Gannon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 2] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove) (6 page)

“But you haven’t looked closely at it, and I think you should.”

McBride continued to tease his lips and tongue over the scar he’d made on Caleb’s neck as he thought about what it would be like to feed from a blood source near his cock. As he toyed with Caleb, he tried to think of where Jonas would have bit him, and he realized Jonas would have done what any normal gentryman would have done. Jones would have bit his neck. The only time men of their class fed from unusual places was when they took a companion. Once McBride was mated, he would gently bite all over his chosen, and his mate would do the same to him.

“Do you want to see where he bit me?”

“No.” McBride wasn’t going to be pulled any deeper into this mess than he already had been. “I want you to stop lying, Caleb. He never fed from you. Admit it.”

Caleb turned so they were facing each other. “He never touched me. Happy?”

In a way he was because that meant McBride was the first to breach his skin. But that complicated things, too. Being his first meant something to McBride, and it shouldn’t. Caleb was a source of nourishment, nothing more. Rather than answer him, McBride grasped his hair, pulled until he fully exposed his neck, lowered his mouth, and bit him.

In mutual bliss, they groaned together. Caleb reached down and unfastened his jeans, freeing his cock. He wrapped his fist around the shaft, and within a few strokes he was hard.

McBride slowed his pulls to sips so he could watch Caleb find satisfaction. Each stroke hardened him until pre-cum pearled at the tip of his prick. The closer he got to release, the better his blood tasted. Knowing he was the only man to know him so intimately added to McBride’s pleasure. They said having a pure slammer gave the best-tasting blood, but McBride had never believed it until now. It would explain why he was so attracted to Caleb rather than his other brothers. The other Morgans had been fed from, and Caleb hadn’t. Still, there was more here than just a need to feed and the pleasure in being the first.

“Pull harder, ah, McBride, that’s good. It’s so damn good.” Caleb’s fist tightened, and he came in a copious jet of glistening white.

McBride drank hard and was rewarded with a burst of sweetness unlike anything he’d ever tasted. To his shock, he climaxed so hard he almost dropped to his knees. By grasping Caleb’s shoulders, he was able to stay upright, but only just barely. Breathless and baffled as to what had just happened, he licked the wound closed and then took a step back.

Caleb turned and looked at him. His gaze wandered down to McBride’s trousers. When Caleb grinned and lifted his gaze to McBride’s eyes, it was clear he realized what had occurred.

“And I didn’t even touch you.”

“What the hell was that?” In all his years of feeding, McBride had never experienced a jolt of power like that.

“That was us forming a bloodbond.”

Despite the way Alden was looking at him in the towel, Gannon went ahead and dressed in a pair of loose-fitting shorts. Alden was naked, but it was how he would stay until they completed the ritual of the bloodbond. As distracting as it was, Gannon kept his attention on cleaning up. He wanted things to go well between them. If he had to delay claiming him, that was okay. Waiting was better than scaring the crap out of his tender mate.

“I think the best way to start is to toss everything up on the bed.”

“Okay.” Since Gannon had never cleaned much of anything in his life, he’d had no clue how to begin the daunting task of organizing his room.

They took everything off the floor and placed it on the bed. By the time they were done, there was a good-sized mound.

Gannon waited until Alden was looking at him and said, “You’re really very clever.”

“I am?” Alden put another pair of clay-encrusted shoes at the foot of the bed.

“We can’t go to sleep until we finish cleaning up.” For a moment, it looked as if Alden was hurt by the comment, but then he laughed.

“I didn’t even realize.”

“It’s smart.”

“And it stops us from having sex without our master being present.” Alden turned away to grab more clothing off the far side of the bed, so Gannon waited for him to turn around.

“That’s not the only reason. I really do want to wait until you’re comfortable.”

Alden ducked his head but cast a wary gaze up at Gannon.

“What?”

“I thought it would anger you to wait.”

“No. I understand.” Gannon took a shirt from the pile, sniffed it, and then hung it up.

Alden made a face and then giggled. “Is that how you decide what to wear?”

“Yeah. I figure if it passes the sniff test, it should be okay to wear for another day.”

“I will show you another way to organize your clothing rather than using the floor and sniffing.” Alden pointed. “There is this thing called a closet.”

“Ha-ha.” Gannon gave another shirt the sniff test and then hung it up. “Pretty funny for a guy who doesn’t wear clothes.”

“Not forever.”

“Right.” Gannon realized he was supposed to buy his thrall a collar, clothing, and a consummation gift. Since he had already spent his last percentage, he was going to have to wait for another payout. “I don’t have any money.”

“I don’t care.” Alden smiled shyly. “Everything I need is here.”

“But I’m supposed to shower you in gifts.”

“You’ve already given me the best gift.”

“I have?”

“You were willing to put my needs above your own.”

Gannon hadn’t thought of it that way. “But I will get you what you need.”

“I trust that you will.”

They worked silently for a long while, picking items off the bed and then finding a place for them to go. Gannon felt as if he were rediscovering himself through all the things he thought lost. He was honestly amazed at all the cool things he had.

“Is there something that you would like?” Gannon added another item of clothing to the growing pile of things that needed to be washed. About once a month, when he ran out of things to wear, Gannon did his laundry. He had machines in the back part of the kitchen, and he knew if he were more organized he would be able to do it in some kind of timely way, but every time he went to get it together, he got distracted and decided he’d rather play games.

“I don’t need much of anything.”

Alden turned away and seemed to be deliberately tuning Gannon out. Moving toward him, Gannon touched his shoulder very lightly, hurting inside when he flinched. “Sorry. I just wondered what you like to do. I like to play with the gamer.”

