“We were supposed to be out of here before it was reported.”
“Calm down. We’re fine. Nobody saw us, we’ll get out and to the car, I’ll drop you back home and kiss you good-night. How does that sound?”
Sean stopped and glared at him.
“Don’t treat me like a child.” He took a step closer, blue eyes dark in the dim light. They’d stumbled through to the magic-infused clearing and Dane was very aware just how close Sean had gotten. “I’m calm, and I don’t need pity assurances.”
“Got it,” said Dane. Neither of them moved. Behind Sean through the trees, an orange glow smeared across the sky. Sean’s hood had fallen down, revealing hair that had gone wild. The entirety of Dane’s body prickled. He found it difficult to breathe.
Sean moved first, grabbed Dane by the waist. Dane dropped his bag as they kissed, hard and pointed in the middle of the trees. Dane’s heartbeat sounded in his ears and his cock swelled fast. He didn’t stop Sean this time when his hands pulled up the bottom of his shirt. Instead he moved to unzip the hoodie, barely able to breathe. Dane ached, from lips to loin, need for Sean blocking everything else out.
Dane broke the kiss to pull Sean’s head to the side by his hair, go after the corner of his jaw with lips and teeth. Sean groaned and dug his fingernails into Dane’s back. Dane wanted to shove Sean to the ground and force his cock down Sean’s throat, wanted to rip off his jeans and bury himself in Sean’s ass, pin him in the leaves and dirt and stroke Sean’s cock until it couldn’t last any longer. The desire was tense, electric, and Dane pulled away at the thought, shoved Sean so hard he staggered back, gasping, and sagged against a tree.
“It’s the magic,” said Dane, chest heaving. Sean’s eyes followed him greedily. “Fucking magic making us do this.”
“I want to do this,” said Sean, panting.
Dane did, too, but they couldn’t. Not here, not so close to the fire. And as much as he wanted to be rough and dirty, he didn’t want to be caught. The Order was already pissed with him. He grabbed his bag. He needed to cool down, they both needed to cool down. He heard Sean zip the hoodie back up and follow him as he cut into the trees.
Long minutes pressed in on Dane as he found his way back to the road, then dashed across it. Cars were lining up now, people drawn to the sight of the fire, and he heard sirens. He and Sean dashed back to the car and he threw the bag back in the trunk before getting in.
“Fuck you,” said Sean as they sat there, Dane trying to steady his breath. He sounded angry. “You had to stop us?”
“I’m taking you home,” said Dane, turning the key. Sean said nothing as he drove back, the opposite direction the fire trucks were headed. The drive lasted forever, the night looming, and when he finally pulled up in Sean’s driveway, the light on at the front door seemed strange.
Sean got out, slammed the door, and stalked up to the house. Dane pulled himself together and followed, not bothering to shut his car door, needing to catch the professor before he disappeared into his house and out of Dane’s life.
“Sean, wait,” said Dane, and forced his leg in the door.
“Get the hell out of my house,” said Sean, and Dane opened his mouth, closed it. “You’re right, I’m an idiot, and I want out. It’s the magic, isn’t it? The only thing that turns you on around me.”
Dane swallowed. Shit, he really blew things.
“I don’t care how it started,” he said. “I want to finish things. Properly. Please, Sean.”
Sean stared at him for what seemed like hours. Dane wanted desperately to be let inside, to be welcomed into someplace like this. If Sean was going to quit, going to get his mind wiped anyway, Dane wanted to experience something normal for once. A night over. He so rarely spent the night. By the time Sean spoke he was practically holding his breath.
“You’re lucky you’re hot,” he said, and walked away from the open door. Dane dashed to the car, grabbed his overnight bag, and tore back to the house before Sean could change his mind.
Chapter 11
Sean had expected Dane to feel more comfortable in his home but he looked downright nervous when he walked into the kitchen after locking the door and pulling off his shoes. Sean poured him a shot—poured himself one, too—and Dane took it immediately. Then they stood there, Sean in his hoodie, Dane in his plain black shirt.
“Nice place,” said Dane, and Sean set his shot glass down.
