Angel Without

by Rhiannon Ayers

  “Why?” Maddox asked reasonably, silver eyes flashing. “Why do you care what they think? Are they in this room with us? Are you going to go stand on the roof, shout for all to hear the details of what happened between us? Is there any reason they should know what we do together?”

  “You’re telling me I should hide, pretend it never happened? How is that fair?”

  “I said no such thing. I, for one, have no intention of hiding the fact that I want you. Not after tonight. Not anymore. But there’s a difference between accepting what goes on between us and sharing it with the rest of the world. I want the world to know you belong to me. After that, what goes on in our bedroom is none of their business.”

  Riley chewed his lower lip. “But…but what about our friends? Your family? Won’t they freak out?”

  Maddox smiled softly, his thumbs continuing that slow, sinful rub across Riley’s quivering belly. “Once again, they have no business wondering what goes on in our bedroom. That stays between us. This isn’t about them, Riley. It’s about you and me. It’s about accepting who you are, and accepting who I am. And it’s about accepting who we could be to each other, when and if you can bring yourself to trust me.”

  He bent his head, spoke against Riley’s lips. “Trust me. Please. For tonight, let the rest of the world go. Don’t pay attention to anything but your body’s needs. Listen to yourself, your heart and mind. Those are the only opinions I value tonight. And if you change your mind because you truly cannot be with me, I will let you go. But I will not accept any opinion that comes from outside this room. Understand?”

  Shuddering violently, Riley nodded.

  Maddox smiled against his lips. “Thank you.”

  Then he kissed him.

  Riley whimpered into that hot mouth, loving the way the taller man’s tongue invaded so quickly. He’d never been kissed this way before, never this violently, this passionately. He’d always been afraid of hurting the chicks he played with, terrified his strength would get away from him. But with Maddox, he could grip his shoulders as hard as he wanted, squeeze and push and never come close to hurting him. In fact, Maddox seemed to revel in his aggression, growling and nipping his bottom lip with approval. Before he knew it, Riley was drowning in that kiss, swimming in a sea of overwhelming desire he never wanted to leave.

  Panting desperately for air, Maddox finally broke away. He shoved Riley, hard, sending him staggering back to land on the mattress with a healthy bounce. Riley gasped, crab-walking backward as he watched all that virile male muscle coming toward him. Maddox ripped the shirt over his head, briefly reaching into his back pocket to remove his cell phone. He tossed it onto the lowboy, right on top of Riley’s shirt, as if to say Riley wouldn’t be getting it back until Maddox let him. But he didn’t have time to think about that, because Maddox was there, crawling onto the bed and straddling one of his thighs, bringing that wall of overwhelming sexual heat right on top of him. Riley groaned as Maddox’s knee cinched against his crotch, cried out as the other man gripped his wrists and yanked them over his head, pinning him instantly. Them Maddox lay down, mashing their chests together as he claimed Riley’s lips yet again.

  God, the feel of having this man on top of him. Maddox was so solid, all hard planes and angles. Riley would have thought he’d miss the soft curves, the press of tits against his chest. But he found himself throwing all such petty considerations out the window, reveling in Maddox’s hard, hot body pressed so close, holding him down while his tongue fucked his mouth with such aggression. With a shattered groan, he realized he could feel Maddox’s erection digging into his left hip. Writhing uncontrollably, he gyrated his hips, desperate to rub against it.

  Maddox pulled back, his eyes glowing like silver melting in a forge. “Be still,” he growled, his hands like manacles around Riley’s wrists. “Or do I need to tie you down to make you behave?”

  “Jesus Christ,” Riley panted, floored by the wave of lust that rolled over his body. “Jesus.”

  Maddox growled again, nipped his lower lip, then started kissing around his jaw. Riley bit back another curse as he felt Maddox’s teeth against his neck, his whole upper torso lifting off the bed as he strained toward that sinful bite. His neck had always been a hot spot for him, and having Maddox’s lips there, feeling his teeth nip the tender flesh, had him reeling with lust overload.

