Devon Morgan [Seven Brothers for McBride 5] (Siren Publishing Everlasting Classic ManLove)

by Anitra Lynn McLeod

  As he dressed, McBride ran through all the things he needed to get done. Even with everyone pitching in, there was no shortage of chores. Losing Caleb was going to hurt, especially when it came to repairing the various machines. Caleb had a knack for knowing what had broken and how to fix it with whatever happened to be around. That skill would be worth a fortune now that all the repair shops were closed and spare parts eventually dried up. But McBride couldn’t get him to stay so he had to find someone else.

  And then he hit on a potential solution to all his problems. Quintus, his crimetech, was quick on his feet and seemed to be able to anticipate issues, correcting them long before they worsened. Not only did he have those stellar qualities, but he was of McBride’s same class. Quintus was a gentryman. He wasn’t landed, but that was okay. McBride had more than enough land for the both of them.

  McBride had never looked at Quintus in terms of pursuing him as a companion, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t do so now. Quintus had dirty blond hair and very unusual gray eyes. He was focused, driven, and quite handsome. He wasn’t as tall or as big as McBride himself, but he was still powerful. At the Larsden crime scene, McBride had gotten a glimpse of him in the biohazard shower in the back. His chest was bare, but that might be because he shaved. With some encouragement, he might let his body hair grow. He’d look better with hair. Caleb certainly—

  “No.” McBride shook his head. He had to stop with the comparisons or even the notion of trying to make Quintus fit what he wanted. Accepting him for who he was would be the only way to go. Had there been a spark at the crime scene? McBride had been so focused on the horror that he hadn’t really paid his coworker much attention. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t do so now.

  But where was Quintus? McBride had invited him out what felt forever ago and then hadn’t heard from him since. His worry was somewhat mollified by the fact the communication system went down. If Quintus could contact him, he would. Quintus must just be getting all his things packed. That was all.

  As soon as McBride was dressed, he left his room behind and tracked down the butler. He was in the kitchen cleaning, as was Ollie. It seemed to McBride’s untrained eye, Ollie was retrofitting the kitchen so that it would be easier for him to use rather than organized for the convenience of the cookbot.

  “How’s everything going?”

  “Good, sir. Did you need something?” Ollie was covered in random smudges and sweat beaded along his brow, but he’d never looked happier. It was amazing how quickly he’d turned into a strong, confident man once he had work that he enjoyed and a mate he loved.

  “I was just about to ask you that.”

  “I think we’re set in here.” Ollie rose up and looked out the window. “Looks like Jonas has things handled in the garden.”

  It was on the tip of McBride’s tongue to ask where Caleb was, but he curbed himself at the last second. “I think we should tell your brothers the truth about you and Jonas.”

  “Now?”

  “Not right this moment but sooner rather than later.” McBride looked out the window, and against his best efforts, he searched for Caleb. He felt a sting of disappointment when he wasn’t there.

  “I’m not sure if I’m ready. Given how Caleb feels about Jonas…”

  “Caleb already knows.”

  Ollie’s eyes widened, and his attention darted back to the garden.

  “He swore to me he wouldn’t hurt Jonas.”

  “And you trusted him?”

  “I do.” McBride left out the rest. There was no reason to dump all of that on Ollie’s shoulders. “The reason I want to clear the air is because I’d like to pursue a mate of my own.”

  Ollie frowned as he continued to look out at the men working the land.

  “My crimetech is coming.”

  “Oh.” Ollie shook his head. “I thought—never mind.”

  McBride knew what he’d thought. If things were different, McBride would have been happy to announce he was claiming Caleb as his mate regardless of the law or anything else. Since that dream was now utterly destroyed, he had to move on.

  Turning to the butler, McBride asked, “Has the valet seen any movement on the road?”

  “No, sir. Not since Devon retrieved Karsten.”

  “Karsten?”

  “The man who was coming up the road yesterday?” the butler prompted.

