that cesium ignites on contact with the air,” Gregory continued. “Evrain drew cesium from the earth and pulled it into a funnel of air around Symeon. It ignited, effectively sealing him in a tunnel of fire. His immediate reaction was to defend himself with water, but cesium explodes on contact with water. By the time Symeon realized that he wasn’t dealing with ordinary fire and used earth to defend himself he had lost all focus. It all happened in a matter of seconds, but it was enough time for me to hit him with a bolt of pure light, one of the few things that can reduce a warlock’s power. The little cloudburst I created over my head that Symeon found so amusing wasn’t water, it was mineral oil, something that protects against cesium.”
“You are all amazing. You too, Coryn. Gregory was channeling for a long time.”
Coryn shrugged. “After so many years of putting up with him, I’m used to it.”
“Hey!” Gregory protested.
Dominic dissolved into laughter, then fought back a huge yawn.
“And that’s our signal to make a hasty exit,” Coryn said. He stood, pulling Gregory up with him. “I have a particularly swanky hotel booked in Portland. We’ll be staying for a couple of days.”
“Then you must come back for dinner tomorrow evening,” Evrain said.
Dominic nodded. “Yes, then Coryn can tell me all those secrets he promised me.”
* * * *
Coryn and Gregory had disappeared to their hotel with a vow to return the next day. It was almost three in the morning by the time Dominic and Evrain reached their bedroom. Though he would have preferred to tumble into bed, Dominic insisted on a shower. He had to scrub himself clean, lose the contamination of Symeon’s touch from his skin. Evrain sat on the side of the tub while he showered, soaping a sponge and running it over Dominic’s body with gentle tenderness.
“I’m not the same, Evrain. Symeon…did things to me. He made me look different.”
“You’re still you, the man I love. We’ll save a fortune on razor blades.”
Evrain’s words were soothing. “You can’t fix me? Put me back how I was?”
“Sorry, love. Another warlock’s work can’t be undone. Symeon broke every unwritten law of magic when he altered you against your will. After today, our only comfort is that he’ll never be able to do it again.”
“Are you sure?”
“As much as I can be. He won’t regain his full powers for decades and warlocks aren’t immortal. We live long lives because we don’t get sick, but nothing too far out of the ordinary.”
Dominic stepped out of the tub. Evrain wrapped him in a warm towel and patted him carefully.
“You have quite a few cuts and bruises,” he stated.
“That’s all they are. Nothing that won’t heal in a few days. I gave Damon a few marks as well.” Dominic grinned.
“Never again, Dominic. If I have to wrap you in cotton wool and lock you in the cabin, nothing will ever hurt you again.” Evrain took his hand and led him back to bed. He tucked him in then undressed quickly. They lay side by side under the covers, not touching. Tension practically vibrated from Evrain’s body.
“Is channeling for the first time like losing your warlock virginity?” Dominic asked. “Are you too sore to touch me?” He projected as much naïve innocence into his voice as he could manage.
He gasped as Evrain rolled over him, pinning him down. Suddenly Evrain’s hands were everywhere, stroking and touching, his kisses urgent and demanding. “You feel so soft and smooth.” He tangled his fingers into Dominic’s hair.
“Not totally soft,” Dominic whispered. His dick was so hard it ached and his ass seemed to be throbbing in time to his racing heartbeat, begging to be filled. “I need you in me, Evrain.”
“Patience.” Evrain threw the covers back and knelt, dipping his head to suck gently on first one nipple then the other. When they had hardened he got rougher, twisting and pulling with his teeth.
Dominic moaned and bucked. Evrain shifted his attention to lower down Dominic’s body, licking the smooth, hairless skin of his belly while pushing his legs farther apart. He channeled and tiny sparks flittered around Dominic’s cock and balls.
“Does it hurt too much?” he demanded.
“No!” Dominic gasped at the combined sensation of pain and pleasure. “It feels amazing!”
Evrain pushed a lubed finger into Dominic’s channel, quickly followed by a second. There was a thump as what Dominic guessed must be the jar of lube hit the floor.
