Only Skin Deep: Paranormal MMM Romance, page 9
“You just lay back. I know you’re exhausted.” Ash pushed open the closure and slowly unzipped him. “Let me take care of you, baby.”
Luca closed his eyes at the sound of Ash’s voice. The deep tenor and rumble rubbed along his raw nerves, soothing. When he opened again, Ash was examining him, the gold flecks in his familiar’s deep brown eyes glinting with light. Ash held Luca’s stare, affection in the depths.
Anguished, Luca thrashed on the bed. He wanted to touch. Taste. Torment. He wasn’t accustomed to lying back and doing nothing. Sex was a contact sport, and he was ready to get in the game. Ash slid down his body and took hold of one foot. He removed a shoe, dropping it to the floor beside the bed. Once the other was with it, Ash massaged Luca’s foot, his strong fingers working out the tension. Once the second foot got equal attention, his socks disappeared and his jeans were tugged off, leaving him in his briefs and t-shirt.
The massage moved upward, one calf and then the next—pauses here and there as Ash dropped a kiss or two along the path. Luca writhed under the touch. It wasn’t enough. He was desperate for more. His thighs came next, Ash’s powerful hands getting all the kinks out… and adding a few new ones on the way.
Luca’s cock was hard and throbbing by the time Ash neared, ready for a special massage of its own. Ash bypassed it, moving forward and drawing Luca’s t-shirt off. Fingers and palms were worked, then wrists and forearms. Ash’s head dipped when he dropped a kiss on the mate’s mark they both wore—now with three full swirls.
Ash met his stare after the kiss, and Luca wondered if his mate was thinking about Colby in that moment, too.
“You’re all mine right now. Just you and me… focused on making you whole again.”
Luca drew in a cleansing breath. He tensed his jaw, staring at the ceiling versus the sight of Ash nibbling between his pecs. “Easier said than done.”
“I know… but we need you right again, babe.”
Luca smirked. “Pick up the pace then.”
“I’m in charge right now. I set the pace,” Ash murmured. “And we go slow tonight.”
Luca grumbled under his breath, all while basking in the magic touch of Ash’s hands on him. He moaned in delight when Ash wrapped both hands around his neck. “Yeah, Daddy. Choke me.”
Ash chuckled, continuing the firm massage, stroking Luca’s jaw and the base of his head.
“Fuuuuuck, that feels good,” Luca muttered.
“No choking necessary.”
“Oh, you’re totally going to choke me when we fuck,” Luca said.
“Here I am trying to be romantic and you’re calling me Daddy and asking to be choked.”
“Choking is romantic,” Luca said.
“Oh?” Ash asked, his nimble fingers continuing their magic at the base of his neck.
“I trust you to be as rough as I need you to be without going over the line. Being vulnerable and trusting your partner to know where the line is—that’s love, baby.”
The corners of Ash’s lips curled up, showing off faint laugh lines around them. Luca adored his lover’s smile and heard the echoing sound of Ash’s laughter in his mind. The sound always brought joy to his heart.
They needed all the joy they could muster to get them through the coming weeks.
“So rough sex is your love language?”
“You haven’t figured that out by now?” Luca grinned. “I’d say intimacy in general is my love language. I need to feel you against me.” He winked. “With a little bite of pain.”
“Oh, so what’s my love language?”
“Taking care of me,” Luca whispered. “Like you’re doing now. Like you do all the time.”
Ash slid his hands from Luca’s neck to cup his face. “I will always take care of you. Even when you don’t want me to.”
Luca held his mate’s stare, a sting coming to the backs of his eyes. He closed his eyes to ward them off. “Fuck… why am I so emotional right now?”
“We just found our mate and he nearly died, had it not been for you using every ounce of strength you had. It’s left you feeling weak. I know you don’t enjoy that.”
“No,” Luca said. It had been a long time since he’d been so vulnerable. It reminded him of his many beatings at school with him powerless to stop it. He’d worked hard to build his magic in order to never feel that way again. “I don’t.”
“You’ll be back to fighting weight in no time. You can go back to being a big, tough guy then.”
Luca smiled.
