RYDER WATCHED Sammy walk down the stairs. A shiver went up his spine. Sammy was going to be alone with that scary guy, and yet Sammy refused to be scared. Hell, I’m scared enough for both of us. He looked across the thinning crowd for Maybelle. Answers. Time to get them.
Maybelle stood next to Bilden over by the entrance to the dining room. Ryder didn’t want to take them on at the same time. He grabbed a mineral water from the bar and waited. Finally Bilden walked away from her, in the direction of the bathroom. Good.
Ryder had started across the room when Chen stepped in front of him with the pretty dark-haired girl Ryder knew from a couple of his classes. “Hi, buddy. Where you been? You know Estera.”
Ryder smiled but glanced up toward Maybelle, who was staring into space. “Yes, hi, Estera. Will you guys excuse me for a minute? I need to tell Maybelle something. I’ll be back.”
Chen laughed. “No hurry. She is attractive.” Chen widened his eyes significantly.
What? He glanced at Maybelle. Oh, of course, the chest. He grinned. “Right. She does measure up. But that’s not my target. I just need to talk to her. See you in a few minutes.”
He threaded his way through the crowd and stopped in front of Maybelle. “Hi.”
She glanced up, looking confused. “Oh, hi, Ryder.”
“Hey, could I talk to you for a minute?”
“I guess so.”
“I brought you a mineral water.” He handed her the glass.
She made eye contact. The first time he’d seen her do that in a while. “Thank you. That was very nice.” She sipped the water.
“I know you’re good friends with Lucien.”
She smiled dreamily. “Yes, I am.”
“I thought you might be able to tell me about him. I’m a great admirer, and I’d like to be friends with him, but I thought it would be good to know more. Perhaps I’ll get him a gift.” Ryder hated to lie, but she was so gone on Lucien, he couldn’t think of a better way to approach her.
She nodded. “I’m sure he’d love a gift from you. He’s very generous. He always brings me something when he comes to see me.” She held out a small angel charm on a chain. “He gave me this. Isn’t it beautiful?”
“It’s lovely. Does he see you often?”
She frowned. “Not as often as I’d like, but he has so many responsibilities. I have to wait my turn.”
“Your turn?”
She glanced up, frowning. “Yes. Do you really want to buy him a gift?”
He nodded. “I’m thinking of it. But I also thought he and I might be better friends.”
Her eyes narrowed. “I’m sure he’d like you a lot. Strong, handsome guy like you.”
He smiled to suppress his shudder. “I’ll bet you guys have fun when he comes to see you.”
“You’d bet right.” She sipped more water.
“You’re so attractive. Even though they say he likes guys, I’ll bet he can’t resist you.” He laughed and nudged her.
“He’s bisexual.”
“Really? How do you know?”
She lowered her voice. “Because he fucks me every chance he gets, and believe me, it’s not something you’d want to miss.”
Ice water poured through Ryder’s veins. “Oh?” He could barely breathe.
“It’s like being plugged into an inferno.” Her eyes went blank, and the glass dropped from her hand.
THE CAB pulled up in front of Sammy’s apartment. Sammy smiled at Lucien as he held the car door for him. Gods, he was tired. It had been a week since their confrontation and Lucien’s promise to “woo” Sammy. He’d done a great job. Flowers, dinners out twice, another movie that Sammy picked this time. Plus Lucien had really wanted to go to the party with Sammy. Now the party was over.
Sammy unlocked the door and turned to Lucien. “It was fun. Thank you for taking me. And thank you for the suit. I’m going to try to repay you for it.”
Lucien frowned. “Why would you do that? As your boyfriend, I should be entitled to buy you gifts from time to time.”
“Errrrrr.”
Sammy reached up and petted Aloysius, and the cat stopped growling and started purring. Lucien had been a perfect boyfriend this past week, and powerfully attractive. Just looking at Lucien made Sammy’s cock sit up and say howdy. But—yeah, but—he felt weird. Uneasy. Maybe Aloysius and Ryder were getting to him? “You know, I hate to not ask you in, but for some reason, I’m still really tired. Maybe it’s all the excitement.”
Lucien’s frown deepened. “Oh, I was hoping to hold you all night.”
What do I want? Al’s purr filled his head. “I feel like a squashed helium balloon.” He smiled at Lucien’s beautiful face. “Don’t be mad. We have lots of time for holding and all the rest.”
