by Debra Dunbar
The images floating through Jonathan’s mind had Cin harder than he’d ever been in his life. This man loved sucking dick like most people enjoyed chocolate. Coming in his jeans was a real fear. Cin forgot himself. The moment Jonathan walked through the door, Cin tossed aside his reasons for being there. One glimpse inside the man’s head had Cin’s feet moving in Jonathan’s direction without another thought. Jonathan was there for the same reason as Cin. That couldn’t be a good thing.
His fangs grew. Cin pulled back before he gave himself away. He snagged Jonathan’s hand and headed for the door. Jonathan came willingly and without question. Cin didn’t stop until he had the man alone in the dark alleyway between Consume and the long-closed restaurant next door. As he pushed Jonathan against the wall, his senses kicked in. He could see the man in his arms as clearly as if it was noon rather than midnight. Jonathan’s lust coated the air, mixing with Cin’s. It smelled like the inside of a sweet shop, causing Cin’s mouth to water, and making it impossible for him to call his hunger under control. He could hear the man’s heart racing.
Fuck it. Cin pushed his way inside Jonathan’s mind, confusing the man’s senses. He buried his face in the crook of Jonathan’s neck and inhaled. Jesus. The man was like fine wine. Cin licked Jonathan’s pulse point, savoring the moment. As his fangs pierced the man’s skin, Cin lost control. His fingers sought the button of Jonathan’s jeans. Blood filled his mouth as Jonathan’s erection filled his palm. The sounds coming from the back of the man’s throat had Cin ready to come in his pants. Realization struck. He couldn’t stop. Licking the wound on Jonathan’s neck, Cin quickly sealed the puncture marks before sliding down Jonathan’s body, undressing the man just enough so Cin could get inside him.
He kept just enough control of Jonathan’s mind so the man wouldn’t see his true nature, ruining their moment. While there, he let the man believe he’d suited up. It was impossible for Cin to contract or spread disease, but he could hardly explain that now. There wasn’t an ounce of unwillingness in Jonathan’s mind. In fact, the graphic images inside Jonathan’s head had Cin wondering if he’d make it inside the man before blowing his wad. This man was a freak. He’d bring Cin to his knees if Cin gave him half a chance.
Using his inhuman strength against Jonathan, Cin had the man’s feet off the ground and around his waist in a matter of seconds.
“Don’t worry,” Cin said, soothing Jonathan as his thick crown swiped Jonathan’s asshole. “I won’t let you hurt or let anyone see us.” It was a struggle, spreading his power so wide while he was this turned on, but he wanted Jonathan too badly to search out a more private spot. As he sank inside of the man in his arms, a groan escaped Jonathan that nearly crippled Cin. He’d been alive for a long fucking time and he honestly couldn’t remember wanting anyone more than the man in his arms. “Goddamn, Jonathan. You’re so fucking tight. I won’t last long. You have to come for me.”
“Give me a reason,” Jonathan said, challenging Cin while shocking him speechless. No one had ever resisted his mind control before now. He’d thought the man’s reactions were all due to Cin’s tight hold on Jonathan’s mind, but Jonathan was still clinging to partial control. Anyone else would’ve orgasmed on Cin’s command. Jonathan was still waiting for Cin to fuck something other than his mind. This man was no one’s toy. Everything slowed. Cin leaned his weight into Jonathan and pumped his hips, sinking deeper. Jonathan held his stare.
“I’d love to see your eyes during the daylight. They so fucking sexy in the dark.”
Cin couldn’t breathe. Jonathan was completely lucid and right there with him for every second. “Play with yourself,” Cin ordered, hoping to distract him.
“Kiss me,” Jonathan said, making his own demands.
With one hand braced on the brick wall at Jonathan’s back and one hand gripping Jonathan’s ass, Cin leaned in and captured the man’s mouth. With his hunger for blood assuaged, he still couldn’t will his fangs under control. His lust was too much. If Jonathan noticed, he didn’t pull away. Jonathan reached between them and pumped his cock as their tongues clashed. Pressure drew Cin’s balls up tight. He couldn’t come before Jonathan. His pride wouldn’t withstand it. He tried again, pushing his way inside Jonathan’s mind. This time, rather than trying to take control, he let the man see all the different ways he intended to fuck him as soon as he had Jonathan alone.
