by Kane Jewell Ruse McCall Anthony McKay Sax Slayer Michael Burke Logan
“Otho.” Her voice rose with her approaching orgasm. A scream clawed up her throat, but she couldn’t release it, not yet. “Oh God. I can’t hold back.” He delved into her pussy again and again with his tongue, fluttering it along her inner walls, and she closed her eyes, trying to stem an unstoppable tide of desire. “Oh… Oh…” He fastened his lips over her clit. She squirmed. “I…” He sucked.
“Otho!” She silenced her scream by pressing her humming lips against his right horn.
“Prism!” He pushed his face into her pussy and thrust his hips upward, cum arcing from his massive cock. She rode his release.
As he stilled, she slid down his body. His eyes were closed. His cheeks and chin and lips glistened with her juices. Prism kissed his lips, tasting herself, the flavor tangy and exotic.
“Fuck, Prism.” His short, dark eyelashes fluttered against red skin.
“Shhh…” She traced comforting circles into his chest. “Sleep.”
Otho mumbled something. It sounded like “I love you.” His breathing leveled. His heartbeat slowed. Prism smiled.
Cynthia Sax
Cynthia Sax lives in a world where demons aren’t all bad, angels aren’t all good, and magic happens every single day. Although her heroes may not always say, “I love you,” they will do anything for the women they love. They live passionately. They fight fiercely. They love the same women forever.
Cynthia has loved the same wonderful man forever. Her supportive hubby offers himself up to the joys and pains of research. He receives a daily briefing on what every character is doing. You can also learn what Cynthia Sax’s characters are doing by visiting her website at www.CynthiaSax.com or emailing her directly at [email protected]. Visit changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=133 for more titles by Cynthia.
Wrapped Around
Megan Slayer
Luc loves his role fronting the band Glow. He loves the adoration of the fans, the energy in the crowd, but it’s Christmas. No one likes a Christmas alone.
Taygan’s free spirit resists taming -- except when it comes to Luc. Luc’s one hundred percent human. Taygan is all air elemental. He needs his space and freedom, but he’ll do whatever it takes to make Luc happy, including giving up his space and freedom to make Luc’s holiday one he’ll never forget -- complete with the real Santa, peppermint candy, and lots of hot sex.
Chapter One
“Goodnight, everyone, and Merry Christmas, Cleveland!” Luc flicked his wrist and glanced at his watch. “And in fact, it’s Christmas day… well, five past midnight on Christmas Day. Happy Christmas and find the one you love for a long, hot fuck.”
Throwing his arms out, Luc stomped on the foot pedal to create his fire. So it wasn’t the thrilling fire his sister could create, and it wasn’t the licks of frost Zac created. He never claimed to be an elemental, just a guy who loved his pyrotechnics onstage. Each time he pretended to throw the flame, a column of fire blasted from the intended spot, as if he held the power of fire in his hands.
Another stomp on the pedal and Luc bowed to the roaring crowd. He’d done not one, but two encores as a gift to the fans. The heat from the stage lights nearly blinded him, and the sheer volume from the people in the club damned near deafened him.
What a way to spend Christmas.
He ran offstage in step with the rest of the band, his band Glow. His best friend, Zac, elbowed him in the ribs.
“Save the prodding for someone who cares,” Luc snapped. He hated to be nasty, but the combination of the holidays and seeing Zac happy ground Luc’s gears. He wanted to be loved beyond comprehension. Hell, he wanted a steady boyfriend, not a Christmas fuck.
“Not tonight, man. Nothing’s gonna bring me down. It’s Christmas, we’re having a party, and Atria promised to wear a dress and heels. Can’t get any better.”
“Gag,” Luc replied. “Won’t last long, if I know you.”
“Okay, I get it. You’re her overprotective brother. It’s cool. I respect her.” Zac nodded. “You’re gonna love the party, man.” He shrugged his bass guitar behind his back and scrubbed the back of his hand across his forehead. “I hear there’s going to be a Santa there. You can sit on his lap and ask for something kinky.”
Luc stopped dead in his tracks. “A Santa? Come on. We’re both over the age of ten. Santa? Jesus.”
“Remind me to shove my boot up Taygan’s ass the next time I see him.” Zac frowned. “I hate what he did to you. Hate it like you have no idea. But you have to screw the funk and find some peace.”
