Notturno (28 page)

shoulder and then over Adin’s head. Adin shook it off his other

arm. Donte nibbled and sucked at Adin’s neck as he knelt

between Adin’s legs. “Adin?” He put a hand on Adin’s hip,

making sure that he was ready.

“Yes,” answered Adin. Donte positioned himself and

nudged at Adin’s hole. “
Yes!
”

Adin pushed back against Donte impatiently. Donte

clamped his hands on Adin’s hips. “Caro.” He leaned over and

whispered in the smaller man’s ear as he inched his way forward

into his body. “Ah, Adin,” he murmured against the skin of

Adin’s back.

Adin was silent as they found their rhythm together. He

pushed against the planter and allowed Donte to meet him hard

and fast. When Donte reached a hand beneath him to grasp his

cock, he slid helplessly into his climax while Donte pounded

him, slipping on his wet and sweaty back and gripping his hip

hard. He heard Donte growl low in his throat and felt the cum

slick his ass as it flooded him.

The storm was moving further east, but occasional slashes

of lightning marked the sky, trailing loud concussions of

thunder in their wake. Adin felt his own breathing slow to an

almost normal cadence as Donte quietly stroked the skin on the

outsides of his thighs.

Adin lay on his stomach, with Donte draped on his back and

still inside him. He laced the fingers of their right hands

together by his hip.

Donte suddenly became still. “Adin?”

“Mm?”

“Have I harmed you?” Donte pulled out gently and slid

away, allowing Adin to turn over and face him. Adin read real

concern in his eyes.

“No,” said Adin. “You were—”

“You’re bleeding.”

“I’m what?” Adin sat up, examining himself in the porch

light.

“I smell it,” said Donte. “Are you hurt?”

“My feet.” Adin lifted the leg that didn’t still have his jeans

on it. “See anything?”

Donte shifted in place, grasping Adin’s foot and looking at it

carefully. He cupped it gently in his large hand and cursed.

“You have shards of broken glass in your foot.”

“I dropped a teacup,” Adin explained.

Donte was already picking him up and putting his hand on

the handle of the porch door. “Will you invite me in?”

“That depends.” Adin leaned his head against Donte’s chest.

“Is this a social call or are you keeping a dinner reservation?”

“Adin,” warned Donte.

“Oh,
all right
, welcome. Please come in.”

“Where is the bathroom?” Donte stood in the middle of the

kitchen, dripping on the tiles.

“Down the hall and to the left. Look, you don’t have to—”

“Caro, look at the floor.” Donte spun around so Adin could

see the bloody, smeared footprints on the kitchen tiles. “You

were saying?”

“Nothing.” The blood made him a little sick. How could he

have failed to notice that?

“I will need tweezers to remove the glass,” said Donte,

placing Adin carefully on the closed toilet seat. “And a first aid

kit, if you have one.”

“In the drawer.” Adin indicated the drawer by the sink. He

hissed as Donte leaned over to look at his bloody foot,

prodding it with a gentle finger. Donte lifted the other and

found that it, too, was cut up.

196 Z.A. Maxfield

“Truly,” Donte murmured as he began to remove shards of

crockery from Adin’s foot. “Humans are like toy balloons, and I

never cease to be amazed by the fact that they run along,

heedlessly wreaking havoc, harming themselves and everyone

around them—”

“Are you through?” Adin ground out. The event was

becoming more and more painful as Donte forgot himself while

delivering his tirade.

“No, I am not through.” Donte lifted a foot to his lips and

carefully slid his thick, slick tongue across the sole.

“Oh, hoh, hoh…hah.” Adin sighed, arching his back and

allowing his knees to fall open.

Donte applied his tongue to the area under the toes, and

with each lick as he slipped and slid his tongue across the

sensitive skin on the bottom of Adin’s foot, it felt to Adin as

though he were swirling it around the head of his cock.

“That can’t be too clean,” said Adin on a shaky breath.

“It isn’t.”

“Then—”

Donte gripped his foot harder and gazed at Adin from

between his toes. “I’m cleaning and closing the wounds.”

