by Alexia Ward
“No, I’m sure all I need is to lie down for a bit. Then I’ll be all right,” Steve said as he struggled to focus on his calculated steps. His grip on Victor’s arm tightened as if he was scared he’d fall.
Victor observed Steve’s dark sapphire blue eyes with his keen vampire sight. They weren’t dilated, which he knew was a good sign. Nonetheless, Steve’s quick heartbeat was a signal of some sort of distress. Or was it fear?
He’d offer to stay with him until he felt better. He couldn’t leave him in this condition.
When the elevator doors swished open, Steve’s hotel room door faced them. Steve glanced over his shoulder. “That’s okay, I can manage. Thanks for the help, Victor.”
Victor’s voice hitched while he tried to subdue a rising sigh. Steve had called him by his real name, not the alias he used when he’d introduced himself. Steve hadn’t even noticed what he’d said.
Now everything made sense. Seeing Victor’s snake tattoo had been the trigger. It had begun to shatter the fragile veil on the spell Helder and he had cast eight years ago.
No wonder Steve’s heart was racing, and he felt dizzy. It was overwhelming, not knowing what was happening.
Victor knew he couldn’t stop what had started to unravel. Nor could he accelerate it either. If he brought to light the fact Steve had called him Victor and not Vinny it would only confuse Steve further. It might also launch him into hysteria.
He needed to keep him calm and let it run its course. He would make sure he was by Steve’s side when the rest of the veil fell so he could explain.
He’d have to cast another spell to make him forget once more. But he couldn’t cast it until the residuals of this spell disappeared.
He cleared his throat. “It’s my pleasure. Actually, do you want me to stay with you for a bit longer to make sure you’re all right?”
“No, I’m okay.”
When Steve exited the elevator, his head jerked. He lost his equilibrium. He fell backward right into Victor’s arms.
Victor hugged him close, smelling his sweet, musky human scent, remembering when he held him in the past. He missed Steve so much and would have clung to him longer if Steve hadn’t tried to regain his balance.
Breaking their embrace, Victor aided Steve back to his feet. “You’re not okay, Steve. I should stay with you for a little while longer to make sure you’re okay.”
Steve leaned against the wall as he tried to slide the magnetic key through the electronic lock.
Shockingly, he didn’t argue. “All right. We can talk.”
“Talk? No, I think you shouldn’t stay up talking to me. You should rest.” He helped him to the couch and let him sit.
“Let me at least offer you a drink from the bar fridge,” Steve suggested.
Victor flung the cushions that obstructed Steve’s space. He patted the wide flat leather cushion. “Here, lie back and rest. I don’t want anything. But I’ll get you something. Would you like more water?”
“No. But a green tea would be great. There’s a tea bag near the coffee maker.” Steve lay back on the couch and stared at Victor while Victor added bottled water to the machine and waited for it to boil.
He could sense Steve’s piercing gaze while he worked. When he came back to him with a hot cup of green tea, he was relieved to see the color had returned to Steve’s cheeks.
“Here you go. How are you feeling now?”
Steve slowly sat up with the help of Victor’s bracing arm. “Thanks. I’m better. The dizziness is gone.”
Victor sat at the end of the couch. He patted Steve’s leg. “That’s good. You had me worried.”
Steve sipped, keeping his eyes glued on Victor. Silence and awkwardness thickened the air between them.
Victor was at a loss for words.
Steve placed the cup on the coaster Victor had set before him on the coffee table. He sighed before saying, “Don’t think I forgot.”
A chill rolled over Victor. “Forgot? Forgot what?”
Steve pointed at his neck. “That tattoo. I remember where I saw it before, where I saw you before.”
Victor shrugged. “So where did you see me?”
“In my dream. I dreamt of you and your tattoo last night. Except I dreamt your name was Victor. Not Vinny.”
Victor tried to buy time, letting Steve regain his memory at his own pace. He cocked his brow. “You dreamt of me? Interesting. What were we doing in your dream?”
