by Marie Medina
“That scares you?”
“Kind of.”
Samuel actually smiled. “It’s nice to hear you say you love me. People don’t say it enough.” He drew Quentin against him. “I might’ve been wrong last night. I think maybe I already am in love with you. It could just be the fact you aren’t repulsed, but I feel like this is right. That we’re right.”
Quentin swallowed against the lump in his throat. “Then don’t let the king take you from me. From Jesse.” He reached out and took Samuel’s hand. “Stay and raise him with me.”
Samuel hesitated, but then he leaned down and kissed Quentin deeply. As the kiss ended, he said, “I’ll try.”
Quentin tried to compose himself, taking a deep breath as he drew away and nodded. “I’ll straighten up in here. Take your stuff to my room. I don’t want to leave Jesse out too long. The wind did pick up this afternoon. He gets ear infections pretty often.”
“I’ll go out and bring him in once I put my stuff away,” Samuel said as he picked his bag up. “And I mean it. I’ll try. But it is treason to break a contract with the king. Only the queen’s grace is saving me from being in violation now.”
Quentin felt his chest grow heavy even as he nodded. “I do understand how serious it is. But I still want you to try.”
“And I want you to think about what I said. If you really want to be with me, it might not be on your terms.”
Quentin knew that was true, that he needed to face it. “I know.” He wanted to say more but wasn’t sure how to put what he felt into words. Samuel was worth any terms Quentin might have to agree to, yet Quentin had always been so cautious in his life. Quentin always took the safest path and found it hard to be as bold and confident as Samuel. Leaving home and meeting an unknown set of challenges would be scary, even with Samuel at his side.
They held each other’s gazes for a moment before Samuel left the room. Quentin remade the bed and began dusting and straightening things. And then he stopped and blinked as Samuel’s words hit him again.
I might’ve been wrong last night. I think maybe I already am in love with you.
“Oh gods.” Quentin sank down onto the bed. “Did he just say he does love me?” He reminded himself he had pretty much implied he was close to feeling that way about Samuel, but the coming night suddenly held a lot more possibilities. And pressure.
****
Samuel lay on his back and watched Quentin rearranging the books on the shelf across the room. He’d done it three times since returning from reading to Jesse. Jareth had gone to bed after insisting he was tired. But Samuel knew the king was trying to give him time alone with Quentin. Jareth was a night owl and sometimes only slept a couple of hours a night.
“Quentin?”
“Yeah?”
“I promise I’m not going to rip your clothes off.”
Samuel watched Quentin’s shoulders slump. He turned and said, “Glad the king can’t read me as well as you can.”
“I think he senses your nervousness.”
“You do?” Quentin came and sat on the bed.
“Yes. He’ll probably try to put you at ease tomorrow. He loves teasing people, so be ready for it.”
Quentin rose and extinguished the lantern on the desk and the candles mounted on the wall by the shelf, leaving only the small oil lamp on his nightstand burning. He sat on the bed and looked over at Samuel. “Want me to put the light out? There’ll still be a glow coming under the door from the lantern hanging outside Jesse’s room.”
“Yeah, go ahead and put it out. I’m pretty tired.”
Quentin blew the flame out and then slid into bed, lying on his back as well. “Jesse likes the king. Kids are supposed to be good judges of character, aren’t they?”
“I thought that was dogs?”
Quentin sighed. “I trust you when you say I shouldn’t worry, but it’s hard.”
Samuel rolled to his side. “I get it. Just push through the next few days. I’ll do all I can.”
Quentin turned his head, making Samuel wish they had a bit more light so he could see the expression on his face. “To gain your freedom?” Quentin asked.
Samuel reached under the covers and placed his hand on Quentin’s stomach. “Yes.” When Quentin didn’t object, he inched closer. “Have you ever been attracted to another man at all?”
“I’ve admired other men. Envied them. I was jealous you were bigger and stronger than me when we were younger. I thought you were good looking. Understood why the girls were crazy for you.” He paused. “And I guess I remember guys being interested, too. But you never told me about doing things with them. Maybe you should have.”