“Peace?” Fat fucking chance. He had peace when Taygan was home. Kind of. “I have the life most guys would love to have. I’m peaceful.” And lonely as all hell. “And where do you get off giving me life lessons?”
“Because I care about you, dumbass.” Zac sighed. “You need to get out of yourself for a little while. Better yet, why don’t you seal the deal with the bartender you’ve been flirting with? I slipped him a pass to the party.” Zac wiggled his brows. “You might get your Christmas wish after all.”
The bartender. Right. So the guy had a nice body. Nice, deep brown eyes and a warm smile with a little scruff for fun. Luc started forward and groaned. Thinking about the handsome man filling drinks did nothing. Not even a chubby. Fuck. He gritted his teeth and followed Zac the rest of the way down the corridor to the main lobby of the hotel.
The sweat on his forehead and temples crystallized as a rush of cold air enveloped him. Luc shivered and his mind wandered. Cold breezes reminded him of Taygan. Reminded him of the passion they shared and the balance in his touch. Then there was the night they fucked in the parking lot just to see if they could keep themselves warm in the snow. He chuckled. For the most part, the idea worked.
People milled around the lobby, but none seemed to notice Luc. Fine and dandy. He wasn’t sure he wanted to be signing autographs and mingling with fans when he’d rather be drowning his sorrows in a bottle. A nice shot of tequila, a snifter of brandy and he’d be set. He strolled to the elevator and pressed the buttons to call the car. He stole a glance out the floor-length windows at the snow glittering in the parking lot. Ohio had the best winters. Plenty of snow with just the right amount of wind to keep things frigid.
He stepped through the open doors and rode up to the suite. The mirrors on the walls mocked him. At thirty-four, he looked tired. His hair had lost its oomph due to the humidity in the ballroom. Dark circles deepened beneath his eyes. Even his cheeks looked sallow. God. How low had he sunk?
“Looks like I haven’t slept,” he muttered to himself. “Not in over a damned month.” He turned away from the mirror and inspected the woodwork. Anything to keep his mind off the blue funk.
Strains of a current pop star singing Christmas songs penetrated the walls of the elevator. Must be close. He sighed and cracked his neck. Five minutes. He’d give them five minutes to wow him or he’d bolt. He loved his sister and best friend, but damn, only a gift from the Goddess would improve his mood.
The doors to the elevator opened to the suite, and the music grew louder. He glanced around the room. Ike and Slash sat sloppily in the armchairs, a girl on each leg. His brother, Hiram, stood in the corner nursing a glass of something amber. If anyone looked as out of place as Luc felt, it was Hiram. The poor guy loved his family and the band, but he needed laid, bad. Luc groaned. One crisis at a time.
Atria and Zac cuddled in front of the Christmas tree, totally wrapped up in each other. True to her word, his sister had worn a dress. If their father had seen her, he’d have died. Blood red, slit up to her thigh with more than enough leg showing and sexy as hell -- well, if she weren’t his sister and he liked girls. White Marabou trimmed the hem and tall, black boots complemented the outfit. His sister really did look like a pretty girl, instead of a girl hidden in a sloppy hoodie. Maybe miracles could happen.
A couple of other people stood in bunches at the perimeter of the room. No one other than the band and his sister looked remotely familiar. Not even the guy from the bar, if he wa
s there.
“Luc finally made it.” Atria disengaged from Zac and bounced toward her brother. “Merry Christmas, Luc.” She threw her arms around his neck. “Xerxes is coming in a few. Said he found a girl to share the festive spirit.” She shrugged. “It’s Xerx. Always late.”
“I want to go to my room.” Luc folded his arms. “I’m tired.”
“Stop.” She soft-punched his arm, no doubt holding back her true feelings. Atria’s right hook could break bone if she wanted. “Do you believe in magic?”
Was she for real? “Attie, you are magic. My fire is pyro. You really control it, so yeah, I believe in magic.”
Atria aimed her thumb over her shoulder. “Then sit on Santa’s lap.”
He looked in the direction she pointed. The jolly old elf sat on a huge wicker chair, laughing and bouncing a redhead on his knee. He didn’t really want to sit on Santa’s lap, but if the elf could make magic, maybe he could make Luc’s Christmas bearable.
