Page 15

J ayden stared on in horror as Stephan began to sob.

He would admit that, in retrospect, pulling the man into his arms had been a bad idea. Stephan couldn’t handle physical contact. Jayden knew this, so why the hell had he done it?

Oh, that’s right—he was an idiot, and his brain had completely malfunctioned when Stephan had said he loved him.

What little heart Jayden had left had soared at the admission. Surprisingly, his monster hadn’t shown up. He had felt something from him, though…a sense of happiness maybe. But he seemed content to stay where he was—wherever that may be…

Now, when Stephan’s eyes changed, that had upset and worried them both.

They were back to normal now—the beautiful lilac shining brightly through his tears. It had been shocking seeing eyes very much like his own staring back at him. Well, ones that weren’t in the mirror…or his mind .

Jayden had automatically assumed it was his fault. Learning it wasn't, had been a relief. Not that he hadn’t played some part in it. In a way, the little man was crying because of him.

In other words, it really was his fault. Perfect…

Honestly, he would rather face Stephan’s anger than his tears. Anger was an emotion Jayden was comfortable with.

Stephan crying tended to fill him with panic. It made his chest seize up and his brain fog. Thinking rationally became almost impossible—not to mention, Jayden tended to do something stupid.

He flinched when Stephan began to wail, making the elf’s whole body rock, and then Jayden proved just how stupid he could be when panicked…by kissing the man.

That soft press of his lips succeeded in stopping the elf’s cries. However, now Stephan was staring wide-eyed at him.

Jayden pulled back and blurted, “I’m sorry!”

What a genius he was. This was the perfect way to calm down a man who was terrified of intimacies—a man who, just moments ago, was panicking over being held.

Good job, Jayden, good job , he thought sarcastically.

Dammit, what the hell was wrong with him? Hah, there were too many things to list.

He blinked when, to his surprise, Stephan wrapped his small arms around Jayden’s neck and pulled him down, pressing their lips together once more. Stephan’s plush lips softly rubbed against his.

Working on pure instinct, Jayden sucked on the man’s bottom lip and deepened the kiss. The smell of Stephan’s arousal caused his prick to thicken.

The soft moans against his mouth encouraged him on. He slid his hand down to caress one of the man’s hard nipples through the silky black nightshirt he was wearing.

Stephan gasped, allowing Jayden to slip his tongue inside.

When the man’s soft tongue brushed against one of his fangs, Jayden groaned. Who knew his fangs were so sensitive?

He stopped his hand on its downward slide to rub the line of flesh exposed by Stephan’s top riding up. Continuing further down, Jayden’s fingers brushed against frills and lace. Blinking in confusion, he broke away.

Stephan stared at him, panting, his lips slightly swollen and red. He was flushed all the way up to the cute pointed tips of his ears.

“What are you wearing, Sweetheart?”

Jayden hadn’t thought Stephan’s face could get redder, but apparently, he was wrong. The reaction made him even more curious as to what Stephan was hiding under his covers.

He yanked them back. Stuffed animals flew everywhere as Stephan squealed, unsuccessfully trying to grab on to the blankets.

His gaze zeroed in on the silky pink lace panties the man was wearing.

Jayden licked his lips. Dear God, they were practically see-through. Wet with pre-cum, the material was tented, barely containing the man’s cock. Jayden could see the pinkish-red head peeking out. Thoughts of sucking on the bulge, and tasting the sweet substance, had his mouth watering.

“Fuck…that’s hot,” Jayden rasped huskily.

The idea that Stephan hid such things under his very conservative suits had Jayden’s dick, now fully hard, leaking out a dollop of pre-cum.

Stephan nibbled on his bottom lip. “Really?” he asked hesitantly. “You don’t think it’s…weird?”

“No, it's definitely hot.” Jayden grinned devilishly and took Stephan’s lips again.

It wasn’t a long kiss. And soon enough, he found himself sucking on the man’s neck. Stephan arched into him and moaned, while Jayden began to rub his hard-on through the thin lace.

Moving more firmly on top of him, Jayden scooted down and began to suck and gently drag his fangs across one of Stephan’s covered nipples.

Jayden needed more—he needed to taste the skin that was hidden away. He found himself practically tearing Stephan’s shirt from his body.

“Jade!” Stephan cried out.

In his lust-filled mind, Jayden had forgotten something he never should have. But the smell of fear that drifted up stopped him in his tracks, instantly telling him Stephan’s cries were ones of panic not pleasure.

He jerked away. “Shit, fuck, sorry.” Fucking hell, he had acted like an animal.

Jayden cradled Stephan against his chest, making sure to keep their lower bodies from touching. Not that his erection had remained in the wake of Stephan’s fear.

Murmuring soothingly, Jayden rubbed the man’s back, trying to calm him down. It took almost thirty minutes for the elf to stop trembling.

Once calmer, Stephan looked up at him with watery eyes. “I’m sorry,” he hiccuped.

“You have nothing to be sorry about. I knew better. ”

“I’m sorry.”

“Hush, Sweetheart. I’m just grateful for what you’ve given me. Being able to kiss and hold you, it’s something I’ve only dreamed of. As long as you’re mine, nothing else matters to me. If you wish for more, we can. But slowly, and only when you’re ready.”

“What if…I’m never ready?”

“I’m fine with that. Sex has never been a high priority for me. As for my sex drive…” He scratched his neck. “I mean, I don’t mind having sex, but I can live without it.”

Sniffling, the elf snuggled closer. “Really?”

What Stephan was doing, it struck him how significant it was. He was seeking comfort from him. It was a level of trust that before now, Stephan had only given to Liam. Considering only minutes ago, Jayden had frightened the man, it was a bit surprising.

“Really. Stephan, when I said I loved you, I meant it.” After sighing heavily, Jayden declared, “So, if you want me to join the Zaytari, I will.” He paused before amending, “As long as you’re sure you won’t get hurt in the process.”

“To be honest, Jayden, I never thought love would be an emotion you’d ever feel.” He wrinkled his nose. “I knew you cared, but I thought it was more in the way someone would care about a possession. It’s why I never said anything.” Stephan snorted. “And now that I’ve said that out loud, I fully realize how terrible that makes me. Sorry…”

Jayden chuckled. “Oh, it shocked the hell out of me, too. However…I will warn you now, you are correct, I’m going to be very possessive. I can’t guarantee the outcome if someone tries to take you away from me.”

Stephan giggled. “Understood.” The man didn’t seem overly surprised by Jayden’s words, or possibly wasn’t taking them as seriously as he should. But then again, considering how long they had known each other, he was sure Stephan had heard him say worse.

The elf sighed. “As for my plan, the Zaytari… Whatever happens, it’ll be fine. Don’t worry.”

Jayden wanted to believe him. Really, he did. Unfortunately, he was too much of a pessimist to believe it would actually work out.

A s Liam stared at the two men snuggled together, the only thought in his head was that it was about damn time.

He closed Stephan’s bedroom door, walked through the open one that led into the hallway, and closed that one too as he left.

Watching the two skirt around each other for years had been frustrating.

Jayden, Liam could forgive. The kid had been through a lot. With how he viewed himself—not to mention the world—Liam doubted the boy thought anyone would be able to love him. He knew the feeling well. At times, accepting that something was unobtainable was easier than hoping for the seemingly impossible.

Now Stephan—Liam snorted—he should have noticed Jayden’s feelings. No doubt he’d been ignoring his own. Honestly, Liam had never realized how incredibly dense Stephan could be.

He only hoped that the two would begin to heal in each other what had been damaged.