“Fuck!” Evrain groped down the side of the bed.
“Enough, Evrain. For Christ’s sake, fuck me!” Dominic could do without any more lubrication if it meant he got Evrain’s cock inside him sooner.
Evrain lifted his hips and pressed the head of his swollen cock against Dominic’s entrance.
“Trust me?”
“Yes! Damn it, Evrain…”
Evrain sank deep inside him with a sigh as little sparks tortured Dominic’s cock and teased his swollen nipples.
“I can sense every emotion you’re feeling, every pulse of pleasure.”
He began to move faster, harder, hoisting Dominic’s legs onto his shoulders to get deeper access. They came together in a mental and physical explosion of ecstasy that left them both quivering from a series of aftershocks.
Evrain rolled onto his back. “I’m not sure I can survive doing that too often!” He turned back to kiss Dominic gently, nipping at his lower lip.
“Once or twice a day should be fine…” Dominic grinned.
“Hey, I’m the demanding one, remember? You’re supposed to be sweet and shy.” Evrain narrowed his green-gold eyes.
Dominic fluttered his lashes and chewed on his lower lip.
Evrain gave an exasperated sigh. “Sometimes I wonder which one of us is the warlock. You’ve cast your spell over me, that’s for sure.”
Dominic snaked his hand below the covers and grasped Evrain’s semi-hard cock. “Well, witchy boy, I’m about to work some more magic!”
Epilogue
“Evrain, please! You don’t play fair!” Dominic’s voice was a study in indignant exasperation.
“What’s the matter, my love? Are you uncomfortable?” Evrain circled the fallen tree trunk, admiring Dominic’s naked form from every angle. Christ, he looks delicious tied down that way, legs spread wide across the rough bark, smooth creamy ass nicely exposed. He flicked his fingers and a few more twists of ivy wound themselves around wrists already tightly restrained.
Dominic turned his head to the side, his cheek pressed against the wood beneath him. Evrain winked at him. “How does it feel, love? The knots and whorls of the bark press into your bare skin, don’t they? Does it make you hard?”
Dominic scowled but Evrain knew he’d hit home. Bindweed and creepers circled Dominic’s waist and gripped his ankles, holding him firmly in position. “You are hot as hell.”
“This is so fucking humiliating.” Dominic shifted.
“I suppose it could be considered so, but I’ll bet you’re rock hard, which can’t be comfortable.”
“If your dick was trapped between your body and unyielding wood, you wouldn’t find it amusing,” Dominic protested.
“I warned you what I would do if you disobeyed me, Dominic. You need to learn to accept the consequences of your actions.” Evrain gave Dominic’s exposed ass a firm slap.
“Let me go, you bastard! I stepped outside the gate for all of three minutes!”
“And that was three minutes too long. I told you not to go out there. I’m sure we’re being watched and until I know by whom and why, you are confined to the house and grounds unless I’m with you.”
“You don’t own me, Evrain.” Dominic pulled helplessly against his bonds but couldn’t break any of the wiry stems, strengthened as they were by magic. Having a warlock for a boyfriend put him at a significant disadvantage at times like these.
Evrain watched him wriggle and licked his lips as Dominic’s dark copper hair tu
mbled around his smoothly muscled shoulders. He would never forgive Symeon for the torture he had put Dominic through, but he couldn’t deny that the end result was stunning. Dominic had already been good looking, but by the time Symeon had finished with him he was beautiful. It just made Evrain’s need to protect him even stronger.
He moved to stand where Dominic could see him and slowly unbuttoned his black shirt. “Is obedience really so hard for you?” He shrugged the fabric away from his shoulders and used a nearby sapling as a clothes hanger. He sat on the fallen trunk and ran his fingers through Dominic’s gloriously soft hair. He petted him for a while, then bent to remove his shoes and socks.
“Is treating me like an adult so fucking impossible for you?”
Evrain dropped his pants, pushed down his underwear then straddled the trunk in front of Dominic’s face. His rigid cock settled against a patch of deep green moss, scant millimeters from moist, parted lips.