Steve blushed, lowering his gaze to his hands resting in his lap. Victor sensed Steve’s heart’s frantic beat. His actions spoke volumes. Steve had had an erotic dream about Victor. Victor couldn’t help but smile. That red-hot passion that burned inside them was so intense, even a powerful spell couldn’t erase it.
Steve grunted, sitting completely up, kicking his feet to the floor. “It doesn’t matter.”
Curious to hear every detail of Steve’s lewd dream, he scooted closer to him. “Sure it matters. Maybe we have met before only I don’t remember. Why don’t you tell me about it and see if it triggers my memory.”
Steve stared at him. His pronounced Adam’s apple bobbed when he swallowed nervously. “I dreamt we were together.”
Victor moved closer still. When his face was mere inches away from Steve’s, he asked, “Together? In what sense? Were we in a restaurant? Or on a train?”
“No, we were in a compromising position.” Steve appeared to be trying to steel his emotions. “Now can you tell me why I dreamt of you and me making love? And why I dreamt of your tattoo?”
Staring at Steve’s full, pink lips that appeared to throb under his gaze, Victor moaned. “Maybe you noticed my tattoo yesterday, only you didn’t remember it until you dreamt about me. Maybe you dreamt about me because you’re sexually attracted to me, just like I’m attracted to you.”
He couldn’t contain his desires any longer. He snaked his hand behind Steve’s neck, drawing him in for a passionate kiss.
They had been apart long enough. It was time they reunited and reignited their passion and love.
Chapter Fourteen
What had been happening? For the past twenty or so minutes, the foundation under Steve’s feet had shaken to its very core.
There had been a short circuit somewhere in his brain. His mind’s eye had kept switching from the bar scene to a black and white one where Vinny had shorter hair and stubble.
Steve had felt his blood pressure rise in the bar and everything had begun to spin. Vinny had helped him up to his room.
Thankfully, the minute Steve had laid down on the couch, his vertigo settled along with his drumming heartbeat.
That’s when he’d focused on Vinny. Why had he been seeing a black and white image of this gorgeous giant of a man who smelled so damn good? His cologne had Steve wanting to lean in closer at the bar to get a better smell.
That was when he’d seen Vinny’s scar. Everything had spiraled into chaos after that. Why?
A light had switched on in his brain, and he’d realized why his mind kept switching from the here and now to a black and white image. It had been his dream from the night before. The one where Vinny was Victor, and they were fucking. It had all come back to him.
When Vinny had dipped in to kiss him just now, it had caught Steve completely off guard. He hadn’t expected it. It took a moment for him to realize the giant hunk was kissing him. But instead of pushing him away, he indulged in the sweet nectar of his mouth. He tasted the chocolate mint Vinny had tossed into his mouth minutes ago while he’d been preparing the tea.
Vinny’s cold lips on his sent shockwaves of erotic sensations through his body and honed onto his cock. It twitched in his tight jeans.
Steve moaned, longing to explore more. Again. Yes, again. He’d kissed these lips before. And no, not in his dream, but in real life.
It all became clear to him. He drew back to stare into those enchanting crystal blue eyes that mirrored the light all around them. “Victor? It’s you?”
Tears seeme
d to mist Victor’s eyes, which only brightened the light inside them. “Yes, it’s me.”
Steve’s heart trembled as he drew his hands to cup Victor’s beautiful face. He knew it had been a long time since they’d last been together. How long exactly seemed muddled in his mind.
As if understanding what was running through Steve’s mind, Victor said, “I’m sorry I pushed you away. I didn’t want to.”
Searching his eyes, trying to read his soul, he asked, “Do you still love me?”
With glistening eyes, Victor nodded. “Yes. I do. I love you more than ever before.”
“I love you, too.” Steve smiled, bringing his lips to Victor’s cold ones. He felt a pleasurable chill run through him when their mouths merged.
There was a void and confusion in his brain, but at the moment it didn’t matter. He’d sort things out later. What he wanted more than anything else at this moment was to fuck Victor.
His cock grew and throbbed in his pants while he glided his hands over Victor’s arms and shoulders, feeling his rock-hard, defined muscles. He pushed him back against the couch, wiggling his hand between them, aiming for Victor’s pants zipper.
