That was, he supposed, too simplistic a concept for Bera to grasp.
No matter.
He walked over to the cabinet and grabbed a bottle of spirits, poured himself a tall glass. She wanted a line heir who would eventually take over and then make her powerful in her own right.
That was a lot of “ifs” and “maybes” Bera hadn’t considered, too narrow-sighted to plan for contingencies. That was the problem with Tanukis, never seeing the whole picture, too eager to set their sights on a prize, and then developing tunnel vision in their pursuit of it.
No wonder the race was dying out.
Of course, he didn’t mind nudging her away from those doubts and concerns, either. It wouldn’t do for her to second-guess herself or her plans. It worked to his advantage. She never realized his primary target wasn’t the Earth. That was just a bonus.
He wanted Ausar.
Boorman tried not to look at his reflection in the window. All these years he’d waited for a chance to exact his retribution, and now it was within his reach if that fucking cunt didn’t screw things up again. The first time around, she was supposed to have distracted Aidan and Arnau off-Earth long enough his men could do their job.
Long enough for his men to bring him Ausar’s head on the end of a sword.
So much for that plan. Aidan and Arnau had returned in time to save their precious soul brother.
His fingers traced the ancient, deep scar left by Ausar’s sword. Well, at least he had gotten a little revenge out of that debacle. He knew that woman had been a favorite of Ausar’s even if she wasn’t his mate. He’d retrieved a few ounces of flesh in that regard.
And yet Bera had believed the story, that her kidnapping plan had gone awry.
Stupid cunt.
He’d never been denied, ever, what he wanted in his life. Now Ausar had denied him not once but twice. First he’d denied him the woman he’d set his sights on, and then he denied him his revenge over his wounds. After all these ages, he would not be denied again. It had taken him all this time to find someone he could use for his plans. He was unable to cross on-Earth himself after he’d been wounded, had to spend time cultivating his powerbase on Tavares. If he’d tried to cross on-Earth, Ausar would have immediately known and hunted him down. Advantage lost.
He’d conquered many worlds in his years, and one fucking woman had stymied him.
Now it was personal.
He drained the contents of his glass and smashed it in the fireplace before calling out to his lieutenant. The man raced in.
“Yes, Master?”
This man had learned early on not to flinch over his appearance. “Have someone follow Bera, someone who can cross over undetected. Make sure she’s taking proactive steps. I’ve spent nearly three decades on this plan. I don’t wish it fucked up again when we are so close. Do I make myself clear?”
The man paled. “Right away, Master.” He scurried off.
Boorman walked over to his chair and sat, stared into the fire. When Bera had approached him it seemed too good to be true. Perhaps he’d placed too many of his own hopes in this venture. The opportunity for revenge, especially using one of Ausar’s people against him, was too tempting to pass up.
He doubted Bera could make her plans come to fruition, but using her would get him closest to Ausar. On the highly unlikely chance she did make good, end up the mother of a line heir to The Firm and able to again give Boorman access to the Earth… well, that would be a happy bonus. After all, why would he set his sights on taking over the Earth when he was in the middle of taking over Tavares? He didn’t have the manpower to fight two wars. Maybe once he’d finished conquering Tavares and throwing out the ruling council, then he could set his sights on off-world endeavors.
Stupid Bera. Never saw the larger picture. He’d instructed his informants, people Bera thought worked for her, to keep her suspicions and doubts at bay.
Meanwhile, he’d have to put up with Bera.
* * * *
Immediately upon waking, Aidan focused on Jeff and relaxed when he homed in on him. Safe and sound.
He started to lie there and mentally follow Jeff around the office when he realized what time it was. Crap. He needed a shower.
His heart felt a little lighter though at Jeff’s reaction to seeing him in his boxers. I kind of like the view better.
Aidan couldn’t hold back his smile as he soaped up. He considered fisting his cock and jerking off in the shower, as he had many times before, with Jeff’s face in his mind.
No…maybe there was a better option.
The inevitable option.
Aidan whistled as he rinsed and dressed.
It was tempting to simply pop into the office and surprise Jeff, but there were volunteer investigators there this time of day and he didn’t want to risk exposing himself. His pulse increased as he drove to the office and he made it a little after four.