Lucien’s perfect lips tightened, then relaxed. “I’m not mad at all. Just disappointed. But as you say, we have time. Can I see you tomorrow?”
“I’d like that.”
“Good. I’ll call you first thing.” He lowered his head. His soft lips caressed Sammy’s and then his tongue quested for entrance. Sammy opened and let that hot flesh enter his mouth. His cock gave an exploratory wiggle and leaped to full attention. Lucien did know how to kiss.
Lucien moaned and pulled Sammy tight. Maybe I’m not so tired. He threaded his fingers through Lucien’s silken mane and let his tongue explore. Strawberries again. Amazing. Should I relent? His ass ached for penetration.
“Purrrrrr. Purrrrrrrrr.”
Lucien pulled back. “You are irresistible, little witch. Please let me fuck you.”
“Purrrrrrr. Purrrrr.”
Gods, Sammy felt ripped in half. “No, I’d best get some rest.” He laughed. “Last time you made me come, I didn’t recover for a week.”
Lucien’s eyes widened.
“Hey, I’m kidding. It was a great orgasm. I’m just out of practice.”
Lucien kissed his neck. “What you need is more practice.”
“Purrrrrrr.”
Sammy’s mind raced and his heart beat fast. “No, I’ll take a rain check.”
“Very well. I’ll call you tomorrow.” Lucien turned on his heel and marched down the stairs.
Hells, what am I doing? Lucien said he was Sammy’s boyfriend, the very thing Sammy said he wanted. Now I’m fighting him off. Why? Yes, the fact that Ryder and Aloysius didn’t like Lucien mattered. He respected them both, but respecting them was not getting him any cock.
Shit.
Sammy walked inside, and the tiredness took over. Whoa. He wobbled a little, and Al leaped down to the floor. Self-protection. “I’m okay, guy. Not going to fall.” It had been a long day.
He carefully removed his suit, glad that Aloysius’s fur was black and wouldn’t show on the navy. It had been so kind of Lucien to get this for him. How did I show my appreciation? One damned kiss. He knew how girls must feel when their dates took them out for an expensive meal or bought them a gift and their only way to say thank you was with their bodies. It felt crappy.
He hung up the suit with his few shirts. It made everything else look shabby. What could he do to show his appreciation to Lucien except fuck him? That gift shouldn’t be a payment. He stopped. Paint him. I could do a portrait. Cool.
Sammy crawled into his sweats. Maybe he’d get started. It was such a great idea, and he’d wanted to paint Lucien anyway. Hells, who wouldn’t?
He grabbed a prepared canvas he’d been planning to take to class and set it on his easel. Aloysius padded over and sat in the middle of the floor, looking at Sammy.
Paints practically leaped into Sammy’s hands. Green. Deep green and a silvery brown color he mixed from three tubes to get right. He slashed the brush across the canvas just to wake it up. Deep breath. Let it happen. The edges of his vision blurred. Warm oil flowed over his brain and down into his hand. Wait. He shook his head. I need white and gold paint, don’t I? Deep. Dark. His hand moved, curving, looping, slanting down for the nose, long and slender. To capture the essence of the man. Not his form. The heart of his beauty. The wide eyes crowded by those high cheekbones…. No, they should be soft and round. Strong jaw. What? No. Green. Brilliance of green, shimmering like emeralds.
“Purrrrrrr.”
The vibration echoed through him. Beauty, truth, deep into the darkness.
Hells’ bells! He shook his head. What’s going on?
“Merwaor.”
Sammy stepped back when he heard Aloysius meow. The portrait wasn’t nearly complete. But even so, there was no chance that was Lucien staring back at him. No chance at all.
He frowned at Aloysius. “Did you make me do that?” Sammy gazed at the shining green eyes and long brown hair with pointed ears peeking out. Al didn’t have anything to do with it. Most amazing was the look in Ryder’s eyes. Even incomplete, they shone with something very much like love. Talk about your wishful thinking.
Sammy sighed, pulled off his sweats, brushed his teeth, and crawled into bed. He ought to be the happiest guy around. He had a doting boyfriend and some appreciation and respect from the community for once. Why did he feel like crap? Maybe he should have had sex with Lucien. That would have made them both happy.
HEAT. BUBBLING, boiling. Hells, what kind of dream was this? Turn over. Reset. Sammy shifted but couldn’t move from his back. Wait. Breathing in his ear. Not Al’s. Shit, his cock was on fire! Sammy shot to the edge of his bed and sat up. His cock throbbed. “Hells. What the fuck is going on?”
