“On the couch.”
Nick scrambled onto the soft blue furniture, waiting for further instructions.
“Mm. Think I want you on your back for now.”
Nick rolled over and stretched out, feeling exposed and vulnerable with his rigid dick pulsing against his belly. He licked his lips and tilted his head back, exposing his throat. “Like this, sir?”
“Perfect.” Aidan yanked off his shirt, tossing it to the floor. He ran a hand over his chest, then down his abs, sliding it underneath his waistband to stroke himself. “Do you know what I’m going to do to you tonight?”
Nick’s throat went dry at the thought. “Whatever you like, sir. I’m here to please you.”
“I know.” The mer pushed at his shorts, letting them fall to the floor. His own shaft was fully hard now, visibly twitching with every beat of his heart. “But I’m not going to fuck you.”
Disappointment flashed, but Nick tamped it down. “If that’s what you wish, sir.”
“It isn’t.” Aidan swung a leg over him, giving him a brief flash of heavy balls and the smooth pink furrow behind them, before settling down in a kneeling position over his thighs. “I want to fuck you, believe me.” He wrapped a loose hand around himself, running fingertips over the veins ribboning his cock. “But we need to wait on that.”
For what? Nick remembered the lessons with Aaron and took a deep, cleansing breath in through his nose, letting it out slowly. It doesn’t matter. Whatever he wants, I’ll do. “Then I’ll wait. Please tell me how else I can please you, sir.”
“Like this.” Aidan leaned down and captured his mouth. Their tongues met, clashing with an intensity that set Nick’s nerves on fire. Fingers slid between his own, clenching down and pinning his hands against the cushion.
He stiffened and Aidan pulled back, eyes shadowed. “If it’s too much, I’ll stop.”
Nick considered it. He did like the feeling of Aidan holding him down. And the knowledge that he could be released with one word helped to calm him. “No, I’m good.”
“All right.” Aidan pressed down again, fitted their bodies together. His shaft slotted against Nick’s, grinding with perfect hot friction. “You like that? You like knowing you’re mine?”
“God, yes.”
“Good.”
The mer proceeded to lay kisses along his jaw and down the side of his neck. He nipped the tender space under Nick’s ear, laving the sting with his tongue. “Yeah, you like that. You want me to own you, make you mine.” His voice dropped to a whisper. “When the time’s right, I promise I’ll fill you up, nice and deep. You’ll have to wrap those long legs around me, because I’m not gonna let you move. I’ll make you lie there and feel my cock pushing inside you over and over again. I’ll keep hitting your sweet spot and you’ll go crazy because it feels so good. And I won’t come until I feel you pulsing around me, coming hard and screaming my name. Then I’ll mark you, make you mine. You want that?”
Nick could only nod, his throat clicking dryly.
“Mmm.” Aidan worked down his body, leaving a trail of livid bites and suck marks in his wake. That wicked mouth closed around his nipple, tongue teasing it hard, then nipping. A little shock of pain shot through his body, grounding out somewhere between his cock and balls. Nick drove his head hard into the pillow, feeling the promise of pain turning into pleasure.
Aidan switched to his other nipple, nipping and licking it until it was erect. He switched off between the two until they were swollen and aching, glistening from his mouth. “I’m going to let go of your hands.”
Nick whined, and flinched at the bite on his sternum. “You’re going to grab the sofa arm and hold on like a good boy,” Aidan ordered. “You understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Good boy.” Aidan lipped the bite mark, soothing it. He kissed lower, following Nick’s treasure trail down to his navel, biting the little lip of flesh there. Nick’s abs contracted, and he closed his eyes, savoring the sting.
The mer roamed over the dips and ridges of his lower abdomen, finding more spots that made his muscles shiver and clench. Nick focused on his white-knuckled grip on the sofa arm, the only thing anchoring him to obedience. For a moment he wished Aidan had tied his hands together. That way he could writhe freely under the merman’s mouth, unable to get away.
But in a way, this was even better. He had to focus on obeying, force his hands to stay where they were. He had to work to be a good boy, Aidan’s good boy.
