Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (12 page)

“I didn’t say you would do anything against my will. It’s instinctual for me to let you. I even tilted my head, but then...” Karsten didn’t need to finish. They both know what happened next. He remembered being bound and bitten. Karsten was holding a ducky in his hand, his fingers stroking over the plastic almost like he was petting it. Devon realized he wasn’t comforting the toy but attempting to comfort himself. “But I need you to bite me somewhere else.”

“What?” Devon figured he’d have to settle for a lifetime of no blood at all. While he was playing the dedicated hero, that sounded possible, but when he was himself and the lust kicked in, everything changed.

“I know the urge to bite my neck is strong because that’s the most convenient spot when we mate.”

Devon wanted to interrupt him, but he had nothing to say. Part of him didn’t want to hear what Karsten would say because Devon still clung to his view of himself as the lofty hero who always did the right thing and never made his lover scream in terror.

“You could bite me here.” Karsten extended his arm, offering out his wrist.

“I don’t understand. You want me to bite you?”

“I’ll show you if you come back into the tub with me.” Karsten turned but didn’t move forward until he was certain that Devon was following. In the bathroom, he stepped into the tub and turned off the water. It was filled back to where it had been before they’d decided to wash the floor.

A little hesitant to be so close to Karsten again when he now realized he couldn’t trust himself, Devon entered the bath only because Karsten smiled and pointed out he and the ducks were lonely. That made Devon grin and get back into the tub. After his body cooled off cleaning up the floor, the water felt almost too warm, but slowly he grew accustomed.

He and Karsten sat across from one another for a long time, simply sailing ducks toward one another.

“I just now noticed that they are all different.” Karsten picked two up and compared them.

“I’ve been collecting them for a long time.”

“Why?”

“Ah, you’ll think it’s silly.” Devon’s brothers certainly had.

“I won’t. I’ll probably think it’s cute. Like you.”

“Aw. Okay, but you can’t laugh.”

“I won’t.”

“I read a story once about this rubber duck that went all over the city through drainage ditches and sewers—just everywhere there was water. It was short but fascinating because it was a city on the edge of collapse.”

“That sounds so sad.”

“In a way, yes, but it was still fascinating.”

“Was it about our civilization? Back when there were women, horses, and dogs?”

“No, this was one where all the humans were becoming merged with aliens. It was a slow and sinister merging that made them do crazy things.”

“Like?”

“They would eat dirt. And at first no one in the story knew why, but the ducky floated by two scientists talking and they speculated it was because the alien presence needed minerals.”

“So everything was told through the point of view of the duck?”

“Yeah. That’s what made it so fascinating. He didn’t interpret what he heard because he had no stake either way.”

“Right. He was just a plastic toy.” Karsten seemed fascinated by the idea.

“I could read it to you sometime. If you want.” It was Devon’s greatest wish to have a mate he could read to. He wanted someone to share in the magical mental landscapes that quite literally enthralled him. Since Karsten already seemed open to the idea of dressing up, he might welcome this notion, too.

“I would like that.” Karsten sent the duck he had floating over to Devon. “And that story sparked your collection.”

Devon described how he’d managed to get them even while in prison. “It’s amazing what you can get if you’re willing to wait and pay well, which I was on both counts.” He spent a long time telling Karsten about all the ducks in his collection. He felt odd at first, but then he relaxed because Karsten seemed genuinely interested.

“And you really can’t pick a favorite?”

“Hmm. Well, if I have to…” Devon searched through the floating toys and found the bright yellow duck wearing sunglasses. “I guess this one. Because he’s the only one wearing shades.”

“He is really cute.” Karsten examined the toy then let go. He floated over to the cluster of his brothers. “And now we should probably finish up.”

“Right.” Devon wasn’t sure what Karsten had in mind until he stood and compelled Devon to stand, too. Once he was up, Karsten proceeded to rub soap all over him. Against his best efforts, Devon got hard, but Karsten didn’t seem to notice. Or if he did, he didn’t seem to care.

“Turn around.”

When he did, Karsten lathered him up from shoulders to the back of his knees. His touch was surprisingly strong.

“Relax. You don’t have to be ashamed that you’re hard.” Karsten moved close, pressing his body against Devon’s. He was slick from suds, which allowed Karsten to rock his cock along the split of Devon’s ass. The motion made him weak in the knees, sagging him down, giving Karsten better access. He wasn’t trying to penetrate him. It seemed Karsten was just enjoying rubbing their bodies together. This became more apparent when he reached around and grasped Devon’s cock. “Does this bother you?”

“No.” Devon cleared his throat and tried again. “No. It feels really good.”

“To me, too.” Karsten got Devon completely lathered and then turned him around. “Now you do me.”

Devon proceeded to lather up his lover everywhere, except for his neck.

“Is it really ugly?”

“Not at all. I just didn’t want to hurt you.”

“Or get more water on the floor.” Karsten laughed, compelling Devon to chuckle.

“It’s as clean as it’s going to get.”

“Are you sure it doesn’t make me…”

“It’s a part of you, but it’s not you. You know what I mean? If it was gone, no one would know what you survived.” Devon delicately traced a finger over the layers of scar tissue. The only saving grace to the whole mess was that the bites had self-healed or Karsten would have bled to death. “It’s a testament to how incredibly strong you are.”

Karsten looked on the verge of tears.

“Oh, no. I’ve done it again.”

“No, it’s just—you are so sweet.” Karsten embraced him, gingerly, given how slippery the bottom of the tub was, not to mention their soapy bodies.

“I am a sweet man with sinning on my mind.”

That caused Karsten to pull away just enough so he could look up. “It’s not sinning if we both consent.”