Lucien beamed at him, lying on his side on the bed, fully clothed. Had the guy been jerking Sammy off? “Ah, my dear. I knew you regretted our not having sex, so I thought I’d do something to relax you.”
“What the fuck? How did you get in here? What is this?”
Lucien laughed as he reached out his hand and grabbed Sammy’s cock. “Don’t pretend you don’t want it, darling. This hard-as-a-spike penis of yours tells a different story.”
Gods, his rubbing felt good—but somehow not in a good way. Sammy’s body wanted to surrender, but his brain screamed at him. I didn’t ask for this! He summoned what will he could and pulled his body back against the headboard. “Look, I get that you might think I want sex, but that doesn’t mean you can break into my place and force yourself on me. Go home and call me tomorrow, like you said.”
Lucien sat up, and his eyes narrowed. “Perhaps I made a mistake. But since I am here now, with cock at the ready, why don’t we just fuck?” He dived toward Sammy, who skittered off the edge of the bed and hit the wall hard with his back.
“Have you lost your mind? Get away from me.” His heart beat fast, and his cock had definitely given up any desires and was in full-flight mode with the rest of Sammy’s body.
Lucien came up on his knees. “You need more persuasion, little witch?”
“No!” Was Lucien being cute? Maybe he was turned on by violence, like that other witch who had come from Europe and tried to seduce Killian.
Lucien began a low, mumbling chant. Then Sammy heard a shriek from the bathroom. Aloysius. “Al!” The damned witch had locked the familiar away. Shit, how much power did that take?
The chanting got stronger. Sammy felt like energy was flowing out of his fingertips and forming a puddle on the floor. Soon he’d be that puddle. He inched away from Lucien, his naked back still to the wall in the narrow space behind the bed.
Lucien gazed at him, and his blue eyes shone. “Stop being silly, Samlyn. Let’s just have sex and get it over with.”
“If you’re trying to woo me, asshole, you sure have a funny way of showing it.” But his knees felt like rubber.
“Merrrrrwaorrrr.” The shriek echoed through the room. Sammy’s neighbors were pretty private, but somebody had to hear that cat. Surely they’d report it.
Lucien walked on his knees across the bed toward Sammy. Sammy wanted to run, but no body part cooperated. Lucien beamed. “Let me get that lovely penis back in action. I can make you come until you black out from pleasure. You know I can.” He mumbled the chant.
“No, Lucien, no!”
Lucien’s brilliant beauty darkened. “Now you’re just being silly, aren’t you? Say you’re being silly.”
“Merwaaaaoooowr.”
Lucien spat, “Shut up, you fucking cat.”
“Merwaoooowwwwrrrrrr.”
The caterwauling shrieked through the room; Sammy’s ears hurt, and Lucien cringed like it pained him too.
Lucien raised the decibels on his chanting, and Sammy flowed to the floor like his bones had dissolved. The witch leaned over him, grasped Sammy’s hair, and pulled his head back. “Time to fuck, little witch.”
Have to fight. Have to. This witch would not force him. No!
“Merwaooooowrrr. Merrrwaoooorrrr. Merwaowrrrrr.”
Lucien unfastened his fly and pulled out that unfurled cobra cock.
Sammy’s brain screamed. Shit, no. Not in me!
Lucien shoved Sammy until he fell sideways with his ass twisted toward Lucien. The strange dick that got scarier-looking by the second pushed against his ass. Sammy took a deep breath and managed to raise a leg high enough to slam Lucien back hard onto the side of the bed. Lucien’s golden head cracked on the footboard.
“How dare you?” Lucien rose back up. “It’s time to stop playing.”
Playing? Is he nuts? Sammy scooted along the wall until Lucien grabbed his hair. Ouch! Hells.
Lucien’s chanting got louder, and that reptile cock came straight at Sammy’s mouth.
“Merwwwwwaaaaaowwwrrr.”
Are the walls shaking? Gods, blackness washed over him like a thick, musty blanket…. Can’t fight. Going under. Giving up feels good. Give up.
Every particle of energy, every spark of volition poured from Sammy. Darkness filled his head and oozed down his body like old oil.
“Merwwaaaaaoooowwwwrrrrrr.”
Darkness.
Fire. Like a brand on his chest. Did I black out? He opened his eyes. Can’t move. A heap against the wall. But….