“Why do you say that?” He began to caress Quentin’s stomach.
“I might’ve gotten curious.”
Samuel chuckled. “I was too immature. I’m glad we didn’t fool around.”
“Did you want to, back then? With me, I mean?”
“Back then? No.” He slid his hand under the linen shirt Quentin wore. “It wasn’t until I’d been gone a couple of years that I really started to miss you. Took me some time to realize it was more than just missing a friend.”
“It’d be pretty flattering if you’d had a crush on me for ten years.”
“Would it? Sounds like it would’ve been awful on my end.”
“Yeah. Guess so.” Quentin drew in a sharp breath and wiggled a bit. “You’re getting me hard. Touching me like that.”
“Good. I think it’ll help you relax.”
“Getting hard?”
“No. Letting me suck you.” At Quentin’s gasp, he closed the distance between them and gently kissed Quentin’s cheek. “Or you can tell me to stop.”
“My head still thinks it’s weird. My cock’s telling it to shut up.”
“What about your heart?” Samuel moved his hand and brought it up to cup Quentin’s cheek.
“It’s pounding.”
“Mine, too.” He gave Quentin another gentle kiss and then moved under the covers to get between Quentin’s legs, tossing the sheets off him when he found it too hard to move. First, he rubbed Quentin through his linen pants, and then he crawled up the bed to kiss him more deeply. “Tell me to stop if you want to.”
This time, Quentin took him by the neck and kissed him back. When they parted, Quentin said, “Too slow. I appreciate it, but I’m aching here.”
Samuel chuckled and nipped at his lower lip real quick. “I’ll make it up to you.”
****
Quentin lifted his head a little as Samuel freed his cock and stroked it. He gripped the side of the bed and lay back again when he felt Samuel’s tongue lick the head. He’d had his cock sucked before, but it had been nothing like this. He’d had to persuade Angie to do it, even after they’d had sex, and he suddenly couldn’t remember the other girl’s name as Samuel took more of the shaft.
Trying to be quiet, Quentin gripped the pillow under his head and tried to steady his breathing. Even above the physical pleasure, the thing Quentin felt the most was how much Samuel wanted to do this. His every move seemed to be calculated to give Quentin as much pleasure as possible. The teasing of his teeth and tongue contrasted to the soft warmth of his lips. He felt a little jealous, knowing Samuel had perfected his technique with other men. Yet that faded as Samuel’s hands moved up and down his sides and his stomach.
Quentin buried his face against the pillow as he came, and his pleasure only arched higher when he heard Samuel moaning as he swallowed. The room spun, and Quentin shuddered as he finished coming. He looked back at Samuel as the man moved up the bed again and then captured his mouth. Quentin stiffened a moment, knowing Samuel had just swallowed his cum, yet he didn’t pull back. He relaxed into the kiss, which grew hungrier once he’d responded to the embrace. He could feel Samuel doing something, and then he realized Samuel was stroking himself.
Breaking the kiss, Quentin pushed at Samuel a bit and said, “Sit up. Let me see you.”
Though it was fairly dark, only two moons in the
sky that night, Quentin’s eyes had adjusted, and he could see Samuel clearly enough. He wore no shirt, and the contours of his muscles provided just enough shadow and contrast to be visible.
And his cock was huge. Quentin knew he’d never be able to suck Samuel the way the other man had sucked him, taking every single inch, but it might be fun to try. He licked his lips, and he sensed Samuel watching him, even though Samuel’s face was partly in shadow.
“Take your shirt off,” Samuel said, sounding breathless.
Quentin did so, settling down and watching Samuel slow and then quicken his strokes. The sexiness of the sight made Quentin feel breathless as well, and then Samuel groaned. The first splash of hot cum hit Quentin’s stomach, and he actually held his breath as he watched.
Samuel pumped the last bit of cum out, licking some off his finger before he bent over Quentin to kiss him again. This kiss was slower, and Quentin shivered.
“Sorry. I know it gets cold quick.”
Quentin didn’t get what Samuel was referring to until he felt Samuel cleaning the cum off his skin. “That wasn’t what made me shiver.”
