by Dakota Dawn
Sal was standing next to Caleb with his hands on his hips and a smug look on his face.
“Luke,” Caleb warned in a firm voice.
“All right.” The elf said a few ancient words and waved his hand at Sal.
Sal gasped. “Luke, you sorry—”
Caleb had to cut Sal off. “Not tonight, Sal. We need everyone working together. That means you have to be nicer to Neil. Got it?”
Sal frowned and then looked at Luke and then at Caleb. “Yes.”
“Good. Now let’s get back to work.” Caleb watched as his men went back to work.
Luke grumbled as he picked up a nail gun. “No one can appreciate a good spell these days.”
Zotikos could and Joaquin had been plenty happy about it. Neil had softly radiated pleasure. The young carpenter had a soft heart. He was glad to see the young man get a little justice. Soon he’d have to give Luke a thank-you gift.
Milly showed up with Tristan just when they finished the frame and workbenches inside the greenhouse. On one of those benches they set out the food and wine. As they ate they discussed what else needed to be done. Tristan looked around the greenhouse and admitted he could do the plumbing that would bring water to the building. Zavier said he and Renny could help Tristan.
When Zavier and Renny sat close to him and his mates, Zotikos asked, “How are the babies and Shea doing?”
“The babies are great, except at night. Shea is still glowing although she’s exhausted. Reagan and Shea are going to bring the babies by later.” Zavier’s answer was full of pride.
“Reagan is Renny’s cousin and Shea is her mate,” he filled Pierce in so he’d know what was going on.
Oscar flew over the greenhouse and then made a pass on the inside before he landed on an empty workbench close to Zavier.
Zotikos pointed at the large owl with its big gold-and-black eyes. “He’s Oscar. He hangs out with Zavier and his family. They live on the property next to ours.” His mate had a lot to learn and it was important for him to know who their friends were.
“Are you kidding? Oscar does more than hang out. He’s constantly patrolling for danger. Especially since our sons were born,” Renny said in a somewhat exasperated tone and then looked guiltily at Oscar. “We still love you, though.”
The owl fluffed his feather and with a satisfied hoot took off.
Pierce watched the owl leave and then looked at Zavier and Renny. “Who has the babies? You or your cousin?”
“Both. The girls wanted babies and so did we. Sooo…Zavier and I manned up and got Shea pregnant with twins. One from each of us. The girls moved in with us during the get-baby-making-busy-time and we all just clicked. The girls have their rooms on one side of the house and we have ours on the other side. It may seem weird to some people, but I was orphaned when I was young so I have a need to be in a big family. I thank the Goddess of Family, you know there has to be one, for giving me a mate who is able to handle a large family. If I know Shea, she’ll want at least one more baby,” Renny said with a knowing nod of his head.
Zotikos felt the small amount of envy Pierce felt at the thought of a large family. Did Pierce want babies? He took Pierce’s hand in his own and pushed the love he was feeling for his mates into Pierce. His human mate looked at him and smiled. It was a beautiful smile. Darrin came back from talking to Caleb and sat next to him. Taking his vampire mate’s hand, he raised it and kissed it. The smile that went all the way to Darrin’s beautiful green eyes strummed his heartstrings. Each day his love for his mates grew.
Whit and Parker jumped off the bench they’d been sitting on. “We’re going back at it.”
Neil and Joaquin got off the bench they’d been sitting on. “Let’s finish this,” Joaquin said and then headed for the outdoor bench designs with a grumbling Sal on his heels.
Tristan came up to him. “The greenhouse is coming along really well. Where are the plumbing plans?”
“I’ll show you what I need.” Pierce led Tristan, Zavier, and Renny away.
Fed and rested, the group thanked Milly as they headed back to work. The curvy female blushed and started clearing the leftovers away. Within two hours the plumbing was finished and the floor was in place. Pierce became so excited he took his sweat-soaked shirt off and started replanting some of the plants they’d brought from his old garden and some new plants Pierce had picked out recently into the indoor raised beds that had just been finished. Those planting beds had been a bonus that was on the want list not the need list.