“Who’s a big softy on the inside,” Ash whispered.
“I am not a big softy.”
“Pfffft. You so are.”
Luca lifted a brow. “You can’t prove that.”
“Mrs. Stephenson?”
Luca sighed. “Low blow. You can’t count that.”
“Luca, I’ve literally seen you help an old lady cross the street outside.”
“If Delilah hears you call her old, there will be hell to pay,” Luca argued.
“How about that time you saved that kid’s dog out front after it got hit by that car?”
“It’s a dog. How do you not save a dog’s life if you can? They’re better than most people.”
Ash grinned, a hint of teeth showing. “Better watch that. Delilah’s cats will come after you, dog-lover.”
“Shhh,” Luca whispered. “Those cats have x-ray hearing, I swear.”
Ash barked with laughter. “X-ray hearing?”
“You know what I mean. Little zombie fuckers have echolocation and can hear five miles away, I swear. I bet they turn into bats at night and circle the building.”
“Zombie?”
“Long story… and not a very sexy one.” Luca splayed his hands over Ash’s chest. “We’re supposed to be having sexy time right now.”
Ash grinned. “Oh?”
“You better give me some sexy time.”
Ash straddled his hips and hovered inches from Luca’s face. “Or what?”
Luca flipped them, pinning Ash to the mattress. “Or I take over.”
Ash relaxed under him. “Even in utter exhaustion, you want to take over and be the boss. Can’t you lie back and let me love on you?”
Luca clucked his tongue. “Sweet isn’t in my wheelhouse.” He dragged Ash’s shirt out of his waistband, laughing to himself. Together, they made an odd pair. He was holey denim, leather, and torn t-shirts. Ash was wrinkle-free polos tucked into the waistband of his khakis or ironed jeans—at least when he was working, which was most of the time.
They were oil and water.
Yet blended just fine.
Once he’d deposited Ash’s polo on the floor, he slid both palms down Ash’s chest. Ash was well muscled, but had started to lean toward dad bod and Luca was in love with his mate’s form. “My furry bear.”
“Squirrel.”
“Bear as in gay bear,” Luca argued.
“What does that make you?”
“An otter, of course.”
“Nah,” Ash said. “You’re just a leaner bear.”
“Fuck that,” Luca mumbled.
“I plan to,” Ash said, spinning them again and emerging victorious. “No more tug of war. I’m in charge tonight.”
“But I like play fighting,” Luca whined.
“I will tie you to this bed,” Ash said. “Your magic is weak. You’d be completely at my mercy.”
That thought gave Luca pause. He didn’t want to lose any more control.
A glimmer came to Ash’s eyes. Before he could open his mouth to refuse, Ash had one of his wrists bound in a leather cuff attached to the corner of the bedpost.
“Jerk,” Luca muttered. “I’m not a fan of being tied up.”
“Then you should’ve listened to me.” Ash lunged for the other corner, snagging the cuff before snatching Luca’s other wrist. They fought for a moment—but Luca ended up bound. He tugged at the bonds at his wrists, his heartbeat thundering in his ears.
It pushed through his rock-hard cock, too.
Moving off the bed, Ash went to the foot of the bed and lifted one of the ankle cuffs.
“Oh, come on,” Luca said. “You already have my hands bound.”
“I don’t trust you, witch,” Ash grumbled. He reached for Luca’s ankle, but he wasn’t fast enough. He jumped back on the bed and got it, nonetheless.
Luca attempted to kick out of the hold but was no match for Ash as exhausted as he was. With three limbs bound, it was only a matter of time before Ash had him splayed and spread eagle on the bed.
“Oh, I’ve got your attention now, don’t I?” Ash said, a wee bit out of breath.
“I think you’d better lay off the donuts, detective.”
“Oh, a cop joke, hmm?” Ash grinned, his teeth white against the darkness of his beard. “You can do better than that.”
“It was more a ‘why are you out of breath, old man?’ joke than anything else. Wore you out just cuffing me. You got anything left to play with?”
