Chapter 30
Baldewin revved the engine up before tearing out of the parking lot, going far faster than the speed limit dictated.
Of all the things to say—no, he should have probably expected some homophobic remark.
Tori had warned him often enough. But to even suggest that Baldewin would choose someone out of desperation was insulting.
And to suggest that Tori was subpar was even more insulting.
Kilometers sped by. He wasn’t even sure where he was going, just following the single road as far as it would take him, or at least until he figured out what to say to Tori.
He shot a look at Tori’s profile, but his mage was silent and still.
Far too silent and still. It worried him. “That man is an asshole.”
“Verner? Oh yeah, always has been.” Tori’s tone turned mischievous. “I’m pretty sure he was conceived via anal sex. Only way to explain why he’s such an asshole.”
A surprised bark of laughter escaped Baldewin, and he relaxed a notch. Alright, Tori wasn’t as upset as he feared.
“I can’t believe you turned into a dragon. You looked like you were going to eat him.”
Baldewin blushed. “That was the plan.”
Tori cackled and shook his head. “I shouldn’t be laughing. You can’t go around eating mages and humans who insult me.”
“He deserves it.”
Tori sighed heavily before saying, “Why don’t you take the next left?”
He threw on the turn signal even as he questioned, “Why left?”
“Because it might be easier and safer for us to talk if we aren’t moving.”
Baldewin’s stomach sank like a stone. He’d thought with Tori’s laugh that he was forgiven, but that had been wishful thinking. Had he succeeded in pushing his mate away with his high-handed behavior?
The road wasn’t a road; it was a dirt turn off, worn from time and use. It curved a little around a softly rolling hill, and the bank of the river was right there. Putting the SUV into park, he turned off the engine and slumped in his seat, feeling as if his heart was breaking.
“Hey,” Tori said gently before touching his chin. “This isn’t an ‘I don’t want to see you again’ talk.”
Baldewin’s head jumped up, and he looked over at the mage, his heart surging into his throat. “Really?”
“Of course not. How could I ever live without you? But this is a boundaries talk.”
“Okay.” Baldewin nodded, grateful Tori wasn’t kicking him to the curb for his stupid loss of temper.
“I get that you want to protect me. You have no idea how much that means to me when there has been no one in my life to watch my back. The fact that you stand up for me, defend me—it’s amazing. It takes my breath away.”
Baldewin leaned in and pressed the lightest kiss to Tori’s lips. “You are my everything. I will protect and defend you until my final breath.”
Tori made a happy little sigh and then shook his head.
“I know, but you have to remember I can also defend myself. Assholes like Verner, it’s time I stood up to them.
You and our clan have given me the confidence to stand up for myself.
I want the chance to do that before you rain fire down on their heads and eat them for dinner. ”
Baldewin lowered his gaze and nodded. He was proud of Tori for wanting to take a stand but felt horrible for nearly stomping all over his new sense of self-confidence and pride.
“I understand. I am sorry. You are the strongest person I’ve ever met.
I know you don’t need me to defend you. I lost my temper. ”
Tori leaned in and pressed a kiss to the tip of Baldewin’s nose. “I am honored that you wanted to defend me, and I will always need you in a hundred different ways. Plus, I really love the idea that if I ever get in over my head, you will always have my back.”
He dared to meet Tori’s gaze again, a smile starting to tug at his lips. “I will always have your back.”
“Good. Now come with me.” Tori jerked away and opened the passenger door.
“Where?”
“Now that we’ve had our talk, I want to show you a secret little place to reward my brave, angry dragon.”
Baldewin didn’t waste any time jumping out of the SUV and following Tori around the front.
They were hidden from the road by high grass, allowing them to get lost in a tangle of arms and legs.
They kissed desperately and tugged at clothes, trying to get a little closer while not wanting to release each other.
With his emotions running high and sex clearly on the table, Baldewin was tempted to yank clothes off and let instinct take over.
But after that disaster back there, he also felt the need to say the words that had been caught in his throat for days now. Even if Tori couldn’t reciprocate, he wanted this precious man to know he was loved.
