Quenched in Blood

by Ari McKay

  Thomas’s eyes flew open wide at the unexpected surge of pleasure that coursed through him, and then he sagged against the wall as he tilted his head, offering complete surrender. The sting of Julian’s fangs piercing his skin faded quickly, replaced by a pleasure that Julian seemed to be pulling from deep within him. His skin prickled with the heat of his desire, and he couldn’t hold back a heartfelt moan.

  Thomas’s reaction made Julian growl, a distinctly satisfied sound that rumbled in his chest and that Thomas could feel as much as hear. They were close in height, and the hard length of Julian’s cock was evident even through their clothes as Julian rocked against him. Julian’s mouth grew hot against his skin, and it was as though Julian’s body was imprinted on his, every point of contact suddenly throbbing. Julian rocked again, and this time he groaned as though he, too, were drowning in pleasure.

  Thomas hooked his leg around Julian’s hips and sought to match Julian’s rhythm, wanting to ease the aching need building within him. He wanted to hold out, wanted to drive Julian to the breaking point as well, but he couldn’t keep control. Whether it was due to a lifetime of celibacy or the power of a vampire’s bite—or both—Thomas was overwhelmed by ecstasy, and he cried out as he shattered in Julian’s arms.

  Julian rocked against him again, and then again, before lifting his mouth away from Thomas’s throat. Then he, too, cried out, going still against Thomas as his panting breaths ghosted over Thomas’s neck. Thomas nuzzled his cheek against Julian’s, humming softly with satisfaction. This wasn’t how he’d envisioned their first time going, but he had no complaints, and he wasn’t about to let Julian walk away from him now.

  For several more moments Julian was still. Then he released Thomas’s wrists and took a step back. He was still breathing hard, and Thomas could see Julian’s pale face was, for once, flushed and damp with sweat. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?” Thomas slid his arms around Julian’s shoulders, refusing to let Julian put distance between them now.

  Julian kept his eyes averted. “I didn’t ask permission.” His lips twisted into a parody of a smile, and his normally silken voice was rough. “You could request I be put to death, you know. Ironically, I was the one who pushed for that law to be enacted by the council.”

  “If you’d asked, the answer would have been yes,” Thomas said, pressing closer to Julian. “I wanted this, Julian. I wanted you.”

  Julian finally met Thomas’s gaze, and Thomas could see something almost like guilt in his eyes. “I shouldn’t want this,” Julian replied. “There are a thousand reasons why it’s a bad idea. Bad for you.”

  “If you were bad for me, there wouldn’t be this resonance between us,” Thomas said, resting his palm against Julian’s cheek. “This feels right on the same level that being a demon hunter feels right. You were meant to be mine, and I was meant to be yours.”

  For a moment Thomas thought Julian was going to pull away. His body went rigid, tension evident in every angle of his face. His eyes were suddenly piercing, darkening to almost black. But then, unexpectedly, he sighed, slumping against Thomas as though the will to fight had deserted him. “I shouldn’t want this,” he repeated, his voice ragged. “But, may the Most High help me, I do want it. I want you. All of you.”

  “You’ve got me,” Thomas said softly, stroking Julian’s cheek with his thumb.

  “Only for as long as you want.” Julian closed his eyes, leaning into Thomas’s touch. For once he looked almost vulnerable. “I won’t hold you if you don’t want to stay. I won’t be Micah.”

  “I’m not worried about you trying to control me,” Thomas said with a quiet chuckle. “You understand the value of independence too much for that.”

  “Maybe.” Julian opened his eyes again. “I’m not good at this. Relationships. That’s what you want, right?”

  “Yes, that’s what I want,” Thomas said with a firm nod. “I don’t know if I’m any good at relationships either, but we can find out together. I think as long as we have mutual respect and communication, we’ll be fine.”

  The corners of Julian’s lips twitched. “How did you get so wise all of a sudden?”

  “Well, I read a lot.” Thomas grinned, pleased to see Julian almost smiling. “And since you showed me the wonders of cable TV, I’ve been watching a lot of talk shows.”

