by Kallysten
Coming across her Sire the previous night had been unexpected, and she had fallen under his thrall before she knew it was happening. This time, she had gone to him of her own will, ready—or so she had thought—to confront him without falling under his power. Yet again, though, he had slipped into her mind. She had always hated feeling weak. Feeling helpless after years of believing no one could yield power over her anymore had shaken her more than she thought possible. Even the fact that she had come so close to shaking off his hold on her wasn't comforting in the least, because ultimately she hadn't managed to break the thrall, as hard as she had tried.
Droplets of water still covered her body when she lay down next to Brett. Resting her hand on his soft cock was enough to awaken it, and him. She covered his mouth with hers when he opened his eyes and kissed him as though it were the first time all over again: small, gentle kisses, almost chaste, an invitation to more. His hands skimmed her body as she continued to stroke him, chasing away the water and warming her. He rested his hand on her thigh and guided it up, over his own, opening her to him. Right away, his fingers were against her folds, parting them gently, gathering moisture to rub against her clit.
Any other night, she would have enjoyed letting him take the lead. This time, though, she needed to go at her own pace. She closed the small distance between them and guided his cock inside her. She could feel him shake against her as she did, his breath uneven against her cheek. She waited a few seconds, just enjoying the feel of him, then started moving against him, her movements slow but fluid. He joined her rhythm, complementing it in the best possible way but without ever trying to change it. It felt like a dance to Lisa, with the music inside rather than around her, and with Brett in her arms and body rather than just any prey. A dance, yes, whose rhythm both lifted her spirit and grounded her back into her body and life.
And so they danced, slow steps, tender touches, until the music faded with twin sighs of completion.
Brett slipped out of her then, but he kept her close. His arms were tight around her, tight enough that if she had had any fear of confinement left in her, she would have become uneasy. She had shed those fears long ago, however, after years of slow, deliberate steps the same way she had worked on all those weaknesses that, as a human, she had tolerated. She had not asked to become a vampire, but she had realized early on that the demon inside her had given her a strength and confidence she had lacked before. Taking advantage of that new strength to become the woman she had always wanted to be had been her way to reclaim her Siring and make it about her, rather than something centered on the needs and wants of her Sire. After what had happened earlier that night, though, that was a little difficult to remember.
"Lisa? You sleeping?"
The murmur slid over her as a caress. She made a small negative noise in her throat.
"There's something I need to tell you.” Brett's voice remained quiet, but strength slipped into his words, making them vibrant. “I know vampires don't love. But I'm not a vamp, and I love you. I don't expect you to say anything to that. I just want you to know that I'd do anything for you. Anything."
Lisa did not reply, her surprise rendering her speechless. She wasn't surprised by Brett's declaration of love. She had guessed long ago what her companion felt for her. It was in every one of his touches; in every one of his looks, whether they clothed her in tenderness or undressed her hungrily; in every one of his words, when they talked of the club or chitchatted. She wasn't surprised either by his promise to do anything for her. This was the kind of man he was, dedicated and strong. What did surprise her was herself, and her own reaction—or lack thereof. She should have bolted out of the bed, or maybe responded with a joke and laugh. She should not have felt touched, or grateful, but she did. She shouldn't have felt the need to tighten her hold on him, or to lay her lips on his collarbone in a soft kiss. Yet she did both.
* * * *
When morning came, Brett slipped out of Lisa's embrace and their bed as slowly and carefully as he could. She made a quiet sound of protest but didn't wake. With a hand, Brett pulled the blanket at the foot of the bed up over Lisa's shoulders, and watched her burrow into them. He felt a little guilty leaving her, but he managed to walk away, pausing just long enough to put on sweatpants and pick up the small tube from the bedside table.
The wooden floor felt cool beneath his flexing toes, the concrete in the outside hallway, rough. Leo hadn't locked his door, and it opened and closed without a sound under Brett's hand. He flicked on the light, dimming it to its lowest setting. A few more steps took him to the bedroom. This time, he grabbed the sheet at the base of the bed and pulled it toward him, revealing Leo's body. He wasn't too surprised to discover Leo slept in the nude.
