Finding Sanctuary

by Morticia Knight

  He let Francesco’s dick fall from his lips and it bounced against his stomach. Theo pushed against the back of Francesco’s thighs until he’d exposed his hole. He laved Francesco’s crease, his boy crying out, struggling against his harsh grip as if the pleasure was more than he could handle. Once Theo had licked him thoroughly, he focused his attention on Francesco’s enticing hole. He bucked under Theo’s mouth as soon as he pierced him with his tongue. He dug his fingers deeper into Francesco’s skin, and he was sure the marks left there would be more lurid than the ones from the crop.

  Theo continued to fuck him with his tongue, pushing in as far as he could go to help prepare Francesco for the intrusion of his thick shaft. His lover’s loud enthusiasm only spurred him on more, Francesco like a wild thing beneath his mouth and hands.

  Theo planted a final kiss on Francesco’s wrinkled opening before straightening. He reached for the bottle of oil that Francesco had given him earlier, then coated his skin well with the liquid. Francesco’s eyes rolled back as Theo plunged two fingers into his ass, twisting his wrist as he opened him up. When his rim had relaxed some more, he added a third finger to stretch him wider. He wouldn’t hurt Francesco, not the way he knew his boy feared after being on the streets.

  Once Theo was sure he could handle taking his dick inside him with little or no pain, he removed his fingers then lined up his cock against Francesco’s hole. He gazed down at him.

  “I love you.”

  Before Francesco had the chance to respond, he pushed past the resistant ring of muscle guarding his entrance. Francesco let out a small gasp, his eyes going wide as Theo breached him.

  “Talk to me love. I need to know you’re all right.”

  Francesco’s mouth opened closed several times as if he couldn’t speak, but finally, words tumbled out.

  “You’re inside me!”

  Theo smiled down at him. “And it’s glorious.”

  “Oh good. It’s glorious for me too. Kinda burns, but don’t stop. I can’t grab hold of you to make sure.”

  Theo dropped to his elbows to capture Francesco’s mouth, to taste him as he plunged deeper into his tight, hot ass. Theo groaned with Francesco answering back, the noises lost in their kiss as Theo moved, the pace of his rutting increasing with each push until their skin slapped together, sweat running down their flesh and pooling between them.

  Theo was lost to Francesco. He’d do anything to keep him, to protect him. If the threat from the thugs on the street were to make a reappearance, or should anyone ever try to hurt him for any reason, Theo would risk his life to make certain Francesco was safe. He refused to let Francesco ever be scared, alone or hungry again.

  “M-master?” Francesco shivered beneath him, his breathing frantic.

  “Close, love. Very close.”

  Theo angled his hips in the hopes that he could peg Francesco. Theo’s balls tightened and he shoved a hand between them to grab Francesco’s dick. As the telltale flutters surrounded his own cock, he jacked Francesco harder, his fingers flying over his rigid flesh.

  “Come with me, now!”

  Francesco clamped his passage around Theo’s shaft, crying out his release as his seed pulsed over Theo’s hand. Theo froze, pumping his own cum into Francesco, filling him. They remained joined, Theo’s cock jerking whenever Francesco clenched around him. He placed gentle kisses all around Francesco’s face, murmuring to him how much he was loved, that he wanted them to be together forever, that he would always take care of him. The inevitable happened as Theo softened and he regretfully pulled from Francesco’s body.

  In the past, he would’ve immediately risen from the bed, then gotten a towel to clean up his partner, his actions done out of courtesy, a sense of duty as the Dominant man in the shared dynamic. He would clean Francesco—bathe him even—but not until he’d held him close for a while, until he’d made certain that Francesco was happy and comfortable.

  That is what will bring me true joy.

  Theo undid the scarves from the bed, as well as Francesco’s wrists. He massaged Francesco’s shoulders and arms, and the moment he’d stopped long enough to toss the silk pieces over Francesco and onto the floor next to the bed, Francesco rolled over and snuggled into him. Theo gladly embraced him to his chest, stroking his back and arms as they rested together.

  “I love you, Master.”