Ash opened his mouth to argue—but his gaze fixed on something. He walked closer and trailed his finger over Luca’s newly enhanced mate’s mark. “I suppose there’s no doubt left now.” He offered Luca his own arm, showing off the three swirls of the triskelion.
Luca stared at the mark, a hint of a smile coming to his lips before he captured Ash’s gaze. “Nope. No doubt now.”
“I believe the question was… do I have anything left to play with?” Ash’s tail unfurled from behind him.
“Oh, no… you’re not,” Luca spat.
A slow, naughty smile spread across Ash’s face. “Oh, I very much am.”
He grabbed the sides of Luca’s briefs and tore them away. His shaft curved up toward his belly, leaking pre-cum there.
“You wanted rough… so I’ll give you rough,” Ash said. “After I drive you mad with soft.” He took his tail in hand and drew the fluff over Luca’s cock and balls, the sensation like strands of silk tickling his flesh.
Luca gasped at the feathery touch.
Ash trailed it over Luca’s entire body, whispers of sensation shooting signals of pleasure. Luca trembled, overwrought. He closed his eyes and missed Ash venturing into the closet until it was too late. He returned with a flogger in hand, testing it in his palm.
“Or maybe a bit of soft and hard, mixed? You won’t know what’s coming next. Might be interesting.”
Luca yanked on the cuffs, jaw tight. “Ash…”
“What is it, babe?”
“I need you. Don’t torment me.”
“Ah, well, if I hadn’t gotten you bound, I’m sure I would’ve ended up the tormentee.”
Luca chuckled. “No, I wouldn’t have done that.” Oh yeah, I would’ve.
“Liar,” Ash muttered. “Do you think it’s a good idea to be bad when I have a flogger in my hand?” He whipped it against Luca’s thigh.
Luca yelped in pain, adding a slow moan after. “Again.”
Ash brushed his tail over the spot he’d just hit. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”
“Yep.”
Ash whipped his thighs again, closer to his cock.
He writhed, pulling at the bounds. “Fuck, yeah, baby.”
Another lash over his chest, another curl of the tail. A blow over one nipple, and then the other, shooting pleasure and pain up his spine. Ash trailed his tail over each peak, gently swiping away the pain.
“More,” he cried.
Ash eyed him, eyes glittering in the low light. He swung his hand down, the flogger’s tendrils crossing over the sack. A few struck the base of his cock.
He came off the bed, back arched. Screaming as he came. Seed shot from the head of his cock and dropped onto his chest and abdomen. Ash lowered his head, swirling his tongue over the head before swallowing a few inches to taste the last jet from of his release.
Luca collapsed back, gasping for air.
“How was that?” Ash asked. He sat back on his haunches as he licked his lips.
“That… was amazing.” Luca tugged his wrists. “Can I get out now?”
Ash untied his ankles, one by one, before kicking off his shoes and peeling off his jeans and briefs. Once naked, he climbed onto the bed. In between Luca’s thighs. His hard cock pointed where they both wanted him to be. “We’re not done yet.”
Luca chuckled. “Oh?” Good.
“How’s your magic feeling now?”
Luca was a bit improved, but nothing like he should. “Better.”
Ash scrutinized him. “No, you’re not.”
“I should be.”
Ash pushed forward, easing Luca’s legs back—all while reaching for the drawer by the bed. He snagged a bottle of lube and poured some onto his palm before trailing his fingers under Luca’s balls and over his puckered hole. “We need you better. Not stopping until you are.”
Luca worried they’d be fucking for days, the way he felt. Not that it wasn’t a bad idea under better circumstances. Getting lost in bed with Ash was his favorite pastime. He closed his eyes, reveling in the sensation of Ash working his hole instead of compounding the fears racing in his mind. Focusing on that one spot, he forced all other thoughts from his mind.
“You promised me you’d choke me,” Luca reminded.
“I remember a demand, but I don’t recall promising you anything,” Ash replied, his voice low. He pumped some more lube onto his hand and gripped his shaft, slathering it along the length.
“Come on,” Luca whispered. “I deserve to be choked. I’ve been a very bad boy.”
Ash worked another finger into Luca, spreading him wide. “You’re always a very bad boy. At this point, I should start punishing you when you’re good.”