He pulled back from the kiss, framing Tori’s face with one hand.
Those crystal grey eyes were cloudy with passion, mouth looking sweetly used, and it was all very distracting.
Baldewin firmly kept his mind on track, although it took more willpower than it should have.
“Wait. Let me say this first. Tori, you’re amazing and intelligent.
You’re one of the most capable people I’ve ever known. You don’t need me. You never have.”
Tori’s mouth opened on a protest.
“You don’t,” Baldewin said, his heart in his throat.
“You’ve proven time and again, even before I came into your life, that you don’t need anyone to take care of you.
But if you choose to have someone in your life who will, who will love you and support you, then I want it to be me. I want you to choose me.”
“I already have.” Tori huffed a little laugh, eyes warm.
“You silly man, of course I have. You’ve seen the environment I grew up in, how stifling it was.
I dreamed of having someone like you. Someone who would give me the freedom I craved.
You’re a breath of fresh air in a life that had gone stagnant with desperation.
I can breathe freely because of you. But can I be everything you want? ”
“You already are. You are my mate. Whether you are ready to accept it or not, I’ve known for a while now. My dragon has known it. We are fated to be together. And I will happily wait for you to be comfortable with that idea, no matter how long it takes.”
Tori’s eyes grew wide, and his entire body stilled against Baldewin’s. “Mates? Really? You think we’re mates?”
“I know we are.”
Tori blinked back tears and released a heavy sigh of relief. “Oh, thank god. I was hoping we were, but I was afraid that we weren’t. I didn’t know how I was going to live with the idea of someone else being your mate.”
Baldewin’s heart soared, and even his dragon roared loudly in his head, celebrating that they at last had their mate.
He was so relieved to know that he’d won this man, he nearly melted under the force of the emotion.
But he didn’t like that Tori still doubted he was enough, and he couldn’t leave any trace of that behind.
He made sure to use Finnish so Tori had no room for misunderstanding. “Rakastan sinua.”
Tori’s smile was breathtaking, almost supernova in its intensity. He said the words back with no hesitation. “I love you.” He kissed Baldewin sharp and quick before repeating, “I love you. And as soon as I learn the proper spell to bind us together, we’ll do it, but not here. Home.”
“Home,” Baldewin agreed, so happy he felt like flying. But also like making love. And maybe crowing. Lots of instincts were at play, and he went with the one that would give them the most pleasure.
He kissed Tori again, this time with the intent to rile him up, his hands traveling down to his waistband. Clothes definitely had to go away.
Tori was thankfully on board with this idea, as he was quick to follow Baldewin’s example, working on his trousers and shoving them out of the way enough for him to wrap a hand around Baldewin’s dick and give it a good stroke.
Baldewin groaned into the kiss, the relief of having that hand stroking him too amazing.
He returned the favor, enjoying Tori’s reaction, how he arched into him and gave that sweet gasp. Tori was just so beautifully sensitive; it was fun to drive him over the edge. Baldewin’s only regret was that he had no lube on him. He really should start carrying some.
“Take me,” Tori demanded against his mouth.
“No lube,” Baldewin panted on a slight whine. He couldn’t use spit. Tori was still too new to anal sex. He didn’t want to risk an injury.
Something cool touched his hand, and he pulled back from the kiss completely to look down. A slim, glass bottle of lube. “You have some?”
“We seem to end up in compromising situations outdoors,” Tori informed him with that impish smile that did funny things to Baldewin’s chest. “I figured I’d best carry around at least a little. And look, here we are.”
“You truly are brilliant.” Baldewin kissed him hard, thinking of positions. He didn’t want them on the ground. It was too rocky near the riverbank.
Tori was a step ahead of him. He pulled free long enough to turn, bracing his hands against the car and offering Baldewin his perfect ass. The glance he gave Baldewin over his shoulder was pure, naughty pleasure.
Oh, hell yes. Baldewin uncapped the bottle, pouring a bit over his fingers before working one into Tori.
His lover accepted it easily with a sigh of pleasure, his eyes closing.