  His zipper was taking a bite out of his weeping cock, which was screaming for the chance to be free. But he couldn’t do anything with Maddox on top of him, holding him down, having his way with Riley’s straining body. He had no idea why it felt so good, no idea why the thought of Maddox overpowering him flipped his switch so hard. All he knew was he was about to explode, about to incinerate, right there in Maddox’s bed. He’d never been this hot before, this ready to blow, not this early, anyway. Something about the way Maddox seemed to be in complete control, the way he took his time exploring Riley’s body as if he owned him, made this the most intense sexual encounter of his life.

  Maddox suddenly looked up, pinning him with those quicksilver eyes. “Keep your hands where they are. Grip the sheets if you have to. But don’t move, don’t let go until I tell you to, or everything stops.”

  * * * *

  Amber gasped, hearing those words from Maddox. She lay in her bed, the phone tucked against her ear so she wouldn’t miss a single moment of Riley’s sexual awakening. Curled naked under the top sheet, she reclined against the headboard and tried to envision what was going on in the bedroom on the other side of her wall.

  She’d never been this hot in her life. Listening to Maddox’s quiet assertions, the plea in his deep, masculine voice as he tried to convince Riley to trust him, sent little bolts of lightning all through her body. Because for all that Maddox was asking questions, it was clear he was the one in control, the one demanding Riley answer him honestly.

  Once again, Maddox was defying her idea of a Dominant male. Certainly, Brandon never would have asked for her compliance—he would have demanded it, ignoring her wishes in favor of his own. She’d thought that was what it meant, to be a submissive controlled by a Dom. Thought she was destined to have her own needs ignored, to be used as nothing but a plaything by the man who controlled her. But now, listening to the way Maddox treated Riley, the way he so obviously guided their entire encounter yet demanded Riley vocalize his wants and needs, she fully understood exactly what she’d been denied.

  Shivering inside and out, Amber slid a hand down her sternum, between her breasts, and made for her aching pussy. Her gasp as her fingers brushed her clit coincided with a moan from Riley, making her bite back a curse. Listening fiercely, she started strumming her clit, knowing she would go off in next to no time.

  * * * *

  Riley panted uncontrollably as Maddox licked and bit and sucked his way down his heaving chest. His fingers were wound so tightly in the sheets above his head, he wondered if he’d cut off his own circulation, but damn if he cared right now. Not when Maddox’s sinful lips were cruising his burning skin, making him so hot his blood boiled.

  Maddox dipped his tongue into Riley’s belly button, making him shout. Maddox rumbled words of approval against his flesh, his deep voice vibrating right down to Riley’s aching cock. He was reeling from sensual overload, ready to beg and plead for Maddox to fuck him, when the other man suddenly sat up.

  “Toe your boots and socks off,” he said with a sexy growl. Maddox crawled across the bed, yanked open his bedside drawer so hard the whole thing went crashing to the ground. Cursing, Maddox reached over the side of the bed, started digging through the debris as he shot Riley a smoldering look. “Pop the button on your jeans unless you want me to rip the damn thing off.”

  Riley shuddered, complying immediately. The boots hit the floor with a resounding thunk as he tried to make his shaking fingers work. The button came free just as Maddox made a noise of satisfaction and tossed a string of condoms and a tube of heavy-duty lube on the bed next to Riley’s hip. Seeing them, Ril
ey very nearly came right then.

  Maddox lay down on top of him again, this time between his splayed thighs, and Riley could feel his hard cock pressing through the fabric of both their jeans. Groaning, he returned his grip to the knotted sheet above his head, opening immediately when that hot mouth swooped down for another soul-searing kiss. Maddox ground their pelvises together for a moment, rocking his hips like he intended to fuck Riley right through their clothes, making him moan and shake and pant like a rabid dog.

  Maddox sat back on his haunches and ran both hands down Riley’s chest, his quicksilver eyes burning with lust. “I dreamed about this,” he whispered. Riley shuddered. “I dreamed about this every goddamned night since I first laid eyes on you. I want you so goddamn bad, Riley. So goddamn bad.”

  Those strong, searing hot hands drifted down Riley’s six-pack, making short work of his zipper while he could do nothing but watch, mesmerized. Maddox tucked his fingers inside the waistband of his jeans and shorts at the same time, walking backward on his knees as he pulled the fabric downward. When he got to the edge of the bed, he stood, taking Riley’s jeans off with a flourish.