  Theo squeezed him. “I love you very much, too.”

  “You know how you said I should only call you Master when it was special and only if we just wanted each other and no one else for always?”

  Theo smiled against Francesco’s curls that were trying their best to tickle his nose. “I certainly do.”

  “That’s good, because I was thinking, if we only want each other for always, shouldn’t we do something to celebrate that? Like a collar or something? But I want something permanent, something that can never be changed.”

  “Let’s see. Of course, a collar can be done so it’s permanent, either with metal or leather. And there are other things, such as a cock cage where I would keep the key.”

  “A cock cage?” Francesco snorted as he plucked at the hairs on Theo’s chest. “That sounds perfectly awful.”

  “Hmm. I don’t want my pet to have anything that’s awful—perfectly or otherwise—so I think a collar would be the best idea.”

  “A collar sounds nice.”

  Theo jostled Francesco. “And we can design it together.”

  “Yeah…” Francesco fell silent.

  “Pet? What are you thinking about?”

  “I want the collar, I really do, but I want to give you something better than any of the boys here.”

  “You have.” Theo chuckled. “You’ve given me you.”

  Francesco laughed, so Theo figured the subject was closed. He’d figured wrong.

  “But there have to be other things people do that are permanent. Like a tattoo or something that can never be taken away.”

  Theo angled his body so he could peer down at Francesco. “How did you ever hear of such things?”

  “I met a fella one time who’d taken a ship from these tropical islands somewhere far away. I forget their names, but he showed me a tattoo of a mermaid on his arm. I thought he’d drawn on his skin, but he explained that it was ink that someone had put in his skin with needles and everything. Maybe I could get your name tattooed.”

  “That’s very sweet, pet. But I don’t know of anyone who does such a thing around here. That’s more of an exotic practice than one that’s available from someone we might know.”

  “Oh. I see.”

  Theo heard the melancholy in Francesco’s voice. He would give him a gold necklace, clasped together with a lock and he would wear the key around his neck. That should reassure Francesco. Theo frowned. He’s not seeking reassurance for himself, though.

  “Love, you don’t need to do anything to symbolize your commitment to me. I’ll know and that’s all that matters.”

  “Isn’t there anything else? I know you believe me, but I want to give you something. Could we ask around about the tattoo thing? It would make me feel really good to have you be a part of me somehow.”

  “The only thing I can think of that resembles a tattoo is branding, and while I know Saul supports that here, I haven’t seen many pairs do it. Also, I don’t like the idea of you being in that much pain.” Theo shuddered. He wasn’t that much of a sadist.

  Francesco jerked up, his mouth in the shape of an ‘O’. He probably thinks I’m a fiend now for even speaking of such a thing.

  “That’s perfect! You could brand your name right on my ass!”

  “Wha—?” Theo frowned. “My God. I wouldn’t brand my name on your ass.”

  “I… You wouldn’t?” Francesco appeared near tears. “Because you’re not sure about me? About us?”

  “Oh, love, no. That’s not it at all.” Theo hugged Francesco close. “Putting my entire name on your ass would not only be too painful, it would also mar so much of your bea
utiful body. Remember, part of using whips and other items on your skin is to enjoy the marks I leave. If we take up too much of the canvas, what will I have left to work with?”

  Francesco remained silent, but Theo was sure if he could see him, that he’d be carefully musing over Theo’s suggestion.

  “You could use your initials instead of your whole name. That wouldn’t take up too much room and you’d see them every time you whipped me. That seems like a pretty good idea, don’t you think?”

  As Theo pictured it in his head, he had to admit that it did have an appeal. The brand wouldn’t have to be too large—just enough so that it conveyed the meaning to them both.

  “Hmm. I’m not saying no, but I’m not saying yes yet, either.”

  “You mean maybe?”

  Theo nuzzled Francesco’s head. “I mean maybe. I’d like to do a collar right away, though. No more of club members—Masters or submissives—not knowing who you belong to.”

  Francesco sighed. “That sounds very nice. When do you think you’ll know about the branding?”