Am I alone?
Take stock. Check the ass? Not violated. I’d know, right? No pain there. But he felt like a blazing poker pressed against his neck. He tried to raise a hand to soothe the burn. No luck.
Where the hells is Lucien?
“Merwaor. Merwaor.” A soft feline whining came from behind the door. So Lucien had been able to keep Aloysius locked up but not quiet. Interesting. His powers weren’t quite all that.
What had the guy done to Sammy while he was out?
He raised his head, and pain stabbed through it until his sight vanished in a flash of white. He dropped back to the floor. “I have to get up. Somehow.” He tested scooting his feet a few inches. Nausea washed over him and he heaved twice, but witches couldn’t vomit. Why did he feel so bad? It didn’t seem like Lucien had forced him while he was passed out, and Al had to be the reason. That last shriek would have wakened the dead, literally. But gods, how could Lucien have caged Aloysius? Sammy thought he knew, and the facts made him more exhausted. Aloysius was a familiar. Beyond some basic power over his own form, he could only magnify the powers of the witch who held him. Sammy had little power, so Al had nothing to magnify. A tear slid down Sammy’s cheek. Useless.
He stared at his phone, a lifetime away on top of his dresser. He summoned power and tried to lift it. Shit, nothing. Not a quiver. Even less power than he usually had. Besides, who would he call if he could get the damned phone? His mom and dad didn’t need this grief, and he didn’t really want to tell them what happened. Chen couldn’t get out of his house easily at night. He could call Killian, but it was his anniversary. Plus it would get Lucien in tons of trouble. Shit, it should! But maybe Lucien really thought Sammy wanted this. Maybe Sammy had wanted it and sent the wrong signals? His skin burned like fire around his neck.
Tears dripped off his chin and flowed into a river. Stupid, useless witch. Can’t even keep a decent guy.
The door slammed open. Shit. Is Lucien back? He tried to sit up. Need protection.
“Sammy? Sammy, where are you?”
Ryder rushed around the screen that separated the sleeping space from the rest of the apartment. Sammy cried harder.
“Sammy. God, what’s wrong?” Ryder squatted down on the floor and reached for Sammy.
“N-no. Can’t move. Too sick.”
“What can I do? I’ll call an ambulance.”
Sammy shook his head and regretted it instantly. “No, please. I don’t think I need a doctor.”
“You sure look like you do.” Ryder grabbed a cover off the bed and tucked it around Sammy’s naked body.
Sammy murmured, “Would you let Aloysius out of the bathroom?”
Ryder frowned. “How the hell did he get in there?”
Should he tell him? He had to tell someone, but he didn’t want Ryder to think less of him. “Long story.”
Ryder got up and opened the bathroom door. Like a furry missile, Al leaped out, landed beside Sammy’s collapsed body, and immediately padded up to his head and started licking him on the forehead. “Hey, that feels good.” Like that warm oil when he painted.
Ryder sat back down beside Sammy. He reached out one long-fingered hand and brushed Sammy’s hair off his face. Then he began to gently caress Sammy’s cheek. Between Al and Ryder, light and warmth shone through his body. The burning on his chest and neck lessened. “That’s so nice.” His eyes closed.
“Tell me what happened, Sam.”
“I can’t.”
“Please. It has something to do with Lucien, doesn’t it?”
Sammy nodded. Wow. It didn’t even hurt so much to nod. Ryder’s hand kept up its gentle stroking.
“I actually came here to warn you about him.”
“I should have listened to you before.”
“This is a bigger warning. I found out that he’s having sex with both Maybelle and Bilden. There may be others. I came to beg you not to sleep with him. People who have sex with him seem weird. Did you notice how strange Maybelle and Bilden have been acting? I don’t know if the two facts are related, but I don’t think you should take the chance.”
Sammy started to cry.
“Oh God, what’s wrong, baby?” Ryder leaned over and put his hand under Sammy’s head, running fingers through his hair—something Sammy had dreamed about for years. And now? Hells.
“He tried to have sex with me. He really pushed it, but I think Aloysius saved me. Still, I feel like I’ve been violated in some way. I can’t explain it.”
Ryder pressed his head against Sammy’s neck. “Stay away from him, Sams. He’s bad news. I feel it.” He chuckled softly. “Aloysius seems to agree. He’s licking me.”
Sammy snuffled. “I didn’t want him here, exactly.”
“What do you mean?”