  “I’ve created a monster.” Julian shook his head, but then he wrapped his arms around Thomas and pulled him close. “I don’t know why you want me, but I’ll accept you really do. I don’t deserve it, but I don’t have the strength or desire to resist anymore.”

  “Good,” Thomas said as he leaned against Julian. “So why don’t we get cleaned up, and then you can have all of me again? Naked this time.”

  “Insatiable too?” This time Julian did smile; Thomas could feel it. “Very well. I suppose you have a backlog to work off. We’ll use my room, since I have the bigger bed. And lube. And… maybe a few other things you might be interested in.”

  Thomas pulled away from the embrace, but only so he could clasp Julian’s hand and twine their fingers. “In the bedroom as in the training room, I’m your eager student.”

  Julian looked at him intently again. “I get the feeling I might learn something too,” he murmured, then turned toward the doorway, tightening his fingers around Thomas’s and urging him to follow. Thomas went willingly, anticipation and arousal kindling anew.

  “I don’t know if I can teach you anything,” Thomas said as he followed Julian to the secret staircase. “But I’m ready to try.”

  Julian gave a quiet chuckle, but he didn’t say anything else until they were in his suite and the door closed behind them. Then he led Thomas over to the bed, before turning and pulling Thomas into his arms. “I need for you to be able to tell me what you like, and what you don’t,” he said, gazing at Thomas intently. “I especially need to know if anything worries you, or scares you, or even just makes you feel uncomfortable. Everyone is different, so it’s fine if something isn’t working for you. There are an almost infinite number of other things we can try.”

  Thomas slid his arms around Julian’s shoulders, meeting Julian’s gaze steadily. “I promise I’ll tell you if you do something I don’t like.”

  “All right, then.” Julian raised one hand to stroke Thomas’s cheek gently. “What would make you more comfortable, me undressing first, or you? I could even strip for you, if you’d like.” Julian’s teeth flashed in a sudden, wicked smile. “Or if you want to strip for me, I’m all for it.”

  Thomas licked his lips as he considered his options, and apprehension fluttered in the pit of his stomach at the realization that he was about to have sex for real, and moreover, he was about to have sex with Julian. What if he did something stupid or clumsy and made a fool of himself? What if he was so bad at sex that Julian decided it should never happen again?

  A hundred what-ifs crowded his mind and cranked up his nervousness, but then he reminded himself of how strong-willed Julian was. If Julian didn’t really want this—want him—he wouldn’t be in Julian’s bedroom right now. He already knew how patient a teacher Julian was in the training room, and he had no reason to think that patience wouldn’t carry over to this kind of lesson as well.

  This was real, it was happening, and Julian wanted it too.

  Emboldened, Thomas slid his hands beneath the hem of Julian’s T-shirt—which was his shirt, a little intimacy he loved—and stroked Julian’s cool, bare skin. “I’d like to undress you.”

  “I’m good with that.” Julian offered him a smile of encouragement. “I also like it when you touch me.”

  “Will it warm you up?” Thomas pushed the soft folds of the shirt up, eager to strip it off so he could both see and touch Julian.

  Julian’s eyes took on a predatory gleam. “It’ll definitely get me hot.” He raised his arms helpfully so Thomas could remove the shirt, which Thomas did swiftly.

  Thomas tossed the shirt aside, not caring where it landed, and flattene
d his palms against Julian’s broad chest. “How should I touch you? What do you like?”

  Julian gave a low growl as Thomas touched him. “I think you’ll find I’m game for almost anything. I like to be stroked, and I don’t mind being scratched or bitten, either. You can play with my nipples if you want to, pull my hair, whatever you’d like. You can’t really hurt me, and so rough play doesn’t bother me if you want it. Or if you want this first time to be very gentle, I’m good with that, too.”

  “What do you like best?” Thomas stroked Julian’s chest with both hands because he wanted to—because he could—and caressed each bump of Julian’s rib cage and the dip of his navel, wanting to familiarize himself with every inch of Julian’s body.

  “I like being licked and bitten,” Julian admitted. “It makes me desperate to return the favor.”

  “Well, you did bite me, so I suppose it’s fair if I bite you back,” Thomas said with a playful grin. “Should I bite your neck, or do you like other places better? I’ve never even made out with anyone before, so I need some pretty basic instructions to start with.”