He wanted to walk straight to Jeff’s office, but when he passed his own door he spotted Kal seated at her desk. The look on her face stopped him in his tracks. He walked in and closed the door behind him.
“Hey, sweet cheeks. You okay?”
Her eyes looked red and puffy. She tried to nod, quickly wiping her face on her sleeve. Then she burst into tears again.
“Aw, come here.” He sat and pulled her out of her seat and into his lap. She sobbed on his shoulder. He softly soothed her with his arms around her. “Let it out, babe.”
He hadn’t expected to see her in the office. On the heels of his surprise he wondered where the home Will was, and why wasn’t he taking care of her?
She sniffled. “I thought maybe I could get my mind off things for a while. Dad’s taking a nap. I needed a break.”
One question answered. “Where’s the big guy?”
She snuggled deeper into Aidan’s arms. “He’ll bring me back in a little while. Mom thinks I’m taking a nap. Will’s keeping her distracted and helping with dinner.”
Dinner.
On the one hand, he didn’t want to shove Kal out the door. On the other, he reeeally wanted to see Jeff.
Kal’s anguish made Aidan’s decision for him. He sat with her cradled in his arms as she rested her head against his shoulder, softly humming to her. Ten minutes later, there was a knock on the door.
“Come in.”
Jeff stepped in. When he saw Kal in Aidan’s lap, Jeff immediately shut the door behind him. He walked around Aidan’s desk and without a word sat in Kal’s chair and pulled it close. Then he wrapped one arm around her shoulders and the other around Aidan. She reached up, patted his hand, and cuddled closer to both of them.
“Thanks guys,” she softly said, barely more than a sigh.
Aidan kissed the top of her head. “Sweet cheeks, lean on us. We’ve got broad shoulders.”
“Yeah,” Jeff agreed. “Any time, day or night.”
Aidan looked at Jeff and felt a calm, peaceful aura engulf him. Perhaps this man was deeper than he ever imagined. Aidan tipped his head to the side, rested it against the top of Jeff’s head.
Jeff lightly stroked the back of Aidan’s shoulders and there they sat for several long minutes. Kal finally sat up and wiped her eyes again. She hugged Aidan, then Jeff. “Thanks, guys.”
Aidan brushed the hair out of her face. “You ready to go back?”
She nodded. “Can you send me?”
“Sure thing. Close your eyes.” She did. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before touching his amulet and sending her back to her parents’ house.
Jeff didn’t move from where he had his head nestled against Aidan’s shoulder. “How was the rest of your day?” Aidan finally asked him.
“Missed you,” Jeff replied without missing a beat.
A warm, nearly overwhelming rush of emotions washed through Aidan. “Yeah?”
“Yeah.”
“I missed you too, sugar.” He kissed Jeff’s temple. Jeff tipped his head back and when Aidan looked into his blue eyes, he wanted to spirit
the man off to his house. He kissed Jeff, enjoying it when Jeff slipped his fingers around the back of Aidan’s head and held him in their embrace.
When Jeff finally let him go, he whispered, “I missed you a lot.”
Aidan needed a second attempt to speak. “You ready to go?”
“I need fifteen minutes to finish up a project, then I can leave. Purs and Gery will close up.”
Aidan dropped one hand to Jeff’s leg, left it resting on the other man’s thigh. “Why don’t I go grab us a table?”
Jeff nodded. “Okay.” He leaned in and kissed Aidan again, this time nipping his lips, nibbling and gently biting. Aidan closed his eyes and savored it.
He wanted this man. He’d be a lying asshole to deny it. Not just for a fast fuck or for a night or even for a weekender.
Forever.
Soul mate.
Jeff eventually stood, wearing that damn cute smile. Aidan noticed the sizeable bulge in Jeff’s pants as he left the office.
Aidan’s slacks felt uncomfortably snug, too.
Chapter 12
Typical late afternoon Florida rainstorm. The bottom dropped out on Aidan as he pulled into the diner’s parking lot. He made a run for it without getting too wet and grabbed them a booth.