  “Oh. Right.” McBride had forgotten all about him. “Are they still quarantined in Devon’s house?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “No one has checked on them?”

  “I don’t know. I will endeavor to find out.” The butler made to go but stopped at the kitchen doorway. “Should I reactivate the communication link with you?”

  “When was it deactivated?” McBride felt like he’d missed everything critical that had happened in the last few days.

  “Caleb instructed me to remove you from the chain of notice when you were ill. You confirmed this in your bedroom earlier.”

  “Of course.” McBride tried to sound confident, but he felt confused. How long had he been out of the loop? It was foolish for Caleb to sever McBride’s link when Caleb didn’t have one. The butler or valet would have to find him, and that wasn’t always easy on a farm this big. “Please reestablish the link.”

  “Very good, sir.”

  “And the valet is still keeping watch?”

  “Yes. Should I tell him to contact you if he sees anything?”

  “He should do so immediately. I’m expecting my crimetech, Quintus. Please have Ollie’s mechanical house freshened for him.” Even though McBride wanted to woo him, he would keep him quarantined for safety. Or perhaps he would accidently expose himself to Quintus so they were locked up together. That would give them time to get to know one another and let love bloom. However, before he did that, he might check on Devon and Karsten first. If they were at each other’s throats, he would ditch the idea. “I’m going to go check on Devon and his thrall.”

  “I will get to work on preparing the house for our guest.”

  As McBride went toward the yard, the butler went up the main staircase. McBride was about halfway across the yard when he saw Caleb. He was inside his house with the door open, giving McBride glimpses of him whenever he crossed the main room. From the way he was moving, he was packing things up. Determined not to care, McBride kept on his path to Devon’s house. Unfortunately, it was close to Caleb’s house. Renner’s house stood between them, but there was no distraction there since the drapes were all closed. McBride couldn’t remember a time when Renner’s shades were open.

  Out the corner of his eye, McBride saw Caleb stop in his doorway. He seemed to be tracking McBride’s progress across the street. As McBride came upon the stocks, he slowed down and reached out, stroking his hand over the top part of the device. The wood was perfectly smooth by decades of blowing grit. Tossing a man in there wouldn’t be too terribly cruel. At least his neck and wrists wouldn’t get filled with splinters. Just as he went past the stocks, he looked up, caught Caleb’s gaze for a bare second, then looked away. Without looking back, McBride continued on to Devon’s house. Once he reached the porch, he peered in the living room window. The couch and chair were empty. From his vantage point, everything looked tidy. He imagined if they were slowly dying of some dread disease, the house would reflect it. But maybe not.

  Without looking around, McBride knew Caleb was watching him. The urge to go and try to convince him they belonged together was strong, but he resisted. Caleb had made his choice, and McBride was going to respect it even if he thought it was the worst decision he’d ever made. It was at that precise moment McBride remembered something he’d heard but never understood until now. It was a saying about setting what he loved free and if it loved him back, it would return to him. He’d thought that was ridiculous when he heard it but not now. To his absolute shock, McBride realized he loved Caleb enough to let him go.

  Chapter 14

  Devon woke with Karsten in h
is arms. There was a part of Devon that kept waking him during the night to assure himself Karsten was there and not just a dream. Each time he discovered Karsten was real and they were still twined together, he kissed his head and went back to sleep, smiling.

  “Good morning.”

  “Good morning.” Karsten stretched then blinked his bright blue eyes. “Care to scallywag me, Captain?”

  “How about I shiver your timbers?”

  “I don’t know what that is, but I’m all yours.”

  The rising sun lit up the blue curtains, enhancing Karsten’s already-stunning eyes. He didn’t want to be someone else when, for the first time he ever remembered, Devon was thrilled to be himself. Devon tossed the game playing out the window. He retrieved the bottle of greasers and slipped one inside Karsten. Concerned that he might be tender from what they’d done last night, he watched Karsten’s face as he eased the pellet inside. Karsten sighed and his eyelids fluttered, indicating he wasn’t in pain at all.

