Chapter 19 #2
Ethan placed his hand against Marcus’s cheek, trying to soothe away the stunned expression. “I love you. I know I fucked up, but I wanted to fix things. Help you. Even if it meant…”
“No,” Marcus said on a gasp. He grabbed Ethan and pulled him tight against his chest, wrapping strong arms around him while tucking his head against his neck. “No. No sacrificing yourself for me. I can’t lose you too.”
“But—” Ethan managed in a muffled voice.
“No. There are no exceptions to this. I need you. God, I need you so much.”
Ethan closed his eyes soaking in his words and the strength of his embrace. They weren’t lovers, but it was close enough for now.
“I’m sorry for not telling you sooner about the League.”
Marcus sighed and loosened his hold on Ethan, but Ethan didn’t move. It was easier to face these things with his face buried in Marcus’s neck.
“I understand why you were drawn to them. You lost everything. I would have wanted revenge as well.” Marcus rubbed his hands up and down Ethan’s back. “I want you to know that you can tell me anything, and I will try harder to earn your trust.”
“I do trust you.”
Marcus sighed again. “I feel like you are trusting the wrong things.”
Ethan brought his head up, confusion filling him. “What? How?”
A funny look crossed Marcus’s face. “You thought I was going to kill you. You climbed into my lap, offering yourself up, thinking I was going to kill you.”
One corner of Ethan’s mouth quirked up. “Well, the French do call the orgasm la petite mort. The little death. It definitely wasn’t the kind of death I was expecting, but I’ll take it.”
The smile that crossed Marcus’s face seemed a little sad, but before Ethan could remark on it, Marcus was carefully pushing Ethan to his feet. “Let’s get cleaned up. We need to talk.”
Ethan climbed off Marcus and the couch. He was a little shaky for a moment, but Marcus was there with his hand on Ethan’s elbow, steadying him.
Flushing when he looked down at himself, Ethan quickly tucked away his softened cock and closed his pants.
Dried cum and blood were smeared across his stomach and chest, while both were encrusted on the remains of Marcus’s shirt.
It was a harsh reminder of what they’d both gone through only hours earlier.
“Marcus…I’m so sorry about your mother. I spoke to her for a little bit before the attack.
I know she wasn’t the woman who killed my family.
Your mother…” Ethan paused when his voice cracked.
Unshed tears burned his eyes, but he held them back.
“She was amazing. She was so nice. So determined to protect me. Keep me safe. I tried to get to her.”
Marcus’s warm hand cupped his cheek, forcing him to look up.
“And if you did, you’d both be dead right now.
I hate to lose her, but I want to believe that she’s truly at peace now.
My brothers and I said good-bye to the mother of our childhood a very long time ago.
The woman who was reborn a vampire wasn’t truly our mother.
Our mother would never have hurt one of us. ”
Ethan wrapped his arms around Marcus’s waist and laid his head against his chest. “Then I’m glad she’s at peace.”
Marcus placed one last kiss against Ethan’s temple and released him. “Come. I need to feed more and we both need to shower.”
“I can feed you,” he offered as they started to walk out of the library. He stumbled, his feet seeming heavier than he’d realized, but Marcus was there to help steady him.
“I’ve already taken as much blood as you can safely spare. No more donations from you.”
“But does that mean you’ll have to find some other human?
” The thought of Marcus putting his mouth on another person’s throat, that intimate contact, the idea of them being turned-on by that touch, all sent a wave of red-hot jealousy surging through Ethan.
He didn’t want Marcus touching anyone like that. But he had to in order to survive.
Oh, this was bad.
Marcus’s low chuckle broke into his dark thoughts. He pressed the button to call for the elevator. “Your face is so expressive. I take it you don’t like the idea of me feeding on someone else.”
Ethan tried to nonchalantly shrug it off, but he had a feeling he was failing miserably. “It’s none of my business. I mean, you need blood to survive, and I certainly can’t dictate who you feed from.”
