Chapter 17
Seventeen
Fox didn’t start to breathe easily again until they pulled into the garage at Winter’s loft and the metal door rattled down behind them.
His hands were still shaking, and his mind was a swirl of questions.
Not to mention the new lead weight resting on his chest of worry, fear, and sadness.
For days he’d clung to the belief that Damon had grabbed the wrong witch.
He had no magic. He’d been positive there was no way in hell he could be named in a prophecy.
Tonight, Edgar had removed all doubt.
He was a threat to the Variks. He was going to “disarm” them, whatever the hell that fucking meant.
Winter…Winter would have to kill him to protect his family.
He didn’t blame the man. Winter had always been very clear that his priority was the safety and protection of his family.
It wasn’t even so much losing his life that was upsetting. He was losing Winter.
The rumble of the car engine died, and Fox looked over to find a smile lurking on Winter’s lips. He…he was actually happy. What. The. Fuck.
“Are…are you having fun?” Fox demanded incredulously.
Winter cringed a little, having the good sense to look a little embarrassed even as his smile grew. “You’re not?”
“Winter!”
The blue-eyed vampire laughed and opened his door. “Come on! Secret meeting and then a car chase. I bet Rafe is having a blast leading them around the city.”
Well, maybe that was a little fun once he realized that they weren’t going to be shot up and left bleeding on the sidewalk. And racing around the city was a great adrenaline rush.
“What about the prophecy?” Fox pressed. He climbed down from the SUV and shut the door behind him.
Winter shrugged, and Fox stopped walking around the vehicle toward the stairs. He flailed his arms out to his sides, absolutely stunned.
“Are you serious? We know the truth now. I’m the witch.
The witch that’s supposed to bring the destruction of the Variks.
And what? You suddenly don’t care? Are you shitting me?
” Fox’s voice got louder and higher-pitched with every question.
He couldn’t believe Winter was treating this with such indifference.
The vampire turned, a smirk on his lips that Fox just wanted to smack or kiss away. He wasn’t quite sure which yet. “Yes, you’re the witch. You fit the description very well. No question about it.”
“Yeah, and—”
“ ‘Destruction of the Variks’? I think that’s a little extreme.
” Winter gave a chuckle as he slowly walked toward Fox, causing the witch’s heart to skip a beat.
There was something very sexy in that predatory approach, and Fox was stunned to find his body growing harder.
Was…was Winter turned-on? “You’re supposed to ‘disarm’ us.
What the fuck does that even mean? Is it referring to your ability to block the ghosts?
Fine. That will never stop me from ripping Damon’s heart out with my bare hands. ”
“You’re…you’re not worried?” Fox asked a bit breathlessly.
“Oh, I’m still worried. Damon believes in the prophecy and that he’s the lost king.
I don’t doubt that. And that means he’s going to want you back so you can do your job.
He still a danger to my family, but he’s also a danger to you.
” Winter slowly wrapped his arm around Fox’s waist, pulling him in close enough to feel Winter’s hard length pressing into his hip.
He lowered his face so that his lips were right next to Fox’s ear.
When he spoke again, his voice was barely more than a growl.
“And I’m not letting him anywhere near you. ”
“Winter…” Fox sighed. Relief and joy warred in his chest. He was still worried about Winter and his family, but it was quickly getting buried under mounting need.
Winter turned his face and captured Fox’s mouth in a consuming kiss that wiped away any further thought in his brain. He wanted this man completely. He didn’t want to think anymore. Didn’t want to worry or fear. Just wanted to be swept away in Winter’s touch and hunger.
Fox threw his arms around Winter’s neck, holding him so tight.
They were pressed together from chest to knee so nothing could get between them, and it was still not close enough.
Winter’s tongue plundered his mouth and Fox moaned, loving the feel of him, the strength of the hands moving over his body.
“Want you. In my bed. Waiting for me. Begging for me,” Winter said roughly between hard kisses.
“Yes,” Fox cried. He lifted his mouth and tilted his head back, allowing Winter to kiss down his neck.
He wanted all that. To simply hand himself over and let Winter pound him into the mattress.
He didn’t want to think anymore. Just feel.