  Kissing his way from Karsten’s ear to his nose and then to his mouth, Devon then worked his way down Karsten’s body. By the time he reached his cock, Karsten was hard. Placing soft, openmouthed kisses along his shaft caused Karsten to moan and sigh. Flicking his tongue under where the shaft met the head made him arch up, straining to get more of his cock into Devon’s mouth. As much as he wanted to taste him, he had other ideas this morning.

  Easing his legs apart, Devon centered himself over his mate, balancing his weight on his arms. He kissed his way to Karsten’s ear. “Do you have any idea how beautiful you look in this light?”

  “I do now.” Karsten grinned and gripped Devon’s shoulders.

  “You really are amazing.”

  “I feel the same way about you.”

  Keeping their eye contact, Devon slipped his cock inside Karsten’s ass. He wanted to make sure he wasn’t in any pain, but also, he loved the way Karsten’s lips parted and he sighed blissfully when Devon filled him. There was a moment of resistance, where Karsten’s body was tight and almost fighting him, but then he relaxed and welcomed Devon within. It was a stunning moment when that switch occurred. The first time, when Karsten had been on top, Devon had witnessed the event and marveled at the sudden change. Now, each time they had sex, he wanted to watch his features and enjoy that particular moment. Devon had a feeling that no matter how many times he saw it, he would always find it enchanting.

  “Does my face change when I enter you?” Devon realized that Karsten had not been privy to his inner thoughts and the question probably wouldn’t make sense to him.

  “Oh, yes.” Karsten left off Devon’s shoulder and cupped his face. “There’s this look of determination in your eyes, like you have to be inside me as soon as possible, and then when you succeed, you look stunned. Just for a moment, but the look is so clear.”

  “Stunned?”

  “Like you didn’t think you’d make it or maybe I would stop you.” Karsten lifted his head to kiss Devon softly. “I wouldn’t stop you, you know. I was nervous at first, but now…it’s so good I want more and more.”

  “Music to my ears.” Devon pressed his forehead to Karsten’s. “I’m glad I found you.”

  “I am, too.”

  Devon held to his leisurely pace until the drive to climax became unbearable. Working their bodies together, they tried to reach release together, but Karsten went off first, propelling Devon to follow him over the edge. After such a long buildup, the finale was powerful.

  “I want to wake up like this every day.”

  Karsten nodded and they yawned. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t be.”

  After making a lazy kind of love to Karsten, Devon rolled so they were both on their sides, and then they dozed. The only reason they got up at all was they were sticky and hungry. Rather than take another bath, which would get out of hand very quickly, they showered together, with the ducks, then entered the kitchen. After a bit of debate, they settled on a meal, ate, and then went right back to the secret bedroom.

  “Are you sure you’re not sore?” Devon had loved the snug heat of his mate, but he didn’t want to hurt him.

  “A bit.”

  “Then we’ll have to find something else to do.”

  “You could tell me a story.”

  Devon’s heart practically swelled. He was up off the bed and retrieving a book from his closet so fast he practically dried his shower-damp hair. “This is one of my favorites.”

  From late morning to midafternoon, Devon read while Karsten listened. He was active in doing so by making faces that conveyed his reactions. He booed at the villain and cheered on the hero. All in all it was even better than what Devon imagined it would be. When he reached the end, Karsten uttered a long, content sigh.

  “Did you like it?”

  “Absolutely!” Karsten snuggled against Devon’s chest. “The hero got the guy and the villain got his comeuppance.”

  “That’s always the best.”

  “Not all books end like that?”

  “Not always. Sometimes the hero fails, but he still learns something. And sometimes the villain gets away.” Devon closed the book and set it aside. “Which reminds me.” He got up after a bit of fussing by Karsten, who wanted him to stay right where he was, and retrieved the pirate book. “Okay, scallywag isn’t in here.”

  “It’s not?”