  Theo had never realized how much challenge and fun he’d been missing in his life. Had someone described a submissive like Francesco a year earlier, he would’ve balked at having such a boy in his life. Now, he couldn’t imagine it any other way.

  “I’m not going to consider it for at least six months.”

  “Six months!” Francesco jerked up, but Theo encouraged him to lie back against his side. “Six months is almost forever.”

  “It’s a mere drop of time. We need to get settled together, and I need to make sure you’re happy with my proclivities.”

  “If you’re talking about the perversions, I’m very happy with them. And it seems like all we’ve done since we met is settle. I think we’ve done plenty already.”

  “Pet? I’m pleased that you’re so accepting of the perversions, but what about your submission? Because arguing with me doesn’t sound very submissive.”

  Francesco stilled. “Oh my. You’re right, that wasn’t very submissive.” Francesco scooted up his side then gave him a soft, sweet kiss. After he’d finished, he offered Theo a big smile. “I’ll show you how good I can be. You’ll be itching to brand me in no time.”

  Theo didn’t want to let on that he already was. But as always, he needed to watch out for Francesco’s best interests.

  “I have no doubt you’ll be magnificent, love.”

  “Master?”

  “Yes?”

  “Do you think the other submissives here, the ones who aren’t Irwin, do you think they’ll like me? Maybe I can make some friends so that when we come to the club, you don’t have to worry about watching over me all the time. You can play mahjong and smoke cigars or do any of the other things that Masters do. I don’t want to stay home alone if you have a board meeting.” He snorted. “Whatever that is.”

  Theo’s heart ached again at the thought of how many years Francesco had been alone, but he shoved it aside. Regret never helped anyone and it certainly didn’t fix anything.

  “I think that anyone worth your time will like you.” Theo caressed Francesco’s head. “You have such a beautiful soul, love. You truly do honor me.”

  Francesco let out a satisfied sigh. “Thank you for saving me, Master. I’ll never be able to pay you back for everything you’ve done.”

  “Ah, but that’s where you’re wrong, my pet.” Theo lifted Francesco’s chin with one finger and gazed into his eyes. “You already have.”

  Also available from Pride Publishing:

  Soul Match: Hiding from Two

  Morticia Knight

  Excerpt

  Chapter One

  Morgan lounged in a cushy chair located in his newly adopted bedroom at Chris and his mates’ luxury hotel suite. He’d dragged it to the window so he could gaze at the city that had once been Palm Springs. The panorama was almost as good as television. From the twentieth floor, he had an excellent view of the busy comings and goings of the aliens who had taken over Earth.

  The Alasharians.

  He hadn’t sneered to himself that time. If he was being completely honest, he would have to admit that the twinge in his gut, the pull, had been because of the kindness and bravery that Chris’ alien mates had shown him. If it hadn’t been for Nary, one of Chris’ soul matches, he would’ve been killed when the rogue humans had bombed the pleasure party.

  Morgan shuddered. Pleasure? It had been a horrific, violent gathering that had managed to reveal some surprising things to him about the aliens who had taken over Earth a month and a half before. The beings were simultaneously more evil—and more wonderful—than he could’ve imagined. Of course, it depended on which of their factions he was referring to at the time. Nary and Lasar, Chris’ mates, were wonderful. The Alasharian leader, the Nall—along with several party-goers—had shown themselves to be the epitome of evil.

  So, now what?

  It had become obvious after the bombing at the party by the unknown group of humans, that their actions had set events in motion that would likely be far worse for their own race than they’d anticipated. What if the Nall determined that keeping any human alive, sex slave or not, wasn’t worth the risk?

  Hallosh won’t let anyone hurt me.

  Morgan jerked up in his chair, the unexpected errant thought shocking him even as it came to mind. His heart thundered, his breathing accelerated at the memory of Hallosh’s touch. The alien’s tentative hold had nevertheless been strong and comforting. When Hallosh had lifted him out of the rubble, he’d instinctively snuggled closer before catching himself. The sudden tension in Hallosh’s body had alerted him to his bizarre reaction to the hunky alien.