  Riley was naked. Naked, and lying on another man’s bed. Another man who stared at his achingly hard cock with so much hunger, so much appreciation, he didn’t even have time to feel self-conscious. Maddox looked like he wanted to eat him alive, his silver eyes burning with so much desire it took Riley’s breath away. Panting, he released the sheets and slid a hand down his stomach, took himself in hand just to get a little relief.

  Maddox made a sound in his throat, halfway between a groan and curse. His gaze never left Riley’s hand as he began a slow, steady hand job, using the copious amounts of pre-cum already leaking from his dick to lubricate his way. His balls were already drawing up, already ready to explode, but Riley ignored the urge ruthlessly. He never wanted to forget the way Maddox looked right now, like he’d died and gone to heaven, and all because Riley was there, naked on his bed, jerking himself off in front of him. It made him feel wanted, desirable, in a way he’d never felt before in his life.

  “Jesus fuck, you are perfection,” Maddox breathed, reaching for the button on his fly. “There’s not an ounce of fat on you, is there? Solid muscle, and as perfectly defined as a Greek statue. Dear God, Riley. You’re a living wet dream.”

  “So are you,” Riley croaked, biting back a curse as Maddox slid those too-sexy jeans to the ground. The guy was really cut, every muscle in his chest harshly defined. Either he was naturally hair-free or he shaved, because his chest was gorgeously smooth. Miles of mouthwatering olive-toned skin just begged to be licked and touched, making Riley’s fingers itch.

  There were tribal tattoos around his upper arms, harsh black swirls and points like the edges of serrated blades. And just beneath his collarbone, high on his chest yet easily hidden by a normal shirt, was an ohm done in elaborate brush script. The symbol representing the oneness of all creation, the very foundation of all life and all consciousness. The symbol that represented the ultimate acceptance of life, love, self, and spirituality.

  This is who I am, the symbol said, I accept myself.

  Riley shivered uncontrollably. Somehow, that tattoo spoke to him on the most basic level of his psyche. Here was a man who knew exactly who he was, with no apologies or justifications. Having struggled with his own identity his whole life, seeing the evidence that it was indeed possible to find inner peace made him desperately envious to experience it himself.

  Years of locker rooms, barracks, and close-quarter military camps should have made it impossible for him to look when Maddox reached for his shorts. But he desperately wanted to see that glorious cock, wanted to see the evidence of Maddox’s desire as it bobbed free of the confining fabric. And when it did, when he got his first glimpse of that long, smooth shaft, Riley’s whole body contracted with instantaneous lust.

  Good God, he wanted it. Wanted to feel Maddox covering him, driving deep inside Riley’s body. His ass throbbed, pulsing, practically begging Maddox to fill him up. Which made no sense, considering he’d never had any desire to be fucked before now. Guys were the ones who usually did the fucking, after all. But here he was, desperately wanting Maddox to shove that gorgeous cock into him, ride him like a goddamned carnival ride.

  Maddox palmed his erection, squeezed a bead of pre-cum from the tip. Riley whimpered, licking his lips, desperately wanting to taste it. Those silver eyes flashed as Maddox let out an appreciative chuckle.

  “All in good time, baby,” he said silkily. “If you put your mouth on me right now, this will be over before it begins.” He put one knee on the bed, falling forward into a push-up stance over Riley’s prone form. “But make no mistake, I will have you on your knees in front of me, learning what it feels like to be on the other end of a blowjob.”

  Riley groaned, earning a chuckle as Maddox bent and ran his tongue around one tight nipple. “Did you know guys give the best blowjobs?” he said conversationally, as if he were discussing nothing more interesting than tomorrow’s weather.

  “They…do?” Riley panted, watching that mouth get closer and closer to his aching erection.

  Maddox rumbled, kissing his way back down Riley’s stomach. “They do,” he agreed lustily, flashing a look up at Riley’s face. “Guys know how hard they can suck, how rough they can be, how fast they have to go to get each other off in the minimum amount of time. A man knows what he can take and what he can’t, and he knows how to drive his partner wild right from the very start.”

  “Holy…fuck…” Riley moaned.