“Oh.” Adin gazed at him through heavy-lidded eyes. “Good,

good
vampire.”

“I’m going to shower, Adin,” Donte said, getting up and

turning on the water. “Would you like to stay here, or would

you like me to carry you to your bed?”

Adin put his feet, which felt 100 percent better, onto the lip

of the tub as Donte drew the curtain inside it. “I’ll stay here.”

“I don’t suppose you have anything large enough for me to

wear?” asked Donte.

Adin shook his head.

“It’s like that Swift story. I’ve landed in Lilliput.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“
Travels into Several Remote Nations
—”

NOTTURNO
197

“I know the book. Just who are you calling a Lilliputian?”

Adin watched as Donte stripped and stepped into the shower.”

“Certainly, I am not referring to myself.” They both looked

down at Donte’s now-flaccid cock.

“I see,” Adin remarked, and Donte disappeared into the

shower. Under his breath, he said, “Truly.”

“I heard that.” Donte’s head poked out from between the

curtains. “This is a very small shower, Adin.”

Adin sighed and enjoyed the sight of Donte’s form as it

shifted and twisted behind the translucent fabric. Donte shut

off the water and stepped out. Adin reached up to the towel

rack and handed him a towel.

“I suppose,” said Donte, placing the towel on the work

surface and pulling at Adin’s remaining clothing, “that rinsing

the mud off you would be prudent.”

“I can—” Adin began to speak as Donte lifted him and

stepped back into the shower, holding him under the spray to

get the worst of the mud and debris off him. Donte shifted

Adin briefly to one arm to pick a fuchsia blossom from his hair.

Once they were done, Donte seated Adin on the counter next

to the sink and dried him.

“I have a change of clothing in the car, along with my

toiletries. Until then, I suppose I could wear a towel.” He was

frowning at the towel, which didn’t want to stay closed as he

moved.

“You brought a car?”

“How else should I get here? In a bubble of light?”

Adin processed this. “But—”

Donte paused and looked at him with amused eyes.

“Vampires are predators,” he said patiently. “One gains a

certain satisfaction from the hunt. You could call it stalking…”

Adin was disappointed. “Stalking? You’ve been stalking

me?”

Donte huffed a small laugh. “It’s not as glamorous as simply

appearing whenever you speak my name, is it?” He nudged

198 Z.A. Maxfield

Adin’s knees apart and stepped between them. “I can feel you,

Adin, if that’s what you’re worried about.” He took Adin’s hand

and placed it on his chest. “I feel you when you want me. When

you need me.”

“Do you?” Adin’s mouth was suddenly dry.

“Yes. You call to me and I feel it in my…heart, for lack of a

better term. It’s quite surprising, really.” Donte leaned forward.

“Is it?”

“Yes.” Donte seemed to shake himself. “But as for coming

to you, I’m afraid I can’t arrive in a puff of smoke, and I don’t

turn into a bat.”

“No?”

“No.” Donte pulled Adin’s hips into his, rubbing their cocks

together. “It seems a terrible waste of time, but I must come to

you through ordinary time and space. I drive a car.”

“What, like the Batmobile?”

“Like a rented Volvo.”

“A Volvo?” Adin’s head tipped back as he laughed. “Oh my

G—”

“Adin!” Donte barked, his lips on Adin’s throat.

“I am Donte, the apex of the food chain in your world,

allow me to lure you into my very safe Swedish automobile with

its side curtain airbags and fasten your—” Donte nipped lightly,

and Adin hissed in response, catching him by the back of the

neck and holding him there. “Go ahead, love,” he said softly.

Donte tried to pull his head back, but Adin held him there.

“
No.
” Adin whispered in Donte’s ear. “Please…let me do

this for you.” Desire fueled his declaration. “I love you,

Donte…”

Donte groaned and slid his mouth along Adin’s neck until

he found Adin’s vein. His fangs slid, razor-sharp, into Adin’s

flesh, and he fed. Adin’s head fell back against the mirror, and

his hips snapped against Donte’s. He surrendered to his climax

and groaned weakly against Donte’s hair.

