Chapter 22 #2
“I’d really appreciate that, James. The quicker the place is fitted out, the fewer times I’ll be turning up here looking a mess and leaving mud on the floor as I traipse to the bathroom.” I wondered if I’d assumed too much, but he smirked.
“You’re a big boy, Trace. The mop lives in the little cupboard at the end of the corridor by the bedroom. Along with the bucket, the broom, and the carpet sweeper.” His smirk became a grin. “I didn’t know what the sweeper was until Eddie demonstrated it. He really is so last century, it’s comic.”
“You’re such a brat,” Edwin snarked. “A carpet sweeper is a thing of simple mechanical magnificence.” He handed James a sheet of paper covered with neat handwriting. “Here’s the list of the most local places. Take a taxi if there’s too much walking.”
James rolled his eyes. “Yes, oh lord and master. I’ll also look both ways before I cross the road and keep my phone on vibrate.”
I snorted a laugh. “You two are something else. I see your influence is rubbing off on James, Edwin.”
“Oh, I’ve always had a smart mouth,” James corrected me.
“I’m just feeling more confident about using it recently.
” He peered into the depths of his bowl of salad.
“Although maybe it’s a by-product of drinking Eddie’s blood too.
” His grin was wide and cheeky as he clutched at his chest. “I’m doomed.
Oh, hello, Isher. Did you have a good rest? ”
He led Isher into the kitchen, declaring he had all the best foods a Fae could possibly want. We could hear their soft chatter and some laughter. I piled my empty crocks on the table, then dropped down to sit on the sofa. I eyed Edwin and patted the cushion next to me in invitation.
He threaded his arm between me and the sofa back. “Kiss me?” he purred.
“I could do that.” I hesitated, but he reached over to grasp my knee which turned me towards him. He leaned in and our lips touched. I pulled back slightly to ask him, “You’re not worried about James?”
“A little, but this won’t work if we hide even the most innocent of kisses.” His cool mouth covered mine again, and this time I felt the sly slide of his tongue probing for an opening.
“There’s nothing innocent about the way you kiss, Eddie Marsh,” I said breathlessly when we parted.
“You got me,” he murmured. “But you have a mouth that makes me want to sin.”
“That’s so cheesy.” I had to admit though, the way he spoke made the hairs on my nape prickle in anticipation of what he might touch next. “Kiss me again?”
He treated me to a shake of his head. “Patience, man.” He sat up, then swung his leg over to straddle me.
His knees sank into the fabric on either side of my thighs, pushing me down into the cushions and bringing his firm and sadly fully-clothed torso into tempting licking distance.
“Is it wrong I want to learn every part of you?”
You’re killing me, Eddie. I swallowed hard. “That almost sounds romantic.”
“Yeah, it does. Rather unlike me,” he quipped. “Wanna suck my knob?” He shimmied his hips with a quiet rasp of his fine linen trousers, proving he wasn’t wearing confining underwear.
I slapped his arse, unable to prevent a choked laugh from escaping.
“So rude. And yes, of course I do, but not in your living room, you heathen. You have a visitor, to say nothing of potentially traumatising James.” I reached up and dragged him down to meet my gaze, marvelling once again at how beautiful he was. “I liked the kissing.”
“Me too,” he whispered, his blue orbs unblinking, just millimetres from my own. “I’m not very good at the whole feelings side of, uh, life, I guess?”
“Product of the good old British stiff upper lip generations, eh?” I caught his lower lip between my teeth and nibbled it. “You can learn. In the meantime, back to the kissing.”
Goddess, but the man could kiss. He lowered his weight onto me and took possession of my soul through his mouth.
Time ceased to exist as he plundered, teased, and explored with his tongue.
My head felt fuzzy and my trousers too tight.
But I didn’t want, or need, anything more than to be held in his firm embrace and to let his presence fill up my senses.
A cough broke us apart. It was gratifying to notice that the supposedly physically impervious vampire’s chest was heaving almost as heavily as mine as we both cranked our heads around to see James and Isher in the doorway. Isher was eyeing the ceiling. James was attempting not to snigger.