  Maddox chuckled. “Oh, trust me, we’ll get there. And it will definitely get very religious in here. But first I’m going to prove my point.”

  And before Riley could think, before he could breathe, Maddox swooped down and sucked his whole cock down his throat.

  Riley shouted, his hands flying up to cup Maddox’s head, but the guy must have been waiting for it. The moment his hands came in range, Maddox reached up, snatched Riley’s wrists out of the air, and pinned them to the bed on either side of his hips. Rising up to his knees, he used his full weight to hold Riley down as his head began bobbing up and down, taking Riley down his throat repeatedly. Writhing, panting, moaning, Riley threw his head back and let the pleasure inundate him.

  God in heaven, how had he ever lived without this? They hadn’t even gotten to the main event, yet, but Riley was already reeling, convinced this was the most intense sexual encounter of his life.

  I’m falling for him. God help me, I’m falling for him. And I don’t know how to stop it.

  Chapter 11

  Maddox swallowed around the cock in his mouth, thinking, God damn, Riley. You’re going to make me come without even touching me.

  He should have known his wet dreams were nothing compared to the real thing. Riley, naked in his bed, writhing and shouting as Maddox deep-throated him, was more erotic than any ten fantasies he could ever have dreamed up about the man. And the way he gave himself to Maddox, without even realizing it, was enough to set him off like a geyser.

  Ruthlessly, Maddox shoved down the urge to come. He wanted to be buried in Riley’s hot ass when he did that. He groaned, letting the vibration intensify Riley’s pleasure, before pulling off his cock with a satisfied pop.

  Riley was panting, his head thrown back, mouth wide open as he sucked in air. Maddox kissed his way back up Riley’s stomach, letting his wrists free as he got to his chest. Riley immediately clamped both hands around his biceps, dragging him upward for an enthusiastic kiss. Maddox settled his weight across Riley’s body, grinding their cocks together as he did his best to shove his tongue all the way down the man’s throat.

  Desperate for air, Maddox finally released him. Riley was panting, whispering, “Fuck, Maddox. Fuck. Fuck. Jesus. Fuck.” Chuckling appreciatively, Maddox reached for a pillow and jammed it next to Riley’s hip. He backed up to give himself a little room, then reached down, circled Riley’s hips with both hands, and flipped the
man over so his pelvis was now elevated by the pillow. Riley gasped, hands scrabbling for purchase, his eyes wild and lust-glazed as he looked at Maddox over his shoulder.

  “What…what…”

  Not exactly articulate when we’re horny, are we? Good to know, Maddox thought with a chuckle. He lay across Riley’s heavily muscled back, letting his cock ride the furrow between the man’s cheeks.

  “That’s what,” Maddox whispered, nipping Riley’s earlobe before continuing. “I want to be buried balls-deep in your sweet ass when I come.”

  Riley shivered beneath him, all those heavy muscles tensing deliciously.

  Maddox flexed his hips, enjoying the glide of that silky soft skin against his aching dick. “Is that what you want, Riley? To have me inside you? To let me ride you until you’re screaming my name, begging me to let you come? Is that what you want?”

  “Fuck, yes,” Riley moaned, bumping his ass against Maddox’s pelvis, making him grunt. “I want it. Fuck me, Maddox. Please, for the love of God, fuck me.”

  “See?” Maddox chuckled. “Told you we’d be finding religion soon. Now, be still. I’m going to stretch you, work this hot ass to take my cock. You need to relax, let me in. I promise, baby, it will be worth the effort.”

  Riley’s whole body shook underneath him as he moaned an affirmative. Growling his approval, Maddox reached for the lube. He knelt between Riley’s thighs and squeezed a generous amount onto his fingers before tossing the tube aside. Bracing one arm beside Riley’s shoulder, he leaned forward, nibbling across the man’s neck as he started working the striated muscle guarding his chute. Riley shouted, hips gyrating. Maddox kept up a steady, insistent pressure, until Riley’s fluttering ring finally collapsed and he sank in to the second knuckle. Loving the way the big man gasped and moaned, Maddox started thrusting his finger, adding a second digit as he penetrated deeper and deeper. Using every ounce of skill he possessed when it came to preparing a man’s body, he scissored his fingers, stretching Riley’s muscles to take his girth.