“What kind of message would that send me?” Luca asked. “Not a good idea, at all.”
“I think you’re old enough to know right from wrong,” Ash said, working his fingers in and out.
Luca sobbed, the sensation too good. “Ash…”
“I know, baby… you need me, don’t you?”
Luca nodded. “Yeah.”
Ash removed his fingers and replaced them with the head of his cock. “Ready for me?”
“Rearrange my insides…”
Ash surged forward, a few inches breaking past the tight band of nerves. He withdrew and pumped forward again… and again… until he was balls deep and Luca was bent in half.
Luca rolled his hips when Ash rested a moment. “Don’t stop.”
Ash leaned forward, hovering over Luca. “You don’t set the pace.”
Luca rolled his hips again. “Come on.”
Laughing, Ash withdrew—and slammed home again.
“Fuuuuuck!” Luca screamed.
Ash grabbed an ankle in each hand and set a slow, tortuous rhythm. “Slow and steady wins the race.”
Luca pulled on the cuffs, wishing he could roll to the top and take what he needed. Slow and steady was going to drive him insane. After a few minutes, a fine sheen of sweat coated his body, a body deliberately being driven to the edge. Ash filled him deep, again and again… but it wasn’t enough. He needed more.
The second he noticed Ash quickening the pace, he moaned. Smiling, he lifted his head and met Ash’s heated stare. His mate was close…
Ash wrapped one powerful hand around his throat, tightening fingers until it was harder to breathe. Luca gasped, his cock at full attention within seconds. Ash picked up the pace again, pounding deep. Luca held Ash’s rapt attention as he struggled for air. Pleasure raced up his spine as his lover quickened again… and they both exploded at the same second. Ash roared as he filled Luca with his seed. Luca’s cock spilled over his stomach once more.
They collapsed together, breathing hard. Ash moved his hand away from Luca’s neck, kissing the spots he’d held tight. After a few seconds, he released Luca’s hands and massaged where the cuffs had chafed. He laid kisses there, too, before stealing one from Luca’s lips.
“Better?”
Luca stretched out his power. His tank wasn’t on E anymore, but it wasn’t much past that. “A little.”
Ash frowned. “I’ve never seen it like this.”
“I’ve never put so much of myself in a tattoo before.”
“I’m thankful for you. What you did for Colby. For us.”
Luca smiled. “I’m thankful you found him and brought him here.”
Ash held his stare. He didn’t smile. He slid out of bed and padded barefoot to the adjoining bathroom. The sound of the faucet turning on came to Luca’s ears. A few seconds later, Ash returned to the bed and wiped Luca’s release away.
“I’m sorry I didn’t listen,” Ash said. “Sorry I tempted Fate.”
“Maybe Fate sent you there, just like you said. I hate thinking this was the way we were supposed to meet him, but we can’t change it.”
Ash caressed his cheek. “Thank you for that.”
“No point in arguing over how he got here. He’s here, and we need to save him.”
Ash nodded. “We will.”
The second Luca was asleep, Ash pulled on his jeans and slipped out into the lounge area. He waved Oracio over.
“Yeah?”
“An idea just came to mind. Could you take Colby back to a time before he went to Dark Arts? Then we could warn him not to go and save a lot of this chaos.”
“You think that idea hadn’t already come to me? Curses as strong as the one Colby has can travel back in time. Sometimes they can feed off the magic and grow worse. A few have even ruined the time trajectory and left someone in the wrong era. Time travel spells need to be precise. Any little thing can throw it off. We might create new, dangerous timelines. Wreak havoc on the future of our own. I don’t trust it not to happen.”
Ash sighed. “I figured there was a reason you hadn’t brought it up.”
“I wish I could snap my fingers and make this like it never happened. I hate seeing your mate in pain and the two of you worried,” Oracio said. “But there are too many risks playing with time in this case.”
“We’ll figure out another way. I had to ask.”
“Of course,” Oracio replied with a gentle smile. “I was about to suggest Daniel get some rest. Cassius has already set up a foldaway bed in Colby’s bedroom.”
