by Lynn Hagen
But damn, he really wanted a piece of Deandre in the worst way.
Deandre and Donny descended the creaky wooden steps. Amir followed. He was dying to know what was down there. It felt like a treasure hunt as he looked around, trying to find somewhere that looked newer than the rest of the basement, some place that would indicate something had been buried.
The concrete flooring looked all the same color. As far as Amir could tell, there weren’t any spots that looked newer. The walls were an eyesore that Amir had planned on fixing, but now that he was going to sell, there wasn’t any need to repair them.
Donny tilted his head back and sniffed. “You got a dampness problem.”
“You can smell that?” The realtor had told him the basement was sealed tight.
Donny looked to his left. “Over in that corner.”
Amir took note of that. “Can you smell where the treasure is buried?”
Deandre chuckled. “He’s not a hound dog. Maybe a horndog, though.”
Donny grinned. Amir admitted the guy was very good-looking, but Amir was only interested in Deandre.
“I can’t help it.” Donny winked at Amir. “You gotta sleep with a guy to find out if he’s your mate, and that makes for some real slutty demon warriors.”
Amir’s gaze flashed to Deandre.
“You talk too fucking much,” Deandre snarled. “Find whatever we’re looking for with your trap shut.”
“What’s a mate?” Deandre had used that word before, and now Amir wanted to know. If he understood the word, maybe he would understand what the two were talking about.
Donny set the sledgehammer down and leaned his arm on the handle. “Nonhumans have mates. It’s someone fate has chosen for them, an everlasting partner. Our souls bind with our mates, an unbreakable connection. We’d do anything for our mates, and their health and happiness comes before anything else.”
“What did I tell you about talking too much?” Deandre asked.
Amir noticed that Deandre looked uncomfortable as he gazed at the wall. What Donny had just described sounded too good to be true, something anyone with half a brain would want.
Amir thought he’d had that with Hasan, but life had had different plans. But what was he thinking? Amir wasn’t ready to jump back into a relationship, even if that was what Deandre wanted. It was too soon for that.
“Let’s start over here.” Deandre crossed the room.
“He thinks you might be his mate,” Donny whispered to him. “It wouldn’t hurt to sleep with him and put my poor friend out of his misery.”
Amir frowned. “Deandre’s right. You talk too much.”
It wasn’t what Amir wanted to hear, so he put those thoughts out of his mind and helped them search for the hidden treasure.
Chapter Six
“I think I might have found something,” Donny said from across the room. They’d been searching for a good two hours, trying their best not to tear up Amir’s basement. There were a few spots that would need fixing, but all in all, they hadn’t done a bad job.
“What is it?” Amir hurried toward Donny.
“I’m not saying. I might talk too much.”
Was Donny seriously pouting? Deandre wanted to laugh but decided not to tease his friend. He’d been quiet the entire time, which was unusual for him, and now Deandre wondered if Donny’s feeling had actually been hurt.
“I’m sorry for what I said,” Amir said. “That was rude of me. You’re only here to help, and I shouldn’t have taken that tone with you.”
Deandre had heard what Donny whispered to Amir earlier. He’d wanted to punch Donny for telling Amir about sleeping with him, but he’d said as much on the trail.
“Apology accepted.” Donny smiled. Even he was smitten with Amir. Deandre hoped he didn’t have to kill his friend.
“What did you find?” He approached them and noticed how Amir moved closer to him. Deandre moved in behind the human, hoping Amir leaned into him. The guy was close enough that he could if he wanted to, and Deandre really wanted him to.
Donny ripped the piece of wood the rest of the way off. It had come easily enough, so Deandre suspected the piece hadn’t been nailed down as efficiently as the rest of the joists.
He reached in and yanked his hand back, screaming. Amir shouted and grabbed Donny, spinning him around. “What happened!”
Donny chuckled. “Nothing. I was just fucking with you guys.” He reached back into the wall and pulled out a small box. It was the rectangular shape that might hold a fancy pen or a letter opener.
“One of these days I’m really gonna kick your ass,” Deandre bit out. “That wasn’t even close to funny.”