Before climbing into the bed, he took off his sweatpants. The mattress yielded lightly beneath him, but Leo didn't stir. Without waiting any further, Brett grabbed Leo's cock and started stroking it. It grew firmer in his hand, and his own cock hardened along with it. At last, Leo awakened, and arched into Brett's touch.
"Good morning,” Brett said, unable not to grin as he did so.
Leo continued to arch up beneath the light strokes, but he groaned. “It's way too early for this,” he mumbled.
With a snort, Brett leaned down and, holding Leo's cock with his fisted hand at the base, he ran a tentative tongue against the tip.
"Are you sure?” he asked, looking up toward Leo's face again. “I can stop if it's really too early."
His hand rising to find Brett's arm, Leo protested almost vehemently. “Mouth. Want mouth back."
"In a minute, maybe.” He kept his hand tight as he pumped Leo's cock, spreading the beads of precome on his down strokes. “Where did you and Lisa go last night?"
At the question, Leo went completely rigid, and his grip fell to Brett's hand as though he wanted to stop him. Brett gave him a hard look, and the challenging hand moved back.
"Come on now,” Brett insisted, starting to stroke up and down again. “Where did you go?"
"Why ... why aren't you asking Lisa?"
"Because she's asleep."
"So was I."
"But you're not anymore.” He punctuated his words with a tight squeeze that pulled a moan from Leo's lips. “Did you go see him?"
The blink and light frown that accompanied the breathless “Who?” convinced Brett that Leo wasn't simply trying to gain time, so he answered calmly, his hand running up and down Leo's cock.
"Your Sire."
"How—?"
Another squeeze cut off that line of thought. When Brett resumed his stroking, Leo replied without questioning any further. “Yes."
That wasn't a surprise. After what he had heard the previous night, Brett expected as much. He paused, however, before asking his next question, anxious despite his determination to remain calm. “Did he hurt Lisa? Or you?"
"Nothing we can't heal."
Alarmed, Brett stopped stroking, earning himself a filthy glare that he completely ignored.
"Nothing you can't heal? What does that mean?"
He looked over Leo's body, and easily found what he was looking for. There were two bite marks at the crook of his neck, in the same pattern as the ones on Lisa's breast. He reached to touch them almost gingerly, but Leo stopped him by grabbing his hand and pulling him upward until they were chest to chest and cock to cock. Leo's mouth on his prevented him from asking any more questions or protesting, and after a few seconds of their tongues battling, of their cocks rubbing together, talking was the last thing he wanted to do.
After only moments, Leo pulled away abruptly. Brett understood why when Leo gently pushed him off his chest and to the side. Lisa was standing at the entrance of the bedroom, a blanket wrapped around her. She looked tired.
"Can I join you?"
Without hesitating for an instant, Brett raised his arm, inviting her in. Next to him, Leo reacted the same way. Only when she approached did Brett wonder. She wasn't usually one to ask permission before tak
ing what she wanted. She climbed into the bed, leaving the blanket at its foot. Even as his eyes trailed over her body, more questions rose to the forefront of Brett's thoughts. He wasn't sure why she had asked before joining them, but he also wasn't sure why she hadn't wanted Leo in their bed the previous evening, why she had gone out with him, why she was reaching out toward him now. Too many questions, and all of them disappeared when Lisa's fingers closed around his, even as she leaned in to kiss Leo.
Brett watched them kiss, and couldn't help but think that something more was going on there other than desire. They were both too careful, too tender, for the kiss not to have a meaning he wasn't privy to. He was curious, of course, but not jealous, not when Lisa was still clinging to his hand, including him in what was happening. He pulled her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles, then had to let go as Leo rolled Lisa onto her back between them and slipped between her legs.
