Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (10 page)

A smile transformed Devon’s face. He went from cute to devastatingly handsome so fast it was like magic. “Is that so?”

“Very so.” Karsten reached out and pushed one of the ducks toward Devon.

“I find them very soothing.” Devon gently nudged a duck so that it drifted toward Karsten.

“They are.” Watching them move about the surface of the water was like watching leaves fall. “During autumn, I liked to sit by the big window in the parlor and watch the leaves tumble off the trees. Since the thrall house had dozens of different kinds of trees, the leaves were all different sizes and colors. It was like nature’s confetti, and it was very comforting to see.”

“It sounds beautiful.”

“It was.”

“Do you miss the thrall house?”

“In some ways I do but in other ways not so much.” Karsten pulled one of the ducks under the water then watched as it shot to the surface. “I miss the camaraderie. My fellow thralls spent a lot of time together, talking about what we’d learned and speculating about what kind of a slammer we might be given to.”

“That’s why I like living with all my brothers.” Devon took a bottle from the side and then proceeded to shampoo his hair. Since it was very short, it didn’t take much time or product at all. “We were lucky to be bought in a group.”

“Did you talk about getting mates?”

Devon nodded. He pulled a large cup from the side of the tub, filled it with water, and then dumped it over his head, washing off the bubbles. Karsten watched as the suds sluiced down his shoulders and then his bronzed chest. Looking at Devon made Karsten keenly aware of his own body.

When Devon handed the bottle over, Karsten’s first thought was joy at getting to rub soap all over him, but he realized Devon wanted him to wash his hair when he handed over the cup, too. Dutifully, Karsten wetted his hair and then soaped it up. In keeping with the tone of their shared bath, he finger combed his hair into a razorback. Devon’s laughter filled the small room, making Karsten smile.

“You need some little curls to frame your face.” Devon reached over and made circles with his fingertip. “You look almost like one of those statues in the town square.”

“The one of the Greek boy?” It was the only statue Karsten could think of that had curls against his face.

“Yeah. You remind me of him.”

That caused Karsten to drop his face a little. No wonder Devon was giving him an out on his promise. He saw him as a boy and not a man. “I am eighteen.” He’d only just barely turned of age to go out onto the auction block, but the fact remained that he was of age. Karsten didn’t like the idea of being rejected for something that wasn’t true. Or maybe he honestly didn’t like the idea of Devon rebuffing him. The other men in the town square wanted him desperately, but this slammer didn’t. It was confusing that the less Devon pursued him, the more Karsten wanted him.

“You don’t look it.”

Karsten lifted his face defiantly. “Well, I am.”

Devon’s eyes went wide, revealing his surprise at Karsten’s reaction. “Okay. I guess you just look younger to me since you’re smaller. I’m twenty-four.”

Karsten realized he wasn’t impressing his maturity on Devon by behaving like a petulant child. He filled the cup with water and rinsed his hair.

“I have some nice soap, too.” Devon offered the green bar out.

“It looks brand new.”

“I wanted to smell nice for you.” A look of horrified guilt crossed Devon’s face. “I mean, since we’re stuck in my house for who knows how long, I thought that would be a nice thing to do. To smell nice. For you. And for me.”

Karsten nodded. He reached for the soap but suddenly changed his mind. “Would you get my back?” For a moment he thought Devon was going to say no since he dropped the soap in the water, but he took the soap into his trembling hands. Karsten turned away, wondering why Devon was shaking. It obviously wasn’t fear since Karsten was probably less than half his size.

With tender care, Devon stroked the bar of soap over Karsten’s shoulders. After building up some suds, he let go of the soap and now only his hands smoothed over Karsten’s skin. The trembling was gone, but then Karsten felt that his breath wasn’t quite even since he was blowing out erratically against his wet skin.

“Are you cold? You have goose bumps.”

Karsten couldn’t answer because all the blood in his body was flowing away from his brain and into his penis.