The metal doors slid open, and they stepped into the small box. Ethan leaned against the wall while Marcus reached over and pressed the button for the third floor. He then crowded close to Ethan, placing his hands on either side of his head so that he felt trapped in the very best way.
“Your blood has already started the healing process. I can supplement with bagged blood. I won’t be biting anyone else tonight,” Marcus whispered in his ear.
“Oh,” Ethan said, hating how obvious his relief sounded in that single word.
“I don’t want to bite anyone else. Don’t want to touch anyone but you, Ethan.
” The tip of his tongue slid along his neck and Ethan groaned.
Blood raced to his cock, which probably wasn’t a good thing since he definitely didn’t have enough in his system to run both his brain and dick at the same time.
“Fuck, Marcus,” Ethan groaned. His brain was scrambled.
In a short period of time, he’d gone from relief to horror to fear to heartbreak to more fear and then a bone-melting orgasm.
He was struggling to wrap his head around things that were all changing so damn fast. And in the eye of the storm was Marcus.
Strong, immovable Marcus. Ethan wanted to wrap himself around Marcus and hang on tight until the storm was finally over.
The elevator softly dinged, announcing it had reached the desired floor.
The door slid open and Marcus pulled away from him.
Ethan’s heart picked up as Marcus threaded his fingers through Ethan’s and led him to the master bedroom.
He never thought he’d be alone with Marcus in this room again.
Hadn’t realized how badly he wanted it until they were standing there.
The moment felt so big that a part of him was afraid to move or breathe.
Ethan gave Marcus his best jaunty smile. There was nowhere else he wanted to be.
“Shower,” Marcus began, pointing toward the en suite bathroom, “while I grab another pint to drink. Then I want you to climb into my bed. I’ll join you after I shower.”
“Don’t you want to…”
Marcus just smiled and gave him a little push with a pat on the ass. “Go. Trust me.”
Ethan threw a skeptical look over his shoulder but went into the bathroom as instructed.
He would have preferred to shower with Marcus, but he knew that Marcus needed to get more blood in his system.
He couldn’t possibly have replaced all that he’d lost already.
Marcus might also not be comfortable with Ethan seeing him drink blood.
The idea curdled Ethan’s stomach a little.
While he wanted to know everything about Marcus, maybe it was best if they took things one slow step at a time.
There was no stopping the happy sigh that slipped from his throat when he stepped into Marcus’s bathroom.
He’d forgotten how amazing it was. Instead of harsh overhead lighting, the lights were soft and warm like a sunset.
The walls were a buttery yellow while everything else was white marble and gold fixtures.
His eyes stuck on the giant garden tub and he wished he could stretch out in it with Marcus.
He started to tuck that idea away for a later date, but he suddenly remembered that Marcus was moving very soon.
They likely wouldn’t have the chance to use the tub.
And Marcus was moving.…What would that mean for them?
Ethan hurried over to the massive shower and turned on the hot water as fresh panic started to set in.
He stripped off the rest of his clothes and stepped into the glass-enclosed stall.
The hot water pounded down on him from the showerhead, helping to beat back some of the fear that was eating at him.
He closed his eyes and tried to think logically when the whole night seemed to defy logic.
Marcus didn’t say that he reciprocated his feelings. He might have said that he needed him, but he could have just been talking about Ethan’s blood. That was it. They had some fun, but then Marcus would move, and Ethan would stay behind. That was for the best, right?
Marcus’s world was filled with danger and death. Ethan wasn’t the fighting, killing, chaos type. He liked computers and books and listening to Tori Amos.
But he loved Marcus. He could deal with danger if it meant keeping Marcus safe.
He didn’t want one night. He wanted all Marcus’s nights.
Even if Marcus was a vampire and would live forever. Ethan wanted as many as he could get. One wasn’t enough.
So, he’d just have to convince Marcus to keep him around longer.
Grabbing the shampoo bottle from the shelf, Ethan popped the cap and smelled it, nearly moaning at the familiar fragrance.