* * *
Finally. Taygan gripped the back of Santa’s oversized chair. Trust Luc to take his sweet time getting to the party. He’d probably spent the extra time basking in the cheers from the crowd. The man was a ham when he wanted to be -- loving the spotlight and the praise. For a moment Taygan could’ve sworn Luc saw him. Just as fast, he noticed Luc’s frown. He wasn’t seeing much of anything and probably didn’t want to be there. Fine. Tay would give him a reason to stick around.
“See him?” Taygan whispered from his position behind the chair. “The one with the dark hair and grimace?”
Santa nodded. “I see him. I’m on borrowed time, here, so let’s keep this moving. What are you and Atria planning?”
“That’s who I want for Christmas. Him, true love, and my heart back. It’s all one gigantic, candy-cane-colored present.” Taygan brushed his hand over his mouth. He could still feel the tingle from Luc’s kiss on his lips… a kiss from six months prior. He missed his lover. Missed Luc.
Taygan crouched behind the chair and watched Luc. The man moved with grace and certainty as he crossed the room. The leather pants encasing his tapered legs left nothing to the imagination. The shirt, a nice, tight T-shirt with Cheer emblazoned on the front, curved around the chiseled planes of his chest. Tay’s cock twitched. He moved his hand over the bulge in his jeans. Just another chance, that’s what he needed. A chance to show Luc he cared.
“Just so you know, I am not sitting on your lap.” Luc cocked his hip and folded his arms. “Not my kind of fetish.”
“Fetish? Okay… Merry Christmas, Lucian,” Santa boomed from his seat. “What would you like for Christmas?”
“A good night’s sleep.” Luc dropped his arms and tilted his head. “That’s what I want.”
“Why?” Taygan asked from his position. Shit. Shouldn’t have said anything. He gritted his teeth and prayed Santa would catch the goof-up and save him.
“You can help yourself to a good night’s sleep,” Santa replied. “Medicines, warm milk, exercise… I’m sure they’d get you what you want more than I can.”
“Are you the real Santa?” Luc challenged.
“I am.”
“Then I want a good night’s rest. Not another night where I’m tossing and turning begging for sleep. You see, it’s rather cyclical.”
“Cyclical?” Santa asked and leaned back in his seat.
Taygan suppressed a snicker. He loved it when Luc used fifty-cent words and got scholarly.
Luc sighed. “I used to sleep like a baby. I had the love of my life in my arms. He got me, and I loved him. Things were… the best. And then the shit hit the fan. His element couldn’t be contained. I knew, but fuck. Love meant I should’ve let him go, right? I did. And now my boring old human ass can’t sleep. I worry about him. He doesn’t love me, and I accept it, but can I at least know he’s happy and safe? You do that, tell me that, and I’ll get that night of sleep I want.”
“Tall order, what you want.” Santa kicked the base of the chair. “Go to suite 511. Your present awaits.”
“You’ve lost your mind.” Luc turned away, shaking his head. “Just leave me alone.”
“You’re very angry for a man who makes millions of people happy.”
“You would be, too, if the love of your life said he needed space and fucking vanished.” Luc’s shoulders slumped but he didn’t turn around. The truth in Luc’s words squeezed tight around Taygan’s heart. He’d gone about what he saw as a temporary split totally wrong and he knew it.
Santa stood and put his hand on Luc’s shoulder. “Luc?”
“What?” Luc turned slowly. “What did you say?”
“Trust me. Give into the spirit of the holiday and have some faith.” Santa nodded. “Go to the room. I’ve got things to do that have nothing to do with you and a lot to do with rewarding those who’ve been good all year.”
Without bothering to eavesdrop on Luc’s response, Taygan left his post behind the chair and scurried to the room. So far things were going according to plan, but Luc’s words cut him deep. The no-strings affair he thought they had wasn’t at all what Luc wanted. Deep in his heart, Tay didn’t want the carefree relationship any longer. He wanted love and adoration from Luc. But first he had to re-earn it.
Chapter Two
Luc thrust his fingers into his hair. The jolly old elf had been in the wine -- couldn’t be any other explanation. A good night’s sleep wasn’t waiting in the suite. The best Luc could hope for was a plush, king-sized bed. Fuck it. At least there’d be plenty of room to move when he rubbed one off.
“You know,” he said and turned, but instead of finishing his sentence Luc gasped. The chair, once occupied by Santa, was now empty.