“I wouldn’t be doing this if you weren’t all grown up, my love.” He loosened Dominic’s bindings enough that he could lift his head and shoulders and rest his forearms on the trunk, then edged even closer. “And you’re wrong. I do own you.” He pushed forward until the thick length of his cock disappeared into a willing mouth. He leaned back with a moan as Dominic’s warm tongue rasped across his sensitive flesh. “You belong to me, Dominic, and you know it.”
Dominic didn’t stop what he was doing to answer. In the heat of that moment, Evrain belonged to Dominic too. His entire body was controlled by the action of Dominic’s lips, his tongue. Handing over control just for a little while felt good. Evrain pulled away from him. Dominic’s teeth scraped sensitive flesh as he withdrew.
“Fuck, you are far too good at that!” Evrain held still for a few trembling moments, bringing himself under control, then he dismounted the log and moved to straddle it again, this time behind Dominic. He was so hard it hurt but he wanted to savor the moment. He leaned forward and pressed the length of his body onto Dominic’s back, enjoying the warm smoothness of his skin. He nibbled tiny kisses down the length of his spine then sank his teeth into the creamy mound of a firm buttock. Dominic squirmed, as much as he was able, tied down as he was, and Evrain tortured him further by licking the muscular curve. He kneaded flesh with probing thumbs, feathering his fingers across the exposed bud of a tight entrance.
“Evrain, I swear… If you make me wait any longer!”
Evrain smiled wickedly. “I thought you wanted me to let you go? You know I wouldn’t dream of doing anything you didn’t want me to. Perhaps you’d prefer…”
“Evrain!” Dominic was almost sobbing with frustration.
Evrain pressed the moist head of his engorged cock against Dominic’s entrance. “Tell me what I want to hear, Dominic.” His voice was calm as he twitched his fingers and a smooth sap rose from the bark of the tree. He collected some onto his fingers and spread it around his dick. He dribbled a little down Dominic’s crack, then spread it slowly with his fingertips, making sure he coated his target thoroughly.
“Fuck!”
“Tell me! Or I’ll leave you like this for the next hour,” Evrain declared. The threat was hollow and they both knew it, but it was part of the game.
“All right! I’m yours. I belong to you, God help me!”
“Better, and about time.” Evrain shunted forward and plunged his dick into Dominic’s receptive channel, gripping his narrow hips tightly to give himself more momentum. There was no more time for words. His entire focus was on the pounding he was delivering to Dominic’s ass. “So tight.” Evrain grunted at the force he had to employ, ramming into him again and again. His balls drew up, hot and tight.
When Dominic whimpered beneath his onslaught, Evrain came, hard and fast. He just maintained enough presence of mind to loosen the tight bindings so that Dominic could raise his hips and free his trapped cock. He came instantly, with a cry of release and a sigh of absolute relief, then collapsed back onto the wood beneath him.
For a few moments the only sound was that of rapid breathing.
“Do you think you could possibly let me go now?” Dominic found his voice.
Evrain chuckled and the green ties slithered away. Dominic sat up shakily. Evrain wrapped his arms around his lover, pressed a kiss against his neck. “Forgive me?”
Dominic turned to look into Evrain’s eyes and shook his head with resignation. “Why? Will it stop you doing it again?”
“Of course not.” Evrain stood and stretched, knowing the sight of his lean body would distract Dominic from his irritation. He took his time dressing then ran a hand through hair that brushed his collar. “I have to get ready for Gregory, he’ll be here soon and if I’m not prepared, he’ll have my hide.”
Dominic grinned. “Don’t look to me for sympathy after what you just did! Gregory does has some very innovative ways of punishing you—perhaps if I have a word with him…”
Evrain shivered. “Don’t you dare! He doesn’t need any more excuses to find fault with me.”
“Now you know how I feel.” Dominic picked up his clothes, which were lying in a tangle of bindweed. “It’s somewhat disconcerting to be at the mercy of every piece of surrounding greenery.”