Victor blocked his hand and mumbled, “You sure you want to do this?”
Steve wondered if Victor was having second thoughts. Was something or someone holding him back? He knew they hadn’t seen one another for some time, maybe Victor had found someone else.
“I want to do this. Do you?” he asked.
Victor half laughed. “I want to fuck you more than anything else. It’s just you were dizzy. You’re not feeling well.”
“The dizziness is gone. I’m good.” He toyed with Victor’s top shirt button, offering him a salacious smirk. “So what are you waiting for to fuck me?”
Victor growled. “All right.” He brought his hungry, demanding lips over Steve’s. He took Steve’s breath away when he held him in his steel arms, lifting him effortlessly.
Steve grabbed the cushion beside him on the couch, tossing it onto the carpet right before Victor laid him down.
When Victor withdrew his cold luscious lips, he stood and began to undress. With his nimble fingers, he unbuttoned his shirt while he stared at Steve with his adoring eyes.
Steve lacked Victor’s elegance as he tried to unbutton his shirt. Ogling Victor’s hairless, toned chest and ripped abs distracted him. Steve had forgotten a button. It popped as he shrugged the shirt roughly off.
It was a designer shirt that cost him a pretty penny, but it didn’t matter. Time was of the essence. If he didn’t strip naked this instant, he’d go crazy.
He wanted Victor to fuck him so bad, to sink his hard, long cock deep inside his ass. Victor was and would always be the best lover Steve ever had.
His well-endowed cock, his strength, agility, and his stamina weren’t what made Victor so good in bed. It was his gentleness, his love, and knowing what made Steve writhe in ecstasy that did. Steve’s climaxes had been numerous and beyond satisfying with Victor. They were heaven made bliss.
And he longed to reach that heaven made bliss once more. He had waited too long.
Victor’s hard, aroused cock and his long, muscular legs caught Steve’s attention the second Victor slid out of his pants.
Steve bit his lower lip trying to contain his sexual excitement. If he didn’t calm down, he would come before they even got started.
Instead, he took deep breaths, anticipating Victor’s touch. His dexterous, cold fingers caressed Steve’s bare chest, circulating his pecs and teasing his nipples.
Victor purred, staring longingly into Steve’s eyes. “I’ve imagined touching you like this every day and every night we’ve been apart.”
He bowed his head to wrap his cold, supple lips around Steve’s nipple. Steve’s heart skipped a beat, and his cock twitched.
When Victor sucked and nibbled it, Steve groaned. “Don’t torture me like this. I want you to fuck me now, and then we can indulge in foreplay.”
The need for sexual release was consuming him.
Victor smiled seductively as he rose and nodded. “Turn over, sexy, and show me that fine ass of yours.”
Steve’s heart’s irregular beat speeded, making it harder to breathe normally. He had to take deeper breaths.
“Mmm, how I missed this ass,” Victor moaned, rubbing and caressing his ass cheeks.
Steve could sense Victor’s eyes on him. Hearing his praising words turned his body on fire.
Shivers of ecstasy rolled over Steve’s back and legs. Goose bumps spread on his skin.
Something cold and wet touched Steve’s ass. It wasn’t Victor’s hand. It was his aroused, wet cock, which he glided back and forth over Steve’s asshole.
Waves of pleasure enveloped Steve. When Victor slid his cock gradually into his ass, Steve held his breath. He savored the pleasurable friction as Victor slipped his dick out and thrust it back in.
Steve leaned against the armrest of the couch. He gripped it tightly, his knuckles whitening with the effort.
“Ah, fuck. Your ass is so tight. Damn, this is amazing.” Victor groaned.
His breaths were shallow, barely audible. The same couldn’t be said for Steve. The sound of his ragged breaths reverberated in his chest and his ears.
A light sheen of sweat coated his skin as his raging heart pumped his blood through his veins and arteries.
The pressure in his balls and engorged cock kept rising while Victor’s motions quickened. Victor thrust his cock into Steve’s ass deeper and faster with each second that passed.