And then the mer’s hot, wet mouth dropped onto the head of his cock, sucking hard once before pulling off with a soft pop. Nick clutched at the upholstery, moaning at the sensation of Aidan’s velvet tongue licking round and round his over-sensitized head before dropping down for a long, wet stroke straight up his shaft.
Aidan lingered on the head, delving into Nick’s slit and lapping up drops of pre-cum. “You taste amazing, chuisle,” he said. “Salty and clean. I love it.”
Before Nick could ask what the pet name meant, Aidan took his entire length in, massaging it with his lips and tongue. It was the first time a Dom had sucked him since Aaron, and he fought against thrusting up into that wet heat, desperately wanting more of it. In an embarrassingly short amount of time his orgasm began to build, the charge humming nicely between his cock and balls. “Sir!”
Aidan pulled off with a teasing lick and gave Nick a filthy smile. “Not yet, boy. You don’t come until I tell you to, you understand.”
He writhed, trying to obey despite his need to come. “Yes, sir.”
Aidan came back up, slotting their bodies together again. He winced suddenly, rubbing his injured thigh. “Ow.”
Nick blinked, shaking off the lure of subspace. “You okay?”
“Cramping a little.” Aidan grimaced apologetically. “I don’t think I can stay in this position. Let’s try something else.”
He flipped them, stretching out on the couch and pulling Nick over him in a kneeling position. “Yeah, that’s better,” he said, grinning. “Give me a show, boy. Rub on me.”
Nick sank down, making soft noises as his balls rubbed so sweetly along the mer’s dick. He moved forward a bit, wanting to feel that heat on his perineum. Imagining Aidan sliding along the furrow of his ass, so close—
Hands gripped his hips, holding him in place. “Please!” he begged.
“No,” Aidan said roughly, smacking him on the ass. The stinging pain went straight to his cock, making it burn. “Not yet. Behave yourself, or I’ll send you to bed.”
As long as you come with me, that’ll be just fine. Nick bit his lip but shifted back until his balls settled on top of the mer’s. “Sorry, sir.”
Green eyes narrowed as they studied him, but he could see an echoing need in their depths. “Keep your hands behind your back. You can only touch me with your body.”
Nick did, rolling his hips so that his sack rubbed against Aidan’s. “Like this, sir?”
“Oh, yeah.” Aidan’s hands dug into the muscle of his ass, guiding him. “Just like that, baby.”
It was a beautiful tease, just enough friction and rubbing to keep him rock hard, and not nearly enough to help him come. He looked down, ready to beg to be allowed to worship Aidan’s body with his hands and mouth—
The mer suddenly looked past Nick, eyes widening. “No!”
Something large wrapped around Nick’s throat, squeezing until his eyes bugged. He clawed at the hand, it’s a hand, struggling for air.
The massive hand wrenched him off Aidan’s body and sent him flying. He slammed hard against the wall and slid to the carpeted floor, air exploding from him in a creaking, diaphragm-emptying whoosh. Black and red flowers began to bloom around the edges of his vision.
Dimly, Nick stared up at the very tall, angry stranger now holding a trident at his throat.
Chapter Six
“You dared to touch my mate?” the man snarled.
In the background someone was shouting. Aidan. Nick dragged a wheezing breath
through his abused throat, his flesh cringing from the trident’s sharp tines.
And then it was gone. Aidan was still shouting, struggling with the intruder now. Urban ER training kicked in. Rolling onto his hands and knees, Nick lurched to his feet and stumbled towards the kitchen and the knives there.
He never made it. That huge hand grabbed him by the scruff of his neck, abruptly changing his momentum and yanking him back onto the living room floor. Grunting in pain, he flipped over and backed into the corner of the couch, scraping his hands and base ass on the carpet.
The tall man came after him, trident poised to kill. “Bastard,” he said, lips peeled back from a brutal snarl. “You filthy, disgusting—”
A blue glow exploded in the room. Nick’s eyelids slammed shut against the light just as he heard a familiar voice shout, “Stop!”
A dull thud vibrated through the floor. The light dimmed, and Nick cautiously opened one eye. The intruder had dropped to his knees, trident thrown down and hands lifted in surrender. In front of him stood Bythos and Aphros, surrounded by a sparkling nimbus of sea blue light. Both redheads hefted silver tridents, much larger and more ornate than the attacker’s.