A long and loud moan vibrated around Cin’s tongue. Hot cum hit Cin’s chest. Thank fuck. He nearly cried his relief. After shifting positions once more, Cin pumped faster inside Jonathan, needing the relief the man’s tight ass offered. Pressure crawled up his spine and tightened his balls before pushing against his crown. When his orgasm finally hit, Cin was forced to stiffen his knees against it to keep from going down. Jonathan made him weak. Without thought, his sank his fangs deep into Jonathan’s vein, dragging the man’s blood into his mouth as he filled the man’s ass with his cum.
“Cinaed,” Jonathan whispered, sounding more turned on than any man had the right to be.
Cin licked Jonathan’s neck a final time. “Most people call me Cin,” he confessed against the man’s throat.
“Cin,” Jonathan repeated, sounding like he was in a fog.
Faolan. I have to take care of this.
Och, I’ve told you not to do the mind meld thing when you’re balls deep in ass.
A low laugh rang through Cin’s head. I have to disappear. You know this man is a priority.
Aye. Get all up in his shit. Well, you’re already there, but you know—
Cin shut down Faolan’s incessant rambling before he melted Cin’s brain. Not to mention, Cin was still having some impure thoughts about the man in his arms. He didn’t want to share any part of Jonathan with his boys right now.
“How far is your room? I’m thinking we’re not finished here.”
The way Jonathan’s eyes still appeared out of focus had Cin ready to pat himself on the back. He always left his partner satisfied. It mattered with Jonathan.
“I thought you were working.”
Cin shook his head. He’d forgotten his earlier lie. It wasn’t like him to lose himself like this. “Don’t worry over it. They can survive the rest of the night without me.” According to Jonathan’s thoughts, he was in town for the next three weeks. It looked like his team would have to survive without him for longer than a night. He didn’t intend to let this man out of his sight until he ushered Jonathan onto a flight back to New York.
Chapter 2
Three weeks later…
There were close to two hundred emails filling Jonathan’s inbox. He skimmed the subject lines, looking for the most important ones first. It wasn’t like he didn’t have time to kill. His flight back home to New York didn’t leave for another two hours, but still. He hated mundane chores—like opening and reading two hundred fucking emails. There were four from Mike Powers, Jonathan’s boss. Each one wanted updates on the very expensive trip to Tortola the company had funded. That was the nicest of the lot. The longer the man’s emails went unanswered, the uglier they became. Not that Mike was especially civil at any time since Jonathan had dumped him. That wasn’t why Jonathan’s stomach shook, bringing him as close to seasickness as he’d ever been on dry land. The more he read, the more he remembered. Twelve missing women. Almost every one had left from the same club where Jonathan met Cin. Jonathan had gone there, hunting down leads. From there, the world slipped away from him.
He remembered Cin and their nights together. At least, he thought he did. Everything felt hazy or like pieces of every day were missing, the way Jonathan imagined people felt after coming out of anesthesia. Cin drove him to the airport in a white Audi R8. Funny, he could remember everything about the car’s interior and Cin’s kiss before Jonathan climbed from the car. Yet he couldn’t remember anything Cin had said to him. Jonathan could only picture the man’s lips moving with phantom words. That was wrong. It had only been an hour since the man dropped him off. Every word that passed be
tween them should be fresh in his mind.
Jonathan sat with his laptop perched on his knees while he stared sightlessly at where the corner met the ceiling. His skin felt cold, but his mind didn’t accept it—like nothing was real any longer. From the moment he’d stepped onto that dance floor with Cin, everything changed. Had someone slipped something in that last shot of tequila? If so, it had to have been Cin. One incident of being drugged wouldn’t account for an entire three weeks of his life disappearing. He felt sick when he tried picturing anything other than Cin’s face. It was as if the man’s image soothed him. In truth, he should be more unsettled by the man, who’d obviously done his best to keep Jonathan from learning anything during his trip. Every time he pictured Cin, no anger came. A sense of peace settled over him. It was… odd. He had to stay in Tortola. There was something huge going on there. He could feel it in his bones.