Amir laughed. “Honestly, that was hilarious and the tension breaker we needed.”
“See.” Donny winked. “He thinks I’m funny.”
Deandre snatched the box from Donny. He didn’t like the way his best friend was mooning over Amir.
“Until you find out if he’s your mate, I’m free to flirt with him,” Donny said. “Stop being such a dick.”
“You’re growing on me,” Amir said.
Donny’s smile lit up the basement.
“Like unwanted mold,” Amir finished. “Now let’s see what’s in the box.”
“Now that was funny.” Deandre grinned as he rested his hand on Amir’s back and the human didn’t pull away. Unfortunately he didn’t keep it there. Deandre used it to lift the lid. He was half expecting a golden light to glow, but all he found was a piece of paper inside.
“That looks like a piece of scroll,” Donny said.
Deandre handed Amir the box before he unrolled the parchment. Whatever it said, he couldn’t read it because it was written in a language Deandre didn’t understand.
“Well, that was anticlimactic,” Amir huffed. “I was kind of hoping for actual treasure.”
Deandre took his phone out and snapped a picture of the writing for backup. “Why don’t you get this to Panahasi?” he said to Donny. “Maybe he knows what it says.”
“Why can’t you just send him the picture you just took?” Donny asked.
Deandre held up the piece of paper. “Nonhumans are after this. Do you really want it to stay here so they can get their hands on it?”
“Good point.”
Their heads snapped toward the stairs when a floorboard squeaked. Deandre instantly shoved Amir behind him. Donny flashed to the top of the stairs.
“Did he just…” Amir grabbed the back of Deandre’s shirt. “Did he just teleport?”
“It’s his power.” Deandre laid a hand on Amir’s hip as Donny eased the door open. If someone were in the house, Deandre would fight to the death to keep Amir safe. Thank fuck the kids weren’t home. He didn’t want to imagine what would happen if they were there.
Donny disappeared from sight, going into the kitchen. A moment later, he flew down the stairs and crashed against the floor.
“Hide,” Deandre said to Amir as he stormed forward, shoving the parchment into his front pocket.
Amir shot across the room, ducking behind the hot water heater. Deandre quickly sent the picture to Panahasi before tucking his phone away.
So much for getting the scroll out of the house before trouble arrived.
Then Deandre closed his eyes and concentrated. He felt a presence but couldn’t connect so he could throw the bastard out of the back door with his mind.
When he opened his eyes, he saw a shadow at the top of the steps and against the open door. “Show yourself,” Deandre said.
“No.” Donny lifted his head and shook it. “Deandre, wait.”
Deandre saw a bright flash of light seconds before he was grabbed and shoved backward. He didn’t realize what was going on until he hit the grassy mound by the Black River.
He was disoriented but rolled over and looked around, thankful when he saw Amir on his hands and knees vomiting. Donny was on the other side of Amir, staring up at the dark sky.
“What the hell just happened?” Ami
r wiped his mouth and dropped onto his ass.
Deandre looked behind him and saw Panahasi standing over him. The demon leader had grabbed them and thrown them into a vortex. “What was that light?”
“I’m not sure, but I don’t think it was good.” Panahasi reached down and helped Deandre to his feet. “I got your text, saw the writing, and came immediately.”
“Why?” Deandre walked over to Amir and helped him up. The guy was unsteady on his feet as he looked around.
“I wanted to see the parchment,” Panahasi said. “I had no idea I was going to be leading a rescue mission.”
“Where the hell am I?” Amir asked.
“Safe.” Deandre dreaded telling Amir where they were.
“You’re in the demon realm.” Donny walked away. “I’ll be in my apartment in a hot bath to soak my rattled bones if anyone needs me.”
Deandre wondered how long it would take to get Donny’s headstone made and get it express shipped to him.
“You need to take me back,” Amir said. “I have to get my kids.”
“They’re at Zanny’s tonight,” Deandre reminded him. “They’re safe. Your house, on the other hand, isn’t.”
