STORY EXCERPT

How many times had Will dreamt of Jax’s mouth while he slept in his cottage? He imagined a man like Jax liked taking control, which suited him just fine, because Will wanted to yield, to submit as Jax pressed those lips to his, touching him—

Will shook his head, and the next thing he knew, Jax placed his hands on his shoulders and, without another word, began steering him back to the castle kitchens. Knowing Jax, the dragon shifter wouldn’t stop until he convinced Will to get some water and gear up properly. Will tried to think of another solution.

“Wait, let’s go to my cottage instead,” Will said.

The last thing he wanted was for the kitchen staff to start gossiping about him and Jax, or for Cole and Ben to see him. He’d gotten real close to Ben, too. How many times had he insisted to the werewolf that there was nothing but old history between Jax and him? The thing about sharing childhood memories with Jax, though, was that it was hard to shut the door to the past.

“You’re inviting me to your place?”

Did he imagine the eagerness in Jax’s voice? Will walked faster, so Jax had to release his hold on him. Jax’s touch was too distracting, and he needed all his wits about him.

“You’re not staying long,” Will pointed out. “I’m just out to prove I’m fine on my own.”

“Sure, if you say so.”

The dragon shifter’s answer annoyed him for some reason, and yet it was easy to fall into step next to Jax.

“I wish you’d put a shirt on,” he muttered.

“What was that?” Jax asked, cocking his head as they finally reached the path leading to the cottage.

Thank God. The walk seemed to have taken longer than necessary, because he kept stealing glances at Jax.

“Nothing,” he mumbled, hurrying to the door.

“What did you plant here?” Jax asked as Will fumbled for the door.

Why did he ever think inviting Jax to the cottage was a good idea? At least inside the castle kitchens they would be surrounded by the other staff and he wouldn’t feel so self-conscious. Recalling Jax asked him a question, Will replied, “Some tomatoes and zucchini. I’m testing out the soil with the easiest edible plants to grow first.”

Jax shoved his hands into the pocket of his jeans, surveying the small but generous plot of land that was considered part of the cottage. “You always knew your stuff. Why did you go into marketing anyway? I thought you loved nature.”

They entered the cottage now, but Jax’s words gave him pause.

“How did you know I studied marketing in college?” he asked, leading the way to the kitchen. When he returned a week ago, the cottage was in a bad state of disarray, but Ben was happy to accompany him on a shopping spree.

“Ben told me.” Jax leaned against the kitchen counter, thumbed the scarred wood. “I did this.”

“Yeah, long time ago. You boasted you could cut carrots using your claws,” Will said drily.

“I was twelve,” Jax reminded him, but the dragon shifter wore a smile. “I like how you fixed up the kitchen, too. I noticed the hole in your roof, though.”

“That’s—” Will halted, grabbed a jug of water from the fridge and two clean glasses. He poured them both water.

“Only one kind of flame can eat away at any construction material like that,” Jax said, expression turning dark. “Dad, huh?”

“During Rex and Cole’s air battle, Rex shot a fireball through the roof,” Will admitted, then quickly said, “I was long gone by then, with the others. Your brother told us to leave before their fight started.”

“Cole shouldn’t have had to deal with him alone,” Jax finally said, finishing his glass of water. “One of my many regrets, I guess.”

Will thought of the black rings near the ruined wall of the garden, where no plant would ever grow again thanks to dragon fire. “Jax, your father’s mental state had deteriorated so badly that Cole decided to deal with him on his own because there wasn’t any time for Zane, Blake, or you to arrive.”

“Knowing Cole, he probably went all big brother and decided he could handle Dad on his own.” Jax clutched the glass so hard, cracks appeared. Jax swore softly. “I shouldn’t be doing this.”

Will had a feeling the conversation had shifted back to them. “What do you mean?”

“Being in your kitchen, in the house you grew up in,” Jax answered.

“You approached me,” Will reminded him.

Jax reached across the counter, placed his hand over his. This time, Will didn’t pull away. He didn’t want to. He felt like he was on the edge of a cliff, so close to getting the answers he wanted.

“I can’t stay away from you, not now, not after everything,” Jax said.

So many emotions put into those words, Will realized.

“Jax, why are you still here? No offense, but didn’t Blake and you say at the funeral that you wanted nothing to do with this place?”

“Drake Castle holds plenty of dark memories for me,” Jax agreed, yellow gaze intense, focused entirely on him. “But it has plenty of good memories, too. Those that I hold close to my heart.”