“Bedroom’s upstairs. Come on.” He felt hands on his ass as he topped the stairs and opened the door. When he looked back over his shoulder, Dane pounced, grabbing Sean’s jaw and dragging their lips together. Sean turned to kiss back, the awkward tension leaving both of them and replaced with a different sort of tension entirely. Dane tasted of alcohol, smelled like smoke from the house they’d burned. Even without standing in the source of magic, Sean was immediately turned on.
They were wearing too many clothes. Sean reached for Dane’s shirt again, trying to lead them back to the bed as he went. Again Dane let Sean get hands under his shirt, this time pulling the garment off entirely, up and over his head. Sean ran a hand across his chest, as tanned and tattooed as the rest of him, brushed a thumb over his nipple.
Dane surged forward again at that, caught Sean’s mouth with his own, tongue more forceful than before. His hands moved to unzip the hoodie for the second time that night. Sean felt his nipple hardening under his touch and grabbed it between finger and thumb. He twisted; Dane tore the hoodie from Sean’s shoulders and growled into his mouth.
“Fucker,” he snarled against Sean’s neck, yanking down the zipper on Sean’s jeans.
Sean felt Dane’s teeth against the skin of his throat, the blood in his cock pounding harder at that. Dane was rougher than anyone he’d had in a while, and he liked it. He twisted Dane’s nipple again, harder, and was rewarded by being completely stripped and shoved onto the bed.
Sean propped himself up as Dane tore off his own clothes and kicked them aside. When Dane descended, he pushed one of Sean’s legs up, shoved him back down on the bed. Dane’s cock pressed hard against Sean’s inner thigh, his balls, and Dane’s mouth took Sean’s. When he tried to grab Dane again, his hands were pinned.
“The things I want to do to you,” said Dane.
“Do them,” said Sean.
Dane breathed out hard and laughed against Sean’s clavicle.
“I don’t know if you can handle—”
“In the nightstand. Anything you want.”
Dane moved, slapping Sean’s ass as he went. The blow was hard, and Sean’s breath caught in his throat. His cock responded by growing harder, and Sean didn’t know how long he could wait.
Dane returned and rolled him on his side, pushed his leg up again. Dane had to know how uncomfortable it made Sean’s cock, squashing it and his balls to the side. Dane struck him on the ass again and Sean groaned, grabbed a fistful of bedsheet, tilted his head back. He closed his eyes, mouth open, as Dane kissed up the side of his leg and slid a lubed finger up his ass. Dane pulled out, returned with two fingers, pulled out again.
Sean gasped as three of Dane’s fingers entered, as deep as he could manage.
“Fuck,” he groaned. It was nearly too much, but he wasn’t about to admit it.
“Got real stiff there,” said Dane, pulling back. “Lucky for you I can’t wait any longer.”
He pulled Sean onto his back and then rolled a condom on his aching cock. Sean tried to thrust through Dane’s hands as he went but Dane was too fast. Sean opened his eyes as Dane pushed his legs up and pinned his hands to his sides by the wrists. There was a brief moment when Dane pressed himself up against Sean’s ass, and then he’d shoved himself completely inside, down to the base.
Even lubed up, the condom on Dane’s cock slickened, too, the sudden sensation was briefly too much. Sean groaned, loudly, and clenched tightly around Dane’s cock. It was a good fucking size, the sole thought Sean had before Dane backed up and drove himself in again. He moved fast, hard, so
much so that Sean could almost be fooled into thinking the magic was still affecting him. Dane dragged Sean down on his cock by the wrists and Sean’s head was tilted back, savoring every deep thrust. Dane was hitting him just right, and he wanted so badly to stroke himself he was on the verge of begging. He kept expecting Dane to finish but he kept going, pounding him, making Sean moan.
And then he felt it, Dane thrusting in, rhythm off. Dane tried pushing in farther while already in and Sean knew he was coming. Dane rode himself out, pulled back, and with his hands still pinning Sean’s wrists, leaned forward.
Sean was too close to last. The moment he felt Dane’s lips around him he thrust up, banged against the back of Dane’s throat, and came, writhing in Dane’s grasp. Dane pulled back, gagging, and released him.
“Damn,” groaned Sean. “You okay?”
“Didn’t think you’d do that,” said Dane.
Sean laughed at him.