“I’m gonna find Jaden and go back there,” Panahasi said. “We need to figure out what happened and what the being was.”
“Being in the same town while my children are away is one thing,” Amir argued. “I’m in a whole other fucking realm.”
“We need to get to my place.” Deandre looked around at the people on the street. There really wasn’t any rush, but he wanted Amir to hurry along.
“Why, is there danger out here?” He moved closer to Deandre. “Okay, let’s get going.”
Deandre hid his smile as he led Amir to the side of the warrior building. He seriously wanted to get inside and figure out what the scroll meant, and lingering on the street wouldn’t help him.
“Why do I smell fried chicken?” Amir stopped, his gaze darting around. “Now I’m getting hungry.”
“I told you. It’s a regular city.” Deandre took Amir through the shadows and ended up outside his apartment door. “I’ll send Donny to get some chicken for you.”
“How did we…” Amir spun in a circle as he examined the hallway. Deandre was getting a kick out of seeing the demon realm for the first time through Amir’s eyes.
“This building doesn’t have an entrance. That stops anyone from wandering in. Demons use shadows to travel, and that’s how we get inside the building.”
Deandre opened his door and stepped aside to let Amir in. “This looks like a regular apartment, only things are a bit bigger in here.”
“The apartments were specifically made for our large sizes.” He tossed his keys aside and winced. He still had laundry scattered on the recliner. Deandre was normally a neat person, but he just wasn’t feeling it when he’d gotten his clothes out of the dryer.
“Do you want something to drink?” Deandre headed into the kitchen as Amir explored his living room. He hadn’t expected company and sighed as he opened the fridge and saw he only had bottled water.
“Water will be fine,” Amir called out. “Wow, this place is nice.”
When Deandre came back into the living room, Amir was staring out of the floor-to-ceiling windows. He looked good against the backdrop of the city.
“It’s always dark here.” He joined Amir at the windows and handed him a bottle. “There are times, when I haven’t been to the human realm in a while, the sun bothers my eyes.”
Deandre shouldn’t be allowing himself to get so caught up in Amir. But damn if it didn’t feel as though something inside of him was pulling him closer to the human, and if it turned out to be nothing more than attraction…
“Thanks.” Amir took the bottle and cracked the lid, taking a few swallows. “As nice as this all is, I want to get back home.” He squeezed the water bottle, making it crinkle. “I’ve only spent one night away from them before. When I went to Colorado to finalize some things, and that was torturous. I even went hiking to clear my head, and I met this jerk.”
Deandre chuckled. “I was a jerk, wasn’t I?”
“You’ve redeemed yourself.” Amir rubbed his forehead, his brows furrowed. “I know they’re in good hands. Zanny wouldn’t let anything happen to them, but…”
Deandre brushed his hand over Amir’s shoulder. “Separation anxiety.”
Amir bobbed his head. “Stupid, huh? They’re with their own mother, and I still feel the need to check on them.”
“Not stupid at all. You worry about those you care about.” Deandre’s hand drifted down Amir’s arm. A subtle move. Unconscious at first. No plan in mind. Then he slid his hand to rest on the small of Amir’s back. “I think it’s wonderful that you care so much about them.”
Amir smiled. “They’re my entire world.”
Deandre wondered what it would be like to be included in Amir’s world, to be the man’s focus. All Deandre had were his brethren, but they didn’t warm his bed at night. They didn’t bring him as much comfort as Amir did just standing right next to him.
Amir turned and looked up at Deandre, those soulful hazel eyes. “Do you think my house will be safe since you got what was there? Not that I want to continue living there, but I have to until I move.”
“I’ll have Panahasi put out the word that we retrieved the treasure.”
Amir chuckled. “I wish it had been treasure. That would’ve been fun.”
Deandre was trying his best to behave, but having Amir so close, those perfect lips right there… He dipped his head halfway, waiting for Amir to close the distance.
The human waited a few beats then pulled Deandre down by the nape of his neck into a full lip lock with tongue, groaning, and fuck, Deandre curled his arms around him and yanked him close.