His heart thumped against his chest.

“I don’t understand.”

Jax’s next words stunned him completely into silence.

“There’s a reason why you came back here, isn’t it? I’m the same. I thought all my brothers and I would never find anything close to happiness, until I saw how Cole acted around Ben. Guess what? I’m beginning to think I want they have, too.”

ADULT EXCERPT

Jax’s crude and blunt words rendered Will speechless, but the erotic image nonetheless appeared in his mind. He blushed as Jax peeled his shirt off and laid it over the ground, patting it.

“The ground might be too hard,” Jax explained. Will didn’t stop the dragon shifter from reaching for the hem of his shirt and tugging it off. Jax added a second layer to the make-shift blanket on the ground. Jax smirked, and Will recognized that devious smile. “Pants, too. Want to make you as comfortable as possible.”

“Fine, I’ll play your game, mister.” Will rose to his feet and shimmied off his jeans, then his briefs. Jax did the same. Will’s mouth went dry, seeing the impressive length curving upwards between Jax’s legs. He’d never seen anything so huge and wondered if Jax could fit inside him.

He must have said what he was thinking out loud, because Jax replied, “I can and I will. Lie down.”

Thrilled Jax gave him orders, he laid back against their pile of clothing. Jax crawled on top of him, every hard and gorgeous inch of him covering Will, the night sky and its net of silver stars spread above Jax. Perfect, Will thought, then Jax kissed him again, eliminating any logical thought from his mind.

Jax left kisses down the side of his neck, took one nipple into his mouth and sucked hard. He groaned as Jax gave his dick a few pumps before going lower, finally prying his thighs further apart. Like this, Jax could see everything—his thickening prick, balls, and asshole.

He blushed, about to close his legs, but Jax firmly held them apart.

“This cock and little hole, they belong to me now,” Jax said, flashing him a wicked grin. “Say it.”

“They belong to you,” he whispered, growing hard at the admission.

Jax flicked his tongue out, licking away the pre-cum gathered at his tip. He gasped and, needing something to hold onto, gripped the fabric underneath him. Watching the dragon shifter go down on him was a sight to see, because according to Cody, most dominant shifters didn’t give, they only took. Jax never took his gaze from him for a second, a reminder that despite his position, he was the one holding Will’s dick captive.

He groaned as Jax explored him from root to tip, licking and sucking him up and down, like a favorite sweet. Jax used his hand to apply some pressure to his balls, before opening his mouth and taking him in. Will whimpered as Jax bobbed his head up and down.

“I’m close,” he managed to utter.

Jax pulled his mouth away, making him groan in frustration. The dragon shifter climbed on top of him again, sealing his mouth over his. At the same time, Jax reached for his prick, stroked him until the pressure inside Will burst open. Jax pulled his mouth away, as if the shifter wanted to hear him scream out his name. The world fell away from his line of sight and nothing else mattered, save him being under Jax. Will emptied out his balls, his mind a cloudy haze until Jax closed his mouth over his again, thrusting more heat down his throat.

“Don’t relax yet, little human,” Jax said after. Will mewled for the shifter as Jax flipped him on his hands his knees. Wanting to feel Jax’s cock buried deep inside him, he wagged his ass at Jax in impatience. That earned him a playful swat on his left ass cheek. Will jumped, shocked not by the sting but how aroused he became from the little gesture.

Blushing, he turned his head to look over his shoulder, seeing Jax smiling as he took out lube from the back pocket of his jeans.

“Behave,” Jax chided. “I’ll ride you soon enough but I need to prepare you first.”

Jax returned to position behind him, used a foot to nudge his legs further apart. Wind caressed his privates, his asshole, and he shuddered as Jax slid a slicked-up finger inside him, eventually adding a second at his plea.

“Please, Jax. I need you inside me.”

“Fuck.” Jax began widening him for access and finally replaced his digits with his cock. Will muttered a curse as Jax teased him, using his pre-cum to smear his puckered entrance but not quite pushing in. “Beg me again, baby.”

Baby. Will liked that nickname, made him feel special. Loved.

“Please, Jax. Take me.”

Jax gripped his hips and breached him, not all the way, but the dragon shifter took his time. Will groaned at the initial burn, but once Jax passed the tight ring of muscles, it felt easier to breathe. He gripped the fabric underneath him, panting as Jax finally sheathed himself to the hilt, balls resting against the curve of his ass. Will clenched his inner muscles tight around Jax’s shaft, making the shifter growl softly.