by Cari Z
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I swore, because honestly. “Where did you get such a fucking martyr complex?”
“Where did you?” he countered, which―fair enough. I shut up, and he continued after a moment. “So things changed, and the vættir killed Ólafur so that the old deal was completely severed, and then he saved you. That took a while, by the way. You’d lost so much blood by then.” He glanced up at me now. “The more the vættir does for you, the tighter the bond becomes. The first time he healed you, it wasn’t lifesaving, but this time it definitely was. Your life is literally tied to us now. The farther apart you are from us, the harder it will be to focus, to sleep, to work your magic. We’re all joined, for better or for worse, unless the vættir makes another deal or you die for good.”
“Wow.” Those were repercussions I hadn’t considered, but getting them clarified wasn’t the first thing on my mind right now. “Is that what you came in to explain? The way this deal works?”
“What do you think?”
“I don’t know. You haven’t spoken a word to me for two months.”
“I was too angry to be rational,” Sören admitted. “And it’s easier to keep a distance when the vættir is using my mind, but it’s off communing with nature right now, so it’s just me. And I can’t keep this up. I miss you too much.”
“Fuck.” Two months, and I’d been worried it was the start of the rest of my life, being with Sören but denied him at the same time. I held my hand out to him, and he took it without hesitation, and that was it. I pulled him in for a kiss, and I got an armful instead, Sören moving Lady to the floor before he straddled my waist, one hand wound through my too-long hair to hold my head still while he had his way with my mouth. I wrapped my arms around his waist and pulled him in so close I could feel his heart beating―his heart, and it was mine, so wholly and completely beyond a shadow of a doubt. I’d never possessed anything so precious in my whole life.
“I’m sorry,” I said again when I had a moment to breathe. “I’m so sorry, I―”
“No,” Sören said. “That’s over. Don’t waste any more time on it.” He smiled at me, and it was sly and wicked and the sort of thing I hadn’t seen nearly enough of in the time we’d had together. “I think you should fuck me instead.”
I was fortunate not to pass out from the world’s most embarrassing blood rush right then and there. “Yes,” I agreed emphatically, and then―
Sex was a funny thing for me, always has been. Sometimes it was smooth and easy, and sometimes it was completely goofy, full of misplaced elbows and stubborn zippers. There must have been someone looking out for me, though, because not only were we both undressed in under a minute, but I also didn’t drop the lube, the bed didn’t break, Lady didn’t howl or stare, and then I had Sören splayed out beneath me, breathing hard as I slid a finger inside of him.
If it had been a long time since I’d had sex, hell, the last time he’d fucked anyone was―me. Sören writhed against the cheap sheets, unable to keep his hands off me as I prepped him, taking my time because two years was a long stretch to go without, and the last thing I wanted to do was hurt him.
Still… “No,” I said when he closed his eyes as I pressed three fingers into him. “Look at me, keep looking at me. I have to know…” That it’s you went unspoken, but Sören understood. He opened his eyes, the hazy blue obscured by huge pupils, and his body clenched around my hand.
“Now,” he begged. “Now, I can’t wait anymore, please.”
That was convenient, because neither could I. I slicked myself gingerly, positioned myself just right, and―oh fuck, it was slow and hot and so tight. Sören drew me down against him as soon as he could, wrapping his legs around my back and driving me deeper.
“Slow,” he whispered, kissing my ear. “Like this.”
We hadn’t done it like this very often, a gentle push-pull, none of the long thrusts and quick pace that got us off fast. This was quiet, me barely moving at all, and I knew I couldn’t be doing much for his prostate, but Sören didn’t seem to care. He clutched my shoulders and kissed me again and again, and I let him take control, because he had so little of it in anything else. I wanted to give him exactly what he wanted, and right now that was the slow, tender grind of body flush to body, our skin slipping against each other’s without creating any unwelcome space between us. His cock was trapped against my belly, rubbing wetly, hard and red. I was drowning in Sören, surrounded by him, enveloped in him. Fuck, I never wanted it to end, but it had to, because my entire body was trembling with the need to come, every muscle tightening in anticipation.
“Sören.”
“Yes,” he said, “Yes, yes, Cillian, fuck,” and he came, and then I did, and―
And I just about died. It was amazing and intense and almost painful, the sudden surge of pleasure so strong it blinded me. How did people live through this? If I could have died right then, I would have gone happy, but I couldn’t die; I could never do that to Sören again. I inhaled his breaths and used his strength to hold myself up, and eventually I existed again without feeling like I’d been broken open.
We separated just enough to clean up a little and then drowsed in the bed, wrapped up together. I have to get a bigger bed, I mused as we dozed. Or maybe not―it was kind of nice to be so close. I opened my eyes and turned to ask Sören about it, and―
“That was very enjoyable.”
“Holy shit!” I reared back and fell off the bed as purple eyes met mine. I hit the floor hard, taking the cover with me. Lady came out from her basket and licked at my chin, and Sören―the vættir―stared down at me with amusement.
“Well, that looked exciting.”
“How long have you been here?” I asked.
“Not long. I didn’t interfere in the act itself, if that is your concern. I felt it, of course, through Sören.” The vættir smiled at me. “You’ve made him very happy.”
“Yeah, well you’ve ruined the afterglow, so thanks,” I muttered.
“We should have done that long ago.”
“No, no we shouldn’t have.”
He frowned. “But we’re all joined together now. There is no greater expression of appreciation than giving each other such pleasure.”
“The answer is still no,” I said. “What Sören and I do in bed is a two-person affair. Two, not three, okay?”
“But you are meant to keep me happy. How else will you do so?”
I stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment. How was this my life? Fuck. “How do you feel about waffles right now?” I asked finally.
Sören beamed at me. “I would love some waffles.”
“All right. Let’s get dressed, and we can go get a late breakfast.” I could take Lady for a walk too.
This new life wasn’t perfect. But it was what I had, and in the absence of knowing the future, I would take the path that looked the best. Right now, this was it.
I had no idea what was next for us. But I was looking forward to finding out.
About the Author
Cari Z. is a Colorado girl who loves snow and sunshine. She writes award-winning LGBTQ fiction featuring aliens, supervillains, soothsayers, and even normal people sometimes.
Email: [email protected]
Website: cari-z.net
Blog: carizerotica.blogspot.com
Twitter: @author_cariz
Other books by this author
Please visit your favorite eBook retailer to discover other books from NineStar Press by Cari Z:
Perilous
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