When Amir jumped up and wrapped his legs around Deandre’s waist, it was a done deal. He moved swiftly through his apartment and went straight to his bedroom. He fell to the bed, taking Amir down with him.
Deandre hadn’t planned on seducing Amir, not tonight, anyway, not after the craziness at his house, but he sure as shit wasn’t turning him down, either.
“What’re we even doing?” Amir kissed along his jaw as he yanked at the hem of Deandre’s shirt. Deandre wiggled around until his shirt was off.
“I’m pretty sure you know what we’re doing.” Deandre scooted down the bed then removed Amir’s shoes, socks, pants, and underwear. He groaned when his lover’s cock sprang free, hard, thick, slapping against his stomach.
“I know what we’re doing,” Amir argued. “I mean, should we be doing it?”
Deandre didn’t answer Amir. He didn’t want him changing his mind. Not when he had a hard dick right in front of him that Deandre planned to devour.
“Should we be doing this?” Deandre curled his fingers around the base, Amir’s musky scent invading his lungs, as he parted his lips and drew Amir’s cock into his mouth.
Then he backed off.
Deandre began to toy with him, lightly stroking the man’s shaft, teasing his balls with just the tips of his fingers. Amir let go of a shuddering sigh as Deandre let his hands roam over the smooth, naked skin.
“Oh my god, yes! We should be doing this.” Amir writhed beneath him. Deandre looked up, and he saw Amir yanking his shirt off and tossing it aside.
When he slipped his fingers into the crease of Amir’s ass, he felt his lover’s moan vibrate deep inside his own body. His arousal throbbed with the need to bury his cock inside Amir. Deandre’s blood went molten, desire hot and possessive in his veins.
“Feed me your cock, sweetheart.” Amir’s hands were clumsy as he grabbed the base and held it firmly in his hand. That wasn’t exactly what Deandre was talking about, but at least the man was trying.
Poised over Amir’s erection, Deandre took the stiff cock into his mouth. He had to grab Amir’s hips and hold him down when the guy began to buck wildly. Deandre sucked at the broad head and delighted at Amir’s strang
led moan as he slid his mouth all the way down to the base. Amir felt so good against his tongue, hot and earthy, as soft as velvet wrapped around a column of solid steel.
“D–Deandre,” Amir said on a shaky tone right before his entire body jerked and he came down Deandre’s throat. Deandre threw Amir’s legs back until his knees hit his chest. He sucked his lover’s cock until Amir was spent.
But he wasn’t finished.
Deandre worked his lips down to Amir’s balls, lapping at the wrinkled sac. He mouthed each one before his tongue smoothed over the flesh between balls and asshole. He glanced up to see Amir’s eyes dark with passion, throwing off an intense heat. His transformed gaze was hungry.
Using his saliva, Deandre inserted his index finger to the first knuckle. Amir’s body arched into his finger as Deandre moved it slowly in and out of the man’s ass. His human moved as if greedy for Deandre’s touch.
“I want to find out if you’re my mate,” he said, his voice rough and dark, almost unrecognizable. Deandre slipped a second finger into the man’s ass. Amir cried out, his hips jerking, his thighs trying to tighten around Deandre’s head.
He used his shoulders to keep Amir’s thighs spread wide apart. Amir’s face was wild with torment.
The sight of Amir falling apart was devastatingly sexy. Deandre’s cock began to throb as he thought about Amir becoming his. He leaned over the guy, his fingers still tucked tightly in Amir’s ass, as Deandre used his tongue to explore Amir’s mouth. Amir opened his mouth wide, feeding his tongue to Deandre as he thrashed around.
The man was unraveling Deandre’s senses as he shuddered and shook, his hands clawing at the sheets. The coil of need wound tighter as Deandre thrust a third finger into his lover’s ass.
He wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out. The pressure in his cock was becoming unbearable. He needed release.
Deandre removed his hand from Amir’s tight, hot ass. He slid from the bed long enough to finish undressing before joining Amir again. Amir’s hands slid up above his head as his fingers curled around the headboard. He opened his legs wide, a blatant invitation.