Page 33

S omething was up with Apollo. He had been giving Lachlan strange, thoughtful looks all night, and he didn't know if he should be worried about it.

Lachlan made sure nothing would explode in the bathroom before he had a shower and tried to calm his brain down. He was thinking of battle plans and different contingencies if shit went south.

He had to have all his bases covered because Apollo would never be safe until the Sanguis Vitae were gone. He was never one to approve of wiping out a whole group of people, but they had declared war the second they touched Apollo.

When Lachlan came out of the bathroom in a robe, Apollo was lounging on the bed in his robe too. His hair was wet and untamed, and everything smelled of the sweet shampoo he had used.

"I used Val's shower," he said as if he knew that would be his first question. "And before you pout, you're too distracting, and I needed to think."

"I see. Anything you want to share?" Lachlan asked, sitting down on the bed. He steeled himself, waiting for Apollo to say that hooking up was a mistake, that he had just been emotional and confused.

"Why do you look like you're getting ready to be knifed, Lachie? I've been thinking about anything else I can make that will be useful for tomorrow night. I don't like you being unprotected," Apollo said and poked him in the bicep.

"Oh." Lachlan relaxed just a little and lay down beside him."We are going to be as safe as we can be. You have to trust us to do our jobs. I've been in plenty of big fights before, Apollo."

"And that's supposed to make me feel better? My dragon..."Apollo shut his eyes and took a deep breath. "It's very protective of you. I don't like the idea of us being separated. It wants to wrap itself around you and snarl at anyone who gets too close."

"Staying away from me has never been an issue for it before," Lachlan replied and then bit his tongue. The last thing he wanted tonight was to start an argument.

"Yes, it was," Apollo admitted in a tired voice. "It's always been a struggle. I'm just too exhausted to want to fight it anymore."

"Yeah?" Lachlan asked, leaning in close enough to kiss. "I'm glad I wasn't the only one that found it hard to stay away. When we get home, I still want to see where this goes. Take you on proper dates, romance the hell out of you."

Apollo grinned. "You still want to? So what you're saying is I'm not just your sexy Parisian fling?"

Lachlan rolled on top of him, putting his hands on either side of his head so he didn't crush him under his weight. "You're definitely my sexy Parisian fling. I just want you all the time."

Apollo's eyes shimmered with gold, but the smile was all him. "How bad?"

Lachlan's mouth hovered above his, their lips lightly brushing. "Bad enough to let you top me tonight if you want to."

Apollo's eyes flared hot, and suddenly Lachlan was on his back, the breath knocked out of him with the speed and strength of Apollo flipping him.

"Say that again?" Apollo purred.

"If you want...I would like you to top me," Lachlan whispered, heat burning his cheeks. "I'm not like a back door virgin as you like to tease me. I've done it myself..."

"How? I want details," Apollo asked. He rested his elbow on Lachlan's chest and propped his chin on his hand. "This is my listening face."

Lachlan's whole body felt like it was blushing. "I used a toy."

"Thrilling. Was it a plastic dinosaur?"

Lachlan put a hand over his face. "No, it wasn't a dinosaur, you maniac. What's wrong with you?"

"Lack of information is what's wrong with me. You need to give me more details about what kind of toy, or my mind defaults to a dinosaur."

"You're really going to make me say it?"

"I really am because I need to assess if getting topped is something you're ready for," Apollo said, brushing aside the hand over Lachlan's red face and twisting his finger around one of his dark curls.

"If it's something we need to work up to, I'm happy to do it.

I want it to be good for you, Lachie, and not just you giving in because I would like it. "

"It's not that. I want it. I've just never wanted anyone to do it that wasn't you," Lachlan admitted. "I've never trusted anyone to want to be that vulnerable to them."

Apollo continued to twist his hair, but his expression softened.

"Believe me, I'm honored that you would want me to be your first. But I am a gentleman, and as I said, if you're not prepared for it, it won't be happening.

I never want to hurt you, Lachie, especially not in bed. So tell me why you think you're ready?"

"You're really going to make me spell it out?" Lachlan groaned.

Apollo just looked expectantly at him. "We aren't having any sex at all tonight unless you do."

"You're so mean." Lachlan tried to push down his embarrassment. "I've used a pretty decent-sized dildo more than once, okay? Like...a lot more."

"What kind?" Apollo asked with a completely straight face. He was hard against Lachlan's stomach, though, which made him feel a little more confident that Apollo wouldn't tease him about it.