“You have a perfectly comfortable bed, you know, Eddie. Why don’t you use it? I’m going outside with Isher. He’s going to show me his wings.”
I sucked in a surprised breath. That was interesting.
There was no law forbidding a Fae from revealing their faerie self to other supernaturals, but it usually involved a longer acquaintance than that of James and Isher.
James continued. “I showed him my ears. He says it’s only fair.
” His eyes burned with feverish excitement.
“I’m going to watch him fly.” He looked and sounded like he’d just been told Santa Claus was real.
It was incredibly sweet to see his enthusiasm.
Edwin held up a finger. “One moment, love.” He got to his feet, flinched at the discomfort of moving with his very obvious and extremely rigid erection, and smiled pleasantly at Isher. “May I borrow James a moment?”
They disappeared along the corridor. Isher stuck his hands in his pockets and eventually made fleeting eye contact.
As his cheeks were a merry shade of crimson and every iota of small talk had dribbled out of my brain thanks to Edwin’s mastery of my mouth, we were both relieved when James returned almost instantly.
“Eddie said he’s ready and waiting. We’ll join you later.
” A horrified squawk from Isher made him correct that to, “Isher said goodbye because he’ll head back to the West End after the garden.
They all decided to stay an extra day so he could help Trace.
I’ll see you later. Leave room for me, ’cause I’m not sleeping in the spare room. ”
The front door banged shut seconds later. Edwin’s voice came from the bedroom. “Are you going to make me beg?”
He was still fully clothed. I joined him on the bed, then Edwin rolled us so I was on top. “Can we snog until we’re desperate, then frot until you make me see stars?” He sounded almost shy; most peculiar. I tilted his chin up so he was looking at me.
“Is everything okay?”
He nodded. “Yes, but I don’t think it’s right to fuck.
Don’t get me wrong, I really want to, but it feels like cheating on James.
He didn’t specifically give us the green light.
I’m already overthinking his new-found confidence and I don’t want him to think I’m pushing him out. We’re pushing him out,” he corrected.
“I understand. That’s the last thing I want either. Hopefully James is on a natural high from starting to feel he really fits in.” I dropped a kiss on Edwin’s nose. “I like him, a lot.”
He sighed. “Me too.”
“Oh, Eddie, the way you feel about him would be obvious from space. You’re crazy about him.
You’re just not used to catching feelings for someone.
” I dropped another quick kiss. “But that’s all right.
You don’t have to rush anything. He’s crazy about you too.
” I sat back and began unbuttoning his shirt.
“We can take this as slowly as you want, but I do think we should get more comfortable.”
We slotted together perfectly, our bodies so similar in length and size.
We rocked and kissed and licked, slowly, maddeningly, achingly slowly, teasing and edging each other as the velvet of night gave way to the muslin of pre-dawn.
When I finally came, it was with an almost pained sigh of relief as my orgasm rushed through me.
Edwin came too, our flesh slick with my sweat, our combined releases threatening to glue us together.
His moan was little more than a whimper. “This is so hard, Trace. I really like you,” he said, when we’d made a cursory attempt to clean up and were lying side by side. “I know I talk the talk, but this being a threesome is going to take some work.”
“Feeling guilty?” I guessed.
“Possibly. Yes, a bit. Am I being stupid?”
I tucked him against my chest, loving the feel of his cool skin against my overheated torso. “No, you’re being thoughtful. James is very special to you. He’s also been through a traumatic time recently, and you don’t want to risk hurting him by flaunting anything with me.”
“You’re right. And yet, I want you as much as I want him.
” He gnashed his teeth, then burrowed under my hair, sticking his nose in my armpit.
“I fucking crave James. I don’t mean to feed from, although that’s amazing and I crave that too, but being near him.
It’s like a drug or something. I want you in totally different ways, but the pull I feel towards you is just as strong as it is with him.
” He mouthed my skin tenderly. “I don’t mean just for sex, you know. ”
I could fall in love with you, Eddie. “We’ll take it a day at a time. There’s no rush.” I smoothed my hand down his back, marvelling at the ripple of muscles under his milk-white perfection. “I don’t want you just for sex either.”
I fell asleep still holding him.