It smelled woodsy and spicy just like Marcus.
He quickly scrubbed his hair and then moved on to a thorough washing of his body, loving that he was wrapping himself in Marcus’s scent.
When he finally stepped out of the shower, he was more relaxed and clinging to the notion that he could hold Marcus’s interest for a least a little while longer.
He grabbed a thick towel and looked up to find Marcus leaning against the counter.
His arms were folded over his bare chest and his feet were crossed at the ankles.
The long cuts across his chest and neck were much more healed than they should have been.
They were largely red and angry, but with no real threat of reopening.
His color was much better now. If he wasn’t still covered in blood, Ethan would never have believed he was just in a vicious battle.
“You look much better. Not at death’s door any longer,” Ethan murmured.
“And you look beautiful,” Marcus softly said.
He pushed off the sink and took the last couple of steps separating them.
He pulled the forgotten towel from Ethan’s fingers and started drying off his shoulders, down his arms, and across his chest. Marcus dropped to his knees and took great care in drying off Ethan’s dick and balls before sliding down one leg and then the other.
Ethan reached back and grabbed the shower door to steady himself.
No one had even shown such care in touching him before.
When he was done, Marcus looked up at him from where he kneeled, his hands clenched tightly in the towel. There was such stark need and desire in his eyes, Ethan was fucking drowning.
“You’re so beautiful,” Marcus said, his voice trembling. “So perfect. I’m afraid I’m in a dream and I’m going to wake up at any second if I keep touching you.”
“Not a dream. I don’t ever want you to stop touching me.” Ethan bent down and kissed Marcus, slowly at first but steadily building until Marcus parted his lips, letting Ethan thrust his tongue inside. He moaned and Ethan swallowed it down.
He broke off the kiss and smiled. “Minty fresh,” he teased.
“I had to. I didn’t think you’d appreciate the taste of blood.”
Ethan huffed a laugh and straightened. “I hadn’t even thought of that. I only wanted to kiss you.”
Worry bled into Marcus’s gaze. “I don’t ever want to make you uncomfortable with what I am. I don’t want to give you any reason to fear me.”
“I don’t fear you,” Ethan said.
“Good.” Marcus leaned forward and pressed a nibbling kiss to Ethan’s stomach before rising to his feet. “I put a pair of sleep pants on the bed if you’d prefer them. I’ll be out after I wash off this blood.”
Ethan gave him his best cocky smile. “I’m staying the night, am I?”
Marcus’s expression grew deathly serious. “You are not leaving here tonight. It’s not safe. I have other rooms if you’d prefer not to be in my bed, but—”
Ethan stopped him by pressing his fingers to Marcus’s lips. “The only way you’re getting me out of your bed is if you pick me up and carry me out. And honestly, I think you’d have to call at least one of your brothers for help. I’m not leaving willingly.”
“Good,” Marcus growled. He swatted Ethan’s ass, getting him moving out of the bathroom.
Ethan dropped the towel on the floor as he walked into the bedroom, putting a little extra sway in his hips since he knew Marcus was staring at his ass.
He picked up the folded blue pants at the foot of the bed.
The material was the softest he ever felt and would have been a caress against his skin, but he put them back with a smile and climbed naked across the mattress.
He distinctly remembered having a conversation with Marcus about sleeping in his bed naked, and Marcus had seemed very interested in the prospect.
Sliding into the silky cool sheets, he sighed as he sank into the bed. He squinted at the small clock on the nightstand, reading that it was just after midnight. Later than he thought, but he usually didn’t go to sleep for a few more hours since he didn’t start work until noon.
Snuggling down into the blankets, he burrowed into the pillows. This bed was so damn comfortable. He wasn’t really tired. He just needed to rest his eyes for a minute while he listened to the shower running. Then when Marcus joined him, he’d give that sexy man the release he so badly needed.
Ethan fell asleep a second later with a smile on his lips.