  Julian looked thoughtful; then he nodded. “All right, we’ll go more basic. Kiss me… if you’ve never made out, you’re missing something hot and fun.”

  Thomas slid his hands up and curved his arms around Julian’s neck, and he leaned in—and then he stopped as a naughty thought occurred to him. “Hang on just a second,” he said as he drew back from the embrace just enough to give himself room to yank his own T-shirt over his head. “I thought it might feel better if we were skin to skin,” he said as he wrapped his arms around Julian again, heat rising in his cheeks at his own forwardness.

  “You’re right, it will,” Julian said, wrapping his own arms around Thomas and pulling him close. “And you don’t have to be embarrassed with me about anything.” He raked his nails lightly down Thomas’s back. “I want you. You can’t do anything wrong here.”

  Thomas shivered at the pleasurable scrape of Julian’s nails along his skin, and he instinctively tightened his arms around Julian, warmed to the core by Julian’s reassurance. With a soft hum of pleasure and anticipation, he leaned in and brushed his lips against Julian’s, trying to remember what he’d liked about their first—and so far his only—kiss so he could repeat it.

  Julian’s eyes slid closed, and he gave a hum of encouragement as he returned the kiss. Then he parted his lips, inviting Thomas’s exploration. Thomas slipped his tongue between Julian’s lips, eager to accept the invitation. He wanted to familiarize himself with how Julian tasted, and he explored with far more enthusiasm than finesse.

  There was no sign, however, that Julian found any fault with his technique. A soft moan rose in Julian’s throat, and he tightened his arms around Thomas as he kissed Thomas back. Yet he made no move to take control, apparently quite satisfied to let Thomas do what he liked. Since Julian said he liked being bitten, Thomas ended the kiss by clamping his teeth lightly on Julian’s bottom lip before drawing back and watching Julian with a shy smile.

  “How was that?” he asked.

  “Very good.” Julian licked his lips, and Thomas caught a flash of his fangs. “And practice makes perfect, you know.”

  “I won’t mind these practice sessions at all,” Thomas said, stroking Julian’s cheek. “Now why don’t you show me how it’s done?”

  The gleam was back in Julian’s eyes. He tightened his arms around Thomas, then captured Thomas’s lips with a hungry growl. But the kiss wasn’t aggressive—Julian was seductive, beguiling, as though he wanted to steal Thomas’s heart and soul, to make Thomas surrender everything. In that moment, Thomas wanted to give whatever Julian wanted to take, and a low moan escaped his throat as he yielded to the kiss, offering himself wholeheartedly.

  Julian deepened the kiss, twining his tongue with Thomas’s as he moved his hands down to Thomas’s hips, pulling him closer. The power and sensuality of Julian’s embrace made Thomas’s knees wobble, and he leaned against Julian, unsure of how much longer he could hold himself upright under this erotic onslaught.

  Finally Julian drew back, his blue eyes dark with desire. “Was that a sufficient demonstration?”

  Thomas gazed at Julian with half-lidded eyes, and he licked his lips to catch every little taste of Julian he could. “I feel like I’ve learned quite a bit already, but I want to know more. Show me, Julian. Please!”

  Julian’s smile was a bit smug. “You beg so sweetly, I suppose I could be persuaded.” He unfastened the snap of Thomas’s fatigue pants; then he lowered the zipper with slow deliberation. “Shall I give you a lesson in what other pleasures I can offer with my mouth?”

  Heat prickled Thomas’s skin at the thought of what Julian might do next, and Thomas’s breath hitched as he nodded. “Yes, please—teach me!”

  Apparently that was all the invitation Julian needed. He moved his lips to Thomas’s neck, beginning an assault with lips and tongue and teeth. He found the most sensitive areas on Thomas’s throat to concentrate on, bringing Thomas’s skin to vibrant, tingling life inch by inch. He felt Julian slip his hands beneath the waistband of his pants; then Julian began to stroke Thomas’s ass over the slick silk boxers Thomas was wearing.

