Marked by Shadows: MM Paranormal Romance Mystery (A Simply Crafty Paranormal Mystery Book 2)

by Lissa Kasey

  He cupped the back of my head, forcing me upward to meet his lips again and devouring my mouth as though he were trying to force the heightened level of his passion into my mouth. But I didn’t need it.

  “Fuck,” Alex groaned into my lips. “You too, please. Not just me. It’s so much better when it’s both of us.” I could edge him for hours, and he wouldn’t come unless I did. Other times I begged to watch him come apart. Those he had to work harder for. Alex was not a man who did voyeurism for sex. Not when he was the subject being watched. He didn’t even watch well, often having to put his hands on me within only a few minutes after I began a sexy dance, or a teasing progression of touching myself.

  “Yes,” I agreed and shifted in my seat a little so I could unzip my own pants, and free my cock. I reached across the counter to squirt some of the hand lotion into my palm, and stroked myself firmly, twice. The sound of wet, slick flesh, filled the room. I squeezed Alex gently with my other hand. “This what you want?”

  “Yes!” Alex cried. “Please, fucking please. Touch us.” I slid our cocks together, taking both of us in hand, smearing the lotion and our precome between us, helping to slick the glide. It always took a few minutes of adjustment to get my hand right, comfortable, my ass resting firmly on his thighs. He gripped my waist, fingers caressing but not delicate. His lips returned to mine, arms around me, pulling me closer, begging for more.

  I breathed out a deep breath, resting my forehead on his to stare into the intensity of his gaze as I worked us together. His hands dug into my ass, a firm grip to go with his adoring eyes. We danced together for a few minutes. A waltz of sweet kisses, moving hips, and gasping breaths.

  I loved tasting his lips. He might not have the experience of other men, but he made it up with curiosity and passion. Alex got really good at mimicking what I did, nipping, sucking, a tiny bit of his lower lip sucked beneath my teeth. Eventually he’d get lost in the passion and his kiss would turn a little wild. More devouring than exploring. That was always how I knew he was close, which was good since I was too.

  The tingle in my balls, rising fast, warned me the release was coming. I cupped my hand over the tip to catch most of the mess, and spurted into my palm.

  “Fuck,” Alex said long and slow, his cock twitching a little as his release followed mine. I caught most of this release on my shirt rather than his outfit, and kissed him on the lips for a few seconds before reaching over to the counter for a tissue.

  Alex relaxed in the chair, like he’d gone boneless. His softening cock still peeking from between white pants and vibrant purple underwear. His shirt pushed open to reveal nipples still hard pink nubs begging to be touched. He looked like a debauched angel right then. A prince of some foreign kingdom who’d been led down the path of sexual awakening. I sighed as I looked him over, feeling my body respond again. I could have taken pictures and made a fortune by posting them up on porn sites.

  “You are so hot,” I told him.

  He blinked at me, like his brain was still in orgasm mode, synapses misfiring. “I’m hot?” he muttered, like I was just too much to believe sometimes. “Come stick your cock in my mouth and I’ll show you hot,” he promised.

  Of course that was all it took to wake me up again. Alex smirked. “Perk of having a hot younger boyfriend. Can I eat your ass too? You bought me a superhot dragon thing and I promised to dine on you extensively. I brought lube and condoms when I grabbed your stuff.”

  I gaped at him. “Were you planning to sex me up, sir?”

  “Yes. Though I guess me being a hot daddy, helps, yeah?”

  I sighed and crawled back into his lap to kiss him again. “Yes, yes, it does.”

  Chapter 12

  To say we went to bed late was an understatement. After a bit more play in the cosplay cabin, I had insisted on taking a few pictures of him looking sexy, almost too sexy. One set I’d taken had been with one nipple showing, and his pants unbuttoned, underwear shoved down, leaving his delightful treasure trail and delicious skin on view. Not enough to make anything X-rated, that edge of naughty but still covered, that left enough to the imagination to keep people coming back. I had a few on my phone of more revealing pictures which Alex made me promise not to show anyone.