His channel was hot and welcoming as Baldewin worked in a second finger, stretching him.
He truly wanted to ram home and give them both what they really wanted, but not yet. Not yet.
Shit, three fingers was tight. Baldewin would have worried about hurting Tori if the man wasn’t fucking himself onto Baldewin’s fingers, head thrown back in pleasure. He gave Tori that freedom, reveling in the open sensuality of the man.
“Baldewin,” Tori panted, eyes opening to slits. “Now. What are you waiting for?”
“You’re just so captivating like this.” Baldewin poured the rest of the lube over his aching dick, more than ready. He let the bottle fall off to the side, stroking the lube over his own flesh with relief. Yes, better. Not as good as it would feel to be buried to the hilt in Tori, but better.
“Be captivated later. I need you.”
Now, what could he possibly say to that? Baldewin pulled his fingers free, positioning himself and sliding carefully in. Still a bit tight, but the feel of him was exquisite. He pulled back a little then slid in some more, working himself in bit by bit and stretching Tori as he went.
Tori shuddered in his arms, head thrown back on a gasp. “Stop fucking teasing me.”
Maybe he had been, a little. Teasing them both. He’d mostly been easing his way in, as standing like this was harder on the one receiving. But Tori was clearly loving every second and losing patience fast. There wasn’t any need to hold back. Baldewin sank into him with a groan, one Tori echoed.
“You feel so amazing,” Tori gasped, his head tilted back to rest on Baldewin’s chest. “So hot and hard.”
“This is going to be over too fast,” Baldewin complained, even as he thrust in and out, his body demanding the motion. “You feel too good; I can’t control myself.”
“Don’t you fucking try. T-that’s—” He cut himself off, words gargling in his throat. “Yeees.”
They were moving together now, the motion hard and sharp.
Baldewin absently wished they’d taken off their shirts to give him more skin to press against but couldn’t slow down long enough to get rid of them.
He wrapped an arm around Tori’s waist, grabbing his erection and jerking him off in time to their thrusts.
“Yes, yes, yes,” Tori chanted, the hand against the car clenched into a fist, his free hand holding the back of Baldewin’s head. “Harder. God, Baldewin, harder. I’m—I’m so close—”
“I know,” Baldewin panted, slamming into him now, almost ramming him into the hood of the SUV.
Only Baldewin’s grip on his torso kept Tori from doing that.
He tilted Tori a little, changing the angle forward.
His next thrust hit Tori’s prostate square on, and Tori let out a strangled scream as he came hard all over the grill of the car.
One, two, three thrusts, and Baldewin came just as hard inside of him, groaning into the back of Tori’s neck as he did.
They both panted for a few moments, catching their breath.
Tori’s legs didn’t seem quite capable of holding him up, as he leaned heavily against Baldewin and the car.
Baldewin wasn’t much better. They silently and unanimously decided to clean up a little, tucking themselves back in and righting their clothes, before Baldewin slid into the passenger seat, settling Tori into his lap so they could cuddle and get their wind back.
Tori sank into him with a happy sigh. “So, engagement sex is amazing. Makes me wonder about married sex.”
“Even better,” Baldewin promised him. “Because we’ll have all the time in the world to learn everything we like and practice it. Over and over.”
“Sounds like heaven to me.” Tori lifted up to kiss Baldewin, lips lingering. He was a bit shy as he whispered, “Thank you. For not giving up on me in Helsinki. For being so patient and sweet to me. I didn’t know what I was missing. If I’d known, I wouldn’t have fought you so hard.”
“You’re worth it.” Baldewin looked at this man who meant the world to him. He’d do anything for him, and yet those very words seemed inadequate. “You’re worth every bit of effort, my heart.”
“I can’t promise you the same patience—you’re the patient one in this relationship—but I’ll try to be just as good to you.”
“And if I tell you that you already are?”
“I can do better than this,” Tori protested. “I’m brand new to relationships. I’m still figuring crap out. I can do better than this once I’ve figured out what you need from me.”
Baldewin personally had no complaints, but if that’s what he really thought, then… “I look forward to it.”