As he watched Pierce and felt his mate’s happiness and love, Zotikos realized the planting beds should have been on the need list. He owed his friends for making this happen so quickly. He spotted Darrin taking soil to the beds further away. Looking at both of his mates had his heart aching with love.
* * * *
Darrin was proud of all the work they’d gotten done and of how nice it was looking. Sal may be an ass, but with Neil’s help and a few others the grouchy carpenter had built a fine greenhouse. The outdoor benches they were currently working on looked beautiful and big enough and comfortable enough to have an orgy on.
One small groan drew his attention. Was that a good groan like from a lover’s touch or a bad groan from someone in pain? He totally stopped what he was doing and focused on hearing the sounds nearby. A breath later he heard the unmistakable sound of kissing. Hungry kissing and heavy breathing. A couple was making out just outside the far corner of the greenhouse. Darrin tried not to listen. A good man would go about his work and not listen in. One minute later he decided he wasn’t a good man. With his cock slowly getting harder, Darrin opened another bag of soil and poured it in one of the many indoor raised beds. Through all the bag opening and soil pouring his ears stayed tuned to the kissing and moaning couple.
“On your knees, Ren. Suck me right and I’ll reward you,” Zavier said in a low husky voice.
Being a horny male with a great imagination, he couldn’t help but picture the six-foot, over-two-hundred-pound Zavier standing in front of the half-a-foot-shorter and much lighter Renny, giving him sexual commands. He heard the small blond man’s knees hit the ground and then the sound of a zipper being pulled down. Although he tried to ignore the couple, he couldn’t. The low sounds of a cock being sucked and worshiped kept drawing his wayward attention.
“That’s it. Now look up at me while you suck my dick. I want to look into your awesome eyes.” Zavier’s tone was soft yet commanding.
Thinking of the blond’s eyes with those gold flecks gleaming from their trapped position in a bowl of silky chocolate had him thinking of Zotikos’s beautiful blue eyes with their mesmerizing diamond flecks. Flecks that could outshine the sun. Damn those elves had hot eyes. Eyes that made you want to look into them forever.
“Don’t close your eyes again. I want to look into them as I fill your perfect mouth with my release,” Zavier whispered to Renny.
Feeling like a Peeping Tom, Darrin tried to focus on his job. He felt relieved when he realized he’d used all the soil he’d brought back here. If he were lucky the couple would be done by the time he returned with more soil.
Since everyone was busy with their own tasks, he didn’t get to stop and talk to anyone. All he could do was hope the couple had finished.
While pouring a bag of soil into a raised planting bed, he heard a groan.
“That’s it, Ren. Don’t close those glowing eyes.” The sound of hips rocking fast and sucking became louder and then a long low groan sounded. “Drink it, all of it. Yeah. Fuck you’re hot when you swallow my load like it’s a gourmet meal.”
Darrin felt his cock twitch and tried harder to ignore the couple. He opened another bag of soil and poured it in the planter. Heavy breathing sounded in his ears drawing his attention back to the naughty couple.
“Take off your pants and briefs and then bend over and place your hands on the support beam,” Zavier ordered his mate.
Sure enough the sound of pants being shucked filled Darrin’
s ears. He opened another bag and berated himself for listening to the couple. They were just so close to the area he was working in and it’s not like he was trying to be quiet. If he could hear them, they had to be able to hear him. That meant they didn’t mind an audience. Him working so close to them was possibly turning them on. That thought took all of his guilt away and freed his conscience. Openly listening now, he focused on the mating couple.
“Spread your legs wider,” Zavier ordered. A slap cut through the air. “Wider.”
“You like it when I kiss and work your balls, don’t you?” Zavier asked his lover.
“Yes, please, Zav, work them over harder.” Renny’s answer was passion-dazed.
The amorous sound of swats, some hard some soft, came to Darrin’s ears. His vivid imagination pulled up pictures of Zavier kneeling behind his bent over mate. Zavier’s hands would be roughly playing with his mate’s balls, bringing the smaller man to paradise. Doing his part to spice up their risky mating spot, he opened the next bag as loudly as possible and was glad to hear a low groan. These two were enjoying making love near a working person and being heard. That was hot. One day he might try to talk his mates into making love in a public place.