The car chase, the prophecy, all the worry about whether he was going to die at any moment, it was all too much.
Winter would help him escape for just a little while.
“Just…one thing.”
Something about Winter’s tone had Fox blinking and his brain fighting to come online. The vampire sounded hesitant and unsure, which was very unlike Winter.
“What’s wrong?”
“Not wrong. I…” Winter paused and lowered his gaze as if he couldn’t quite meet Fox’s gaze.
“When I meet one of my hookups, I always wear a condom, so they feel safe. They don’t know I’m a vampire, that I can’t give them a disease.
The first time we were together, I did it out of habit, but I was thinking, since you do know what I am… I mean, if you would still rather—”
Fox placed his trembling hand over Winter’s mouth and leaned his forehead to his cheek, just trying to breathe through the insane rush of desire that was plowing through him.
Winter inside of him, bare. Winter coming deep inside of him.
The heat. The feel. He’d never been bare with anyone, and the idea was about to tip him over the edge.
“Yes. To all of it, yes. Just stop talking or I’m gonna come in my pants,” Fox groaned.
He could feel Winter’s smile against his fingers. Those magical lips moved, kissing his hand over and over again until Fox finally replaced them with his own mouth. As much as he wanted Winter to fuck him, he was pretty sure he could happily spend the next few hours simply kissing the man.
Winter laughed, and Fox couldn’t stop his own smile. He’d never laughed and kissed someone at the same time, but for as much trouble as he was in, Winter just made him happy.
“We need to stop,” Winter murmured without pulling away.
“I know, but your mouth is addictive.”
Winter hummed, deepening the kiss for a moment, and then breaking it off. “I had no idea.”
“Good. No one else needs to be tasting these kisses. They’re all mine now.”
The words were out of Fox’s mouth before he could even think about what he was saying. In his own defense, there was no longer any blood flowing to his brain. It was all trapped in his cock and balls.
Winter pulled back and sort of blinked at him. His smile didn’t quite fade, but he did look…surprised. Fox swallowed, his tongue suddenly tied. Did he try to make it into a joke?
“Get your ass upstairs. If you’re going to claim my lips, I want to see which parts of you I want to lay claim to,” Winter growled.
And just like that, thought snapped off again.
“Yeah, okay,” Fox panted.
They practically ran up the stairs to the main floor of the loft.
Fox couldn’t stand still while Winter disarmed the security system.
The second the door was open, Fox was charging upstairs, as Winter darted toward the kitchen.
A grin played on his lips as he realized his vampire was getting a quick snack so he wouldn’t be tempted to bite.
Somehow, he made it up the stairs to the sound of Winter’s laughter.
He paused long enough to strip off his shirt and toss it onto the floor.
His fingers attacked the button and zipper on his jeans as he crossed the hall to Winter’s bedroom.
It was a little plainer than he’d expected with a simple queen-sized mattress and a pair of simple wooden nightstands.
There was yet another guitar in the corner and a mundane dresser with six drawers.
He kicked off his shoes in the hall and shoved the pants down his hips.
Throwing off his jeans, he left them near the open door.
Hopping from one foot to the other, he stripped off his socks as he moved to the left nightstand.
The top drawer was equally boring with a bottle of moisturizing lotion and two bottles of lube.
Did vampires get dry skin? Fox was more than happy to help Winter with that problem.
He’d cover the man in lotion to keep his skin silky soft.
Snagging the bottle of lube that was already open, Fox started to crawl across the messy sheets and blankets when he realized the light was still on.
He cursed himself as he hurried back across the room and slapped it off.
Winter had said the hotel room for his anonymous hookups was always dark when he entered, and Fox was desperate to recreate Winter’s preference.
It was better this way. Anonymous meant there was a proper emotional distance.
Already emotions were getting tangled up when it came to the vampire.
When they’d first met, it was easy to say that Winter was only keeping him to make sure he didn’t kill the Variks.
But it would have been easy for Winter to just chuck him into a room and throw him apples like the last vampires.
He wasn’t. They talked and played video games. Winter had kept him entertained when Fox knew he had better things to do with his time. He was gentle and caring when he didn’t have to be. They cracked jokes and laughed.