“I like to read.”

“My brother, Devon, likes to read. I’ll ask him if he wouldn’t mind loaning us some books.”

“Do you like to read?”

“Not so much. But I would like to have you read to me.” The idea of settling in after a long day, his head in Alden’s lap, listening to his melodious voice, sounded far better than losing himself in the violent games every night. He could see that becoming his very favorite thing to do.

“I would like to read to you.”

“You have an amazing voice.”

“I do?”

“Yes. I—oh. I guess you can’t hear it.”

“When I could hear, I never thought it was particularly interesting.”

“It really is.”

Alden shook his head.

“Why don’t you just say thank you?”

“I—I’m sorry. I’m used to being picked on.”

“Then we’ll have to get you used to being complimented.”

Alden grinned. “I like that goal.”

They put the last few items away.

“I found clean sheets in the living room.” Alden walked off to get them while Gannon wondered how in the world his sheets ended up in there. He’d probably cleaned them, folded them, and forgot all about them when the gamer called to him.

Gannon stripped off his old bedding and winced. It was lightly fragrant from him not always showering before he got into bed at night. Sometimes he spent hours playing and then tumbled into bed for a few winks before work started again. For the first time in his life, Gannon was deeply ashamed of the way he lived. Not only was he a slob, but he was often filthy. But no more. He needed to turn things around now that he had a mate.

Alden entered with the clean sheets, and together they stretched them over the bed. They were almost crisp they were so new.

“It’s a beautiful color.”

“I bought it because it matched my room.” The sheets were a dark blue like the carpet in his bedroom and the paint on the walls. “Wow.”

“What?”

“They complement your eyes.”

Alden looked at the sheets then up to Gannon. “Should I get in?”

Suddenly nervous, Gannon swallowed hard and nodded. Looking at him in his bed was both arousing and arresting. Alden was fragile, and as much as Gannon lusted after him, he was loathe to hurt him in any way. He waited until Alden was settled then reached to turn out the light.

“Please don’t.”

“You sleep with the light on?”

“At the thrall house, they would put me in a closet and close the door.” Alden closed his eyes and shivered. “I would hide from them in another closet, but it was smaller and I was keeping them out, not being locked in.”

As strange as it was, Gannon understood the difference immediately.

“I was so scared because it was almost pitch black. The only light came from under the door, but once they realized that, they would stuff a towel along the edge, blocking even that out.”

Gannon wished he could go and give those bullies a taste of their own medicine, but he knew that would never happen. Instead of focusing on retribution, he’d be better off helping Alden get back to a more normal place.

“I don’t mind leaving a light on.” He turned on the little lamp by Alden’s side of the bed. “Will this be okay?”

He nodded. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Unsure if he should strip down for bed, he looked at Alden and realized he was chewing his bottom lip as he tried very hard not to stare at Gannon’s shorts. Deciding to err on the side of caution, he left them on. Carefully, so as not to startle his mate, Gannon slid into the crisp bedding. Rolling to his side, he looked over and right into Alden’s eyes. “Can I hold your hand?”

“I’d like that.”

They clasped hands and Gannon tried to relax, but he couldn’t. Earlier, when he’d been carrying Alden, he hadn’t been able to smell him, but he could now. There was a faint scent of laundry products lingering on the sheets, but there was also the scent of Alden’s body. It wasn’t sweat or grime, just the smell of his skin. Gannon hardened so fast he practically levitated the bedclothes.

“You smell good.”

“Me?” Gannon was surprised.

“I can smell you pressed into the pillows.”

Gannon turned his head and sniffed. Zooks! It smelled like his sweat! He was ready to leap out of bed and toss the pillows in the wash but for the fact Alden said he liked the scent.

“I like the way you smell.”

Gannon moved a little closer.

Alden squeezed his hand, and he moved a little closer.

They met in the middle.

“Are you really happy to have me?”

“I am.” Gannon let go of Alden’s hand so he could reach up and touch his face. His skin was so soft against his rough fingertips that he felt badly for touching him and pulled back.

“Don’t. Your hands are so strong.”

“You said they would make good marks on you.”

“That’s before I knew how gentle you are.” Alden leaned closer.

Gannon tried to resist, but he couldn’t. He moved the little bit it took to press their lips together. A surge of passion made him want to pull Alden closer still, but he didn’t want to frighten him, so he stayed right where he was and simply cupped his face.

After a long time of swirling their tongues together, Alden pushed lightly against Gannon’s shoulders. Unsure what he was trying to do, Gannon rolled over onto his back.

“McBride told me that you had an idea about how we could mate without you being afraid. Something other than tying me up.” Gannon grinned and winked. “But to be honest, I don’t mind if you tie me up.”

Alden giggled and covered his mouth with his hand. It was such a curious gesture, and Gannon discovered he instantly adored it.

“So? Tell me what your idea was.”

“My idea was to do just what I did.”

Gannon looked up at him.

“Put you on your back. Now, you lift your hands above your head as if you are bound.”

Gannon played along and put his hands up. To his shock, Alden climbed on top of him. His long, strong legs straddled Gannon’s hips, and he settled his bottom on top of Gannon’s rapidly hardening cock. The only thing that stood between them was the fabric of Gannon’s shorts. Normally, he thought the weave was light, but tonight it seemed a mile thick. He’d give just about anything to have that gone so he could feel Alden’s tight bottom pressed against his prick. When Alden started rocking his hips, which slid his ass along the shaft of Gannon’s cock, he knew he was in trouble. As much as he wanted to grab him and press him down harder, he kept his hands up. To remind himself what his role was, he intertwined his fingers and cupped them behind his head.