“It’s not?” Devon pretended to consider. “Why, I do believe you’re right.” He grinned down at Karsten. “But are you sure you’re ready?”

“I am.” Karsten urged him to kneel down in the water where they rinsed each other off. “Much like the floor, we are as clean as we’re going to get.”

Using the two towels he’d set aside, Devon dried himself and Karsten. He wasn’t too sure what to do afterward, but Karsten took care of that by grabbing his hand and leading him into the bedroom.

“Not this room.” Devon took him to the room he kept locked. He reached up to the top of the doorjamb, got the key, unlocked it, then put it back.

“You have a secret room?”

“Yeah.” Devon faced him. “Please don’t laugh at me.”

“I won’t.” Karsten squeezed his hand. “Open the door.”

“Okay.” Devon pushed the door open slowly.

“Oh.” Karsten stopped on the threshold, almost as if he were afraid to step in.

“Is it too much?” Devon looked around at the thick, powerfully swirled paint that covered the walls and ceiling. The carpeting and bedding picked up where the room left off.

“Let me guess. It’s from another story?”

“Yeah. Well, a book of stories based on paintings.” Devon blushed. “I read a lot.”

“Then I shall have to join you.”

“I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.”

“You leave the light on in here all the time?”

“I’ll show you why.” Devon turned off the light so Karsten could get the full effect. The paint glowed very subtly, giving the room a warm yellow light. “It’s based on
The Starry Night
by Vincent van Gogh. If you took the painting and folded it into a box, you’d get my secret room.”

“It’s so whimsical, like the tubful of ducks.” Karsten climbed up on the bed then settled on his back so he could look up at the ceiling. A spectrum of blue from very light to very dark was punctuated by yellow. The bedding was all in shades of yellow from pale to bright, which contrasted beautifully to Karsten’s bright blue eyes. He looked as if the entire room were deliberately made to highlight his beauty.

One glance of his compelling gaze drew Devon to the bed. He was almost afraid to join him and somehow hurt him again, but he wanted to be close to him, too.

“It’s okay. Really.” Karsten patted the bed cover.

Devon joined him and tried to stop shaking, but he couldn’t because he was so excited.

“If I asked you for a favor, would you consider my request?”

“Of course.” Devon pointed to the swirling crescent moon on the ceiling. “Do you want the moon?”

“What?”

“Never mind. I’m silly.”

“You are.” Karsten rolled over so he was pressed into Devon’s side. “But you’re also very kind.”

Devon felt utterly tongue-tied. His speechless situation was made even worse when Karsten climbed to his knees and straddled Devon’s hips. Ever so slowly, he lowered himself down until he nestled Devon’s prick between his buttocks. Frankly, it was the perfect ploy to get anything he wanted. Devon was so mesmerized he probably would have willingly given up his kidney had Karsten asked for it.

“I want to be in charge.”

“We tried that in the tub.” Devon wanted to slap himself. They had done that and things had been going perfectly until he lowered his head in an attempt to bite Karsten’s neck.

“I know, but this time…I’d tie you up.”

A thrill of doing something so oddly illicit made the shivers increase and then quite suddenly stop. “Can I dress up?”

One of Karsten’s brows rose so slowly it was almost comical. “Wait, let me guess. As a character from one of your stories?”

Devon nodded.

“Okay. As long as the costume doesn’t cover you completely.” Karsten let Devon up so he could retrieve one of his hidden garments. “Tell me what it is.”

“I’m a pirate.” Devon put on a leather vest and pants that clung to his body. “There’s a fluffy white shirt—”

“No.”

“Okay. Oh, there’s a hat, too, but it won’t work if I’m lying on the bed.” Devon took it out of the closet and plunked it on Karsten’s head. “But you can wear it.”

“How does it look?”

“Sexy.” The trifold hat in black felt did indeed look very good on Karsten. “Oh, there’s boots.” Devon pulled them on. They were cut full so they were relaxed against his calf. He turned for Karsten’s inspection. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know what a pirate is, but I know I like the way he dresses.” Karsten’s attention seemed riveted on the bulge in the front of Devon’s pants. “But you have blocked the very best part.” His pout was sexy and silly at the same time.

Slowly, Devon unbuttoned the fly so it hung open, but the supple leather stayed up, gripping his buttocks.

Karsten patted the bed.

“One last thing.” From the bedside table he got a small bottle of greasers. “I was actually looking at these last week thinking I might never get a chance to use them.” Devon handed the bottle to Karsten. “I’ve never been so glad to be so wrong.”

Karsten accepted the bottle of tiny, golden gel caps.

“Do you know how to use them?”

“We got to try them in class.” He selected one, slipped it inside his ass, and then set the rest aside. He was excited, nervous, and aroused. “Get on the bed.”

“I don’t think I have anything for you to tie me up with.” Devon considered whatever was in his closet. “Well, there’s these, but after what happened, maybe it’s not the best idea.”

“What are they?”

“Handcuffs. They go to a different outfit.”

“No. Not those.” Just seeing them reminded Karsten of what the gentrymen had done to him. “I can trust you.”

“I don’t know if you can after what happened in the tub.” Devon kept looking through the closet, making Karsten grow increasingly impatient. “Aha!” He triumphantly held up some heavy rope. “And it’s fitting with my costume. You will be my first mate committing mutiny. However, once you gain control of the ship, you discover that what you really wanted was to have your way with me.” Devon waggled his brows suggestively.

“That’s very true.”

In short order, Karsten had Devon’s arms bound to the bed. It wasn’t the tightest restriction, but it was more to remind Devon not to move than to really incapacitate him.

“Now you’re all mine.”

“Do your worst.”

Karsten tilted his head.

“Pirate speak.” Devon grinned. “Or I think it is. I’m so excited right now I’m probably mixing up my books.”