“He broke… I mean, I must have left the door open and he came in and I woke up and he was jerking me off, and I tried to get away. Now I feel like he sucked my blood or my energy.” He sobbed.
Ryder sat up. “Shit. I’ll kill the bastard. I’ll kill him.”
Sammy grabbed Ryder’s arm. “No. No, he could hurt you.”
“That wimpy bastard? I don’t think so.”
He had to keep Ryder away from Lucien. Lucien was a powerful witch. “I think he believed I wanted him to do it. I kept putting him off, but he said he knew I wanted it.” Then why in the hells did he feel so bad?
“Did you say no?”
“Yes. A lot of times, but he just kept coming.”
“No means no, even in Czech.” Ryder’s jaw clenched.
“Please don’t.” Al started licking Sammy’s forehead like crazy.
Ryder took his hand. “I’m not doing anything except taking care of you. First I’ll see if I can get you in a bathtub and wash that bastard’s smell off you. I’m making you some tea and a little something to eat. Then we’ll get you cozy in bed with Al.”
Sammy raised his eyes. “Tea? Really?”
Ryder laughed, and that felt good. “Keep licking, Al.” He went into the bathroom, and Sammy heard the water start. Then he came out to the little kitchenette. “Can’t give you coffee. Not good for you right now. Have you got any tea?”
“I think I got some for one time when Dr. Barth came over.”
Sammy heard rustling. “Got it. Hope it’s not ancient.” Pans rattled. Sammy closed his eyes. How nice to just lie here, snuggled under the covers. Gods, his neck burned. He shifted his head, trying to get more comfortable. Al’s tongue kept scraping across his forehead. Soothing.
Maybe he drifted off, because next thing he knew, he was floating through the air. Wow. Like a powerful witch. Wait. He opened his eyes. Ryder was carrying him wrapped in the blanket. “Uh, how are you doing this?”
Ryder’s glistening green eyes looked down at him. “Because you don’t eat enough, and you’re light as a feather.”
Sammy snuggled his head against Ryder’s shoulder. He smelled like vanilla. Sammy loved vanilla. “I forget.”
“Well, I remember, and you’re going to get fed.”
“By who?”
“By me. Shh. Just rest.”
With pleasure. But before he could snuggle back into Ryder’s neck, he was set on the toilet seat, unwrapped from his blanket, and lowered into a warm bath—bubbles all around. “Mmm. Nice.” The water smelled good but not as good as Ryder.
Sammy took a deep breath and scooted down another couple of inches into the warm, sudsy water. He felt a sponge on his arm. “You gonna wash me?” He couldn’t keep his eyes open.
“Yep.”
“That’s the best thing ever.” The sponge moved slowly over his shoulders. So nice. Down his arm. Mmm. Other arm. Then warm water sluiced across his skin.
The sponge started on one foot. Sammy giggled.
“Ticklish.”
“Mmm.”
Up his calf, knee, thigh. Oops. He was way too exhausted to move, but nobody told his cock. The beast was rising like a seeking serpent, and the tip pushed through the bubbles. Sammy moved his hands down to cover the thing. “Sorry.”
“No problem.”
Quiet surrounded Sammy. Only the ripple of the water as Ryder gently washed his skin. “Sam.”
“Hmm?”
“Did he hurt you?”
Sammy opened his eyes. “I don’t think so. He tried, but Al was screaming really loud. Maybe he got scared and figured the cops were going to show up or something.” He closed his eyes again. Then opened. “The real problem is I feel weird. Exhausted, you know? So tired I can barely move.” He shifted his head. “And my neck hurts. Burns.”
“Where?” Ryder slid his hand up to Sammy’s neck and stopped. “What’s this?”
“What?”
Ryder’s hand rose out of the water holding a golden object. “This charm. I don’t remember you wearing this before. I didn’t notice it when I was carrying you because the chain is so thin.”
Sammy reached up and felt a metal charm on a tiny chain around his neck. “I don’t know what it is. It’s not mine.” Chills ran through him despite the warm water.
Ryder frowned big-time. “The charm is an angel. I saw one once before.” He dropped the metal back against Sammy’s skin. “On Maybelle. She said Lucien gave it to her.”
Sammy grabbed the chain and yanked. It dug into his skin. “Damn. I don’t want it. Get it off me.”
Ryder fingered the chain and rotated it around Sammy’s neck. “Good grief, there’s no clasp. It’s a continuous chain.” He pulled on it with two hands. “And it’s strong. I can’t get it off.”
