Chapter Twenty-One
Ewen was still fuming when the gargoyles Redford sent arrived. There were three of them - two women and a man - who materialized in the locked bathroom, their expressions grim. They grabbed the still-unconscious attackers quickly and made sure they were secure.
The taller woman glanced at Ewen, then Lamont. “Are either of you hurt?”
“No,” Lamont said, “although it was a close thing.”
“As long as you’re all right, that’s all that counts. Don’t worry about the blood and stuff, we’ll handle cleanup.” The man hoisted the operative with the broken nose over his shoulder like a sack of flour. “Stone says to make sure you keep your heads down until Monday.”
Then they vanished, taking the would-be kidnappers with them.
Ewen stared at the empty bathroom, his heart still hammering against his ribs.
The sink where Lamont had shattered someone’s face was spotless.
No sign of any blood splatter, and when Ewen looked around he could see no sign of the chloroform-soaked cloth either.
There was nothing, absolutely nothing to indicate three armed men had tried to grab him minutes ago.
“We should go, too,” Lamont said quietly.
“The door.” Ewen gestured at the still-locked bathroom entrance. “We can’t just translocate and leave it locked from the inside.”
Lamont’s lips twitched despite everything. “Good point.”
He unlocked the door, checked that the hallway was clear, then pulled Ewen close. The restaurant blurred around them.
They materialized in their Berlin hotel room.
Ewen stumbled slightly, still not entirely used to the sensation of being unmade and remade somewhere else.
Lamont steadied him, made sure he was steady on his feet, and then kissed his brow.
Before Ewen could respond, Lamont was prowling the perimeter, sniffing everything he came close to.
“What are you doing?” Ewen asked, though he was sure he already knew the answer.
“Checking.” Lamont sniffed along the window frame, then moved to the closet. “Making sure no one’s been in here while we were gone.”
Ewen watched him work through the space. Lamont was thorough, testing door handles, running his fingers along curtain rails, and even examining the smoke alarm and air vents for hidden cameras.
For all that Ewen admired Lamont’s focus, his brain wouldn’t shut up.
He yanked at his collar, undoing the top two buttons because suddenly the fabric felt too tight. Then he started pacing, trying to piece together how Arcturus had found them so fast.
“How did they know?” Ewen muttered, more to himself than Lamont. “We were soooo careful. No social media. My credit cards were stolen the last time I was taken, so it’s not like I could use them. No one knew where we were except for Redford and Klaus.”
“It could’ve been a random sighting,” Lamont offered, checking behind a painting on the wall. “Someone recognizing one of us, maybe.”
“You’re pretty recognizable.” Ewen gestured vaguely at Lamont’s hair. “All that curly brown glory. And you’ve had bylines with Der Spiegel before, right? People might know your face.”
“Possibly.” Lamont moved to the bathroom, his expression tight.
“But you’re not exactly famous in Germany, and you were the one they wanted to take.
In a huge city like this, there’s no reason anyone would automatically assume that any person dining with me is Ewen Cross - missing captive from Cairo.
There’s no reason someone would spot you and call Arcturus. ”
“Unless they were already looking because of the article.” Ewen’s stomach twisted. “Someone could’ve tipped them off that we’re here.”
Lamont emerged from the bathroom, his jaw set. “Could be one of the researchers.”
That stopped Ewen dead. “What?”
“The fact-checkers working on your story for Der Spiegel.” Lamont crossed his arms. “Maybe one of them let it slip. Or got paid to leak information.”
“No.” Ewen’s chest tightened. “No, Klaus wouldn’t hire anyone who’d do that. He’s too careful.”
“People can be bought, Ewen.”
“Not Klaus.” Ewen’s voice came out sharper than he intended.
“Come on, you’ve worked with him before, and even Lord Hades said he was a good man - thorough but good.
Sure, he might not be paranormal, but he’s got an impeccable reputation for being honest. Everyone knows that.
He’d rather kill a story than compromise his integrity. ”
Lamont’s expression softened. “I know. I’m just saying it’s possible someone in his organization isn’t as scrupulous.”
Ewen dragged a hand through his hair, his thoughts spiraling. What if the story got killed before Monday? What if Arcturus found a way to shut it down? What if all those soldiers died for nothing because Ewen couldn’t protect his own investigation?
“Stop,” he told himself.
“What? I’m not doing anything.”
“Not you, my mate, my damn brain.” Ewen yanked at his collar again, undoing another button. “It won’t shut up. I keep thinking about all the ways this could go wrong, and I just - I need it to stop.”