“How dare you attack our guest in our demesnes, mer!” Bythos bellowed, infuriated.
The man—mer—bowed his head. “Lord Bythos,” he said raggedly, “I beg your forgiveness. But he was molesting my mate—”
“No, he wasn’t!”
A panting Aidan clung to the back of the easy chair, staring frantically at all of them. “Dammit, Liam, I told you to stop!”
Liam? The giant was Liam, Aidan’s friend and Elder-in-training? Nick started to say something, and choked as agony flared in his throat.
“Nick!” Aphros crossed to him and knelt down, clasping his shoulder. “Are you all right?”
All that came out was a froggy croak. Gingerly, he shook his head and gestured towards his larynx.
A second nimbus of light appeared, golden this time. Ian stepped out of it, holding a dark trident. His eyes went comically wide when he saw the scene in the living room. “What the hell is going on?” he demanded.
Nick stared at the man he’d eaten with, gotten drunk with, sat with during Diana’s wake. Then at the trident in Ian’s hand.
That was enough for one night. Very gently, he fell over.
****
“Nick? Come on, wake up.”
Someone was patting his face. Unwillingly, he opened his eyes. Someone had put him on the guest room bed, tugging a flap of the coverlet across his lower body.
Ian sat on the bed’s edge, a weak smile on his face. “Welcome back. You were starting to scare me.”
Nick tried swallowing, and winced at the surge of pain from his abused throat. “Wha’ happened?”
Ian looked over his shoulder, where loud voices were coming from the living room. “As far as I can tell, Aidan’s mate came looking for him, and found the two of you, um, in flagrante delicto.” He grimaced. “Apparently the big guy thought you were assaulting Aidan and went after you.”
Mate? More pain, emotional this time, squeezed Nick’s throat. Oh, goddamn it, Aidan. Why didn’t you tell me?
He made himself sit up, wincing at the rub burns on his ass and legs. “The guy with the trident?” he croaked. “That’s Liam?”
Ian looked surprised. “You knew about him?”
“Aidan said he was a friend.” He lied, goddamnit.
“Oh.” The smaller man flexed his fingers. “Yeah, By’s talking to him right now. Or reading them both the riot act, to be precise. You just don’t stroll into a god’s territory like that and start kicking the shit out of their guests.”
Ian’s entrance blazed across Nick’s mind, the furious look on the blond’s face and that tall, deadly-looking dark trident in one hand. He made himself swallow again, evaluating the pain in his throat. Bad, but nothing seemed to be severely strained or broken. He’d recover. “How many gods are we talking about, anyway?”
Ian had the grace to look abashed. “Yeah, uh, I may not have told you everything that happened,” he admitted. “I’m kind of a storm god, now.”
“Kind of?”
“It’s a long, weird story.” Ian reached out and his hand disappeared into thin air. When it came back, he was holding the dark, lethal-looking trident Nick had seen earlier. “See?”
Nick stared at the trident. “I thought you said you were a storm god.”
“Technically I’m in Poseidon’s chain of command. All the sea gods get a trident, so I guess you’d call this my badge of office.” He pushed the trident away, and it disappeared. “I promise I’ll tell you all about it later.”
The raised voices in the living room grew louder, with Aidan’s coming through clearly. “I need to go out there,” Nick said, pausing to peer under the coverlet. Nope, definitely still naked. “Could you get my clothes from the kitchen?”
Ian stared at him. “Dude, you just got the shit kicked out of you. You don’t need to go out there. By and Aph can handle this.”
Nick shook his head, wincing at the movement. “I need to talk to Aidan.”
“Aw, hell.” His friend stood reluctantly. “Fine. Wait here.”
He ducked out, returning after a minute with the clothes. “I hope you know what you’re doing.”
“Yeah, so do I.” Groaning a bit, Nick climbed out of bed and started to dress, cataloging his symptoms as he went. Bruised throat, bruises on his back and neck, wrenched shoulder, rug burns on his ass and knees. Makes Barnard’s little engraving fade into the background, at least.