  Was it bizarre?

  Morgan curled in on himself, pulling the shawl he’d been wrapped in the night before more tightly around him. He’d told Chris over and over how perplexed he was by his cousin’s strong attraction to the Alasharian males and he’d meant it. Morgan had been terrified of the species from the moment they’d invaded Earth. That terror had turned to revulsion once he’d been captured and learned they would be taken by the aliens as sex slaves. His initial anger toward Chris when he’d discovered that he’d fallen for his captors had now been replaced by a measure of understanding given their obvious love for, and devotion to, his cousin.

  So maybe I understand even more of it?

  He swallowed, his throat much too dry. He could never… Could I? He frowned, irritated with himself for even considering such a ridiculous thing. And anyway, Hallosh had behaved as if he didn’t want anything to do with him the rest of the night. Other than his inexplicable insistence that Chris make sure Morgan’s few scratches had been cleaned and bandaged, he’d made certain to stay away from Morgan after they’d all returned to the hotel.

  Morgan sighed, wiggling in the chair, annoyed at the sensation of a low hum of electricity skittering just beneath his skin.

  What the hell is wrong with me? He wanted to escape the confines of the small bedroom he’d stayed in for the past two days, but he didn’t want to bother Chris or Nary. Nary was in bed in the main area of the suite recovering from his injuries and Chris was busy taking care of him. Other than a quick foray to the kitchen to grab some juice and some sort of Alasharian breakfast roll that Chris had told him was safe to eat, he’d stayed out of the way.

  I wish I had my books with me. Or my notebook. Everything Chris and his mates had given him to alleviate the unrelenting boredom of his circumstances had been left behind in the suite that had become his makeshift prison. Once they’d hastily returned to the hotel, they’d had more pressing concerns. After it had been decided that Morgan should stay with them until Rama arrived—the alien who would take charge of him—there had been no mention of retrieving the few items he owned that Nary had been responsible for bringing to him.

  Tears burned in his eyes. Nary had been so kind to him from the beginning but Morgan had been too filled with hate to realize it. Then Nary had almost lost his life because of the
way Morgan had run away at the party. He sniffed. I’ll never treat Chris’ mates badly again. He’d even promised himself to remain open to the possibility that Rama, since Lasar was friends with him, might be a good being. He wouldn’t judge all the Alasharians as evil just because some of them were.

  A light knock sounded, then the door opened. He angled his body around to see Chris peeking into the room.

  “Hey. You doing okay in here?”

  Morgan drew his eyebrows together. “I’m fine.” He didn’t want Chris worrying over him when his mate needed his attention. “How about Nary? Is he feeling better?” He swallowed after he’d said it, a flush of heat blooming under his skin.

  “Knock it off, dude.” Chris frowned as he stepped into the room, shutting the door behind him. “Your guilt isn’t welcome here.”

  Morgan sighed then returned to gazing out the window. Chris dragged the matching chair over until he’d placed it next to Morgan’s. Chris plopped down on it.

  “Morgan?”

  He turned to Chris who regarded him intently. Something about his cousin was different. At first, he’d thought it had something to do with Chris’ raging hormones since he’d finally had his cherry popped by his alien matches. But it wasn’t that. Sometimes, a thought would form in Morgan’s mind as to what it might be, but then he would try to articulate it and it would be gone. It’s driving me nuts.

  “Give me a while, okay, Chris? It’s not just the other night, although that was pretty epic what Nary did. It’s all the other times too.” Morgan lowered his head. He couldn’t maintain his gaze with Chris. “All the horrible things I said to you about your mates.” He winced. “And what I know Nary heard me say.”

  Chris let out an aggravated sigh. “Okay, you’re right. You were a total asshole.”

  “Hey!” Morgan whipped around to glare at Chris. “You don’t have to be mean about it.”

  Chris laughed. “Oh, my God. Your face. Look, I needed to get your attention. But can we move past all of that now? You’ve apologized and you had every right to question things. If it hadn’t been happening to me, I never would’ve believed it.”