“Thrust? After what you put me through?”
Dane smacked his ass and flopped onto the bed.
At some point the condoms came off, the blanket was rolled back, and Sean pulled Dane under. The bed was warmer, cozier with another body there, and Sean felt so content he drifted off in seconds.
He woke to a hand at his throat, lips kissing the back of his neck, nibbling at his ears. He could just see the clock—it was nearly three in the morning, and Dane’s fully erect cock pressed up against his ass. Sean was half turned on already and he pressed his ass backward.
Dane wrapped his other arm around him and twisted his nipple, hard, in response. Sean yelped. Dane chuckled against the back of his head.
“Again?” he asked. Sean licked his lips, drew Dane’s hand down to his swelling cock. Dane gave it a squeeze and rolled away. When he returned he’d gotten a condom on and pushed Sean onto his stomach.
Sean breathed out contentedly as Dane entered, pinning Sean under his body. He was still close enough to sleep for this to seem like a dream, Dane above him, devouring his neck and shoulders hungrily as he moved. His thrusts weren’t so raggedly desperate, more sensual now, and he collapsed onto Sean as he finished.
“You’re bad for me, professor,” he whispered, and Sean tried to shove him off, but Dane rolled to his side, pulling Sean with him. Dane’s hand found Sean’s cock, gripped it, stroked. Sean came all over himself, all over his bed, and fell back asleep in Dane’s arms.
When he woke again, morning light glowing around the curtains, Sean couldn’t remember the last time he felt so good. Then he rolled over to an empty bed and his mood plummeted. What could he really expect? Dane didn’t seem like the kind of guy to spend the night. But oh, did Sean want to fuck him again.
He got up, went to the bathroom, and headed for the stairs. He’d have to lock the door Dane had left from. Sean yawned, smelling something good as he descended, and found Dane in the kitchen. He stopped, stared.
Dane had clearly made himself at home. He’d set the table, stuck something that smelled delicious into the oven, and had coffee percolating. He smirked when he caught sight of Sean.
“Wandering around your home naked? Doesn’t seem like you.”
Dane was wearing his boxers from the night before. Sean turned and went back upstairs to pull on a bathrobe, but when he returned, Dane was still in his kitchen. Cooking him breakfast.
If Dane went and had Sean’s mind wiped, Sean swore he would track the man down and kill him. Somehow.
“You’re cooking,” said Sean.
Dane handed him a steaming mug. He made a face.
“Baking. I don’t cook.”
“What is it?”
Dane turned, pulled a pie pan out of the oven, and moved to cut the contents. Whatever it was had puffed up in the pan, and when Dane placed a slice on Sean’s plate it smelled heavenly. Dane spooned some fresh blueberries on it and leaned back against the counter, smugly crossing his arms.
“Some people call them oven pancakes,” said Dane as Sean picked up his fork. “It’s an eggy thing. This one’s lemon, with white chocolate and blueberries. I remembered you like rotting your guts with sweets.”
“And you like rotting yours with whiskey.” Sean took a bite, and swore if Dane had his mind wiped he’d kill the man twice. The slice of eggy baked whatever was amazing. He could probably eat the entire thing himself.
“Yeah, I already helped myself.” When Sean looked up he saw Dane pouring whiskey into his coffee. He took that and a plate with a slice of the lemon thing over to the table and sat. “And before you even think it, don’t thank me for last night.”
“That full of yourself?”
“You’re going to tell me you’ve had better?”
Sean shrugged, focusing on his breakfast. His ass felt like it had been thoroughly fucked, pleasant not painful, but the nipple Dane had twisted was sore. Dane had grabbed it hard. Just thinking of last night started turning him on again, so he picked up his coffee and drank.
“Not likely,” said Dane.
“You still talking about last night?”
Sean smirked as Dane got up, grabbed his plate, and served him another piece. Sean tucked into this one just as fast as the first.
“My contact texted me,” said Dane, changing the subject. “The Order handled it. News this morning said the house burned in an accidental fire, possibly wiring. We’re in the clear.”
“Well, that’s good,” said Sean. He didn’t want to think about what came next. Now that the magical lip balm was handled, he and Dane didn’t really have any reason to be together. And if Dane didn’t want to investigate Bethany’s death, then Sean feared what was next for him was a friendly meeting with a member of the Order, followed by a mind wipe.