  “Nope.” Devon frowned as he tried to remember which book that word was in and what it meant. He’d always wanted to get a dictionary, but they were hard to find. The two he had gotten a hold of were hopelessly out of date but fascinating nonetheless. There were literally millions of words that were no longer used by anyone. “I wonder what ‘scallywag’ means?”

  “Well, we can make it mean whatever we want. Or we can make up our own word.”

  “Now you’re thinking.”

  “We can call it ‘wagging.’ Or ‘I want to scally your wag.’ ‘Wag my scally’? No, the other way works better.” Karsten grinned. “Come back to bed, Captain, and scally my wag.”

  “Aye.” Devon put the book away.

  “Why do you hide them in there?”

  “My brothers teased me.”

  “So?”

  Devon considered. “You’re right. If I like books, I should be proud.”

  “I say we put them in the parlor where they belong.” Karsten got out of bed and joined Devon near the closet. “Wow. Maybe we should go see if there’s room!”

  “Yeah, I have a lot.”

  “We can build a shelf.”

  “Or two.”

  “And what’s all this?” Karsten stroked his hand over the tidy row of costumes and fabrics.

  “Clothes for us to play dress up. And fabric to make new outfits.”

  A knock at the front door startled Devon. He was beginning to feel like he and Karsten were all alone in the world and he wanted to keep it that way for a bit longer. “Stay here.”

  “Why?”

  “I just—I’ll deal with this.”

  Devon grabbed his workpants and pulled them on, zipping them up as he moved toward the front of the house. McBride was standing near the big window. He looked so much better than he had yesterday.

  When McBride saw him, he waved. “How are you feeling?” His voice carried through the glass. It was muffled, but still his words were clear.

  Devon hesitated because he thought about saying he wasn’t feeling all that well just so he could have more time with Karsten, but that wasn’t a good idea when they were being quarantined. In the end, he told the truth. “We’re both fine.”

  “Good.” McBride disappeared from view and then reappeared at the door. He unlocked it and then opened it. “I think you two can come out. From all that I’ve heard, only gentrymen are getting the blood madness.”

  “That’s what Karsten said.” Devon considered McBride’s bright eyes and much more robust features. “Are you feeling better?”

  “I am. Thank you for asking.” McBride smiled, but it did
n’t come close to touching his eyes. Sadness seemed to change his features, making him look much older than he was. Or maybe he just hadn’t healed all the way from whatever ailed him yesterday. “Can I meet your thrall?”

  “Karsten?” Devon called, and for a split second he feared that McBride was going to take him away. It was crazy, especially since McBride would never be interested in a thrall when he had Jonas as his mate. Gentrymen selected others of their kind. Still, Devon was nervous that somehow getting what he most wanted ensured it would be taken away. It was at that precise moment Devon realized that he was no longer falling into love. He’d hit and was drenched. The very idea of Karsten being removed from his custody had him ready to fight to the death.

  Chapter 15

  Karsten had been peeking around the corner, watching Devon and his master. McBride was a giant. Karsten had thought Devon’s brother Caleb was the biggest man he’d ever seen, but he hadn’t seen McBride then. What interested Karsten was that McBride didn’t seem mean. His face was open, his eyes kind, but there was a weary sadness to his features. Karsten couldn’t pinpoint what gave him that appearance, only that it was there.

  When Devon called for him, Karsten entered with his head down but his gaze up. It was a submissive posture to show that he was no threat to anyone. He didn’t want McBride to think he was diseased or inferior and thus take him away from Devon. Karsten loved his whimsical, passionate mate, and he didn’t want to be cast out or given to another.

  “It’s okay.” Devon offered out his hand.

  Once he got close enough, Karsten accepted and clung to him. He was terrified that McBride would get one look at his neck and send him away. To delay that moment, Karsten kept his head down.

  “Welcome to my farm, Karsten. I’m Dillion McBride, but everyone calls me McBride.” He leaned down a bit so that he could look Karsten more directly in the eye. “Well, it’s pretty clear what’s been going on here.”

  Karsten instantly reached for his neck, trying to hide his shame.