Aidan thought Kal was holding up remarkably well, all things considered. He suspected part of it was the sheer amount of crap going on in her life, for the most part keeping her spinning from one point to another, not giving her downtime to sit and really grieve yet. Probably for the best. There would be plenty of time for that after her father died.
It also made Aidan think. Especially after the bullshit with Bera, and Ryan’s words ringing in his ears. Perhaps time was shorter than he ever imagined. When you knew you were likely to live countless eons, barring any beheadings or serious woundings, it was hard to remember that those around you weren’t so fortunate.
Jeff pulled into the parking lot. Aidan smiled and followed Jeff’s progress through the rain as he dodged puddles.
Soul mate. Life was too short, sometimes. Especially for those who weren’t “immortal.”
Jeff shook his jacket off in the entryway and smiled when Aidan raised his hand. He quickly walked over and slid into the booth, reached across the table and squeezed Aidan’s hand.
“Hey.”
Aidan knew he loved him. “Hey.” How did he tell him? They hadn’t talked about it. In fact, they’d talked about everything but that, basically.
They placed their order. After the waitress left, Aidan crossed his arms on the table in front of him and leaned in, hoping this wasn’t a mistake. “I was wondering. Maybe later, after we’re done eating dinner, would you like to come back to my place for a while? Maybe for the whole night?”
Hopeful, he lifted his gaze to Jeff’s face.
Jeff smiled. “Yeah. I’d really like that.” He reached out and touched Aidan’s arm, left his hand there. “I’d like that a lot.”
* * * *
Aidan had been hesitant to push Jeff, afraid of scaring him away at first, then scared of rushing him into something. There hadn’t been much more between them than holding hands, hugging, a little bit of snuggling, and a few stolen kisses here and there. Aidan suspected Jeff was a virgin and didn’t want to push him into anything he wasn’t ready for. Aidan was Jeff’s first serious relationship with anyone, man or woman, and he damn sure didn’t want to be on the losing end.
Aidan also didn’t want to commit his heart to someone who might not want to reciprocate for the long term.
The really long term.
After dinner, Jeff followed Aidan back to his house and they ended up on the couch in front of the TV. It felt comfortable draping his arm around Jeff’s shoulders with him nestled against his side. It felt right.
“Can we have a little talk?” Aidan asked.
“I think we need to, don’t we?”
Aidan laughed. “Oh, boy, do we.” He tipped Jeff’s face to his. “I don’t want to rush you into anything you’re not comfortable with. I respect you, and I respect your beliefs.”
“I’m not exactly a textbook Baptist, Aid.”
He grinned. “No, you and Kal certainly broke the mold there, haven’t you?”
“Yeah, you can say that again.” He caressed Aidan’s face, leaving his palm resting against the other man’s cheek. “I don’t know if you know me well enough to give me forever yet. I’m okay with that. I’d like to see where it goes, though.”
Aidan thought his heart would explode. “Yeah?”
Jeff nodded. “Yeah.”
“Forever’s a long time. You might have it backwards. You don’t know me well enough yet to want to spend it with me.”
Jeff’s fingers gripped the back of Aidan’s neck and gently pulled his face down to his. They shared a tender, soft kiss. “I know you well enough to know that you have a good heart and won’t hurt me.”
“What do you want to do?”
“I want to love you.”
Aidan’s breath caught in his throat. “I want to love you, too.”
“Then that’s what matters, right?”
“Right.”
Jeff nervously licked his lips. Aidan felt his cock throb in response. “I asked Kal about the soul mate stuff, and she didn’t know a lot about—”
Aidan shook his head. “We don’t have to worry about that tonight. That’s a separate issue. Her situation was different.”
A slow smile snuck across Jeff’s face. “So we can…” He didn’t finish.
“We can do anything you feel like doing tonight without settling that other question for now.”
“Anything?”
The blatant, unmistakable hope in Jeff’s voice caught Aidan off guard. He laughed. “Yeah. Anything. Everything. Whatever you feel like doing. For as long as you feel like doing it.”
Jeff kissed him again. Aidan pushed him down to the couch and eagerly kissed him back. It’d been a long time since Aidan had anything remotely resembling a romantic relationship. Most of his encounters were quick one-night stands with little to no romance involved. He received more emotional response from his own right hand than he did from some of his partners.