It would be the easy way for Dane to deal with him. Dane would have to know Sean wouldn’t want to stay away—not after last night—and now that Sean knew what he knew, well, he could see himself assisting Dane again in the future. But something about this morning felt final.
Dane must have felt it, too, because when he spoke, it was not what Sean was expecting to hear.
“Didn’t you mention Bethany had a business rival?”
“You completely blew me off.”
“Well I want to hear about it now,” said Dane. He served Sean another slice and Sean began to wonder whether he should stop. Sean sighed. Just this last piece.
“Yes, it was another herbal and bath product-type company, also local. I want to say they were called Cauldron Cosmetics and More—I have it written down somewhere.” The look on Dane’s face made him pause, fork halfway to his mouth. “What?”
“That’s gotta be a witch’s business,” said Dane. “Well, shit.”
Chapter 12
“So there are witches in the area,” said Sean as he left the bathroom, rubbing his hair with a towel. Sean had invited Dane to share a shower but Dane knew they’d end up fucking again and the fact he’d spent an entire night scared him now that it was morning. However much he wanted to keep going, get off another few times while he could, he was too concerned now to indulge.
Of course, Sean was making that near fucking impossible, walking around his room naked. Dane thought of grabbing him, freshly cleaned, and fucking him filthy again. He swallowed.
“Yeah,” he said, wishing he hadn’t showered first now. He could use the cold water.
“Where?” Sean tossed the towel in his hamper and bent to open a dresser drawer for pants, presenting. Dane’s eyes locked onto his ass and he struggled to think.
“Haven’t met any…here…yet,” he said. “You’re doing this on purpose.”
Sean shut the drawer and turned around, amusement in his eyes. Dane wanted to push the professor up against the wall so hard he’d knock that fucking smile off his face. Then Dane wanted to stroke Sean, roughly, until he begged and Dane made him come all over his nice rug. Dane stood.
“Fuck you,” he said, and moved toward the door. He’d wait downstairs. Sean sighed but dressed fast and showed up a few minut
es later with his laptop and one of those legal pads only assholes and old people used. Sean moved to the couch and sank onto it before setting the laptop on the coffee table and flipping through the legal pad.
“Here. Yes, it’s Cauldron Cosmetics and More. One of Bethany’s friends mentioned it just as Cauldron, I looked it up, and it’s a mother-daughter business, online mostly, with products for sale in various stores downtown. Apparently they gave Bethany some pretty nasty phone calls to her business number for a few months before dropping it.” Sean paused. “A few weeks later, she was dead. Maybe they stopped threatening her and killed her?”
“Don’t care,” said Dane, dropping onto the couch a safe distance from Sean. Teasing out the precise events of Bethany’s death was uninteresting to him. There was nothing to deal with there. “But I am suspicious of those witches.”
“Because they’re dangerous if they killed someone?”
“Because they’re frickin’ witches,” said Dane. “Evidence they’re mixed up in this non-member’s magic shit is evidence they’re doing something they’d rather not be caught doing.”
Sean let the pages fall back to rest. He leaned back and eyed Dane.
“You really don’t care they might be murderers. Who might murder again. Possibly with magic.”
“I gotta get back to Crypt Coffee,” said Dane, standing. He didn’t want to talk about this. Track down some witches and intimidate them a little, maybe. Start acting like a shitty crime show? That was too much. “See if the staff managed to bake the double chocolate muffin bread all right.”
“God, that sounds good.”
“You had your breakfast,” said Dane.
Sean scooped up his laptop and notes, following him to the door. Dane wasn’t surprised, but he didn’t know what to do. He’d spent the night assuming he’d have the Order wipe Sean’s mind sometime in the next few weeks. But he felt mildly guilty he was planning on it. It’d be easier if Sean pulled away some.
“It’s like you don’t know me. I’m hurt.”
“I’m not driving your ass over,” said Dane, pausing at the door. Sean really did look hurt. Hell, he looked entirely different from the man Dane had kissed that Friday night not long ago. He seemed younger, more motivated. Apparently he’d been having a slump as a professor, and now…Shit.
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