"The kind that sticks to a surface, so you can fuck yourself stupid on it. Like the shower wall. But it was the bed head mostly. On my knees," he said, and now he was hard thinking about it.

Apollo's smile turned sly and sexy. "Did you pretend it was me when you used it?"

Lachlan nodded, his dick throbbing. "Every time. Even when I was mad and frustrated with you, especially then if I think about it."

Apollo bit Lachlan's bottom lip. "Did you ever think about having my dick in your mouth when you fucked yourself on it? Or fucking me at the same time? Did you want to know how it feels to be so full like that with me all around you?"

Fuck. Lachlan was going to come if he kept asking those kinds of questions. Sweat trickled down the back of his neck.

"Of course I did. I only ever think about all the ways I want to fuck and be fucked by you," Lachlan admitted and took a shaky breath in. "So yeah, I don't think I could be considered 'inexperienced' if that's your biggest concern."

"Oh, honey, that's not my biggest concern right now." Apollo lightly ground his dick against Lachlan's lower abs. "My concern is not coming just thinking about you fucking that perfect ass with my name on your lips."

"Your name is always on my lips. I've been in love with you for so fucking long, Apollo," Lachlan whispered, his heart in his throat. "I'm yours for as long as you want me..." He gasped when Apollo slid down to grind his dick against his.

"I might just hold you to that, Ironwood," Apollo said, eyes turning brilliant gold as he moved to kiss him. "But for tonight, I'm going to get my special oil, and I'm going to fuck you so deep and so hard that you're never going to regret letting me be the first one inside of you. Sound good?"

"O-Okay," he stammered because his brain was short-circuiting. "What do you mean by special oil? Should I be worried?"

Apollo waggled his eyebrows and slid off him. "I made Killian grab me a lot of things from my lab and that included something I've been concocting for a special occasion, and this definitely counts."

"Still not making me less worried," Lachlan said, laughing softly. Apollo moved across the bed to open the bedside table drawer and pulled out an ornate-looking glass bottle.

It made Lachlan remember the present he was still carrying about for Apollo. Tomorrow. He would give it to him tomorrow. He wasn't going to stop what was happening now for anything.

"I haven't thought of a name for this one yet, but I'm pretty proud of it. Maybe 'Up All Night' because that's what you are going to be."

Apollo looked down on him with an expression of devilish glee that should have set off warning bells and not made Lachlan's dick harder. His dick had other ideas.

"What's in it?" Lachlan had enough brain cells left to still ask. "And what does it do?"

"Do you trust me?" Apollo asked.

Lachlan didn't need to think about it. "Yes. Always. If I didn't, I wouldn't be asking you to fuck me."

"Then let it be a surprise. I haven't used this with anyone else. I wanted to brew it for you. For us. For when I finally got my shit together enough to not be scared enough to see if you wanted me too," Apollo admitted.

Lachlan sat up and caught his mouth with his. He didn't have any of the right words when he needed them, but he was going to explode if he didn't kiss Apollo.

Apollo returned the kiss and pressed Lachlan back down onto the bed. He opened Lachlan's robe, and his soft, elegant hands ran over his chest.

"You just lay there and let me take care of you," Apollo said against his lips. "I might not be able to do that on a battlefield, but I'm going to look after you in bed."

"Maybe it will be enough to satisfy your dragon's instincts," Lachlan suggested, his hands sliding between them to undo Apollo's robe.

"My dragon is never satisfied when it comes to you," Apollo said, his voice dropping to a growl that told Lachlan his dragon was present.

He asked, "He wants to be involved in this? Because I'm down for that. I want all of you, Apollo. That includes the dragon."

"He's involved and not fighting for control.

We are very much in agreement on fucking you," Apollo reassured him.

He shrugged off his robe and, seeing all his golden skin and rose gold chest hair, made Lachlan bite his lip.

"Don't look at me like that, Lachlan. Tonight is my night to play with you. "

Apollo opened the oil, and a subtle and sweet fragrance filled the air. He tipped some of the oil into his hand and stroked Lachlan's dick down with it.

"Holy gods, that feels good," he groaned.

"I'm so glad you think so." Apollo took both their cocks with his oil-slicked hands and stroked them together. Lachlan's whole body throbbed, and Apollo's eyes shone as he whispered something under his breath. The oil heated, and Apollo stroked them again, whispering.

"Are you...hexing my dick?"