Sammy took a deep breath. No need to panic. It was only a token. But the gold felt heated. “He probably likes to mark his lovers in some way, the bastard.”
“But how could he have put on a chain with no clasp?”
Sammy knew it would be easy for Lucien, but he couldn’t say that to Ryder. “Probably some heating device or something. I must have fallen asleep, and he put it on.” Passed out was more to the point. Hells. “I’ll get someone to take it off when I feel better.”
“Yeah. I’m sure a hardware store can do it.” Ryder reached down and lifted Sammy under his arms to help him stand. Whoa. Shaky. But not too bad. Ryder wrapped the towel around Sammy’s skinny, dripping body, stuck an arm under Sammy’s knees, and up he went.
Sammy grinned. “You’re really good at that.”
Ryder grinned. “Thanks.”
He walked out of the bathroom and set Sammy on his feet beside the bed. He dried Sammy off, which sent his cock into another meet-and-greet session, then pushed him back on the sheets until Sammy’s head hit the pillow next to Aloysius. Ryder scooted Sammy over and covered him. “Rest while I get you some soup.”
More pans. Must have drifted again. Sammy opened his eyes when Ryder put an arm behind his head and helped him sit up. He propped a couple of pillows behind Sammy and pulled over a tray with soup and the advertised tea with some milk in it. A soup spoon was heading to Sammy’s mouth before he got half a wit together. “I can do that.”
“Humor me.”
Sammy took a mouthful of chicken and rice, the only soup he’d had in the cabinet. “Um, what time is it?”
Ryder looked at his watch. “A little after one thirty. You guys left the party early.”
“It feels like a lifetime ago.” He took another mouthful. “Tell me how you happen to be here again?”
“I thought Maybelle and Bilden were acting strange. I kind of fabricated an interest in Lucien”—he shuddered—“and asked her about her relationship with him. She proudly told me he’s bisexual and fucks her every chance he gets. Bilden told me practically the same thing, except for the bisexual part.”
Hot tears pressed behind Sammy’s eyes. “I knew it was too good to be true.”
“Nothing about that guy is good that I can see.”
Sammy looked down into the soup. “That’s the only kind of guy who would ever be interested in me. A cheating rat.”
“Sam, that’s not so.”
His voice shook. “Why the hell do you think he even bothered with me to begin with? What would he want with a stupid loser if he was planning on cheating with half the fucking college?” The tears squeezed out and started to drip down his cheeks.
Ryder put the tray on the dresser and wrapped Sammy in his arms. “You’re not a loser at all. You’re one of the finest people I’ve ever known. You’re kind and funny and so smart. You paint like a master. Even if you do pick strange subject matter sometimes.” Ryder chuckled and nodded toward the painting on Sammy’s easel.
“You saw that?” Sammy snuffled. Maybe if he didn’t move too much Ryder would forget to let him go.
“Hard to miss that painting in a room the size of most closets.”
Pretty embarrassing. But compared to having had your energy drained by a cheating pig and your neck chained by the selfsame bastard while you were blacked out, painting a picture was small potatoes in the shame department.
“Ready to sleep?”
No. “Yeah.” Sammy pulled the pillows out from behind him and lay back down. Al crawled up next to him. His eyelids felt weighted. “Thank you so much for taking care of me. I’ll rest tomorrow, and I should be able to go to school on Monday.”
“Yes, you’ll rest tomorrow, and I’ll see that you do. I’m not going anywhere. I want to make sure that asshole doesn’t come back. I’ll sleep on your couch and be here to take care of you in the morning.”
Sammy shook his head. “No way a human can sleep on that couch. Aloysius won’t even do it. It has lumps the size of Everest. I’ll be fine. Really.”
“Not leaving, so forget about it.”
Sweeter words were never spoken. I don’t want to be alone. He opened his eyes a slit. Ryder gazed down at him. That expression. He remembered it—from the painting. His deep eyes. So soft. So much like love.
A thick fog of exhaustion rolled over Sam, and his eyes wouldn’t stay open. “Sleep in the bed with me and Al. We don’t move much. Sleep here… prommmmissse….”
RYDER WATCHED Sammy sleep. He’s in danger. I know it. That charm was no lover’s knot. God, Ryder wanted to pick him up and run where no one could harm him. He wanted to hold him safe.