Samuel wiped his hands and then tossed the shirt under the nightstand before settling back on his side of the bed. “You needed that. I could tell.”
“It wasn’t just a matter of me needing it. It was you.”
Samuel drew him close and sighed. “If I tell you something, can you promise me two things?”
“Maybe.”
“Promise not to tell anyone. And promise not to let on to Jareth that I told you.”
“Uh … I think so. Is it important?” Quentin believed he knew what was coming but wanted to be sure.
“Yes.”
“All right. I promise.”
Samuel kissed the top of his head and held him, simply rubbing his back. He finally spoke a couple of minutes later. “My kills aren’t political. And they aren’t based on royal whim or personal feelings. I serve the king’s justice when other vampires fail to do so. Yes, I’m still a killer. I’ve taken twenty lives in the past six years. But these men deserved it.”
Quentin felt a hint of relief. He’d wanted to hear something like that from Samuel for years, but the other man had always been so tightlipped. “They were all bad people?”
“Yes. Very bad. But it’s not good for the king to overrule the vampire lords too often. He’ll go himself when he wants to send a message or make a point. But if a vampire takes a bribe or ignores a wrong, Jareth sends me. Most of the time, I’m one of his bodyguards. Only Jareth’s steward and the queen know my true purpose. I also escort the queen on long journeys when Jareth can’t be with her. It’s quite easy to look like what I say I am, an ambassador.”
“Can you tell me about some of these people?”
“A little. One man was molesting and murdering children, burying them in a cave. He paid the magistrates to destroy evidence. There was also a mad vampire once. I had to drug him to put him down. Another man had murdered all three of his wives.” Samuel hugged Quentin closer. “It has taken a toll. Having to see the darkest side of people. But these men were all vile. They didn’t deserve the breath the gods gave them.”
“You are more cynical. Less trusting.”
“Am I?”
“Yeah.” Quentin drew back and looked up at Samuel, able to see his face a bit in the light coming in through the window. “Thank you for telling me.”
“Does it change the way you feel?”
“I guess it does a little. But I never thought less of you. I don’t know if I made that clear. I’m proud of your success. Proud the king trusts you as he does.”
“Don’t think you said it, but I’m glad to hear it now.” Samuel sighed. “I always assumed it hadn’t affected our friendship.”
“No. It only made me worry.”
“You have always been good at that. I think you’d worry less if we were together. If I came home to you after each mission.”
“I do feel better each time I get a letter. Especially when you say you’re coming back.” He paused, frowning before looking back at Samuel. “How does the king find out about these things?”
“Well, obviously he doesn’t find out about even a quarter of such things, but we have a network of spies. Trusted allies. And Jareth does try his best to be certain. I can abort a mission if I have doubts, but I never have.”
“Twenty. I imagined it would be so much more than that.”
“You did?”
“Mmmm hmmm.”
“Just remember it’s our secret. Jareth might be king, but no monarch is safe from revolt. It can’t be known he takes the law into his own hands secretly. He’s picky about what he does openly.”
“That why he came here alone, dressed like an ordinary person?”
“Yes. Otherwise, he’d have to explain where he was going. And why. It would look odd for the king to go running after an errant bodyguard.”
“Everyone would think you were lovers.”
“Probably. And we can’t have that. Not if we’re going to get married.”
Quentin’s stomach flipped a couple of times as he stiffened. “Married? Who said anything about that?”
“Me.”
“Isn’t it customary to propose first?”
“I didn’t say we were writing our vows tomorrow.” Samuel hugged him close. “Didn’t mean to scare you. I’m just so happy.”
“You startled me.”
“Then I’m sorry for that.” He rested his cheek against Quentin’s forehead. “I’ve never slept with a lover. Always had to be cautious. Just in case.”
“Has it been lonely?” Quentin asked in a low voice.
“Yes.”
“I’ve been lonely, too.” He wiggled a bit to get more comfortable. “And, just so you know, I’m a cover hog.”
“Are you? Good to know.”
