Page 21 of Against the Veil (Endangered Fae #3)

Zack stifled a frustrated growl. Right . He wanted this to be special. No need to rush now, he had all afternoon and all night. Only you … The words sang in his head. Any minute now, he was going to wake up, alone and aching. “Good idea. You need help getting to the shower?”

“I’m feeling rather better,” Lugh said as he levered himself up slowly. “I will manage.”

While the prince hummed in the shower, Zack changed the sheets, cleaned up the empty pizza boxes and discarded, rumpled clothes and tried to calm his jangled nerves.

It was too good to be true. He was an idiot three times over for giving in to this impulse.

Thing was, after everything he’d been through, after everything he’d seen, he wasn’t sure he cared anymore.

He unhooked the gun from his belt and set it on the nightstand, considered a moment, then took off his boots as well.

Lugh emerged from the bathroom, toweling his hair dry. He’d put on the red silk bathrobe that always hung on the back of the door, the color glorious against his bronzed skin and ebony hair.

Zack’s heart stuttered and gave a painful thud against his sternum. “God, you’re gorgeous.”

“I don’t feel particularly handsome at the moment, but at least I’m clean,” Lugh said with a little smile. He sat next to Zack on the bed and took his hand. “This is going about it all wrong, isn’t it? I should be requesting the honor of your company for dinner. Asking you out on a date?”

A laugh slipped out before Zack could stop it.

Lugh frowned at him, obviously hurt, so he hurried to explain.

“If we’d just met, I’d say, yeah, dating would come first. You’d ask me out.

We’d exchange phone numbers. We’d see each other a few times.

Start hanging out on weekends. Maybe have sex and start talking about whose apartment we like better and who should bring a toothbrush over. ”

“Ah. Then you would be my…boyfriend?”

“Yeah.” Zack couldn’t help the lopsided grin.

It gave him ridiculous warm fuzzies to hear Lugh say it.

“But look, you and me, we’ve been through more than all that.

You’ve carried me off the field when I was wounded.

Slept with me to keep me warm. Saved my life at least twice now.

We’ve had plenty of dinners together. Work together.

Practically live in the same house. I appreciate the thought, but dating would be kinda going backward for us, don’t you think? ”

“It is too late to begin a relationship now?” Lugh’s brow furrowed.

“No, I wouldn’t say that. Not like there’s only one way to do it.” He lifted a hand to cup Lugh’s cheek. “I thought you had a pretty good handle on how humans worked, bud. What’s all this?”

“I had thought so as well.” Lugh leaned into his touch, that simple gesture enough to make Zack’s cock twitch. “Until I hurt you so badly. It has left me uncertain. Forced me to question assumptions.”

“All right. Makes sense.” Zack let his thumb trace over one high cheekbone. “I know I’m not like a lot of human males. I couldn’t have boyfriends in the service. You understand that, right? I mean, they’ve changed it now, but not when I first went in.”

“It is a terrible, stupid thing to do to soldiers. Warriors fight all the more fiercely for a lover. But, yes, I understand why you could not.”

“And I’m not a casual sex kind of guy.”

“So I have come to understand.”

Zack let his hand slide down to trace the strong jaw and the column of Lugh’s neck.

“Here’s what I need. While we’re together, I need to know you won’t be sleeping around.

Maybe it won’t last. But as long as there’s you and me, together”—Zack allowed himself a little grin—“and you want me as your boyfriend, you gotta promise there won’t be anyone else. ”

Lugh caught both his hands, turned them and placed a tender kiss on each palm. “On the very earth that sustains me, I do so swear. You and no other.”

“God, that’s hot.” Zack’s voice trembled. His whole body shook with need. He slipped a hand free to undo the belt of Lugh’s robe, practically drooling as the silk parted to reveal glimpses of the hard-muscled body beneath. “I want you. So damn bad.”

“And I intend to give you all you desire,” Lugh said, his voice a husky growl. “Though you must tell me if we hit upon something you do not want.”

“I’ll let you know,” Zack murmured, watching Lugh’s long fingers undoing his shirt buttons. “Nothing comes to mind.”

“We will go slowly.” Lugh tugged the shirt out of Zack’s pants and pushed it off his shoulders. “I would rather take a spear through the heart than hurt you.”

Lugh’s robe fell open to reveal the huge erection lying ramrod straight and ready against his thigh. To Zack, it looked impossibly large. There was no way that gorgeous, monstrous cock would fit inside him. Though it’ll be fun to try.

“Lie down, my dear.” Lugh shoved gently at his chest, easing him onto his back. “Let me take care of you. This first time is just for you.”

Zack didn’t protest as Lugh undid his fly and pulled his pants and boxers down to his knees.