Devon didn’t seem concerned. He used the cup to pour hot water over Karsten’s shoulders, which only make him shiver harder. Now he understood why Devon’s hands were shaking. He was aroused. And so was Karsten.

Turning, Karsten found Devon’s pupils were dilated and his lips were parted and glistening, making it clear he’d been licking them. Both were signs of arousal. Karsten felt absolutely no fear as he floated over to Devon. He discovered he was sitting with his legs crossed, making a perfect seat for Karsten to settle into once he slipped his legs around Devon’s waist. Once he was closer, he knew his supposition about Devon’s excited state was correct when his cock—his very hard cock—bobbed against Karsten’s under water.

“You’re hard, too?” Devon asked even though it was obvious Karsten was. “I won’t do any—”

Lifting up, Karsten pressed his mouth against Devon’s, kissing him before he could say anything else. His resistance melted under Karsten’s persistence. Maybe it was the fact of his honorableness contrasted against his childlike playfulness, or maybe it was just the way he looked at him with compassion and care. Whatever it was that attracted Karsten to Devon, it was pulling him ever closer and making him want to hang on tighter.

Eventually, Devon opened his mouth, allowing Karsten to slip his tongue inside. They simultaneously moaned. Unlike the kiss in direct defiance of his brother or when he’d been feeding him water, this kiss was filled with passion. Karsten was awake and aware enough to be able to taste, smell, and feel Devon.

Devon eased his hand to the small of Karsten’s back, pressing him close, but not with undue force. He seemed to cradle him as if he were breakable. Perhaps he was, given all that had happened. But he didn’t feel weak at all. Karsten felt strong. He was in charge. He had made the move on Devon, not the other way around. If he felt overwhelmed and needed to stop, he knew Devon would release him immediately and not say one harsh word. That, in and of itself, was the most empowering feeling Karsten had ever had. With the gentrymen, he’d had no power at all, but here and now he was in complete charge of what happened to him. What practically staggered him was the fact that Devon willingly gave him control.

Pulling back, Karsten opened his eyes and looked right into Devon’s eyes. He looked happily dazed, but then worry creased lines on his forehead.

“Please don’t make that face.”

“What face?”

“You look overly concerned when you shouldn’t be.”

“It’s just that you don’t have to do this.”

“No. I don’t.” Karsten grinned and took another kiss. “Must mean I want to.” After another smooch, he asked, “Do you want me to stop?”

“No.” Devon chuckled. “This is way better than what I was going to do.”

“What you were going to do?”

Devon’s blushing face said it all.

“You were going to masturbate in a tub full of ducks?”

“They aren’t real.”

“Still.” Karsten couldn’t resist teasing him. “So it’s the ducks that got you aroused?”

“Oh, yes.” Devon nodded. “It’s the yellow color, actually. Something about the bright cheeriness of it gets me
so
hard.”

Karsten giggled and picked up one of the ducks. “I guess I could always try to dress up like one.” Something flashed in Devon’s eyes, but it was gone so quickly he wasn’t sure what it meant. “Or you could.”

“I’d rather dress you up in something else.”

And now Karsten understood the look. Long back when he’d first started his training, he’d been fascinated by the games men played. Some were very creative in their sexual scenes, going so far as to have costumes and even entire rooms decorated to explore their particular fantasy. He and his fellow thralls had laughed at some of the more popular scenarios, but Karsten wasn’t laughing now. After all Devon had done for him, he wanted to do something back.

“What would you dress me up in?” Karsten tossed the ducky aside so he could move just a bit closer to Devon. His breathing was unsteady and so was his hand at Karsten’s back.

“I—well—you—you’re okay with that?”

“Of course. I’m your mate after all.”

“I told you that you don’t have to worry about that right now.”

“I’m not worried.” Karsten kissed him again. This time he made a point of rubbing their cocks together. He wasn’t sure if it was the water, his escape from death twice, or the sheer allure of the man he was with, but something made Karsten ready to burst. “Let me help you do what you were planning on doing.”

“You want to watch me masturbate?”