NOTTURNO
199

“Ah, Donte.” He sighed, and Donte reacted by pressing

harder against him, grinding and nuzzling. Adin thought he’d

die with the pleasure of it. Donte found his own release

moments later, and Adin heard their bloodsong in his heart.

Donte rested his forehead against Adin’s chest. Adin cradled

him, crooning soft words. Eventually, Adin cupped Donte’s

face in his hands and kissed him deeply. Idly, Donte picked up

his towel to clean them up.

“Donte,” Adin whispered. “Why are you here?” He couldn’t

stop himself from moving his hands over Donte’s face and

neck.

“It seems all I do is apologize,” Donte said against Adin’s

neck. “I’m sorry.”

“Oh,
fuck
, don’t be sorry, Donte.
Please.
Not about this.”

Adin held him fast.

“Listen.” Donte peeled himself from Adin, who stilled. “I

have to tell you. I thought if another man came into my life, it

would take something away from Auselmo. Strip him of my

loyalty, my love, and my protection. Eradicate my vows.

Cheapen what we had. Do you understand?”

Adin nodded.

“These are sacred things to me,” Donte continued. “It’s not

without consideration that I could even begin to imagine a life

with someone else.”

“I understand.” Adin brushed a strand of wet hair away

from Donte’s face.

“I know you do
. I know.
Thank you, caro.”

Adin was stepping carefully down when Donte picked him

up again. “Where can I put you?”

“To the right, my bedroom.” Adin felt a little dizzy. “I’m so

exhausted all of a sudden.

“I shouldn’t have—”

“In here.” Adin pointed to the door of his bedroom. Donte

backed carefully into the room with Adin in his arms, protecting

his feet from the doorjamb.

200 Z.A. Maxfield

“All right.” Donte lifted the covers with one hand and

placed Adin gently on the bed. He crawled into the bed beside

Adin and pulled him into an embrace.

Adin felt the cool touch on his skin and curled into it. “So

tired,” he murmured, kissing Donte’s shoulder.

“I know, caro. Rest.” Donte stroked his hair. “Just rest.”

When Adin opened his eyes, the barest winter light filtered

in from the windows. The worst of the storm had apparently

passed, but a steady patter of rain could still be heard falling on the roof. His mouth was dry, and for a moment he wondered

why his feet hurt. He shot up, looking around.
Crap.

Adin swung out of bed and pulled on a pair of jeans. He

didn’t take the time to button them as he raced out of his

bedroom and down the hall. He saw no sign of Donte as he

rounded the corner into the kitchen and automatically turned to

the front door. He flung it open and ran out of the house,

letting loose a shriek as momentum carried him into and over a

bulky shape on his doorstep. He fell down three wooden steps

into a substantial puddle of mud on the path and felt a dark

shape loom over him.

“Adin?” asked Donte, blocking some of the rain coming

down. He was wearing Adin’s bathrobe, which was about four

sizes too small, and looked at Adin as though he were

inspecting a new species of insect. “Are you all right?”

“Of course,” snapped Adin. “I’m simply trying to decide

whether I should put in a pool here.”

“There is no need for sarcasm.” Donte held his hand out.

Adin grabbed it and yanked him down to the ground and

jumped him. They thrashed in the mud until they were both

covered.

“Caro!” Donte said. “I hesitate to remind you of this, but it’s

daylight, and even though the sun is behind clouds—”

“
Crap.
” Adin shot up and pulled Donte under the eaves. He

ran his hands over Donte’s face to reassure himself that no skin

had been damaged. “Why were you sitting on my front porch?”

NOTTURNO
201

Donte nodded at two suitcases, which were stacked neatly

next to Adin’s porch swing. “I went to get my things and

discovered your door locks automatically.

Adin’s eyebrows disappeared under the hair on his forehead,

and he snorted. “I am Donte, master of darkness—”

“Shut up, Adin.” Donte kissed his forehead. “I could have

broken it.”

“Yes. You could have squeezed my house like a—”

Donte sighed. “Am I never to have any respect from you at