“He had to get back to the sleigh. Attie only had him for half an hour.” Zac stood beside Luc and sipped a glass of wine. “She got lucky. He said he wasn’t making special calls so early, but for her he’d make an exception.” He took another sip and cleared his throat. “You look beat. Why don’t you turn in?”
Luc stared at his friend. The almost-married attitude suited Zac. It mellowed him. So why was he suggesting Luc leave the party Atria worked so hard to throw? “Want to clue me into why you’re trying to unload me?”
“Your bartender left about ten minutes ago. Maybe he found your suite.”
Luc sucked in a long breath. Did he want to spend the night with the bartender? Not really. He might get some sleep, but it wasn’t the sleep he desired. Wasn’t getting lost in Tay’s arms and the cadence of Tay’s breath while he snored.
“Just go see what Santa left you. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.” Zac wriggled his brows and strolled away.
Luc shook his head and let out the breath he hadn’t realized he held. Whatever. Forcing himself forward, he strode to the door. “Probably wants me to get laid so I’ll go back to being a happy, sappy fool. Damn it.”
He placed his hand on the doorknob to suite 511. He didn’t have a key. Go figure Santa would tell him to go to a locked room. His fingers tingled as he turned the knob. Things went a bit easy -- the handle turned and the lock snicked. Luc pressed his shoulder into the door and, holy hell, the thing opened. What the fuck? Okay, so yes, the concert wore him out, but he hadn’t had anything to drink. Was the door unlocked the whole time? If so, what in the name of the Goddess was on the other side?
“Hello?” he called out. Fuck. If someone wanted to hurt him, then shouting was a red flag. A yellow light burned at the far end of the room. Turn down service meant lights on? Luc rubbed his chilled arms and glanced around the space. Nothing seemed out of place, no destroyed furniture, no clothes strewn on the floor. The room actually seemed perfect, pristine.
A shiver shot up his spine. He didn’t like not knowing what was happening.
“Merry Christmas, Luc.”
Luc froze. He knew the voice. Taygan. But how? Tay was in Alaska fishing for crab or lobster or something. He turned and his heart clogged fast in his throat. “Fuck me sideways with a candy cane and use a rope.
”
The smile on Tay’s lips lit up his blue eyes. “Actually, I wanted you to do the tying and fucking, but not with the candy cane. I don’t like being sugary sticky -- well, not yet anyway.”
No matter how fast his brain worked, Luc couldn’t process the scene, Tay’s appearance, or his words. It might be Christmas and the season for miracles, but this had to be a stunt or a game. He glanced around the room for a projector or some other means to project Tay’s image into the room. Tay standing before him could not be fucking real.
“Luc?”
Luc snapped his attention to Taygan. The wind elemental didn’t stay in one place. His element dictated he keep moving and following the currents. Could he weather another current sweeping Tay out of his life?
“You’re looking at me like I’m a ghost.” Tay bowed his head. “I’m here to both serve and pleasure you.” He held out his hands, offering a box wrapped in bright red paper. “Here’s my gift to you.”
Luc hesitated for a split second. He shouldn’t want Taygan as much as he did. Tell that to his heart. He crossed the gap between them in mere moments. Not to open the gift, but to hold Tay in his arms. He placed his hands on Tay’s cheeks, forcing Tay to look him in the eye.
“Santa brought what I wanted.” Tears burned behind his eyes. “Don’t know how he knew, but he did.” Just don’t leave again.
“Are you glad?”
Luc shook his head. “Glad? I’m stupefied. I thought you were in Alaska learning to crab fish or whatever it was you were doing.”
“I learned. Sort of.” Tay shrugged. He’d have to work his ass off to make Luc see he wasn’t back on a fluke or because he got bored. “I got lonely and realized my element isn’t the only beacon in my life. I want to be wherever you are.”
“But --”
Tay couldn’t help himself and bridged the gap between them. He placed the box in Luc’s hands and pressed a kiss to his lips. The scratch of Luc’s stubble bit into Tay’s cheek, and he loved every moment of it. He licked the seam of Luc’s mouth, needing more from Luc. Luc tensed, then placed his hand on Tay’s hip, drawing him closer. He sighed, allowing Tay deeper. Taygan groaned. Luc tasted of man, spice and sweat, the perfect combination.