He wasn’t sure he remembered how to speak anyway.

Lugh’s breath teased at the heated underside of his cock.

Zack’s breath caught, fingers tangling in the silk still covering Lugh’s shoulders.

He cried out, his hips bucking off the bed when Lugh’s tongue lapped over the slit.

“God…oh, God…”

“Shh, my braveheart. All will be well. You need only feel. Let the pleasure fill you. Let it take you.”

Lugh’s mouth descended over his balls. His tongue drew leisurely strokes over one then the other before he took one orb into his mouth, sucking gently.

Zack moaned, his head rolling from side to side.

It was too much. He was going to burst into flames.

Lugh switched tactics, licking up the length of Zack’s cock.

“Lugh…” Zack grabbed his head in both hands, not sure if he wanted to urge him on or to stop him. “I can’t… I won’t hold out like this.”

“You aren’t meant to,” Lugh murmured against his skin. “You are meant to come, fast and hard, so I can taste you.” He fastened his lips around the mushroom cap and plunged down Zack’s shaft, taking the whole cock into the wet heat of his mouth.

Zack’s eyes flew wide on a cry of ecstasy.

His fingers tangled hard in the thick mass of Lugh’s hair, still damp and cool.

That cataract of hair trailed across his thighs and stomach, adding to the erotic torment.

He hadn’t done anything, not a damn thing to please Lugh, and there wasn’t anything he could do about it.

Lugh held him pinned, huge hands holding down his thighs, his wonderful mouth working his aching erection in hard-suctioned pulls.

He writhed and moaned, no longer able to find words.

His balls drew up tight in a sudden, painful rush.

Soft, panting whimpers climbed up his throat.

Lugh pressed a finger against that sweet spot behind his balls.

With a roar, he came, the rush and plunge of it making the bed pitch.

His hips jerked up with each hard pulse.

He expected Lugh to pull back, but he stayed latched on, swallowing every drop he offered, his moans of pleasure vibrating against Zack’s oversensitive skin.

“Damn,” Zack whispered, riding the dizzy aftershocks. “Oh, damn…I feel like an unraveled sweater.” He forced his fingers to unclench so he could stroke Lugh’s hair. “But you didn’t get anything out of it.”

Lugh nuzzled at his hip. “I’m far from finished with you.” His head jerked up, sudden panic in his eyes. “Zachary, I have to leave you. I’m so sorry.”

“What?”

“I have appointments. Flood and storm… What time is it…?” Lugh got halfway off the bed before Zack could grab him.

“Whoa, there, you gorgeous side of beef.” He pulled Lugh back to his side. “Sorry, should have told you. Diego’s gone for you.”

“Ah.” The news didn’t seem to make Lugh feel better. He rolled onto his back, staring at the ceiling. “He should not have. It was my place to go, my duty. I have been remiss, indulging in self-pity.”

That’s more like my prince. “I’ll see if he wants to beat you later.”

Lugh gave him a sharp look. “This is not a matter for jest, Sergeant.”

“No, you’re right.” Zack erased the smile from his face.

“It was a stupid, selfish thing to do. You worried a lot of people and inconvenienced one of your best friends.” He poked Lugh in the ribs.

“But you’re not made of stone, bud. Everybody has a crumbling point.

Your friends’ll forgive you and I’m sorry I was such a stubborn jerk and pushed you to it. ”

“You have forgiven me, then?”

“I let you suck on me like a lollipop, didn’t I?” Zack tried to sound stern but a snicker still got away from him.

Lugh was on him before he could blink, hard body pressing him into the mattress, hands pinned above his head. “Still you make jokes at my expense.”

“It’s easy when you take yourself too seriously.” Zack’s voice dropped to a husky murmur. His spent cock reacted to Lugh’s hard length rubbing against it, expanding as if it wanted to touch as much as possible. “You feel so good. Kiss me. Please.”

“Ah, there’s my well-mannered sergeant,” Lugh whispered as he lowered his head to claim Zack’s lips.

The tender exploration, full of heat and promise, soon escalated to ferocity. Zack lifted his head to meet Lugh’s onslaught, their mouths devouring each other with bruising force. Their hips ground together, erections sliding, moans tangling with tortured breaths.

“I want you inside me,” Zack panted out. “To hell with slow. I want all of you.”

Lugh made a strange sound, a snorting, blowing of breath, and Zack realized the last time he’d heard it, the noise had come from a rodeo bull. His prince was barely staying in control and it was incredibly sexy.

“I don’t wish to hurt you,” Lugh repeated as he yanked off the rest of Zack’s clothes.

“It’s okay. I’m a big boy. Hurt me a little.”