Chapter 13
Chapter Thirteen
Rowan
That evening, Rowan was settled in a rather comfortable office chair near a wall with the laptop on his lap.
He’d been playing the game, but his attention kept wandering to all the preternaturals gathered.
It was still wild being in this office with so many of them, and Rowan had noticed that a lot of them watched Ivor like they couldn’t help themselves.
He certainly understood because it was hard to look away.
Especially when he moved. Ivor had this sort of sultry prowl as he walked that made Rowan’s mouth go dry.
Rowan was watching him walk between the cubicles now, and everything around him faded away.
Rowan trembled as he was led with the others onto the bigger ship.
The pirates had easily overtaken his small group, and now he knew they’d either be sold off as slaves or forced overboard into the endless sea.
They shouldn’t have braved trying to sail through to another continent.
They’d been warned that pirates ruled this section of the world.
“Who do we have here?”
The deep voice sent shivers down his spine, ones that didn’t entirely feel like fear.
He watched with wide eyes as the most beautiful man he’d ever seen walked toward them.
His long black hair was loose about his face, dark brown eyes narrowing on Rowan himself.
The ship shifted on the moving water, yet the obvious captain didn’t miss a step as he confidently strolled across the deck until he stopped right in front of Rowan.
“Such pretty red hair,” he murmured as he reached out to rub a strand between his fingers. “Whatever shall I do with you?”
Another shiver wracked his spine. Desire blazed from those dark eyes, and Rowan knew he wouldn’t have a sea death until this man had his fill of him.
A loud snort brought him out of the fantasy, and he blinked the real world back into focus to find Emory standing right in front of him and staring at him with complete amusement.
“Have a habit of just drifting off in your mind, don’t you?”
Rowan looked past him to Ivor, who was regarding him with amusement of his own. Only Ivor also had a thoughtful expression on his face, head tilted to the side.
Shutting his eyes, Rowan inwardly struggled not to show his humiliation this time. He really had to get a handle on this fantasizing thing.
Emory laughed again. “I came to get you because Xavier ordered a bunch of food and everyone is going downstairs to the big conference room to eat. You like Chinese?”
Rowan nodded at Ivor’s question. “Love it.”
“Come. I’ll show you the way.” Ivor nodded his head toward the elevator.
When they reached the door to the conference room, Rowan hesitated because the table was mostly full.
He recognized a lot of the preternaturals, but there were a few humans like him in the room he hadn’t met.
One of them came forward and held out his hand.
He had black hair, and Alaric, the elf he’d already met, was standing close to him with a hand on his back.
“Hi, I’m Ezra, and you’ve met my boyfriend, Alaric. Alaric says I’m not friendly enough, so here I am. Introducing myself.” He rolled his eyes toward his boyfriend, who chuckled.
Rowan couldn’t help but grin himself. He liked nothing better than a straightforward person. “I’m Rowan.”
“I’ve heard you bake like a dream. You must be going nuts stuck here like you are. I’m really sorry about that draugr.”
“So am I. Thing is ridiculously scary.”
“So, you’re like us?” He waved his finger around at the other humans. “We can all see through their magic. Has Ivor told you what that could mean?”
Rowan frowned. “What that could mean?”
Ezra opened his mouth, but Alaric clapped his hand over it and gave Rowan a smile. “It just means you’re unique—like he is.”
Rowan got the feeling Ezra had meant something entirely different, but Ivor wrapped warm fingers around his arm and led him toward one of the empty seats.
White containers filled the table, and there was a pile of sauce packets and utensils on one side.
Ivor grabbed a pair of chopsticks and a handful of sauces then took the chair next to Rowan’s.
“Pick whatever you want. Oh, I’ll grab you a plate so you can choose several things. ” He got back up.
“Hi, I’m Clive,” a cute man said from across the table, patting the hand of a beautiful, white-blond, androgynous man next to him. “I’m with Bain.” He pointed toward Dax—the one who was best friends with Ivor and Emory. “And the guy with Dax is named Everett.”
Everett spoke up. “It’s my fault that draugr is after you, and I am so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault,” Dax said, wrapping his hand around the back of Everett’s neck affectionately.
Dax was so large, he made Everett look positively tiny.
“We had no idea that spell would release it from the nephrite.” The ogre looked at Rowan.
“But we all do feel bad that it got loose and came after you. We’re glad you’re here where it’s safe. ”
“I’m glad, too. Though I am starting to go a little stir crazy without a kitchen.” Ivor set a plate in front of him, and he smiled in thanks, then grabbed the closest box and glanced inside to find beef lo mein. He scooped some out, then chose some rice and egg foo young.
The whole time, he was aware of the heat coming from Ivor’s body next to him.
It almost felt like they were a couple along with most of the people in the room.
There were a few single preternaturals. Well, he assumed they were, though they could easily have partners not here.
One in particular drew his eyes because he had pointed ears and a long tail.
Rowan had no idea what kind of creature he was, but he was too polite to ask.
When that preternatural spoke up, he used a rather loud voice.
“Everett, have you had any weird fans show up?”
Fans? Was the man famous?
“Nah,” Everett answered. “I’ve been lucky.
Most just send me private messages to tell me they like the books, though I did have one who sent a DM and grew quickly furious when I didn’t respond immediately.
I thought that one would become a problem, but luckily he went away after swearing he’d never read another of my books. Why?”
“I just got off a job for a writer, and he had a fan who kept showing up in a furry wolf costume.”
Everett just blinked as his mouth dropped open. Then he slowly grinned. “Let me guess. He writes werewolf romances?”