Quentin smiled at the genuine happiness he heard in Samuel’s voice. “Thought it best to warn you.”
“Thanks.”
Quentin closed his eyes and sighed, the events of the day blurring in his head as he drifted off to sleep in Samuel’s warm, and strong, embrace.
Chapter Four
Samuel woke up with a start when something small began wiggling between him and Quentin. He blinked as he looked at Jesse, who threw his hands up in the air and smiled. Jesse giggled as Samuel hoisted him into the air, and Quentin pushed himself up, rubbing one eye. The suns hadn’t risen yet, only a slight glow kissing the horizon. Jareth leaned in the doorway of the bedroom.
“I tried to deter him, but he insisted Dada and Quen needed to be up,” Jareth said.
Quentin shook himself. “Sorry about that. He doesn’t usually get up quite this early.”
“It’s fine. My arrival probably disrupted his schedule. I was awake, and I heard a thud followed by very quick little footsteps. Since I was in the next room I thought I’d better investigate.” He smiled as Jesse slid off the bed and tried to drag Quentin to his feet. “He looks a lot like you. His mother was your twin, right?”
“Yes, but we didn’t look anything alike. I looked like our dad, and she looked like Mom.”
“Ah. I had an older brother. We looked nothing alike.”
“I didn’t know that, Your Majesty.”
Jareth smiled sadly. “He died of the Dissolution hundreds of years before you were born.”
“Oh. I’m so sorry.”
“Even vampires aren’t immortal,” Jareth said. “But thank you. I’m sure you understand the loss better than most.” He pushed his hair behind his ears and said, “But enough gloom. It looks like it’s going to be a lovely day.”
Samuel yawned. “How can you tell? I don’t think the rooster is even up yet.”
“I say it’s going to be a lovely day because I’m going to spend most of it playing with my new friend. There’s going to be no one to bother me or ask me questions or demand a thing of me. It’s going to be wonderful,” Jareth said.
“How long do you plan
on staying?” Samuel asked.
“I haven’t decided yet,” Jareth said as he met Samuel’s gaze, a hint of a smile on his face.
Quentin stretched and took Jesse’s hand. “I’m going to put coffee on, then go see to the cows.”
“All right. Need me to do anything?” Samuel said.
“No. I’ll steer Jesse back this way when I go outside.”
Samuel nodded and watched Quentin leave the room with Jesse in tow. Jareth turned and watched them a moment before focusing his attention on Samuel and stepping into the room. “Did you tell Julianna first because you thought she’d be more receptive? Or because you thought I wouldn’t let you come?”
“She was the only one in your chambers when I got there. She could tell something was weighing on me. I had to tell someone.”
“So it was just impatience?”
“Partly.”
“Still, you hurt my feelings.”
“Hurt your feelings?”
Jareth frowned. “Yes, Samuel. I do have them, after all.”
“I know that. But I expected you to be angry. Or to laugh it off and wait for me to come back.” Samuel shrugged as he rose. “Sorry.”
Jareth’s gaze moved over him, more assessing him than anything. The king was, beyond any doubt, the most lust-driven person Samuel had ever met, yet the man had never looked at him with desire. Samuel didn’t question it, counting his blessings. Becoming intimately involved with Jareth would’ve complicated everything tenfold, even before Samuel had realized his feelings for Quentin. “You look far more relaxed than the last time we talked,” Jareth said. “Is it country life or Quentin?”
“Both, but mostly Quentin. Obviously, Jesse lifts my spirits, too.”
“Does Quentin return your feelings? Your scent was pretty strong in the room I slept in.”
“We’re … getting there.”
“Was last night your first time with him?” Jareth asked in a near whisper.
“We didn’t have sex.”
Jareth’s eyebrows rose. “You were doing something. Remember how keen my hearing is.”
“We were intimate, and that’s all I’m saying. It could’ve been awkward, but it wasn’t. He cares for me. Seems to see a future with me as a possibility.” Samuel stepped closer. “Which is why I wish to be released from my contract. What I do scares and worries him. He wants us to be together every day. A family.”