“Watch? No.” Karsten grinned and wrapped his fist around Devon’s cock. “How about I do it for you?” Before Devon could say no out of some sense of honor, Karsten slid his hand up and down a few times and then whimpered. Just as the thrall master had said, the sound of surrender pushed at the primitive sexual needs of his slammer. Rather than continue to resist him, Devon gave in, but he didn’t overpower Karsten.

Ever so carefully, Devon rose up, taking Karsten with him so they were both standing in the tub. Since the water was so hot, their bodies now gave off steam. Even without that to keep them warm, they were creating enough heat of their own by slowly grinding their bodies together.

Karsten pulled away and grabbed the soap. After getting a good lather going he dropped the bar and wrapped both his fists around Devon’s cock. Putting into practice what he’d only read about, he proceeded to work him into a state of high passion. When it became too much for him to take, Devon pushed Karsten’s hands aside, pulled him close, and slid his cock between Karsten’s thighs.

Devon made no move to penetrate. He just slipped his soap-slick prick in the tight area where Karsten’s thighs met. When Karsten angled his hips forward, he was able to feel Devon’s cock rubbing his balls. The soap gave him all the slickness he needed to go faster and faster. A rich scent of masculine spices filled the air, making him hunger for more.

“Use your fingers on me,” Karsten encouraged.

After a moment, Devon slid his hand down Karsten’s back and then teased his big fingers around his hole. The sensation made Karsten go weak in the knees, but Devon was holding him up. Rocking and fingering him, Devon was also pressing Karsten against him so his cock was rubbing against Devon’s hairy belly.

“I’m going to—I can’t hold back.” Devon’s voice was ragged, his control clearly slipping.

Karsten braced himself by gripping Devon’s shoulders. He was ready to join him in a powerful release. Just as Devon’s cock trembled between Karsten’s thighs, Karsten’s cock released all over Devon’s belly. After all the fear, the pleasure he felt with Devon was profound. Karsten was praising himself for putting the past behind him so quickly. Everything was perfect until Devon lowered his mouth to Karsten’s neck. When his lips touched the scars layered there, Karsten screamed.

“I’m going to keep my word, but despite what you think, when the time comes, I will be able to walk away from you.” Caleb looked and sounded completely sincere, but McBride still didn’t believe him. It seemed to him that Caleb was determined to reassure himself rather than convince McBride of his sincerity.

“Keep telling yourself that until you believe it.”

“It’s the truth.” Rather than continue sitting, Caleb rose out of the chair and stood with his feet spaced to a fighter’s stance.

“I’m sure it is.” Rather than argue any more, McBride snuggled down into bed. “Now either let me feed or go.”

Caleb stiffened. His gaze went from where McBride was to the locked bedroom door.

“What are you going to do, Caleb? Take advantage of me?” McBride laughed lightly, knowing that would irritate Caleb beyond words. He knew it had the desired effect when Caleb clenched his fist. “I thought you were protecting me against the mysterious ailment that you might have been exposed to?”

“Stop taunting me.”

“Taunting? No, I was tempting you.” McBride grinned and pushed the covers down, exposing his chest. He’d felt awful a few hours ago, but after a good nap with Bailey, he was feeling leaps and bounds better. “Why don’t you come over here and teach me a lesson?”

“Stop it.”

For a moment, McBride had a curious feeling of déjà vu, but it was twisted sideways. He remembered standing in Caleb’s house, wanting him so badly but telling himself he couldn’t have the dangerous slammer because doing so violated the law. And now here they were, their roles reversed, with McBride playing the part of the wanton seducer and Caleb playing the law-abiding man of morals.

“I won’t tell anyone.” McBride kept his voice low and hushed, mimicking the exact tone Caleb had used on him. “And we both know you want to.”

“I know what you’re doing.” Caleb crossed his arms over his bare chest as if that might protect him from his urge to give in. McBride knew Caleb wanted him because of the way his eyes darkened and the bulge in his shorts kept growing. His desire couldn’t be clearer if he wore a sign proclaiming the truth.