“Got it in one guess.”
“Really?” Rowan leaned forward eagerly. “Can you tell me who? I read a lot of those!”
“I’m not really supposed to, but I will say they are gay romances set on the east coast and there’s an ornery pet ferret.”
“Oh, I love that series! How fun.” He twirled his chopsticks in the lo mein but looked at Everett. “So you write books? Other than desserts, books are my thing. I mostly read romances, but I love mysteries and some science fiction, too. What do you write?”
“Mysteries, and now urban fantasy, though I’ve just started in that genre. I have a few books out under the name E.V. Page. Most are cozies, but there are a couple of thrillers.”
Rowan didn’t recognize the name, but he didn’t want Everett to know that.
“It must be so wonderful to come up with all those ideas. I wish I had that kind of creativity, because writing books would be something I’d love.
” He certainly had a rich fantasy life—but he’d never thought to put those fantasies down on paper.
“There’s a lot of creativity in cooking, too,” Everett said before asking about his desserts.
They chatted as they finished eating and when he set down his chopsticks, he looked at Ivor to find his eyes fairly glowing with something like real affection.
His heart skipped a beat, and he couldn’t look away.
He wasn’t sure how long they stared at each other while everyone talked around them, but suddenly Ivor’s expression changed.
Eyes hooding, nostrils flaring. Affection changing to lust in the blink of an eye.
Ivor shoved his chair back and stood. He held out his hand to Rowan.
He didn’t care if they were obvious—he just wanted to be alone with Ivor right there and then. He took his hand and followed him from the conference room.
Ivor took him into the closest empty room, which turned out to be another conference room with a long table and chairs. He locked the door behind them, then put his hands on Rowan’s waist, backing him against the wall.
He leaned in, his breath brushing over Rowan’s lips. “Even though this is a bad, bad idea and I shouldn’t be even thinking about being with you, it’s all I can think about.”
“I don’t think it’s a bad idea,” Rowan whispered back.
“I’m supposed to be protecting you, not coming up with different ways to get you alone in this crowded office.”
“You found one. There’s nobody in here but us.” Rowan gave in to the need to touch Ivor, placing his palms on Ivor’s chest. He felt the soft material of his button-down instead of skin, but he also felt the beat of Ivor’s heart, which was fast.
“Just a kiss.” Ivor’s gaze was locked onto Rowan’s lips. “Can I have that?”
“Ivor, I want so much more than a kiss with you.”
“Fuck, Rowan,” Ivor bit out before his lips brushed over his.
Pure electricity made Rowan gasp and open his mouth, which caused Ivor to moan softly before he just annihilated Rowan with the kind of kiss he’d only dreamed existed.
He stroked his tongue over Rowan’s, pressing his lips so perfectly against his, it felt like their mouths were two parts of a whole.
The kiss went on and on, and Rowan had to slide his hands around to Ivor’s back to hold onto him because his knees actually went weak.
Ivor pulled a little back, only far enough to take Rowan’s bottom lip between his teeth. Not enough to hurt, but enough to make his hunger for Rowan plain.
Nobody had ever wanted him like this.
Ivor’s tongue slid back into his mouth, and Rowan let out a whimpering sound that should have embarrassed him but didn’t because all he could feel was Ivor’s hard body against his and that slide of his silky tongue.
Ivor cupped Rowan’s jaw with tight fingers and tilted his head so he could kiss down the side of Rowan’s neck.
Rowan shuddered, clutching hard at Ivor’s back.
He smelled so fucking good and was so utterly alluring, Rowan was overcome by the wild arousal burning throughout his body. His cock was uncomfortably hard against his tight jeans, but he didn’t care. He just wanted…more.
Gasping, he ducked his chin, seeking out Ivor’s mouth again.
Ivor slid his mouth over Rowan’s again, this time releasing a rumbling sound that told Rowan all he needed to know about the incubus’s desire.
Ivor was feeling this, too.
Rowan started to pump his hips, needing friction badly. More whimpering sounds escaped his mouth only to be swallowed by Ivor, who let go of his jaw and reached between them to cup his hand over Rowan’s aching dick. He rubbed, making Rowan suck in a deep breath.
“Holy shit,” Ivor muttered as he wrenched himself away and just stood there with narrowed, desire-filled eyes. “Holy shit,” he repeated.
Rowan couldn’t respond, couldn’t do anything but let the wall hold him up as he gasped air into his lungs.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go.”
“No,” Rowan managed to get out. “Please, don’t.”
But Ivor just backed away from him, shaking his head. “I knew it, I knew it,” he kept mumbling to himself.
Rowan could see the hard outline of Ivor’s arousal in his pants. “You want me just as much as I want you.”
“I told you how it is, Rowan.”
“What, that sex with a human drains us? I don’t care. I’m young—only twenty-four—and healthy. I have no doubt I can handle it.”
“It’s not just that.”
“Then what is it?”
But Ivor just shook his head again and turned to unlock the conference room door. “I’m sorry,” was all he said as he walked out.
Rowan slid to the floor and wrapped his arms around his raised legs. He buried his face in his knees with his eyes shut tight as he worked to bring his body back under control.
Nothing in his life had prepared him for this level of arousal. It overwhelmed him and left him needy and aching. He couldn’t believe Ivor could walk away as he had.
Rowan wasn’t going to let this go.
That incubus felt just as strongly as he did. Rowan had felt that inside his own body somehow. It was like he’d been absorbing Ivor’s pure delight in touching him. In kissing him.
So no, he was not going to fucking let this go.