Page 44 of Bonds of Magic (Vesperwood Academy: Incubus #3)

“Good. The wardkeepers are Teresa Molina, Sheridan Alcock-Reeves, Hans Stahl, and Autumn Zhu. I’m doing my best to find out what they might be hiding.

I think I’m getting closer to figuring out which of them could be behind these attacks.

But until we have real evidence, Isaac wants to avoid a direct confrontation. ”

I thought for a moment, then said, “Are these the people whose dreams you want me to spy on?”

“Yes. But not yet, okay? Not until you have more practice concealing yourself within someone’s dream.”

Noah sounded genuinely worried. About me. I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

“Okay,” I said.

“Okay? That’s it? You’re not going to fight me on this?”

“You already made me promise I wouldn’t do anything rash. There’s not much else I can do.”

He nodded, then looked down at our hands. “Do you want me to go?”

“Now?”

He nodded again.

“I mean, no. Obviously not. But what I want isn’t what you want. So…”

“It’s not that I don’t want it—” Noah began.

“It’s just that you don’t want it enough,” I finished for him.

“Cory, I—” Something like pain flickered in his eyes.

I opened my mouth to tell him it was okay. That I was an adult. That I got it. But before I could say anything, Noah’s lips were on mine.

My hands went to his shoulders, pulling him tighter. His weight on top of me, his tongue against mine—it overwhelmed my senses. I could barely think, except to register surprise. And delight.

He caught my hand and pulled it down, stroking it against his cock, hard and wanting in his joggers. I smiled into the kiss.

I’d done that to him. It was me Noah wanted. Not that guy in Pointe Claudette, not anyone else. I was the one who made him so desperate he couldn’t think straight. My own cock hardened in response.

When he broke the kiss, I could barely breathe. Mostly from him stealing my breath, though he was crushing my body a bit too. It didn’t bother me, though. Not when it was Noah.

“Is that enough to convince you I want you?” he growled. “Do you believe me yet?”

I looked at him, dazed. I was more focused on the shape of his lips than the words coming out of them. But when he pulled back farther, I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and tugged him down.

“No,” I said fiercely. My teeth grazed his lips. “I think I need more convincing.”

I sank into the kiss. I was so grateful he’d stopped doing whatever pure, noble thing he thought he needed to do to keep me safe. Because right now, what I needed more than anything, was to feel less alone. To know I belonged somewhere.

He nipped at my lower lip, then pulled back like he might say something. I put a finger to his lips.

“No feelings,” I said. “I know what this means and what it doesn’t. But you have to start treating me like an equal.”

My heart thudded. Noah could walk away right now and destroy me. But I needed to say it. I needed him to understand.

He closed his eyes and nodded against my fingers.

“Equal,” he said.

“Good,” I began—but I couldn’t get the rest of my sentence out before he claimed my mouth again.

His hands slid to my waist, tugging at the hem of my T-shirt and lifting it up a little. His lips moved to my ear, and he whispered, “Can I?”

“God, yes.” I wasn’t wearing much to begin with, but my clothes couldn’t come off soon enough. I wanted to feel his skin on mine.

He tugged my shirt off over my head, then stared down at me, silent.

“What?” I asked. I fought the urge to cross my arms over my chest.

After months of combat class, I was in the best shape I’d ever been in. I even had baby bicep muscles. But compared to Noah, that was nothing. I knew he’d been with guys who were way more attractive than I was.

“You’re beautiful,” he said softly.

I laughed in spite of myself. “I’m really not. But it’s nice of you to lie to me.”

“It’s not a lie.” His eyes roamed across my body. “You’re gorgeous.”

I shook my head and slid my hand down his arm, muscular, with ropey tendons. “No. You’re gorgeous.” My hand moved down to the bottom of his shirt. “All of you is gorgeous, I’m pretty sure. But I wouldn’t mind confirming my suspicions.”

He laughed and brushed my hand away. “Later.”

He lowered himself onto me, his lips making their way down my neck and onto my chest. He caught my left nipple in between his teeth, teasing, then biting, and I gasped, melting into the mattress.

It wasn’t hard to see how much I liked this.

I slept in a T-shirt and boxers, and my cock was making it very apparent how good a time I was having.

Noah’s hand strayed down my stomach, his fingers slipping under the waistband of my boxers.

I moaned in approval and dug my fingers into the muscles of his arms, hipping up off the bed to meet his hand.

“Someone’s eager,” he said with a smoky laugh.

“Oh, had you not figured that out yet? The whole thing where I begged you to kiss me didn’t make that clear?”