  Sharing the pictures was not on my agenda. In fact, I planned to guard them a bit jealously. But I did get his full measurements and a few pictures of him looking very pristine, as much as an evening of sex would allow. His lips looked a little swollen from all the kissing, and I’d left a few little marks on his chest, but those were easy enough to cover with fabric. My clothes had taken more damage than his as I’d used my shirt to wipe up several ribbons of come.

  By the time we’d gotten back to our cabin and collapsed into bed it was after two in the morning. So when Alex roused me to remind me we needed to go get breakfast, I grumbled at him the entire way until he shoved a cup of coffee into my hands and sat me at the table in the main house.

  “You promised you weren’t a morning person,” I accused him.

  He kissed my cheek. “Drink your coffee. You always feel better after the caffeine starts to kick in.”

  “Rather kick your ass,” I mumbled into my cup.

  “Kiss my ass?” Alex inquired, purposely misquoting me, I was sure. “What if I promise to lick yours later?”

  Fuck, I was not ready for the lift that brought to my cock. It was too early. Not enough coffee and too much stress running through my veins. I glared at him. He stared back with a slightly lifted brow and a boyish grin. How could he be so adorable this early in the morning? His hair was a bit wild again, pulled back in a loose sort of top of the head ponytail. Not a manbun as he couldn’t really get it to stay in that shape, but not quite a raging puffball. He must have put product in it already since the curls were large and ringed.

  Alex leaned forward and kissed the tip of my nose. “The way you look at me.”

  “Coffee,” was all I said, bringing the cup back to my lips and savoring the sweet butterscotch edge of flavor beneath vanilla creamer and stevia. I stared blearily into my cup trying to remember what the plan was for today.

  “Yes,” Alex agreed. “Coffee. Next we’ll work on your food association skills with this new invention called breakfast.”

  I squinted at him, promising retribution for his teasing with a single look, but he smiled wider, obviously not deterred by my morning grumpiness.

  “You guys are staying in for crafts?” Freya asked, obviously not able to read the not awake expression on my face.

  “If you don’t mind,” Alex replied. “I think a day of crafting and maybe an afternoon nap is called for. Yesterday was a lot of travel, and then with the evening events…” Alex paused as if he were thinking of how to continue that line of thought, but changed course instead. “Do you think the police will want our help in the search?”

  “They’ve been in and out all morning. Are still in the woods as far as I know. I think if they are in need of volunteers, they will let us know,” Freya said. “I’d prefer everyone stay out of their way and let them do their job, so they can find Byrony faster.”

  Alex nodded. “That makes sense. We mostly plan to stay in anyway. And not that we dislike the food here or anything, but would you be willing to recommend some local places for dinner? I’d love to take Micah out for the evening, just the two of us. I think we could both use the distraction.”

  “Oh, I know some of Micah’s favorite places.” Freya proceeded to list off a handful of restaurants. Alex took notes on his phone. He was far too awake and organized this early in the morning. If I could drown in my coffee cup, I would.

  Alex took my cup away for a moment, stilling my protest with a small kiss. When he returned it was with my refilled cup, and he set a plate down in front of me. Eggs, some fruit, and a thick slice of bacon sat on the plate. His own breakfast was a heaping mess of eggs and meat. I blinked at him.

  “You need food too,” he told me, then turned back to Freya. The rest of the
group was beginning to appear for the morning with full plates, but a somewhat somber mood. I tried not to think too hard about that. Alex had worked hard to remind me that I wasn’t the center of the universe for anyone other than him, so Byrony’s death, if that’s what it was, wasn’t my fault. Did anyone else even know she was dead yet? I was so lost for what to do or say. How did mediums do this? Tell people they knew someone was gone? Watch lives shatter with careless words?

  Maybe it was all a mistake. People had tried to tell me Alex was gone. None of them mediums, of course, because I’d always avoided the few true gifted I knew of in the Quarter like the plague. They looked at me in an odd way, like I wasn’t right. It was one of the few reasons I loved being with Alex. Despite all he could see, either what he saw in me wasn’t all that unusual, or it simply didn’t scare him.

  Hmm. Love.