After stuffing his laptop back in his carry-on, Jonathan snagged his cell phone and tried to push Cin’s image into a box. He couldn’t handle wondering what was going on with him right now. He hadn’t done anything with Cin he hadn’t wanted, but missing chunks of time—that was scary as hell. Jonathan couldn’t think about it. He might lose his shit if he did. Instead, he called Mike.
“Where’s my story?” Leave it to the douche not to bother with saying hello. Jonathan was the magazine’s meal ticket. Nothing more. He used that knowledge to his advantage.
“I need more time.”
A long silence filled the line. Dread ate at Jonathan’s gut. He couldn’t explain. If there was a God in heaven, he wouldn’t have to try.
“No.”
Fuck. “I’m not asking for more money, Mike. The rest of this trip is on my dime.”
“You’re still there?”
Jonathan thanked every deity listening when his voice came out sounding steady. “Yes. I’m close. I just need a little more time. Like I said, it’s on me. I’ll fund the remainder of the trip and even use my vacation time. That’s how close I am to cracking this thing.” He held his breath. Jonathan could hear Mike clicking around on his keyboard in the background. He wondered if his nerves would snap before a loud sigh rang through the line.
“You’ve built up four weeks of vacation. I suggest you make the most of it.”
“Thank you, sir.” Jesus. He hated calling Mike “sir,” but the man was still his boss. Mike hung up on him. It was just as well. Jonathan had shit to do. He had a nice-sized savings account built up, but it would take every cent for this, and he wanted to get out of this airport as quickly as possible.
“Three weeks.”
Cin tied his boots while avoiding Niall’s knowing gaze. “Aye. I know.”
“Three weeks,” Niall repeated. “Knowing we’re in the middle of an investigation.”
Cin stood and finally met Niall’s golden gaze. “If you’ve got something to say, say it.”
Niall shook his head. “I’m old enough to know nothing I say will change anyone’s mind about anything other than how they feel about me. Plus, it’s not like you don’t know how this will end—badly. You should take mercy on that boy and kill him now, before it gets to that point.” Without another word, Niall grabbed a bottle of whiskey and headed out the back door. Cin’s knee jerk reaction was to chase Niall down and slice his throat, but the man would heal. Their friendship might not survive it. Not to mention, he didn’t have time to clean up blood. He needed to make up for the three weeks he’d spent in Jonathan’s bed.
The muscles in Cin’s stomach tightened at the thought. He already missed the sexy male. That choppy brown hair. His sexy green eyes. Fuck. At six-six, Cin towered over most humans, but at five-nine, Jonathan made Cin feel huge. The man was also slight of build, making Cin wonder if he’d accidentally break him. Those attributes might’ve made any other man sound weak, but not Jonathan. He was brave and kinky as hell.
A smirk pulled at the corners of Cin’s mouth as he drove to Consume. There was nothing he’d suggested that Jonathan turned down. Most men would’ve cried uncle after the first night. Not Jonathan. Cin had kept the man fed and Jonathan had kept Cin hard. Holy hell. He wanted to jump a plane to New York right now. Maybe, once they had this case wrapped up, Cin would do just that.
Going to the bar during the day proved to be the thing Jonathan should’ve done all along. The man working the door had the same story as the police detective in charge of the case. Each woman had left on her own—on foot, as if staying somewhere within walking distance. Jonathan followed the same pathway. The night he’d been to Consume, the path had been low lit but busy. Lots of people walked from hotel to club and back again. Yet there’d been no witnesses who’d seen any of the women from the moment they stepped outside the bar. In fact, surveillance footage from the club’s entryway showed the pathway empty.