Aloysius stared up at Ryder and seemed to be asking What are you going to do?
What was he going to do? His head hammered with the litany Don’t get involved. Don’t get involved.
Fuck it. He was already involved. Had been for a long time. But what were his options? Not damned many. Not much time left. He could feel it.
Ryder’s heart hammered. He pulled the long-sleeved T-shirt over his head, then unzipped his jeans. With a deep breath, he pushed his pants down and stepped out of them. Wearing his briefs, he walked over to the lamp and turned it off, then crossed around the bed in the faint moonlight. As he sat on the edge, he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the back of the bathroom door. A faint glow reflected off his chest. Not much time.
Aloysius moved above Sammy’s head like he was making space for Ryder. He crawled into bed and lay on his back, staring at the ceiling. Sometimes a big mistake felt so right.
THE THICK black smoke surrounded him, crept into his eyes and nose, coating them with soot. The cloud slithered down his throat into his belly, and he gagged. Can’t breathe. Too thick. Putrid, acrid. Need breath.
Light. Like a blade cutting through the dark letting sweet air in. Breath, life. Yes, thank you. Yes.
Sammy’s eyes flew open. What the hells? Warm, safe. Yes, safe like in the dream. He took a breath and felt his back press against satiny smoothness. Skin. For an instant he froze. But no. He knew when he was in heaven.
Ryder had wrapped both arms around Sammy. Sammy could feel the hard muscle of Ryder’s thighs against his legs, and yes, the stiff rod of his erection pressed to Sammy’s ass. But judging by those deep inhalations, he was sound asleep. Oh man. Have to get out of this, or I’ll die of pure horniness.
He shifted a little to the right. That rigid rod, covered only in a thin wisp of cotton, slid to the side until it fit perfectly into the full length of Sammy’s ass crack. Shit. His whole body felt like it had been beaten with a stick, but his cock was willing to stand at attention. Maybe this wasn’t heaven. Having Ryder that close to the promised land and not being able to do anything about it felt a lot more like hell.
Uh, why is Ryder hugging a guy in his sleep? Sammy’s head was going to explode. Too many questions, not enough answers. He took a deep breath. A warm tingle, like fizzy champagne was being pumped out of Ryder’s skin and into Sammy’s body. Nice. Might as well enjoy this. It was his only chance. He scooted tight against Ryder, appreciated the lean, hard muscle and silken skin for a moment, sighed, and fell back asleep.
MORE POTS and pans. Sammy turned over, but no Ryder. These two ideas are connected. He opened his eyes. Light flooded in from the small window, and it didn’t even hurt to look at it. He moved tentatively from side to side, then tried to sit up. His muscles followed his commands and barely hurt. His neck still burned but not as much.
“Merwaow.”
Sammy reached out and scratched Al’s head. “Thanks, buddy. I think some of this is your doing. I feel pretty good.”
A deep voice came from behind the screen. “That’s good news.” Ryder walked into the sleeping area. He looked like breakfast, dressed again in his jeans and long-sleeved, dark blue T-shirt. His brown hair fell around his shoulders in a curtain, and his creamy skin stretched across the architectural bones of his face like marble. He also looked embarrassed. Okay, that meant he’d woken up with his cock pressing into Sammy’s ass and probably leaped to the other side of the apartment trying to get away. Humiliating. Gods.
Ryder smiled, though his cheeks were a little too pink. “Ready for some breakfast?”
Sammy nodded. Try not to think of what you’d like to eat. “I’m going to try to get up.” But he was nude. Damn. He glanced up at Ryder. It had been so easy and comfortable last night. Now he’d like to crawl under a rock.
Ryder didn’t meet his eyes. “Uh, need help?”
“No, thanks. I’ll try it on my own. If I have trouble, I’ll call, okay?” Call, as in from a distance.
“Great. I’ll finish breakfast. Make sure you call if you need me.” He scampered away like a scalded cat, no insult to Aloysius.
The screen didn’t cover much. Sammy slid his bare legs over the side of the bed. No nausea or spinning. Good. He felt like he could sleep for a year. The angel charm banged against his chest like a monstrous whisper. Just what he needed, a reminder of the bastard.
Sammy pushed up from the bed, made it to his feet, and grabbed the dresser for support. Of course, he was bare-assed. He grabbed a rumpled shirt from the floor where he’d dropped it last night and put it on and then hunched so it covered his dick. Must look pretty funny. He made a dash for the bathroom and closed the door.