  I stared at him while we ate, studying the small things, and how we related. We both sat turned a tiny bit toward each other. He reached out often to touch my back, shoulder, or arm, affirming, but also comforting. I had tuned out almost everyone but him.

  I didn’t think we were one of those nauseating couples, all goo-goo eyes, but the trust was strong enough that I’d have him at my back any day. He finished most everything on his plate. I offered him the bacon from mine and he accepted. Maybe I could talk him into a nap sooner rather than later.

  “Micah has some cosplay things he wants to consult with you on,” Alex continued. “And I’m hoping we can do a little quilting today. We bought a bunch of fabric for that yesterday. I want to see the magic of how he turns squares into other shapes.”

  I tuned back into the conversation trying to catch up. Quilting yes, I could get Alex started on a simple project. Maybe even sketch out some new ideas with Freya, but I had a few of his pieces I wanted to tailor a bit as well, correcting the fit now that I had his measurements. It wasn’t until that moment that I realized he was wearing the kilt I made him and a Simply Crafty T-shirt which read, “Crafting is my super power.” The shirt had a bit of a Superman theme, reds and blues, faded in style. It was an older design I hadn’t carried in years, and was worn soft enough to feel like velvet.

  “That Lukas’s?” I asked, suddenly distracted by Alex. The shirt fit him well, unlike most of Lukas’s apparel, which was a size or so too big.

  “Yeah, an old one. He said it didn’t fit him anymore, but it’s insanely comfortable.” And it hugged Alex’s arms and shoulders, outlining the lean muscle of his torso and the broad width of his shoulders.

  Freya gave a light little laugh. “You two are adorable.”

  “Sugar just drips off them,” Jonah complained. “Not fair to wave your ‘got some’ in our faces this morning,” he gripped.

  “Sorry,” I whispered, feeling heat rise to my cheeks. Did something show on our faces that we’d used a little foreplay as life affirmation last night? I didn’t think so, but I was also not fully awake. “I would love your help,” I told Freya. “I have a few things I need to fix, and some ideas I’ve been trying to plan out but pencil to paper is not working for me.” I tried to change the subject, hoping they would all let me steer it away from more sex teasing. Normally it didn’t make me uncomfortable. Only now, with the subject also being Alex, did it bother me. Not really the thought of Alex and I together, but that other people thought of him in that way.

  Jealousy.

  Well, that was unexpected.

  “I’m happy to help,” Freya said. “I actually have been experimenting with a new design software. It was originally created for anime artists to help with 3D renders, but it’s great for costume design. You can set the body shape and size, and then begin dressing them, even down to color and texture. It’s a big help in visualizing ideas.”

  “Sounds amazing,” Alex said. “Does it need a special computer to make it work? I think Micah brought his Mac.” I had. It was in the cabin. Alex took my plate and empty coffee cup, delivering them to the kitchen before taking a seat back beside me. At least the coffee was beginning to kick in. “What is everyone else’s plan for the day?” Alex asked. “Anyone else staying in?”

  Perhaps it was the mood, or maybe they had all originally planned to stay in, but the entire group had projects to work on.

  “I have a few designs I’m working on,” Jonah acknowledged. “Might be for an unconfirmed TV show.”

  “Do they let you do that stuff ahead of time?” Julie asked. “I thought it was all time constraints and last minute hacks with limited materials?”

  “Most of that is staged.”

  “Wow, talk about bursting our bubbles,” Chad added. “I love that show.”

  Alex gave a raised brow in question since he obviously had no idea what they were talking about. I’d fill him in later.

  “What about the rest of you? Are you working on costume stuff? Micah’s stuff is pretty cool. Freya made him a gorgeous outfit too.” Alex said. Which reminded me I had yet to thank Freya for her work.

  “Did it fit okay?” She asked me.

  “I didn’t have a chance to try it on yet,” I told her feeling bad about that since she’d gone through so much work. Would she be upset to know I wasn’t sure I could wear it after all this time? I hated the idea of losing her friendship over my hang-up.

  “We were focused on finding an outfit for me last night,” Alex said. “Micah was pretty excited to show me a few things.”