With Ian at his back, he limped slowly into the living room. Bythos was pacing back and forth in front of Aidan and his huge boyfriend, who were sitting on the couch looking appropriately cowed. A grim Aphros leaned against the wall, ready to offer backup.
“Every pod from here to Africa should know by now that this cove is our agapetos’s home,” the tall sea god thundered. “Your concern for your mate is understandable, but invading this place and injuring one of our guests is grounds for the harshest punishment.”
“I’m sorry, Lord Bythos,” the tall merman said humbly, head bowed so that long, damp brown hair hung in his face. Nick had a feeling the apology was something he’d been repeating a lot in the last few minutes. “I knew that you and Lord Aphros had found an agapetos, but I swear I didn’t know that this was his home. And when I tasted Aidan’s blood in the water, I panicked. I tracked him here—”
“And then burst in and assaulted our guest,” Bythos snapped.
“Lord Bythos, he was just trying to protect me,” Aidan said quickly, grabbing the tall merman’s hand. “It was all a huge misunderstanding—”
“Yeah, it was.” Nick’s voice was low and croaky as he stared at Aidan. “If you told me you had a mate, I never would have touched you.”
Aphros blanched. “Er, that may have been my fault,” he said. “I suggested that Aidan hold off telling you about Liam until both of them were here.”
That statement made no sense whatsoever. “For God’s sake, why?”
The blue-eyed sea god raised his eyebrows at Aidan. “This may be the time to tell Nick what you told me.”
“Now?” The mer’s shoulders sagged. “Oh, gods. Nick, please try to understand. Liam’s mo chuisle.”
That word again, the same one Aidan had called him. He didn’t understand what it meant, but his heart ached hearing it applied to someone else.
“He can’t be,” Bythos interrupted. “Neither of you are marked.”
“Because we weren’t complete, lord. Not until we found Nick.” Those apple green eyes pleaded for Nick to understand. “Sweetheart, you’re mo chuisle. And so is Liam. And you’re ours as well.”
I am hurting way too much to stay upright for this bullshit. Gingerly, Nick lowered himself into one of the armchairs. “Would someone please tell me what the hell a macushla is?” he snapped.
“It literally means ‘my pulse’ in Gaelic,” Bythos said, “but
it translates as the endearment ‘my love’. It’s the merfolk term for an agapetos.”
“Aga—"
“—petos?” Ian cut him off. The smaller man had gone as pale as Aphros. “Nick is an agapetos?”
“What’s an agapetos?” Nick growled. “Or chuisle, or whatever the hell you guys are talking about?”
“Jesus.” Ian scrubbed at his mouth. “It means that those two—” he pointed at the mermen, “—have been deemed by the Fates to be your mates. The same way By and Aph are mine.”
Nick sucked in a deep breath as he gripped the chair’s arms, taking some comfort in squeezing the old upholstery. He was aching badly, both physically and emotionally, and the last thing he needed was some bullshit story about Fates, mates, or anything else that rhymed with “ates”.
“Fuck that shit,” he said, his voice low and savage. “If anyone seriously thinks I’m hooking up with a liar and an abusive asshole, they can go fuck themselves.”
The tall merman’s head came up, revealing a face that could have graced a painting by Caravaggio. Oh, fuck. Of course he’s gorgeous, too. Goddamn it.
“I am so sorry, Nick,” Liam said, choked. “I never would have hurt you if I knew. I thought you were...”
He trailed off, but raping Aidan was perfectly clear. “Not that I really want to bring this up in front of everyone,” Nick snarled, “and yeah, I may have been on top, but Aidan was participating willingly. Or did you not notice his hard-on when you grabbed me by the throat and threw me across the room?”
The merman’s head bowed again, a fine tremor running through his shoulders. “Yes, I noticed.”
The whole wounded act suddenly infuriated him. He dug deep, hearing Aaron’s Dom voice. “Look at me when I’m talking to you,” he ordered.
Liam glanced up, startled.
“You were being protective,” Nick continued. “I get that. But I do not appreciate being tossed around like a rag doll and having you threaten to shove a giant fork in my throat, especially when Aidan was screaming at you to stop.”
The mer licked his lips. “I know. I was just so angry. I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, chuisle.”
Olympic Cove 2-Breaker Zone Page 11