Lamont crossed the room in three strides. “Ewen…”
“I want you to fuck me.”
Lamont blinked. “What?”
“You heard me.” Ewen started unbuttoning his shirt properly now, fingers working down the placket. “I want you to fuck me until I can’t think. Until I forget my own name. Until the only thing in my head is you.”
Heat flared in Lamont’s eyes. “Are you sure?”
“Do I look unsure?” Ewen shrugged out of his shirt and tossed it aside. “The only things that got hurt during that fracas in the bathroom were our wonderful dinner vibes and my pride in that I couldn’t fight off those men on my own.”
“You were giving it a darn good try when I got there.”
“Regardless, I wasn’t getting very far. And yes, I’m pissed at Arcturus for trying to grab me again. And I’m even more furious that I can’t stop my brain from spinning in circles.”
He reached for his belt. “So, unless you have a better idea for how to help me forget about all of it for a while, I suggest you start stripping out of those fancy clothes.”
Lamont’s control snapped. He yanked his shirt over his head and reached for his belt buckle. “Bed. Now.”
“Bossy.” But Ewen was already moving, heat pooling low in his belly as Lamont stripped.
“You asked for this,” Lamont reminded him, kicking off his pants.
“I did.” Ewen sat on the edge of the mattress, watching Lamont prowl toward him. “And I meant every word.”
Lamont knelt between Ewen’s knees, hands sliding up his thighs. “Then let me give you what you need.”
/~/~/~/~/
Lamont’s hands slid up Ewen’s thighs, thumbs pressing into the muscles as he pushed them wider apart. The hotel room felt safer now that he’d checked every corner, every potential hiding spot. There were no cameras spying on them, no listening devices, and for now, at least, no threats.
There were just him and his mate. And the sweet curve of Ewen’s ass which was currently hidden because he was sitting on it.
“Stand up,” Lamont murmured, his voice rougher than usual, but that really couldn’t be helped.
Ewen jumped up, and Lamont’s hands guided him, turning him around until Ewen faced the mattress.
“Bend over.”
“Still bossy,” Ewen repeated, but he was already leaning forward, bracing his forearms on the covers.
Still kneeling, Lamont settled behind him, drinking in the sight. Ewen’s spine curved beautifully, muscles shifting under pale skin marked with Lamont’s claiming bite at the junction of neck and shoulder. His fox’s silver-gold soul shimmered through their bond.
“Perfect,” Lamont breathed, running his palms down Ewen’s back, over his hips, across the swell of his ass. “You’re perfect.”
“Flatterer.”
“Truth-teller.” Lamont leaned forward, pressing kisses along Ewen’s spine. “And I plan to worship every inch of you.”
He added actions to his words, mapping Ewen’s body with his mouth and hands - stroking the dip at the small of his back, rolling his tongue in and around the dimples just above Ewen’s ass, before leaning down farther and kissing that sensitive spot behind Ewen’s knee that always made his mate’s breath hitch.
Making his way up Ewen’s legs again, Lamont spread Ewen’s cheeks and pressed his tongue against his hole.
Ewen gasped. “Lamont…”
“Let me.” Lamont circled the rim slowly. “Let me take care of you, hon.”
Ewen’s response came out garbled, half-moan and half-plea. His hands fisted in the bedspread as Lamont worked him open with his tongue, alternating between broad strokes and focused pressure. He could taste Ewen’s arousal, feel the way his mate’s legs trembled with the effort of staying upright.
Lamont reached around to wrap a hand around Ewen’s cock, stroking in time with each press of his tongue. The angle let him feel every shiver, every twitch, every desperate sound Ewen made.
“Please,” Ewen finally managed. “Lamont, I need…”
“I know what you need.” Lamont pulled back just long enough to speak, then went back to what he was doing. He kept at it, drinking in the sounds of Ewen’s moans and groans, the restless tremble in his mate’s legs, and the way shivers seemed to visibly work themselves up and down Ewen’s spine.
Lamont kept going, keeping a check on his mate through their bond.
Ewen wanted to be mindless, and Lamont was determined to deliver.
He worked Ewen thoroughly until his mate was practically sobbing with want.
Then Lamont pulled back and called on his powers, tapping against Ewen’s slick hole.
Magic followed intent, and Lamont intended to have Ewen’s body prepped, open, and already coated with slick.
No matter how much he wanted to plunge his dripping cock into Ewen’s body, he would never hurt his mate.
“Ready?” Lamont asked, rising to his feet and positioning himself.
“Yes.” Ewen pushed back against him. “Gods, yes. Do it…”