  Thomas sucked in a sharp breath and clung to Julian’s shoulders, his cock already aching with need. “Are you going to bite me again?” he asked, his voice sounding breathy even to himself. “It felt so good the first time.”

  Julian lifted his head. “I will if you want me to. But not until you’re almost ready to explode. Otherwise things will be over far too quickly.”

  Thomas blushed at the memory of how quickly Julian had made him come with just a bite, but his embarrassment was swiftly replaced by a surge of hot arousal as he thought about Julian driving him to the edge of orgasm and then biting him.

  “Oh, yes, I want that,” he said, digging his fingers into Julian’s shoulders. “I want that so much.”

  “Then that’s what you may have.” Julian squeezed Thomas’s ass. “But not for a while yet. I still need to finish this lesson.”

  “Okay,” Thomas said, watching Julian intently. He didn’t know exactly what Julian had in mind, but he was certain he would enjoy whatever it was.

  Julian leaned in for a swift, hard kiss, then began his exploration of Thomas’s skin once again. This time he moved lower, kissing Thomas’s shoulder before nipping at the ridge of his collarbone. Then he suddenly captured one of Thomas’s nipples with his lips, sucking it into a hard peak. Thomas couldn’t hold back a sharp cry at the jolting pleasure, and he arched his back and slid one hand up to bury his fingers in Julian’s hair.

  He felt Julian’s breath on his skin as Julian chuckled; then Julian laved that nipple with his tongue before turning his attention to the other one, giving it equal attention.

  “Yes!” Thomas had promised to tell Julian what he liked, so he didn’t feel awkward about voicing his pleasure. “That feels so good!”

  “Good.” Thomas felt as much as heard Julian’s reply. Julian continued the pleasurable torment for a while before moving with a speed Thomas had never seen. He dropped to his knees, and Thomas had barely realized Julian had stripped down both his pants and the silk boxers before he found his cock engulfed in the wet heat of Julian’s mouth.

  The pleasure was so powerful and shocking that Thomas couldn’t even form words to express his approval. Instead he clamped his hands on Julian’s shoulders and hoped the tightness of his grip conveyed at least part of it to Julian.

  Apparently it did, because Julian hummed deep in his throat, adding another dimension to the experience. Thomas realized that Julian also had one hand wrapped around his cock, squeezing it slightly as he pulled back, swirled his tongue around the tip, then took Thomas in deeply once again.

  “Yes… oh yes….” Thomas barely recognized the throaty, groaning voice as his own, and he had to make himself stand still when he felt an instinctive urge to thrust his hips.

  As if sensing Thomas’s we
akening control, Julian pulled back. He looked up Thomas’s body, giving him a smile that Thomas could only describe as evil. “Enough mouth lessons for now?”

  Thomas whimpered at the loss of Julian’s warm mouth, but he nodded. “The lesson would be over pretty quick if you’d kept going.”

  “As I thought. Time to move on to the next, then.”

  Again moving with the speed Thomas couldn’t follow, Julian removed Thomas’s shoes and socks and stripped his pants the rest of the way off. Then Julian slowed down as he flowed back upward, reaching out a hand to strip back the dark green spread that covered the huge mattress of his bed, revealing black sheets that gleamed. “I believe you’ve developed a taste for silk, so you’re going to like this a lot. Go on, climb in. Then I’ll give you a little show.”

  Thomas climbed into bed obediently, and he smiled widely when he realized the sheets were silk. He stretched out on the cool sheets and wallowed on them like a lazy cat.

  Julian shook his head, his lips quirked in a half smile. “I’ve created a hedonistic monster. Not that there is anything wrong with that.” He moved closer, then ran his fingers through Thomas’s hair in a gentle caress. “You look good in my bed. Like you belong in it.”

  Thomas closed his eyes and leaned into the touch, savoring it. “I do belong here,” he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth before he realized he was going to say them.

  Julian was quiet for a moment; then he leaned down and pressed his lips to Thomas’s, the kiss surprisingly gentle. “Let’s see if you like being in it first. If you don’t, you don’t have to stay.”

  Thomas opened his eyes and slid his arms around Julian, keeping him close for a moment. “I like it very much so far.”