Jonathan slowly walked the trail. There was a long stretch that had a great view of the water before reaching a place where the path split into several directions, leading to different hotels. Since—for the most part— the women had been scattered throughout, staying at different places, Jonathan worked the theory that whatever happened to them, happened on this long stretch. His eyes strayed to the water. There was a smaller trail, next to a bridge, and leading down to the water’s edge. Maybe they were lured from the pathway to the water, or they’d gone willingly, having decided they weren’t quite ready to call it a night. An image of Cin, leading him from the club and searching for a private spot to fuck him, hit Jonathan. What if these women had made plans to hook up in the privacy of the jungle surrounding the beach? They could’ve met someone in the bar, but left separately.
After moving from the bridge’s wooden railing, Jonathan stared down the path. There were plenty of places to hide before reaching the beach. They could’ve dipped between the trees at any time. From there, anything could’ve happened. Raped, murdered, and dragged to the water. To what means? A waiting boat, maybe? Taken out to sea and fed to the sharks? That would explain the total lack of evidence. His gaze moved to the beach. Was there a place for a boat here? A long pier caught Jonathan’s eye. There was a van parked at the opening of the pier and two houseboats tied to the dock. Men milled from van to boat. There were two women, walking like zombies, following in the men’s footsteps, as if led by an invisible tether.
Jonathan pulled his phone from his back pocket and started recording. Most likely, it was nothing, but this gave him an idea. What if it was as simple as this? Men snatching women for the sex trade—lured from the club, down to the pier. Once they were shoved onto a boat, they could be anywhere in the world. Living a nightmare and never to be seen again. How sad.
The instant Jonathan set foot back inside Consume, Cin felt him. He hadn’t reached the bar yet, but he could feel Jonathan there, searching for answers. Cin couldn’t drive fast enough to get there. His rage knew no bounds. Thank fuck for the overcast sky, allowing Cin to bundle up and step outside without burning alive. Unfortunately, it also meant he was weak, which hadn’t mattered when his only plan had been to check out Consume during daylight hours. Now, his powers extended only far enough to help him find Jonathan. The man’s location did nothing to soothe Cin’s fury. For fuck’s sake, he’d sent the man on his way and comforted himself that Jonathan was safely tucked away in New York. Clear of this danger. Now, here the man stood, recording some shit on his phone that was about to get him killed. Dude needed a keeper, for real.
Cin rolled his shoulders, popping his neck. “What are you doing here, Jonathan?”
Jonathan’s shoulders visibly stiffened, but he didn’t turn. “My job.”
“I sent you home,” Cin argued, moving closer.
As if his claim raised Jonathan’s hackles, the man slowly turned. Crossing his arms over his chest, Jonathan kept his phone pointed toward the dock, still rolling.
“Did you drug me?”
One of the men spotted them. He moved closer—no doubt trying to decide if he should kill them.
Cin had neve
r panicked at the thought of a fight. There’d never been someone like Jonathan for him to consider either. He couldn’t let his man get hurt. His man. Yes, Jonathan was his, and the dude was a reckless idiot.
“Kiss me.”
“Are you fucking insane?” Jonathan asked, his voice rising with every word. “Three weeks of my life are gone. I barely remember you beyond the way you made me feel. Now you want me to kiss you.”
“You shouldn’t be able to remember me at all,” Cin said without thinking. Their party was moments away from getting crashed and Cin needed to get Jonathan the fuck out of there before he got himself killed.
Jonathan’s expression turned thunderous. “So you did drug me.”
It took every ounce of Cin’s willpower not to glance toward the water. Looking like a quarreling couple, rather than someone getting nosy, might be the only thing saving their lives. Cin took a step in Jonathan’s direction. Jonathan stepped back. The man heading their way froze, as if realizing they might be completely unaware of him and his activities. Without giving Jonathan time to guess at his intentions, he sprang forward, wrapping the man in his embrace and capturing his lips. Jonathan tried biting him. Like that, crippling hunger rose in Cin’s gut. This man was fucking amazing—possibly the bravest human Cin had ever met.