Weird. Ryder washed me last night, and today I don’t want him to see my bare butt. Of course, if Ryder wanted to see it, that would change things a lot. Fat chance.
He brushed his teeth, peed, and washed his face and hands. Clothes? He’d left some jeans in a heap on the floor sometime yesterday. Rumpled, but they’d cover the bottom half of his birthday suit. He put them on commando, then peered into his hamper for a less rumpled shirt and swapped it for the one he’d worn into the bathroom. Deep breath. Tiredness blurred the edges of his vision, but he had a little energy. Mostly due to Ryder and Aloysius—he’d be in really bad shape if it weren’t for them.
When he opened the bathroom door, the smell of toast made his stomach growl so loudly it practically echoed.
Ryder laughed. “That’s a good sign. Let’s get some food into you.”
He’d set two places on the coffee table, Sammy’s only eating area. A cup of coffee with cream already sat at one of the places, and black coffee sat at the other. Sammy swallowed his saliva. Ryder carried over two plates with scrambled eggs and toast with peanut butter. Gods, it smelled so good. “I’m really hungry.”
Ryder put down the plates, and Sammy sat on the couch edge, in front of the place with the creamed coffee. Ryder sat across from Sammy on a cushion on the floor. “Dig in.”
Sammy picked up the coffee cup like the answers to the mysteries of the universe lay at the bottom of it. He sipped. Oh man. Bitter and sweet at the same time.
“Taste good?”
“Drug of choice.”
He set down the cup and dug into the eggs. In about one minute—gone.
Ryder sipped his coffee. “Want some more?”
“Is there more?”
“Yep. I made extra just in case.”
Fifteen minutes later he’d consumed another plate of eggs, two pieces of toast, and two cups of coffee. Aloysius had half of Ryder’s eggs and sat on the floor washing his paws, then climbed on Ryder’s lap and curled up. Sammy leaned back on the lumpy couch. “Man, I feel better.”
Ryder smiled. “Good.”
“Because of you. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“No reason to thank me. I wanted to help.”
The word leaped out of Sammy’s mouth. “Why?”
Ryder looked surprised. “You’re my friend. I value you.” His jaw set. “And I won’t let anyone hurt you if I can help it. I wish I’d been there earlier. I wish I could have stopped him.” Tears glistened in his eyes.
“There’s nothing you could have done. I was the idiot for trusting him. You tried to warn me.”
“I should have tried harder.” Ryder stared down into his coffee cup, the brown mane falling around his beautiful face. Sammy wanted to paint him just like that.
The silence stretched out to a minute. The giant sleeping-together-in-the-near-nude elephant took up most of the space in the room. No way Sammy was bringing it up. But hells, he wanted to know why. Why had Ryder done it?
Ryder emptied his cup. “Guess I better go and get ready for class tomorrow. I have some studying for Dr. Barth.”
“Okay, yeah. Sounds good.”
Ryder looked up. “Unless you need me. Do you?”
Hells, yes. Sammy needed Ryder to hold him and press his silky skin against him and kiss his hair. “No, I’m good.”
“You sure?”
No. “Yes.”
“I’ll just clean up.” Ryder nudged Aloysius aside. The cat gave him an annoyed look and jumped onto the couch as Ryder got up and started carrying plates into the kitchenette. Sammy grabbed his plate and cup and followed Ryder, who was running water into the sink.
Sammy scraped a crust of toast into the garbage can. “You don’t have to do that. I’m up to it, thanks to you.”
“No problem.”
Aloysius watched them with a “see the funny humans” expression.
Ryder washed and Sammy dried. There were only a couple of plates, so it was a quick job. Ryder wiped his hands and looked around. He dropped the towel, went into the sleeping corner, and started straightening the bed.
Sammy laughed. “Hey, my bed will die of shock if it’s not messy.”
Ryder smiled but kept on pulling sheets. Could he be stalling? Finally the bed looked neat, and Ryder stood there staring down at the blankets, some kind of war being waged. But what was the battle?
Ryder raised his head. “Guess I’ll go.”
“Okay.”
Ryder walked around the screen and stopped in front of the canvas with his portrait on it. “Why did you paint this?”
Tough one. What should he say? The truth will out. “You’re beautiful, Ryder.”
Ryder’s head snapped up. Sammy heard his intake of breath. “Thanks. Well, see you at school.” Without a pause, he walked out the door.