Page 26

OLLIE

“I can’t believe I died.” Dante’s whine tickled Ollie’s ears.

He snorted with laughter. “That rogue portal really snuck up on you. Too bad a bunch of crawlers popped out and ate you.”

Dante huffed. “It wasn’t a fair fight. Where was my backup?”

“Guarding you from above, taking out that dragon. You’re welcome, by the way. You’d be doubly dead if I didn’t have the sky covered.”

Dante made a sound of reluctant agreement. “We almost had it. Do you have time for another mission? We can try again.”

Ollie adjusted his headphones, staring at Dante’s fire mage on-screen. “I should probably go to bed.” It was already an hour later than he usually stayed up, and last night, he’d only had a few hours of sleep between Dante coming over and his alarm going off. “You should get some sleep too.”

“I will,” Dante promised. “But if you need me again, we can figure something out where we can both rest.”

Like lying in bed together, Dante’s arms wrapped around him. Ollie shook himself. “I’ll text if I have another bad night, but I’m hoping I can relax on my own.”

As much as he wanted to, Ollie couldn’t rely on Dante like that. It wouldn’t be good for him.

“Okay. Try meditating before bed if your thoughts stray to places you don’t like.”

“Yeah, sure,” Ollie lied. He had something else in mind.

They said goodnight and logged off, Ollie’s heart in his throat.

Dante had been on his mind all day. His fresh peppermint scent deepened by the hint of musk.

The way his hard thigh had been the best pillow in Ollie’s life, even though that made no sense.

Dante’s soft, understanding smile, and the way he’d shown up for Ollie like it was the most natural thing to do.

Were all these things so alluring because of the bond? Was magic influencing Ollie? Did he care?

Right now, he didn’t.

Ollie slipped into his room and shut the door.

He closed his eyes, leaning back against the cool wood.

Ollie wanted Dante’s hard body pressed against his.

He wanted to get lost, licking every inch of Dante, touching him, indulging every one of his urges, and then he wanted to let Dante use him any way he saw fit.

Dante’s lips on Ollie’s neck. Hands on his hips, his ass, cradling his back. Dante’s teeth piercing Ollie’s skin.

Ollie hissed and palmed his cock through his shorts. He was already half-hard. Fuck.

He stripped out of his shorts and underwear, leaving them pooled by the door. His shirt landed across the room, near his hamper. Ollie beelined for his bedside table and opened the drawer, tossing lube and a vibrating butt plug on his bed.

Standing in the darkened room, Ollie stroked his cock until he was completely hard .

Dante’s firm grip would feel so much better than his. But he couldn’t have Dante if they were friends. He could only pretend.

Ollie closed his eyes, imagining Dante coming up behind him and bracketing his body, hot skin pressing against Ollie’s back. Dante’s demon fire would keep Ollie warm, his wings surrounding them as his lips pressed against the crook of Ollie’s neck.

He stroked himself faster and his heart rate climbed as his whole body flashed hot. Heat and sharp desire rolled through him before fading into something softer.

Dante held Ollie like he was precious. No one’s arms were like Dante’s, and he wasn’t even here with Ollie. How could Ollie feel so secure in an embrace that wasn’t really happening?

Ollie wanted Dante so much, but he was afraid of being with him for real.

Shouldn’t the bond’s potential to take over his life and erase him as an individual kill his arousal and make Dante completely unappealing?

Those fears usually did. But something in Ollie told him he was safe.

He wasn’t ready to trust it, not fully, but tonight, he could imagine he and Dante were mates in every sense of the word.

He wanted to fuck Dante as much as he wanted Dante to fuck him, but tonight, if he was pretending, Dante was going to own his ass. Ollie could save the other fantasy for another night. He was under no illusion that once would be enough.

Ollie climbed on the bed and opened the lube, coating his fingers. He lay back and hiked up his legs, spreading them. A tightness tugged at his chest and his breath stuttered.

Fuck, he wished Dante were here. But no, this was better. Less complicated.

Ollie breached himself with two fingers, wincing at the intrusion. He should take his time, but he burned for release. Waiting seemed like the end of the world .

“Dante,” he murmured as he worked his fingers deeper. “Oh, Dante.”

The scent of peppermint filled Ollie’s nose and his skin prickled. Pleasure zipped down his spine, lighting him up and stealing his breath.

Ollie pulled his fingers out. Holy shit, he’d almost come. How was that possible?

He took a slow breath, trying to collect himself, then lubed the plug in a hurry. He aligned it with his entrance and swore he could feel Dante looming over him.

“Fuck me,” Ollie pleaded.

Dante’s breath ghosted his skin as if he were really there, whispering against his neck, and Ollie’s insides burst with butterflies.