“Dominic…you would tell me…if anything I did ever really upset you?” Evrain needed reassurance that he wasn’t the only one who’d had a good time.
Dominic turned startled blue eyes toward him, as he shrugged into his T-shirt.
“Yes, of course I would. I never have, though, have I? That should tell you how I feel. It’s still hard to admit to enjoying the way you treat me.” He ducked his head shyly. “I love you, Evrain.”
A sudden gust of wind lashed the branches in nearby trees. Evrain pulled Dominic into a hard embrace and subjected him to a kiss that left him gasping for air.
“I love you too.” Evrain’s voice vibrated with passion. “I don’t deserve you.” He sighed. “Symeon will seek revenge and I’m positive he wasn’t working alone. Damon has disappeared. My grandmother’s killer has yet to be caught and we are being watched, I’m sure of it. It’s not the best start to the rest of our lives.”
“We have time, love.” Dominic soothed him. “We’ll deal with whatever faces us together.”
“And, in the meantime, I must face Gregory.” Evrain groaned. “Will you be okay while I channel?”
“Of course. Aren’t I always?” Dominic nuzzled his shoulder. “Then this evening we can relax, snuggle in front of the fire.”
“And I can tie you up, spank you,” Evrain said.
Dominic wiggled in his arms. Interesting bits of their bodies rubbed together.
“Fuck you until you scream,” Evrain added.
“Are you asking me or is this some kind of warlock prediction? I didn’t know you had the power to see the future.”
“Where your ass is concerned, the future is not that difficult to see.” Evrain gave Dominic’s behind a good squeeze. “Gregory is bound to tell me I don’t practice enough. I can strap you to our bed and use each of the elements in turn to torment you.”
Dominic shivered.
“There have to be some advantages to being a warlock, after all.”
Also available from Pride Publishing:
Stroke Rate
L.M. Somerton
Excerpt
Chapter One
The October sun had dipped below the horizon some time since, and the distinct nip of autumn pervaded the air. The river was a black silk ribbon twisting sinuously toward the distant lights of the town—not really that far away but it could have been another world. The silence of the riverbank was broken only by the whisper of long grass and the occasional splash of a coot diving for cover amid the reeds.
It was the commotion of a startled bird that broke the reverie of the young man standing in the darkness. He gently flipped the small, smooth pebble that he had been turning over and over in his hand into the water. The resulting ripples caught the light reflected from the window of the
building behind him. A slight smile flickered across his soft lips as he mused on the consequences that one small action could invoke. He sighed and turned away from the water. It had been a while since anything—or anyone—had created ripples in the monotony of his life.
A few steps took him to a low door that was slightly ajar, with warm light spilling around the edges as if trying to illuminate the night. At six feet tall, he had to duck his head as he slipped inside and pulled the door closed behind him. The small door he had used was cut into a much larger set that took up the whole wall. He breathed in the familiar smell of the boathouse. The wooden Edwardian structure had a smell all its own—oils and varnish mixed with the more modern scents of neoprene and acrylic paint, overlaid by the light fragrance of cedar and oak.
Okeanos Rowing Club owned an impressive set of immaculate boats that were racked along the walls. One full side stored the ‘sweep’ boats, where each rower has one oar. There were three eight-seaters and a range of single, double and quad boats all cradled by sturdy metal frames that could be cranked up the walls to provide more storage capacity. On the other side were the ‘sculling’ boats, which were all single and double seat arrangements. At the far end of the shed there was a trailer, pre-loaded with racing kayaks. They always had to be transported to other venues, so they stayed on their trailer, ready to go. The general equipment store could be reached through another door, and there were also two changing rooms with basic shower facilities at the back of the building.
Benedict Astor contemplated the view. Everything was in place, as it should be. Of course it was—after all, he was the one who had heaved and shoved every sodding boat into position, just as he had done virtually every night for the last six months. He rolled his shoulders and rubbed his aching arms before wandering over to the notice board to read the roughly scrawled note pinned there.
Elemental Love Page 19