For a few seconds, all Brett could do was watch, the same way he had watched them before, aroused beyond words by how beautiful they were. In the faint light coming from the front room, their bodies were draped in shadows as they moved together with slow, fluid thrusts on Leo's part and equally slow motions in counterpoint from Lisa. They seemed to share one body, even one mind, as they turned their faces toward Brett in the same instant, never breaking their rhythm.
Unable to remain on the outside any longer, Brett leaned in to kiss first Lisa, then Leo, then Lisa again, soft kisses that joined their slow pace rather than disrupted it. Just as gently, he let his hand play over them, sliding smoothly from one to the other until he didn't know whose skin he was caressing any more, or whose lips were against his own, whose tongue was slipping in his mouth, whose hand was grasping his cock.
He broke away and moaned as the hand played up and down his shaft. For a second, he closed his eyes. When he opened them again, Leo's gaze was as clear an invitation as Brett had ever been given.
His hands trembling in expectation, Brett pulled away and stood. He picked up his sweatpants from the floor and fumbled to retrieve the small tube from the pocket. Flicking the top open while climbing back onto the bed was much more difficult than it should have been, but once he had poured some of the cool lube onto his fingers, his burning thoughts calmed down enough for him to prepare Leo. He wanted to take his time and make sure he was stretching him enough. But at the same time, he couldn't wait to slip his cock past those tight, grasping muscles, couldn't wait to join in his two lovers even as they slowed down their dance to wait for him.
"That's enough."
Leo's breathless words were all Brett needed. He poured a little more lube into his palm and hissed when he fisted his cock, coating it from the head to the root. Biting his bottom lip and wishing—praying—that it wouldn't end as soon as it started, he aligned his cock to the opening of Leo's ass and pushed in as slowly as he could manage. The slick tightness around his cock was exquisite.
The three of them remained still for a few more seconds. Then Leo moved. He thrust forward, pulling away from Brett's cock and pushing into Lisa's cunt. When he pulled back, Brett's cock slid further into Leo's body again. Leo moved alone once more, then Brett accompanied his movements, using the grip of his hands on Leo's hips to amplify their rhythm. Little by little, as they learned this new dance together, their pace strengthened, pulling moans from the three of them. Lisa's light fingers covered Brett's own, intertwining with them when Leo leaned down to kiss her. As Leo arched up again, Brett kissed the middle of his back.
The sensations overwhelming Brett were becoming too much. He wouldn't last much longer, not like this, but he didn't want to be the first to come. He wanted to feel—
Lisa's cry was unexpected, a note of joy ending in a moan. Leo bucked wildly between her and Brett, his body shaking as orgasm overtook him. Thrusting into his body a few more times, Brett let go of his control and joined them as he unconsciously tightened his fingers on Lisa's.
They collapsed together, and for a moment the only sound in the bedroom was that of heavy breathing, the only movement the trembling of satiated bodies. As they pulled apart only to lie down together, Brett reached over Leo to rest a hand on Lisa's hip. She did the same and laid a hand on his shoulder, squeezing briefly. Between them, Leo let out a rumbling sound that sounded, of all things, like the low purr of a great cat.
Brett was smiling when he closed his eyes, and he let his thoughts wander. They brought him back to what he had told Lisa earlier, about his willingness to do anything for her. At that moment, he couldn't think of anything he wouldn't have done for Leo as well.
Chapter 11
Warmth and softness were the sum of Leo's world.
Behind him, Brett's chest was molded to his back, his semi-hard cock nestled against his ass, his arm thrown over his waist. Everywhere they touched, all Leo could feel was warmth, and he had half a mind to curl up so that Brett's slightly smaller frame could encompass him entirely, cocoon him in warmth and life. He couldn't move, though, not with Lisa pressed to his front, her chest to his, her head tucked in beneath his chin, her arm over his waist, just above Brett's. Her skin was silk against him. There was no place in the world he would rather be.