He pushed the toy in, bearing down. It was Dante’s bare cock, ready to fill him with cum. Dante’s muscles flexed above him, his feathers rustling, and Ollie moaned.

Across the room, Ollie’s phone buzzed. His eyes popped open. Fuck, way to kill the mood and remind him he was alone.

He ignored the phone, pressing the plug in until it was fully seated. Ollie pushed the base, shifting the plug until it pegged his sweet spot.

“Oh fuck, right there.”

The phone buzzed relentlessly, starting up again a moment after stopping. Seriously, was there some emergency? Who was calling this late?

With a grumble, Ollie stood, the plug shifting and pulling a groan from him. He grabbed a tissue, wiped his hands, and fished the phone out of his shorts, finding Dante’s name lighting up the screen.

Ollie froze.

The call went to voicemail and Dante immediately called again. Was something wrong ?

He couldn’t know what Ollie was doing, right?

“Fuck.” Ollie raised the phone to his ear and accepted the call. “Hi,” he said as smoothly as he could, proud his voice didn’t waver.

A harsh pant hit Ollie’s ears. “What are you doing?” Dante demanded.

Double fuck. “Nothing?” This time, it came out like a question, and Ollie cringed.

“Ollie,” Dante breathed. “You’re projecting your emotions. I can feel them.”

Fuck, fuck, fuck. “ What? No, I’m not. I wasn’t projecting anything.”

“Ollie,” Dante said his name like a plea.

He swallowed. “Are you saying that you know I was…?” He couldn’t finish. It was mortifying. Ollie’s skin burned uncomfortably hot.

“I’m sorry, Ollie. I’ve been blocking you, but I can’t stay shielded when you’re focusing on me like that. I didn’t know what else to do.”

A pitiful whine slipped from Ollie’s lips. He still had the plug in his ass. He was hard and needy, and Dante could feel it through the bond. Dante knew Ollie had been thinking about him, lusting after him.

“What am I supposed to do? Not jerk off?”

Dante groaned. “I don’t know. I’m not telling you what to do, but I couldn’t let you keep going when you didn’t know I was, um, aware.”

Ollie appreciated that. He’d have felt violated if Dante had sat back and essentially watched him get off without his consent.

Sweat prickled Ollie’s brow. “Could you tell what I was thinking about?”

“Not exactly.” Dante let out a measured breath. “The bond doesn’t project images or direct thoughts. But if you hadn’t been focused on me, your feelings wouldn’t have broken through my shield.”

Fuck. Humiliation should have killed Ollie’s arousal by now, but as embarrassing as this was, part of Ollie was relieved Dante knew. His dick hardened further, his insides twisting themselves in tantalizing knots as his face burned.

He didn’t hate the feeling at all.

“So you know I was thinking about you? While I touched myself?”

“Yes,” Dante whispered like it was the hardest thing he’d said in his life.

A wave of lust hit Ollie in the chest, followed by a longing so potent he couldn’t breathe. Were those Dante’s feelings?

“Fuck.” Ollie groaned. “Dante. What are you doing?”

“I’m sorry.” Some of the lust faded. “I can’t help it.”

Ollie gripped the phone tight, more needy than he’d ever been in his life. Needy and hopeful. He burned with longing so sweet it ached. He might be making a mistake, but he had to know. “Do you want me?”

Lust overwhelmed Ollie once more, his cock leaking with it.

“Yes, I want you, Ollie. You can feel it. I know you can, just like I can feel you.”

Ollie whimpered at the naked desire in Dante’s tone. He stumbled back to the bed and lay down, heart in his throat. “Then stay.”

“W-what?” Through the bond, Ollie felt Dante’s fragile hesitation and the hint of hope it brought with it.

Ollie’s own hopefulness flared. He wanted Dante, and Dante wanted him. They needed each other. Neither of them was alone.

He ran a hand down his stomach. “I don’t want to stop what I’ve started. I won’t unless you tell me to. You’re going to feel me come, so why not stay on the phone with me while I do?”

“ Uhh ,” Dante whined. “Are you sure? That isn’t why I called.”

Ollie wished it was why. “Maybe not, but I like having you with me. And you want me too. We can’t hide it.”

A shiver ran down Ollie’s spine. He’d never have asked Dante for phone sex. That wasn’t a friend thing, and it was probably a huge mistake. But now that they were here, nothing had ever felt so right. It was like being in Dante’s lap with Dante’s lips on his wrist all over again.

Ollie didn’t want Dante like a friend. He never had.

The mating bond was consuming him. It forced him to confront his true desires and ignore his boundaries. That should have felt wrong, but Ollie couldn’t remember why.

Why couldn’t he have this?

“You want me to listen to you get yourself off?” Dante confirmed like he had to be extra sure.