“Maybe you need some more discipline,” he said, still laughing as he pressed a kiss to my stomach. “You know I don’t like it when students don’t wait for instructions.”

“Well, instruct me then.”

I meant it, but he just laughed and kissed me again. He tugged at my boxers, pulling them down my thighs, then all the way off. I was completely exposed while he remained fully clothed.

But when he moved in between my legs, covering the entire lower half of my body, I didn’t feel so naked anymore. I also didn’t really care, since his mouth was doing tantalizing things to the sensitive skin on my inner thighs.

I wasn’t sure how he managed it, but Noah kissed every inch of my skin except my cock. He let it brush his neck or cheek, but refused to pay it any attention until I was ready to jump out of my skin from pleasure and impatience.

“Please,” I panted, my breath coming in short gasps. “Oh God, please.”

“Please what ?”

“Please just—I’m so close.”

“So close to what?” Noah said. I could hear, but not see, his smile. His jaw brushed my cock, but he kept acting like it wasn’t there.

“I’m going to come if you’re not careful,” I said.

“Oh, I assure you, I’m being very careful. Now tell me what it is that you want me to do.”

“Suck my cock,” I gasped. “Please suck my cock.”

“There we go. That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

To reward me, his mouth closed over the head of my cock, his tongue playing with my foreskin as he enveloped it in slick heat. I moaned, fisting the sheets. It was so good. How had I gone so long without experiencing this? How did I never let myself try it sooner, with Neil or someone?

If I was honest, I was kind of glad I hadn’t. I was glad Noah was the first man to ever do this to me. It made it special. Something for the two of us, that no one else could ruin.

There was still the ever-present shame, but in the heat of the moment, I was able to ignore it, to tell myself I didn’t care. Shame could have its time later, but right now, all I could think about was the pleasure of Noah Braverman’s mouth sheathing my entire cock.

I didn’t have much experience to draw on—or, well, any—but I was pretty sure Noah gave the best blowjobs on earth.

The way he used his tongue, teasing the tip, then sliding up the underside of my cock.

The suction of his lips. The heat of his whole mouth.

He’d gotten me so wet, and his mouth was making absolutely obscene sounds, but I didn’t care.

He kept moving me right up to the edge, then backing off, building a fire of pleasure in my core. I couldn’t take it anymore. I risked a look down and when Noah locked eyes with me, I lost it.

“I’m—I’m—” I began, but before I could even get the word ‘ coming ’ out, I was releasing.

He wrapped his lips firmly around my cock, catching every drop.

I wondered, like I had the first time, if he was going to spit it out.

I knew some people did, and I couldn’t imagine anyone really liked the taste of cum. Anyone other than me, that was.

But he kept caressing me with his tongue, milking out every last bit. Right when I thought I couldn’t take any more stimulation, he pulled off and kissed his way back up my chest.

It was too much and not enough. I rolled onto my side, pressing my lips to his. I wanted to taste myself on his tongue. I knew that was wrong, but I wanted it anyway. I wanted proof that he had tasted me, and liked it.

He kissed me back, but when my hands moved to his waist, he grabbed them and interlocked our fingers instead.

“I just want to—” I said, but Noah cut me off.

“I know. But you don’t have to.”

“I want to. I’m serious.”

“Cory, you don’t have to prove anything to me.”

“ I know that. But I’m not sure you do.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You said equals, remember?”

“I know what I said. But blowjobs can be a little demeaning.”

I stared at him, confused. “You just gave me one.”

“That’s different.”

I was getting annoyed. “Maybe I like being demeaned then.”

I tried to say it like it was a joke, but Noah was serious.

“That’s what I’m afraid of. I don’t ever want to do that to you. Being with a man is nothing to be ashamed of. I hate that anyone ever made you feel that way.”

“That’s ridiculous. If it’s nothing to be ashamed of, then why can’t I do it?” My eyebrows drew down. “You let that guy in the Balsam Inn do it to you.”

Noah’s eyes glinted. “You’re not him. And I don’t ever want you to be.”

I glared at him. “I’ve only sucked one other guy off, you know. Sean.”

Noah’s nostrils flared, and I let that sink in for a moment before I continued.

“If you’re worried about me feeling ashamed, then show me how it can be different. Or do you want him to remain my one experience?”

“That’s not fair,” Noah said.

“Maybe not, but it’s what you’re getting.” I smiled sweetly.

He closed his eyes and sighed, and I knew I’d won. I was shocked. Not at winning, but at the fact that I’d said all of that. He made me so bold.

Softening my voice, I said, “Teach me how to do it?”

“Oh, don’t give me that look.”

“What look?”