As he drifted between sleep and wakefulness, his mind took him decades back. He had once spent his nights like this one, safe and comfortable between two lovers who were his entire world: Lisa and Nicholas. But the feeling of completion had never been as absolute as it was now, maybe because Nicholas had always needed to reinforce his control over them. Something told him that Brett would never take from him—from them—for the simple pleasure of proving he could.
A more recent memory resurfaced, and he relived somewhat fitfully the events of the previous night. He had been between his Sire and Lisa yet again, but in a much different way. His only comfort was that Nicholas hadn't touched her. He hoped that her coming to his bed to join him and Brett meant she forgave him for drawing her into that mess.
Shaking the memories away by burrowing a little more against Brett and drawing Lisa a little tighter to his chest, Leo tried to find a deeper sleep again. Just as he was drifting off, however, he could hear voices coming from the stairwell outside his door. He opened his eyes and listened intently. The footsteps came up to the landing, and then there was knocking. Loud, insistent knocking, soon accompanied by calls of Brett's name. The police. They were in front of Brett's apartment.
With a groan, he gently pushed away both his lovers so he could sit up. They answered with the same mumbled protests.
"Come on,” Leo sighed. “You've got to wake up. They'll be here next. We'd better get dressed."
He rolled over Lisa to get out of bed, pulling more protests from her.
"What? Who?"
"The police.” He picked up his pants from the floor and pulled them on. “Can't you hear them?"
Lisa sat up, leaning back on her elbows, and in the semi-darkness he could see her frown as she listened. She reached out toward Brett and shook his arm gently until he stirred.
"The police are here. Let's get up."
Leo handed her his robe when she stood. On the other side of the bed, Brett was cursing under his breath and putting on the sweatpants he had picked up from the floor. None of them voiced aloud what they probably all thought: if the police were here, there had to have been another murder.
They were all decent by the time the knocking switched from the door across the hall to the loft's. Leo looked at Lisa and Brett, silently asking them if they were ready, and went to open it. They were the same policemen as before, although Leo had forgotten their names. He stood squarely in the way this time rather that letting them in.
"Good morning, gentlemen.” He couldn't stifle a yawn. “How can I help you?"
"We're looking for Mr. Andrews. Do you know...?"
Leo heard footsteps behind him. Without turning, he could tell that both Brett and Lisa had appeared from the bedroom. He only needed to see the slight widening of the policemen's eyes to know that<
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"Another death?” Brett asked, foregoing greetings.
Leo stood out of the way so that Brett could see the two men, but he didn't open the door any further, since he had no intention of inviting them in.
"A Special Enforcer,” the same man continued. “His name was Hutson. We hear you met him yesterday?"
Turning sideways, Leo watched Brett run a hand through his hair. The gesture made him appear nervous. “I ... Yes. He wanted a list of my employees."
Judging by his nod, the man already knew that. Leo wondered briefly who had told him, then figured it had to have been John. He had to have let them in, as well. Leo was beginning to think that it hadn't been as good an idea as he had first thought to have the chief of security living just across the street.
The second man leaned against the doorway. When he talked, he addressed Brett, although his eyes remained on Lisa. Leo didn't like the way he leered at her in the slightest.
"We saw you put a camera up finally."
"We did, but there were problems last night. The system crashed. I lost everything that was recorded before three."
The man's eyes shifted toward Brett, narrowing slightly. “How convenient."
"Are you doubting my word?"
"Well, your word is all we have about a lot of things. Why do I have a feeling that if we ask you where your pet vamps were last night, you'll say with you."
Leo's grip on the side of the door tightened. He was no one's pet, and no one would talk about him or Lisa like this in front of him. He wasn't the only one who was offended, however. In just a second, Brett was at his side, facing the two men with all his height. His scent revealed that he was much angrier than he looked.
"If that is how you talk about my companions, I'm done cooperating. If you want anything else from me, you'll have to get a warrant. I'll show you back out."
He pushed out of the apartment, forcing the policemen away, and waited for them to start down the staircase. He threw a tight smile at Leo before walking down after them. When Leo looked back at Lisa, her expression was as somber as he himself felt.