Thankfully, he held Steve’s hips. Otherwise, Steve would have collapsed since his leaden legs pulled him down.
After one last thrust, Victor cried out, “Ah, yeah.”
Hot cum filled Steve’s ass and spilled out just as Steve peaked. His cock erupted, sending shockwaves of ecstasy coursing through his body.
Stars appeared at the edges of his vision, and his dizziness returned.
He collapsed onto the carpet, holding his head. He was about to retch.
Chapter Fifteen
When Victor saw Steve collapse, his heart wrenched. “What’s wrong?”
Steve covered his mouth and mumbled through the gap between his fingers, “Just give me a second.”
Victor remained still and stared at him, on alert for any sign that Steve’s condition worsened.
This was all Victor’s fault. He’d pushed Steve before he was physically and emotionally ready.
The side effects of the spell hadn’t ended when Steve recognized Victor and the love they shared. If anything, it muddled his mind further, numbing rationality and reasoning and amplifying his emotions.
When Steve had become frisky, Victor should have stopped his sexual advances. Steve wasn’t in his right mind. Victor should have told him that. Instead, he’d selfishly indulged in their sexual experience. He loved Steve deep to his marrow and wanted them to become one in body and soul once again.
Now Steve was paying for Victor’s insensitive, stupid mistake.
“Would you like a glass of water?” Victor asked once he helped Steve wash up, pull on his boxer briefs, and sit on the couch.
Steve looked paler than a ghost. Steve’s thumping heart Victor heard with his keen sense worried him.
“Yes, please,” Steve responded with a feeble voice.
Victor quickly cleaned himself before slipping into his black jeans, then hurried to the minibar for a chilled water bottle. He twisted it opened and handed it to him. “Here you go.”
Steve took several big gulps before placing it back on the coffee table.
“I don’t know what is wrong with me. Maybe you’re right. I should go see a doctor.” Steve leaned back, closed his eyes, and rested his folded arms on his forehead.
“I’ll take you if you want me to. But before I do, I have to tell you why you’re feeling like this.”
Steve lowered his arms, frowning in perplexity. “How can you know what is causing this? You’re not a do
ctor.”
“No, but you remember I’m a vampire, right?”
Steve’s frown lines deepened as it appeared he racked his mind. “A vampire? Yeah, now it’s coming back to me.” He rubbed his temples. “Why am I so confused? What’s happening to my brain? Am I having a stroke or is this hysteria?”
Victor rested his hand reassuringly on Steve’s shoulder. “It’s neither. It’s a spell I cast on you that is wearing off.”
Steve opened his eyes wide. Bewilderment overtook his expression and actions as he shook his head furiously. “What the hell are you talking about?”
In a soothing, calming voice, Victor tried to explain. “Everything will be clear soon, once the spell’s hold on you breaks completely.”
He paused before continuing. He wanted Steve to absorb the news gradually.
“You may not realize it yet, but we haven’t seen each other for a very long time.”
Confused, Steve replied, “No, we saw each other last week.” He narrowed his eyes. “Or was it two weeks ago?”
“No, Steve. It’s been eight years. You’ve been working and living in Lansing all this time.”
“I have?” Steve’s voice trembled. Fear etched in his eyes and quivering lips.
“Take your time. Let it all come back to you.”
Steve bent forward, anchoring his elbows on his knees and resting his head in his hands.
“Yes, that’s true. But why did I leave? Did we break up and I can’t remember?”
“No, I made you leave. I cast a spell to make you forget about me.”
“Why would you do that?” The hurt in Steve’s eyes cut through Victor’s non-beating heart.
“To protect you. My father was going to kill you if I didn’t.”
“Your father, the elder vampire?” Steve said as if remembering.
“Yes. When I told him I loved you and wanted to live with you, he said that he forbid it. A vampire son of his would not mate with a human and be in love with him or her. He wanted to have you killed. But I pleaded with him to spare your life.
“He accepted on the condition we sent you far away. So we wouldn’t be tempted to reunite, I had to cast a spell with him to bury your memories of me. Then he contacted one of his friends in Lansing to get you a job for a newspaper.”