  “In more than one way, I bet,” Jonah teased. Everyone laughed. Alex squeezed my hand and a touch of pink dotted his cheeks. Yeah, totally jealous that anyone else could make him blush like that.

  “Let me know before you leave for the week,” Freya said, not seeming bothered I hadn’t tried on her creation yet.

  “It’s beautiful,” I said. “The craftmanship is divine.”

  Freya beamed. “I’m glad you like it, but again let me know if the fit is off anywhere so I can fix it. And be sure to send me your promo photos in it. I will start passing them around Instagram and my site. Build a little hype for you.”

  “Sure,” Alex said, not really promising anything, I realized as he stood. “Let me run back to our cabin and grab stuff. I can’t wait to see all of you work magic.” He patted me on the shoulder, and I watched him walk toward the back of the house with a bit of a spring in his step. He seemed really excited to stay inside with a bunch of nerds working on cosplay costumes.

  “That boy is fine,” Jonah said. “Do you all see how that shirt fits? The muscles on that boy…”

  “And he’s super into you, Micah,” MaryAnn added.

  “More than Tim ever was,” Nicole agreed.

  “And really into your crafting,” Julie said.

  “Sounds like a good match to me,” Freya smiled.

  “We haven’t been together long,” I said. “But we seem to fit.”

  “Bet he more than fits you,” Jonah said.

  Chad threw a napkin at him. “Not everyone wants dick. Stop being one.”

  “Sugar, I’d even take yours right now,” Jonah offered. “Haven’t had one in a while.”

  “I can’t believe you’re all messing around when Byrony and Joe are still out there,” Melissa said. She sat at the opposite end of the table, no food or anything in front of her, with her hands clutching the table. “We should all be out there looking.”

  “You heard Freya,” MaryAnn said. “It’s better to let the police do their job. What do we know about finding missing people in the woods?”

  Melissa’s gaze settled on me. “A lot.”

  Only none of them had ever searched for me. They hadn’t left the comfort of their homes to traipse through the woods or grieve for a guy they made costumes with. And I understood, as I probably would have done the same for all but Freya. But it was far too early in the morning for me to be nice. There were parts of this group that had always carried a grudge against me. Whether it was my success, my youth, or something else, I didn’t know. Only that sometimes I really grew tired of defending
myself. My disappearance had made me realize that maybe they weren’t my friends. And that was okay, they didn’t need to be. Spending time crafting with like-minded people brought enough joy that we didn’t need to be best buds. It did remind me of why I’d been so thrilled Alex had returned so I could drag him along. He might not have the same craft intensity of the rest of the group, but I liked his company enough for it to not matter.

  “None of this is my fault. I didn’t send them out to play in the dark. I didn’t even invite them on this trip,” I reminded them.

  “Right, you hate Byrony,” Melissa accused.

  “I don’t hate her. I barely know her.”

  “Barely know her but got into an online war with her over a couple pictures.”

  “That was a long time ago.”

  Byrony had copied a couple outfits I’d done. Not even some general character cosplay, but original designs. She’d never owned up to it, though my followers had been the first to alert me to the photo evidence and point fingers at her. She saw my switch to sex on film as defeat, and flaunted another half dozen designs she’d stolen. Then I’d vanished, only to return and find her slandering me wherever she could. She even told her followers that I’d made the entire disappearance up to get attention. I left most of the internet crowds, changed my business, and spent very little time with any of the original cosplay group. Only the once a year trip, and last year Byrony had not even shown.

  Was I still bitter about her theft and slander? Yes. But it simply meant we were no longer friends, and I made a point not to share ideas in any space she was also in, but it didn’t mean I hated her enough to hurt her.

  “I have no interest in anything she might say or do. We don’t run in the same circles these days.”

  “And you’re so benevolent.”

  “I’m more of the ‘I don’t give a fuck’ mindset,” I snapped back at her.

  “Enough,” Freya said. “I understand you’re upset, Melissa. But whatever mess Byrony is in was of her own making. Take your blame elsewhere. Everyone is here to craft and relax.”