“Do not take your hands off the beam. Brace yourself for a hard, fast fucking.” Zavier’s words created a vivid picture in Darrin’s mind.
Darrin kept on working. Every so often he’d drop a bag or make some other loud noise. The couple kept right on doing their thing.
“That’s it, take it all. Fuck.” Slapping sounds drifted to Darrin. In a low tone, Zavier said, “Your little elf ass is so tight, so fucking sweet.”
The couple’s groans rose. Darrin’s cock jerked and got a little harder. He loved tight, hot ass. A picture of his own mates bent over popped into his mind and he nearly came in his pants. Harsh breathing came to him and he imagined himself exerting a lot of effort as he pounded into his mates, their heat engulfing his stiff cock.
Renny cried out and then he heard Zavier’s voice. “You like me yanking off your dick while I fuck you little ass, don’t you?” A loud groan was all the answer Zavier got. “That’s it, come for me, Ren. Get my hand all wet with your seed.”
Erotic sounds of soft passionate cries, rough moans, and slapping skin on skin whirled around Darrin. He knew he’d have to get some loving from his mates before he went to sleep otherwise his boner was going to keep him up all day. As he headed back to retrieve more bags of soil, he heard two loud, sexy cries. He grinned as he thought of how relaxed the two men were going to be when they came back to work.
Three loads later, Darrin finished putting soil in all of the raised planting beds. He walked over to a group taking a break and sat on one of the workbenches. Pierce was a few feet away transplanting plants into the new beds. Sweat gleamed on his muscular chest and arms. His human mate had a finely cut physique. Staring at Pierce was not going to help the hard flesh between his legs calm down. He switched his attention to Parker and Whit, who’d just recently finished plowing the outdoor gardens.
“Thanks for supercharging the tractors and plowing the gardens,” he told the brothers.
“Not a problem, we had fun,” Whit said and then fist-bumped Parker’s fist.
The two brothers were quite the pair with their hair pulled back in ponytails. Only secure men could pull off that hairstyle. Both of them did it well. They oozed with confidence. As he looked around at the other men, he noted that they all did. He was lucky to be part of their group.
Zavier and Renny walked past looking satisfied and proud of it. Renny looked over his shoulder and winked at Darrin. Whit grinned at them and gave them two thumbs-up. Darrin guessed Whit was reading their minds and then realized he could also be reading his own mind. He tried to blank his mind.
Whit laughed and looked him straight in the eyes. “Give it up.”
Zotikos walked in, and the grinning Whit called out, “Zotikos, you have the most innocent mates. They are quite entertaining.”
“They are entertaining in all sorts of ways,” Zotikos replied with a wickedly amorous grin.
“Speaking of that kind of entertainment, we need to go back to Vance’s club,” Parker said to Whit.
“Hell yeah. Let’s go tomorrow night.” Excitement flavored Whit’s tone.
Parker looked at him and his green gaze shifted to Pierce before going to his brother’s. “I look forward to the day we find our mates.”
“I’m getting hard just thinking about a permanent mate to dominate. At least we can play with a lot of cute female subs at the club until we’re mated. That’ll make the wait more tolerable,” Whit stated.
Jose had been openly listening to the brothers. “Are there any male subs at the club?”
Parker smiled. “Yes, but there are more female ones at Vance’s club.”
“You two can play with the females. Taylor and I will happily take on a lonely male or two. Do you think you can get us in the club someday?” Jose asked the brothers.
“Sure. Just let us know,” Whit answered easily.
Taylor smiled and two deep dimples dug into his cheeks. Darrin knew that smile would get Taylor plenty of tail at any club or party.
Greg appeared on the bench next to him. He laughed when Jose grabbed his chest and cursed.
“Son of a bitch. I hate it when you do that, Greg,” Jose grumbled.
“Did the little ghost scare you, Jose?” Taylor asked with a big smile.
“Shut up. You know I was haunted when I was young.” Jose’s retort was in an abused tone.
“Your fan blowing your clothes in your closet does not equal a haunting.” Taylor rolled his blue eyes.