This man was more than ready and willing to give him that and then some. For the first time in his life, Aidan was ready to let go a little and trust.
“You’re sure you want this?” Aidan gasped as he came up for air.
“Dude, you’re asking me that now? What we’ve had is great, trust me. I’m not complaining. It’s just that I’ve finally got to the point where I’m more scared not to be with you than I am to take things further. I’m tired of being a chicken.”
Aidan rested his palm over Jeff’s heart. He felt it racing through his shirt, pounding as hard as his own. “I’ll admit there’s been more than a few times I took care of business after I left you.”
“Yeah, join the club.” Jeff’s playful smile twisted Aidan’s heart in a pleasant way.
Aidan’s hand drifted south and settled on the front of Jeff’s slacks, his hard bulge firm against his palm. “Want some help taking care of that tonight?”
“Man, I thought you’d never ask.”
Jeff pulled him down for another kiss. Aidan refused to be rushed. He wanted Jeff’s first time to be special—didn’t that sound all girlie—and not an occasion to regret. Aidan had tried it with women a few times and while it was, well, okay, it wasn’t anything spectacular.
This man captivated him. The promise of firm muscles, rough and tumble passion, and deep, sensual moans made his cock throb almost painfully. Aidan stood and pulled Jeff to his feet. “Come on,” Aidan said, his voice husky. “Let’s get comfortable.”
Aidan led Jeff to the bedroom and pulled him into his arms, kissing him again, trying not to grind his hips against his. At this point it wouldn’t take much to make him explode and he wanted to prolong the pleasure.
The feel of Jeff’s fingers on his back, digging in, pulling him tightly against him made him
moan. Yeah, this is what he wanted. Hugging a girl was nice and all, but Aidan hated worrying if he was going to break her in his arms. That was always a problem he’d had with women. He wanted someone who could love him back, hard. He pushed Jeff down to the bed and started working on his shirt, ran his hands along his lightly muscled chest, licked and bit at his nipples.
“Don’t you ever become a gym rat,” Aidan growled against his flesh. “Damn, you’re perfect.”
When he got Jeff’s shirt off him, Aidan straddled him, kissing him again, enjoying the feel of someone else’s flesh beneath his fingers. Jeff’s fingers twisted in Aidan hair and pulled him hard against his mouth as his hips bucked against Aidan. Jeff’s hungry moan nearly finished him.
He looked down at Jeff. “Point of no return, man,” he whispered.
Jeff nodded, his face flushed with passion. “Don’t stop. Please.”
Aidan grinned and worked his way south, shedding his shirt in the process. Jeff moaned again and tried to stroke Aidan’s chest, but Aidan gently pushed him back to the bed. “You’ve never been with anyone, right? Ever?”
Jeff shook his head as Aidan’s grin widened. He leaned over and ran his lips down Jeff’s firm abs, all the way to his belt buckle. “I get to pop your cherry,” Aidan whispered.
“I don’t mind if you want to… you know…use something anyway.”
Aidan smiled. “Only if you want to. One of the perks of being an archdemon. I’m clean, and I don’t think I have to worry about you getting preggers, so it’s your choice if you want them.”
Jeff laughed. “Yeah, uh, no chance on the preggers stuff, dude.” He met Aidan’s gaze. “I trust you.”
That settled, Aidan nodded and continued his southerly sojourn, ran his lips over the fine line of hair that traveled from Jeff’s navel and disappeared under his waistband. Jeff kicked off his shoes while Aidan unfastened Jeff’s slacks, both men moaning as Aidan freed Jeff’s stiff shaft from his briefs.
He shifted position and looked at Jeff, who’d pulled a pillow under his head. “You okay?”
Jeff smiled, nodded. “Yeah. Real okay.”
Aidan took his time, slowly working his way over and down his lover’s erection, pausing when Jeff’s moans nearly made him come in his pants. Jeff was fucking sexy simply because he was real and honest and wasn’t trying to be anyone he wasn’t. Jeff reached down and caressed Aidan’s head, beyond coherent speech, his eyes squeezed tightly shut from the sensation.
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