Jose frowned fiercely. “Speak for yourself. It took me three years to figure out that my clothes weren’t taken over by naked ghosts at night.”
“As I recall it was your dog, Whisky, bumping into your fan and turning it in another direction that helped you figure it out. Otherwise, you’d still think you had ghosts in your closet to this day,” Taylor reminded Jose with laughter in his voice.
“Think what you will, but I know I would have figured it out on my own one day,” Jose defended himself.
Trying not to laugh, Darrin asked, “What have you been up to, Greg?”
“Snooping. I have decided you are in a good home,” the spirit whispered in an approving tone.
“Thanks, I’m sure Zotikos will be happy to hear about this,” he teased his floating friend.
“No need to tell him. It’s good for us to keep these things between us,” Greg whispered and then disappeared.
Jose sighed. “I thought he’d never leave.”
“Wuss,” Taylor accused.
“Just cautious.” Jose crossed himself and mumbled something skyward.
Seeing Neil coming his way, Darrin jumped from the bench and met the blond halfway.
Neil led him to a private place several yards from the others. “I just wanted to tell you how happy I am for you and your mates.”
“Thanks, Neil. I hated to just leave you hanging, but I was consumed with the need to be near my mates. I couldn’t break away from them and still can’t. I’m glad you understand. If I could I’d bring your mate to you today,” he told his ex-lover and meant every word. Neil looked up at him, and Darrin stared at the man’s long eyelashes. The man’s mate was going to love them. They were dark and longer than most women’s lashes.
“That’s sweet of you, and I know you really mean it. Don’t worry about me. I knew one of us could find our mate at any time.” Neil paused and then said, “Joaquin started hanging out in the great room a lot lately. He’s been looking good to me since you got claimed.”
Darrin had to grin. Leave it to Neil to rebound so quickly. The blond wasn’t a man-slut, he was just friendly. Darrin was glad he’d been someone Neil was friendly to. The young carpenter had been there for him when he’d needed a close friend.
“If you ever need anything, let me know and I’ll do whatever I can for you,�
� he told Neal and let his feeling show in his voice.
Neil smiled and the dimple in his right cheek revealed itself. “I knew you were worth being friendly to. Stay kind, Darrin. It suits you.”
“Neil, get your lazy ass over here.” Sal’s voice boomed across the yard.
“That’s my cue. See you later.” Neil walked away with a bounce in his step.
Joaquin glared at Sal, but the grouchy carpenter ignored him and started showing Neil how to shape the bench into a piece of art.
Darrin glanced around and saw Conlin and Tristan sitting on one of the new benches making out. Seeing the happily mated couple made him think of his own mates.
He headed back into the greenhouse and saw Pierce’s back muscles flex as he patted the soil around the newly housed plant in front of him. Lust for his mate hit him hard. Silently, he stalked his mate. A whiff of his sweaty mate had his fangs itching with need. Pierce tilted his head as he looked at the plant.
Darrin saw his human mate’s pulse beating at a strong, steady pace. The beat mesmerized him. Pierce tilted his head some more, elongating his neck. Darrin’s fangs sprang from his gums. The need to taste Pierce’s blood became almost overwhelming. He closed his eyes for a second and then opened them. Not able to totally hold back his desire, he opened his mouth and reached out to pull Pierce against his own body. He raked his fangs over the vessel that was calling to him. Pierce squeaked and then relaxed when he realized who had him.
“Darrin, you scared the crap out of me.” Pierce shivered and then moved so he was more open for Darrin to love on his neck.
Darrin kissed and loved on his mate’s neck. Damn, Pierce was so alluring and his blood was crying out to him. Needing to feel the pulse against his fangs, he ran them along the vessel a few times and then stopped so he could just feel the beat pressing up into his fangs. So good. Needing more, he pressed a little harder. God, this is glorious. He could almost taste the hot liquid pulsing beneath his fangs. The clearing of a throat had him looking up. Fuck. He was busted.
He licked Pierce’s neck gently, showing he meant no harm, and then addressed his vampire mate, “I wasn’t going to bite him. I was just feeling his flow.”